Chapter 16: The Fight
The morning sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the room. As the light touched his face, he slowly stirred, stretching his arms and casting a glance at the ceiling.
"Another day, another mission," he thought to himself, mustering the determination to face the challenges ahead. He rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom, turning on the shower to let the hot water wash over him.
While standing in front of the mirror, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching him. Thoughts of Karel, his nemesis, crept into his mind, intensifying his unease. He sighed, contemplating the dangers that lay ahead. Pushing those thoughts aside, he undressed and stepped into the shower, the comforting warmth soothing the scars that marred his body. He lathered himself with soap and, after a few moments, turned off the water, stepping out and wrapping himself in a towel.
As he made his way back to the bedroom, he heard a noise coming from the balcony. His instincts kicked in, and he swiftly grabbed his gun, preparing to surprise the intruder. However, upon hearing a familiar voice, he lowered his weapon and approached the balcony.
"Kurtis, are you up?" the voice called out. It was Elizabeth, his partner. He opened the curtain and door, revealing a half-tired and beaten-up Elizabeth on the other side.
"Yeah, I'm up. How did you know this was my room?" he inquired, surprised by her presence.
"I'm your partner, remember? We have powers, so I can easily find you," she replied, her voice tinged with exhaustion. She possessed the extraordinary ability to tap into various powers within the Lux Veritatis bloodline, surpassing the capabilities of her own family. Kurtis couldn't help but wonder if she might be the Chosen One, destined for a greater purpose.
He quickly dressed himself, aware that Elizabeth's gaze lingered on his stomach, where a large scar resided. Sensing her curiosity, he questioned her, "What happened to you?"
"I'm fine. Karel and his men ambushed me, but I managed to escape," she said, her eyes briefly glancing at his scar before he covered it up.
Concerned, Kurtis studied her appearance, noticing a fresh wound on her arm. "That doesn't look fine; it's still bleeding," he remarked.
"I've had worse," she murmured. "Maybe it's karma because I wasn't there to help you like I should have been."
Kurtis led her into the room, and she followed, her weariness evident. He retrieved the first aid kit and began tending to her wound. Trying to ease her guilt, he reassured her, "Don't blame yourself. By that logic, this scar of mine is also karma for leaving you behind."
Elizabeth chuckled softly, momentarily forgetting her pain, but winced as Kurtis applied an antiseptic to her wound. "Sorry," he apologized, his concern for her well-being evident. As he finished dressing her wound, he shifted the conversation to their recent discoveries.
"Did you find what you were looking for at your home?" he asked, eager to hear about their progress.
Sighing, Elizabeth reached into her backpack and produced a golden shard. Kurtis gasped in awe as he beheld the object. "How did you come across this?" he inquired, astonished by its significance.
"I found it during one of my archaeological expeditions three years ago," she explained. "After conducting some research, I discovered that all three shards together have the power to vanquish any immortal being. They can only be wielded by the Chosen One or Klara herself."
"How did you know?" Kurtis interjected, realizing the magnitude of their findings. "Yesterday, we found one inside the crib, and we already know the location of the third shard."
"Lara's father," Elizabeth confirmed.
"Yes, he had documented in a journal that Lara is, in fact, Klara. Karel was right all along."
"What's our next move, then?" Elizabeth pondered, the weight of their mission resting on his shoulders.
"We need to find the remaining rambling stones and acquire the third shard," Kurtis said.
Before Elizabeth could respond, there was a knock at Kurtis's bedroom door. He opened it to find his brother, Chris, standing before him, visibly distressed.
"Kurtis, I can't take it anymore," Chris confessed. "Elizabeth isn't answering her phone, and she..." He trailed off as he caught sight of Elizabeth standing behind Kurtis.
Without hesitation, Chris pushed his brother aside and pulled Elizabeth into a tight embrace, his concern and worry manifesting in his actions. After a few moments, they broke the embrace, and Chris stared at her with a mixture of love and concern. His gaze fell upon her bruises and the bandaged arm, and he could sense her exhaustion.
"I'm going to hunt down Karel and kill him-" Chris began, his voice filled with fury and protectiveness.
"No, not alone," Elizabeth interjected, her determination shining through. "We will stop him together."
Relenting, Chris agreed to their partnership, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Are you alright, though? What happened?"
"Karel and his men ambushed me, but I fought back and managed to escape," Elizabeth recounted, her voice filled with a mixture of strength and vulnerability.
Chris shook his head, a sense of confusion still lingering. His attention was drawn to the golden shard she had placed next to her bag. "Another golden shard? How?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"I had it hidden away in a vault," Elizabeth disclosed, hinting at the secrets she had kept from him.
Frustrated, Chris exclaimed, "This is why you wanted to go to your home, and you didn't even tell me? What else are you hiding?"
Sensing the tension escalating, Kurtis intervened, urging his brother to consider his own secrets. "Chris, let's not dwell on secrets. We all have our own. Look at Elizabeth; you're hurting her by fixating on this issue. She shared her biggest secret with you, and you haven't reciprocated."
Attempting to diffuse the situation, Elizabeth pleaded, "Please, let's not fight over secrets. We have bigger challenges ahead."
"It's not the same," Chris retorted, pushing Kurtis slightly.
"And how is it not the same, Chris?" Kurtis challenged, pushing him back.
Caught in the middle of the brothers' clash, Elizabeth couldn't bear witness to their dispute over her secrets any longer. She quietly retreated to the balcony, tears welling up in her eyes, and took flight, leaving the room unnoticed by the quarreling siblings.
Meanwhile, Lara happened to pass by the room, noticing the open door and the commotion inside. Curiosity piqued, she stepped closer, catching sight of the two brothers engaged in a physical altercation.
"So, why are you guys fighting?" Lara asked, breaking their attention. Chris spat out blood and rubbed his elbow, while Kurtis nursed a swollen eye and noticed his reopened stomach wound.
As they surveyed their surroundings, they realized that Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. Kurtis, tending to his wound, turned to Lara for answers. She assisted him while awaiting an explanation from one of them, puzzled by the reason behind their conflict.
"Lara, have you seen Elizabeth?" Kurtis asked, hoping that she had simply left the room to go downstairs.
"No, I haven't seen her since she left for her home yesterday," Lara responded with a frown. "Why? Was she here? Is that why you're fighting?"
"Yes, she was," Kurtis admitted, rubbing his temple. "Let's just say that things were said that triggered the fight."
Chris, filled with remorse, walked away and made his way to the balcony as Lara continued to press for answers.
"Where did she go? What happened?" Lara inquired, her concern evident.
"I shouted at her for not being honest with me," Chris confessed, tears forming in his eyes as the weight of his actions settled upon him. "And I have a feeling she left the same way she came in."
Elizabeth landed on an open field, her tears continuing to flow. Sitting on the ground, she couldn't help but reflect on the tumultuous journey she had shared with Chris over the past two years. Their connection had started in the army, where she had fallen for him in secret. It took three years before they finally became a couple, during their time in Turkey. It was there that she discovered Chris's extraordinary nature, just like her own. The revelation that he was Kurtis's long-lost brother, who had disappeared at the tender age of ten, only added to the complexity of their relationship. However, Chris had never disclosed the details of his escape or his subsequent enlistment in the army to evade the Cabal.
Now, she found herself alone once again, the weight of unspoken secrets eroding the foundation of trust in their relationship. Elizabeth had always been cautious, shielding herself from potential harm, and this inclination had made her guarded about sharing her past. Kurtis was the only person she truly trusted, but even he was unaware of some of her hidden truths. The golden shard they sought was among the secrets she had kept, and witnessing the intense confrontation between Chris and Kurtis shattered her heart. Chris was the love of her life, while Kurtis was like a brother to her.
Summoning her resolve, Elizabeth rose to her feet and ascended the hill, attempting to quell her tears. She knew she needed to regain her composure and return to the fight against Karel, their common enemy. The question lingered in her mind: Why couldn't she open up to Chris, revealing her true feelings and the secrets burdening her soul? Lost in contemplation, she failed to notice that she was being followed until an abrupt surge of energy struck her from behind, sending her crashing to the ground.
Agonizing in pain, she struggled to stand but was forcefully kicked back down. Gasping for breath, she looked up to see Gunderson, the source of the energy bolt, and Karel descending upon her. She understood now who had orchestrated this ambush. The soldiers grabbed her, their grip firm, forcing her to face Karel. Despite her attempts to break free, Gunderson struck her in the stomach, leaving her gasping for air.
"Where is the shard, Miss Clark?" Karel demanded, his voice filled with chilling authority. Elizabeth, defiant, mustered the strength to spit in his face, an act of defiance that earned her another brutal blow to the stomach.
"Take her away," Gunderson commanded, the soldiers heeding his words as they dragged her toward a nearby truck, parked amidst the ruins of her Manor. Gunderson approached and delivered a forceful blow, rendering her unconscious. As darkness consumed her, the final thought that crossed her mind was how she would mend the fractured bond with Chris.
The tech room was filled with concern as they all gazed upon the battered appearance of the two brothers, Kurtis and Chris. Marie, their mother, couldn't help but worry.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Mom, it was just a minor fight between me and Chris," Kurtis assured her, attempting to alleviate her worries.
"But why?" Marie inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Elizabeth arrived this morning with the other golden shard," Kurtis explained, clutching the precious artifact in his hand. "She had kept this discovery to herself for three years, until now."
Chris gasped, disbelief etched on his face. "Wait, you didn't know?"
"Brother, despite saving her all those years ago, Elizabeth keeps herself closed off like a tightly sealed book, hiding as many secrets as she can to protect herself," Kurtis revealed, his voice tinged with both understanding and frustration.
"I'm sorry, brother," Chris expressed, regret seeping into his words as he realized the weight of his actions.
"It's alright, brother," Kurtis reassured him. "The bigger issue now is that Elizabeth is out there alone, and Karel is waiting for one of us to make a mistake."
Charles interjected, seeking clarification. "Let me make sure I understand this correctly. You two fought over a secret that Elizabeth had kept from both of you?"
Chris nodded, shame washing over him. "I overreacted, guys. I let my emotions get the better of me."
Marie's concern for her future daughter-in-law grew. "So, where do you think Elizabeth might have gone?"
"We're not sure, but we need to split up," Kurtis declared. "David will accompany me as we search for Elizabeth."
"But I need to find her and resolve this mess," Chris protested, his desperation evident.
"Brother, I know you want to fix things, but for now, it's best for both of you to take a break from each other," Kurtis advised, his voice filled with wisdom. "Let me bring her home. You and Lara should head for the next Rambling stone."
"But..."
"No buts," Kurtis interjected firmly.
Lara, speaking up for the first time, agreed with Kurtis. "I agree with him for once. You'll have the opportunity to talk to her once she's back here, safe and sound."
Charles, feeling a bit left out, inquired about his role. "What about me?"
"I want you to head for the last shard," Kurtis instructed, assigning him a vital task.
"I'll go grab my bag," David said, moving swiftly to prepare for the journey.
"Mum, I want you to stay here at Croft Manor, if Lara says it's alright," Kurtis requested, turning to his mother.
"Lara is more than happy to have me here," Marie assured with a smile. "I think Winston might appreciate the company as well."
Lara nodded in agreement with his mother.
"Thank you, Lara. Let's get moving," Kurtis declared, his voice filled with determination.
Charles departed with Kurtis, leaving Lara and Chris alone in the room, accompanied by Zip. Marie made her way to the kitchen to assist Winston with the preparations.
"I've arranged your flight to Mexico, Lara," Zip informed her, ever the efficient assistant.
"Thank you, Zip," Lara acknowledged with gratitude. She turned to Chris, who was gazing intently at a picture of him and Elizabeth that he always carried with him. "They will find her."
"I know, Lara. It's just that I want to fix things with her. I don't want to lose her," Chris confessed, gently placing the picture back into his pocket.
Lara placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "And you will, but for now, take a break. Clear your mind while we search for the next Rambling stone."
Chris nodded in agreement, though his thoughts remained fixated on Elizabeth.