Heart desired

//Chapter 72/

Every click sounded blissful as the shackles fell off from my ankles and wrists. Kor undid the straps around my chest, freeing me from the trolly completely.

I sat down after all the obstacles were removed. Sitting up so suddenly made my head feel light for a second, making me almost fall backwards. Kor steadied me with a hand on my back.

I was wearing a white gown, identical to the prisoners outfit I saw on the illustrations in the books I read in Draken manor. The color white felt so off after the all those black clothes I've gotten so used to. I felt exposed as my arms were bare, and the hem of the skirts only fell down to cover up the knees. And of course, my feet were bare as well.

I never thought I would miss that boring black cape, boots and the tight fitting clothes with a golden brooch.

"Can you stand up?" Kor asked, his hand still on my back. I didn't know if I could even sit for long as my stomach threatened to empty itself every time I moved due to the pain. I took several deep breaths to hold myself together. I did not want to fall apart with these guys.

Not yet. Even if I could not get out, I had to get the others out and warn Savin.

I took a step towards the floor. The coldness of the ground made my bare foot flinch back. We were deep down the earth so I thought it would be warm, but instead I had to not to flinch from the ice cold floor.

I stood up and steadied myself, letting Kor's hand slip on its own. I tried to move by taking a step after another. I could take about five steps before tilting to the side, almost hitting my head on the trolley I laid. No, that was not the trolley I laid on. There were no cuffs or slots to hold down strips.

I looked around. There were several trolleys here. This place seemed like a storage, filled wity boxes in one corner and trolleys in the middle. In one corner there were little cages that could trap birds or mice. There was dried blood on some of them, making me not want to know what haeppened to the animals at all.

I looked away from them. The insfi wall was in front of me. Could I pass it? The restrain was already there, pushing me a little backwards. This wall was very different from the ones I've seen before. All the walls in Rawen were fused with insfi stones while this was made out of pure stones. Even the mines had gaps of soil where I could sneak. This was inescapable.

If anyone wanted to imprison me, this was a place better than the Eternal Prison.

I shuddered at the thought. Kor sent me a concerned look and I decided to ignore it completely. He was just worried about my pain and all. There was no need to take him seriously. The real challenge was the wall.

I suppressed all my power into my self as best as I could. The illusion was me, my insecurities and my own fears. I was born to rule, but was forced to let some one else take everything from me. I used to think that it would be better if I stayed imprisoned. I had let myself be a prisoner.

Not anymore.

I closed my eyes and let the restrain wash over me as I took my steps one after another, passing the wall.

It didn't hurt that much.

-

"You know, I don't know the hallways. You should take the lead." I said to Seth. "I don't even know where we are going."

"Well, where do you want to go?" Kor asked. "Crown Prince and the Soldier is that way," he gestured to the right direction. "Relach is having his experiment in third floor. I guess you want to go to the prince first."

"Exactly what is the floor we are in right now?" I asked.

"You can say it's minus nine because this is the ninth floor from the ground floor from above." Kor said.

I calculated. There was eleven floors for me to take if I wanted to see Relach. On the other hand, Resh and Bran were right here with me. But...

"Let's go and see Relach first." I said.

Seth and Kor looked confused as they looked at each other. I did not need there opinion. Relach was taken to the experiment sometime ago. He was the obe who needed me the most right now.

"Let's take the elevator." Kor said.

I looked at him. "There's an elevator?"

"Of course. Did you think we climbed down all the stairs and climbed them back up?" Seth answered for him.

I shook my head. Now getting back to Resh and Bran would not be that much of a hustle. "Lead the way."

I expected to see the kind of elevators I saw in mortal realm, but things were different here. There was no visible doors to be anywhere. Seth walked straight towards the wall and a section of it opened infront of him, letting us in.

"How do you know it was on this floor?" I asked, confused.

"The sensors work like that. All you have to do is come close to the wall and the sensors will open the door if the elevator is here. If not, you would have to wait till it opens. That is nothing serious."

"What if someone accidentally waited there?"

"We don't do that here." Seth simply said. "Everyone knows that."

That seemed like an odd sentence on itself to me. Every creature differs from one to another, but anyone could make a mistake on their own. They acted like they don't make mistakes.

How odd.

Seth pressed down a button inside it that said upper third- Volenteer Experiments. I wondered exactly when Relach volunteered for this. I studied the buttons closely as the elevator ascended.

Upper one was for laser and animal experiments while the second one was for something called explosive medicines. I didn't know if I really want to take that type of medicine in my life. Beside, there were healers here. Who would need explosive medicines?

It was hard staying on my feet, so I leaned against the wall. Upper four was marked as Gods, which made no sense to me again. Minus one to eight was marked as storage. This was where we found Relach for the first time. It proved me the fact that storages were not what they seemed to be at all.

The floor we just came from was not named on the button. It just said nine with a bar in front of it to represent minus. They must have wanted to keep their prisoners a secret.

The elevator stopped with a chime. I got away from the wall, in case it was to be dissapeared and become a door instead.

I was right. The next second, I was facing a hallway instead a wall. I squared my back, refusing to let anyone see how scared I was.

There was no one to be seen though. Seth and Kor came after me, following me closely behind. I walked straight ahead, knowing that they would guide me if I went the wrong way.

I was starting to think that they were kidding me when Kor spoke. "That's where Relach is."

In front of me was a door like all else, marked as 27th. I turned to Seth, who was already taking his key card out. "Open it for me please."