CHAPTER 112: HIDE AND SEEK

MICHAEL ELDRITCH

6 DAYS AGO

It’s past midnight, but the chase never stops. 

“Huff...huff…huff...” 

I gasped for air as I leaned against a wall, completely terrified and sweating like ice. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe how crazy Xenon has been. He made it sure that I would have no escape in this hell. The escape pods have been destroyed or freed. Jumping out of the windows to end my own life is not viable either, as all windows have been sealed with huge thick metal plates.

That crazy bastard. He got me cornered in the shower room of this airship. It would be about half a minute before he gets here, and there’s nowhere to go. I need to find a hiding spot.

I saw a set of locker beside me. Seeing that it is the only choice I have, I opened it and hid my body on such cramped coffin. If he finds me, this might as well be my resting place.

“Huff...huff…” My breathing is getting lighter. I can hear footsteps coming from the door of this locker room, combined with the scary snapping of the shears on his hand. I can see him walking just in front of me, using the vent in this locker as a window. I held my breath, trying to minimize all the noise I could make.

“You can run, and you can hide, my friend.” Xenon laughed. “We can do this all day, all night long. But you will have no escape from me. Now… Which one of these lockers is your hiding place? Are you… here?”

Xenon opened up the locker that was just beside me. There are about twelve lockers here, and it would be tough for him to guess it at first try.

While he was preoccupied with checking the other locker, I took the opportunity to escape and run away. He will find me sooner or later if I stayed hiding in that place, and I’m willing to risk my everything just to have this chance to flee.

“Hold up there, buddy!” Xenon laughed like a maniac as he chased me. I’m only leading five meters away from him, so there will be no way I could lose him this time.

“Huff! Puff!” My gasp for air became faster as I run with full adrenaline. However, speed will not guarantee my escape. After three minutes of running, I found myself in a dead-end, being cornered in the engine room.

“You have nowhere to go, Mike~” Xenon snapped his shears as his demonic and holy eyes glowed.

“W-Wait! D-Don’t cut my toes!” I curled like an armadillo, fully submitting to him.

Xenon grabbed my golden hair and dragged it closer to his face. His lips went closer to my ear as he muttered these words: “Of course, my friend. I won’t remove your toes… I will just smash it. Forge!”

Dropping his shears, Xenon immediately created a hammer that he used to smash my right toe. Blood splattered to the ground as the bones completely shatter like glass.

“Graaaahaaaaaaahhhh!!! Fuck!” I cried out loud. With my reflexes and instinct, I managed to kick off my torturer’s face and I managed to run again. I started to run, albeit in a lumped manner, dragging my injured feet all along.

“Sigh. I should have cut your feet first. I’m such an amateur in this.” Xenon said as he held his head.

“Shit! Get away from me!” I cried with terror as I drag my injured feet. My speed in running has been cut twice as the excruciating pain echoes in my nerves.

“Fine! Fine! I know you’re enjoying this game, my best friend.” Xenon said. “Another round. I’ll stay here and count to one hundred again. Make sure to find a better place to hide.”

I never turned back. I focused on fighting the pain and running away from that maniac. He seems to be enjoying himself in torturing me! He has cut my fingers, castrated my private parts, and now smashed my toe! I know I have done bad things in the past, and I fully repent now! I don’t deserve to have this hellish treatment!

If this thing goes on, my mental state would shatter before my body breaks. I know that Xenon wanted to emotionally injure me as severely as possible before he kills me. He’s doing a fucking good job.

Fighting is not an option. Escaping is not an option. I have to hide. Hide! Hide! Hide!

Wait, I know how to escape this predicament. It just took a while before my genius brain could work. As for the moment, I need somebody to save me. I’ll call for anyone; Alterran Army, Emperor Sirius Elkyria, or even Serena Maizono just to escape from this hell. I’m sure they will deliver me away from this maniac friend of mine. Alterra believes in due process, and I should be imprisoned and tried fairly. I also believe that Serena Maizono has a genuinely good heart that would disapprove of Xenon’s torturing techniques at me. I might end up dying in the process, but at least… anything… anything I can do to get away from the hands of this devil…

I managed to get to the control room and I hurriedly set it up for communication. There was an emergency channel radio exclusively reserved for me, so Xenon wouldn’t have found it out. While trying to get a hold of myself, I put the telephone radio on my ears and talked.

“Anyone! Anybody! Please help me!” I cried out loud.

Surprisingly, somebody picked it up. “Alterran Coastguard on the line. What is your concern?”

“Thank god! Thank god!” I praised fate for the immediate response of the people. “Listen I need to get in line with the Emperor of Alterra. Make it quick, please! I don’t have a lot of time!”

I heard mumblings on the other side of the line. They are talking about whether or not I should be granted a private talk to royalty as high as the emperor, so I have to reveal who I am.

“My name is Michael Eldritch! I need to speak to the emperor, right now!” I slammed the desk.

I heard several clicks and beeps on the radio, indicating that I have been redirected to the communication of a higher degree. I finally recognized a familiar voice when the other person on the line talked and introduced herself. It was a sassy feminine voice.

“My name is Lady Danielle Keine, the acting supreme commander of Alterra’s Dragonoid Fleet. All calls to the emperor will go through me first. I’m sorry, Senor.”

“Great! This is great!” I hopped in joy. “You will do!”

“That voice… You claim that you are Michael Eldritch, no?” Danielle asked. 

“Yes! I am! I am Emperor Michael Eldritch of Elysia and the former ruler of the world. I demand a parley!”

“You are in no standing to demand a parley, Senor. Alterra, Sargus, and Fleija have been freed from your dictatorship. Elysia is in crumbles, and Serena Maizono is working hard for your country on your behalf. You have no place to go, Senor Eldritch.”

“I’m fine with that!” I cried with pure happiness. “I get it! I will surrender! Please pick me up!”

“It sounds like your old tricks, but I think everybody in the whole world would be glad to see you again, Senor. Very well, we accept your surrender. But the moment you activate your Eye of Deus or Heartstopper Curse, and intercontinental artillery will bomb your location. You better surrender all your cards at play, or else...”

“I accept your terms!” I cried out loud. I looked from behind to check if Xenon is already here, but luckily, he has not found me yet. It’s still silent in this part of the room. “Hurry!”

“Give me your coordinates, Senor,” Danielle asked.

“I don’t know where I am! All the windows are sealed! All I know is that we will be approaching the ruined Vanilla City in the course of five… four days!”

“Can you elaborate your route, Senor?”

I shifted to the screen where I could see the map where we’ll be going. However, when I’m about to answer the airship’s way through the radio, the telephone line stopped. There was a long beep, signaling that it has been cut off.

Who cut it?

It’s none other than the devil himself.

“You know, my friend... That blood trails from your shattered toe give up your location outrightly. I suggest you clean up your wound first before running away from me.”

“Shit!” I cried out loud. “Xenon-gwah!!!”

A powerful right hook went straight to my mouth. The punch was fortified with a metal knuckle, so most of my teeth became movable immediately. Eighty percent of my front teeth fell off because of the powerful attack. Without any obstruction left, Xenon grabbed my tongue and stretched it away from my mouth as far as possible.

“This filthy tongue of yours… should be punished… You have told countless lies to the people, leading to their deaths. You shall lie no more.” Xenon said.

Then with a pocket knife, he cut out my tongue. The gushing out of my blood from my very mouth drowned my throat.

“Awa! Awa! Awa! Waaaaawawa! Awawawa!!!” 

My tears ran down on my cheeks as I tried to beg for mercy. However, there are not many words I could say, or cry, without an essential part of my mouth.