A Royal Obligation
Chapter 181: Shattered Resolve

Chapter 181: Shattered Resolve

The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind Carl, sealing Eirik in an oppressive silence that echoed against the stone walls of his prison. Darkness seeped into every crevice, and for a brief, chilling moment, Eirik felt as if he were lost in a nightmare that he could never wake from, surrounded by shadowed walls draped in velvety purples and suffocating gloom. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, and though his mind screamed in defiance, his body betrayed him, limp, numb, paralyzed by the drug that Carl had forced upon him.

A single tear broke free, sliding down his cheek, the only act of rebellion he could muster. It was small, silent, but it bore the weight of his anguish, a testament to the silent war raging within. The tear traced a lonely path, falling onto the cold, unfeeling floor beneath him. This was his life now, bound and helpless, forced to endure Carl’s cruel obsession.

Days had lost all meaning in this room, fading into one another in a blurred sequence of hazy consciousness and tormented dreams. The air was thick with a sinister presence, the stench of Carl’s twisted infatuation clinging to every surface, reminding Eirik with each breath that escape was nothing more than a fading hope.

His thoughts drifted to his child, the one spark that kept him tethered to reality. At first, he had fought back, refusing every tainted morsel that Carl presented, clinging to hunger as a desperate act of defiance. Every bite that he withheld was a small victory, a fierce protection against the poison Carl slipped into his food. The thought of that vile concoction reaching his unborn child was unthinkable, and he had held firm, letting his body waste if it meant preserving the life within.

But the days had stretched, the gnawing ache in his belly had intensified, and desperation had begun to chip away at his resolve. Finally, he had relented, his own survival instinct overpowering his will to resist, hoping against hope that Carl’s assurances that the poison wouldn’t harm the baby were true. Each mouthful that he forced down felt like another shackle binding him to this place, stripping him of his will, little by little.

He clung to the thoughts of home, imagining Kaelix’s fierce eyes and his soft, grounding touch, his family’s warmth and laughter, each face clear in his mind, piercing through the fog of despair. How long had it been since they had seen him? Were they out there, searching, clinging to hope? He pictured his father’s stern expression, softening only for him; his mother’s warm embrace; his siblings’ laughter. And Kaelix, his beloved Kaelix, whose love had been his anchor.

Across the room, Sadiki stood in the doorway, watching the slow tear trail down Eirik’s cheek. His fists clenched, his heart twisting painfully at the sight of Eirik’s hollow, pleading gaze. Eirik’s eyes followed him, brimming with life despite the betrayal, silently questioning, silently accusing.

For a moment, Sadiki remained motionless, unable to look away from the wreckage of the man he had helped destroy. He felt the crushing weight of his decisions press against him, suffocating, as he realized the enormity of what he had done. Every step he had taken leading Eirik to this room had been a step toward his own damnation, every glance a reminder of his unforgivable betrayal.

Unable to endure it any longer, Sadiki’s body moved before his mind could catch up, propelling him out of the room and into the corridor beyond. The door slammed behind him, and he sagged against the wall, breathing heavily, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his fists tighter and tighter. He had thought he could do it, that he could bear the consequences for the sake of seeing his mother again. But each time he looked into Eirik’s haunted eyes, his resolve shattered, replaced by a gnawing guilt that devoured him from the inside.

He had been promised a reunion with his mother, the only family he had left. Carl had sworn that bringing Eirik to him would be a small price to pay, a simple task that would buy Sadiki a chance to reunite with the one person who mattered. But weeks had passed, and Carl’s promises had grown empty, replaced by silence and contempt. Fear twisted in Sadiki’s chest, a sickening thought creeping into his mind: What if she was already gone? What if all he had done was for nothing?

Sadiki ground his teeth, hating himself for being manipulated, for letting Carl use him like a pawn. He cursed the day he had crossed paths with Carl, the day he had believed that there could be a simple exchange for something so precious. And yet, each time he tried to convince himself it had been necessary, that it had been his only choice, Eirik’s shattered expression haunted him.

He could still see Eirik’s vulnerable, shocked face in that moment of betrayal, the disbelief, the unmasked horror. Sadiki had thought he could bear it, that he could steel himself to do what was needed. But the memory seared through him like a brand, marking him as the traitor he was, forever etched in his mind as a constant, inescapable reminder of his cowardice.

In the cold silence of the corridor, Sadiki made a decision. He straightened, his jaw clenched with newfound resolve, his heart pounding with a desperate, fervent beat. He had been a coward, yes, but he could still make this right, he had to. No matter what it cost him, he would not let Eirik rot in that cell, drugged and helpless, while Carl took pleasure in his suffering.

With a quick glance around the corridor to ensure he was alone, Sadiki moved with renewed purpose, his footsteps echoing down the stone hallway. He stopped at a corner, his breath steadying, his mind racing as he tried to devise a plan. He shouldn’t act rashly.

He inhaled sharply, his fists loosening as his mind formed the beginnings of a plan. The path was dangerous, and if he failed, he knew he would face consequences worse than death. But the stakes no longer mattered. His soul was already damned; what difference would a little more bloodshed make?

He returned to his post outside Eirik’s door, his expression hardening, a cold resolve settling over him like armor. He glanced at the door and whispered a vow, a fragile promise in the darkness, but it felt stronger with each word, steeling him for the path ahead.

"I’m going to get you out of here," he murmured, the words fierce and low.