22 Lies & Deception

Alyssane rushed to his side, confused and concerned.

She tried to help Luke get up. The cold floor might make his situation worse, she had to get him inside the room first and stop his bleeding before alerting the knights.

But he was too heavy and barely awake. It took every ounce of her strength as she dragged him inside the door, her hands trembled from the strain and effort.

Right then, Alussame noticed someone else.

In the shadows of a large vase was a huge man barely hiding in that space, his eyes red and swollen stared at her with an intense, haunting gaze. His whispered pleas grew more desperate.

"Forgive me… please…"

"I… didn't mean to…"

Her blood turned cold.

Luke rasped in a trembling voice, "You m-must run…!"

"Shut up," she whispered, ignoring the giant man as she continued to drag Luke inside the room. She could leave Luke to die when the room was right there. All they had to do was lock the door before the man changed his mind.

But she was not strong enough to bear Luke's weight, and her trembling grew worse with each moment.

Alyssane carefully eased Luke against a wall. His wounds no longer bled, but his face was white, and the dying sound of his breaths left her mortified for a moment.

"Hold on…" she whispered, before rushing towards the door but she froze when she noticed the large man had disappeared. Her heart pounded against her ribs.

'I must find a knight.'

'But I cannot leave like this…'

Alyssane entered the room and grabbed the closest candle holder to use as a weapon in case something went wrong. She froze the next moment and stiffly looked behind.

The man could not walk, and so he dragged himself inside the room.

She flinched, trying to move as far away from him as possible but in haste, her feet tripped on the skirts and Alyssane crashed onto the floor.

"Ngh―!" 

She tried to stand up.

But then the man's iron grip clasped around her feet, and she had no strength to resist him as he dragged her towards him, all while he kept whispering apologies and his eyes grew wild with a frenzied desperation. 

"Please… please…"

Her throat turned dry.

Alyssane tried to push him away but he was too big and too powerful. His one hand held a knife and he brought it down in a heavy blow. She barely deflected it using the candlestand, but that did not deter his grip from the hilt.

His whispers got more desperate.

"I must… I must…!" 

He clamped his large hand on her throat, shoving her down so hard a crippling pain snared throughout her body. Alyssane could not move.

The lines between past and present blurred into a nightmarish distortion. The buried pain of that night crept back like a cursed shadow, along with the suffocating memories.

There were so many people, so many watched as that man dug his knife into her flesh. No one cared enough to help her, no one came until she was left to die.

Alyssane watched the sharp dagger crash down, and a soft voice asked.

'Why should you resist?'

And she stopped fighting him, 'At least I'll finally be free…'

But when the blade was barely an inch away from her heart, it nimbly slipped from the man's hand. His eyes became empty and unfocused, his face entirely white.

"Move," Kazmun's cruel voice cut through the haze of her mind.

The whispers died, and the man, seemingly in a trance, backed away from Alyssane, his gaze never leaving whoever was behind her.

And Alyssane could not look away from him.

He was a giant man. His leg was twisted at an odd angle, the flesh on his bones mutilated throughout his body, and it was clear that half of his bones were not in the right places.

She watched him tremble, trying hard to not collapse, trying hard to fight whatever crazed compulsion crossed his mind. All her numbing thoughts grew silent for a moment, replaced by grief.

'What monster could do this to someone?'

Alyssane's mind went back to all those faint cries that kept her awake for nights, and how the air around the tavern was no longer the same… and how a simple word had the man shrink back away from everyone.

'Why…?'

She subconsciously curled her fingers, feeling a sudden numbing dread churn in her stomach. She remained frozen as the man was taken away, and the knights left too, but Kazmun remained.

Without a word, he walked towards her and offered his hand.

Alyssane shook her head.

She was not hurt, just in a pain that refused to cease. But when she rose, a cold sensation rushed to her limbs, making her falter.

Kazmun grabbed her hand before she could, and Alyssane could not understand what was wrong with her as he quietly guided her towards a chair, his touch surprisingly gentle.

She hardly kept up with his slow steps.

But he said nothing.

Alyssane glanced towards Luke, but he was already taken away by other knights.

Kazmun opened the windows of the study, letting the loud roaring of thunderous clouds echo inside the room. The heavy rain had still refused to ease, it was as restless and impatient as the beatings of her heart.

"Was it you?" Alyssane asked, unable to look at him, "Did you make that man… like that?"

His gaze lingered on her, heavy and he was silent for a moment too long. When he responded, Kazmun's voice was devoid of any emotions, "We found him in that state."

She had nothing to say to that. Alyssane stared out of the window, lost in thought, as the storm raged on and on, the sound starkly contrasting all the creeping silence.

"You knew him," Kazmun stated after a while

"Barely," she whispered.

"He claimed otherwise."

"That's untrue," Alyssane frowned, confused.

Kazmun's voice was cold and distant, "You bought poison from him. One that was used against Lord Chancellor and you."

Her eyes slightly widened, horror crossed her face as she glanced at him in disbelief, "No…"

But she was not sure.

Any memories of that night had not returned. She could recall nothing but the fragmented awareness of a long dream, and even that was still shrouded in mystery.

Kazmun slightly raised a brow, expression dark.

Alyssane wanted to say something more, prove her innocence. But no words came out. 'Are you sure you didn't do it?'

'Why would Markle lie about something like this?'

He was not her enemy. He didn't bother with anything but his trade.

They have only met a few times, and that too only to discuss a few unique flowers that deeply fascinated Alyssane. She never spent much time around him because she had to sneak back to the manor.

'Why would he lie?'

"I can't remember," She murmured in the end, averting her gaze to the never-ending rain. A cold breeze gently brushed inside the room, leaving her limbs more heavy and numb.

Kazmun only responded with a detached, "Rest," as he began to walk away. His steps were too loud for her, the unresolved tension between them louder.

And suddenly, she dreaded being left alone with herself.

"Kazmun," Alyssane quietly asked, her hands cold and clammy, "What happens now?"

He paused, "Nothing."

Her face clouded with confusion, "Why?"

"It's foolish to draw any conclusions when half the city is like this."

"I don't understand…"

His gaze darkened, "The Nightmare curse twists one's mind to extreme lengths. We can't simply discern truth and lies when it comes to those who might be cursed."

"Might be?"

"It's harder to recognize this time."

"Still," Alyssane's heart sank, "Am I not the easiest one to blame for Lord Chancellor's death?"

Kazmun silently watched her, a frown curved upon his lips.

She lowered her voice and carefully continued, "I have seen commoners tortured and executed based on mere speculations when it came to crime against the crown."

"Is that so?" His gaze held a chilling stillness, "Rest assured, you're safe here as long as you are useful to me."

Alyssane nervously swallowed, "What do you mean?"

There was a small unreadable smile on his lips as he began to walk away, and added in an eerily calm voice.

"I know you have not killed him."