Chapter 61

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE.

ROSALIE'S POV

My heart raced when a voice from nowhere spoke out. I had to put on a fake bravery and force myself to speak. "We mean no harm. We were thrown in here against our will."

I spoke with my eyes everywhere, trying to locate the source of the voice.

The voice seemed to consider those little words of mine, the light dimming slightly, but stable. "Your intentions are irrelevant. Only your hearts will decide your fate." It said to us.

The light flared, enveloping us in a blinding glow.

I felt a surge of energy, a sensation both foreign and familiar as if the very essence of my soul was being laid bare.

Carl groaned beside me, and I reached out, gripping his hand tightly.

"Hold on," I whispered, though I wasn't sure who I was trying to reassure. What is it him or myself?

Both of us. I presumed.

The light soon faded, leaving us in silence like there was no disorder a second ago.

When my vision cleared, I saw that the pedestal had transformed, revealing a key resting on its surface.

"Take it," The voice commanded. "But know this: when leaving, don't make a sound, not even a slight one, if you do, you will be noticed."

I reached out, my fingers closing around the key. It was cold and heavy, I carried it with half of my strength.

"Thank you."

"I don't help everyone I meet. I'm helping you because I know you, so leave, and remember, never make a sound."

I nodded towards the direction of the sound before leaving with Carl.

"Let's go," I said to Carl, helping him to his feet. "We're getting out of here."

As we moved toward the next door which had appeared after the key appeared, the voice spoke one final time. "Also, don't look back."

"We won't," I assured the voice.

For a minute, my eyes were glued to the key which felt like hope in my hand, solid and reassuring.

'But what's behind this door?' I wondered. 'What if it's something more dangerous than what I am expecting? Am I ready for a fight?' I couldn't help imagining.

I sighed, 'Here goes nothing.'

I raised the key to the door's keyhole and twisted it in there ever slowly before opening the door with it. The door cracked open, and I was almost blinded by the brightness which hit me.

My eyes adjusted to the brightness and I held Carl tightly by his waist before we both took the first step through the opened door.

We pressed forward through the winding corridors, the cold air biting at our exposed skin and soon enough, I became tired since it felt like we were walking and were not walking at the same time. It was like we were in a daze.

I wanted to look back, to see if we were away from the door, at least, maybe a little glance at the back, but I knew I couldn't. I promised the voice I would not do such a thing.

'Almost there,' I whispered to myself silently, though I had no idea where "there" was.

Rose was restless in my mind, pacing like a caged beast. *Keep moving. Don't stop,* She urged, her voice laced with urgency.

*I won't.* I replied to her.

We were succeeding in the plan, and I felt like we were already staring at the "there" right there in front of us until Carl gave a faint grunt.

"Sh!" I subconsciously cautioned him a little too loud with my finger across my lips.

When I realised, "Shit!" I cursed and broke the last rule because of my anxiety.

I halted and looked back.

"Oh, goddess!" I muttered when I realized what had happened.

"Hey. Let's keep moving," Said Carl to me.

My mind had been shattered, and so was my hope. But anyway, even with the plan successfully ruined, I still had to try til I saw all the roads were blocked.

"Yes, let's move."

I held Carl firmly before we resumed moving consciously. We made sure to take note of every sound and movement around us as we moved.

When we rounded a corner, we froze.

There stood a towering guard, clad in dark armor, and he was standing at the end of the corridor. His back was to us.

For a moment, my breath caught, and I dared to hope he wouldn't notice us.

But Carl stumbled, his foot dragging against the over-bleached floor, and the sound echoed loudly in the silence.

"We're finished." I knew.

The guard turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as they landed on us.

"The alpha's prisoners!" He barked, his voice booming through the corridor.

Panic surged through me.

I tightened my grip on Carl, who was on the floor and tried to pull him up to run, but the guard was faster.

He reached for a device on his belt, and a deafening alarm blared through the air.

"No!" I screamed, my voice drowned out by the wailing sound.

Within moments, more guards poured into the corridor, their weapons gleaming ominously.

They surrounded us, cutting off any hope of escape.

"Drop the weapons with you!" One of them ordered with his voice cold and commanding. He was referring to the key I was holding.

I hesitated, clutching the key tightly. It was our only chance.

"Now!" Another guard barked, stepping closer, his weapon raised.

Reluctantly, I loosened my grip, and the key clattered to the floor. My heart sank as one of the guards picked it up, his expression unreadable.

"Take them back to the dungeon," The first guard commanded. "And make sure they learn their lesson."

Before I could react, rough hands grabbed me and Carl, dragging us back the way we had come.

"No! Free us!" I protested.

My protests fell on deaf ears as they threw us into the cold, unforgiving dungeon once again.

The punishment came swiftly.

They bound my hands and Carl's, forcing us to kneel on the watery icy floor. Then, a whip was brought forward.

"You will learn to obey and fear." They muttered to us.

I was not moved.

My mind was not even there, it was on my failed attempt to bust myself out with Carl. We were so close. So close to the exit and our escape.

When I felt the first lash of the whip, I grunted. 'That hurts.'

The whip cracked through the air continuously with each lash slicing through my back like fire. I bit down on my lip, refusing to cry out, but tears streamed down my face.

Carl groaned beside me, his pain evident in the hoarse sound of his voice. "Leave her alone!" He rasped, but his protests only earned him harsher treatment.

When they finally stopped, I collapsed onto the ground, my body trembling from the pain. The guards sneered down at us, their eyes filled with disdain.

"Consider this a warning," One of them said coldly. "Try to escape again, and you won't live to regret it."

They left us there, broken and battered, the dungeon door slamming shut behind them.

I lay there for what felt like an eternity, too weak to move, the cold seeping into my bones. Carl's laboured breathing was the only sound in the suffocating silence.

"Rosalie," He whispered, his voice barely audible.

I turned my head to look at him. His face was pale, his eyes heavy-lidded. I couldn't reply to him, I was ashamed to do that.

"We'll get out of here," He said with his weak voice. "We have to."

I nodded. "We will," I murmured, my voice trembling.

Rose growled softly in my mind, her strength flickering like a dying flame. *Rest now. Gather your strength. We'll need it.*

I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over.

I failed our only chance of escape. I'm sorry, Carl.