Chapter III

Marygold had slept horribly in the last days, if one could describe that couple of hours in which she managed to shut her eyes, sleep. In truth, the constant thinking of William and his fate, that she thought was now a forgone conclusion, had tortured her every waking and sleeping hour.

She could already picture his death sentence being carried out in the city square, in front of every single living soul. She pictured his lifeless body laying down in, his eyes opened forever, staring at nothingness, searching for something that…

She stopped.

A lump in her throat began to squeeze her in a tight grip, making her grasp for air. The tears she had repressed up to that point began to fall freely like a spring waterfall, wetting her delicate features. Her eyes squeezed shut in a desperate attempt to regain her composure, but it was all in vain. The barrier that she had erected to appear as a tough woman in front of everybody, after all she had to endure in her life, had completely eroded, causing emotions that she thought she had buried forever to resurface. However, that breakdown didn’t happen on just any days. That was the day William’s fate would be decided.

At that moment she was standing outside the castle, surrounded by a small crowd that was mainly composed by people that knew William; the others were just people that wished to hear what kind of cruel punishment that young man was going to be sentenced to, perhaps to lighten their days.

Hours prior, before there had been anyone, she had tried to get inside, to reach William in his darkest hours. She didn’t even think about what she was going to do once she had reached him, but her efforts came to nothing. Only the richest amongst the city, or the ones that had some connections, had been allowed to witness the proceedings.

So she was left to wait outside, just like everybody else. And that constant wait, that she perceived as endless, was what caused her to break down.

So much was she torturing herself with that feeling of hopeless, that she didn’t even notice a presence approaching her from behind.

A man, who had skilfully slithered though the crowd, suddenly put a hand on her shoulders, trying to offer some comfort. In response, Marygold whirled around, ready to punch whoever dared to touch her. She raised her arm ready to strike, but at the very last moment, she stopped. She had recognized him. “What are doing? Leave me alone!” said Marygold looking at the man she once loved. He was William’s adoptive “father”.

“Calm down. There’s nothing you can do about him anyway. That stupid boy has signed his death warrant alone, when he tried that shit with a guard. You know it.”

“Yeah?” replied Marygold, feeling her rage slowly creeping in. How could he talk about William in such a cold and distant way? Did he really not care whether he lived or died? Was he really such an excuse of a man?

“…Listen, I know that…”

“You know nothing!” screamed Marygold while removing his hand with force. “Ever since you got impaired, you forgot yourself. I told you so many times to stop, to leave while you could. But no. You had to keep going for God knows why. You drowned your sorrow in alcohol. You closed yourself in a tight shell and became the ghost of what you once were, leaving me out of your life. So don’t even fucking try to tell me you know anything.”

The man stood completely still, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

Way before William had entered his life, he used to drink himself out of conscience almost on a daily bases; it was his twisted way to numb both the physical pain, that didn’t seem to reduce, and the mental torment that afflicted him. He later realized that his daily conquest of self-destruction had caused him everything, leaving him with nothing but the sheer will to get up again. It was around a year after he had stopped drinking that much that he had met William. And now that boy who he had thought how to hunt and survive in that cruel world, that took so much from him, was in danger of being executed for assaulting a city guard. “…I cannot take back what I have done. If I could, I would have already done it. Just know that I care about that boy. I admit that it wasn’t like that in the beginning, but with time things have changed. I have changed.” said Michael, who looked sincerely apologetic.

But that sentiment, as noble as it was sincere, seemed to fall on deaf ears.

By the look in her eyes, Marygold wanted to punch him straight in the face after all the pain that he had caused her. For him to have the audacity to say sorry after all those years, she felt like it was a blatant lie. How could he say that, especially under those circumstances?

Already ready to vent her frustration on she, she tighten her fist. And she had no doubt that she was going through with it, if the gigantic entrance doors had not opened exactly in that moment.

As everyone’s attention turned to it, men and women dressed with fine clothes came out without a single trace of haste. They had a look of displeasure painted across their faces which was contrary to what Marygold expected. So, intrigued by that unexpected sight, she immediately tried to get closer but was promptly stopped by the handful of guards that had been sent to maintain order. “Stop!” said the guard menacingly, looking her with all the hostility he could muster. “No one is permitted to approach, or enter inside the building until further notice.”

“Get out the way!” replied Marygold without caring even a little about her well-being. At that point, she would have answers, on way or another. “I need to know what the verdict was.”

“I’m not allowed to discuss it.”

“I said to let me through, you…”

“I cannot. And if you dare take another step forward, or keep up with that attitude, then I will be forced to arre…”

“Let her pass!” suddenly said a man from the inside of the building.

Marygold tried to discern who was that mysterious figure, analysing every element she could see or perceive about him. But the shadows he was standing in made it impossible to reach a conclusion.

“But, sir, with due respect, I…”

“I said to let her through. Or do I need to explain myself more clearly?” asked menacingly the mysterious man.

“N…No! That will not be necessary!”

“Good. Now let her through. I have much to do and little time to do it.”

“Yes, sir!”

Marygold was left briefly astonished at a such drastic change in the guard’s demeanour, but she quickly recovered. She bypassed him with agile steps and climbed the stairs that decorated the entrance, only to stop just mere steps before the top. She turned around throwing the man she once cared for a last glance full of disdain; then she turned around and stepped inside.

Waiting for her, balancing himself with his back against the wall, was the man that had allowed her to enter.

Even from the distance that divided them, she could clearly see the well-defined muscles that peeked from under the expensive robes he was wearing. Whoever the hell he was, he must have enjoyed a privileged position to afford clothes made with such fine fabrics that for sure costed a fortune. Nevertheless, unlike other rich people that donned a similar fashion, he had an aura of danger that enveloped him like a second layer of skin. “Follow me, lady Marygold.” said the man from his comfortable position.

“…Why are you helping me? And how do you know my name?”

The man let out a small laugh. “Helping you? I’m not doing that. I have offered an option to a certain young man that was headed to…well, death. As for your name, let’s just say I know many people. But let’s not discuss such things here, alright? Walls have ears, you know?”

He then straightened up, starting to walk towards the wing of the palace that was being hit by sunlight, leaving her no choice but to follow him.

//////

Marygold had followed that nameless man for quite some time before he had reached his destination, walking along the stairs and corridors of those ancient walls. Finally, after yet another twist, they entered a small, perfectly lit room that was filled to the brim with maps and weapons of various kinds. At the center of that well organized chaos, there was an old and worn-out desk on which were placed endless rolls of parchments and ancient books with now faded pages.

The man, who had short black hair and eyes as clear as ice, sat comfortably in the red armchair, exhaling a smug breath. Then, and only then, he waved for Marygold to take a seat at the other end of the desk, to which she abruptly refused. “I don’t care who you are. And I don’t care what you’re trying to achieve by taking me here, inside this room. I just want to know what happened to…”

The man stopped her. “That’s the only reason you’re here. As I briefly told you, I was able to concur a different punishment than normal. Even if I have to admit that don’t know if I did him a favour in doing so.”

“…What do you mean?” she asked in a forceful tone that didn’t leave any shroud of doubt about what she was willing to do to have answers.

“…As I’m sure you know, the war that has been raging on has proven to be rather…complex to resolve. At least, how the king wants. The chief of all problems is the shortage of fighting men, for sure. We have reached a point where the normal sized military that has already been deployed won’t be enough to keep fighting this conflict. So we must turn to a different…source, if you know what I mean…”

“Enough turns of phrases. Get straight to the point.” said Marygold.

“The point…” answered the man, ignoring the menacing look that she addressed to him. “Is that to save his life from the cruel blade of the executioner, which was for sure waiting for him, the compromise of forced recruitment was reached. Essentially, William is now a soldier.”

Marigold almost jumped forward to kill the man that was in front of her. She knew that “compromise” was nothing more than another, more elaborate way, to have him killed. “YOU SON OF A…”

“That was the only way!” screamed the man in such a powerful and booming voice that Marygold fell immediately silent. “And keep in mind that I had no obligation whatsoever to tell you any of this. You should be grateful that I felt the need to inform you.”

“Grateful? You just condemned him to another way to die!”

“I won’t lie. Death will be something that he will have to face on regular bases. But this way he has a chance to keep living. The other option would have killed him today. Besides, if he found the courage to attack that guard, he’ll for sure find the will to survive the war.”

As he finished explaining his argument, Marygold turned around overwhelmed by sorrow, for she immediately understood that she was powerless against such decision. But sorrow, as strange as it could sound, wasn’t the only emotion that went through her mind. Somehow, she couldn’t help to feel a tiny bit relieved as she learned that William would not die that same day. It was strange, almost disorienting, to feel that way.

Almost as if the man behind her could sense her inner turmoil, he suddenly remarked that he understood her worry; that it was normal to feel that way. “You know, I believe he can become a powerful asset, if he trains the proper way. I admit I felt kind of…shocked, when I heard what happened. The man that he has assaulted wasn’t an easy target any means, you know?.”

“I know that that he’s a capable kid. I don’t need your remarks to notice it.” said Marygold in a cold voice. “But war is another thing completely! Don’t you try to sweeten the deal when I know fully well what kind of hell he’s being sent to.”

The man laughed in his deep, profound voice, as if he found all that very entertaining. “You believe to know what it means. In reality, you don’t have a clue.”

Marygold turned around, wanting to punch the man as she felt nearing her breaking point. However, when her eyes finally noticed how scarred was the man’s body, she paused.

“…Who are you? You’re clearly seasoned…”

“Me?” asked the man as he regained his calm demeanour. “I’m a Karl Payne. A senior officer in this city’s military, and in the service of the king. As for my military rank, there is no need to disclose it this time. Just know that I have faced my fair share of bloody battles, as I’m sure you have deduced. I also take great pride in what I managed to accomplish in my time spent on the front lines. William will be placed directly under my direct command.”

“Is that supposed to offer me some kind of peace? You’re just going to have him killed in a way or another…”

“…As I’ve just said, William has potential to become a great asset. I, of course, cannot promise in any shape or form, that he’ll be safe and out of harm’s way. I would be a damned liar if said that. However, what I can promise is this: I will make sure he receives the best training possible before he’s sent to battle. You have my word.”

Marygold looked him straight in the eyes. An evident sentiment of distrust was seething out of her. “Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mind.”

“Because you have no other choice. And because I will let you meet him, before we depart tomorrow morning.”

As she heard those words her face, which until that moment had maintained the veil of misery that had enveloped her since William’s arrest, uplifted for the first time in a serene light, as if the darkness that had plagued her had suddenly dissolved. It was wondrous how such a small good news had the power to overthrow the dark thoughts that she had brooded in her mind. “When?” she asked impatiently, her mind already racing. “When can I meet him?”

“Whenever you want. Even right now.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Take me where he’s confined. Now.”

“Alright. Wait a moment.”

The man got up from his comfortable seating to call the guard that was stationed at the end of the corridor. After attracting his attention by tapping the iron toe of his boots on the cold stone surface, he weaved his hand. The guard almost ran to reach him in the quickest time, filling the walls with a metallic clink that reverberated everywhere; such was his hurry to please that man that he only relented his race when he noticed the clear grimace that slowly started to appear on the commander’s face. “Have you called me, sir?”

“Yes. Escort this woman to the prison cells. Once there, take her to the one which holds the prisoner that has faced trial today. Let her inside the cell if she wants. She has my permission.”

“But…sir…the captain would surely…” tried to object the guard. Fear was evident in his eyes, as if he feared more his captain than the man that was in front of him.

“If your captain will have something to object on the duty I have just assigned you, send him to me and I’ll explain the situation. Dismissed.”

Having no other real option than to obey the senior military officer, the guard sighed heavily under the iron helmet that was enveloping his head, for he foresaw in an instant that things would go down badly before the day had ended. “Follow me.” said the guard dejected. His face resembled one of sheer resignation. “And pleaaaase, do me a favour. Keep up and don’t, I repeat, don’t, wonder off by your own. I already have too much to handle on my own without adding a lost person to my list.”

Then, turning around in a clatter of metal, the man marched outside.

Marygold was about to leave too, when the commander halted her march with a single sentence. “What is it?” asked her in hurry, wanting to reach William’s cell as soon as possible.

“…We’ll leave tomorrow morning at first light, crossing the southern gate. If you wish to meet William one last time, be there and don’t be late. I won’t wait.”

“…Why are you being so…nice?”

The commander laughed like before. This time however, the laugh had bittersweet tone to it that filled the room in melancholy. “I know that I appear as a strong and intimidating figure. But that is just the appearance this kind of life forces you to wear. I too, know how it feels to be powerless against destiny. I know how it feel to worry. I have a son that is also fighting in this war, in a battlefield different than mine. Now don’t let me keep you any longer. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Having nothing left to say, the commander grabbed the pile of parchments that had been waiting for his undivided attention while Marygold went out without uttering a single word. Inside, written in a rough calligraphy, there were columns of words followed by numbers: They were the census of the army, followed the rough estimate of the provisions accumulated. With a sigh, the man lowered his gaze. “Better get to it then…”

//////

The trial should have ended by an hour, if William’s rough estimation was accurate. The same quiet that had kept him company during his entire imprisonment, which was occasionally broken by some groans or some cussing by his fellow convicts, had once again calmed his mind, erasing any sort of thoughts.

Looking back now, maybe he had already accepted his fate in the same moment he had decided to point his knife against that dirty rotten bastard. He had achieved a sort of inner calm, knowing that soon, in a few moments it would all be over.

He would no longer had to survive in that cruel world that had taken so much from his young life, twisting and corrupting him beyond repair. However, that same, fucking world that he hated with passion, had once again the last laugh.

Instead of a clean death by the executioner, he was damned to fight in a war he had no interest in, servicing the very same people he hated. The irony of it all wasn’t lost on William, so let himself laugh with all the strength he could muster, as he felt slowly becoming even more unhinged than ever before. His voice, which at times took on shades of a barytone, echoed off the cold rocky walls of which the building was made, enveloping all it encountered on its path.

After a couple of seconds, when his laughter had finally begun to quiet down and his mind to recompose itself, he heard the unmistakable heavy metal lock of door click. A series of steps, one heavy and metallic, the other barely louder than whisper, trampled down the stone corridor that William, and every other inmate for that matter, had walked upon to reach their cells.

As he wondered what was going on, William’s soft side hid behind the thick armor in which he used to conceal the weaker part of himself. All the emotions to which he had given free reign between the solitude of the cell suddenly disappeared without leaving even a trace, making him take on a cold, dull look, as if the light from the torches hanging outside every single cell could no longer reflect into his irises.

But every single claim of appearing like a thick-skinned man crumbled when he saw the person to whom those most delicate steps belonged to.

Standing in front of him, on the other side of the metal bars, there was the one person who had managed to make its way through the gaunt amor he hid behind: Marygold.

She stood there motionless, without uttering a single word. She only looked at him in the eyes.

“…Open the cell.” Finally said Marygold after what seemed like an eternity.

The guard immediately begun to protest, saying that he wasn’t going to risk an evasion when he wasn’t even supposed to be there. But Marygold quickly convinced him with a few, well-spoken phrases. “He’s clearly well restrained in that cell, and that man has already given his permission. Also, you’re not the only on duty on this wing, are you? He’s not a threat to anybody. So, open this door. You have nothing to worry about.”

“…Dammit!” replied the man, who was clearly frustrated. “Let me be very clear! If he tries anything, even taking you hostage, I won’t care. I’ll even kill you to stop him from evading.”

As he reached inside his belt to retrieve the keys, he gave one last look to Marygold, to make sure she clearly understood that he was dead serious. Then, while giving a deep shrug, for he didn’t receive any sort of reply from the woman he had just escorted, he inserted the metal key which had a small decoration into the hole and opened the lock.

William became tense like the day he had attacked that man. The muscles slightly contracted as if he had lost control over them; the mind raced with a thousand unspoken words that he wanted to say, but that he just couldn’t. All that unease that he had accumulated seemed to want to come out all at once.

But, as fast as it had appeared, all of that magically disappeared when Marygold raced towards him, her eyes never leaving his chained body. Before the guard had even closed the gate completely, a slap so hard that it destroyed every thought swirling in his head hit him right across the cheek. The sharp pop that followed was heard clearly by anyone inside that prison. “You…You…” said Marygold. Her was voice was weak, as if that blow had completely drained her of all the energies, that it was barely audible. “What the fuck did you do that for? Are you insane?”

“…I had to put an end to all of that. I just…had to…”

“You had to…?” repeated Marygold in utter disbelief. She didn’t care if William had been ready to die in order write the word end to the reign of terror that for so long had been regarded as normalcy.

She also didn’t care if some people might have considered his gesture as noble, or worthy of praise. They weren’t they one who had taken action, after all. No. They were home now, while William had condemned himself to another horror, just to do the right thing; a thing that no one had had the courage to do. “You stupid asshole!” screamed Marygold in a sudden fit of anger. “Do you even understand what you did? Do you understand what you’re going to face from now on? The battlefields are death traps where men are sent to die horribly!”

While Marygold kept on listing all the reasons why she was so worried, William felt a heavy pang of guilt forming inside. He was sincerely sorry for all the pain he had caused in doing what he did; but even if that was the case, he wasn’t sorry at all about knifing that bastard. His only regret was not managing to deliver the finishing blow before those fuckers had arrested him. “…I was homeless, as you know. Just like those children. To survive in those conditions, I had to fight every damned day, not matter how I felt or how hard it was. I know what it feels like to starve until you see bones coming through the skin, and have no way to get food; I know the misery that life forces you to experience day after day, with no end in sight; and I know what it takes to survive. The price for it is something that I will always carry with me, no matter how many years will pass.”

After stopping from a brief moment, where William took a deep breath to block out the whirlwind of memories that had assaulted him, he looked her straight in the eyes for the first time since she had set foot in those four walls. “…Annie, and any other of his victims, didn’t deserve any of that shit. He had to be pay for the pain he had caused. I just regret no killing him when I had the chance.”

The silence that followed could have been deafening even to the most perceptive of ears.

Marygold stood there shocked as his words slowly sunk deep inside.

She always knew, deep down, that William had scars that went beyond what medicine was capable of mending, even she had always wished otherwise. When she had investigated, and ultimately discovered, what William had gone through in order to survive, her heart had bled as if she had been stabbed in a way that no men made weapon could ever do. So she understood that darkness was never going to leave, for it had crept into the depths of his soul.

What she failed to comprehend was what he had hoped to achieve by attempting to murder that guard. Did he really believe that taking out that monster was going to change things for the better? He wasn’t that naïve. “Dammit! Look where that stunt got you. You’re inside a cell and you’ll be sent to the front lines, fighting in a war that has claimed thousands and thousands of lives. Can’t you understand how bad I fell about it?” For the first in many years, she shed tears.

William looked up in complete silence, staring at the dirty stone ceiling. As he kept his gaze firmly pointed on those old and cracked stones, he contemplated what was going to be his unavoidable fate. “…I could lie and tell you I’m sorry for what I did. But I cannot lie to you. You’re the only person that I trust in all this fucking world.”

He took a small pause to gather his thoughts. If he did regret what he had done, he certainly didn’t show it on his face, which rather reflected a certain calmness. “…I don’t regret anything, Marygold. It had to be done. You know I…”

“But why you!? Why did it have to be you?”

“…Because no one bothered to do anything. But most importantly, because I wanted to. Even now, when I feel like shit, I cannot regret it.”

“You’re so fucking stupid!” said Marygold as she barely kept the tears at bay. “Who is going to care for the children now that you’re forced to move away? What will happen to them while you get yourself killed? Did you think about that?”

For a brief moment, William was left speechless. In his mind, pictures appeared of the children he steadfastly helped every week, without ever missing one; but in that jumble of memories that had appeared in a flash, the battered face of Annie stood out. With all that he had suffered as a direct result of his actions, both physically and mentally, the uncertain fate of that child had been a fixed thought to which he had been unable to give an answer. But now, with the woman who was taking care of her right in front of his eyes, things were about to change. “…How’s Annie? Did she…” William stopped.

A lump in his throat took away the words.

It was as if his own body refused to even pronounce what he was thinking. But William had to know. He just had to.

So, mustering all the courage he had inside, he swallowed the immense fear that was pervading him and spoke in a faint voice. “…di-?”

Marygold cut him off before he could even finish. “No! What the hell are you talking about?! Did you think I would let one of my patients die after coming under my tutelage? No. She’s steadily recovering, even if it will take a long time to fully heal. On the positive note, she regained consciousness three days ago. She has some difficulty eating solid foods, but it’s getting better day after days.”

William closed his eyes as a sincere happy smile appeared on his lips. After all that time spent in that gloomy place, finally some good news. Finally, he could find solace in knowing that Annie would eventually recover, and that was enough to him.

Marygold, however, was of a different opinion.

She didn’t exactly speak her mind openly, but it was evident that she couldn’t see the silver lining about it.

Sure, she was glad that a child so young was going to survive the horrible ordeal she was had been dealt. However, with William now sentenced to what she reputed as a delayed death sentence, far away from her side, she almost blamed that child for destroying William’s future. She knew she wasn’t supposed to feel that way. She almost felt dirty as that guard just thinking about it. To accuse such an innocent child such as Annie of William’s fate was a vile thing.

But, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t help but feel that way. “…If it wasn’t for that girl, you wouldn’t have ended up right where you are now. It’s her fault that…”

“Stop it. If there’s an innocent in this, it’s certainly her.” said William, perhaps in a tone of voice colder than he had wanted. “I chose to act the way I did. Just like that son of a bitch…” he spat on the ground as he had inhaled some deadly venom. “…decided to hurt her the way he did. Nobody, not even you, would have been able to stop me once I had decided to go through with it.”

Then, as silence was once again returning to dungeons, and Marygold was exiting his cell, having nothing left to say, at least for now, William said one last thing. A thing that he sincerely felt inside his fucked-up self. “I’m sorry.”

//////

When Marygold left, disappearing inside that old building, William exhaled a deep breath.

Now that he was alone again, with cold and decadence as his only companions, he let transpire all the emotions and feelings he had with difficulty concealed from the woman’s presence. The dark thoughts he had pushed down with the harshest difficulty, come back stronger than even. They whispered honeyed words that seriously tempted William’s ears to listen attentively. They promised liberation from that fucking world that seemed to endlessly curse his very existence into an endless cycle of suffering. They promised that no one would ever dare judge him for that single liberating act that they tempted him to commit. They promised salvation from his misery. But most of all, they promised what he longed for since time immemorial: freedom. That was the straw that the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Those demons in disguise that his mind had given birth to had won the battle.

Everything was black.

Everything was damnation.

It was time to end it all.

//////

William got up from the fetid, ruined bunk that had perhaps been a bed in a very distant past. He took the sheet that seemed to be most intact, locked it firmly, and passed it through an iron ring that was nailed firmly into the wall. Under normal circumstances, even thought there was nothing normal inside a cell, that ring would have been used to punish a prisoner for one pretext or another; the guards would have passed the chains clamping their hands through, leaving the condemned hanging like a salami for hours, even days. But William did not need it for that purpose.

By dropping the end of the sheet on the other side, he knotted it tightly, creating a tight noose with which he would put an end to his suffering. No one would miss him anyway. No one would mourn the death of an orphan who couldn’t stand alone against the odds. No one would…

As those kinds of thoughts became impossible to bear any longer, the last barrier still fighting to preserve his life shattered into a thousand small pieces, making him almost yearn for the absolute and liberating end.

William quickly climbed upon the bed and leaning in, he put his head inside the tight cotton embrace he had just created. Now that everything was set in place, all he needed was to give himself a little push, as gravity would have done the rest. Just another little step forward…

He let himself fall.

The noose, which was by no means well made, nevertheless tightened around his neck, making him squirm. His lungs burned more and more, searching desperately for fresh air to inhale. But no matter how hard his body longed for oxygen, his fate was sealed.

Now all he had to do was let himself be swallowed by the abyss.

When the deed was almost done and his conscience almost depleted, the darkness that was devouring him from the inside dissipated in a flash as he recalled to memory all the faces of those children long dead. They were staring at him with cold, judging eyes that seemed to penetrate deep into his soul, where he hid his most vulnerable side from the harsh world. Even if no words left their mouth, their eyes were speaking incessantly. They were angry at him, almost furious; not for what he done till now, but for what he was trying to. To die like that, by his own hand nonetheless, when they all died wanting to live even just one more day, would have been the most heinous insult he could have done. And they weren’t going to allow that.

That’s when they looked at him with such intensity that their gazes almost seemed to scream: LIVE!

In that moment William’s eyes adjusted to the dim light that the nearby torch was emitting. His neck was no longer in the grip of the noose, although he didn’t recall when, or even how, he had freed himself from it. Strangely enough, even his breath had normalized. But even stranger than that was the…thing that had saw. What was that? A dream? An hallucination? Could his long-lost companions have returned from the dead to save him from that fleeting moment of madness that was about to cost him everything? Or had he hallucinated the whole thing? And yet it all had seemed so vivid and…real.

More questions than answer had arisen. But of one thing he was certain now: He couldn’t, not in the slightest, throw his life away. He had a responsibility to keep going, to keep trying no matter how strongly he wished to give up.

Suddenly, a surge of exhaustion made him yawn, making him realize how tiring all that ordeal had been. His mind was in complete disarray after what he had just gone through. But, if he was to have even a remote chance of facing what tomorrow had in store for him, he had to rest, however difficult it might have been under those circumstances.

With that, William laid down to the rough and deeply uncomfortable wooden bed.

Sleep, unlike what he had thought, greeted him within seconds after he closed his eyelids as his mind quickly drifted into oblivion.

Tomorrow would be the last day of his old life. Everything would change forever. But for now, the peaceful look that had painted itself on his face indicated that he had found at last some peace.

And that was something that had not happened in long, long time.