Into the Forbidden Place

23. Blackout

Mara squatted beside him, covering her nose with her arm or shielding it because the smell was foul. Tim sat up, squinting, surveying the room, which had been shrouded in darkness until now. He didn't like that the woman wrinkled her nose at him, as it wasn't his fault that he hadn't bathed for who knows how long.

Otis stood in the doorway, staring at them expressionlessly.

"Take him to my room, let him bathe, and find him some clean clothes," Mara said, standing up and heading out. "Then come to the main hall."

Otis patiently waited, and Tim tried to get up but kept getting dizzy. Mara's commanding voice surprised him; he didn't remember her this way. She seemed like a completely different person.

The hallway wasn't as bright as the room; at least it didn't hurt his eyes, but everything else hurt. He felt weak in his legs, and nausea plagued him. He couldn't even pay attention to where they were going. When Otis stopped before a door, he almost walked past it, but the robot grabbed his arm to stop him. Carrying clothes and a towel, Otis returned and led him to another room.

"Did you hear, Mara? Bathe and change. I'll be back for you in half an hour." Otis handed him the textiles, pointed to a door, and left.

Tim went into the bathroom without a second thought; he didn't want anything else to tidy himself up right now.

The room was small. Aside from a bed and a wardrobe, there was nothing else here—nothing personal, except for his book. He sat on the bed, flipping through it. How absurd this whole thing was! Could this book have saved his life? What did he even want here? He pondered his plan now. After all, he was progressing; he was here, meeting Mara, seeking revenge. But how?

These thoughts occupied his mind when Otis appeared and gestured for him to follow. He didn't even pay attention to where they were going anymore; he had completely lost his sense of direction, and if he had to escape, it would end badly. But he didn't care anymore.

The main hall, as Mara called it, was indeed large; it could have been a dining hall because there were tables and chairs everywhere. He caught sight of a few figures from the corner of his eye, and one approached him. As she came closer, he recognized her as the woman. The strange play of his eyes worried him; he hadn't had any complaints before, and his vision was very sharp. Had his eyes suddenly gone bad?

Mara gestured for them to sit down, and Tim complied warily. Then he remembered that he should play the enamored guy here. But he couldn't smile or look kindly at the woman.

"Something happened to my eyes, and I saw blurry. I can see you, but everything farther away is blurry." Suddenly, he couldn't think of anything else, seeing Mara scrutinizing his face with piercing eyes.

"I'm sorry. It might have been because of the darkness; you were completely in the dark for days. We had to lock you in to ensure nobody followed." Mara softened.

"How many days did I spend in that room like a rat?"

Mara furrowed her brow and leaned back in her chair. "Tim, why did you come here? What do you want?"

Tim leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, hands clasped together. In this position, he saw Mara's waist, where a knife hung from her belt. He had seen it before and wanted to ensure it was still there. "For some reason, I'm connected to you. No matter how hard I try, I can't get you out of my head. And if I have to join the movement to see you, well, okay, I'll join!"

The woman's dissatisfaction was evident. "To serve our cause, you must agree with our views. It may have been a mistake to remove you from the room..."

"Perhaps you've heard of my father, Jack. He started something here 21 years ago. As far as I know, he was also one of you."

Mara was surprised. "Really? You just came up with that now!" Then she turned to Otis, who stood beside them. "Bring Guldar here!"

"Guldar? Didn't he die in battle?" Tim pretended to be surprised, knowing that his old comrades had not perished there.

Mara didn't dignify him with a response, waiting expectantly for the robot.

"What was the point of that battle in the end?" Tim asked. "You just wanted to separate the gatekeepers?"

"How clever you are, Tim! In the end, we will still prevail! I tried to talk to you, but somehow you never listened to me! I tried to get you on our side..."

Driven by a sudden idea, Tim moved to the chair next to Mara. "There's something between us; you can't deny it! When you're close, I can't think clearly!" Tim said, taking advantage of the fact that Otis hadn't returned yet and Mara wasn't paying attention to her hands. He removed the woman's knife and then plunged it into her neck. Mara collapsed with a gurgle, and Tim saw several figures spring up from the distant tables.

And then suddenly, there was darkness. Mara's groaning and frightened screams could be heard. Then, about five seconds later, the lights came back on. Blackout, Tim's mind raced.

He felt the blood dripping from his hand to the floor and stood there resigned, ready to be caught, but then three figures burst through the door wearing gas masks. One of them rushed to Tim, placed a mask over his head, and pulled him out. The others threw some smoldering objects, and they ran out, too.

All Tim could perceive was them rushing through corridors, barely able to see anything in the thick smoke.