Fragments of a Broken Timeline [Book 3]

Ch.26 Cane Swipe

"Sly, Rae! It appears the Black Knight has a patrol moving objects in a locked case through the town! From the level of security, I'd bet the farm it's Galleth and Gwen's canes." Bentley explained through their binocucoms.

"Wait, hold up...you have a farm?" Sly asked.

Rae frowned, punching Sly in the arm. "Stupid idiot!"

Whack!

"Ouch--hey! What the hell, Rae!?" Sly exclaimed.

Bentley sighed. "Just get over there, you two!" He scolded. "If what Gwen and Galleth say is true, he almost never leaves his castle, and when he does, it's only to briefly visit the Blacksmith Shop. This may be the one opportunity we have to steal the canes back!"

"Alright, time to join the parade then!" Sly joked, Rae letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Oh my God, you are insufferable..." She exasperated, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"But before you two make a move, get some pictures of the Black Knight and the case containing the canes. We need to figure out who and what we're dealing with." Bentley added before disconnecting.

"You go get the pictures, and I'll wait here until you're finished." Rae practically ordered at Sly.

"Got it. Be back in a jiffy!" Sly nodded before taking off.

Once Sly was gone, however, Rae couldn't help but bury her face in her hands. "Goddamn it...!" She cursed. "How can that idiot just keep smiling as if nothing is wrong?! Meanwhile, I'm over here wallowing in my own self-pity and conscious doubts... Damn it, I don't know what to do, or even what I should do! I just... Urgh!! Damn it!!"

Wham!

In her rage, Rae slammed her fist into the concrete brick of the bridge she had been stood atop of. However, after letting out a sharp sigh, Rae drew her hand back, gripping onto her wrist as her knuckles began to throb. "Damn it...! I just...don't know what to do, or rather...what I should be doing."

Rae just gripped onto her hand tightly, clenching her jaw as she stood there, completely lost in her own thoughts. She wasn't sure of what to do, much less how she should feel. Rae wanted to hate Sly, hate him for what he did, but the more she mulled over that thought of hatred, the more Rae began to realize something. It felt like a ton of bricks had piled on top of her when she finally realized what she had been so blind to see all along, so much so, that she began to feel hot tears burn in those sapphire eyes of hers. Slowly, Rae lifted a hand to cover her mouth, trying to hold back her muffled sobs.

"I-I hate...what Sly has done to me, but I...I can't hate him...! Oh, God...! A-and yet, here I was, treating him so cruelly! B-but at the same time, he...! Damn it!" Rae exclaimed, collapsing to her knees as she placed her hands against the sides of her head. "I just...! I don't know what to do, how to feel! What...what do I do!? I can't...I can't think straight...! I--"

"Hey!" A voice abruptly called.

"Ugh!?" Rae gasped.

"Hey, Rae, are you alright?"

Suddenly, while Rae was too busy dwelling in her own twisted thoughts and confused emotions, she hadn't even noticed that Sly had returned from taking the pictures Bentley had asked him for. And now, here he was, watching as Rae was basically falling apart at the seams, her cheeks covered in her own tears, and a look of both shock and horror plastered on her face just at the mere sight of Sly.