REDEMPTION

20. THEIR REALM.

The environment was dark, the leaves on either side of the path glistened in the night light. Footsteps echoed in the night as stones were crushed under the force of he who walked. The owner was not in a rush, his walk was neither hurried nor hasty. The wind blew causing the leaves to rattle. However, they swayed in a particular direction. And it was the direction this someone was heading to. Not long after, he came to a dead end. The leaves rattled again, and shifted their direction.

This figure turned and continued following the leaves and the wind. Each time it came to a dead end, the leaves would lead the someone to a different direction until it came to a door. The door looked old and ragged. It’s knob was broken. Apart from the fact that it was supported by the leaf frame, it would have fallen from it hinges a long time ago. It stared at it as if analyzing if the door was the right one. And even though the door was unattractive to anyone hopping a way out of this maze, this figure did not seem bothered by it. 

As the wind blew, the door squeaked from time to time, threatening to fall from its hinges. Sighing, it walked to the door, held onto whatever was left of the door knob and opened it. The door creaked louder than an ancient floorboard all the way as it was opened. Beyond the door, one could see a different maze. The one this figure was from had leaves for walls but what lay beyond was a walled maze.

Just from the look of it, one could take a wild guess and say that it was laid with traps. The figure walked right in and immediately the door locked itself behind him. As it did this, the door did not creak neither did it sway for its life on its own hinges. Instead it was steady and smooth. After it had slammed itself shut, the door began aging rapidly until it came back to its original state. 

As soon as the figure entered the door, it warped into a different realm. The door had slammed behind it and had disappeared without a trace. Whoever it was, did not appear shocked or distracted by what had occurred. In fact, to them it was normal. Picking up their majestic slow pace, they set out again. The scenery had changed. The moon was still shinning brightly, however, it was not white. The moon was red. It gave off an intimidating atmosphere as it stood proud in the night sky. Clouds did not dare approach it and those that did, were thrown aside without a second thought. 

This strange figure, stood and stared at this night sky. The stars could still be seen, the sky’s color changed from black to dark blue to green like neon lights. Each color blended perfectly with the moon. Making it stand out better each time these colors emerged. The color of the clouds could not be told at first glance. A shadow from one cloud washed over it while it was still staring at the sky, and by the time it had passed a smile could be seen from the person’s face.

Their smile was about awkward, it seemed that whoever this person was had not smiled for a long time and doing so now left a strange twitch on their lips. Satisfied with what it had seen, the person walked on toward a shabby looking mansion. It was a three story building. Grass, moss and weeds had grown on and around the mansion walls, making it look abandoned. The roof was no exception either, it had a few places with holes and a tree could be seen growing out of the west wing of the mansion. 

To make matters worse, the mansion seemed to be leaning to one side as though it would collapse any moment from a simple tug or the slight breeze of wind blowing. Yet, this figure looked satisfied with how it looked and even though the attire it wore could not be matched with this mansion’s state, it still walked toward it while unbuttoning its shirt. Even when it got to the platform that led to the entry, it did not seem to hesitate for fear of the mansion collapsing. 

And like the door it had encountered before, it approached this one with the same vigor. With the same precision, he opened the door and got in. This time however, it was not warped into a different dimension or realm but he walked right into the mansion. The inside of the mansion was different from what anyone would expect from an abandoned, almost crashing someone mansion. It was not so bright inside, but not so dark either. One could tell where they were and where they would go next. 

The walls had close to none decorations on it. The walls were painted grey and aligned with a golden belt. The only décor on the wall was a single painting. Those in it seemed happy and they did not pay attention to the painter. This painting was not one you’d find in museums or those you’d find in any Royal family. Instead, this painting captured the joy and happiness shared by this family and trapped it in the moment. 

The figure stopped and gave it a glance before moving on. The painting was a memory the person held on to, as well as a regret that came crashing on their shoulder. The figure could be seen clutching their fists in anger. His strides could tell anyone that they had come to a decision and was willing to push through it no matter the cost. 

“Bad dog, you left without your bone.” 

A sarcastic voice came from the shadows holding a bone in their hand. As the figure came into the light only a few features could be seen. He was a bit build but not as much as the figure he was talking to. His muscles were well defined as they protruded from his tight t-shirt. On top of his head sat two horns that pointed at the heavens. They were not too huge nor were they slender and they were bathed in a black color. The face of this man was slender. His right eyes had a tear mark below it, the color could not be seen clearly. His hair was disheveled and its color could also not be seen due to the lighting. 

The figure did not flinch but turned to look at him slowly. He analyzed the bone in the speaker’s hand before looking at him. 

“Looks like you had beef for supper again.” He answered. 

The guy before him seemed to pout before giving up. His mischievous eyes held back the mischief for another day. Right now, something was off. Whenever he pulled out a bone, the animal instruct of this guy could not hold back. The figure would jump at the sight of bones, dig them in the back yard as well as chase anyone who had one. 

“Midnight, what’s wrong?” he asked as he approached Midnight. This little prank had worked for the last few centuries so Midnight could not change right now. Something had to be wrong. 

“Assemble everyone.” Midnight said as he left. 

In no time, everyone was assembled in the common room. It had been centuries since Midnight had called them all in one room. When they all returned, he did not even bother calling them for a reunion. They all knew something was wrong. Not long after they had assembled, did Midnight walk in. His face was clouded. His ears were on high alert and his fluffy tail did not wag or move at all. This confirmed their hunch. 

Midnight stood in the middle of the room while leaning on a desk. He looked at the six that had assembled, two were missing. Right then, the missing candidates showed up. One was scared to death, the other was acting like everything was ok. All of them were present. All seven of them. He contemplated for a moment before deciding to let the cat out of the bag. 

This was the only way, he could protect her. The only way he could know for sure who betrayed her. And the only way he was going to make them pay for what they did. He was sure of it. And if it did not work, he always had a few back ups. 

“Master’s back.”