Resistance

What Burns Within

The hour was late into the evening, not a single sound echoed from within the dark house...Not even a peep, aside from the gentle creaking of a door opening as Syrus peeked out of his room, checking to make sure everyone was asleep before heading back into his room.

As quietly as he possibly could, he opened the single window just beside his bed, creeping out of it carefully before he leapt down to the ground below with a flick of his long, speckled tail. He managed to land on his feet, although the impact rattled his body slightly, still being worn down by his injuries...Nothing he couldn't push through and manage though.

If he looked up, he could see that there wasn't any movement from his room. No doubt Taharo would be in the living room to try and prevent him from sneaking out...So this was all he could manage right now.

However, before he could even take his first step...

"And where do you think you're going this late at night?" A voice called out, belonging to Cai as he stepped out from the shadows, amber eyes locked onto him...And quite frankly, he didn't look the slightest bit impressed.

"...Out for nice, evening stroll?" Syrus smiled, the tip of his tail twitching ever so slightly as he was caught red handed.

Cat's out of the bag, he supposed. No pun intended.

"Just so you know, you're a terrible liar, Syrus. I had a feeling you were going to try something like this." Cai crossed his arms, looking borderline pissed. "You better tell me what you're up to right now, or I'll drag your ass back inside."

"...Won't you drag me back in either way, though?" Syrus frowned, ears folding back as he cast his gaze to the side with a small sigh. "...The castle..." He muttered under his breath.

"...What?"

"The castle." Syrus repeated.

"What?"

"I said-"

"I know damn well what you said." Cai hissed, reaching out to get a firm grip of Syrus' tail. "Why in the hell do you need to go there, of all places?" He questioned, glaring Syrus down. "If you're planning to suicide, I'll have a thing or two to say about it."

"Ow, ow, ow!" Syrus jumped, trying to wriggle his tail away. "Of course not!! What do you take me for?!" He hissed.

"Why else could you possibly want to go there for, other than suicide? That's what you're basically asking for."

"Please, Cai. If I wanted to kill myself, there's a multitude of ways I could do so that would be a hell of a lot easier." Syrus shot back. "At least hear me out."

"..." Cai narrowed his eyes for a moment, staring Syrus down before finally releasing his tail with an exasperated sigh. "Out with it then. This better be good."

Of course...Even though Syrus made it a point that he'd talk, it wasn't exactly easy to know where to start with all of this.

No matter how he sliced it, it would likely sound crazy to Cai either way.

"...When I got trapped in that fire before...I remembered something that had happened during the invasion." He began, decided to just start his explanation there. "I couldn't really remember much about that day, and admittedly what I did remember was only a small bit of it...But...I began to wonder about something."

"...And that would be?"

"...Why did the Diou even attack?" Syrus questioned, though it was mostly rhetorical. "There's nothing particularly special about the city. The more I thought about it, the more it didn't seem to make sense...What are their motives?? What if there's something we don't know that they do?"

"I can't understand how knowing there motives is in any way remotely relevant." Cai shot back, not sounding convinced with Syrus' reasoning. How could he be?? "What does it matter?? They're the ones who ended up in control regardless. It's certainly not worth risking your life going right up to their front door just to ask them 'why.'"

Syrus...Understood Cai's skepticism. There was no easy way to come to terms with reasoning like this, but...

"...It's important." He said, looking up at him and holding his gaze. "There's something missing...Something important. Something that could change the entire course of everything as we know it...I...I can just feel it." He explained, desperately trying to get his reasoning across. "Even I don't really understand it, but...I need to know, and I can only find out by going there."

Cai said nothing in response, casting his gaze to the side...It was anyone's guess as to what he was thinking, but Syrus truly hoped he had managed to get through to him...And once he finally replied, Syrus would be pleasantly surprised.

"...Fine, but I'm going with you."

It was a reasonable request, and while Syrus had hoped to not get anyone involved, he couldn't very well say no.

"Alright then." He nodded, having no choice but to agree.

"Good. At the first sign of danger, we're out, got it?"

This, however, was an unreasonable request. If they were to run into any signs of danger, by then, it'd already be too late.

Surely Cai already knew that.

"...Aright." Syrus agreed regardless as the two disappeared into the night.

In a way, perhaps it was an attempted promise. Something to give them both a reason to return, despite the odds that were quite easily stacked against them.

As they edged their way closer towards the castle, it was all unfamiliar territory for the two of them. Everything past the central square of the city was even more worse off than the dilapidated buildings along the residential district further towards the entrance of the city...And as they moved further in, they came upon what appeared to be another residential district, but...These buildings were far worse, even nonexistent in some cases.

The buildings, made of finer material than those further down, were destroyed, many of which didn't even form full houses anymore. Gardens and grassy fields were now overrun with patches of weeds and other foliage...It was like a ghost town, kept still in time, in an age of destruction from long ago.

Syrus wondered if this was where the upper class once lived before, before the invasion so many years ago...It made him realize just how little he knew about the very city he'd spent his entire life in thus far.

Not even the old street lights worked, and it was incredibly dark, but as always, that was never a problem for Syrus. It made sneaking in that much easier for them during this time of night...However, Syrus couldn't help but notice the amount of guards patrolling the area...Or rather, the lack-there-of. Was it because of the time of night, or the Diou's confidence?? Syrus didn't know, but rather than relief, this only put him more on edge.

Too many things have happened as of late. Far too many for Syrus to feel comfortable letting himself get lead into a false sense of security. Not in the slightest.

And yet, the two continued onward without the slightest bit of trouble, right up until the castle gates.

There were tall, made of what used to appear to be a gold-like material, though they were heavily rusted now. An intricate, vine-like pattern was interwoven along the metalwork, giving the gates a sort of enchanted feeling...Almost like walking up to the gates of a different world entirely.

Of course, it went without saying that the gates themselves were guarded. One on either side of the gate, blocking the only entrance that was along the tall, brick walls surrounding the castle entirely.

Nothing that couldn't be scaled, however, and Syrus was an excellent climber.

He made quick work of the wall, landing soundlessly on the other side with minimal effort.

Perhaps because of the adrenaline pumping throughout his body, Syrus wasn't the least bit bothered by his injuries right now. He didn't have the luxury to focus too much on them, given the moment.

Thankfully, Cai was right behind him, the guards up front not even having the slightest inkling of their intruders...Of course, getting in was the easy part. The castle, and getting back out, was another story entirely.

Syrus would cross that bridge when they got to it, though.

The castle itself towered high above them, made of a brilliant, white colored stone that glistened beautifully in the moonlight. The structure was so massive, that Syrus couldn't even see the top of the building, no matter how much he gawked.

Now how exactly were the two of them going to get inside???

Certainly trying to walk through the front door was foolhardy, so they had to think about a more roundabout approach..And once Syrus had given the structure a careful, but short walk-around, he managed to spot a window that wasn't too high off the ground...Well, higher than the brick walls, but not too high to scale, for Syrus, at least.

"There's no way I can climb that." Cai chimed in upon realizing where Syrus was going to attempt entering the castle. "I'm no cat." He frowned.

"Maybe you can try finding another way in?" Syrus suggested.

"I suppose." Cai admitted, albeit looking hesitant about leaving Syrus alone...But there wasn't really any other choice. What was easy for Syrus, was a different story entirely for him. Finding the library might be easier if the two looked separately as well...So they split up, Syrus scaling the wall and slipping through the window while Cai looked for another way in.

Inside, Syrus could see the faintly flickering light from the torches that lined the marbled hallways, so polished that he could make out his reflection in them...However, not a single person walked those halls.

So...Sucking in a small breath, he proceeded, ears upright and alert for the slightest movement, the slightest sound, his heart racing in his chest...But the only sound that echoed throughout those halls was the steady crackling of the small fires that flickering along the torches. He was so tense and on edge, that those noises occasionally startled him, his fur prickling slightly.

He really felt like danger could pop out at him at any moment, but...

Silence. For the time being, it truly felt like Syrus could have been the only person in existence right now.

He found himself wanting to admire the interior, though he knew he just didn't have the time to be doing that right now...Of course, that being said, Syrus didn't have the slightest idea of which way was what. Where should he even start? There were so many doors lining the walls, that it was difficult to know which one was exactly where he wanted to be.

Picturing it in his mind, he wondered what the royal library might look like...Surely, it would be a massive room, closed off by giant, heavy doors. That's what he pictured.

He walked and he walked...Just how long were these corridors? They seemed endless, and while Syrus could pick out the continuing, occasional doors, none of them struck him as what he was looking for.

Then...A peculiar scent tickled at his nose. A sort of strange, musty smell, but not quite the same as an old, damp room. The smell gave off a dusty hint...Like something incredibly aged. The same smell as old books.

Syrus' heart leapt within his chest, following the smell until he reached a set of massive, wooden doors. This room had to have been the library. It couldn't have been anything else...So, he carefully pushed the doors open, the sound of creaking echoing throughout the hallways, and yet, not a single person came running to investigate the noise.

He stilled his raging heartbeat, stepping inside...And when he did, the sight spread out before him was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

The entire room was chock full of bookshelves, towering as high as the ceiling itself...Which was quite high. There were sliding ladders here and there to help assist reaching those higher shelves.

Rather...It was as though the room was filled with mountains of shelves. Syrus wouldn't have known where to even start with this mass of books. It was difficult to not feel overwhelmed at the sight of it all.

He tried to focus though, thinking about what he should be looking for...He supposed the history of this city, this country, would be a good starting point. Perhaps he could get a better idea of their motives if he understood more.

History books...He supposed some of them would look quite thick and old, wouldn't they? He scanned the in-numerous books for anything that struck out at him.

"Did you find anything yet?" Cai suddenly spoke up right beside him, and Syrus had to suppress his startled shriek, his fur fluffing out quite a bit.

Rather, he was pretty sure he'd lost some fur in that moment alone.

"Don't do that." He hissed under his breath, his heart thudding so loudly in his chest, that he was certain it could be heard.

"Jumpy, aren't you?" Cai replied with a little look...One might even say there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he walked on.

If Syrus didn't know any better, he'd say Cai had probably done that on purpose.

"Anyhow, what are we looking for, exactly?" He questioned, scanning the shelves with his gaze as he waited for a response.

"Something related to the history of the city, the country...Anything like that, I guess." Syrus replied, fishing through his bag before tossing a flashlight in Cai's direction.

"Got it." Cai nodded, catching the flashlight without missing a beat as the two began their search through the massive library.

It would no doubt be a long search, as the genre's and numbers of books really seemed endless.

There were various novels, ranging from children's books, to fantasy novels, and everything in-between. It seemed as though all of the books had remained relatively untouched, aside from the thick layers of dust that coated them.

Eventually though, they finally started gravitating more towards a section of books that seemed to relate more to what they had been searching for.

From books explaining various fantasies and mythologies, to ones that depicted various histories people perceived about their world. The amount of those different books was surprisingly large, much larger than Syrus had been expecting...However, one book in particular seemed to stand out to him, one that he caught a glimpse of out of the corner of his eye.

It was a large book with no label along it's spine. Incredibly worn with age, Syrus reached out to grab it, flipping through the pages, dust flying out from in-between them...And he realized it was written in a different language.

...No, that wasn't quite right.

If Syrus looked closer, he recognized some familiar lettering and words, albeit they were in a slightly different dialect than what he was familiar with...The more he skimmed through it, the more he noticed those similarities...Could this have been written in an older version of the language they used today??

He certainly couldn't read all of it, but certain lines and words struck out at him.

The book seemed to depict a story about a goddess, and a symbol that resembled the sun. There was even a picture of this goddess, who held the sun within her hands.

He wondered why this particular picture felt somehow important to him...Rather, he felt strangely fixated on it.

A goddess...And the sun.

What did it mean?? He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around it, flipping to the next page, which showed a much darker depiction.

A dark shadow seemed to engulf both the goddess and the sun in her hands...As for what that shadow was, Syrus found himself thinking that it somehow resembled the moon.

The pictures only seemed to make less and less sense to Syrus, but he knew they were important somehow. He felt that in his gut.

If only he could read the whole book, rather than bits and pieces.

For now, he tucked the book back within it's place along the shelf, skimming through for something else that might have caught his eye. Surely he could find something else that made more sense...

And then, Syrus was seized with a sensation that made all of the hair on his body stand on end.

"I wondered who had snuck in, and I find a couple of rats."

A chillingly familiar voiced sounded out just from behind him, and Syrus had just enough time to look over his shoulder, those piercing, silver eyes looming just a few paces away.

"Syrus-!!" Cai dashed towards him without wasting a single moment...But everything happened so quickly. Before Syrus could even react, could even process what was happening, Cai was already repelled. The sound of crashing and books toppling over echoed throughout the room as Cai was knocked back effortlessly, his back crashing against a nearby bookshelf.

Syrus himself was lifted right off his feet by the collar of his shirt before being harshly slammed against the shelf behind him. The impact alone knocked the breath right out of him, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.

"Or should I say one rat and a cat?" The silver eyed man grinned. "And after I let you slip away the last time...Just what are you thinking, walking right up to the front door??"

Syrus couldn't seem to find his words, his gaze fixated on the man's eyes.

...Those cruel, silver eyes.

The memories of his parents deaths revived vividly in his mind at the sight of them, and a strange emotion began to burn within the pit of his stomach...A foreign emotion to Syrus, and yet, it felt so overwhelmingly strong.

Because of this man...!

"I don't believe I like that look you're giving me." The man's smile dropped in an instant, reacting to something Syrus couldn't see himself. He had no idea what sort of expression was on his face in that moment. "Perhaps you need a reminder of just where exactly you stand here."

Syrus just didn't have the time to understand his own emotions, or even the man's words as he was slammed down onto the marbled floor with aggressive force, unnatural strength.

His body creaked in response, barely biting back his shriek of pain as his vision shook, going unsteady, the pain of his injuries flaring throughout his body like a fever...But then...The searing pain suddenly seemed as though it was drifting away somewhere.

Farther and farther away, his surroundings becoming hazy.

No...

He thought.

If he lost consciousness now...

However, he was unable to fight that feeling. No matter how much he fought it, things grew farther away still. He just couldn't stay awake anymore...And then, everything went black.

That blackness completely overshadowed his mind, his very sense of self.

He felt like he was falling...Falling into that infinite blackness, everything going numb...He wasn't even sure if he was awake or asleep. He couldn't see anything. Everything was just so dark...Even if he opened his mouth, he would soon find out that no sound would come from within.

Even if he tried to run, his legs wouldn't take him anywhere.

Maybe they too, got lost within this emptiness...This nothingness.

Nothing but empty blackness.

Nothing but lifeless silence.

Nothing.

Would he disappear within it all? Maybe all he could do was quietly accept that outcome.

And then...He heard a voice.

A wordless voice.

Somehow, he felt as though it were calling him.

He had to go to it. He was seized by that feeling, and so, he dragged himself to his feet, trying to follow that soundless voice. That voice that called out to him wordlessly.

A single beam of light glittered faintly in the distance, glowing brighter the closer Syrus approached...And when he arrived at the source, there was nothing but a gently flickering fire standing before him.

Syrus didn't like fire, and yet...This fire alone gave him a strange sense of comfort, swaying to the gentle, unseen breeze...Almost as though it were beckoning to him.

A fire that glistened so brilliantly...Almost like the sun.

Syrus...Wanted to reach out and touch it.

Would it feel warm and gentle? Or would it eat away at him violently?? Syrus couldn't bring himself to care at the moment, reaching out towards it...

But his hand would never touch it.

Someone else's hand suddenly thrust out from behind him, breaking through that emptiness, towards the fire...And an ice cold wave rushed over Syrus almost aggressively.

He was torn out of unconsciousness, an indescribable amount of pain burning throughout his entire being. He didn't understand what was happening, his gaze trailing down to see a hand penetrated through his chest...Yet there was no blood, only a sense of shock and pain.

But that pain was incomparable to the amount he felt as the man's hand gripped at something within his very core.

Pure agony rushed throughout Syrus' entire body, overshadowing absolutely everything else, and yet...He couldn't scream. Couldn't breathe.

Fire raced throughout his veins as he desperately tried wrenching the hand away, tried clawing at it...Anything he could do to get it away from him, but to no avail.

He felt as though he could hear something creaking within him...Could feel it coming loose...And then suddenly, it felt as though that something snapped within him, breaking to a million, little pieces.

He was struck with a wave of nausea, a strange, sickly heat spreading throughout him like a fever...Something...Felt wrong. He felt that right down to his very core, his eyes glazing over as the strength rapidly left his body.

Was he...Going to die? He wasn't even sure if he was frightened as a strong sense of lethargy overtook him.

It was only then, that the pressure around his core lightened, his body suddenly dropping limply to the floor, his senses returning to him little by little...He couldn't help but suck in desperate breaths, dripping with sweat as his body trembled beyond his ability to control it.

"...I see..." The man suddenly spoke up, silver eyes fixated on Syrus as he let out a series of near, hysterical laughter. "...I see!! Who would have thought that the flame would have been right under my nose this whole time?!" He covered his eyes with one hand as he threw his head back, seemingly terribly amused by this turn of events...Rather, he seemed to have lost his marbles entirely. "That sly King!! The sheer irony!"

Syrus...Didn't know what this man was going on about, but he was gripped by a strange sense of terror as the man's eyes locked down on him yet again.

Eyes that gazed upon him, not as a person, but something else. They weren't the eyes of someone looking down at another person, and Syrus felt a chill run up his spine.

The man knelt down in front of him, and Syrus flinched as he placed a finger under his chin, forcing him to look up, his ears laid flat against his head.

"You poor thing...You have no idea what's been done to you, do you??" The man grinned, silver eyes flickering with what one could only describe as pure delight. Euphoria. "If not for that power tucked away within you, you'd be dead...Perhaps you're a lucky one, aren't you??" He questioned, a toothy, eerie smile spreading out across his lips. "...No...I'd say for you, this is a curse, not a blessing."

Syrus couldn't make heads or tails of what this man was saying. He didn't understand, and yet...For the first time in his life, Syrus felt a terror he had not yet felt within his heart before. Not even when he was trapped within the fire.

He was truly afraid.