Hazel had been dragged through time to the beginning of this perilous journey. A wretched curse tormented her and she was bound to spend eternity in an endless and despairing loop. I will destroy the fabric of time if I must. I will destroy Grey Skull.
After Zester’s betrayal life became a motionless blur for Hazel. She was bound till her wrists were raw, with that insufferable black bag stuffed over her head so that she could barely breathe. Days and nights were one and it remained so until the black bag was ripped away by Petra Underbridge.
Hazel glared up with eyes red from tears, her hair was a sweaty mess, and her cheeks had gone hollow as the flesh melted away from her. “You’re back.”
“Did you miss me?” Petra whispered into her ear. She grabbed Hazel’s face and looked into her eyes, and then pushed her away. “You’ve been naughty. How on earth could my brother have possibly fallen to the charms of… this?”
“Your brother deserves better,” Hazel spat.
Petra replied, “Don’t say things you don’t understand.”
She slapped her. A familiar and demanding voice erupted from the entrance of the room. “Petra! We’ve discussed this! Don’t spill such precious blood.” Josiah Avenberch’s horrid figure approached. Hazel noticed his golden mask was cracked slightly. He knelt down beside Hazel. “My dear it is so good to see you. I trust you won’t disrespect our hospitality again.”
“Where are we?” Hazel asked, wanting to distract herself from Josiah’s threats.
Josiah stood up. “We’re on a boat on the Sandra River. It’s time to pay your friend Devin a visit.”
The ruins of Torren were a playground for the dark, a lawless city where the extent of a man’s freedom was written in the blood split to obtain it. This is where Christel brought Amelia Dredd for questioning; a lonely building bathed in dust and forgotten by most of the world. Ashley was worried, Sam was barely conscious after being shot, and Arlandra sensed a strange and familiar madness in his friend’s eyes.
Sam’s near fatal injury prevented them from going anywhere far. Ashley did her best to treat him however the bleeding was serious and there was a frightful risk of the wound being infected. Every now and then Sam coughed up a spurt of blood. They were helpless, until Christel had an epiphany. He rushed over to Sam and took out his watch, explaining as he went. “I can save him. The watch, Merida’s Key, it gives the bearer the power to manipulate time, what if I can use it to reverse time limited to a particular object?”
“You could use it to heal wounds,” Ashley said with great surprise.
“Exactly! I still don’t know how it works but I know that the watch can bend time according to the will of the bearer, even if it is subconscious.” Christel took a deep breath and, holding the watch in his right hand and his left hand over Sam’s bleeding stomach, he began to manipulate time. The effect radiated a pale golden glow and they watched in astonishment as the wound gradually closed over; not only that but the shirt was repaired as well.
Sam sat up and lifted his shirt; it was as if the wound never occurred. “When did you learn to do that?”
Christel shook his head. “I have no idea.” A few hours later he was resting on a couch and thinking of Hazel. Every hour they went to the room where Amelia Dredd was locked and they tried to get information from her. “Zester told us to ask Amelia,” he had told the others. “She has to know something.”
Recent circumstances had altered their original plan. Christel believed that Amelia held the key to finding Hazel whereas the others wanted to return to the safe house to regroup and rethink their plan. “There’s no time for that now!” Christel argued. “If we leave this place then the trail goes cold! Who knows what they could do to her by the time we’re ready!”
Ashley tried in vain to calm him down. “Christel, I know you’re scared. Trust me, we all want Hazel back but this is about more than what we want. Grey Skull is going to destroy the entire god damn world! We have to make a decision!”
“You can’t ask me to do that! I told you before I’m not going to stop until she’s safe!”
“Oh, get over yourself! You’re not thinking straight. What world are you and Hazel going to live in if Grey Skull get what they want? What about us? Will you sacrifice all your friends too?”
Christel rolled his eyes and turned away. “I’m not saying that.” He paused to compose himself. “I can’t lose Hazel. I won’t…”
Christel stepped out and walked alone though the streets of Torren, tormented by his own thoughts. The curse of bearing Merida’s Key was that he could not control the fragments of time that slipped into his subconscious, and suddenly he would remember something that was yet to occur and not know whether to fear it or rejoice in it. What if I see her dying?
Meanwhile Arlandra, Ashley and Sam gathered their things and prepped the horses for the long ride to the city of Khrell. It would take them a week at best to reach the safe house, enough time to doubt if they were making the right decision. They dallied for a moment longer, waiting for Christel to return. “We’re not helping anyone by sitting around here,” Sam complained.
Arlandra stepped towards the door. “I’ll go and get him.” He took three steps out the door when he heard violence from Amelia’s holding cell. He stormed in and Amelia was covered in cuts and bruises, her eyes were two expressionless orbs and yet they still bore life, and the left side of her face was swollen and bloody.
Christel was yelling and holding a gun to her. “Where is she? Where did he take her?” He cocked the hammer. “I swear to god I will kill you!”
“Christel stop it!” Arlandra shouted. He should have known that Christel was unstable. One wrong move and Amelia would die. “Put down the gun, Christel, and come outside,” he said softly. Christel resisted, his hands trembling, but Arlandra used whatever psychic abilities he possessed to help persuade his friend.
Christel lowered the gun and stormed out of the room. “It’s the only way,” he said, to justify himself. “Amelia did this. She has to die!”
“Just listen to yourself!” Arlandra shouted back. “Grey Skull are inside your head. They’re using Hazel to get to you. It’s been their plan all along. I know you’re pissed but this isn’t you!”
“No one has to know.”
“God dammit! I’ve committed more murders than I can count and I was trained to live with it but nothing – nothing – can stop the guilt. It will change you forever and people will know. Do you really want to be remembered for this? Think of Hazel. Think of your…”
“My what?”
Arlandra pinched his brow and shook his head. “Hazel is pregnant. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want you to worry but right now she needs you to do the right thing. I’m begging you, don’t take this life so easily or your child will grow up with a killer as a father.”
Christel began to weep, and guiltily threw his gun away and held his face in his hands. Arlandra placed a hand on his shoulder and waited. Eventually he stood up. “C’mon, we’re going home. I’m sick of this place.”
Christel no longer complained, but the journey home was the longest he had ever experienced.
ns 172.71.254.6da2