Daniel woke up in a prison cell. Maise was sitting on the other side of the bars, right beside him. The side of her head was covered in bandages, soaked with her blood. She greeted him with compassion.
-You're not dead? - excitement and shock resounded in his voice. - But how?
-The bullet missed me. Slide over my temple. It's a miracle I'm even still alive. - she chuckled which quickly turned into a violent cough.
-I survived, but I'm still in pretty bad shape.
-I'm sorry.
-Don't be. - she said quickly.
-I want to go back through the corridor.
-I'm afraid that's not possible.
-We will need to make it possible. I will fix this. I will make you stay in the real world.
-I don't want that, Daniel.
-Why is that? Ever since I got here, everything has gone to shit! You clearly don't look like you had a different experience. - At this moment, Daniel felt the railroad again. He was having a conversation, but they gave him a feeling like he was traversing some kind of space.
-I still don't want that. - A tear rounded up in Maise's eyes. - It won't be my future to live.
-How? - he said, moving calmly along the train tracks...
-This world doesn't work like that, Daniel. - The tracks cracked a little. It was a strange feeling, but it felt like a breath of fresh air.
-Then we will make it work like that. Maise come on! - he shouted, Maisie laughed with pain.
-What is it? - Daniel asked.
-He said to me the same thing, a long time ago. - Daniel went for that fresh air. It was like a crack in the wall, he made it a bit bigger.
-You're talking about that old prick, don't you? Who is he anyway?
-I cannot tell you that. All he wants you to know, for now, is that you have a part to play in all of this, too. Just need to be patient. - said Maisie showing all the care she had for her now younger brother, even through her melancholic tears. - He is trying to fix the world. - she said as hope covered her face.
-If I had a part to play in fixing the world, I wouldn't be locked in a cage, would I?! - he raised his voice, and the tension between them increased.
-That's your part, Daniel. - she stated firmly. - ...to not stand in his way until it's done. You're a paradox we need to contain.
-A paradox?
-Stop! Stop! Just stop asking questions! - Raven was clearly physically exhausted by the conversation. Probably because of the wound on her head, which she reached with her hands to try to contain that pain.
-Do you really believe that some grandpa with pretty eyes can fix the world for you? Seems like you're too lazy to do it yourself, huh? - Maisie suddenly stood up and slammed the cage bars with her weapon. The vibration of metal echoed as she shouted.
-You don't have a clue what I sacrificed for this. For you. When I saw our mum die on that hospital bed, when I felt all those emotions all these hateful people on the other side bear for me... I see now that he is our only way... to make them all go away.
-For a second, I thought you were by my side. - Daniel said in disappointment.
-Guards! We're done here. Give him no food and water for the next couple of days. - leaving she turned to him, one last time.
-Survival makes our egos go away. Hopefully, you'll learn that now. - the door slammed shut behind her, and Daniel was left alone again. He sat there in silence as the train tracks faded away again.
Hours passed as Daniel was lying half asleep on the cold concrete floor. Long time past midnight someone knocked at the prison wall.
-Daniel? - a familiar voice shouted in a whisper through a little window near the ceiling. It was Roth.
-Are you here to help me? - asked Daniel in doubt, remembering the tension that was between them when they saw each other the last time.
-Yes! - he said. There was a certain amount of positivity in his voice. - I stole some explosives. You will need to stand as far from the wall as possible, and we'll get you out of there. - he was speaking like he truly believed in his plan, just like before the assault on this base.
-That's going to attract attention.
-Yes. But we can run away. It's not too many people here after yesterday. Just give me some time and stand clear. - Roth started planting the explosive. Daniel sat in the far corner of the cell and covered his head with his hands. When he heard him still set up his way out, he spoke up. - Roth, I'm sorry how I...
-Stop it. - he interrupted him. - We'll talk about this after you're out. - Roth didn't say it in an avoidant manner. He didn't hold any bad emotions about him until now.
Suddenly a blunt clunk broke the cement holding all the bricks together, after which the wall around the explosion went down steadily. The dust has fallen off and Daniel saw Roth on the other side of the wall. Momentarily a guard stormed into the prison cell, grabbing Daniel by his shoulder. Roth quickly drew his gun and shot him in the head. The man dropped dead to the floor., as Roth turned to Daniel.
-Now we run. - and so they did, making their way along the walls of the prison placed in a building that looked like an already established fort. People were hustling around on the upper floors, trying to see what happened. As Daniel and Roth almost made it to the town, a voice sounded.
-Stop! Or I'll shoot. - Maisie was standing behind the corner of the prison wall they were running along. He looked at the two of them, working their way out, together.
-You were on his side all this time. - she pointed the gun at Daniel.
-Roth tried to get out of here. Help me. If I'd get out, I can still save you! You can still join us.
-Careful with her. - Roth whispered. He didn't trust her at all. Daniel could speak forever but his words didn't matter to Maisie. She felt betrayed. Daniel took part in wiping all of her people. It was a horrible feeling, drawing her sanity away. She wanted to shoot him. She was about to. But she knew she couldn't. The emerald eyes were above her too. Making her stop. Making her obey. She lowered the gun. With the amount of her wounds, she let them run away into the now empty base town.
-It wasn't supposed to be that way! - Maisie shouted into the dry air. - It wasn't... - she mumbled.
-You lied to me. - she turned to the eyes looming above her. - That is not how the timeline was supposed to go. - The eyes were vicious towards Maisie, but they ordered her to stay calm. Things could be going differently this time, but they can manage it. Even though she felt a bit better, she didn't buy the prophet's confidence completely. One thing was certain. Their plan was starting to slip.
END OF CHAPTER