The Maze of Existence

Episode 14: White-Washed

His eyes immediately flooded with relief when he saw me for the first time.

    I opened my mouth to tell him everything that had happened. To ask him if he was alright. To apologize for losing his compass.

    "You're alive!" I shouted in the wind.

    He swallowed, but said nothing.

    "I was so worried about you! I wanted to find you sooner, but I didn't know how," I continued, stepping closer.

    He cocked his head at me, as if he was trying to figure out what to do.

    "You're okay, I can't believe it," I said.

    He looked down into my eyes with his brilliant blue ones, even more vibrant than I remembered. He smiled weakly, and water spilled down his cheeks. My heart slammed against my ribcage.

    He was with me.

    But was he scarred like Jonathan?

    "Please say something."

    He opened his mouth, a shy smile playing across his face. Upon grabbing my hands, he blurted the very thing I didn't expect.

    "Rowin, I love you," Seth stated over the noise.

     The words tumbled out of his mouth faster than the pounding rain. Wind still whipped my exposed skin, my limbs burned from exhaustion, my mind screamed because I wasn't running to someplace safer.

    Those words just... They stopped me.

    He said it so genuinely, like he'd been holding it in for years. Still, I gazed at him, emotion rising in my chest.

    "I have been locked up for so long and every single day I thought about you. I knew you would be okay, God promised me he'd take care of you. I missed you so much, I had to get out. And now you're here and all I can think is-- I love you."

     With his elaboration, the fear in me subsided. Seth knew who he was. He knew who I was. He knew who we were.

    I threw my arms around his neck and he held me close to him. Everything I had endured was worth going through so that I could be in his arms at last.

    "Rowin, we have to go," he said softly in my ear.

    He held my hand as he pushed his visor back on. We began running in the direction of the prison.

    "What are you doing?!" I yelled as half of the prison collapsed in on itself.

    "I forgot something," he shouted above the wind.

    I nearly stopped. We were practically running towards our deaths. But I didn't want to lose him again, and we didn't have time to discuss what he was thinking.

    He pushed his way through the crowd of guards and soldiers, pulling me along with him. Everyone was rushing out of the building, fearing that it was about to completely fall apart. No one interfered with us; I was with a soldier.

    Without an explanation, Seth marched down the white-washed hallway with cinder block walls like he owned the place. I was confused more than anything. What was really happening? Wasn't Seth also a prisoner?

    The air was hazy and filled with dust, and the light was dim. It was silent except for our footsteps and the calls outside.

    There wasn't anyone around when we walked into a large room with monitors lined up on the walls. It was dark, except for the light from the screens. Seth slowed to a walk as he looked at each one quickly, trying to find something specific.

    Cautiously, I approached one and gazed at the image of a prison cell. It had a toilet, a bench, and a person. One large, metallic door sealed shut and no windows.

    I squinted at the small figure curled up in the corner, but I could hardly make out their facial features. The screens and lights flickered, making the picture blurry.

    Seth was beside me, peering over my shoulder without his visor on. My heart sped up from our closeness despite the horror of the situation.

    "Who is it?" I asked, shivering at the thought of Jonathan being in a cell.

    "That's who I was looking for," he answered. "I promised I would come back for him. I just hope it isn't too late."

    "Seth, who is it?" I repeated.

    He took a seat in front of the monitor, pressing controls and glancing around the vacant room nervously. Finally, he paused for a moment to take in the human on screen.

The prisoner had shifted his position and I could feel dread filling my insides. Their face was pale, expression distraught, hair faded, shaking terribly-- It was like he had been white-washed in terror.

    Just like Jonathan.

    Seth sighed and bit his lip before letting his hands fall from the controls. Then he confirmed my fear.

    "That's Eden."

TO BE CONTINUED WITH:

The Trace of Stars