Chapter 114: Reaching out

Two youths, a boy, wearing a torn black shirt and similar pants and a girl wearing a brown linen bag over her body could be seen trekking through the dimly lit eerie underground hallways.

The boy had a white faceless mask hiding her facial features, only the faint golden glow that emanated through the tiny eye sockets could betray him. 

The girl looked rather comical with the large sack being used as her makeshift dress. She cut a bit off from the edges to create a belt, which she tied over her waist. She had a wooden bow placed across her back alongside with a quiver chock full of arrows. 

Contrary to her usual self, she had a serious expression on her face as she walked alongside the long black-haired masked boy.

As they walked through the dark underground tunnel, the girl kept swaying her eyes to the left and right. There were countless steel doors with barred small windows on each side wherever they went. Behind each door, she could hear the muffled cries of the wretched. Each cell contained at least one but sometimes more people, slaves who lost their human rights, either willingly or forced.

As they arrived at the next intersection, the boy turned to the right, only to enter the exact same hallway for the 5th time. With an annoyed grunt, the girl loudly sighed.

"This place is way too huge! I can't even count how many cells are here! How can we rescue so many people, brother?"

The boy smiled at her comment under his mask. 

"Don't worry about it, Lily. I know you want to help everyone, but we have to focus on what's important. We will have our revenge…" He spoke but as he saw the accusatory look on her sister's face, he coughed and corrected himself, "...sorry, we will enact justice on the ones responsible first, then make sure to rescue Mr. and Mrs. Norton and leave. As for the rest, you don't need to worry, it will be handled by someone else." 

'At least I hope so… But I wouldn't put too much hope into it, considering the city guards are most likely in it as well...' he added inwardly only.

"Hmmm… And how much longer before we reach that bastard?" The blonde-haired girl, Lily inquired. She wanted to meet with the Norton's, she wasn't too keen on meeting up with the Warden once again.

"Not much longer. There's a room at the end of this hall where I can't peer into. It seems to be warded. But from the information I have, it should be a larger one. Most likely it's an office." Aiden recounted the information he had on his map. He decided to skip through the details of how he got the information. He wasn't sure how Lily would react, besides she was through enough already.

The only reason he agreed to her request to bring her with him, was that Aiden felt better knowing she was close to her. If something unexpected happens, he could use the crystal to take her away. 

However, as they continued to cross the remaining distance, Lily couldn't help but speak up once again.

"You know, brother, where are all the guards? Why didn't we meet a single one? When I was taken to that cell, they were stationed pretty regularly. However, "we haven't met a single one so far…" She confusedly asked.

"Yeah, I only met one group on my way to you actually. I'm not entirely sure, they may have been alerted? I may have been a bit too loud…" He answered, remaining as nonchalant as ever.

"Oh! You were the cause of that earthquake? The ground was shaking so hard. I couldn't hear anything, but somehow I knew it in my heart that it had to be you!" Lily exclaimed as a small smile revealed itself on her face, remembering the moment she knew his brother was coming. Thinking about that, another question popped into her mind. Not hesitating she asked.

"By the way, where's Master and Granny? Did they come as well? Previously, I think I felt her presence as well, but I wasn't sure it was really faint."

Aiden halted his steps, as he pondered how to answer the question. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure if they are still in the building, or if they have left already. The plan originally was to rush to Lily as quickly as possible then escape using the crystal he got. 

However, when he absorbed the first human, he lost any sense of time as the new memories flooded his mind. Realizing this, he almost hit his own head, as if he could reach out to Lily, he most likely could do the same to his Master or Granny as well!

"I'm not sure actually…" He answered to Lily after a few moments of silence. I came with them and another person who also had someone that had to be saved, but we all separated and I'm not sure how much time I spent down here… Give me a minute, let me try and see if I can reach out to them. I could actually reach you…" He answered then, not waiting for an answer, he sat down on the ground in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes.

Focusing his mind, he tried sensing a pulse, finding a familiar aura, in the general direction he believed they should still be at. He also tapped into his energy reserves, empowering his ability.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any traces of them. Maybe he was too deep down or maybe something else was missing, or maybe something was blocking his attempts… Whatever the case, he couldn't feel their presence anywhere.

Agitated he tried injecting more power into his ability to sense his surroundings, but he never received any satisfactory response.

As if sensing his brother's troubles, Lily gently wrapped his arms around his neck from the back and gave her a loud kiss on his right cheeks as she leaned over. Then resting her head on his shoulder, she softly whispered.

"Don't worry, brother. I know you can do it! You mentioned you can take us out using a crystal. Maybe using the crystal, you can use the crystal for something other than porting away?"

Hearing her suggestion, Aiden's eyes suddenly snapped open and he jumped up from his sitting position, startling the girl. 

"You're right! I'm such an idiot!" He exclaimed as materialized the small transparent glass crystal he received from his Master. Placing it in his hands, he closed his eyes, and focusing on the tiny object, he started injecting some of his energy into it. 

Immediately, as his energy mixed with the strange substance floating inside the crystal, he felt a familiar presence coming from it. In the next moment, a mature female voice, his master's resounded in his mind.

'What is it, Aiden? Where are you right now? Did you find Lily?' She fired her questions as soon as she felt that the connection was established.

'Yes, Master. I have found and rescued Lily already. We are on our wa-' He started explaining their intentions, but he was cut short with Number 3's angry shout.

'THEN WHY ARE YOU NOT BACK YET?! The prince and the princess have already come back, what are you doing down there still? I do believe I told you to go for the girl and come back! So, tell me, what are you doing exactly? And don't you bother lying, we already felt you releasing your powers previously."

'Uhm…' Aiden hesitantly started his explanation. 'I'm sorry, I was met with some guards and had to uhm… kill them.'

'Yes, go on. That doesn't explain the sudden release of power.' Number 3 threw her response, startling Aiden once again.

'Uhm… I'm not sure, as I fought it just sort of happened… I will explain it better when we are back, but we can't leave until we rescue a family. Tell Granny we are on our way to rescue the Norton's she will know who they are. Lily wants them safe, as she feels responsible for what happened to them.'

'Ugh… How troublesome.' Number 3's tired voice resounded in Aiden's mind. 'Fine. Go get them. But try not to murder anybody else before you get back, okay?' 

'About that…' Aiden started '...There's one more person that I will rip to pieces before I leave. I will accept any punishment, but I'm not leaving until I crushed the man's heart right before their eyes and hung him from his own intestines.' His rage could be felt on the other side. He didn't explain further, he remained silent. He couldn't possibly explain what happened to his sister without the fear of going berserk with rage after all.

After a brief moment of silence, Number 3's stern voice resounded in his mind. 

'I understand. Do it. But after you are done, get back, okay? AND KEEP LILY SAFE!' 

It seems she understood the gravity of the situation without any further explanation.

Opening his eyes, he broke the connection by stopping injecting his energy into the swirling mass inside the crystal. As the crystal vanished from his hands, he looked back at Lily, and with a cruel grin under the mask, he spoke.

"Let's go, Sis! It's time for payback!"