Elevate

Too Bold to be True

When Kinzel used to play with us – hide and seek, she always loved to be the hunter than to be sought. She had the skills of a chaser and it won’t take her long to find us. It was some of the best memories we shared with her and somehow that certain time had taught me so well. She reminded me that being a hunter is not an easy path to take too. I need to deal with the uncertainties and also the time that will take me to seek a prey. It’s about perseverance.

Yet, to be the one being chased is more to will and luck. I need to keep myself alert and survive up to the end. I need to pass my own limits. And when life would give me the choice to choose, maybe I would be the hunter than the scapegoat. I would search for my own prey whether it is Jack or someone else. I got a ghastly air and brushed my palms to keep me alert.

We followed him inside. She was left with no alternative but to let us get in when Guilbert had led the way. The child focused at her and apologized for what happened. When we reached in, a fireplace had warmed the place and cheered us. Catalogs were stacked in a small, rigid table and a sofa was in the right angle. A lantern was shining in one of the corners and a dull picture frame of a flower was freely hanging on the wall. Guilbert was standing still beside the couch and waited for her feedback.

She cleaned her throat as soon as she locked the door. “What took you here and how did you find this place?” Her voice was low and somehow her face was staid.

“Uncle William had requested us to go here with him and hoped that we would find you in this niche. Luckily, we did.” Vixen promptly answered.

She stepped near to Guilbert. “I didn’t see this coming.”

“Neither do us.” I said.

In a couple of minutes, we heard some strides coming from a small spacious part of the room. We saw a pair of auburn shoes and slumped pants. His hands were under his pockets and as soon as the light stroked his face we were able to see Mr. Butch standing straight, intently looking in our direction. He hasn’t seemed surprised when we caught his focus. What is the man doing here too?

He toiled outside the darkness and joined our chatter. “Well, I guessed we’re having a reunion right now.” He said and glanced over the red wall clock on his left. “Now, that we’re all here, let’s settle things right don’t we?” He implied and snatched the first to lodge down on the couch. He locked his legs and paused for us to take our seats.

It was only Trixie who’s present among the kids. She wanted to join the discussion and Carmilla had let her.

“Don’t worry, Trixie is with us. She can be trusted.” She uttered and relaxed. The child settled beside her and obviously Mr. Butch kept glancing over Trixie. I guessed the man had finally found the strength to tell the truth to her.

“The kids are missing.” Aunt Liech declared to them which made Mr. Butch and Carmilla surprised. “And…” She looked at me. “Cody was able to see who took them.”

“What do you mean by this, Cody?” Mr. Butch implored me.

I took a back gash and countered. The orange light was flickering in our shadows. “I was roaming around the forest as we tried to search the children as soon as we found out that they’re missing. I went to the back side and there I saw those two. And, they weren’t alone. They were held on the back of someone. When I first distinguished him, I didn’t want to conclude it. But I was distinct that it was him…Jack Rush.”

The name brought a twinge when they listened it as if it was cursed. “But, he already passed.” Mr. Butch mumbled.

“How are you so specific that it was Jack, Cody?” Carmilla asked me just like how the others doubted what I said to them a while ago.

“It’s because I’ve seen those eyes before who killed our brother and I promised myself that I won’t forget those onyx ones. Thinking that he can also see clearly in the shadows, there’s only one person whom I knew to have that kind of strength and that’s him.” I told them.

“Carmilla…do you know somewhere…like a place here in Embreal City that can be a lair of Jack?” Uncle William asked her.

Carmilla has been roaming around the city for several months or might as well years, since she can use her strength on that thing. Perhaps, she knew those secluded places or those being filled around with people most of the time. She tried to recall some of those certain spots in the city but only one had come out from her mouth. “Do you know where a person who’s known to be dead already can hide himself?” She smirked.

“Where is it?” Miguel inquisitively asked.

“The sewers.” She answered and crossed her arms. “No one dared to be in such place where all you can see and smell were those rotting and fetid smell of that trash. It’s the best place for someone to hide among the people…just like the hunter himself.” She added.

Carmilla was someway right. Even if I don’t want to be there and if Guilbert would force me, I require to go. I shrugged when I remembered what happened before when Vixen and I went late at night. A thing suddenly passed my mind. I opened my bag and took what I have discovered a while ago. I let Carmilla see it as well as the old man.

“What’s that?” She asked.

“Cody had found it in the forest and we think that it’s a lead to somewhere here in the city.” Guilbert explained. I slowly unfolded the pendant and grabbed the paper out of it. They were intently looking up until I completely unraveled it. Carmilla was able to see what was drawn on it and she learned that it was the Long Range Fountain. But what caught her attention the most was the direction that she can’t understand. It was new to her and she told us that she doesn’t know anything about it. Then, Miguel snooped in the conversation and spoke, “If it’s not recognizable by most of us then it would be a place around that’s not mostly being passed by the people.”

“What are you trying to say, Migs?” Loshiana asked.

“Why don’t we try what Carmilla had said then? Let’s check the sewers and let Quinten guide us once again.” He added.

We gazed at each other and Aunt Liech had taken a phase near to us. Her eyes were full of trouble. "We don’t want to lose time. Each second might cause the life of our children. Maybe they're also there.” She asserted.

Vixen rest her hand on her and offered a smile to encourage her that we would help them out. They're not alone and they got us.

“Okay. Let’s go there after an hour. We still have an important thing to discuss with Mr. Butch.” Guilbert said.

The old man scoffed and scratched his head. I guessed he still can’t talk to his child right now about the facts because of what’s occurring and I could say that he’s been considerate since the great destruction. Guilbert and he went to a corner where they could talk about certain things. They have decided to call Carmilla to join them for a while. When they settled down, Uncle William and Aunt Liech went to the opposite side, to prepare their stuff. While Loshiana and Miguel were roaming around, carefully looking at some stuff.

I eyed to her and realized she's having a grimace as she looked over a small hole from the wall. She’s seeing something from it. I scurried in her place, making her glimpse over me intentionally. She’s been anxious since we left the base; her shoulders were a bit rigid.

“Are you okay?” I consulted her.

She offered a hazy smile and looked again in the hole.

“I don’t know. Things are getting worse than I thought.” She replied and scoffed. All was harried as they wanted the betterment for everyone. Change might be so fascinating to have, but the latter might be hard for them to deal with.

She pulled herself from peeping and turned to inspect me. “Do you know why cats have nine lives?”

“Hmm.” I thought. “Probably, because they don’t easily die. They’re flexible and often when they fall they stood with their own feet.”

“Yeah, just like our nemeses right now. These things that we’re facing have made me think that even the dead could rise again, or we’re the only ones who assumed that they have already died. We just played ourselves to their pits that were exactly made for us…their prey.” She said with a bit of frustration.

“These are giving me chills…” I commented.

Vixen tapped my head and chuckled. “You always do” She veered to Guilbert and added, “When I’ll meet him again, I’ll make sure that he will vanish in front of me. I won’t leave until he’ll make himself into ashes. By that, I would be at ease with the truth.”

Her sight gleamed in total peril. But, Vixen chose to keep herself on track. She needed not to think that much and act hastily.

She shoved near the door and slowly swerved the knob to open. Everybody sensed her action and examined her straight. Carmilla suddenly became cautious and probed, “Are you going outside?”

She moved her head as a retort. Her presence informed them that she needed to have some air. “Oh. Okay, Vix. Just make sure that no one would see you coming out in this place. This is our only hideout."

When she mentioned about this hideout, Vixen thought about it and it became a wondering topic for her to ask Carmilla. Probably, she would make time to know why they’re here in this secluded place together with Trixie who’s now being accommodated with Loshiana. She had also mentioned that the others are coming and they would probably join the quest. She wanted to make sure that we will have much company when we go to the culverts to check it.

“Okay.” She shortly answered and cleared the door leisurely.

She browsed over the side and when she made sure that no one’s around, she took her step outside and promptly closed the entrance, leaving us inside. I snatched an exhaustion and considered her actions. Probably, she wanted to think clear since we’re going to deal with the hunter himself.

“She’s thinking too much.” Loshiana suddenly blunted.

I nibbled my finger and agreed. “Yeah…”

“She needed some air more than us. I think it would be better if you’ll help her in making decisions.” She added.

“What can I do? It’s not like she’s sharing everything with me.” I said, letting her know that I don’t have much to offer for help.

“Just looked over her, Cody.”

“I know that. I’ve been babysitting her like years now.”

“You should continue doing that.” She cackled.

“Hmmm. I’ll think of it. The Eye surely knows what she will do in these current times. She just needed to focus more on what’s better. Vixen needed to act carefully."

VIXEN MORENZ’S POV

I brushed my hands enough to keep me warm. I sprinted on the road, not minding how the darkness crippled behind me. I just needed some time and I’ll be back there after a while. The fact that Carmilla, now having her own subordinates which were the children of her father had chosen to have a hideout in this sheltered place, made me take the curiosity out of my grasp. I wanted to know her main reason why she decided to take the kids with her and what’re their intentions now.

Probably, she won’t share everything with us, but I just wanted to know that she’s not a traitor. I raised my head and saw how the moon encompassed the shallow vastness of obscurity. As I hurled with its presence I gaped the light burnishing from the distance, it made me a sense that it was like how the hope is beyond our reach until now. It was a thing that’s so hard for us to take with ourselves.

I booted the stone, making it stumbled on the side, flunked near the mossy grass. When I reached the Old Mill, I witnessed how time changed it into an unnerving sight. People used to go here to buy fibers and make some bargains, but when our former leader in this ground level, Bervely Tin, had died, the Old Mill had also stopped its business and denigrated into this state. It was slowly left rotting in this place that it became a ghost one to most of us.

I wanted to see how Penelope had blocked the passage before, but I was torn deep with the thought of just letting it be like that or make a way to open it once again. The fact that the woman had decided to halt it for some reason, especially because she wanted to stop those people from the forest before in entering the place, gave me the coercion. What if the reason we had perceived in her actions isn’t the main one, but just a speck of something viler to it?

I shook my head. I don’t want to think much as far as possible. Taking a soft, meddling sigh, I evacuated the Old Mill and went to the left side of the pavement. There were no lights at all, but there are few houses. Everybody seemed to be snoozing soundlessly now. I was busy prowling around, carefully watching the city like an owl, when I heard something brushed itself from those thick, uncut bushes from the right side. I stopped my steps and waited for it to reveal itself, but nothing had come out from behind it. Guessed I’m just imagining things right now.

I turned rapidly to my coarse and was about to continue my step when I understood a familiar whistle from behind. I froze and I could feel my hands trembling.

“I don’t want to face the truth.” I whispered to myself.

I gradually shut my eyes and hoped that it was all imagination. But as soon as I heard his steps coming forward in my direction together with his soft chortles, I knew that it was verity that I’m confronting right now.

“What took you so long to find out?” He casually asked. I could sense him smirking.

I gnome my lip and decided not to answer him. How am I going to keep this up when the hope of this is a lie that's still firing inside me, aching that it will be the truth someday. I was left with no discretion but to frankly endure him. Now, the thing that I have feared, stood in front of me. I saw those eyes again–those onyx ones. He erected there calm, but his eyes were in deep warning. His hands were under his depth, dark jeans as his boots were draped with silt. He was wearing his cape and somehow, I couldn’t see his face completely because he was wearing a mask made of a sheep’s wool. Only his eyes were revealing.

“You’re dead…” I whispered.

A grimace grew wider on his face. “Am I?”

I dug my nails deep on my palms, almost wounding them. “What are you doing here? You know that I’m not alone.” I said.

“But you are right now, Eye.” He snickered. “I didn’t wish to see you again in this familiar setting we’re sharing right now. Let me guess…you’re going to haunt me down, are you?” He took a profound air, fading his smirk away from him.

“Why? I’m not doing anything right now.” He calmly added.

I gritted my teeth. “You put the house on flame and you took the children away…”

“Did you see me do it?” His face was now tough.

I knew that he’s toying with me now and he was trying to make me have doubts. Cody wouldn’t tell a lie to us and not even to me. Not ever. I believed that all he had seen and expressed to us were true.

“You didn’t see me with the kids.” He expanded and looked in both his sides. “They’re not here with me-”

I cut him off directly and meant, “Stop messing around! You’re a hunter and no one would dare to let lose his prey when he already captivated it.”

He grinned and pointed his head. “You’re thinking too much, Eye. Well, I guessed this is our second gathering. I’m hoping to see you again.” He started to move back.

No. I won’t let you leave. I started to speed towards him, reaching out my hands to grab Jack. “And oh, you still have time to search for your precious kids. I’m currently thinking about what I’m going to do with them. It didn’t still enter my mind that I would eradicate them, so you better hurry up and find them.” He laughed.

I was about to pluck him by the collar when he suddenly disappeared in front of me, letting me pass from where he stood. I stumbled and hissed in the same spot, but his presence was nowhere to be found already. I bit my mouth and tears brushed on my face out of vexation. I looked around, hoping to see him but I was left alone in this cobbled alley. I decided to go back to where the others are and have them my statement. Rushing back, I could hear my heart fluttering as I got a perplexed look at what occurred.

Something is not right.