Ria
I followed Raphael as if my life depended on it, which it very likely did.
I kept hearing noises coming from the ground below us. At first I was shocked when I heard them and jumped up in fear, but after a while of hearing them and nothing bad happening I had grown accustomed to them.
Now every time the floor creaked I ignored it, sure that they were the rats or other kind of animals.
We had been walking for quite a while yet and still there was no sight of the exit.
Raphael said he knew what he was doing and I really hoped he did. If he had no idea where we were going it was going to be a fucking problem. I didn't know where we were going either.
" Are you sure you know where we're going?" When we passed through our cells for the third time I was beginning to feel suspicious.
Raphael coughed and didn't answer me. It didn't look good.
" Do you know?"
" Well, the truth is that.." I could hear the guilt in his voice as he spoke and I grew sure that he didn't have any fucking idea of what we were doing.
" You don't know, do you?" I cut him off before he could finish digging his own grave. " Why lie, then?"
Raphael stopped on his tracks and turned to look at me, his blue eyes shining under the torches's light. He was handsome, I'd give him that. Not as handsome as Arsheus, but still. If I didn't currently like Arsheus I wouldn't have minded giving it a go at him. He looked fine.
" You wouldn't have taken me with you then"
I gritted my teeth and turned away from him, not letting him see the guilt I had written all over my face.
Raphael couldn't be more right. The only reason why I had taken him with me in the first place was because I thought he could get me out. If I knew he couldn't I would've let him give it a go at escaping on his own and we would've each gone our own ways.
" Great"
" I'm really sorry" Raphael looked guilty as fuck as he spoke, his eyes pleading for mercy.
I could've forgiven him, but I was tired, too tired. Allea had said the same thing when she had kidnapped me and then left me with Cordelia to be murdered. I was beginning to get tired of hearing insincere sorries coming people that didn't really mean it.
" It's fine" I sighed and pretended I forgave him. I didn't, but he didn't need to know that. For now he was my ally and I'd have to behave well to him if I didn't want him to betray me.
" I'm really...." Before Raphael could apologize again the sound of someone running towards us from a nearby corridor sent me on edge.
Fear gripped me as the sounds came close and closer. Whoever was approaching us was doing it fast and decided. They were going to kill us. They had caught us.
I looked around for the spirits, but here were none.
Fucking great. The one time I actually wanted the spirits to be here was the only time they couldn't come. Fucking great.
With nothing to protect me I decided running away was better.
" Let's go" I grabbed Raphael's hand and tried to drag him with me into the passages and away from the guards that were approaching to kill us.
Raphael stood his ground and shook me off.
" It's time I prove to you that I'm worth staying with"
I stared at him.
He was fucking stupid. There would be nothing left to prove when the guards reached us and killed us.
" Yeah, yeah. You're strong. I trust you, now let's go" I grabbed his hand again and tried to drag him away, but once again he pushed me away, determination written all over his face.
" No. I'm going to make a stand"
Okay, he could die alone. I had tried my best.
" Do as you please"
I looked at his broad back one last time and guilt crashed into me. I wasn't a bad person, at least not bad enough to abandon a friend, but I had tried my utter best and he had told me time and time again that he wanted to be left alone. I was doing the right thing, right?
Guilt ate me alive as I turned and ran away. I was really sorry for running away, but I wanted to keep my life and the only way to do that was running away from the scary guards that wanted my head.
I might've been a coward, but at least I was going to be a living coward. It was better to live to regret than to die.
I didn't think of Raphael anymore as I turned the corner and all hell broke loose behind me.
For a few seconds as I sprinted down the hallway I could hear the sound of the wall breaking as the guards and Raphael went at it.
As I ran I felt a wave of scorching heat reach me, almost lighting my hair on fire.
I begun sweating through my clothes as soon as the wave reached me, a heat like that I had never experienced sorrounding me. Fortunately the heat didn't last long and soon the temperature returned to normal, my hair no longer feeling as if it would catch on fire any second now.
I wondered what had happened back there, but I kept running.
After that heat wave the sounds of attacks could not longer be heard. All I could do was cry silently and offer a prayer for Raphael's soul. He had fought like a warrior. He had died an useless death, but that had been his choice.
I kept running as fast as I could, pushing my limits to escape from the men chasing me, until I crashed into a wall I hadn't seen coming and fell to the floor.
Pain erupted everywhere as I fell down, my poor ass cheeks begging for mercy as every single bone in my body screamed in pain. The torture I had gotten from Cordelia wasn't enough, now I even needed to harm myself further.
Fuck!
I rubbed my sore ass as I looked up. I could've sworn there wasn't a wall there before.
As soon as my eyes met another person's my heart rate spiked.
Fuuuuck!
I backed away as fast as I could and got up, running from the shadowed figure that had been standing in the middle of the corridor.
Was this their plan to drag me out?
Why was I always so stupid as to fall into the same trap time and time again?
I didn't look back as I ran back to where Raphael had given his life.
The sound of footsteps running behind me as the guard followed me made my heart race faster as fear spread all over my body.
The question now wasn't whether they would catch me or not, it was just a matter of when.
I ran as fast as I could, but my body was tired from the previous race and not in the best condition. The torture and the wounds really didn't make for the best running companions.
I didn't listen to the pain trying to get me to stop as I ran faster.
I didn't dare to turn my head and slow down to see where the guard was, but I heard his footsteps clearer by the second. He was getting closer to me and there was nothing I could do about it except keep running until I fell to the floor with nothing else to give.
When I turned the corner of the place where Raphael had died I stopped on my tracks when I saw him standing there, perfectly fine as he spoke with another person.
At first I didn't realize who it was until they both turned to look at me and the torches's light hit him in the face.
When I saw Arsheus's face I fell to the floor, relief flooding through my whole body and making my legs go weak.
From behind me the guard that had been following me caught up. Only when he too was under the light did I realize it was Rin.
Looking at him I begun laughing uncontrollably.
I was fucking stupid. I had ran away from Rin, the person trying to help me.
All the men stood still, looking at me as if I had lost my sanity, which been fair I thought I had.
Arsheus was the first one to approach me and crouch down, his face a few feet away from mine.
" Are you fine?"
I couldn't answer him. All I could think of while I looked at those lovely eyes of his was that he had come. Despite everything and what I had told myself he had come looking for me. He was going to rescue me.
" You came to my rescue" My words were barely an audible whisper, but still loud enough for all of them to hear in the absolute silence that was the prison right now.
" Of course I did" Arsheus sounded offended as he frowned. " Did you think I wouldn't?"
Tears begun streaming down my face against my will when I heard him speaking like that.
That was true. I had thought he wouldn't care enough to come save me, or worst that he was in cahoots with Allea. I had thought the worst of him and yet here he was, smiling at me with those white teeth of his that made me want to eat him up.
When I looked into his eyes all the pain that I had been carrying just went away, even the wounds that had been present on my skin, courtesy of Cordelia, healed in a second under his gaze.
" I'm sorry"
I smiled as I wiped my tears, getting up and going to where Arsheus was still crouching.
I went over to him and hugged him as hard as I could.
I was so happy that he was here to save me that I didn't know how to put it into words. Instead of trying to express myself I just hugged him, the tears that fell off my eyes falling into his shirt. He didn't seem to mind it as he kept petting me, his hand on my hair giving me confidence.
" I'm glad you're here"
I turned my head and smiled at Rin. He had also come for me.
My first idea that he was a stupid bastard had almost gone away. I had hated him for a while for what he'd done to me, but at this point I was fairly sure that he had redeemed himself.
" Thanks for coming to rescue me"
Rin nodded and then turned to look at Raphael.
At first his gaze was hard when it fell on him. I almost felt bad for Raphael. Rin's gaze was penetrating and seemed to see right into your soul as he glared at him.
The glare lasted for a few seconds before confusion spread all over his face and then disbelief.
" Raphael?"
I stared at Rin and before the man in question could answer I answered for him.
" That's his name, what's wrong?"
I wanted to know why the fuck Rin was looking at Raphael as if he held the answers of the universe.
Instead of answering me, as usual, Rin turned to look at Arsheus and stared at him instead.
" Did you know?"
Arsheus shook his head.
" I just discovered it"
" Discovered what?" I was beginning to get pissed. I didn't like the way they were keeping me out, as usual.
" Welcome back" No one payed me any attention as Arsheus shook me off and walked up to Raphael, giving him a tight hug.
All I could do was stare as the men shared a private moment I knew nothing about.
They never told me anything. Well, that was about to change.
Now that I knew there were no guards I was way more calm. I was going to keep pestering them until they told me what I wanted to know. I wouldn't be pushed around, at least not this time.
I walked up to where they were looking at Raphael as if he was the weirdest thing in the world and crossed my arms over my chest. I was tired of being ignored. They were going to listen to me whether they liked it or not.
" How do you know each other?"
Arsheus turned to look at me and gave me a sad smile before he looked at Raphael with something like care in his eyes.
" He used to fight us"
" Yeah, every single step of the way" Despite what they were saying Rin's tone was light, as if he had truly cherished those moments with Raphael.
" It's true" Raphael begun laughing, his eye filled with unshed tears. " I should've known better"
Arsheus placed his hand over his shoulder and smiled at him. All the tension in Raphael's face disappeared in a second as he regarded Arsheus.
" Well, do you want to tell me how you know each other or what?"
Raphael looked at me and then at Arsheus.
" Do you know her?"
Arsheus laughed and nodded.
" She's my.... " Arsheus thought for a second. When he had the words a wicked smile spread across his face as he spoke, his voice sensual as his lips parted." Friend"
Raphael raised an eyebrow, his lips beginning to form a smirk.
" Sure, she surely is that"
Arsheus made a face and turned to face Raphael.
" How do you know her?"
" She helped me escape"
Everyone turned to look at me. For a second I felt like a hero, the one everyone looked up to, at least until I remembered I had barely done it and against my will. I was no hero, but I was alive, which was better.
When I didn't answer everyone seemed to know I wasn't going to talk anymore and for once they seemed fine with it.
I thought we would drop the subject and begin running, because we were in the middle of a fucking dungeon talking as if there were nothing wrong when I was sure the actual guards were waiting outside to come and kill us, but they didn't do such a thing.
" From whom?" Rin's voice was soft and defeated as he asked.
I stared at him for a second, thinking about what he was asking. After a while I finally realized he was talking about who had kidnapped me.
" Allea" My voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough.
I saw his eyes glistening with unshed tears before he clenched his teeth and composed himself.
" Let's get out"
For once he had said something I could get behind!
I was completely in agreement with Rin for once in my life. We had to get out of here.
" This way" Arsheus looked back at Raphael with every step we took, but we were moving out of the fucking dungeon.
It was great.
Only when we had walked a considerable distance away from the place where we had been standing at did I finally realize that maybe I should've told them about Cordelia.
I left Raphael walking on his own in the back and increased my pace to reach Arsheus. He was looking grim as he walked, as if all his strength had disappeared now that there was no need to make haste.
" Arsheus!"
He turned to look at me, waiting to see what I had to say.
" I should've told you earlier, but I forgot. There was another woman with Allea. She seemed to be the leader. Allea did everything she wanted"
As I spoke Arsheus begun walking slower and slower until he stopped on his tracks with my last words. Rin, who had been walking ahead, stopped too and ran back to where we were, his eyes moving frantically up and down, searching for the lie in my words.
" Are you sure?" Arsheus seemed on edge as he asked, as if everything pended on my answer.
I might've been unsure about other things, but I knew what I had seen. I had seen Cordelia making Allea do as she pleased. I didn't know what was going on there, but it didn't seem like they were friends. It was more like a master servant relationship.
" Who was it?" Rin was radiating off a murderous aura as he asked, his eyes shining with the promise of pain. I was glad he wasn't mad at me this time. His eyes gave me the creeps and sent spikes of fear all over my body.
" It was a woman named Cordelia"
Arsheus and Rin looked at each other for confirmation, but neither of them seemed to know who she was. To be fair if I hadn't spoken with her at the ball I wouldn't have known either.
" Do you happen to...?"
Before Arsheus could finish whatever he wanted to ask Raphael walked up to us, his lips crooked in a grin as he spoke in a dark tone.
" Cordelia?"
I nodded.
" Ha." Raphael threw his head backwards and looked at all of us with pity. " You're all dead"
Before I could open my mouth to ask him what he was going on about he pushed me on the back, grabbing Arsheus and Rin and pushing them forward too.
" We have to run. Now"
" Why?" I wasn't against what he was saying, but I wanted to know why the man that had been so chill until a moment ago was now telling us we had to hurry.
" You don't know Cordelia as well as I do"
Those were Raphael's last words before he shut up and begun running down the corridor.
I followed him, shouting behind him, fear gripping me the longer he stayed silent. What was there to fear? Should I be afraid too?
Instead of asking those questions I asked the obvious one, the one that needed an immediate answer.
" Do you even know where you're going?"
" No!"
Fuck!
Arsheus looked at the both of us, running away as if we were being chased and sighed.
He ran up to us and caught up to us fairly easily, grabbing Raphael's hand and stopping him.
" It's this way" He pointed to a dark corridor on our left before he let him go and turned to walk to that side, Rin following suit behind him. " For now let's run, but you better answer my questions later"
Raphael nodded without saying anything else and like that I was left out of the conversation, again.
I didn't honestly care that much, we were getting out of this fucking prison, but as soon as we were out I was going to annoy the fuck out of them.
We kept walking until we reached the end of the dimly lit corridor. Once we were at the dead end I stared at the wall. There was no way out.
What was Arsheus planning?
I turned to give him a piece of my mind when I saw him and Rin pulling on some tiles.
" What the fuck are you doing?"
Arsheus turned to smile as me as the tile bended and he managed to pull it out, revealing a passage underneath.
It looked dark, narrow and filthy as fuck. I didn't want to go in there.
I frowned and groaned as I backed away. There had to be another way out.
Arsheus saw me backing away and walked up to me with a smile.
" What, are you afraid of getting dirty?" The way Arsheus worded the sentence, as if I was trash and a coward made me mad.
" You wish"
I swallowed my fear of whatever was down there and the disgust crawling up my throat and entered.
As soon as I was inside I touched something wet and my mind went blank.
I regretted this. I preferred being called a coward. I didn't like this.
I tried to back away, avoiding touching as much as the sticky, unknown substance as I could, but before I could fall back Arsheus entered the passage behind me and closed the exit.
I was trapped in this disgusting and revolting place. Just great.