High in the Grey Tower

Chapter Twelve

Ruth didn't allow his ragged breath to get any louder as a distinct thud could be heard on the other side of the door. He didn't dare move a muscle. He barely could afford to blink. His throat was sore from silently sobbing and his nose was running mixed with the wetness of his own tears. His heart wouldn't stop pounding as he heard Fei's quiet sobbing from the other side of the door and the slamming of the door to the lab. Ruth couldn't help but count the seconds before he dared to make his escape from that accursed lab.

1,782...

•••

The next few days were worse than Hell, as Ruth could only imagine. Fei was nowhere to be found and whispers of a dead high-ranking wizard were swirling through the World Tower like a hurricane. Ruth had locked himself away in his study, terrified of showing his face to anyone. No one could know he was involved. And he was afraid his expression would betray him. Some sympathetic maids had begun bringing him plates of food throughout the day and Ruth could barely stand the pitying look in their eyes as they passed him his tray wordlessly.

Ruth hadn't slept a wink since that night, and when he was about to fall asleep over his desk, he could feel the heat of Fei's breath on his neck and her warm fingers on his cheek and he dove back into his work like a madman. He couldn't believe his own mentors and colleagues would steal his work from him so brazenly, but they clearly hadn't been able to make it work, which angered Ruth even more. Was his theory really useless?

"Ruth-" He spun around in his chair, eyes hungrily staring at the door as he pulled it open.

No one stood on the other side.

He slammed the door behind him and steadied his breath. Now he was really losing it. He bit his lip as he rubbed his eyes viciously trying to keep his growing need to sleep at bay.

"Ruth, please-" Again, the voice called from somewhere far behind him. "Please, help me-"

In a fit of rage, Ruth swept the contents on his desk onto the floor, sending his meticulously organized papers flying. His eyes stung with tears and his breath hitched. He felt himself choking, hurriedly breaking into a fit coughing. For the first time since that night, he allowed himself to cry.

Balled up on the floor, fist pounding the ground, Ruth was wracked with his sobs. He didn't care who heard him, in fact, he wished every person in that damn Tower heard him. After a while, the tears stopped flowing and he felt like if he continued like this he would end up vomiting. He brought himself to his knees and wiped his eyes. He felt like he was able to see clearly for the first time.

Ruth hurriedly grabbed his papers off the floor and his rucksack. He haphazardly began shoving in his notebooks and research papers until they were all crammed away. With a fever and deadly glint in his eyes, he made his way up the Tower. The stairs were barely traversable in the deep darkness of the night, and even the moon couldn't offer much light to him.

All the better.

Ruth mustered his strength and swiftly made his way to the lab. Like a man possessed by the Devil, Ruth tore the lab apart. He stole whatever he could. From their notes to their books, Ruth moved as fast as his brain could process what he was taking. He barely noticed the shattered glass flasks that littered the floor, or the spatters of blood that had dried on the ground. When all was said and done, Ruth's sack was filled with rolls of parchment and invaluable books.

What am I doing?

Ruth's hands moved without him thinking and he cracked open the door behind the secret panel. His heart stopped when he saw Fei's crumpled form on the ground.