PAST VISION : ICY PAST

Chapter 26 : Rebel

                  

After a few minutes, I decided to land down for a slight break. The air above wasn't as humid as it was on land. My lungs were pleading for air. I took a few steps on the mushy ground, brushing off the grass that surrounded me. I jumped up a tree, and observed my surroundings.

Clear. I thought. After a few laps, I felt a sort of curiosity sparking inside me.

"Am I lost?" I mumbled to myself as my eyes scattered around the area. When I looked down, somehow my attention was captured by my untied shoelace. Due to my surroundings being completely tranquil, I denied any thoughts in my head suggesting me to rush. I knelt down to tie them when a golden arrow suddenly ran through my right arm. I was startled, small red lights started twitching on the edge of bow

Damn it!

Suddenly, a group of armed Martians surrounded me. One in particular approached me, lowering the mask concealing his face.

"Lydia?"

His tone was obvious, I squinted my eyes in pain of the arrow plunged straight on my skin.

"Rendevel? What are... you... doing here?" I whimpered.

"How did you escape from the Venusians?"

"The Venu—what?"

"The Venusians. You—how did you? Are you tracked ? Did they inject something to you?"

"No... but I—"

"We have to go." he strictly said as he stared at me.

"But I must tell you—"

"Later when we're save, pick up the pace, we have to remove the arrow from your shoulders before it injures you."

"Okay." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Holding the edge of the arrow, I carefully counted.

"One. . . two. . . "

"Three. Sorry, now get up! Let's pick up the pace and return to the base camp." He coolly finished after he pulled the sticking arrow away from my arm.

"Grah! Damn it, it hurts!" I groaned as I clasped my hands to hold the pain.

***

"Lydia! I'm glad you're okay!"

"Raid? I—How did you?"

"We'll talk about that later, right now, come with me." He whispered. He quickly returned to his happy act and dragged me to his tent. Sealing all the doors before he finally sat down in front of me. He took a large cloth and offered it to me. I took it and layered it on top of bleeding arm.

"Your father—"

"Lydia, I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it."

"What's wrong?"

"Since you were gone, every sergeant has come to realize that this was all the Dark Prince's scheme. He was a notorious criminal in disguise, he was a shadow. He killed every single member of his family and his cherished ones, without ever getting caught. The problem is, he's gone missing for nearly a decade without being caught even once in a surveillance camera."

I presumed he was Light. The Colonel probably built the Death Box for him to keep him safe. I was hovering in my thoughts when he suddenly interrupted.

"I am the... Dark Prince."

I was startled. I jumped back in fear, reaching out for the nearest window for an escape.

"No, Lydia. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to hurt you. I did all of that because I was driven by an unknown voice that kept shattering my thoughts in my head. I was more or less a puppet. My Dad loved me and my brother dearly. I'm sure you've met Light. My dad calls us his Princes. But when the rumors got out that one of his son killed someone, they named the murderer Dark Prince, and the other one the Light Prince. I am the dark one, but ever since I met you, the voice in my head suddenly became silent, and I came to realize that you're the reason behind it. What are you?"

I was taken aback. The voices he meant, was it similar to the ones I used to hear when I was a kid?

"I'm not sure, but I guess time will tell. For now, I'm going to keep you safe Raid. No one needs to know this, none other than me and you. Keep your calm act in front of the public, if the voice ever disturbs you again, snap your finger, and I'll come to help you."

"Okay, I'll try. I called my father when you went missing, I suspected that Light was behind it."

A slight knock alarmed both of us, we kept our straight faces and finally left the tent.

"Lydia, I—"

I turned back in shock. It was Rendevel standing behind me carrying his robot mask.

"Oh, so... do you mind telling me what happened when I went missing?"

"Everyone suspected that you were kidnapped by the Venusians, shadow assassins under the command of the Dark Prince. You were drugged whilst the journey to the dungeon, that's why you probably didn't notice you were kidnapped. The assassins kill their target with Graciela Iata poison. The common known symptoms are purple glowing marks on the victim's skin, but we have examined earlier and you were negative. Zone 1 was destroyed, we were in the middle of rebuilding it, but since we can't stay on the other Zones, we had to retreat to the forest for safety. Every day the captains strolls the forest, guarding the area from Venusians, but then we found you this afternoon."

I became silent. I thought my mother was the one sending the assassins, but everyone believed that it was the Dark Prince. How was it possible that someone going through the daily Truth Tests managed to cover his identity. I imagined someone like Light, a blood thirsty one would be more suitable for the job. He was a shadow, and an unnoticed citizen. I wasn't sure on whom to trust, no one was trustworthy. But, I had a slight feeling that Raid was telling the truth.

All of a sudden, a siren went on. Rendevel grabbed his gun and offered me a digital bow.

"We have to go! Someone just crossed the defense!"

We went outside, it was hectic. Everyone was running around carrying a weapon. Battle cries and roar filled the entire camp. Some of the unarmed staffs were screaming in fear for their lives, and some were crazily running around to avoid the war.

"It's the Dark Prince, he's coming!"

Hearing the murmurs of the soldiers, I immediately searched for Raid. I ran to his tent. He wasn't there. I went to the lavatory, the place was deserted. I went to the Weaponry Room, and he wasn't there. The sorrow sinking in me kept me from hoping that he was still in the base camp. I finally returned to the main ground, everyone was aiming their weapons to the fog, as a presence had approached them.

"He's here. The darkness has come!" A soldier yelled. Everyone was standing still, their movement, everything was in sync. They carefully anticipated the presence approaching them.

"It can't be, it can't be him." I muttered.

"Who?" Rendevel asked.

-End of Chapter 26 : Rebel-