The Riddle

Merciless

"Merciless

Keep your secrets hidden deep,
Don't let them know the truth,
Hide your true self beneath,
Don't let your true colours show.

Conform or be forgotten,
Loose your place at home,
Gone will be the days of old
When you were free to grow.

Give up your voice,
Forget about morals,
Don't dare step out of line
Or bring up a controversy.

Things won't change,
You'll always have to hide
And try your best not to
Let others know.

It may become easier
As time goes on
Though even still you'll be unhappy
To keep yourself below.

Don't allow yourself to be
Complacent or to get lazy
Because once the truth is out,
The men show no mercy." 

As soon as Caleb read the last word, Hunter fell backwards and hit the ground forcefully. Caleb ran to him with the elixir in the blue bottle. His one hand keeping Hunter's mouth wide open and his other hand letting a few drops of the elixir fall into Hunter's mouth.

I was so shaken up by Hunter's visions that I still couldn't understand anything. After he was given the elixir, Hunter lay still for almost half an hour while Caleb and I stood in silence, watching him carefully and trying to make sense of what he said.

I went over to Hunter's table and grabbed a page and a pen to write down what he said while my memory was still fresh, "The path of darkness will lead you to light. A group of five will get you there. Betrayal looms ahead but riddles and answers will win the battle. Freedom will be an eternal medal."

"Do you believe in Hunter's visions?" I asked Caleb, who was still staring at Hunter with no emotion showing. He was silent for a long time because he was deep in thought. It felt as if he never even heard my question.

He spoke but it was barely a whisper, "Hunter is never wrong. That's why he was recruited... because he is an asset to the men. He foretells battles to come and-"

"And?" I asked, waiting for him to continue his sentence.

"Nothing. I am certain of his visions. You should be too," He said, giving me a look that I couldn't understand. "Hunter said something about your parents that didn't quite make sense. Care to explain?"

"He said a lot of things that didn't quite make sense. I don't know what he meant either," I lied and attempted to change the subject. "He spoke about your brother too. Max, is it?"

At that, Caleb's facial expression changed and he looked away. "Max can't be alive. It just can't be. I... I watched him die. I held him after his death, it can't be true."

"So you think Hunter is wrong?" I asked, referring to what he told me earlier about Hunter being right all the time.

"Maybe, I don't know," He said.

"Are you happy that he is alive? You seem to not want him to be alive," I said. Caleb seemed troubled by Hunter's vision. It was almost as if he was refusing to believe that his brother is alive. "Caleb?" I called when he didn't answer.

"I am happy. It's just... Never mind," He said and walked towards Hunter. Leaning over him, he tapped him gently, trying to wake him up.

Hunter stirred but he wasn't fully awake yet. Caleb tapped him again, a bit harder this time. He tried to get up but stopped halfway in pain. "Ugh- What happened?"