Kyle slowly opened his eyes...
Everything was blurry, and the images slowly became clearer...
A voice echoed in his mind:
"I thought you'd wake up by now." It was Charles' voice, soft and seductive.
After a moment, the images around him became clearer. He looked around—he seemed to be in a basement, bound to a chair...
The basement had a low ceiling, and the walls were made of damp stone. Dark, root-like streaks of moisture crawled up the rocks, and the smell of mold and rusted metal lingered in the air. Flickering torches burned in the cracks of the walls, but their light cast more shadows than it did illumination.
Kyle felt a little dizzy but tried to remain alert. It took him a moment to grasp his situation.
Kyle mumbled:
"Where am I?"
Charles smiled and looked at the ceiling, then spoke softly:
"Right under one of Marcus's houses..."
Kyle frowned, not understanding Charles' meaning. He asked:
"Why here? Wait... is Marcus working with you?"
Charles let out a small laugh, more of a sneer at Kyle's simplicity, and said:
"No..."
Kyle was confused, staring at Charles. All he could see was that deceitful grin, something that no longer resembled a good man but a madman.
Kyle narrowed his eyes, still feeling dizzy and disoriented, and said:
"Wait... if Marcus isn't working with you... then you want to frame him as a killer?"
Charles stood up, no longer smiling. His expression turned serious and more dangerous. He slowly shook his head in agreement.
Kyle, in disbelief, shouted:
"You piece of trash! You're insane!" While struggling to break free from the chair, he yelled:
"Why did you kill Elizabeth? She had nothing to do with it... Why do you want to kill me? I'm just an ordinary professor, living my normal life."
Then, he bent his head in a pleading gesture, tears starting to fall, and said:
"Please! Please... let me go... I promise I won't tell anyone anything!"
He cried uncontrollably, the tears falling like raindrops, and then muttered through his sobs:
"I have a family... my wife and kids are waiting for me at home... what did I do to you? Help! Someone help me!"
Charles spoke softly and measuredly:
"Humans do not fear death... they fear what they will lose... family, friends, knowledge, wealth, power... everything they have in this world becomes chains that make it hard to let go of this life... and make the departure from this world much more difficult."
He then gently grabbed the back of Kyle's neck with one hand and asked:
"Do you fear death because you have something to lose, or do you fear death because what you have isn't enough?"
Kyle's eyes widened in terror. His breaths came in short gasps, and his words stumbled out:
"Please… I'm innocent… I didn't do anything!"
Charles released his grip on Kyle's neck and calmly walked toward a small wooden table. It had a lantern and a dagger on it. He leaned on the table, arms crossed, and paused for a moment. Then he smiled slightly, almost as if he was amused by the concept of "innocence," and looked at Kyle.
"You say you're innocent..."
He paused and continued, "Innocence is something people hide behind to escape the consequences of their sins. They think they're immune… but no one is free from the impact they have on others. Anyone who claims to be innocent is hiding a shadow of truth."
Kyle closed his eyes and said:
"Why are you doing this? What did I do to you? What did Elizabeth ever do?"
Charles shook his head a few times and then spoke slowly:
"It's simple... I want justice to be served."
Kyle scowled and asked:
"What justice?"
Charles picked up the dagger, touched its blade, and then said:
"You and Elizabeth did nothing... You were both living simple lives, Elizabeth annoying others, and you teaching... I chose you both... So, you can be happy your lives are part of my goal."
Kyle became more furious, grinding his teeth, and then said:
"What kind of logic is that? This isn't fair at all !"
Charles frowned for a moment, then asked, confused:
"Fair?" His face then changed to one of sadness and grief. "My daughter... my only hope in this world was taken from me... In that moment, I blamed the world and screamed that it was unfair... but I heard no response."
A tear fell from his left eye. His eyes were filled with tears, and he felt a heaviness in his throat. He whispered:
"This academy... took my daughter... and now I will destroy everything... piece by piece, until not even a single brick remains."
His face then shifted to sorrow, and he said:
"I take your and Elizabeth's lives to achieve my goal... it didn't matter... I could have chosen anyone... the outcome would have been the same."
He raised the dagger toward Kyle. The blade reflected a small glimmer of light.
Kyle, terrified and confused, said:
"You're a madman..." His face was blank and shocked.
Charles said nothing, and drove the dagger into Kyle's heart but didn't pull it back out.
Blood dripped slowly onto the floor, and Kyle's vision faded to black...
Charles spoke softly:
"Close your eyes, Kyle, and enjoy the silence of the river..."
In his final moments, Kyle thought of his family, his wife and children. The last regret of his life was never getting to see his family again.
It was an unjust and cruel death, a man who had a simple life, a home to live in, a family to love, children to raise, delicious meals to taste, and dreams that ended with one brutal death.