Chapter Fifteen

The Bridge of Betrayal

All the great empires, good or evil, are built on sacrifices

Elisium.

The Fifth Loop, Year 381, 7th January (5L/381/1/7)

"What the hell have you done? Have you gone nuts?" Andrews shouted at Olivier.

In the ensuing confusion, William's military instincts kicked in. He quickly sprung into action and grabbed the guns they had surrendered while others were still in shock. "This meeting is done and dusted. We must run if we want to stay alive."

However, the guards had already blocked the exits. "We don't want any more bloodshed. Let us leave peacefully and this all ends here," William said, trying to be as polite as a person could be while pointing his gun at someone.

Orlando slammed his fist on the table. "None of you is leaving. You cannot just walk away after committing a murder."

The guards were closing in on them but William held his ground. "We have weapons to defend ourselves. We will not surrender."

"And we have hundreds of guards. You will not leave this place alive."

Andrews was still quivering. His stomach was lurching while his throat had gone dry. Everyone around him had simultaneously lost their minds. "Just stop this insanity. Why do you want to spill more blood?"

"You spilled blood," Orlando snarled, gesturing towards Richard's dead body. "We won't spare a murderer."

"So, to catch a murderer you will kill other innocents?"

"If you try to protect this criminal you are partners in his crime."

This whole situation was like a barrel of gunpowder waiting for a spark to blow up. "Just calm down everybody. Please lower your weapons and we can try to reach an amicable solution." Andrews tried to lower the levels of hostility.

An eerie silence engulfed the room. People glared at each other. Tongues didn't move but the minds were racing. Orlando, at last, broke the deadlock. "Andrews, I have a solution. My guards will transfer you and your men to the Abyss and you can jump back into your cursed world. Tell your people that they are not welcome in this world. From now on, any intruder from Inferna will be killed at the entry point itself. Matthews, hope you will help the world of your birth and show us where the entry point is."

Matthews, who was frozen like a statue watching this nightmare unfold, meekly nodded.

Andrews understood that this meeting was ruined and this was the best offer they could hope for. Andrews's dreams of uniting two worlds were blown into a million pieces. "Okay, we accept your proposal. We go to the inn, take the other fourteen members of our delegation with us, and return to our world."

"So it's not just you six, there are more of you hiding in our world," Orlando said furrowing his brow. "Anyway, this deal comes with a clause. My look-alike stays here and receives his punishment for the murder of Richard."

Andrews had a hunch that Orlando was going to make such a demand. Before he could weigh his options, William rejected the proposal. "Every member of the delegation is my responsibility and I will leave no one behind. I assure you Olivier will be punished for his crime, but in Aden, not here."

"Either he stays or none of you will ever leave," Orlando spoke through a clenched jaw. "Life of a murderer or nineteen other lives. You decide."

Andrews didn't reply instead he was trying to think of a way to wriggle their way out, and that is when he heard someone snigger. It was Olivier. Orlando flinched. "What makes you laugh you monster?"

Olivier was a great orator, a crowd favorite in Aden. His confident style, rich voice, and smooth tone brought words to life but today his every sentence was filled with contempt and insult. "You still don't understand, do you? You have no power to stop me. I will go back to my world and return with my armies. Then I will trample you filthy little worms under my shoes. Each one of you will rub your noses on my feet and beg for mercy."

Orlando's face turned red, like a burning coal. His veins were throbbing as if he was going to burst. "Get hold of this monster. Let us show him our pow..."

Just like Richard, Orlando was not able to complete his sentence. Olivier's bullet had pierced Orlando's throat and blood was gurgling out of it. Another perfect shot. On another day, he might have made Aden's army proud in a war but here he was starting a war for no reason. In two loud shots, Olivier had confounded a whole world.

No one had seen a murder in their lifetime, and now they had witnessed two in a few minutes. Everyone froze, not knowing what to do. The commander of the guards took control of the situation. "Catch them all. Seize their weapons". The guards sprung into action and charged towards Olivier and his companions.

Getting caught now would mean a painful death. With no other option left, Andrews fired his gun. William and the others followed suit. A few guards dropped to the ground whereas the others stopped in their tracks.

William pointed his gun at the guards blocking the door and signaled them to step aside. Elisians had never seen a gun before and were petrified of this weapon. The guards stepped aside and Andrews and his companions fled onto the narrow streets of the Ruins.

"What about others in the inn?" Andrews asked William.

"They are as good as dead. If we try to go in that direction they will block the bridge and none of us will reach the Abyss. So keep running."

Andrews was a relatively young man and William being the army chief was physically very fit. But surprisingly Olivier, despite his age, was able to keep up the pace with the other two. He had served in the army—his two perfect shots inside the Council were testaments to his shooting skills. Whenever the guards got too close they turned around and fired a few rounds to keep them at bay.

However, exhaustion caught up with the other three ministers and they fell one after another. They were surrounded by Elisian guards and chose to surrender.

Andrews, William, and Olivier made it to the bridge. They had used up almost all their ammunition. Andrews turned around and fired in the air to stop the guards from following them on the bridge. "Those were my last bullets," Andrews said huffing.

William was on his hunches. "I don't have any left as well, but we won't need them anymore. Let us leap before they catch us."

Andrews and William began to climb the railings but Olivier remained unmoved. "I have one last thing to tell you before you go."

Andrews turned to face Olivier. "Not one. You have to give a lot of answers once we reach Aden."

"Unfortunately, that won't happen. You both have been a great support, and honestly, without you both I would have never made it this far. But this is where our companionship ends. Back in our world, you both will be much more useful to me dead than alive."

Before Andrews could process his meaning, Olivier shot Williams a couple of times. "I had saved a few bullets for you two."

Andrews scampered to climb the railing, but Olivier was too quick for him. Two bullets pierced Andrews's body and he slipped from the fence.

Andrews looked into the eyes of his assailant. Death brings divine intellect—all the recent events played out in Andrews's mind during the last few seconds of his life. In those moments of unprecedented clarity, Andrews understood what Olivier was trying to do. He realized that he hadn't only put this world and its innocent people in grave danger but had also paved the way for the collapse of his own world.

Olivier bent near Andrews, lying in a pool of his blood. "All the great legacies, good or evil, are built on sacrifices. And over the dead bodies of the nineteen Martyrs of Aden, I will build my empire. You all will become immortals in the history of the two worlds."

Olivier leveled his gun at Andrews and cold-bloodedly shot him right through his heart.

When Andrews breathed his last, the burden of the precarious situation he had put Elisium in weighed down on his soul rather than the pain of losing his life.

Olivier hauled Andrews's body over the fence. William was still hanging on to the railing. "Well, I know you will keep fighting till your last breath, but I am getting a little late here. These Tenebrian morons will attack me anytime now." Olivier put one more bullet in him and pushed his body over the bridge.

The Bridge of Faith had just witnessed the biggest betrayal.

The guards of the Ruins saw Olivier shoot his companions and froze on the spot. They couldn't understand what this man was up to. In the end, they overcame their fear of the guns and charged on the bridge.

Olivier climbed on the railings and mocked the soldiers by waving at them. A devilish grin spread across his face as he jumped into the Abyss.

This expedition was a disaster for the two worlds, but for him, it was a roaring success.