The Meaning Of Eternity (TMOE #1)

Chapter 29: No more chances

The pain in his back was unimaginable, and he struggled to think. Why was he in pain again? And more importantly why had he somehow decided that sleeping on a cold stone floor would be a great idea? Or rather, why had the option even occurred to him?

The weird sensation of having accomplished something lingered in his chest though and he frowned. Had he succeeded with something before passing out?

A brief image of horrid, stuffed creatures went through his head then and Lucius shot up from the floor, eyes wide as he looked for Carner.

No. Carner was dead. He had to be. Lucius had stabbed him repeatedly until there was nothing left of him, but what had happened afterwards? Had he just left the house covered in blood and all? The gloomy area he found himself in left very few clues. It was just a stone wall and stone floor.

At least until he turned around.

"No," he whispered, a chill running down his spine as he noticed metal bars on the door further away. "No no no."

He crawled up from the floor to see better, moving towards the bars where a weak light was shining through and as soon as he reached them he wanted to smack his head against them out of anger. Or desperation.

The other side of the door was just a corridor. A corridor full of identical doors where shapes and voices of other people could be discerned through the

It wasn't happening. That Scourgefucking Scourge and its stupid schemes.

They'd locked him up. Someone had found him with Carner. They must've heard his cries for help and come to investigate, only to find the wrong person as the culprit.

He should've known. Why would a Scourge actively help someone who'd promised it their soul? The sooner they could get a hold of it the better, right?

Such a gullible, idiot human. No amount of years spent toughening up could change that. He punched the door as hard as he could and sank down onto the floor again.

Fuck.

His shirt stuck to his skin here and there, blood having dried up and darkened all over and he drew a breath through his nose. The urge to throw up washed over him. As if the memories of Carner's house weren't enough to deal with.

Someone suddenly cleared their throat and Lucius' head tilted up at the sound, heart skipping a beat in the process.

"I... I wasn't sure if you'd noticed me," a man looking just about a little older than Lucius said, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "Figured I'd say something, you know?"

Lucius' nose scrunched up.

"Where are we?" His voice took on a low, growling kind of tone. Of course he knew. It's not like he wasn't familiar with the idea of prisons but he needed details.

"Oh, well..." The man shrugged, baggy shirt sagging around his tanned, bony shoulders. "... Death row, I suppose."

It was more than Lucius would've wanted to hear. He paled, trying to hide the horror in his face.

"Death... Row?"

Impossible.

"Yeah, it's..." The man gestured at Lucius' shirt. "... Probably for a reas—"

"It was just one man!" Lucius threw his hands out, shaking his head. "One! One murder!"

The other man pursed his lips.

"I do think one murder is enough."

Lucius only glared at him before standing up again to peer out into the hallway.