The Servant Of Chaos (WIP-New Part Every Monday/Friday)

Chapter V | Part 2

Synthia's yelp resonated loudly through the corridor, lit only by the dim light of the torch she held. Tyler's head snapped back while Caleb inspected the now closed door. There was no reason why it would've shut. No one to push it, no air to shut it. It has just... shut.

He grabbed the knob and turned. He was surprised to feel a click inside the lock, impeding him from turning it completely.

"It's locked," he informed. His grim tone was even louder in the narrow tunnel.

"What in bloody hell?" Synthia asked, her face a mask of worry.

"Same question," Tyler said. His golden hair glistened even more when struck by the orange glow of the flame. His green eyes, though, looked almost demonic when struck by the contrasting red.

"Well, there is no way we're getting out through here, ladies. We'll have to adventure further inside."

"As if that isn't creepy," Synthia stated.

Caleb watched as Tyler approached the girl and whispered in her ear, probably askin Did he just call me a lady?

They continued down the hall while Tyler led the way, followed by Synthia, who held the torch, and lastly, Caleb, who guarded their back. Though, he had to admit, there was not much to guard against. The only thing he could see were uninteresting brick walls to every side, encasing them in an almost claustrophobic grip.

Strangely, he seemed to be more scared than Synthia, who kept going firm with her torch flaring high.

"Feminism," he grunted under his breath.

"What?" Asked Synthia with a puzzled look. "Didn't catch what you just said."

"Nothing." He waved her off and kept going.

They continued down the corridor for a few more minutes, though none of them could tell the exact passing of time. Synthia occasionally complained about the strain her heels were putting on her feet, but still kept on walking. Both men admired her courage as she strode down the road.

Eventually, Tyler came to a stop.

"Now what?"

"I found a door."

"Another door?" Synthia asked, lowering the torch. "That's getting repetitive isn't it?"

Caleb snorted at her retort and got closer to the door, passing dangerously close to Synthia's flaming torch. He finally reached the door and detailed it.

It was, like any other door, a heavy block of dark wood with a knob on it. As if it hadn't been strange enough yet, he noticed that the was no keyhole. The door was framed with iron lining, borders as well with red gems that glistened orange under the torchlight.

But, Caleb though, strangest of all, was the symbol carved at the middle of the door.

The same symbol carved on his father's chest.

"No," he said, "that's impossible."

"What?" Synthia asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"My father... This can't be connected to him."

"Do excuse me, sir, but I do not understand what you mean."

He ignored her. His hand hovered over the door knob and his veins thrummed. Adrenaline rushed through his body and his pulse thundered in his ears.

His hand went forward. It wrapped around the golden knob. He tightened his grip and, slowly, turned the knob.

The door didn't budge.

He tried again, pushing, pulling, and building up his strength. But the door with no lock was locked indeed.

He uttered a few words so quietly that only he could hear them.

"How are you connected to this all, father?"

***

The damned door would not budge, no matter how hard Caleb tried. He tried everything that his mind could think of, until eventually Tyler and Synthia started to usher him to give it up. While Tyler told him that he was not to fret about such small things, Synthia assured him that they would go back there and finished what he had started.

And though he wanted to keep trying, he new that the most pressing matter was finding a way out of the tunnels.

They went sideways, across a new branch of the tunnel that they had not explored before. Brick after brick, step after step. They continued in their slow pace for maybe half an hour, though none of them could really hold accountable for their perception of time, which was slowly blending into one big chunk.

Eventually, the light from Synthia's torch went unneeded, with gradually found light clearing their view of the corridors. The three picked up their pace when they noticed this, and started trotting towards wherever the light came in from strongest. Along the way, they also found a couple of rooms to the sides, which they decided not to open for sake of their sanity.

After a few minutes, they found a metal door that let in sunlight through the spaces between its bars. Behind it, they could hear the noises of the busy road, like horses clanking their hooves along the stones. They shook the door to find that it was locked, sealed with a rusty coppery plaque.

Caleb and Tyler were about to back again and search for another path. They turned their heels around and went on their way, when a sudden warrior scream surprised them both.

Behind them, Synthia was running towards the door. Her battle cry was accompanied by her raising her right leg, bringing it with tremendous strength against the metal holding the door closed.

The rusty plaque immediately broke off, bursting the gate in one violent strike. She pressed the torch against the floor triumphantly and shot a smug look over at her companions.

"Are you coming?"

Tyler and Caleb looked at each other and for the first time they shared a sympathetic look. It read This girl is danger.

Once they were out on the street they inhaled the clear air pleasingly. Synthia hung the burnt out torch on a stand, rubbing her hands together and barely scrubbing the dirt and ashes off.

They reached the street, which they noticed was the one running behind the academy, eventually connecting to the town's center. That's when they noticed that, even though they could not explain how, the had gone from high up in one of the tower-connected corridors to a street-lever backdoor.

Tyler, nevertheless, had bigger concerns.

"Well, fellas, I need to find me a place to slumber when night falls."

Synthia was about to object when Caleb said, "Good luck with that, then."

"If fate decides we are to meet again, then I'll await for that moment to come," Synthia said, bowing one last time before him.

Instead of uttering a common courtesy, he snorted and said: "You patricians, always so poetic. See ya' later, buds."

Synthia straightened from her bow and let out a puzzled expression.

A carriage quickly stopped by, its white horses neighing in eagerness.

The young blond nodded at Caleb and quickly mounted his ride, mouthing some orders at the chauffeur. The door closed and they were quickly riding North down the paved road.

Synthia looked at Caleb and sighed, not really sure of how to proceed.

"What now?" She asked, leaving courtesy behind.

"Now," Caleb answered, "I show you why that cursed door is so important."