This is for @fruit100ps a literal 👑

In cursive, elegant, writing he wrote:

I can see the burning curiosity behind those intriguing eyes, you thirst to know more. There is one small obstacle in your path, and if you remove it, I will speak freely. Find a way such that we are not overheard.

Was that it? I frantically flipped the page over but there was nothing else. What was I supposed to make of that? Did he seriously expect me to solve a riddle for him?

Holston's was raising red flags now, with what happened to Caleb and Maliks need for secrecy. I read the note over one more time and then filed it in my growing notebook where all my Malik related research was.

I sat back on the sofa, in the dark, absent-mindedly stroking KK. There were cameras in the Viewing Room and microphones. There were guards posted everywhere as well as that annoying woman who was too observant. I only had an hour with him three days a week. Only a fool would think that they could have privacy. One thing that really bugged me was that why he wasn't trusting the institution that was supposed to be helping him which meant he could e forced to be there.

What did he even do in the first place? I could be fraternising with a mass murderer for all I know.

Suddenly, my phone lit up with a text. I picked it up, squinting against the harsh light.

Coming over in 10 minutes, get ready quickly. Bring anything you think we might need. - (L)

Pulling myself up, I got changed into a hoodie to protect my arms from any potential nettles that might be lurking about in the forest. Hunting through my stuff, I packed some spare batteries, a torch, water and food. It was still light outside but I didn't want to risk it. My phone still had a lot of battery left which was a little reassuring. Plus, I had Luka with me so at least I wasn't alone. Just as I zipped up my bag, the doorbell rang.

Luka stood outside, dressed like I was, also carrying a backpack.

"Great minds think alike, huh?" He chuckled.

"Hmm, hurry up, we need to go through my house to get to the garden and then the forest - WAIT, don't move", I yelled.

He froze one foot hovering over my carpet.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"What do you mean, don't you dare walk in my house with shoes. Take them off and put them back on when we get to the garden", I ordered.

He groaned loudly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack for God's sake". He listened anyway, taking his trainers off and trailing behind me as we got to the garden where we both put our trainers on.

"We've still got some time before dark but just in case, do you have a torch with you?"

"Yep, and spare batteries".

He gave me a thumbs up and we both headed towards the forest in silence. It was a great expanse of nature, silent yet beautiful. Beckoning you in closer with its beauty but filling you with a sense of foreboding. As we entered the forest, a noticeable chill settled around us as we trudged on. Little light penetrated through the dense canopy despite the amount of sunlight. Our breaths came out as fog.

"Why doesn't anyone come here?" I asked my voice cutting through the silence.

"Well, it's not easy to access. Only some houses like yours have easy access to get in. There's also been loads of rumours and scary stories. When I was young, my mum used to scare me with stories about a little boy who was dared to go in but never returned. Even as us kids got older, no one goes on here. There's just something ominous about it", he said shuddering.

"Why have you come then?"

"I was actually curious. I don't like the power that Holston's carries over my village. There have been too many weird things that have happened since they opened here. The stuff with Caleb proves my point. Why were they so bothered about what Caleb saw?"

"That makes a lot of sense", I replied thoughtfully, ducking under a low hanging branch. We were walking along a slightly less difficult trail but you could tell no one had been here in ages. There were not any man-made paths so we kept stumbling on the uneven ground. The light grew scarcer so I took out my heavy-duty flashlight and flicked it in. Our way better illuminated, we trekked on.

"Why do you work there, at Holston's?"

"Well, I didn't know about all this when I joined. I remember one of my teachers recommended it and I liked the independence I got by moving away"

"Hmmm", he responded deep in thought. "Have you ever seen anything strange there? None of the villagers are allowed in except the staff but I have heard there is a lot of security".

"Honestly, I have seen so many things, I feel like I'm going crazy. Some of the patients are downright mental", I said shuddering thinking of Jessica. "There is a lot of secrecy and security. Something is definitely happening and I need to figure out what".

"Well, I'll be there to help you", he said giving me a soft smile. I smiled back and we continued in silence. I was glad I choose thick warm clothing as the cold was becoming icy. I pulled my phone out to check the time. It was nearing dusk, I noticed in alarm. How had the time slipped by that fast? I turned around and the forest had closed up behind us. We must have walked a lot without realising.

"It's nearly going to be dark; we should head back. I also don't have any service out -"

I was cut off my Luka grabbing me and placing a hand on my mouth. He tugged us back against a tree. I squirmed against him, trying to get free.

"Stop it and listen", he whispered roughly.

I let my body go slack and strained my ears to listen out. I could hear sounds in the distance. Was that men talking?

I looked at him and he nodded back grimly. He let go of me and stepped forward. I followed behind him quietly, switching my torch off. We pressed on discreetly, heading towards the noise. The forest slowly became less dense and some light had returned. I stuck close to Luka and I nearly stumbled when he suddenly came to a stop.

"What...", he trailed off.

The forest thinned out and beyond that was what looked like an army base. Guns, weapons, grenades, things that should all be illegal were visible. There were at least a hundred soldiers present, looking like a mini-army. In the distance but not too far away, Holston's building stood cutting through the landscape.

"Oh gosh, the forest leads directly to Holston's", I breathed out.

"So that means that whatever happened to Caleb was because of Holston's", he finished grimly. I felt shocked. I worked for these people for God's sake. I had never seen this coming. I didn't even know that the forest linked my house to Holston's. A metal, electric fence with spikes at the top cut straight through the forest, separating us from them. What did they need an electric fence for, especially with the amount of security they had? Nobody could possibly get out.

Luka voiced my thoughts and I nodded in response.

"It almost looks like... they're trying to keep something in rather than from keeping people out", Luka said.

Those words shocked me to the core. There was only one man I knew, that would pose such a threat.

Malik.

Who was he? Why were they taking up so many precautions with him?

Why was he in the basement, underground?

Luka took a step forward and stepped on a branch.

Crack.

The sound was audible and echoed loudly.

"What was that?" I heard a voice call out.

I swore under my breath and yanked Luka backwards. Tripping on the very branch he stepped on, we tumbled backwards, rolling as the ground suddenly became steep. We fell with a thud into what looked like a large ditch. Neither of us dared to move as we heard people coming closer.

"Should we take a look, Colonel?" Someone asked.

There was silence for what seemed like forever.

"The electric fence can be switched off", the same voice from before said.

My breath caught. If they came through, they would definitely notice us.

"No need", a deep voice responded cutting through the air. "It's probably an animal. Those villagers don't come here, they are too scared. It's pathetic", he said darkly. "And if it is someone, they will receive the same treatment that those people received. What a stupid little boy he was".

"Back to your positions", he barked.

My entire bristled with anger at how flippantly he spoke about Caleb and his family. I turned to Luka and noticed he had a nasty cut on his forehead.

"Oh God, you're hurt", I gasped. His eyes were also dilated which meant he could have a concussion.

"Well, no shit Sherlock", he grunted.

I glared at him and he mumbled an apology. I opened up my backpack and took out the water and a spare shirt I packed. He winced as I poured the water on his wound and tightly wrapped the shirt around his head.

"Do you think you can move?" I asked, worried.

"Yeah, but I'm going to need a few minutes. My head is killing". We sat there in silence whilst he regained his senses. The cold was starting to set into my bones and I was starting to shiver. In the distance, we could hear wild animals fighting which was concerning as we were basically defenceless.

"Luka, we need to head back, it's getting really dark", I whispered.

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to have to lean on you". I nodded and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He leaned against me as I pushed him out of the ditch and then I hoisted myself up. We began the slow trek back.

"How do you remember the way out? We didn't exactly walk in a straight line".

"I have a really good memory", I responded briefly, trying not to strain myself from his weight.

We continued in silence once again.

"Why don't you just carry me bridal style?" His voice came out rather slurred.

"Why don't you just shut up?" I glared at him. He started laughing and then I began to laugh too. Not because he was funny but because of the situation we were in. After we calmed down and kept on walking, the trees began to thin but it was still really dark. I looked at my phone time and noticed in shock how it was nearly midnight. I needed to get him medical assistance. 

To my relief, I saw my house in a distance and we began to speed up, eager to get home. As we finally exited the forest, the dense atmosphere immediately lifted and I felt like I could breathe again.

Luka suddenly grabbed me in a bear hug, his body resting against mine.

"Thank you, for helping me out back there", he whispered.

"It was no problem", I said wondering why he suddenly got emotional. 

"It's nice to finally have some decent company around here. I hope we can hang out again"

"You're right, it feels good to have a friend here. Don't get sloppy with me, you'll regret it later when you regain your senses". I leaned into the hug, feeling quite happy. We stayed like that for a few minutes, with my back to the forest. I realised he was probably acting weird due to the wound on his head but I didn't mind. I looked ahead and felt my heart drop. Karl stood there in the frame of his door, his mouth open. His eyes flicked from me to Luka hugging me. I could see him already misunderstanding, and I internally groaned.

He strode towards us, his blue eyes glittering with anger.

"What the hell, Arya? What are you doing with my brother?" He said his voice rising. "Why the hell did you come from the forest?!"

"Your brother and I wanted to go check something out", I glared at him. "Don't you dare misunderstand or accuse me of anything".

He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off again.

"Luka has been hurt and he's bleeding. He tripped and hit his head on a branch. I need to take him to get proper medical attention".

He stood there watching me, contemplating what to do

"No, I'll take him. You don't need to worry", he said pulling Luka off me. Luka was half out of it - the damage must be worse than I anticipated.

He walked back to his house without saying another word. I groaned and walked back to my house. I could see how he could have misunderstood; Luka was kind of full-on hugging me.

I sighed loudly. Another problem I did not need. 

SOO

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