Curse of the Red Evil

by Zel Spasov

  “They’re coming. I can already see their faces,” said Charles. “They all seem very angry.”

  “Oh, really?” said Bernard. “You mean they’re not happy we’re breaking into the palace?”

  “We’re not going to make it!” Jean said.

  “Give it here!” said the Bernard and grabbed the precious stone.

  Blink.

  Monsieur Gèroux took the keychain and tried the keys quickly one after the other, but when that tactic failed as well, he started swearing. “Come on, you goddamned key, open the door!”

  Blink.

  The drawbridge stopped. The guards were about to tear into them.

  “Good job. Look what you did!” Charles said. “We’re all going to die now!”

  “Like you were more useful!” said Bernard. “At least I tried something different!”

  “You two just got us killed,” yelled Jean. “Stupid idiots!”

  The wolf shook the ruby.

  Blink.

  He kept trying key after key, going faster and faster.

  Blink.

  The guards were almost there.

  Blink.

  A drop of sweat ran down Cayden’s forehead.

  Blink.

  The bridge didn’t budge.

  Blink.

  Suddenly, the lock clicked.

  Blink.

  The drawbridge lowered quickly, hitting the ground in an earthshaking collision. Cayden couldn’t believe their luck. The group rushed into the castle.

  Blink.

  “Quick, everyone inside!” Cayden said, holding the door open.

  Blink.

  The badgers operated a system of ropes and pulleys, raising the drawbridge moments before the guards could reach it.

  Blink.

  The patients closed the door. Monsieur Gèroux locked it and then helped the others block it with heavy furniture, after which he handed the keys back to Cayden.

  Blink.

  After returning the ruby to Cayden, the headhunter looked at the Rabbit with a smug grin.

  “Oh, wipe that smile off your face,” Charles said.

  They stood in the inside courtyard of the castle, which was as empty as the city. High walls and defensive towers surrounded the yard. The great hall and the central tower of the palace were also situated in the courtyard. The walls had numerous openings from which the castle’s defenders could shoot unwanted visitors. Like them.

  Cayden and Monsieur Gèroux walked back toward the main gate of the palace. Cayden’s head was killing him; with every step, the presence of the Red Evil and the waves emanating from the precious stone were increasing. Its corruption weighed heavily on his soul, seeping through the ruby and into his very being.

  When they reached the center of the yard, guards poured out from secret doors in the walls, surrounding the group.

  “Run to the gate!” Cayden shouted.

  Blink.

  The rebels, led by Cayden, went into another room that led to the next. This series of rooms would eventually take them to the courtyard. Their path passed through a large hall followed by another series of smaller rooms leading to the exit. If Doctor Perfect was planning an ambush, it was the perfect place to implement it.

  Once they reached the hall, the group slowed down. The room was suspiciously quiet. Orderlies and security staff emerged from the darkness, catching the group in a trap.

  Blink.

  The fighters of the Resistance and the guards of Agapea collided. The clink of metal filled the inner courtyard. A guard attacked Cayden, who managed to parry his strike. Several more attacks from the soldier followed.

  “Run!” Charles shouted. “I’ll keep them here!”

  The Frog joined him, holding the attackers back.

  “You have to finish this!” said Jean.

  Cayden hesitated. He couldn’t leave the Rabbit and the Frog here. He had lost so many comrades along the way. He didn’t want to lose any more of his friends. Charles noticed his hesitation and said, “Everyone else got to sacrifice themselves; now it’s our turn! Don’t take away our opportunity to be heroes! Now run! Defeat the Evil and this will all be over!”

  Jean looked at Cayden and nodded.

  “I trust you,” Jean said. “Go!”

  Cayden wanted to tell them he wouldn’t leave them, but they were right. Their only chance to stop the war was to face the Evil. Again Cayden contained his feelings of sorrow, as he had no use for them. He had sacrificed all his friends to get here. He wasn’t going to fail them.

  ***

  Together with Monsieur Gèroux, he reached the main gate. They tried pushing it, but it didn’t move.

  “Try the ruby,” said Bernard.

  Blink.

  They clustered in front of the door at the end of the big hall where Persephone’s subordinates had ambushed them. After some anxious searching, Cayden found the right key, and the door lock clicked.

  Blink.

  Cayden used the precious stone to open the gate. A long corridor without windows appeared in front of them. Torches were mounted on the walls at equal intervals, their light scattering the darkness. The duo entered the hallway.

  The visions from the mental hospital were coming less often, and each one was weaker than the previous. Eventually, they stopped completely. At the end of the corridor, iridescent light came from a large room with stained-glass windows. Cayden remembered this room. Here he had danced with Mira as his wife for the first time. An old memory rose to the surface of his mind.

  Moonlight shone through the stained glass into the ballroom. Cayden stood at one end of the hall. Opposite him was Mira in a dazzling silver dress. The guests were standing close to the walls so that the center of the room was empty. Cayden stepped into the middle of the hall; so did Mira. The two of them approached one another and held hands. Music floated in the air. Minor piano chords began the song of the child of the moon. A violin joined. Cayden and Mira held each other tightly, their bodies moving in sync. He sank into her deep blue eyes. It was his happiest moment. Nothing could ever interrupt his bliss—

  A slap on his neck made Cayden snap out of the dream.

  “What the hell happened to you?” said Monsieur Gèroux. “Did you forget why we came?”

  “I remembered something.”

  “Is that right? I’m glad,” the wolf said in a flat voice. “That’s all well and good, but I’m splitting.”

  It didn’t surprise Cayden that Bernard was abandoning him. Nevertheless, he valued the wolf’s help—he could use a skilled fighter like him if he was to face the Evil.

  “I’ll need your help,” he told him.

  “You’ll be all right,” said Bernard. “I’m done risking my life. If you’re smart, you’ll do the same. I just need to find where they’re holding these firehounds, and then I’m out of here.”

  The headhunter hurried down one of the corridors branching off from the hall. The pulsation from the ruby directed Cayden down another hallway. He could sense the presence of the Red Evil with his body, his skin crawling as if with a thousand fire ants. Pain quickly overwhelmed him. The Evil was trying to divert him from his goal, but Cayden was determined to face it, whatever it cost him.

  Blink.

  Cayden was in the mental hospital again. He was in one of the countless offices of the psychiatric facility. He opened the door of the room…

  Blink.

  … and found himself in a hallway inside the palace in Agapea. His head hurt unbearably, so he stopped to rest. He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes. A telltale growl told him he wasn’t alone.

  Blink.

  A pile of heavy furniture obstructed Cayden’s way. A laugh echoed in the room. The barricade groaned and collapsed on top of him…

  Blink.

  King Fraud triggered the explosives he had hidden in the corridor. A loud explosion shook the palace, and Cayden’s world slipped into darkness.

  Chapter 17

  D rums thundered in the distance.
Count Porcius stood on the battlefield in full battle armor, shaking with fear. King Fraud had stayed inside the safe walls of the castle after assuring him he would be “right behind” him. The count surveyed the army of Windhaven, which was gathered on the field, and squealed. Agapea’s army was powerful, but Windhaven’s soldiers looked exactly as scary.

  Before the battle commenced, they had to go through the traditional preliminary negotiations. To this end, the leaders of the two armies met in the middle of the battlefield, each accompanied by their most trusted soldiers. Count Porcius was escorted to the meeting point by his entourage. Queen Mira, wearing her silver armor, headed toward them, also accompanied by her retinue.

  The two groups stopped twenty meters from each other.

  “W-well…” Count Porcius said. “Q-queen Mira, I…”

  Hatred beamed from the queen.

  “Count Porcius, you and your army are under the influence of the Red Evil,” she said, interrupting him. “You are beyond salvation. My sacred duty is to deliver the world from your corruption. Your army will be slaughtered to the last soldier.”

  Her tone was harsh, without even a trace of doubt in it. Count Porcius got the creeps. Sacred duty? What was she talking about?

  “I'll leave you alive, Count Porcius,” she said. Her gaze fixated on him. The count was unable to look away. “I'll torture you for days—weeks—until you reveal all your Master’s secrets. Then the torture will continue without purpose or meaning, simply as a payback for everything you have done to me and the citizens of Windhaven.”

  Porcius’s pulse quickened in fear. As he stared into Mira’s cold eyes, he noticed something deeply disturbing. The color of her irises wasn’t sky blue, as he remembered—it had changed to red. Her gaze drew him into the very being of the Red Evil. Its ominous laughter echoed in his ears. Horrified, Count Porcius realized how the Evil had deceived King Fraud. Everything that had happened over the past three days—the appearance of Cayden Starosta, the attack on Windhaven, Starosta's escape from prison—had led to this moment. The king falsely believed he was using the Evil to conquer Windhaven. The count understood that the Presence had used Fraud instead, manipulating him. It wanted the complete destruction of Agapea and Windhaven. There would be no winner in this battle. Queen Mira and Porcius were going to die on the battlefield. It was too late to try to stop this. Even if he screamed in the faces of his soldiers, they wouldn’t listen. Their hearts belonged to the Red Evil.

  Mira put on her helmet, then turned her horse around and headed back to her troops.

  Count Porcius returned to his army as well, knowing his blood would be spilled before the sun set.

  ***

  A large stone slab pressed Cayden into the floor. He tried to move it, but it was too heavy. The weight of the stone pushed down on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. Cayden inhaled as deeply as he could, gathering all his remaining strength for one last try. He gritted his teeth and pressed against the slab, lifting it by a millimeter. His arms shook; sweat ran down his face. His muscles gave out, and the slab fell back onto his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Wheezing, eventually he got enough air to shout out, “Help!”

  Blink.

  No one answered. His cries for help were going to remain unheard. He was going to die in this corridor, buried underneath the pile of furniture.

  “Help!”

  Blink.

  The physical agony merged with the anguish of the loss of his friends. Tears stung his eyes. If he failed, his companions’ sacrifices would have been in vain. He would lose Mira forever.

  “Help...”

  Blink.

  He cried out one last time. The corridor responded with silence. This time Lenny wasn’t here to help him. Neither were Charles nor Monsieur Gèroux. He was alone, abandoned in the dark, buried alive.

  Blink.

  The Red Evil was going to win. Mira was going to perish, along with everyone else who had believed in him. The last spark of goodness in this world would be extinguished, and the darkness would smother the light.

  With the weight of the stone crushing his lungs, Cayden gasped for air. His heartbeat slowed.

  A spark lit the darkness for a moment and disappeared. The red strip illuminated the blackness once more before vanishing between the debris. The ribbon floated in front of Cayden’s face, stroked his cheeks, and went away. The band was trying to show him the way forward. Maybe this time he could catch up with it.

  Blink.

  He pressed against the pile with his feet and hands. The furniture mountain shuddered. Drops of sweat, mixed with tears, fell on the floor.

  Blink.

  The stone plate budged, dust falling from the ceiling. Growling come from somewhere far away. The sound intensified, and Cayden realized it was coming from him. The grunting turned into yelling, and the yelling grew into a roar. The slab moved. He moved onto his knees, maneuvering his back underneath the stone. He pushed one last time, freeing himself from the rubble.

  Blink.

  The table fell over, and Cayden gave a triumphant cry. He felt like he had just climbed Mount Everest. He stood on top of the overturned tables, chairs, and cabinets, victoriously pumping his fist in the air. He had defeated the mountain of furniture.

  Blink.

  The blood burned in his veins. The darkness glowed as if lit up by thousands of fireflies. Cayden grabbed Varvara's sword and rushed after the red strip, leaping over debris scattered in the corridor, all the pain, fatigue, and fear erased from his body. He stretched his hand forward to catch the ribbon. As always happened, it slipped away a moment before he reached it. Despite his failure, he continued the chase. He jumped over the last obstacle and stood on a flat, smooth floor. The strip flashed one last time in front of him before vanishing.

  Cayden was facing two large, gold-encrusted doors depicting a roaring lion. Those were the gates leading to the throne room. Though this was King Fraud’s coat of arms, he wasn’t the real authority. The Red Evil ruled over Agapea and all its inhabitants, sowing seeds of misery in their souls.

  Cayden remembered his former life as a king, the feasts and the happy moments spent here. For a moment, the dark hall turned bright; the spirit of a celebration long past arose amid the room. Merry music rang in the air as the ghostly figures of the guests danced on the floor. Cayden's clothes changed from simple T-shirt and trousers to a festive costume. He felt light and carefree. Life was easy. Mira was there too, in her beautiful green dress, her red hair falling around her naked shoulders and down her back. As Cayden approached her, she looked at him with her icy blue eyes. “You’re guilty!” she screamed. Cayden froze, the words piercing his heart like a sword. The light went out, the music faded, the guests disappeared, and darkness came again.

  The ethereal image of Mira became the big and daunting figure of King Fraud.

  “You’re guilty!” he screamed.

  Blink.

  Cayden stood in front of Persephone’s office. Fraud was protecting the door. To get to the outside yard, Cayden had to go through her room. He had no choice but to fight Fraud.

  Blink.

  The king held a big iron hammer in his hands.

  “You’re guilty!” he shouted again.

  Fraud’s eyes glowed red. He, like many others, had fallen under the influence of the Evil. Its fury burned in him. Even without a hammer, he was a fearsome adversary. With the extra strength given to him by the Presence, the king was going to crush Cayden like an insect. The lion lunged at him, swinging his hammer. Cayden barely dodged the swift attack.

  “You’re guilty!” Fraud said, then charged again.

  Cayden jumped to the right, evading the assault once more. The hammer made a large dent in the wall where his head had been just a moment ago. The king knocked him down with a kick to the legs. The lion readied himself for a final blow to his opponent’s head. Cayden lifted a hand in front of his face to protect himself, even though he knew it wouldn’t help.

&nb
sp; An attack didn’t follow. Monsieur Gèroux stood between him and the king, holding off the strike with his sword.

  Blink.

  Bernard, who had abandoned Cayden to seek his own salvation, had returned. He grabbed Fraud, protecting Cayden from his attack.

  “Run!” said Monsieur Gèroux. “I can’t hold him for long!”

  Blink.

  Cayden dashed for the big doors leading to the throne room. Before entering, he turned back toward Bernard to thank him.

  “I—” he began, but Monsieur Gèroux interrupted.

  “Run, you moron! Do your job, you stupid idiot!”

  Chapter 18

  C ayden used the ruby once more to enter the throne room. Once inside, the door shut behind him, leaving him truly alone this time. The throne stood at the far end of the hall. The sunlight, coming through the large windows on the ceiling, gleamed off the marble floor. Magnificent columns, six on each side, towered like giants, silent witnesses to the events that had taken place here.

  Blink.

  After locking the door to Miss Dimitriou’s office, Cayden turned the light on and was almost immediately blinded by a bright ball of light coming from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It illuminated the room like a small sun. When his eyesight returned, he saw that the room was furnished with a desk of solid wood, two chairs in front of it, and a library, which contained historical books like Stalin: The Way to Power and Hitler's Truth.

  Blink.

  Cayden came nearer to the throne, the room shuddering with each step, unleashing waves of pain that ran down his spine. Walking became strenuous, as if Someone's unseen presence was trying to stop him. Invisible ropes wrapped around his chest and suffocated him. Nevertheless, he kept on trudging. An earthquake shook the hall. From the columns came a whisper, gradually crescendoing into a shrill. The pillars vibrated, creating an oscillation in the air that formed words. Rough, choppy words thundered in the room, every syllable echoing in Cayden's very essence. The space around him pulsated with a repeating sentence reverberating in his skeleton. “You are guilty!” The words rumbled in his skull. “You are guilty!” The floor shuddered in the rhythm of the phrase. The pillars were giving a verdict. Cayden was the accused, and the decision had been made without him even having the opportunity to defend himself.