Kaid felt like he couldn't breathe, as if he was frozen in fear, drowning in time. After that incident, Kaid couldn't say a word but just sat on the edge of his elevated bed, staring at the gate. He was waiting.

Waiting for his fate. For his eventful death after breaking the one rule he never should've. He exposed Oblivion, but also used it against a Guard. He was horrified, petrified, and most of all, ready to die. In all his life, he had done his best to prepare for this moment, the moment he would mess up. He did not expect it to be like this, where the possibility of escaping had started to become feasible. Now, it just slipped away.

Jess had said nothing after the observation she had made, knowing Kaid was in no place to really talk. He had become catatonic ever since the incident, and Jessamine had no idea how to pull him away from that trance. If only she could reassure him that plans have not changed. If she had to expedite their escape sooner, she would, but she would not dare attempt to leave Caladin. At least, not without trying to drag him with her in their escape.

Morning had arrived at the sound of their gate unlocking, the loud click making Kaid's eyes snap up. The rest of his solid body did not move, remaining where he sat before Jess slowly got up to check outside. The rest of the prisoners seemed to be walking by on their way to breakfast, acting as normal as they could. Jess knew by now rumors spread fast, so maybe last night's incident remained as silent as Kaid.

"Kaid, it will be alright," Jess turned back towards him, "I promise."

"You've been here for a couple of weeks. You can't promise or assure me of anything," Kaid's dark brown eyes glanced at hers, which looked like a swirling ocean of sorrow. He was right, she hadn't been here long, but that didn't make her promise less convincing. If only she could tell him, tell him everything so she didn't have to feel how frightened he was.

"I was able to make contact with my friend, a few days ago," she admitted, "I didn't tell you anything because it wasn't set in stone. But if something drastic happens, we can still make this work. I am not leaving here without you."

"You should. I will be nothing but an anchor tied to your ankle," Kaid spat softly, slowly getting to his feet. He could feel his muscles sore and aching from the incident last night. Kaid had never reversed time, never fought like that only for it to be erased. While the incident in reality never happened, his body felt the truth.

"I wish you were as kind to yourself as you are kind to others," Jess admitted with sadness, "I cannot feel your pain, Kaid. I will never know what it was like to be stuck here for thirty years. But if you believe beginning to feel nothing for yourself will solve this issue, it will not. You should feel angry, Kaid, angry you were thrown in here against your will, against justice, and most of all treated like an animal. Does it not boil your blood the way it boils mine for you, like a volcano raging against a hurricane?"

Kaid stayed silent. He often thought rage would get him nowhere. Anger was a path to destruction, it broke more than it built. He would not deny a few times he had once wondered what it really felt like to be angry, the same anger other prisoners felt when their lives were torn apart. They had once known a life outside, and therefore had a right to be angry. What did Kaid have to be angry for? Was it Mara? The injustice she faced? For her only crime defending herself against the monstrosities of this world?

What made him different from every poor soul thrown into Caladin?

Kaid perked up when Jess immediately backed away from the door, four Guards entering in formation. Kaid moved to step in front of her, the Guards splitting in two, grabbing each prisoner by the arm. He noticed the needle in one of their hands, immediately knowing what it was: a Trial - for the both of them.

Jessamine's heart rate spiked, her initial instinct to pull away and fight, "Get your hands off me!"

"Jess, it's okay. It's a Trial," he explained, "don't fight it. Just remember what I've told you." In all honesty, Kaid was relieved. Had his consequences of last night really come to fruition, he'd be getting thrown out or executed right in front of Jess. But a Trial was something he could handle. He had handled hundreds in his life and this certainly gave him a chance. Kaid watched Jess's breathing go from rapid hyperventilating to instant sleep, her body slumping over with the injection of medication. Jess was smart. Her first Trial should be fine. All he could do was prepare his mind, body, and soul for whatever was thrown at him.

And this was one he couldn't fail.

Kaid awoke to himself drowning in a black void. The water around him was murky, hardly able to see beyond his limbs or body. He couldn't tell what was up or down, where there was a surface of oxygen to grab hold of, or just a bottomless pit of despair. There was no breath to hold onto, only just choking on the water that surrounded him, over and over. Swimming was powerless, his arms and legs feeling like they couldn't generate enough momentum to move, as if he was forever stuck. A Trial had never felt like this. There were times he felt close to dying, feeling that decrepit edge of death, the adrenaline that came with it.

No. This felt like dying as he had already dove off the edge.

Kaid felt his last seconds, closing his eyes and trying to think of some sort of light. Maybe this was his execution, that his last words in life would be telling Jess everything was going to be okay when in reality it wasn't. Kaid reached for Oblivion against his own desperation, yet Time denied him. It felt disconnected, as if it had never been apart from him. And that fate alone was worse than death.

Immediately his body snapped awake like a nightmare, feeling a heavy fabric against his mouth and nose, water dripping everywhere. He coughed up more water than he had drank in a day's worth, feeling the cloth being yanked away and Caladin's bright white lights blinding him once more. It gave him a slight sense of security as he continued to cough out every last liquid that had filled his lungs.

His arms and legs were tied to the table he was placed on, angled only slightly to assist in letting the water leave his lungs. His blurred eyes finally cleared, glancing to find two Guards standing over him. The one on his right drank a small glass of water in front of Kaid, as if mocking him. The discoloration on his face only confirmed to Kaid his identity: the same Guard from the last night. The other was unfamiliar, and to Kaid now deemed unimportant.

"Good morning, Kaid," the man smiled, "Want some water?"

"Fuck you," Kaid coughed breathlessly, seeing it only seem to please his torturer.

"Have you ever met a Dreamer? I suppose you haven't. Doctor Vyper over there is a Dreamer. They can take your reality into the deepest nightmare, just like the drowning. It sure felt like drowning, didn't it? The torture technique is hundreds of years old, in fact I believe it was a technique your ancestors came up with. But adding a Dreamer makes it so much more intense, doesn't it?" he snickered, "I can extract anything from you and you won't be able to resist. The body resists drowning, it will do anything to escape. Swim. Climb. Sink. Breathe. Your body will try to do all those things against your will and all you will do is suffer. But it doesn't have to be this way."

"Jessamine, what do you know of her Oblivion?" Doctor Vyper asked, still having a firm grip on Kaid's bicep.

"...Jess?" Kaid asked. He never knew her by Jessamine, but he supposed Jess would be short for such a beautiful name. She had never introduced herself as such and he had never questioned it. Kaid could hear water filling up beside him, the Guard filling the next gallon for further questioning. "I don't know. And if I even did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Did you mishear me, Kaid? You don't have to tell me, it will be forced from your lungs if you do know the truth," The Guard tsked, as if disappointed in Kaid's memory, "and if you don't know, I'm sure she will be more than happy to give up yours when I go to her next."

Just the thought of Jessamine having to endure this as well began to anger Kaid, his fists clenching and trying to get past the bindings firmly tight around his wrists. Even he knew it was no use to fight with these bindings.

"Looks like I've struck a nerve, Doctor Vyper. Do you really think you're the first man to obsess over Jessamine? To pledge your allegiance, honor, and life to her? Want to know how many men she's brought to their knees? Enough where they got so angry to throw her in here. And now she's using you the same as them. What makes you more special than them? You will never be loved, Kaid. Never be saved. Not by her, not by anyone. She is nothing to you as you mean nothing to her. What would someone like her want with a criminal like you?" he spat, grabbing the heavy damp cloth to forcibly cover Kaid's face.

The grip on his bicep got tighter, and immediately tried to prepare himself to hold his breath. The onslaught of water removed any preparation, as any air he had tried to hold inside was forced out, as if the Guard himself could grasp it from his lungs like a claw. Immediately the bright lights faded, and Kaid was back in that black water.

He could feel his body grow desperate, just like he was told. Jessamine's Oblivion. What could it be? She had given no sign, no acknowledgement to what it could be other than she had almost admitted to it on her first day. And with the crushing pressure against his lungs and brain, he had deep down wished she had told him to escape this misery. Kaid felt overwhelming guilt with the thought of betraying Jess, even though he did not know the information that could save himself. Was the Guard right? If used against her, what would stop her from handing over the truth of Kaid's Oblivion?

But that misery was interrupted as alarms began to shriek in the background. The hand against his arm was removed and Kaid was immediately back in the all white room, the sensation of drowning ending. Kaid felt his body shake with exhaustion and exertion, first thinking he was imagining the alarms as some sort of mental escape. But the look on Doctor Vyper's face seemed one of concern, mild concern.

"Go figure out what that's about," the other Guard demanded, dismissing the Dreamer who was quick to leave the room. Perhaps he had known the truth of the torture. They would not get Jessamine's Oblivion. Had they had asked for Kaid's, no doubt he would've given it under the torture.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

But they didn't ask that, did they? So did they already know or were they after something else? Rather...someone else.

Kaid felt the towel thrown off him, his body feeling ten times heavier than normal before the bindings on his wrists were immediately cut. The action surprised him, as soon after so were the bindings on his feet. Of course Kaid felt like he could hardly move, and that was what the Guard would expect. Beside was a small tray where the Guard placed the small blade, soon moving to the door to glance out the small window. Perhaps he wanted to know just like everyone else what the alarm was for, just as nosy as the rest of this prison.

But he underestimated Kaid. From his experience alone in this torture, this was not his first time conducting pain like this. He would've expected a man to be exhausted beyond all belief, and right now Kaid was. But he had just enough push to believe, to fight. Jessamine was still out there somewhere, and if he could get to her before the others, maybe they could escape. Maybe she was right.

It was time to get angry.

Angry at the abuse. Angry from the fact of not knowing his past, present, or future. Angry that he was so believed to never be loved, because he was dumped in a loveless place like this. Maybe they were right, maybe that's what Caladin was designed for to make him give up. Thirty years and he had given up, until Jess was thrown into his cell. The fear of death couldn't stop him now. No. He so desperately wanted to live, wanted to see life outside, see what the sun looked like against Jessamine's face...most of all, figure out why he was sent to this hell in the first place.

Kaid forced himself up quickly, his legs feeling wobbly but he steadied himself against the tray. His hand wrapped around the blade handle, seeing the startled Guard turn around. Kaid used his off-balance body in his favor, slamming against the Guard to press him against the wall, knife pressed to his thick throat.

"Where is she?!" Kaid asked, letting the blade cut a bit into the skin as a warning he was not going to ask again.

"Oh my, there is a fighter in you," the Guard laughed, as if completely unphased at the knife to his throat, "perhaps I was wrong about you and Lady Jessamine was right."

"Answer the fucking question," Kaid insisted, not understanding what Jessamine had to do with this. Lady Jessamine...for that matter.

"Sector D, corridor seventeen...familiar with it?" the Guard asked. Kaid knew what it was. It was the large storage section behind the kitchen. He had been there before, when phasing through time. It was pretty much endless rows of little supplies like food and water for the Guards, maybe a few medicinal supplies. Why would Jess be there?

Kaid nodded slowly, as if beginning to understand what that meant. Jessamine was not there, but she would be there. A portal could be placed in an inconspicuous spot. An alarm going off would mean Guards would ensure a lockdown. A supply sector would be the last place a Guard would look. That meant...no, there was no way this Guard was on the inside, no way he was a friend of Jessamine.

But the conversation last night: Jessamine was uneasy, but not frightened. She trusted this Guard, even if she hated that she did. Unfortunately, this meant Kaid would have to trust him with this information too...for the time being. He had no risk in being wrong, as he probably would die tonight if he did not escape. A blind trust like this was worth the risk.

"Hurry along, time keeper...you don't have long and time is not on your side," the Guard smirked, as if confirming Kaid's suspicions. Fuck. He was with Jessamine. This torturous Trial must've been an excuse to get them both outside their cells during a lockdown, as close as they could get to Sector D without actually having to cross the entire prison to get there.

Kaid pulled the knife away slowly, turning the blade to tuck under his own arm before glancing at the door. He didn't have time to take a minute to let his body recover. The Dreamer could come back at any moment and compromise them both. And this was a risk Kaid had to take, as there was no backing down now.

He ran out the door, immediately turning left and going full sprint. It caused him to fall over due to his lack of equilibrium recovering, but he got back up in a scramble and pushed through. He had never felt exhaustion like this, where just blinking could cause his heavy eyes to lure him to sleep, or his muscles scream at him to stop. But he could not stop, he didn't want to stop.

The corridors were empty, as the plan seemed to lure everyone away so perfectly. Getting to Sector D was not challenging, in terms of enemies he had to face. His only enemy at the moment was his own body. The closer he got to corridor seventeen, he could hear noises of a fight. Turning the corner, Jessamine was pinned, holding the arms of a Guard that was trying so desperately to press his shockstick to her body. Several other Guards laid on the floor between them and Kaid, blood seeping from each of them.

Kaid knew he didn't have much time, the same protective nature that had arisen in him the previous night to protect Jessamine surged back. He felt that connection with Time and didn't deny to use it this time, nor did it deny him. He approached the Guard with ease and quietness, forcing the blade he had hidden into the Guard's side. What Kaid felt during his first kill was something he never expected to feel.

Rejuvenation.

Kaid had never killed before, but he had anticipated what it could feel like. Soul sucking, soul draining, the taking of one's life meant letting go a little bit of his own. But it didn't feel like that. It was more disturbing. Killing with Oblivion, with his Magic, it made his energy surge. It felt like the torture he had just experienced, the Trial, the pain of running here...it had never happened. His shaky clammy hands turned solid, his fear eradicated, and his intention ever clearer. It was if he had sucked the remaining energy and soul from the Guard and added adrenaline to himself.

The Guard fell instantly after his death, revealing a relieved Jessamine who looked overjoyed to see him. Kaid was shocked, stunned, more stunned than knowing his ability to revert time. Jessamine immediately approached him to wrap her arms around his neck in a quick embrace, exhaling a shaky breath.

"Are you alright? You are soaking wet," she observed, pulling back to look at him. He honestly looked sick. Her eyes glanced at his, and then the bloodied knife in his hand, seeing his wrist begin to shake and tremble. She knew then that even if Kaid knew how to kill, he wasn't prepared for his first time, even if it was a nameless Guard trying to hurt her.

"I...yes, I think so," he finally responded, almost lost in the small touch of warmth she had offered before he began observing her, "what about you? What happened here?"

She didn't seem to be in possession of a knife, yet the wounds on the others indicated some form of blade. Still not knowing her Oblivion, the wonders were endless at her capabilities. But she didn't seem phased at all from the bodies, the same strong face she had when she had brought Wilson to the floor in the showers. She knew how to fight, how to defend herself, and Kaid knew now that she had certainly killed before. This was no longer the same woman who had stumbled into his cell the first night.

"I'm okay, we should get moving though. I don't know how much time was given to us," she whispered, moving her hand to cover his, which was still shaking, "I can take the knife, you can have one of the shocksticks." That way, he wouldn't have to kill again unless necessary. She could already see it was taking a toll on him and was beginning to worry.

Kaid didn't hesitate to hand her the knife, agreeing with the exchange before bending down to pick the shockstick up. Jess immediately began to lead the way out of that hallway, not rushing to leave Kaid behind. She could tell he was in physical discomfort along with mental, which meant his Trial must have been a more difficult one than anticipated. She was going to transform the frustration of her hurt friend into revenge, if they ran into any more trouble.

Jess picked up the pace when Kaid did, feeling more like himself with each step. They were close, Kaid could honestly sense it. He counted the corridors in his head, knowing he was getting closer and closer to that portal, the one way to escape. Each thought and wonder of what the outside world would look like sent more energy and adrenaline into him. He just wanted to see it, see tall trees higher than any building, or smell the salt of the sea. The real salt, not created by Trial or a Dreamer.

Sector D: Corridor Seventeen.

Kaid pulled Jessamine into the room, seeing the faint clear glow as if the room was not entirely itself. In the center was like a large mirror, showing a reflection that didn't include them. A portal. Kaid had seen a few before and knew this had to be it. He rushed towards it, feeling Jess attempt to take his hand but he shook it away in his anxious attempt to get out of here. He didn't realize she was trying to stop him.

"Kaid, wait! I don't think that's the right one," She shouted, but it fell to his ears like wind as he ran, "Kaid!"

He was inches away before all of a sudden it was hit with an unstoppable force, making him freeze.

STOP.

His own voice had commanded him to stop, his body frozen motionless and rigid. This was not his own doing, even if it sounded like his own thought. He first thought if his conscience had come to reason and snapped him out of his daze to get out of here. But he still couldn't move, couldn't respond, talk or even look around. He just stared at the mirror in front of him, not even able to see himself, paralyzed against his own will.

Jess walked slowly towards him, stepping between Kaid and the portal as her eyes met his. It was then that he understood. It was not his consciousness, nor an invisible wall in front of this portal. Jessamine had stopped him, willingly and forcefully. And she looked horrible having to do it, guilt rising in her blue eyes.

When she looked away, Kaid felt free from the invisible bondage, feeling his body come back to the ground and in control of himself once more. She could control people. That had to be it. Somehow she could stop his own actions, his own thoughts, and leave him with nothing. She could command him anything. Kaid thought back to the room with the Guards, wondering what she commanded them to do, how she infiltrated their minds.

"This isn't the portal, not ours anyways," Jessamine spoke, knowing he had gotten ahead of himself.

"You...you forced me to stop," Kaid's voice cracked in utter surprise and the words came out as a mere whisper.

"And I hated every second of it, but you weren't listening," she apologized immediately, her eyes looking at his, "do you trust me, Kaid? I will not stop you again if this is the portal you pick but I don't know if it will take you out of Caladin. I was told it was in Corridor Twenty and time is running out. Come with me, and I will explain everything to you, what I wished to tell you on the first day."

She was giving him free will, something she had taken away from him moments ago. But it was to give him clarity, not imprison him into forced decisions. Kaid knew the Guard had now given him a different portal, for whatever reason. Even if he was on Jessamine's side, he had wanted Kaid to fail, or maybe to reveal to him Jessamine's Oblivion. Kaid couldn't know the answers here. His only option, in his now somewhat rational mind, was to trust her.

"Okay," he nodded, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," she interrupted him, taking his hand with her free one to drag him back out of there. Kaid's brain was pounding with all the information that was crammed into it in such a short amount of time. Oblivion consumed energy, but using it for a kill could bring that energy back. Jess was Jessamine, some lady of importance it seemed. And she could control minds, force whatever she wanted.

Who was Jessamine and why was she thrown in here?

And why did Dreamer's work for Caladin, if they were so against Oblivion?

Jessamine didn't give him much time to think as she dragged him further down the hall. The sounds of echoing footsteps behind them carried down the hallway, and Kaid turned his head to see a rush of Guards. Fuck. Jessamine let go of his hand so they could use the full function of their arms to sprint. Kaid did his best to keep up, feeling his legs begin to grow weary again as Jessamine seemed to grow inches apart from him.

But then she immediately turned into a small supply closet, staring at the portal in front of her. And the way her body reacted, Kaid knew this had to be it. The Guards were rapidly closing in, Kaid looking at Jessamine.

"Go, I'll make sure to cover you!" He shouted, turning that shockstick on and getting himself prepared to fight. Instead, he felt the back of his shirt collar being yanked, and suddenly he was falling backwards into the portal. The last thing he saw as he plummeted was Jessamine, staring through the reflection.

It felt like a moment of sleep, or maybe just a long wink. When Kaid's motions came back to him, his hand glided across the ground, which felt gritty and sharp. His eyes opened to see his brown hand laying on a firm patch of grass, moist rock underneath. It was no longer the white of Caladin, that endless row of cells with screams that used to echo through them. There was no more pain, no more questioning, and no more sorrow.

Kaid was finally free, and that thought alone let his body begin to rest and let everything fade to black.