Disclaimer: don't own any of the characters but the story by me.

Double-Edged Sword.

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The light from the torch Sydney held, danced silently on the walls as if playing with her shadows. Sydney cautiously made her way through the tunnel. The stairs, which she had begun with, entering the secret entrance, ended five minutes ago, or so she thought. Slowly the road in front of her lit up and darken again behind her. This went on until she faced a decision.

It was a fork in the road.

She had two choices. Left or right. Sydney contemplated both ways and struggled to see ahead into the black abyss but gave up in the end. She breathed a small prayer, and took the sword, which was strapped to her back like a sling bag, placed the sharp end unto the floor and let it drop freely. It fell with its handle pointing left. "I hope you're right," Sydney said, placing the sword unto her back and continued her way.

The heat from the torch was beginning to irritate her as sweat beads rolled down her neck. The passageway seemed like a never-ending road, and Sydney was starting to have doubts about her choice. Was it the right one? If it weren't, then she would have wasted precious time and would have to retrace her steps. She couldn't afford that, not with Nigel's life depending on it.

Sydney eyes looked around constantly, waiting for any booby traps that might have been set, until she finally looked ahead. "No," she whispered softly but the walls echoing her words ten times louder. Sydney's anger flared. Partly at her obstacle, and at herself.

There was a wall ahead. A dead end.

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"I've been thinking," Nigel's voice sounded

Preston shifted his gaze from the window to his brother, who was by the floor and leaning against the wall. "It's not healthy."

"What?"

"Thinking." Preston moved away from the window and took a few steps along the walls of the tower. "It's not healthy. Kills of brain cells."

Nigel snorted. "Of course, you would obviously know."

Preston stopped. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"You never think. Must be preserving those brain cells of yours -eh?" Nigel said coughing in between.

"All right! That is enough! I've had it up to here!" Preston objected. He was frustrated with Nigel. "What is with you and your sudden indignation with me? You've at it for the past week or so. In fact you've been at this for as long as I can remember. What exactly have I done to provoke such annoyance from you?"

Nigel looked down at the floor and rested his hand on his knee. "Nothing." He bluntly said.

"Oh no, not this time you won't. You are telling me exactly what is going on in that head of yours.'

"I said it was nothing."

Preston looked at him, and stared hard. He wasn't about to let it all as it is. "Nigel."

Nigel leaned back, his head hitting the wall lightly, and rubbed his temples. "You."

"What?" Preston was puzzled.

"You always had everything that was better and you always-." Nigel went into a coughing fit. He took a deep breath and Preston noticed that Nigel had been struggling a lot more to breath. "You always fight and compete for everything I wanted and you still do." Nigel continued. "From school grades, job applications, my girlfriends, attention and I know that you took up the piano just because I did."

Preston nervously placed his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling. He always knew Nigel had suspected something. "We''.it's.uh.it's not exactly.well."

"It's true isn't it? I was right." Nigel's voice was just in a whisper.

" Mother and father always adored you more. They were always going on about how much of a genius you are and about being a precocious child. Well I was getting tired of being in you shadow and-."

"Preston." Nigel whispered.

"Don't interrupt me. I need to get this off my chest. You had-."

"Preston!" Nigel said just a little louder.

"What!" Preston said, definitely a lot louder than Nigel. He turned to face Nigel and saw him nearly blue. "Oh my God."

Preston rushed to his side as Nigel struggled to speak and finally managed to force the words out. "I can't.I can't breath."

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Sydney Fox hit her fist against the wall and kicked it with her foot. All she managed to do was leave a black imprint of her boot on it and loosened some brick bits and sand, which showered her. Sydney swore, turned around and ran as fast as she could through the way she came from.

She tried calculating the amount of time she had wasted but couldn't think clearly. She finally arrived at the fork again and entered the other passageway. Right than Sydney couldn't be bothered about booby traps anymore and ran faster down, the light of the torch almost going out whenever she made a sharp turn.

Her breathing was all she could hear after all; the rest of the place was dead quiet. Slowly the road ahead revealed more of the maze of a place called a passageway. Suddenly Sydney stopped. Her froze.

It was another dead end.

Sydney couldn't believe it. Both roads lead to a dead end. It was official; she hated Dandolo and cursed his lineage. "It was a wild goose chase after all," she muttered as she stood in front of yet another wall. Right then Sydney wished with all her heart that she had found the scabbard. She looked down and fought back the tears. Sydney fell to the floor on her knees letting her head rest against the cold brick.

"Why?" she whispered. Sydney opened her eyes and caught sight of something different. "It couldn't be.' Sydney was filled with hope as she realized what it was. Her shoeprint she had left behind from the first time. It was the same wall. That meant that there was something else to it. Sydney got back on her feet and ran her hand over the wall inch by inch,

The wall looked solid and felt smooth under her fingers. Each brick was cemented together perfectly, or so it seemed. Sydney started from the top left of the wall and slowly went down and up again towards the right hand side. Her arms were beginning to ache from lifting the torch as well as from the constant searching, and Sydney was also getting fed up. But then her fingers felt something different in between two of the bricks near the top left. There wasn't any cement there like the others. Sydney drew in a deep breath and hoped.

"In the heart of eagles." She thought out loud. With her free hand Sydney retrieved the sword from its resting place on her back. Sydney compared the size of the sword and the gap. 'Wasn't the first time the sword was used as key' she thought. The sword was placed through the gap until it couldn't go any further. Sydney heart raced as a low and loud click was heard.

Silence followed. Sydney waited but still nothing moved. "This has to be right' she thought, her hands going numb from fear. Sydney tried her luck again and pushed against the wall. It moved from the along the crack of where the sword was placed into and she pushed harder. The sword fell and Sydney caught it just before it hit the floor.

Sydney looked ahead and her jaw fell. She never expected something like this.

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"Come on Nigel, breathe. Relax." Preston kneeled in front of Nigel, his face in between Preston's palms. Dread filled in Preston, making him feel nauseous. "Take it easy.' Nigel's body slowly began to relax from its tense state, as his breathing wasn't so labored anymore. "Take deep breath's. Slowly." Preston said clasping Nigel's shoulders.

"I'm -." Nigel coughed trying to catch his breath. "Fine."]

"Better?"

Nigel merely nodded in response still trying to let air into his lungs.

Preston was relieved, but still worried. He noticed Nigel's eyes were dull and his skin was pasty in color.

"I'm all right. Really I am," Nigel said running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. "Loads better Syd."

"Preston's brow knotted together in confusion. "Syd?"

"Let's go." Nigel tried to stand up but fell again. Preston caught him before he fell to hard. "Whoa, a little dizzy there Syd. But I'm fine." Preston pushed Nigel back down as he tried standing again and held him there.

"Nausea hit Preston in the stomach again as he realized what happened. Nigel had lost his mind.

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Hello.I'm back after such a long break from the hols. Anyways, here's the next chapter and was suppose to continue but was a little too long so I broke it into a another chapter.hope you like it and plz review it.^_^