42 Faded tracks...

His head felt wooly as he woke up, he stared at the utter darkness that enveloped him,

What in the heavens! He muttered but was stopped by a hand on his mouth.

You shouldn't make such noise, it is still very early in the morning, the voice told him taking away his hand from his mouth.

Morning? How did he get here. He thought.

You fainted, I thought I lost you, you know, he told the man softly.

Ah, it was cosmos, he breathed, he couldn't see his face clearly but he knew he was smiling, that smile he had always had on him.

What did you give me? He asked him, remembering all that happened last night, Sebastian..., poison...

"Anti poison"

"How did you have that? Is not like you bring that with you everywhere. "

Not really but I am glad I had, Tones could feel the concern in his voice.

Why did you save me? It is of no use he is going to...

"Why does he want to kill you? I do not understand any of this. "

"What else, maybe because he sees me as a threat, wanting to eliminate me... So what does it matter. He is can and will be able to do that and he just almost did.

You know what I think, I think you should have left me to die, that would be better, I don't want to relieve this again. "

"if I didn't how would I be able to find answers? "

Nobody knows Sebastian better than himself, he muttered, his eyes already adjusting to the darkness.

If you could tell me what you know, maybe we can...

Fight him? he laughed then he remembered it was late at night and more so, he was supposed to be dead.

Yes, maybe go to the right people, who is going to help us, he said not taking his eyes off him, for some reason, he could see his eyes perfectly well in the dark.

He has other plans not just capturing milerus, you know, he has many other plans he has been hiding from you all.

"Really? "

"You don't look so surprised? "

Oh, I have had my suspicions, recently. So he wants to kill you because he thinks you can ruin his plans?

"That is the funny part, I am not capable in any sort in harming him, I saw him slide the poison into my drink with nobody else seeing him, I was so scared, I had to drink it so he won't think I did see him. "

You tried to kill yourself, Tones, that was dangerous, cosmos said remembering how he collapsed in front of him, how he lied to his men that he was just only drunk and how he secretly took him to his room.

Yes, that was like the point, I had no other option, I chose to die that way rather than he slitting my throat with his sword later on or stabbing me in the chest like he did to that woman, he didn't like talking much but he had to. It was now or never, what else could he lose anyway, cosmos had saved his life, which means he deserves some of the truth, at least the one he knew.

'What woman? "

"The body in the grave the other day, I saw him kill that woman and I began to wonder what she did to him or how she related to him, that is how I began to have suspicions of him. "

I can't believe this, cosmos shook his head listening to him with rapt attention.

There are more, he said then started spewing all he knew about Sebastian, his people newly found hero.

.... ...... ... ....... .... .....

Morning came too early for his troubles to go away, she was still not here.

He went to the library where he had always spent his "lonely hours". It seemed like the only place he could find peace now.

His mother's picture still stood untouched on the wall, it was staring into his soul and his head ache.

Was it a bad idea coming here after all? If not here where else? His life was not over but he almost wished it was.

He took it from the wall and stared at it with more intent than he ever did before.

Her hair was ginger too just like Natalie and those eyes too, why does it look like hers so much or was he hallucinating.

This wasn't real, was it? She looked so much like her in some way.

He shook his head, he was just missing her that all and nothing else.

He heard footsteps on his back, probably one of the royal guards, what had happened now. He didn't look back to the figure, he was still staring into the picture uninterested.

The person stopped abruptly, which annoyed him, what do you want , he snapped still not looking at the person.

That familiar scent was filling his nostrils,before he could realize that it was she, she chuckled.

You seem to be obsessed with that picture, isn't it?

Natalie, he gasped. Surprised, he reached for her, she allowed him and didn't budge.

He hugged her still holding the picture in his hands.

I didn't think you would come back. He said with concern all over his face.

What do you mean, I won't leave you..., I mean this, I won't leave all this.

"He convinced you? "

"Who? Vince?oh no, not him, I realized I couldn't do anything else. Williams, it is scary out there, she frowned holding back her tears. "

I knew it was a bad idea, you should have told me first, he released her from his grip.

"I couldn't, I knew you would stop me so... "

That is enough, you should rest, he said taking her hands leaving the library.

He met Gerald and Vince in the courtroom. he didn't know his name until now.

Thank you for bringing her back, he beamed to them.

Oh, it wasn't much of a problem, Gerald replied him. Vince only nodded, he has lot of things on his mind now.

..... ........ ...... ...... ....

He woke up with a bad headache, this must be the routine now because he always saddled with one issue or another.

Last night was terrible, he watched Tones go out of the house and didn't come back, that was the strangest thing he ever witnesses. He had drank the poison, he had not expected it to work so swiftly and again, where was his body?

Something weird was obviously going on and he couldn't wait to unravel it.

Tones was missing? That wouldn't be much of a problem, if he hadn't poison him. He sure would be very glad to get that man out of his way.

My lord, we haven't seen tones, since last night, one of his men informed him.

Of course, he knew, same thing that had kept him awake all night.

I will conduct a search party, he told the nervous men. Probably one of his friends. Tones was very friendly with the men, that is why he had made him his right hand man but Tones had gone through the rough path, he had started to make snide remarks and unnecessary opinions that he was forced to do this. If only he had just stayed upright maybe he would have lived a little longer... Well, it was too now too late to regret, if anything, regretting was his last option.

He called for a meeting, gathering all the men, then he informed them of Tones' disappearance, he also organized a search party, involving some of the men including him.

That is when he noticed, he hadn't seen cosmos all morning, which was strange.

He was always the one greeting him every morning with that weird smile on his face which annoyed him.

Where is cosmos? He said aloud, searching for him with his eyes.

Everyone did the same looking at each other but it seemed like cosmos was also missing.

He sighed, this was going to be a long day.

Don't worry everyone, continue with the search, I will go look for him in his room,I can't believe he is still sleeping, he informed them.

He walked over to the room he had specially given to cosmos, he in a bid to please him, the room was the last and one of the biggest in the house. It was then he realised he shouldn't have done all he did to appease him, cosmos had been proving stubborn lately and he hadn't appreciated anything, we first he had to find him so he could decide on what to do with him. He was still very important...

He knocked on the door, almost yanking it off from it's place.

There was a little rustling inside there and he was convinced, the man was awake, of course he should , who would still be asleep at this time of the day yet there was no answer.

What the hell was going on in there?

He knocked again, this time more intense than the latter. What game was cosmos playing with him?

There was still no answer.

He was prepared to break open the door not until...