So Long & Goodnight...

Part 4: Secrets in the Snake Cavern

"W-what the..." Edgar whispered as he slowly came to.

His surroundings were dark, he could barely see a thing. He tried standing up, only to feel the tight press of rope around his limbs and stomach. He was tied up on a chair.

"H-hold o-"

"Ah, you're finally awake." said a deep elderly voice.

Edgar looked up and saw a familiar figure. A tall older man with silver hair and sharp eyes. He wore dashing green and held an ominous staff.

"Byron?" Edgar asked, confused.

"Ah, it appears you're finally awake, hoodlum." Byron scolded. "Do not be alarmed, this is only a fitting punishment for what you both did to the gift shop."

He was visibly furious. Edgar took a moment to collect himself and look around more. He was surrounded by boxes in a cold metallic chamber. This was definitely the storage room. Looking behind him he saw Colette, still unconscious, but tied up in similar fashion. The two were tied together on chairs facing back-to-back. Edgar blushed a bit but immediately felt frustrated at the sight of her. Suddenly, he felt a cold breeze on his neck.

"W-wait, my neck... " he said with life draining from his eyes. "Old man! Where the heck is my scarf!?"

He felt naked without his trusty accessory. Byron simply tilted his head towards a corner. There, Edgar saw his scarf tied up in knots, wrapping Colette's pink book of relics.

"M-my scrapbook!!" screamed Colette, who had just woken up and caught a glimpse of it.

As she struggled in her restraints, Byron continued.

"Ah, finally. Now both of you are awake." He looked at them with his serpentine gaze, paralyzing them both to pay attention to the slender man. "I believe it would be a grand understatement to simply say that I'm furious right now. Both of you idiots trashed the whole place! We had to explain to the park patrons that we closed for renovations. Tch, embarrassing, utterly shameful."

"B-but!' Edgar stuttered.

"Oh, but what you, edgy idiot!?" Colette butted in with a condescending tone."

The two bickered and ignored the frustrated elderly man. Byron pinched the bridge of his nose and yelled. "Would you two imbeciles please shut up!?"

The two looked back at him, still growling under their teeth at the other.

"You idiots already caused so much trouble, and you have the audacity to keep going? I have no idea what the heck you were fighting about, but if you don't resolve this right now, consider both of you FIRED!" yelled Byron, pointing his staff at the two.

"Tch, kids these days..." Byron grumbled as he left the room.

Edgar caught a glimpse of several robots and construction workers repairing the store, before the door shut, leaving the two teenagers alone in the dark. The air was tense as both of them sat silently, not even daring to tilt their gaze at the other. Edgar waited for someone to open the door and break the awkward tension. Colette simply stared at the ground, face barely visible past her undone white hair.

Suddenly, Edgar heard something. A sniffle. He tilted his head a bit and saw Colette shaking. Very vaguely he could see drops of tears falling from her face as soft whimpers filled up the silence. He turned back and stared at the ground. His chest felt tighter than before. He shut his eyes and thought to himself before forcing himself to say something.

"H-hey, Colette..." he stammered. "Should we talk about this..?"

No response.

"Ugh, can't you please say something?"