Episode 3 - Caution

William couldn't do anything about the missing stone so he decided to clean up his room. He got up from his bed and began organizing his books. Then he noticed something in the corner. A hairpin. That was odd. He didn't own any hairpins and he knew Emma didn't either. He went over and was about to pick it up when he felt a sharp pain in his back. He screamed. It felt like his body was on fire. He looked across the room at the mirror. There was a small knife stabbed into his back, blood oozing out and dripping onto the floor. He felt light-headed, fell to knees and blacked out. When he came to, he found himself sitting in a chair in an unrecognizable room. His wound was healed but he still felt dizzy. He tried to move his hands and found them tied down to the armrests as well as his legs.

    "Don't try to resist. You won't be able to get out of those."

He looked up. A man was standing at the door. He had pitch-black hair and he was wearing a black shirt and jeans and looked like a regular person except for the knife he was twirling around his fingers.

    "I wonder what she was thinking of when she tried to hide you? Did she think that we wouldn't find out? I guess it's fine though."

    "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

The man walked over and put the knife's blade under William's chin. His red eyes staring at him as though he was looking into his soul. He sighed and took a step back.

    "You really don't know anything. Of course, she wouldn't mention us to her family."

William was confused. He didn't know who this man was, where he was, or what he was talking about. All he knew was that the man was dangerous.

    "What do you want from me?"

    "What do I want? I want the power of the Lylle. The power that was once lost. Where is it?"

    "What are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about."

    "I guess you don't want to talk then."

The man placed the blade above William's knee and plunged it down. He screamed. The pain burned through his leg and spread throughout his body. He gasped for air. The blood poured out dripping onto the floor.

    "I'll ask you again. Where is it?"

    "I told you I don't know!"

The man pushed the blade deeper. William screamed and struggled to get out of his restraints. It was getting harder for him to breath and he wanted to throw up seeing his blood. What had he done to deserve this? All he wanted was to go home. What did this man want from him? If he could go back in time to his room, he would never have tried to pick up the hairpin. And then he was. He was back in his room, laying on the bed, breathing hard. No man, no knife, just William. What happened? Was everything he felt and saw just a dream? The pain had felt real. Then he felt a shiver down his spine as though something was crawling on him. He jerked his head up and looked at the window. He saw a shimmer from on top of a building and pulled the blinds closed. He looked in the corner of his room. The hairpin was not there. Maybe everything he felt and saw was just a dream. But when did he fall asleep? He remembered that he had was organizing his books and yet they were still laying on the floor. He decided not to dwell on it went into the living room. He made something to eat, showered and lay on his bed. He began to think again. What was kind of dream was that? Was it real? Was this due to someone's Stelles? Who was that man? At some point, he fell asleep and once again he was in his old house. But this time he was alone. He was sitting in the living room on the sofa. He tried to move. His arms felt like they were pinned down and he couldn't speak. Then smoke emerged from the door. More and more smoke came out and then the door was in flames. The surrounding areas began to burn up leaving nothing but ashes. The fire spread until it engulfed the whole room. William couldn't breathe. He was suffocating and the sight of the flames made him dizzy. His heart was pounding against his chest desperately trying to calm down.

William's eyes opened and he was back in his room. He was in a cold sweat and breathing hard. He got up and ran his hand through his hair. He grabbed his phone. 5:28 am, Friday. He lay back down and buried his face in his pillow. He felt sick and uncomfortable. He closed his eyes.

"William! Will! Hey! Wake up or you'll be late!"

He blinked and looked up.

"What's wrong? You usually wake up before me."

He slowly got up and held his head. He was dizzy and his head felt heavy.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Emma put the back of her hand against his forehead.

"You're burning up! Is it a fever? Stay here. I'll go get a thermometer."

He lay back in bed as she rushed out of the room. She ran over to the closet and opened it up. Emma rummaged around and found the thermometer and rushed back into Will's room. She checked his temperature. 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

"You're staying home today. Don't go to school. I'll tell Noah."

He saw her rush out again and pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. He felt pathetic. Getting a fever from a dream. He was 16 now. He thought that he had gotten over the memories of his parents' death but it lingered like a flame that wouldn't burn out. He shuddered and pulled his covers over his head. Emma peaked through the door and sighed. She didn't think that he would get a fever today of all. She had been given an assignment from the chief and it was an important one she couldn't get out of. Investigating the Konal. After so many years, she was allowed to investigate them. Emma had begged the higher-ups before to open up William's case again. She wanted to find the culprits that took his family away. When she had first taken in William, she had some suspicions of the Konals but was never given permission to look into it. Now after 11 years, they had reopened the case. Of course, she knew the risks of investigating them. There were rumors of them being a group that mercilessly killed people with no reasons or they were trying to search for something and anyone who interfered were eliminated. But she wanted to do this. She wanted to do something for William but she couldn't tell him. She didn't want him to suffer because of her actions. He has suffered more than most people already and it still haunted him. She left and went outside. Noah was standing at the gate, as usual, staring at the ground. He saw her and looked up.

"Hi, Miss Willows. Where's Will?"

"Sorry, Noah. He has a fever right now so I don't think he can go to school."

"I see. Tell him that I'll visit him later then. Thanks, Miss Willows."

He ran off. William had a fever? That was weird. He was usually careful not to get sick since he didn't want to miss school. Then Noah remembered how William looked yesterday. He sighed and walked to school. Then he heard a rustle. He looked to the right. Nothing. Was it his imagination? Then his vision turned dark and he felt something cold against his neck.

"Don't move or scream. If you do, this knife will plunge into your neck and you'll die. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

His voice was quiet and quivering. His hands were shaking and the hand that covered his eyes was strong. The knife that was pressed against him slid down his throat and he felt it pierce his skin. His blood dripped down and he shuddered.

"What do you know about the Lylle?"

"Lylle?"

What was this man talking about? Lylle?

"Answer me."

The knife pressed into his skin.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

There was a pause.

"Then what is your relationship with William Haris?"

"He's my best friend. What do you want with him?"

Then he could see again. The man was gone as well as the knife. He put his hand on his neck. His blood was still dripping. What just happened? Then he turned and ran back. He reached William's house and opened the gate. He rushed in and rang the doorbell.

"Miss Willows! Are you still at home?!"

He banged on the door. It opened up.

"What is it, Noah? William is sleeping."

Then she saw the blood. Her eyes widened and she grabbed his hand.

"Come inside and tell me what happened."

They went into the living room and Emma grabbed some paper and gave it to him. She grabbed a bandage from the closet and went to patch up Noah's wound. He was pale and wasn't as cheerful as he was earlier. His blonde hair was tangled and he looked scared. What had happened in the half-hour she met him?

"What happened? Why are you bleeding?"

He took a deep breath and told her. When she heard it, she sighed and rested her head against the sofa. Was it the Konals after all?

"What is a Lylle?"

She looked up surprised.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Eh? Um, the person who grabbed me from behind. He asked me what I knew about it."

Lylle. She heard of that phrase before.

"Listen, Noah. Don't tell anyone what happened. Not even Will."

"Why can't we tell Will? Won't he be mad if we keep this from him?"

"He might be. But keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?"

They turned their heads. William was standing, leaning against the wall trying to support himself.

"Will! What are you doing? Are you okay?"

Emma stood up and rushed over. She checked his forehead.

"You need to lie down. Your fever will rise."

"What are you guys talking about?"

They looked at each other nervously. Noah stood up.

"We'll tell you when your fever gets better so go back to bed Will."

"No! I want to know. What is it? What is a Lylle? Why are you guys keeping it a secret?"

He was desperate for answers. He didn't like secrets. And ever since he heard the term "Lylle" he remembered the scene of when he was stabbed. If that wasn't a dream than what was it? Then he saw the blood on Noah's shirt. He collapsed onto the floor and vomited. He couldn't breathe and his body was getting hotter as his fever rose.

"Will! William!"

"William what's wrong!"

His vision darkened and he blacked out.

Emma and Noah panicked. Noah grabbed his arms and carried him over to the sofa. Emma ran into the room and grabbed some towels, wetting them in the sink before she cleaned up the vomit. She threw the towel into the laundry and grabbed another towel. She wet it with hot water and rushed over to the sofa. Noah was laying a pillow under William's head. He looked scared and confused. Emma used the towel and wiped William's face. He was unconscious and his breathing was shallow.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be fine. It was probably the blood again."

"Blood? What do you mean."

William never told him. This shocked Emma and she sighed.

"I'll tell you. William probably didn't want to tell you because he didn't want any pity."

And she began to tell him. About William's parents. About his trauma. And about his life since she met him.

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