Chapter 90 The Journey North
We took a small, unmarked hover-car for the journey. It was faster than the old military trucks, sleek and silent, cutting through the air like a silver needle.
The trip that used to take days across the frozen wastes was now a matter of hours.
We drove away from the Spire while we looked back at the green tree cover of the Terrarium. We flew above the ruins, which now lay covered in moss and ivy, until we reached the border that separated Ryker's terraforming magic from the original territory.
The North stripped the world of its colors. The jungle's emerald green transformed into the harsh, icy white of snow. The sky changed from its bright blue color to a dark slate-grey color that resembled a bruise.
The car's interior temperature dropped because cold air passed through the windows despite the active heating system.
Ryker was driving. He drove manually without using the autopilot. He held the wheel with precise control that refused to break. He drove at maximum fuel efficiency by taking corners exactly at the proper angles, while he maintained a constant speed and straight path. He functioned as a human whose body operated a machine.
Ryker observed the dashboard when he said, "The temperature is dropping." The sector's climate conditions operated at suboptimal levels. The human body requires too much energy to stay alive in this area. The area was unsuitable for human life.
"I consider this place my home," I said to the window which showed me the infinite view of pine trees and ice. "The place existed before. Do you recognize it?
Ryker kept his gaze fixed on the navigation screen without looking outside.
He confirmed that the topography matched the database system. The system tracks elevation level and density of ground areas and plant life distribution. This area belongs to Wolf Territory which is located in Sector N-1.
He remained unbothered by it. The bloodline inside him should have made him feel drawn to that land. The North existed for him as a point on a map which marked his way to travel.
The mountain top appeared before us after we had flown in silence for another hour. The mansion stood on the mountain like a dying gargoyle, looking down from its position.
The Alpha's ancestral home. The location of Ryker's birth. The location where I had been held against my will.
The building had turned into a state of destruction. The succession war—the brutal battle for his father’s title—had decimated it. The west wing had collapsed entirely, buried under a drift of snow. The grand hall roof had caved in, leaving the rafters exposed to the grey sky.
Ryker stopped the car at the beginning of the long, twisting driveway. The engine maintained its sound until it stopped functioning.
We exited the car and entered the snowy area. The wind struck us with its powerful force which created a freezing cold breeze that pushed my hair onto my face. I tightened my grip on my fur-lined cloak. Ryker remained still in his suit which made him look like he could not feel the cold while he watched his childhood house's broken windows.
Ryker asked, "What purpose do we serve by being here?" The building showed signs of danger because it could collapse at any moment. The roof stability assessment showed that 85% of the structure suffered from 85% roof instability. The facility did not possess any operational importance. The building required demolition.
"You have historical significance," I told him. "Data isn't the only thing that matters, Ryker. Historical events hold equal value."
I extended my hand to him in order to take his gloved hand. He did not withdraw but his hand stayed lifeless in my grasp.
I gently pulled him toward me, saying, "Come with me." "The walls will stay untouched by our presence. We are here to check on the memories we have lost.
We went up the broken stone stairs to reach our destination. The front door was hanging off its hinges. We entered the foyer space. Snow had drifted across the checkerboard marble floor, piling up in the corners.
We passed through the dining room area. I stopped to watch the table that had been left to decay. I remembered sitting there, starving, while I watched Ryker and his father eat, invisible to them.
"You used to sit there," I whispered, pointing to the head of the table. "You used to ignore me."
Ryker glanced at the table. The personnel in charge of refueling operations follow a rule which states they must not acknowledge any unimportant personnel.
I closed my eyes, battling the urge to scream. Then I continued walking.
The grand staircase creaked while we stepped on its surface, which produced an audible sound.
We reached the top floor. The hallway was dark, the wallpaper peeling in long, damp strips. A small wooden door stood at the end of the corridor.
The Attic.
My confinement. My confinement for ten years.
I said softly outside the door, "You kept me prisoner in this location." My heart was hammering against my ribs. "You locked me in here. You and your father.
Ryker examined the door. He examined the lock mechanism of the door.
"Ryker stated to me, "Unlawful imprisonment." The new laws I enacted define this crime as a Class A felony. I was a criminal then.
"Open it," I said.
Ryker reached toward the door. He pushed the door. The door opened with a loud screech that echoed throughout the empty building.
We stepped inside.
The room remained in the same condition that I had left it. The window showed a small room that was completely freezing. A narrow cot with a thin mattress stood in the corner. A small table. A bucket.
The table held a wooden bowl which had collected dust on it.
I walked over and picked it up. The wood surface of the object felt rough under my fingers.
"What is this object?" I asked him before turning to face him.
Ryker examined the item which I held in my hands. His golden eyes scanned it, analyzing its composition.
He introduced the bowl to me by saying, "A bowl., He went on to explain its materials, which were pine and its construction method, which he described as crude. Its worth he declared to be nil.
I told him, "That's the bowl you brought for me." During my illness, I needed it the most. The time when I was at death's door from the fever.
I took a step toward him.
You were not supposed to do that according to my statement. Your father said to you that you should let me perish because he considered me a waste of resources. You came to this place at the early hour of night time. Your actions put you in danger of facing his anger. You brought me soup.
I pointed to the spot on the floor near the cot.
You sat right there, I said. You watched me while I ate my food. You did not speak a word. You just watched to make sure I didn't die. Ryker saved me because he did not want to lose me from his life.
Ryker studied the empty section of floor space.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then, he frowned. His body made a small movement when a crease appeared between his eyebrows.
Ryker began to speak but broke off his speech. His hand rose to his chest area and he touched the area where his heart is located.
What do you feel? I pressed the question while moving closer to him. What do you feel?
Ryker whispered about pressure which he felt in his chest area. His voice contained confusion. He described the experience as chest pressure while explaining that his lungs felt constricted.
I said that guilt through tears which threatened to fall. The good feeling should be experienced by you.
Ryker stated his annoyance with the situation while his expression became more tense. He explained that the malfunction required him to exit the room.
He turned to go.
I shouted "No!" I hurried to the door and stood in front of him to stop him from leaving.
I reached into my pocket to take out a small tattered piece of paper. The paper looked worn out because it had become both wrinkled and yellow with time.
The drawing I had created, which I had given him before our forced wedding in the arena, showed a Wolf and Girl sitting under a tree.
You kept this, I said holding it up to his face. I found it in your jacket after the battle with the Queen. You carried it with you into the war.
Ryker studied the drawing. He slightly widened his eyes.
Ryker spoke to himself that he would not maintain waste materials because he found them to be useless.
I said to him that you loved me.
I stepped right up to him. I pressed the drawing against his chest, right over the beating of his heart. I could sense his body heat through his shirt.
I whispered to Ryker while looking directly into his empty eyes. Look at me. Really look at me. I am not a Vessel. The girl in the drawing is me. I am the girl who you saved.
He looked downwards.
He looked at the drawing. Then he looked at me.
The world stopped for a short period of time.
His golden eyes turned into a swirling pattern. The flat, matte surface of his gaze seemed to crack. Something moved behind the curtain.
He whispered "Elara?".
The robot voice did not speak to me. The King didn't speak to me. It was him. His voice sounded rough with confusion and terror.
I cried, "Yes, I'm here." Please return to me.
He reached up. His hand trembled violently. He touched my face, his fingers brushing the tear on my cheek.
I...
He suddenly gasped.
He seized his head with both hands, dropping to his knees as if he had been shot.
Ryker screamed that a system error occurred because the system reached its limit.
I fell to my knees beside him, grabbing his shoulders while shouting "Ryker!".
Ryker yelled "Make it stop! It burns!" and he hit the floor with his fist.
The Void Heart which existed inside him started to resist because it recognized the feeling which existed inside him. The affection required by people to live was undergoing punishment. The cage contained a failsafe system.
I yelled, "Let it break!" while I held him tightly. Ryker needs to battle through his discomfort.
Ryker groaned while he curled his body into a ball on the dusty floor. His body was shaking so violently that his teeth started to chatter. The silence made him hear everything at a full volume.
He fought inside his head for about a minute before he became quiet.
He became motionless.
He lay there for a long moment, breathing heavily.
He took a deep breath. He stood up with the utmost slowness. He brushed the dust from his knees. He straightened his tie.
He looked down at me.
His eyes appeared lifeless again. The crack which had opened before him now sealed shut again. The Shell had become more solid than before. The ghost had vanished.
Ryker announced in a cold tone "The inspection is done. This area possesses no value. We are leaving.
He exited the attic while he faced forward without turning to see what was happening behind him.
I stayed on the floor, clutching the tattered drawing to my chest. I had failed. I managed to break the shell temporarily but I lacked the power to completely destroy it.
I need help, I whispered to the empty room, my voice hollow. I can't do this alone.
I looked toward the dusty window.
A shadow outside in the snow stood guard over the house.
It wasn't a person.
A gigantic grey wolf with one eye and a coat matted with ice sat at the edge of the forest while facing the attic window.
The wolf threw its head back.
And it howled.
The mournful sound traveled through the valley until it reached a distant point.
Ryker stopped walking on the stairs.
It wasn't through me. It wasn't through love.
It was through the Pack.