Inescapable

Chapter Eight

{So... Sorry for the last chapter. Honestly, I don't necessarily plan ahead for each chapter, so... That just kind of popped up, you know? Anyways, since I was hurrying to catch up with my writing over the weekend, chapters eight through ten are basic and pretty short. So... Sorry.}

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Varian could hardly believe it. Of all the things that could've possibly happened, he had not expected to be inflicted with pain so early on. Especially not as much pain as he'd had to face so far.

If it wasn't for Cassandra...

Just thinking about her hurt. She'd admitted to something she hadn't needed to admit, and then... She left.

It's not like you needed her along, he tried telling himself, it's not like you need anyone or anything.

Feeding himself lies wasn't helping matters. As he trudged on, all of his worst memories came flooding back.

His mother, dying as her husband and son- who was four at the time- watched helplessly.

The first time he nearly destroyed his village.

Losing first place when he clearly deserved it.

His father lying to King Frederic and then shutting Varian down.

His father being trapped in the amber Varian had accidentally created.

Rapunzel denying him help...

The list went on and on.

And Cassandra running off... That really had been the cherry on top. He thought he'd found a friend, someone who accepted him, who understood him, who would help him...

What had the voice said?

"All you have ever known is pain," Varian whispered bitterly, "all you will ever know is pain."

Yelling in frustration, he threw his pack to the ground and stomped on it. What he didn't expect was to hear the crinkling of paper under his feet. He carried his notebook and Quirin's note tucked away in his pocket...

Curiosity got the best of him and he opened his pack. Out came a slightly crumpled paper.

"Continue on the road to Old Corona or return to the kingdom. Either way, the one you love will die. But choose correctly, and your life shall be spared, if only temporarily."

That was all. Just those three sentences. No introduction. No signature. It wasn't even handwritten. Somebody was messing with Varian big-time, and he wasn't liking it at all.

Especially not when this all included a death threat. He didn't really mind the threat to kill him. No. As much as she confused him, Cassandra couldn't die because of him. Varian couldn't stand to lose yet another person he really cared for. At least she had friends and a father. She had something to live for...

But the note pretty much said that, no matter what, Cassandra was doomed. There was nothing Varian could do about it.

Still, he knew which way he had to go. He knew what he had to do.

He sighed, shouldering his pack before heading in the direction of Old Corona.