In a dimly lit hospital room, soft whispers of the wind rustled through translucent curtains, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere. A man lay in a plush bed, stirring from a restless sleep, grappling with the remnants of his memories. Each fragmented piece of reality crashed down on him like waves; it was no dream—he was alive, and the events that had transpired were hauntingly real.
This man was Felix, the chief officer of the castle guards. As visitors began to trickle in—his colleagues, parents, and even a few workers who admired him—he found it difficult to shake off the thoughts of a boy he had encountered in the forest. Despite the warm greetings and concerned faces, his mind was elsewhere.
Then, as if summoned by fate, one of his colleagues entered the room. Alvin, dressed in a tailored black suit instead of the standard uniform, bore a striking resemblance to a storm brewing on the horizon. His curly hair framed a face that held an unsettling, elegant smile. He settled into a chair beside Felix's bed, his presence altering the atmosphere.
Felix managed a small smile himself. "So, how are you, Alvin?"
"Fine," came the soft, measured reply, as though he were bobbing on the surface of a still lake. "We're delving deeper into the incident at the clearing."
Felix rose, an urgency igniting within him. "This isn't the place for this. Let's move to the roof."
Alvin nodded, and together they ascended to the rooftop, shutting the door behind them. The air was electric with unspoken tension as they resumed their conversation.
"Felix," Alvin began, his tone shifting to something colder. "The information you provided doesn't match what we've uncovered. You claimed to have chased the boy and either killed him or that he died fleeing, yet there's no trace of a body."
Felix interrupted, a sense of disbelief washing over him. "How could you find it? It must have vanished!"
"Bodies don't just disappear, Felix. They take hours to decompose—a grim fact of nature," Alvin countered, his voice icy. "Either you're hiding the truth, or everything you told us is a fabrication. Maybe I'm wrong, but the evidence isn't on your side."
A surge of panic coursed through Felix as he wrestled with the possibility of being exposed. "And maybe you're keeping something from us," he retorted, desperation creeping into his voice.
Alvin's demeanor shifted slightly, revealing a flicker of pain. "You don't know, do you? My brother—he was the boy. No one bothered to check our records. Your actions, your lies… they led to his death. I kept our connection secret, out of love for him. But that doesn't change the fact that you've endangered us all."
The weight of their exchange hung heavily in the air, and Felix felt as though the ground beneath him was slipping away. "So now what?" he demanded, heart racing.
"I'm going to take you into custody," Alvin said firmly. "You'll tell the truth, or I'll have to use force."
With that ultimatum hanging between them, Felix glanced at the sky, recalling the boy's face—an image that burned in his mind. In an instant, he made his move, closing the distance before Alvin could react. Felix unleashed a flurry of blows, each strike fueled by panic and determination, leaving Alvin reeling.
Before Alvin could gather himself, Felix seized the gun concealed within his suit. Shock painted Alvin's face as he crumpled to the ground, betrayal etched in his features. "You bastard!" he gasped, a mixture of anger and disbelief in his voice.
Their fates hung in the balance, entwined by secrets, lies, and the unrelenting quest for truth.In a dimly lit hospital room, soft whispers of the wind rustled through translucent curtains, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere. A man lay in a plush bed, stirring from a restless sleep, grappling with the remnants of his memories. Each fragmented piece of reality crashed down on him like waves; it was no dream—he was alive, and the events that had transpired were hauntingly real.
This man was Felix, the chief officer of the castle guards. As visitors began to trickle in—his colleagues, parents, and even a few workers who admired him—he found it difficult to shake off the thoughts of a boy he had encountered in the forest. Despite the warm greetings and concerned faces, his mind was elsewhere.
Then, as if summoned by fate, one of his colleagues entered the room. Alvin, dressed in a tailored black suit instead of the standard uniform, bore a striking resemblance to a storm brewing on the horizon. His curly hair framed a face that held an unsettling, elegant smile. He settled into a chair beside Felix's bed, his presence altering the atmosphere.
Felix managed a small smile himself. "So, how are you, Alvin?"
"Fine," came the soft, measured reply, as though he were bobbing on the surface of a still lake. "We're delving deeper into the incident at the forest ."
Felix rose, an urgency igniting within him. "This isn't the place for this. Let's move to the roof."
Alvin nodded, and together they ascended to the rooftop, shutting the door behind them. The air was electric with unspoken tension as they resumed their conversation.
"Felix," Alvin began, his tone shifting to something colder. "The information you provided doesn't match what we've uncovered. You claimed to have chased the boy and either killed him or that he died fleeing, yet there's no trace of a body."
Felix interrupted, a sense of disbelief washing over him. "How could you find it? It must have vanished!"
"Bodies don't just disappear, Felix. They take hours in tell the light leaves the body of a human being," Alvin countered, his voice icy. "Either you're hiding the truth, or everything you told us is a fabrication. Maybe I'm wrong, but the evidence isn't on your side."
A surge of panic coursed through Felix as he wrestled with the possibility of being exposed. "And maybe you're keeping something from us," he retorted, desperation creeping into his voice.
Alvin's demeanor shifted slightly, revealing a flicker of pain. "You don't know, do you? My brother was Bob. No one bothered to check our records. Your actions, your lies… they led to his death. I kept our connection secret, out of love for him. But that doesn't change the fact that you've endangered us all."
The weight of their exchange hung heavily in the air, and Felix felt as though the ground beneath him was slipping away. "So now what?" he demanded, heart racing.
"I'm going to take you into custody," Alvin said firmly. "You'll tell the truth, or I'll have to use force."
With that ultimatum hanging between them, Felix glanced at the sky, recalling the boy's face—an image that burned in his mind. In an instant, he made his move, closing the distance before Alvin could react. Felix unleashed a flurry of blows, each strike fueled by panic and determination, leaving Alvin reeling.
Before Alvin could gather himself, Felix seized the gun concealed within his suit. Shock painted Alvin's face as he crumpled to the ground, betrayal etched in his features. "You bastard!" he gasped, a mixture of anger and disbelief in his voice.
Felix stood atop the rooftop, a deranged smile twisting his features as he addressed Alvin. "If you had met the boy, you would have thought you'd come face to face with the devil himself." Without waiting for a response, he pulled the trigger—Bang! Bang! The echo of gunfire split the night, and Alvin crumpled to the ground, lifeblood seeping from the wound as he breathed his last.
Suddenly, two guards burst through the door, alarmed by the gunshots. Shock plastered their faces as they stared at Felix, who strode forward with a chilling confidence. "Seems I have some unpleasant truths to share," he declared, walking past them. "Pick up the body and take it back to the main castle." The guards exchanged glances before responding obediently, "Yes, Sir."
Descending to the castle, the atmosphere shifted from confusion to tension. Felix changed into his standard uniform, the fabric clinging to his wounds, and gathered everyone in the main hall. The guards, shocked by their leader's sudden reappearance, buzzed with questions. Standing before them, Felix offered a slight bow. "I apologize for the deception, but the time has come for the truth."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. "There's an intruder among us," he continued, his voice steady. Gasps erupted, and he silenced them with a commanding presence. "Alvin and Bob brought the boy here. If you doubt my words, check! The document in my office, Alvin, and Bob are brothers—bound to betray us from the beginning . The boy has escaped, and I have no idea where he is, but I fear he will return."
His voice grew louder and more resolute. "As guards of this castle, we are the very pillars of this city. I won't tolerate any doubt among us! When the boy comes, we will stand our ground. We will not allow what happened to our brothers, Jacob and Alex, to happen again."
Felix's resolve hardened as he added, "I stand here, despite my injuries, to fight alongside you until the bitter end. We will protect this castle and the people that are outside the forest. This is our duty!"
The guards, inspired by their captain's unwavering conviction, felt a wave of determination wash over them. They understood that he wasn't a liar; instead, they grappled with the betrayal from those they once trusted. Felix internalised a thought as he watched their expressions shift from shock to unity: "A well-placed lie can forge a powerful belief."
As he steeled himself for the coming storm, he knew deep down that when the boy arrived, it would spell doom for the monster. And Felix will be a witness to that doom.