EPISODE TWO
1179 Words
NIKLAS'S PERSPECTIVE
Colder than the steel cuffs that used to dig into my wrists, the night air pricked my skin. I stood at the edge of the gala, watching her through the glass, my breath hazy in the darkness.
Lina.
As if the night they dragged me away hadn't ended, she grinned and even laughed. She appeared as though she hadn't witnessed everything. Like her lies, her dress glistened in the chandelier lights, smooth and golden.
My fists clenched. I was grounded by my nails digging into my palm, warning me not to go back in there and bring her back to the past, which she feigned to forget.
She failed to show up.
She watched them take me. I witnessed them beating me. Did she run when she screamed? Did she get into a fight? Did she look?
No.
I bided my time until she arrived. Days, weeks, and months passed. I then gave up waiting. One breath at a time, prison teaches you how to destroy hope.
I stand here now with a new name, a more powerful body, and improved mental clarity. Weber, Niklas. No longer the i***t who put his faith in love.
With each step resonating like a heartbeat against stone, I turned my back on the lights and proceeded down the marble steps. I was engulfed by the night. As I moved, the trees ahead whispered secrets. My past was loud and heavy as it walked next to me, tearing at my flesh.
I saw it repeatedly.
the evening they arrived.
Jasper's voice yelling commands. Mom is yelling. Was it guilt or fear that filled Lina's face and eyes?
My shirt is covered in blood. My ribs broke. A kick to my face.
"Now you're nothing."
Then there was quiet.
Then it got cold.
I was blinded by a burst of light that brought me back to reality.
"Your car, sir?"
I slid into the back seat after giving the valet a nod. The driver remained silent. He didn't. I kept him because of this.
"Take me to the estate of Whitmore."
He looked up. He didn't inquire. All he did was drive.
The roads were as convoluted as my mind. Trees blurred past the window as I gazed out. I didn't return for social gatherings or courteous greetings.
Truth is what I came for.
and retaliation.
I tried to stop the noise by pressing my fingers against my temple. Lina's chuckle. Jasper grinned. The guards. The chains.
They all blended into one.
I've changed as a man. I have no faith in anyone. Not even myself at times.
However, I would begin pulling the strings tonight.
Like a shadow out of time, the Whitmore estate loomed. The gates opened with a creak. Inside, there were faint, dim lights. Late. Excellent.
I straightened my collar, went outside, and ascended the stairs.
The butler blinked nervously and opened the door.
"He's expecting you, Mr. Weber."
He is, of course.
I discovered Mr. Whitmore nursing a drink in his study. He appeared older. He seemed even more exhausted than usual. But when he saw me, his eyes brightened.
"Yes, Niklas. Or should I now address you by your true name?"
"Call me anything you want."
Though it didn't reach his eyes, he laughed.
"You were cold all the time even when he was a boy.
The firelight flickered between us as I moved closer.
"They set me up with your help."
He didn't recoil, simply gazed into his glass.
"You think I had a choice?"
"You could speak. You said nothing.
He pressed his lips together.
I rolled the scalpel between my fingers after taking it out of my coat. He observed it as if it were a snake.
"How are you going to use that?"
"I haven't made up my mind yet."
"Jasper—"
"Is your son. Indeed. I still remember.
He took a deep swallow. The quiet grew deeper.
The door then opened.
Jasper.
Naturally.
He froze when he saw me.
"You."
I smiled.
"Miss me?"
He stepped forward slowly. "Why are you here?"
"Reuniting with old friends."
He looked down at the scalpel.
"Are you going to murder my dad?"
"Would you care?"
"Depends. Would you do it in front of me or behind my back, like you were dragged out behind yours?"
I stopped smiling. I tightened my fingers.
"You believe this to be a joke?"
"You think I'm afraid of a ghost?"
Mr. Whitmore spoke louder. "Enough! You two!"
However, we continued. We were unable to.
"What made you do it?" I inquired.
Jasper gave a shrug. "You got in the way."
"You took everything."
"Everything you didn't deserve."
I took a step forward. "You have no idea what I've lost."
Jasper's chin went up. "You didn't either. Until we created you.
I made a lunge. The moment was fleeting. only to watch him wince.
He didn't.
I paused at that.
This was what he desired. He wanted me to be upset. He wanted me to be careless.
I took a step back.
"Next time," I replied.
He grinned. "You won't go the next time."
I turned and left.
I sensed it once more as I retreated into the darkness.
That warmth. That query.
Lina.
Was she aware?
Did she participate?
I got into the vehicle. After a brief moment of shaking, I clenched my hand into a fist.
The driver didn't inquire. I simply drove.
The road seemed to go on forever.
similar to the responses.
similar to the fury.
similar to the pain.
I pressed the chilly window to my forehead.
She used to appear in my dreams.
I had a dream about the truth now.
And what I’d do when I finally had it.
My thoughts didn't change as the night went on.
Did she shed a tear for me?
Was she present when they beat me?
Did she put her hands over her ears?
or act as a front for them?
I glanced down at my hands.
rough, steady, Able.
of construction.
of flaming.
Never forgetting, though.
And I whispered to the night as the car went down a darker road.
"I'm coming for everything."
even if she gets in the way.
particularly if she does.
since the man she buried is no longer with us.
And there is nothing left to lose for the one who has risen from the grave.
aside from the truth.
and perhaps her.
However, what if she had never been mine in the first place?
What if she gave me up?
My chest constricted.
No. That's not the case just yet. Not right now.
I require evidence.
After that, I'll choose what kind of monster I want to be.
The headlights pierced the darkness.
The city ahead. The empire I created was out of suffering.
However, behind every corner, every transaction, every shadow...
Her name continued to echo.
Lina.
Was she aware?
Did she participate?
Was she?
Or was she, like me, just a pawn?
In one form or another... I'll investigate.
even if it results in my death.
- Writer
