Only with Your Heart

Colours Of His World (2)

The morning mist cast a white haze over the area.

As Chizuru slowly opened her eyelids, a sharp pain in her temple caused her to squeeze her eyes shut again. After a while, she carefully opened her eyes again.

A stone wall filled with ancient colors came first into sight, and Chizuru blinked a few more times to get rid of her drowsiness.

Ah, these are the colors of Lukrovs world.

With that thought in mind, she sighed with relief and turned around, expecting to find Lukrovs warmth behind her.

But it wasnt Lukrovs warmth that she found.

No, it wasnt even Lukrovs room.

It was an unfamiliar, circular, narrow room with a rough mattress that looked like a poor quality grain sack, and had a fishy, mossy smell. And there in the back, against the stone wall, was Baru who seemed to have been beaten up.

Ugh

Chizuru suddenly scrambled to get up.

Well, she tried to get up, but she had a terrible headache. She curled back while holding her hands against her head.

A shock like a bell ringing dong, dong echoed in her head.

She was thirsty, and her stomach was growling.

What on earth..

Slowly, she raised her head, still not comprehending her current situation, but she was on the verge of tears.

Oh, Lukrov.

Im sorry, Baru muttered with a weak voice. His face was pale. He had dark circles around his eyes, a cut near his lips, and bruises all over his body as if someone had used him as a punching bag.

I couldnt protect you. I shouldnt have given up even if it meant dying!

After blurting that out, Barus head dropped and he looked down in disappointment.

He was dressed in the same clothes he had worn when they bumped into each other by chance in the castle, but what had looked clean and neat was now terribly dirty. It was dotted with stains of a dark brown color that looked like dirt or blood.

Where are we?

Chizuru managed to squeeze out a shaky voice while looking at her surroundings.

The room was in the shape of a cylinder, with a high ceiling that was slightly narrower than the floor. There was only one small window out of reach, and three rusty iron bars lined up vertically to keep out intruders. ******check tl notes

Or perhaps it was to prevent them from escaping.

Looking at the structure, it looked like it was the top floor of a tower, but that was it. She could not identify the location nor their situation due to the morning mist that filled the air and blocked their vision.

While keeping his gaze down, Baru began to explain slowly

I dont know where we are but we are trapped.

But by whom

While you were unconscious, two guards appeared in the castle. I managed to force one of them to confess that he was there on Count Kaftors orders.

Chizuru was speechless.

Count Kaftor was certainly Exias old father. A sly man who aimed for Lukrovs position. Exia had suggested marriage, at least allegedly, to stop the old count from running wild.

But now she wondered if that was true or not.

Maybe Exia had teamed up with her father and came to Lukrovs castle as a spy, in addition to sneaking around and planting false rumors between them and weakening their relationship, while disturbing the normally well-guarded castle in order to kidnap her.

What else was Exia hiding?

Feeling desperate, Chizuru shook her head helplessly.

Is he using me as a hostage to drive Lukrov out of the territory? To threaten that if Lukrov didnt leave the territory he would kill me, and if Lukrov gave up on the territory, he will return me safely?

Baru raised his head slightly, and the corner of his mouth hooked up into a mocking smile.

Yes, maybe. He answered sarcastically.

When she woke up from her happy dream, the world was gray and grim, and a nightmarish reality laid before her.

Then Baru explained in a dull, emotionless voice, breaking down the details he knew.

Baru explained that it had already been a whole day since they had been kidnapped. He had woken up on the way here, but his hands and feet had been tied and mouth gagged, and he was unable to fight back. He knew that they were in a deep forest and that it would not be easy for outsiders to find them

Chizuru listened to his explanation in silence.

Even though she had just woken up, her whole body felt worn out. Her vision was blurry, and she had to clench her teeth and gasp for air to prevent tears from falling.

Butwhy did they take you too? She asked.

Baru shook his head from side to side weakly whilestaring fixedly at the wall instead of Chizuru.

For one thing, I was persistently trying to fight back. I had no intention of letting them take you away, so I guess from their perspective, they had no other choice, and secondly .

He hesitated for a moment before continuing his explanation.

And secondly, they wanted it to seem like we disappeared at the same time in order to confuse Duke Lukrov.

Chizurus mind flashed back to the night before, remembering Lukrovs bitter confession.

She said that you were using me while planning to elope with another guy.

Chizuru felt like crying on the spot.

Oh god, did that mean, if there were no witnesses there

When Lukrov gets back to the castle, he would have to face the reality that Chizuru and Baru had both disappeared at the same time.

That wicked Exia had already filled his head with suspicions that she was planning to elope with another guy

Im sorry

Barus voice sounded strangely far away.