Three Fates Entwined | Dream Team

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dream tapped lightly on Sapnap's door. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," came the reply. There was the sound of fabric rustling around, and then Sapnap opened his door and stepped out, looking about as awake as a sloth.

"Oh, good, you've already got your armor on," Dream noted. "Now to go wake up George."

He started heading towards the direction of George's room. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah."

He glanced back at the man. "Is that your only reply?"

"Yeah."

Dream chuckled to himself and turned a corner. He glanced down the hallways towards the sides. They were empty. Then again, it was a large castle.

They strolled up to the door of George's room. Dream raised a hand and knocked on it twice, then waited. After a minute, it opened, revealing the prince.

"Patrolling time?" George asked nervously.

"Yep," Dream said. He reached over and adjusted the straps on the prince's leather armor. "Your armor is crooked."

"Thanks," George mumbled. His hand wandered towards the hilt of his sword, then returned to his sides. "So, um, we just walk around all night, right?"

"We keep a lookout for any suspicious activity in the halls," Dream corrected. "But yes, we just walk around all night."

Sapnap gave a massive yawn and looked at Dream blearily. "Couldn't we have gotten more time to sleep?"

"Better get used to this," Dream responsed, already beginning to head on the path that Filens had instructed to him. It was a long one that looped around the entire west wing of the castle, which housed all the knights. He had taken the time to memorize the path, as well as the path of the other three groups patrolling at the same times as them. Because it was time.

Time to carry out his plan.

***

Dream lead the group silently, keeping an eye out in the halls. If you thought about it, the person they were supposed to be watching out for was himself, but after the two attacks that had happened, he was feeling very wary.

Peligro was plotting something. He knew it. But what was it that he was plotting? It was him that called on Dream that day and given him his task, but at the same time, it was obvious that Peligro was also trying to sabotage him.

"This is surprisingly easy," George remarked.

"The hard part hasn't come yet," Dream said nonchalantly. No, but it will come soon.

He let himself fall back slightly, so that he was walking behind the two. Sapnap still looked tired, but less so. George was staring straight ahead, as if expecting an attack to come from the front at any second.

Instead, it was going to come from behind.

Dream pulled out his knife and switched it around so that the blade was adjacent with his arm. Then he reached forward, grabbed George's collar, and pulled the prince towards him.

In one swift movement, he brought up the knife towards George's neck.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

I spent a whole month getting close to these two, and now I'm going to betray them. But this isn't anything new. I do this all the time. I'm an assassin, this is literally like my job.

Ten hundred gold coins.

But the prince....

It's too late.

Suddenly, something stopped the path of his knife. Dream looked up into Sapnap's eyes, his sword the only thing between George's throat and his death.

So he is awake.

"W-what?" George stumbled back, his eyes huge. "Clay!"

"I'm sorry," Dream said softly.

"I knew it," Sapnap said. Then he raised his voice. "I knew it! I suspected you at first, and I hated myself for that! My own friend! Everything you did made me wonder. And now...."

His fuming made Dream feel even worse. What is wrong with me? Come on, finish him!

Dream pushed Sapnap back and lunged at George again. The prince dodged and pulled out his sword, parrying his next blow. "Stop fighting me!" he said incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you hear Sapnap?" Dream said, taking a step back. "I'm an assassin."

"What?"

Dream could see the hurt in the shocked expression on his face. He took another step back, then another, until there was a distance between him and the two.

It's time.

He took out his mask and slipped it on. Judging from George's immediate gasp, the prince recognized him. "No way," he whispered. "There's no way. It's a fake mask."

For some reason, that made him smile, despite it being too late for anyone to see it. "No, it's quite real."

"But we trusted you!" George blurted out. "We spent a whole month together! We trained together, we did everything together! You said your name is Clay!"

"I'm sorry. I lied."

Dream jumped forward and slashed at George. Immediately, Sapnap was there again, parrying the blow just in time to save the prince's life. He gritted his teeth and struck again. He knew he was good. But he also knew that he was holding back.

Sapnap stared at Dream. He knew what was probably going through his mind --- how did George realize so quickly?

It was still kind of funny that Sapnap didn't recognize him.

"What...?" George said, still dazed.

"Come on, George!" Sapnap tugged the prince away from Dream. He watched them go for a second, analyzing their route. Then he dashed down the hallway towards the left.

After all the wandering he had done in the past month, he knew the castle better than he knew the village that he used to live in.

Dream sprinted down the length of the hall, then turned another corner and stepped out right in front of them. "Please," he said, the pain in his voice surprising even himself. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Sapnap shot him a dirty look, but there was a tinge of sadness in there as well. He pulled George down another corridor, getting further and further away.

He watched them go, closing his eyes for a second before opening them again. Yes, go. Go away, far away, away from me. Your killer. Your enemy.

Go. Run while you still can.