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Chapter 11 - Surprises

Levi did not dare to fall asleep.

He had heard what the King, though intentionally spoken in a whisper, said about the fate awaiting him, it scared him so much that he refused to sleep through the entire 2 day journey to the Tartarus, when they finally reached it felt like he had stepped from one nightmare into another. The entire 100 acre prison was covered with the highest level of security imaginable. Mages, magic barriers, trap spells and much more.

The Tartarus was just a huge cylindrical building that extended almost a hundred floors into the sky, contrary to its Greek counterpart, this was not the gateway to Hell but simply the Purgatory. Once you spent a few days inside you would wish that you were rather dead and Levi had even more reason to be scared because even if the Tartarus was securely guarded, it was merely from the outside. There was no one to protect you once you were inside the premises. It was a place where the vilest criminals in the martial world existed and thrived.

Levi gulped as he approached the gates, the Daisleif had shrunk into a tattoo just above the symbol of the sword, he didn't understand how it worked but he was glad about it all the same because everything else he owned got confiscated. The guards' eyes almost popped out when they saw the King approaching them and they almost fainted when they realized the prisoner accompanying the King was a member of the 7 clans.

"So Levi, I hope you will learn your lesson after spending a few days in this.... institute", The King smiled, but Levi could almost sense the poison that was emanating from his words, he simply shrugged, he knew he was innocent but there was no way to prove it and more than anything he just wanted to get it over with so he could get out of here, arguing could land him into even more trouble than he already was in, though there was no way it could worse.

Levi chose not to answer and walked into the facility. It was as depressing inside as it seemed from the outside. All the walls were coloured grey and there was not a single inmate in sight, they were all locked away. Before he could even step into the compound one of the guards stopped him, he had overcome his initial shock of seeing a member of the 7 clans, that was the power they carried.

"It's solitary confinement for you", the guard said, Levi simply stared, he had expected as much. There was no way he could get away so easily, he was accused for murder after all.

He let the guard lead him away from the main buildings into a small square structure barely the size of a small hut. He opened the door, it was pitch dark inside, even though it was noon, there were no windows, no chair, no bed, just a stone wall and a mat on the floor, a bit further off was a hole made into the ground which acted as a makeshift lavatory. The guard pushed him into the room and shut the door. Levi found himself being thrust into a world which was unfamiliar to him.

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It was completely dark, though he knew the room was not that big, it seemed like the darkness stretched for eternity. He had no strength left in him, at least no would disturb him in here. He groped his way through the darkness and collapsed against the stone fall. He fell into a deep sleep.

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Days and nights passed and there was no particular way to discern one from the another. Three times a day or perhaps it was one time, telling the time was not really a luxury he had anymore, the guard thrusted in food through a small flap in the door. He ate and left the vessels back through the flap. He passed the time by talking to Frey and Freya and also Esther, they were the only ones keeping him from going insane. He could have broken out if he wanted to but the repercussions his family might face stopped him from doing so.

But it all changed one day, the fateful day when it all came to an end.

Levi had woken up from a sleep, he was not able to tell whether it was day or night, it was all the same, but suddenly a bright flash of light blinded him. He squinted his eyes and tried to shield them with his eyes, when his vision cleared he saw that the door had opened. The same guard who had accompanied him was standing in front of him., but it appeared as if he had aged, Levi looked down at himself, he was caked in mud and dirt, it was a long time since he had last taken a bath.

"The King wants to see you", the guard said and turned as if he expected Levi to follow him without question, Levi did as he was asked, perhaps his penalty period was over or even better maybe he was cleared of his crimes.

Levi followed the guard to the administrative building of the facility, they walked through a long hallway and passed a couple of rooms before they came to a large black door. The guard opened the door and held it for Levi to pass, he did so and moved slowly into the room.

The King was standing across from him, he was wearing the same twisted smile on his face, but a few wisps of grey had crept into his earlier lush black beard.

"Levi, its so good to meet you", the King said.

Levi merely nodded, "Why have you called for me?" He asked.

"Straight to the point, eh? Well I wanted to present you something", he gestured to a box lying on the table in front of him. It was wrapped in colourful red paper and was firmly tied with a ribbon.

"What is it?" Levi asked, the King simply smiled an d invited him to open it. Levi crept forward and untied the ribbon. He felt something rolling around in the box, he started to tear through the wrapping paper.

"Its a token of our appreciation", The King said. Levi looked up at him. He had finished unwrapping the present, now all that was left was to open the box. He started to slowly prise open the lid, it was screwed pretty tightly but with a mighty tug he was able to remove it. He placed the lid besides him on the table and looked into the box, it took a second for the item to register in his head, he jerked backwards, his eyes opened in shock, a scared expression on his face. In his hurry the box tumbled over.

His father's head rolled out.