Carl felt disoriented as he groaned, his head throbbing with a dull ache. He opened his eyes, but was met only with a void of darkness. There were no lights, no identifiable features to indicate where he was.
He attempted to move, but his body refused to cooperate. His hands and feet were bound tightly behind him, and no matter how much he struggled, the restraints held firm. Desperately, he tried to employ some techniques he had learned for situations like this, but a sudden jolt of electricity surged through him, tearing a scream from his throat.
"AHHHH!"
After a moment, the pain subsided, leaving him panting heavily. He tried again, but each attempt was met with the same excruciating shock. Finally, he conceded defeat, forcing himself to think rationally about his predicament.
'I have no idea where I am or what kind of place they've imprisoned me in, but it's undoubtedly secure. Even if I screamed at the top of my lungs, I doubt anyone would hear me.'
'It was Adam who captured me, so it's probably that kid behind this. Damn it! The timing couldn't have been worse. If it had been just a few minutes later, we would've been in a position to get in Evernight Kingdom with ease. But Adam just had to interfere—that damned assassin. If only Carly and I...'
His heart raced as he scanned the darkness, desperate to find any sign of her. But there was nothing—only the oppressive blackness. Frustrated and frightened, he called out, his voice trembling with fear.
"CARLYYYY... CARLY, CARLYYY, WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU HERE?
WHERE HAVE YOU PUT HER, YOU BASTARDS!"
Carl's anxiety deepened as he imagined the worst. The thought of something happening to Carly, while he remained powerless, was terrifying.
"Car- Carl..." a faint, quivering voice called out.
Carl immediately turned to his right, straining to pinpoint the source of the voice. "Carly, are you there?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.
"Ye- Yeah, I'm here... b- But I can't see anything."
"Neither can I. Are you okay?" Carl asked, his concern evident.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Carly hesitated, the memory of the car crash flashing through her mind. Fearfully, she asked, "How about you? You were hit pretty badly."
"Yeah, I was." Carl winced as he tried to assess his injuries, feeling the sharp pain of bruises across his body. "But I'll survive."
"Can you tell me what happened after I lost consciousness?" Carl asked, eager to piece together the events.
Carl nodded reluctantly, and Carly continued, "But... he's just a kid..."
The moment she said that, Carl winced, while Delmar and Adam exchanged knowing smiles from across the room.
"Is it really that shocking?" William asked, his voice calm but tinged with something sinister. Carly felt a wave of unease, not because he appeared angry, but because of the unsettling smile on his face—a smile she had seen before, worn by people who were far more dangerous than they let on.
"N-no... I didn't mean to—" she stammered, but William cut her off.
"Carly Sneque," he began, and Carly froze, her heart pounding. "Born and raised in the Samara Kingdom, Senhog City. Your father was a firefighter, and your mother was a teacher."
"H-how do you know that?" Carly asked, her voice barely above a whisper. But William wasn't finished.
"Both are now dead, killed in a feud between rival gangs, a feud that you started." Carly recoiled, the painful truth hitting her like a sledgehammer.
"You played a harmless prank on some gang members, but the situation spiraled out of control. When the gang members realized it was you, they came for you. And when they couldn't find you, they went after your parents instead. They shot them both in the head, right where they worked." Carly began to tremble as the horrific memories came rushing back. Adam, seeing her distress, interjected, "Stop it!
Can't you see you're hurting her?"
"Do I look like I care?" William replied coldly, before continuing.
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"When you saw the blood and your mother's lifeless body, you ran to the police. But, to your dismay, they were already in the gang's pocket."
"So, instead of helping you, they delivered you straight to the gang."
"Please, stop! You're hurting her—"
BANG!
Carly snapped out of her panicked state, turning to see a gaping hole in Carl's stomach.
William sat there, a gun in his hand, his expression deadly serious. "Next time you interrupt me... I go for the balls."