Escaped - Sanders Sides

Chapter Four

(POV: Roman)

I rushed back to the house, cringing at the wet grass in between my toes. Virgil went back to the dark sides. But why? What is he hiding from us? I knew he wasn't alright after Deceit showed up. I should've helped him. Instead, he shut himself out, and now look where he is.

Back in the house, I ran up the stairs. I didn't care that it was almost three in the morning. This was an emergency.

I pounded my fists against Logan and Patton's doors. From inside both rooms, I could hear the two sides climbing out of bed.

"What in the world?" Patton said groggily as he poked his head out. "Roman, what's wrong?"

"It is 2:57, Roman. I hope that you have a good reason for waking the two of us up," Logan groaned, putting on his glasses.

"Virgil's... gone," I gasped between pants.

"W-What? Virgil's gone?" Patton repeated, fully coming out of his room.

"Yeah. I-I heard sounds coming from his room. So, I went to investigate, and he had a bag full of stuff and he just bolted down the stairs. I tried to run after him but I...I couldn't," I retold.

Patton and Logan looked to each other, not entirely believing what they were hearing.

I wish I didn't believe it either, but I saw it with my own eyes. Virgil's gone.

"Well, what do we do?" Patton wondered. "Do you know where he went?"

"He... I think he went to go find the Dark Sides."

Patton gasped in horror. "What? Why would he do that? Is it because of what happened earlier with Deceit?"

"The barrier must be broken then," Logan stated. "There's no other way the Deceit could have escaped. Virgil must be checking to see if everyone is free. I'm sure that he will be fine."

"But what if he's not?" I questioned. "He used to be one of them! We don't know what he could be doing. They could have tricked him for all we know. We have to save Virgil and bring him back."

"Agreed," Logan added. "Why need to get him back before he gets himself or Thomas hurt."

It was settled. Logan and Patton disappeared back into their rooms to change. It seemed time had never moved slower than when I was waiting for them. I couldn't stand it, Virgil is in the Dark Mind Palace, with who knows what happening to him. The thought of it made me shiver.

The two other light sides came out of their rooms, fully dressed in their normal outfits. They looked exhausted, but I'm sure I did too. We marched down the stairs, ready to head out into the field where Virgil vanished. That was the plan until we all felt a familiar tugging sensation. Thomas needed us.

"What is Thomas doing up this early?" Patton mumbled to no one in particular.

"Us being awake probably woke him up as well," Logan reasoned.

We all sunk down, rising up in Thomas' living room, seeing him in his pajamas and draped over his couch with all his lights off.

"Wow it's uh, a little dark in here, kiddo," Patton acknowledged. He went to go turn a lamp off, but our host snatched his hand before he could.

"Sorry, Pat. I just have an awful headache. I thought maybe you guys could help me get rid of it or...maybe explain why it's happening?"

Patton, Logan, and I all exchanged worried looks.

"Well," Patton said. "We might have an idea, but you might not like it, kiddo."

"W-What does that mean?"

"You see, Thomas, we have reason to believe that Virgil is...no longer in the mind palace as of right now," Logan summed up, trying to be polite. Our host's face read confusion as he got up from the couch. It didn't take much to see the distress deep in his face.

"Wait, he's not here?" Thomas asked, panic rising in his voice. "Do you at least know where he is?"

"Well, Thomas," I tried to say, choking on my words a bit, "We think he might have gone back to the Dark Mind Palace."

(POV: Virgil)

It seemed the world around me only got darker and colder as I re-entered the dark mind palace. The tension from my last meeting with the people I used to call 'my friends' was still fresh in the air. As much as I wanted to turn back, I had to keep going.

For Thomas, I kept repeating to myself. For Thomas.

I marched through the shattered barrier, bracing myself for anything.

This place was a monument to remind me of everything that I went through. Everything that the others went through as well.

There had to be some way to fix all that of this; to put the Dark Sides back where they belonged. Away from the core of Thomas's mind before they could do even more damage. Before they corrupt Thomas into something he isn't.

Pounding footsteps began to echo around me. I thrashed my head all around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. It was only getting closer and louder, making me shake with nerves.

"W-Who's there?" I called out in a shaky voice.

There was a pause of eerie silence. A chill racked down my back as I swallowed back my fear.

As the footsteps bounded further, they released a low, hardy laugh along with it.

"Decided to crawl back, I see?" The voice boomed. Coming from the shadows was Thomas' Manipulation himself, Elden.

I tensed, trying to pretend that I knew how to fight.

"Color me surprised," He grinned.

"I'm not afraid of you!" I shouted at him.

He scoffed at me, finding my threats to be unamusing. "Oh, I'm sure you aren't. You were always stronger than you seemed, weren't you?"

I shook my head, not letting his words affect me. He was trying to manipulate me, I could tell. I remember what it feels like; the feeling hasn't changed.

"Cut it out!" I screamed, fighting back fearful tears. "Tell me why you're back! How did you and the others break free? What are you after?"

The man simply shrugged, coming closer to me. I stood my ground, anxiously gnawing at my lip.

"All of those questions will be answered...in time," He growled. "I, however, have a question for you." He pulled me by my chin, dragging our faces closer. I could feel his breath on my skin, making me flinch. "Why do you think you were freed from this place, but not us? What made you more special than us?"

He pushed me to the ground, watching me fall to my knees helplessly. "You think it was because you were wanted? Or cared about? Maybe the fact that you were friendly? No, Thomas needed you. The others don't want you around meddling with Thomas's life! You are not cared about, you are just required and nothing more."

I tried not to let his words get to me, but the more they floated around my head, the more power they had on me.

A sudden tug pulled my core. Thomas. He was summoning me. I wanted to go help him, but Elden pounded his boot onto my shoulder.

"Are you going to run again? Runaway to the people that need you?! Or, stay with the people that want you!"

I panted heavily, not wanting to give into him. I can't actually be trusting him, can I?

I ignored Thomas's summons, hearing Elden lowly laugh. "Give in?"

"Not for you," I grumbled, picking myself up from the floor. "I'm not running away from this again!" My feet ran at Elden, ready to attack him. Before I got any closer, he snapped his fingers.

At first, everything seemed to be fine. One second I was standing up, and the next, the air was knocked out of me and I was lying on the ground. Elden lifted me from the ground, throwing me over his shoulder as he carried me deeper into the Dark Mind Palace. I couldn't protest or fight. I could hardly breathe. Helplessly, my eyes closed and I was enveloped by the darkness.