Under attack

It really shouldn't have surprised me that Cain once again showed me one of the many secret passages in the palace. This time, all he had to do was turn a sconce on the wall to the right and the elegant carved stone fireplace pushed aside, making way for us to pass through a secret hallway.

The hallway seemed long and rather dark, with bare stone walls. Only a small lantern hanging on a rusty nail gave some light for the beginning. However, the lantern did not seem to glow with a regular candle. Inside was a magical orb of light. It shone as golden as Cain's eyes usually did.

Cain took the lantern in his hand and lit the way for us, which we both now walked along with careful steps. Neither of us said anything. The awkward silence settled over us like a crushing weight.

I wanted to say something. I really wanted to. However, I had the feeling that now wasn't the right time to talk extensively about our feelings towards each other. If ever there was a right time for it.

Nevertheless, I would have liked to have resolved the conflict with him. It bothered me that there was something unspoken between us. I didn't want him to think the wrong way about me. I didn't want him to think I hated him. His alter ego was probably also manipulating his memories of me. He probably didn't even know what he had done wrong and why I was behaving the way I was behaving. All this was slowly but surely driving me insane.

And even though I knew what the origin of this entire evil was, even though I knew what I had to do to undo his curse... all I could do was stand by and watch this monster continue to devour Cain from the inside out.

Because even though I might be able to love Cain someday, I didn't know if Cain was capable of something like that. He only knew things to own, not to love. He only knew how to treat someone as his property. Not as an equal partner. He didn't know feelings like affection and love. Because nobody had ever shown him. And even though I actually knew that it wasn't really Cain - this monster inside of him. I couldn't just overlook the things he had done. I … couldn't do that.

In addition, this monster somehow already had me in its claws. I took the threats from Cain's alter ego very seriously, for I knew what it was capable of. It would do anything to keep Cain from finding out what was lurking inside him. It was willing to pay any price for it. I knew that -

I was suddenly interrupted in my thoughts when I heard the sound of fighting through the wall to the left. It sounded like several men were fighting each other in the palace's official hallway. It sounded like a brutal, bloody fight.

I stopped immediately. Cain noticed and turned to me.

"What's it?" He just asked me. He even sounded annoyed.

"...can't you hear that?" I asked worried.

"The sounds of battle?"

"Y-yes..."

Cain sighed once, "It's normal for there to be fights when the enemy has infiltrated the palace and been discovered doing so." He just let me know, then turned to leave.

"W-wait!" I said hastily, grabbing his arm to stop him. However, when I saw his downcast look, I let go on the spot.

"What is it?" He asked even more irritated than before.

"Don't we want to help them?"

"Why should we?" His brute answer made me flinch for a moment.

"But-"

"They are palace guards. They are there to ensure the safety of the palace and the royal family. No more and no less. It would make no sense to endanger my life in a trivial fight brought about by a sneak attack. The guards would thus miss their purpose. Then they could just kill themselves. They would no longer have a reason to exist here." Cain explained dryly.

"Then…then you go on to report to the king. In any case … I won't let my comrades down." I said clenching my hands into fists.

"And how are you going to do that, huh? Do you want to teleport through the wall?"

"I just saw several hidden doors. We just walked past one recently. I will help my comrades." I said and started to walk back when Cain grabbed my shoulders and pushed me against the wall with a heavy thud. I only groaned in response.

"You're not going anywhere." He said dangerously quiet.

I was now trapped between him and the cold wall. His broad, muscular arms leaned against the wall to the right and left of my head. His face was now disturbingly close to mine. I could feel his breath on my lips.

"You are here to keep me safe, do you understand? You are MY guard, understood?" He asked and looked at me intensely.

During the brief pause in the conversation, I heard the men in the hall being slaughtered further. However, I couldn't really say who exactly slaughtered whom here.

"I asked if you understood me!" Cain asked even more urgently. Tears of frustration welled up in my eyes.

"Yes. I understood, your grace." I said reluctantly.

"Good. Now follow me. We don't have time for your ridiculous empowerment games. You have no power here anyway. Face it finally." He said in a condescending tone.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, side by side. Neither of us said a word. The mood was way too bad for that.

…

The path within the palace walls seemed like a dreadful labyrinth. I had long lost my bearings because of the many junctions.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived. Cain opened the door to the throne room just a crack and carefully peeked out.

"We're too late." He said in a quiet, worrying tone.

"What?"

"My father and his wife are already being held hostage."