Chapter 11

They were led by little Collin into the darkness. While Collin was in front, Jake decided to ask Beth some questions.

"Why are we being led by little Collin?" he asked.

"Well, this is a way of Collin's mind showing that it trusts us. By sending Master Scott at his most innocent age, when it wasn't corrupted," she said.

"Most innocent age?" Nathan asked in confusion.

"How old is this Collin?" Fiona asked.

"Three," Beth replied.

Three? Does that mean that Collin's mind began to be corrupted at four years old?

"This little Collin would be acting as our guide into his mind. I must say Master Collin did a good thing by asking you to come with me," she said. "I think together we would be able to help Master with his condition."

Conditions? What conditions? This was everyone's thought.

"Well, Master Scotts cannot remember a particular period of his life. He caught a glimpse of it when I forcefully entered his mind a few months ago, so he asked me to help recover those memories since I was able to do what he couldn't.

But, since that day, Master Scotts' mind wouldn't let me leave the dark space. Two months ago, I was able to gain a little of his trust, and I entered his mind. I wanted to begin with his adolescence, but his mind wouldn't let me, so I began with his childhood."

"I'm currently in his memories from when he was four, when he began to realize something was not right in his home," she said.

"What wasn't right in his home?" Fiona asked.

Beth looks at her with sad eyes. "His father was abusive to his mother," she said.

They came to a halt when they came to a door, and Beth turned around to face them. "Now that we're entering his memories, I advise you not to try to do anything, or else the mind is going to kick us out. Also, we might be attacked; if we are noticed, we will be attacked immediately," she said.

They nodded and walked through the door.

~~~~

By the time Beth fell unconscious, David knew that they were all in Collin's mind. David didn't want to go because that woman was one of the most powerful people he faced when he was in the future, and she might read his mind.

The boy in the living room with him, he feels like he's seen him before as well.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" the boy asks.

David shook his head in reply. The doorbell rang. Dvaid found it strange. The guards shouldn't be here yet. He opened the door and saw two suspicious people, a man and a woman. Both were wearing black suits. They were surprised to see David here. "Young Master Levine," the woman said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with a friend," he replies. "What are you doing here?"

"We were sent by his majesty; there was a strange phenomenon happening in this apartment, so we were asked to check it out," she said.

"Really?" David said, looking surprised.

"Yes, now if you step aside," the woman said, but David wouldn't budge. "Why aren't you moving?" she asked, a bit annoyed.

"You see, normally I would believe you, but the crown prince is in here, and he already told his majesty what is going on," he said.

"You're lying," the man said.

"Young Master Levine, what are you doing here?" A voice was heard coming from the end of the hall. This was the palace's head guard, Hansel Gray, with some other guards.

"I came here with Nathan; he is inside asleep," he said, moving aside for them. They walked into the apartment. David turned to the two standing in the hallway. "Are you two still here? Great!" he said happily.

"Give a message to General Jackson." His expression became serious as he released his aura. "Tell him to stay if he doesn't want what happened last time to happen again," he said.

David then smiles and waves at them. "Have a good day."

~~~~

"Wow, Collin's family is very rich," Jake said, looking around in awe.

Fiona nodded in agreement. They saw Collin, who was a year older than the Collin they are with, walking beside a gentle-looking woman who looks a lot like him, having the same silver hair he has and black eyes. The only difference is that this Collin has black hair.

"Collin's mother is really beautiful," Fiona said.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Collin inquired, concerned: "Mother appeared tireder than usual. Did Father hit Mommy once more? I swear I am going to take mother away from him one day, so I can take care of her without her being sad."

"Why are we hearing his thoughts?" Nathan asked.

"This is how he felt then; don't forget we're in his mind; all his thoughts are kept here as well," Beth said.

"So Collin was very considerate for his age," Fiona said. Not all four-year-olds would be as considerate as Collin is now.

His mother looked down at Collin and smiled. "Levi, my love," she said with a smile, "do you want to make Mommy happy?"

Collin nodded. "Yes," "I want you to not be sad,"

The woman laughed softly. "Okay, we're going to play a game; it would make the both of us happy forever," she said. Her tone was a bit weird, and her eyes showed a bit of insanity.

"That woman is insane," Jake said.

"What game do you think they are going to play?" Fiona asked in worry; she had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

They followed Collin and his mother, but the scene was changing, and they found themselves in a bedroom. Collin and his mother were both standing on chairs with ropes tied to their necks.

"Now Levi," his mother said.

They all gasped. "Did she try to trick her son into coming to suicide with her?" Fiona said in shock.

"In three, we're going to kick the chairs at the same time, okay?" she said.

"Mommy, I'm not sure I want to play this game," the little boy said in fear. "I'm scared; I don't want to do this," he thought.

His mother looks at him with insane eyes. "But Levi," she whined. "You promised," she said, breaking down in tears.

"Mommy is crying because of me; I'm not better than Father."

"D-Don't cry," Collin stammered, holding back his tears. "I'll do as you say."

"One," they both said at the same time.

Jake stepped up; there's no way he's going to watch his friend's younger self commit suicide without him knowing. Beth held him back and shook her head. "We cannot do anything about this," she said.

"I can't just watch Collin get tricked into committing suicide!" he said.

"We have no choice; besides, Master Scotts is alive and well, isn't he?" she said.

Jake reluctantly backed down. "Shit," he cursed.

Neither Fiona nor Nathan were enjoying what they were seeing either, but Beth had told them earlier not to interfere.

His mother kicked the chair, and soon she was dangling off the rope. Collin tried to kick the chair, but he couldn't do it at the same time as his mother.

Soon after he did so, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman stepped in to see Collin kicking the chair and dangling from the rope. This woman was the family nanny.

"Young Master Levi, Lady Lillian," she said in horror, first scrambling to Collin's side to get him off the rope.

The scene changes again, and they find themselves outside a hospital. Collin was awake, but his eyes were dead. A man was in front of him, and the man was immediately recognized. "Isn't that Fredrick Anderson? Maria Flight's fiance?" Nathan said in surprise. Collin knew Mr. Anderson?

"Nice to see you came to pick me up, father," Collin said. Everyone's mouth opened in surprise.

This man is Collin's father? They don't look alike at all.

Fredrick looks at the little boy in disgust. "You are just as pathetic as your mother," he said.

"Don't talk about Mom like that!" the boy shouted at his father. A crisp sound was heard, and Collin's cheek was red. It was obvious what had happened.

"That son of a bitch," Fiona said angrily. Your own son almost dies, and this is how you treat him?

"You don't raise your voice at me while we're outside," he said. "It seems your mother raised an untrained dog; don't worry. I'll fix that."

They all felt a shiver go down their spines when Fredrick spoke.

"What do you think he is going to do to Collin?" Fiona asks in fear of what might happen.

The image of three-year-old Collin appeared again. "If you want to leave this section of his memory, you can," he said, expressing his worry.

The woman was about to agree, but Fiona said "No, we want to see what happens next."

The little boy nodded, and the scene changes to Collin's lessons.

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