Ink

Chapter 41

"We are definitely going to get busted for this."I whisper as Caleb and I reach Ryder's bedroom door.

Caleb chuckles before typing on the keypad beside the door.

"We'll be fine." He reassures me. It doesn't work.

The door clicks and opens to reveal a small room with a single bed, desk, and drawers.

"He's not really big on colors, or patterns, or anything really."

"I can see that." I say as I enter the room slowly.

"He's also not really big on happiness, or emotions."

I look back at Caleb with a slight smirk on my face to keep from laughing. He tries to hold back his own laughter, but fails miserably.

"Caleb!" I whisper yell."You're going to give us away if you keep laughing like that."

He abruptly attempts to stop but ends up coughing at his attempt.

"I'm sorry." He coughs out."I'm just too funny."

"Oh sure." I let a small laugh out. "Can you please get whatever you need from here so we can leave."

"Right, I almost forgot about that." He walks over to Ryder's dresser and opens the top drawer. "It should be in here somewhere."

While he rummages through Ryder's drawers, I take notice of a small piece of paper laying on the desk. I pick it up and turn it over to find a picture of a family. It doesn't take much to realize that Ryder is standing in the middle of the two adults who I assume are his parents. But what surprises me, is the small child peaking out from behind Ryder's side.

"Caleb?" I ask.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Does Ryder have a brother?" I turn slowly to find that Caleb is already looking at me.

We stand in silence as Caleb averts his gaze from mine and looks down at his boots.

"He's only mentioned him once-" He begins slowly. His voice is quieter now."I don't know much more except-"He pauses and lifts his eyes to meet mine. "H-he was taken, by blue-eye's men."

"Oh." Is all I can manage to say before placing the photo back down in it's spot.

"He hasn't talked about him since. It's like, a piece of him was taken with Callum-a piece I'm not sure will ever return."

A wave of sadness runs through me, accompanied by an intense frustration and anger that almost causes me to flare up.

So that was it. That was the reason why Ryder fought so hard for the Resistance. He wanted to free the wrongfully enslaved and avenge his parents.

He wanted to get his brother back.

"Thats why he fights." I say. "That's how he's managed to stay strong after all this time."

Caleb raises a brow as he waits for me to continue.

"He has someone to fight for."I glance down at the photo again."And I bet as long as there's hope that his brother is still alive, he will fight with everything he has.

Caleb doesn't say anything, but the smile that grows on his face is enough of a response for me.

"Hope is what's going to keep us going now, Caleb."

~~~

Mephistor's POV

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The beast's eyes narrow before he strikes the man before him.