OBTICEO

Chapter 18: BORDERS

On the third day of training and my body is already giving up. My muscles are sore and my body is worn out. My body wanted to give up so bad but my mind is so firm to pass the exam. It is a good sign, though. It only means that even if I feel exhausted with all the adjustments my body made, even after all the training I've been through despite my lack of experience, my mind is still strong, it still believes that I can make it. That I will find a way to go and escape Erebus.

We've decided to skip training today but only until lunch. We will continue training after lunch. But for now, I want to rest.

I know my feet are sore but I still went for a walk. Maybe to familiarize myself with the new environment. I've been here for days and yet, I have never been to other places except for the headquarters, Caligo and Khael's cell, the park, the mansion, and of course mine and Gio's cell. I've walked with no specific place to go, I even saw Chylus and Aes having a duel. I watched them for a brief moment, their skills are very evident in the way they move. I think, base on the way they move, Chylus is stronger than Aes.

I moved on and continued walking until my feet brought me to the portal. I found out that there is a way to this place without entering the castle. It was just by the side of the mansion. This place is surrounded by sharp and round rocks, big and small. I walked past the portal until I reached the borders. It was a cliff. This place is higher than the ground by the cell. I actually wanted to seat with my feet hanging on the cliff but I got scared, I felt something different when I went near it. It felt like I will fall the moment I step too close so I took a couple of steps back and stare at the ocean.

I heard footsteps going towards me so I turned to look who the owners of the footstep is. It was Khael. I wonder what brought him here.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as soon as he reached me. We both looked at the ocean. The dark ocean. It's not totally dark in here because there are lights near the border and also on the streets. But the ocean looks really beautiful and scary at the same time. You feel calm and scared at the same time.

"Just wandering. I've never seen the whole island yet" I don't know his reason for going here, but since he was wearing his work uniform, I guess he works nearby or maybe in the castle.

"Well, you have the rest of your life to explore the island. Take your time" I know it was meant to be a joke but I didn't find it humorous. Maybe because I plan to escape or that I never thought that I would be sent here.

"Is it true?" he broke the silence after minutes of dead air.

"What?" I asked back, I don't know what he is asking about.

"About your father and the King" Oh! Caligo must have told him about the reason I was sent here. I remembered the first time we met, he said something about Caligo mentioned me to him. It sounds like a genuine question but I answered arrogantly.

"Whatever you want to believe," I said. There's no point in saying the truth, it's either they believe that my father killed the King or not. I don't have to explain, they would not consider it anyway.

"I think... it's true. The Sesgado knows everything" I know I'm supposed to get used to this but every time people judge my father by that mere accusation is just absurd. I know not everyone knows my father or is aware of how great he is but can't they give him the benefit of their doubt?

"Who are they anyway? Everyone says they knew everything" I'm sure annoyance is visible on my face. Who wouldn't? My father's great image got ruined with that false accusation. And the Sesgados are the ones who are responsible for my father's case.

"Well, it's simply because they have eyes all over Elletra and Erebus. Who are they, you asked? They are everyone's worst nightmare" If they truly have eyes everywhere, then they should have known that my father did not kill the King. "I don't care who they are" I will still prove my father's innocence, come what may.

"Do you plan to escape here?" Khael changed the subject but his chosen subject won't lighten up the mood either. "Didn't you?" I asked him, I'm sure he also thought about it. I mean, who wouldn't, right? We're all innocent after all.

"No. It won't work anyway" he simply answered like there is no hope at all.

"You are just scared. All of you!" what could possibly go wrong? We won't die anyway, as far as I know, the Sesgado promised that they would never use their power to kill anyone. If they aren't talking empty then there is nothing wrong with trying to escape. They are just afraid of punishments.

"Look at you. Seeing your foolishness as fake confidence. How would you even escape? There is no place where Sesgado has no control. It's not the place that makes us feel like prisoners, it's the ones who are in control" I felt offended with his words. I'm no fool, I just see the wrong way of governance, I am aware. I don't turn a blind eye to injustice, my father taught me better. But what does he mean in his last sentence? "I don't understand!" I blurted out.

"You don't understand but here you are wanting to escape!" what is wrong with wanting freedom and wanting to prove that they thought wrong of my father, that he is innocent. They are just afraid to go against the corruption even if they see it right in front of their eyes.

"Everyone wants to escape! It's just that they don't act upon it"

"Because there's no use! You won't escape! Not now, not ever! Even if you succeed in getting out of here, where will you go? To Elletra? A place also controlled by the Sesgados? Can't you see the picture? We're all prisoners, not just us who are in Erebus but all of the people in Elletra as well. The Sesgados just make it look like they aren't but we all are. We all are, their prisoners" just now when I got his point, I did not talk back because he was right. But it is not just freedom that I seek, I also want to prove my father's innocence. Even just that and I will be at peace. I want my father's reputation back.

"Why are we arguing, we're not even close," I said after regaining myself. We both laugh. And suddenly I remembered where I met Khael, he was the one we saw when Gio and I washed our clothes. The one who was looking at us, now I get it. He was looking in our direction because he knew, he knew because Caligo told him.