Chapter_16: Old Man's Home

"We're the first people to visit this place today?" Snake said shockingly, covering his cheeks with his hands. With the rest of the men, Ragnar entered the modernist resting place. "It just passed 12AM, idiot! Of course, we're the first one here." Ragnar said before sitting to a chair.

"Is this really a resting place?" Ragnar continued to ask. "Yes, yes. But it will be more expensive, since our place is too beautiful for all of you. " Mr. Wester said as he placed the bottle of wine to the costumers. " I see, you know how to handle us, costumers. " Ragnar praised Mr. Wester.

" I already prepared the rooms, you may rest. " Mr. Wester walked away, with the empty tray. But, before Mr. Wester left the lobby of the place, Snake observed something, and decided to asked him about it. " What are those marionette? Are they for designs? " Snake pointed at the marionettes at the wall.

" It's not for design, but it is." He said before he walked off. " What did he meant by that?" Snake was confused and chose to just forget it. "What do you think about Zaly and the others? " He continued. " They're all right, Bane is with them. He could take lots of men by himself. " Ragnar complimented Bane.

After hours of talking in the lobby, the men decided to enter their rooms, and rest. "There are two rooms for all of you. You may separate some of your men. Now, all of you may rest. " Mr. Wester entered the room with his tray, with another bottle of wine, thinking that the men would need more. "No, we don't need wine anymore. We're about to rest." Ragnar refused the wine and Mr. Wester finally left their room.

"Men, let's rest now, for tomorrow's new gift! Some of you, go to the other room!" Three of the five men left the room and went to the other room, where they rested quickly. "We had been riding our horses for a whole day, seems like we can finally rest." Ragnar lied at the bed and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile Drake:

"Are you really sure that you're coming with us? What about your parents? " Drake asked Mary, who claimed the she would join them for the time being. "I lied, I'm only here in this village for an operation, but it's done. I'll just come with all of you in your village. You don't know, maybe I'll discover something in our adventure. " Mary with her sling bag entered the carriage.

"Well then, let's go!!" One of the men sat to the front of the carriage, and whipped the horses, "Gee!" The horses fastened and galloped down the rocky roads. "Is Geo still asleep?" Asked by Zaly who sat at the back of the carriage. "Yes, he is." Mary answered while petting Geo.

"Carriages had been important to us, it's our fastest way of transportation. Mary, can you create a new transportation for us in the future?" Drake touched Mary's hair, and continued to pet it. Mary, who was flustered, answered, trembling. "Yes, sure!"

"Zaly, you should rest!" Bane said, punching Zaly on the head. "Yes, I will, calm down!" Zaly took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile ???:

Ragnar stood in the darkness, plain-black darkness. Ragnar looked around him, and the darkness turned bright in a split second. "Light?" He whispered to himself, while walking in the darkness. "I wan't light!" He shouted, but nothing happened.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and opened them. There was a slight change, a table with a flower vase popped in front of him. "Flower?" He whispered to himself again, then footsteps echoed behind him. He looked back and there was Ana walking towards him. "Let's go now," Ana said holding Ragnar's hand and pulling him.

As Ana pulled him, he looked back in front and there was two chairs for the table. "Sit, dear," Ana said with her lovely and caring voice. Tears began rolling in Ragnar's eyes, it was his first time hearing her voice after years. "Are you........ laughing?" Ana laughed and drank the cup of coffee that popped in her hand.

Ragnar was crying, but for Ana, he was laughing. He can't show his true emotions to his dear wife. He really can't. "It's been a long, Ana," Ragnar cried to her, as he held her hands. "It has been quite a long time, and you have changed. I'm glad." Ana smiled to him, with her angelic smile.

While holding the hands of Ana for the first time in years, a small tap can be felt on his shoulder. He looked back and it was Bane, "How are you, Ragnar?" He looked in front and Ana was gone, and was replaced by Bane who sat to the chair, Ana had sat.

Where is Ana? Ana? My dear wife? Where is she? Can I just see her? Even for a second or just her voice? Or can I just feel her hands behind me? I will move tens and thousands of rocks, I will murder thousands of men. I would even create a new timeline, just to see her. I will create a new branch of time line, if that would it take for me to just feel her.

He cried in front of Bane, he wept and wept. "I want to see her!" He yelled at Bane, "Are you laughing, Ragnar?" Bane said while also laughing.

Why are they seeing me laughing? I'm not laughing, I'm crying, crying for them. Yet, they cannot understand me.

"It's the DEVIL" a voice can be heard behind him. He looked back and saw, something, something he can't comprehend. He looked at it, yet he can't see it.

What are you?

Oh, me?

I'm the DEVIL

The devil?

No, I'm the DEVIL

The DEVIL?

Yes, I'm the DEVIL.

Here's a flower, for you.

Thank you.

You're crying? Are you not?

No, I am laughing.

Laughing? Why is that?

I'm happy.

Does laughing symbolizes happiness? Or was it creates by humans? What if..... Laughing symbolizes Sadness, can it really happen?

I don't know. I cannot process what you're saying. I can't understand you. Are you really the DEVIL?

Yes, I am.

Are you talking to me?

I'm not. I'm only talking to you, inside you.

Was I already inside when I got here, in the darkness?

No, you weren't inside yourself. But now, YOU ARE. Was our conversation all right?

No. I don't know you.

You will.

Ragnar blinked, and is inside the darkness again. "Can I leave now?" He said crying side the darkness. "You can." Ana, no Bane, no Drake. The appearance of the person in front of him changed every single time. "I wan't to leave." He cried.

Meanwhile Ragnar:

"Ragnar! Wake up! We need to leave this now!" Snake said. Red light can be seen while he slowly opened his eyes. "This place is on fire!" Ragnar quickly opened his eyes, and stood up. " Wha-" he looked and the whole room was almost on fire.

" Seems like the man was not the true owner of this place! Let's go, here on the window!" Snake pulled Ragnar to the window. " What happened?" Ragnar said, completely shocked

" I'll explain to you, after this. Let's go!" Both of them jumped to the ground, from the second story place. "Are you hurt? Snake!" Ragnar quickly carried Snake who was injured f

rom the jump. " What really happened?" He looked back at the place, and it was caught on fire.