Note:
If you haven't read Chapter 47: Mind Games, please ignore this chapter and proceed to the prologue. If you had, welcome. These are chapters I am willing to give you for free as a gift before you can proceed to the ~actual~ premium chapters. I apologize for the confusion. Enjoy reading and happy holidays!
***
"Have you already guessed of anything?" Kaius asked once they woke up. Any minute now, Mr. Federova will arrive to deliver their breakfast. As much as Kaius didn't want to believe what the man said, there was a possibility he might be saying the truth.
"Is there any correct answer aside from 'this is a dungeon'?" Allyria said. She barely had enough sleep last night contemplating on his mind tricks. She just couldn't find any logical answer to the question.
Kaius shook his head and pulled his hair, grunting, "This is frustrating. I swear I'll beat the hell out of him once we get out."
"Ladies first," she said.
"Nope, won't let you."
"May the best person win then," she smirked at her proposal. It's been so long since she had training. The last few ones were serious fighting so she never got to have fun but this one, she's sure she'll make a punching bag out of him, "I can't wait to see the look on his face once I get to step on it," she snorted.
Kaius laughed in reply.
That was all they could do. If they wouldn't entertain, or argue with each other, they'll find better things to laugh about to kill time.
There was just nothing here to talk about or see but darkness, the endless tunnel with no signs of life except for the two of them. It wouldn't take years for people to finally succumb to the paranoia and anxiety. It was depressing. Even her, they were still stuck for days and she already felt like giving up.
Suddenly, Allyria missed the feeling of the warm sunshine touching her skin, the sight of all the greens, the people. She never thought she'd even miss the castle during this time but she did. Though it was still a mental prison, at least in there, sunlight comes, the air was sweeter; birds softened the dawn with their chorus; and there were real people you could converse with aside from your only companion.
"What are you doing?" Allyria asked, her eyes following Kaius who suddenly stood up and went to the corner of the cell. She could barely see him with the little light entering. The dark was blinding. It made her feel like she's wearing an eye cover for several days now that she just want to take her eyes and throw it into the light.
Kaius laid on his back his hands behind his head, "Exercise," he answered and started doing sit-ups, "This place is making me weaker by day. We have to be ready for whatever comes."
Allyria would have done it too but with the situation they were in, she just wanted to save her energy and sleep. Maybe she'll wake up to the outside someday, just like her sudden surprise when she arrived here.
Another knock on the steel bars told her breakfast was already here. She went up and grabbed it from underneath but Mr. Federova pulled it back. Her forehead creased at that.
"Answer?" he asked.
"Oh." He's talking about the mind game. Allyria really tried to think of a logical guess but even if she'd think it over for a year, there's nothing she could come up with aside from the obvious one.
Allyria could hear Kaius walking towards them as the sound of his footsteps thudded. He grabbed the tray from Federova before he could react and answered the question for her, "Just let us out if you want to. We're not doing this stupid game your boss wants us to play."
Allyria grinned. Just earlier, he was asking if she had an answer in mind and now he doesn't want to do it anymore. Talk about Kaius' sudden mood change.
Mr. Federova didn't utter a word and stood up, "Five minutes," he said as if he never heard Kaius.
Kaius brought the tray to Allyria. When they were already sitting opposite to each other, they started eating their meal. Today was different; they only had peas and a glass of water. Gone were the stew, porridge, broth, meat and bread. Maybe the food was just a 3-day trial, Allyria thought.
"Mr. Dragunov is kind," Federova started.
Dragunov.
What a perfect name for a beast.
"He may be intimidating and playful sometimes but he's not the kind of monster you think he is," he continued.
"Did he pay you to say all these nice things about him? Because..." Allyria shrugged, "I don't know. It's not working for me. Is it for you, Kaius?"
He shook his head, "Nope. Poor acting," he said and gobbled on his diet meal.
Allyria chortled; surprised Kauis even had the time to ride on her jokes.
Mr. Federova didn't react. His eyes were as immobile as the rest of his face, as if words like that were impossible to absorb any faster.
Allyria fumbled for a pea from the bowl and consumed it silently. She was busy indulging in her plate when a sudden eureka moment stirred her. A smirk escaped from her lips.
She went up to meet Mr. Federova's gaze and forced the gentlest smile and weakest eyes she could muster, "If he wants to be believable, call him now and we'll answer the guess for him. I'm sure he will understand our plight," she said in a soft, darling voice.
"But Mr. Dra—"
"Oh, how will I be able to pass my next script for the play?" she placed the back of her palm in her forehead, "I still need to go to Wintervale and make my preparations. My family... what will I feed to my family if I'm stuck here? What about my job? The horror we'd have to endure because of the poor system we have in this country. Oh..." she wiped the fake tears from her eyes. She has already done a lot of things, even resorting to making herself a laughing stock to Kaius the moment she finishes the act. This better have to work.
"You're a playwright?"
"A performer too."
Mr. Federova strode forward, his arms in the steel bars, "And why am I supposed to believe you?"
"Do you think my brother," she faced Kaius, trying so hard to suppress her laughter, "and I would venture in the woods if we weren't there to hunt a month's worth of food to feed our family?
She held his hand, "Please grant us leniency. We can just pretend nothing happened in here. Tell Mr. Dragunov," she wanted to vomit at the first mention of his name, "If he really has kindness in his heart, he will let us out. Please."
It took him almost a minute to respond, "Give me the tray." Kaius stood and handed it to him, "I'll find a way to talk to him about this."
She smiled smugly but immediately shifted into a grateful face, "Oh, thank you Mr. Federova. We will forever be in your mercy. May the Eternal Gods bless you a thousand fold."
"Wait for a word from me tonight," he said and walked out of the dungeon.
Once Allyria couldn't sense him anywhere near anymore, unable to hold it in, she burst into fits of laughter. It came like a newly sprung leak—timid at first, stopping and starting. Kaius joined in, stunned at how Allyria could fabricate an act like that in minute's time.
"Unbelievable," Kaius said, still falling about in hysterics. From deep inside his chest came a great shaking motion and his face muscles grew tight, "Allyria Aleshkovsky, I now bow to you."
"See?" she said, several seconds after she has finally composed herself and wiped a tear from her eye, "That's how you hit the bull's—."
BOOM!
A loud explosion rumbled from a distance, shaking the ceiling above them.
Allyria jolted at her feet and turned to Kaius, "What just happened?"
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Written and edited by ephemery.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Allyria will hunt you down to the ends of Arde Terra and cast you out together with the Undying in the Islands of the Cursed. You've been warned.
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