EmilyElise03
|• Thank you for showing me the value of friendship •|

Every muscle ached, each limb was fatigued — it had been a tiresome, long and weary day. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep. Sleep; something he had lost years back, inside the depths of red bricked walls. He never thought that the death of an enemy would haunt him till his last breath, but that's exactly how it felt.

His mind wandered back to that night;

The clear, cold night sky covered with sparkling white pearls was beauty to one's eye. He planned to spend the night dancing with his gorgeous wife under the stars, but everything changed. He was being summoned as the slim leather belt on his wrist, with blue cobalt began flashing red. He didn't want to leave his wife; she looked so mesmerizing, so happy. Her smile had reached her eyes, but he had no choice.

He knew that joining an organization required the utmost commitment. 'Even in dire circumstances you must pick it over anything and everything' — that was the oath he had made to be recruited.

He slid his arm into his pocket, grabbing the sleeping dart and injected her upper arm. Her eye lids fluttered as she drowned into a deep trance of sleep. Laying down her peaceful body, he ran to the underground research facility. He crashed through the door, his eyes resting on the silhouette — a man with grim, grey eyes, a profound enemy.

"Shoot!" The voice broke through his eardrums — his perfect reflexes took action and did what he was told.

The man was drenched in his own blood, with every vessel crying blood and all he did was stare. He never wanted to kill the man, even though he was an enemy.

His lifeless eyes still lurked in the depths of his memory, imprinted in every memory cell. He will never forget.

He never would have shot him if it was not for Candace.

"Sir, the results have come back positive." The doctor's words dragged him back to reality.

Back to his dark, hidden laboratory. A reality more horrific than his worst memory. Being a father was difficult.

"Thank you, Dr. James. This information should stay within these walls. Do you understand?" His voice was harsh but exhausted. The last thing he needed was for his wife, Olivia, to get concerned.

"Yes, sir." Dr. James grumbled.

"You may leave." With those words, he dismissed the doctor without sparing him another glance.

He did not like looking at anyone in the eye, it made him feel insecure, as though they could read his thoughts — especially Candace.

The sound of retreating footsteps disappeared, leaving him in utter silence which allowed him to ponder deep within his thoughts once again.

I must protect Lyra. Whatever it takes. I need to take her far away from Candace and her schemes — before it's too late.

He knew he had to hurry, he had decided to run away with Lyra. It would take too long to explain to Olivia and it might have even put Lyra in danger as Candace was one of her closest friends. He grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled a note.

'Dearest Olivia,

I love you from the bottom of my heart but when it comes to Lyra, I will always try to protect her — even if that means betraying you. I'm really sorry but I know you will understand, one day.

Love, Ekon.'

He grabbed his rucksack and ran towards Lyra's room. He was greeted with a void room and an identical piece of parchment like the one which he held in his hand. Fear gripped hard but he read on.

'Ekon,

I trusted you. I trusted you with everything, but you betrayed my trust. Candace told me everything. I had no choice. Don't come looking for me, you won't find me or Lyra. I'm doing this to protect her.

Olivia.'

"No!" He cried, "You have no idea what you done, you have no idea how much danger you have put Lyra in."

His feet ran off into the night sky — whatever it took, he was not going to be fooled by Candace's ploys any longer. Even if Olivia was too blind to see it, he could clearly see the monster hidden within Candace.

—

Sometimes a haunting past can manipulate the future, what do you think? Do you think Candace is as evil as Ekon believes, or is it just a misunderstanding.