Lacuna

Chapter 21 - Trade

       Rhys, Alex, and I all enter the car as Rhys drives out of the lot. As Rhys was driving the car, he looked focused and emotionless as usual. As for Alexander, he looked grumpy as he leaned and stared out the car window.

Silence filled the car and I was left alone to finally ponder. Even if I am Luc Valentin, what happens next? It's all in the past, the people must've forgotten already and technically Lev's family owns the throne now... what's left for me?

As I pondered for a while, a certain person struck my mind; my brother. I need to set my mind on a goal.

Thinking hard to myself, I could barely hear Rhys calling out my name.

"Master Cole...Master Cole! Is there something wrong? I've been calling for you a couple of times now." Rhys said.

"Oh, nothing. Just a lot on my mind." I replied.

"I was asking if you had a destination in mind." He spoke. I notice the car had been stopped outside the gates of the Durand mansion by the curb.

"You said that we were presumed dead at the incident ten years ago?" I asked.

"Correct, why do you ask?" "There must've been a cemetery for the people who died by the incident then, right?" I spoke, determined.

"You want to go to the cemetery?" "You heard me correctly."

Rhys pauses for a moment before putting his hands back onto the steering wheel.

"Alright, your choice," Rhys spoke as he glanced at Alexander, who ignored us then driving away.

It was only a short trip between the mansion and the cemetery which was understandable.

As we arrived, I didn't hesitate for a second on exiting the car and eventually slammed the door, hard on accident.

I looked over to Rhys and mumbled a quiet 'sorry'.

Then, as we all exit the car, Rhys opened the cemetery gate with one of the many keys in his pocket.

"What are all those keys for? I thought you were just a driver." I asked.

"King Hugo gave me access to most of the doors and gates near the mansion before the night of the incident." Rhys sighs. "Since he died, most of the rooms with the locked doors were demolished and so, only some that are left can be unlocked, like this one."

I only watched as the rusted metal gates swing open in front of us in response.

"This used to be the park we all went to when we were little. The old gardener used to cut the bushes into animals when he found out we hung out here a bunch." Rhys walked inside. "But after the incident, they needed more room for burial for the corpses so it got turned into a gloomy cemetery," Rhys spoke, walking towards the many gravestones rolling out in the field as Alex and I follow behind him.

"Why did you want to go here?" Rhys turned to me.

"I wanted to see me and my brother's graves," I demanded.

"Makes sense," Rhys replied as he walked to a seemingly large traditional-looking building.

"What building is that?" I asked as we approach closer towards the building.

"Inside was where they buried your 'bodies'" Rhys replied.

Soon, we stood in front of the main entrance then Rhys finally slides open the door and stepped inside.

Inside, it was oddly very clean and candles were freshly lit especially on the right side of the room.

As I approach the two stone tombs in front of me, it was empty. I was expecting rotting corpses but there was none there. Only pictures of...me and my brother under the glass display inside the tomb.

It was now only obvious that the candles freshly lit were more onto my brother's side. Who lit them?

Then, I notice Rhys approaching the candles, extinguishing them all with a single blow. Maybe he lit them?

Rhys pauses before he reaches out for the bouquet on top of Louis's tomb, crushing them with his bare hands, ruining them as some of the petals fall onto the floor.

Rhys then throws the bouquet onto the wall with unexplainable rage.

"Fucking—" He mumbled.

Then Alex finally took action and picked up the mess on the floor.

"Chill out, not in front of Cole," Alex whispered.

"Right," Rhys responded, letting out a sharp exhale.

"Who lit the candles?" I asked, attempting to ease the tension.

"I have a guess but I don't think I can tell you yet." Rhys turned to me. "I'm sorry for letting you see me throw a baby tantrum, Cole."

"It's fine," I replied, staring down onto Louis's tomb, stroking the sides.

"Was King Hugo buried here too?" I asked.

"He was buried at the huge building in the middle of the cemetery you saw at the entry," Alex answered in Rhys's stead.

I nodded quietly in response.

"Can you leave me in this room for a moment?" I requested.

"I don't think we can do that," Rhys answered.

"Why not?" "I'm worried. I can't tell you the details but I want you to trust me."

"I want to do things on my own for once in a while, please." I plead.

Rhys sighs. "We'll be outside."

Alex and Rhys walked out the door as Alex throws his arms over Rhys's shoulders, attempting to comfort him.

As they finally shut the door behind them, leaving me all alone in the room, I took the chance to look carefully onto the tombs.

I went over to the side of my 'tomb' and stroked the sides until I felt a carving.

It was rectangular shaped. I believed it might be a drawer or a hidden compartment and pulled out the heavy rock from the slot.

Too focused on the hidden compartment, I hadn't realized the presence behind me until they pointed a sharp knife onto my neck and covering my mouth.

Startled, I dropped the heavy rock onto the ground causing a loud noise.

Alex and Rhys rushed inside the room with shocked eyes.

"I knew it, you shouldn't be here... you weren't allowed to be anywhere near Feo anymore, I thought you got that." Rhys glared followed by Alex.

"You wouldn't understand, Rhys." A familiar voice spoke behind me.

"Let go of Cole or I won't have any choice but to imprison you," Rhys warned. "Or even put you on death row for all I care."

"I already know that he's Luc, you're not fooling anybody, hump face." The voice insulted Rhys as he puts the knife closer to my neck.

"You let me take him, I'll bring back Feo. Isn't it a good trade, Rhys? To see your 'prince' again?" He offered.

Rhys only gulped as his eyebrow twitched.