The van drove through the black gates and they opened the door and started stepping out even before it stopped moving.
Octavia took in a deep breath as soon as she was out as well and she took her eyes, staring at the direction of the Master's block. They were obviously in already.
Mica came out and stood beside her, looking up at the block as well.
"Will the Master be fine?" Octavia found
herself asking, her eyes not leaving the block.
And breathlessly, Mica answered:
"I don't know".
**
**
**
Becca panted heavily as they rushed Khalid into the room and laid him on the bed.
He was no longer awake and it was scaring the life out of her.
"Khalid.....Lay him carefully" her breath
wavered.
Meticulously, they laid his almost stiff body on the bed and she ran to sit close to his head, patting it.
"Where's he? Where's Leo?! I thought you sent for him already!" She was almost yelling and the door opened, revealing the young man.
He was the only one in the clan with healing abilities - powerful healing abilities and with him, Becca was sure her Khalid would be fine.
He ran upto the bed in haste and touched the arrow.
"Oh! Leo, please do something. Heal him already" she was hyperventilating.
Leo touched the arrow and tried pulling it out, but paused.
Everyone was alarmed.
He shook his head in confusion and pulled it out slowly, and when he looked at the tip which was covered with Khalid's blood, he let his fears and disappointment reflect on his face.
There was silence, as everyone could
detect there was something wrong.
"What it is, Leo? Can't you do it?" One of the guards asked.
"Nobody can" he shook his head sullenly,
his cold eyes on the arrow.
Becca scoffed. "What're you talking about?"
"The arrow is poisoned a rare poison that has no cure" he turned to Becca and said in a tone racked with fear of the unknown.
"He'll die in less than 24 hours".
Agitated silence.
That was all that ran through the night.
Octavia stood in front of the window,
staring outside and not minding the
reflection of the morning sun that
glinted on her face.
The place was quiet and empty. Unlike
other mornings that was usually busy
with different members of the clan
moving about, this particular morning
felt so different. So so different.
Everyone was worried about the Master -
and Octavia wasn't any different.
She was yet to get an update on him, but with the look of things, she could feel there was something wrong she couldn't really explain it; but she could feel it. Something was definitely wrong.
The door opened shortly and she turned
to see it was her sister. Her eyes
gushed with more curiosity as she had
been waiting so long for her.
There was a disquieted look on her face
and it made Octavia more curious.
"He's not gonna make it" Mica finally
mumbled, and Octavia couldn't explain it,
but she felt something drop in her heart.
He wasn't gonna make it? Her lips were
too heavy to produce the words.
"The arrow was poisoned - a rare poison. And...it has no cure" Mica further explained, answering the unasked questions in her sister's heart.
Octavia was confused: it was poisoned?
So, they had succeeded in the attempt
after all? They succeeded in killing him!
She felt a hard lump in her throat and
quickly gulped it down. The Master was
going to die?
"Can...Can nothing be done at all?" She
asked, her voice almost in a whisper and Mica shook her head.
"He has less than 13 hours to live" she
added and another lump formed up in
Octavia's throat.
She quickly gulped it down.
Oh, Christ! This would be the end of the Khalid's clan? How did they get him so easily? How did it happen?
She turned around to face the window
again.
"So, what happens... after he dies?" She
asked, not knowing if she was expecting
a different answer from Mica.
"Well...the clan is over. Everyone would
have to move out; find something else
to do or join a different clan. The Khalid
legacy would be gone" she explained
and Octavia felt a sharp pain on her
chest.
As she stared out the window, she
imagined it happening. Everything would
be gone; everyone would be divided. Oh!
It was all going to be a lost cause.
Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly recalled his face - Master Khalid.
Staring out the window, she recalled
when she had seen him walking out of
his car, his boys behind and beside him.
She recalled the superiority; the aura of
power that clunged all around him and
could be discerned even from his steps.
Oh! Beggars would lick his feet if he
goes out alone she was sure of it. The
air of authority was just too authentic
on him - more like he was born to rule.
How could he die so easily?
It was an enigma to Octavia.
"I'Il go get you some food" Mica's voice
came in the silence but Octavia didn't
turn to look at her as she walked away.
**
**
**
She sat on the bed, the spoon in her
hand, and truthfully, Octavia couldn't tell
why the hell she was unable to ear. She
couldn't understand it, but her appetite
was just lost.
She fixed the spoon into the food and
tried taking some into her mouth, but it
just wasn't working out. She couldn't
eat. What was wrong with her?
Oh? She had to admit it; her mind was
troubled. Well, not just her, but
everybody's in the clan.
She dropped the spoon and left the bed,
going to face the window.
Mica came out of the bathroom afterwards, but she didn't even bother to spare her a glance.
"You aren't eating?"
She asked and Octavia only shook her head, not looking at her.
Then, just like someone going through
hypnosis, an idea struck at her. It had
come out with a force so heavy, she
gasped widely and looked at Mica.
"There might be a cure"
*
*
*
To be continued!