The Boy from the Bunker

Episode Seven, Part 1:

Episode Seven, Part 1:
T h e G r e a t E s c a p e

The distant rattling of keys shot everyone's head up, all eyes falling onto Ares. He nodded reassuringly, as if to commence their plan, as if to say we're gonna be free.

Exactingly, Lyra traveled down the cold, miserable path to their cells; her face held a certain softness in the dim lighting, a fragment of remorse, perhaps that she had to meet her friends in such circumstances, but it didn't mean anything to Ares.

She bypassed his and Fabian's cell, heading straight for Elara's. As a result, a raging panic sparked in Ares' stomach. If she went to his sister first, then she would realise that her restraints had been broken, and Elara wouldn't be able to free the other two.

"No!" The words spilled out of Elara suspiciously fast, but Ares was just relieved that she had caught on. She coughed a little as Lyra froze, an attempt to slow down the moment. "I mean, please let Ares out first. His hands need a break. They're all cut and bleeding."

Lyra looked to the young girl, trying to figure if she was lying to her or not. Her eyes fell on Ares next, who mustered up the most desperate expression he could manage, as if to convince her to listen.

She muttered something under her breath, but Ares caught sound of her words. "Maybe he should stop trying to get himself out and listen to me."

He would never be sure if it was because she had believed Elara, or because she felt a sorrow for having to keep them locked up, but, either way, Lyra left her in her cell, and stepped over to Ares', opening the bars when both boys were pressed against the wall.

Ares waited until she was right up close for him to bring his hands out in front of him. Before Lyra even identified the broken handcuffs, Fabian had crept up behind her. As she brought her keys forward to unlock Ares' cuffs, Fabian wrapped his arms up and around her, until the metal chained slithered across her neck. In a moment of panic, Lyra dropped the keys against the concrete ground, and Ares picked them up before she could think of a way to stop him.

He raced to unlock his cell before he hurried over to do the same for Elara. At the same time, Fabian led Lyra out, holding her tightly against him.

"So what's your big plan?" Lyra spat. Realisation settled in that she wasn't going to be able to stop them. The fear of letting Blood Riders down triumphed over the fear or doing so to her family.

"Take us to my mother." Ares demanded.

Lyra scoffed. "I'd rather wait all day in this cell-" Fabian pulled his hands a little, the metal pressing against her neck, blocking her words from coming out.

"I think the three of us could come up with something a little more fun." Ares taunted her. "It gets pretty dull in here, if you haven't already imagined."

"What are you going to do? Leave? Blood Riders are what's best for us, Ares. Once you realise that, you'll be begging to come back."

"Our family is what's best for us!" There was a sudden shift in the room. A last desperation in Ares' voice just before he gave up on her. "Who are you?" He asked her. "What happened to you? Bas and Hayzel wouldn't like what you've become. Family comes first. They wouldn't stand by this."

"Hayzel is dead."

There was a silence, like the world had come to a stop. No one could quite believe it. "W-what?" Ares choked on his words. The lack of emotion from Lyra made her declaration so unbelievable. It was as though she was talking about a stranger, not her own sister.

"She died when those people stole us from our Bunker. And they still have some of our family. They're the reason she's dead."

Watered eyes all around except from the girl who should have been drowning in misery. Instead, she stood boldly in Fabian's grip. "But I'll take you to Martha, only because I know she'll say the same as me. Because she sees that Blood Riders are where we're supposed to be. Not at Basilisk. Not in a Bunker. Here."

Ares couldn't comprehend how wrong she was about everything. Visions of Lyra and Hayzel in the Bunker flooded his mind, and he wondered what went through hers. Did she even care? ...She had to. There was no way you could love someone like that and then one day, not feel anything at all, and there wasn't anything that could change his mind about that. 

Bur afraid that someone would soon find them, Ares kept it all inside, and reluctantly motioned for the others to follow him, hoping that with what little trust he had left for Lyra, it would pay off, and he would soon be reunited with his mum. 

- 9 miles West, Aching Forest 

Bas and Wynnlow continued to walk at a steady pace, carrying themselves through the night. Conversation had fizzled out a while ago - a combination of nerves and regret seeping into Wynn's chest, and now they walked in silence, almost without direction, just walking. 

Bas was growing tired. He hadn't anticipated the turn of events that had came with the evening, and the adrenaline had soon parted from him. All that he was left with was a great desire to rest. 

But meanwhile, Wynnlow's head was clouded with thoughts, and the fear screaming in his mind showed no signs of shutting down. He could walk for hours and still not feel anything differently. 

"Alright mate, we need to stop. We've been going at it for hours." Bas finally caved, attempting to slow down Wynnlow by stopping in his tracks, but Wynn just kept walking. 

"If we stop, Basilisk will find us." 

"Good! I'm sure Riverly will be one of them. We could use her help-" 

"Sol's not coming. You have to forget her. Besides, its The Decider tonight - she'll be waiting to find out if she's the new Sovereign. She made it quite clear that, that's her priority and we were only a part of her game." 

"What do you mean?" Bas jogged to catch up to Wynnlow, suddenly confused and curious at what he was saying. 

"Each of them running for Sovereign have to come up with a strategy to make Basilisk a better place. Sol thought she would find her mum in the Bunker, and that it would win her dad over, and that she could create some sort of army with everyone else inside. Anyway, finding us was a mistake. We were the wrong Bunker, Bas. She's not coming." 

Bas lost his pace, and fell in line behind Wynnlow. There was a shift in his spirit. It was as if he was starting to like Basilisk, almost as if it felt like a home again, but it was gone. Home wasn't a place anymore.  

s e v e n // p a r t  o n e

You have to forget her.