500 - Part I - Distorted Shadows and Monsters

Chapter IV - Blaze Scatter

"Umm...thanks," hastily replied a startled Daniel.
"We can get to know each other, you and I," Grayden smiled.
"W-What day is it?" Daniel quipped, attempting to change the subject.
"Fifth day," Grayden answered quickly. He eyes the boy suspiciously. "No, I mean the day of the week," Daniel said through gritted teeth.
"Fifth day," Grayden growled back.
"So is it like umm...Friday?" Daniel hesitated.
"Fifth day," repeated Grayden, who has swept many documents and files of paperwork from the table in front of him. He fumed, when sheets blew around the room, like a whirlwind of various papers. "Do you need help?" Daniel murmured.
"No!" roared Grayden, panting. He collected some sheets and returned them to their specific place on the wooden table. He breathed deeply. "Should I leave?" Daniel formed a question.
"Yes," Grayden snapped, "Please...go. Now!"
Daniel took a final glance at the bodyguards and Grayden. Grayden's eyes softened and his scowl was relaxed into a kind and gentle smile. Strange. Suspicious. Daniel opened a heavy door, which led him down the corridor. He slammed it behind him. It was eerie and deserted. Grayden had mentioned it was 'Fifth day'. Was it really the morning? Nobody was around and despite wanting to be alone before, now he wanted the comfort of seeing people. He started limping to the cafeteria; Daniel's legs were aching like madness. Everything seemed to hurt. Everywhere was in pain. Yet still, Daniel was more than surprised to see himself remaining standing.

Daniel turned to his right and saw a hole had a massive blast, like a bomb or missile had exploded into the wall. Debris and rock were covering the floor, spreading like a contagious virus.  Splinters of wood were everywhere, scratching at Daniel's ankles, as he inspected the strange mess. That is when he noticed chalk directly below the hole, a tiny, hardly visible message. As he crouched down, feet scraping the remnants of the wall, the boy discovered it read: 'My name is Blaze Scatter and by the time of you reading this, I'll be dead. I wish you the best of luck, but unfortunately my plans to end the children testing shall cause some conflict with the monster.' Interesting. Daniel had never heard of Blaze Scatter, but whoever he is (or was), he must've been an ally. Sadly, everybody against Grayden was most likely to find their demise sooner or later. The only true question was whether Scatter was dead or alive. Another thing to ponder was what was meant by 'children testing'. Daniel tried to make sense of it all.
He heard noises and shook for a moment, but realised it was just himself touching the rocks again. Blood was spreading all over his foot and ankle — a scarlet waterfall rushed all over the floor. Daniel decided it was best to probably leave. If Scatter really was dead, he didn't want to be next. Definitely not. He paced around for a while, his mind for once, unsure of what to do. He didn't know the time and when everybody would arrive for another revolting breakfast, somehow regarded as food. As Daniel headed away from the cafeteria, he found a door next to the one he had exited, which said another message, but in blood this time. 'My intentions are what I expect of all my colleagues, but I truly am the one that stepped forward to declare to the monster what is indeed correct in this situation.' So Blaze Scatter wanted everybody to agree with him that the children should be released?
Before he knew it, Daniel discovered yet another inscription, on the concrete floor near that same door. 'I'd rather die than see a thousand souls enslaved. This is the act of a wicked man. A wicked man. And you shouldn't trust him. Never mind with your life. If I don't already die, I plan on killing Doctor Alistair Van Grayden.'

Surprisingly, Daniel wasn't the only one who wanted Grayden dead. This made excitement flow through him. The sound of footsteps – alarmingly — caught Daniel in the middle of his thoughts. A deep chuckle could be heard behind him, causing him to spin around. Grayden. There he was. "I didn't know Blaze did this!" he suddenly cried out. Daniel said nothing, but acknowledged the fear in Grayden's eyes. They were wide, his pupils bulging out in terror. For once, that emotion was more dominant than fury. "What happened to him?" Daniel asked, that his only concern. After all, he wasn't paying for a new wall to be fixed in this prison. Why would he ever do that? "Daniel," Grayden told him gently, "I assume you already know the answer and there's no way I'm speaking it aloud."
"You killed him," firmly stated Daniel. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the life-taker in front of his whiskey eyes. "You need to see Daniel, I had no intent on—" Grayden began.
"You still killed him!" Daniel yelled.
"This shall be a secret between you and I, Daniel. Nobody else. Do you understand?"
"I don't put my faith in you and nobody does. I will never be on your side," argued Daniel. Grayden smiled a wicked grin. "Is that so? You'll come around soon, my boy. You'll join my side."
He left it at that. Grayden turned on his heel and marched straight towards his office. Daniel followed him for several seconds, until he was shoved away and harshly glared at, like he was a mouse being watched by a malicious sparrow hawk. He gave up and slumped down the wall opposite the mess. Daniel took minutes to gather his thoughts and reflect on what he had just witnessed. He always had to keep in mind that even with whatever was going to happen to him, he was against Grayden. That was clear. If Grayden ever (not that he would ever) manage to...persuade...Daniel to join him, Daniel would attempt to leave him and die trying. There was no way he was going to be the monster holding the knife. Twisting it into someone's spine.