Threshold of Revelation

From his trench coat, Aaron placed a small glass on the table in front of Prince Nikolai, followed by a bottle of vodka. He removed the closure and poured the clear liquid into the glass.

Prince Nikolai carefully lifted the glass in a toast before pouring the liquid down his throat in one swift motion.

"Ah, splendid! Luksusowa Vodka never fails to impress me with its unique flavor. Truly an excellent choice, Aaron." Prince Nikolai complimented, a satisfied grin spreading across his face as he savored the lingering warmth of the alcohol.

In front of him was none other than the young man himself, silently staring at Nikolai drinking. He didn't say a thing, not because of surprise at the new, shocking information he just heard, but because he knew very well that knowing the truth about Isaak's background wouldn't help him much in the current situation.

"Hmm? Why don't you say anything? It's not as if you're unable to speak or anything." Noticing his gaze, Nikolai tilted his head a bit with a mischievous smirk on his face. "Or… maybe you're mad because I put you here in this filthy prison?"

After pondering for a moment, the young man decided to speak, his voice calm yet full of caution.

"Nothing, Your Highness. It's just this experience is new to me. I've never been into this type of place before, so it might take me some time to get around."

For the first time since he woke up in this hellish place, he didn't panic during a conversation with someone he didn't know, even after just hearing some shocking information about himself.

The reason behind it was simple. If it had been him two days ago, this might have been too much of a shock for the young man to even say a word. But throughout those two days in this place, he had started to get around and knew what he needed to do.

First off, and most importantly, he must remain calm in every situation. As the old man said, he shouldn't show his weakness; instead, he should stay calm and sharp.

According to what the Warden had said before leaving, this silver-haired man seemed to be a royal. Therefore, I should be careful when speaking to him. He thought. Especially since he knew what had happened to Isaak or the entire story why he was in here, I needed to find a way to gather more information during this conversation…

Prince Nikolai leaned back in his chair, surprise flickering in his eyes at Isaak's calm demeanor. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"I thought you might crash out or break under the pressure of this place. But seems like I have underestimated you, my friend. I apologize for that." His voice carried a light-hearted tone, but Isaak could sense the mischief deep inside.

Nikolai gestured to Aaron. "Care for a drink? You know you won't find alcohol like this in prison."

Isaak hesitated, considering his options. He didn't want to be rude, but he also sensed that Nikolai was planning something, and it might turn bad.

"Thank you for your generosity, but I must refuse, Your Highness." He replied, maintaining his calm exterior.

Nikolai raised an eyebrow, seeming dissatisfied with Isaak's refusal. "Oh come on. Don't be a bore. Just one little sip won't hurt."

Isaak gave a reluctant nod, not wanting to dampen Nikolai's mood. The prince clapped his hands together in delight.

"Excellent choice! Aaron!"

The guard swiftly retrieved another glass, poured vodka into it, and slid it across the table toward Isaak. The liquid shining under the room's dim light, both inviting and daunting.

Isaak glanced at it warily. Clearly, he couldn't drink while strapped in place like this.

"I can't—"

Nikolai waved him off with a chuckle. "I'm just joking! Aaron, help him out."

With a quiet sigh, Aaron stepped forward and removed the mask from Isaak's face. The cold air brushed against his skin as he finally felt free from its suffocating grip.

Nikolai leaned forward eagerly as Aaron held the glass to Isaak's mouth.

"There we go. Enjoy it." The prince smirked.

Isaak frowned at the sight of alcohol but found himself sipping as Aaron carefully tilted the glass. The vodka burned slightly as it slid down his throat, but overall, it felt almost… tasteless?

Nikolai clapped cheerfully as Isaak swallowed.

"How was it?"

Although Isaak felt nothing at all while drinking the alcohol, it was simply tasteless, he still forced a smile and gave an answer to satisfy Nikolai.

"I must say it was quite tasteful, Your Highness. Thank you for your generosity." He lied without blinking his eyes.

Isaak drifted his gaze to the heavy metal door behind Nikolai. He needed to gather as much information as possible before the warden returned or anyone came in to interrupt their conversation.

And to do that, he shouldn't waste time beat around the bush and should get straight to the point.

"So… what brings you here today, Your Highness? To visit a person like me?" His voice remained steady as he glanced back and forth between Nikolai and the metal door, careful to notice any sign of someone approaching them.

Nikolai leaned back, a playful smirk spreading across his lips. "Of course! Can't I just visit my friend? After all, look what you've done for me. Risking your status, killing your family just for me. I'm deeply touched by your loyalty."

Isaak narrowed his eyes, confusion bubbling just below the calm face.

You've got to be kidding me... he thought, shaking his head slightly. Is he the one behind this? Making Isaak kill his family and pushing him into jail… But in his tone, it sounds like I'm the one who did it all by myself…

How strange, but maybe I could try to provoke him...? Still, he seems to hold my life in his hands, so I need to be cautious with my words...

"You know." Isaak continued, his voice sharp. "A few seconds ago, you said you didn't believe I would succeed in murdering my family, didn't you? Such a good friend you are, care to explain that?"

Nikolai's smirk faded a bit, replaced by a fleeting flicker of uneasiness before quickly returning to normal. However, Isaak immediately noticed it—the subtle shift in the prince's attitude, as if he'd been caught off guard.

"It's seems like you misunderstood my words." Nikolai replied as if nothing had happened. "I never meant to say that I didn't trust in your abilities."

"Did I?" Isaak countered sharply, letting an uncomfortable silence hang in the air. "From my perspective, you did look like you expected me to fail or some sorts."

Nikolai laughed it off as if were nothing. "You're just imagining things. Has being in this prison driven you mad already?"

"No, but—"

But before the young man could continue, Nikolai interrupted, saying with a more low and threatening tone.

"Or what you want to said is… I am crazy?"

Suddenly, Isaak felt as though his throat had seized, as if something were slowly choking him. It felt like a snake gradually tightening around his throat, forcing him to keep his mouth shut.

Crap… Have I crossed the line? He thought. I shouldn't push him anymore…

After some struggle, Isaak managed to part his lips again, and the first thing he did was apologize to Nikolai.

"Your Highness, I am so sorry for doubting you. Of course, you can always trust this foolish one. I never fail to behave well." He said while bowing his head slightly, though it didn't quite seem formal; it was the least he could do while being locked up like this.

Hearing his apology, Nikolai's expression softened a bit as he gave him another smirk. "Very well. As expected from my ally, but there won't be a next time."

Immediately, Isaak felt his throat free from the tightening grip. The atmosphere in the room also felt a bit lighter. The heavy tension between them was swept away as if nothing had happened.

What was that weird feeling…? He took a deep breath, regaining his focus and calm. Ugh, why do I always have to deal with people with those strange ambience around them...?

"How many times do we have left, Aaron?" Nikolai turned his face toward Aaron, his voice slightly contemplative.

Aaron put the bottle of vodka down the wooden table and walk toward the metal door, he lend his ears on the door as if hearing the sound outside before report back to. "The chaos protest seems to be still ongoing, and it's will continue spread across more than 20 cells in this building due to a lots of them have grudge for you, Your Highness."

"How long exactly?"

"I can't say for sure, but I estimate we have about 15 minutes before the Warden returns, or possibly even less." Aaron said, fixing his fedora.

Hearing so, Nikolai crossed his arms, looking at Aaron and order. "Alright, enough of chatter, give me the files."

Aaron pulled a file from his trench coat, checking its condition to see if it was crumpled before handing it to Prince Nikolai. "Here it is, Your Highness."

As soon as Nikolai took the files that Aaron had just handed him, he wasted no time. He swiftly opened the worn folders, scanning through the contents with intense focus. After reading just a few lines, he paused, his gaze shifting upward to meet Isaak's eyes again.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" He said before pulling out some reports from the files and tossing them onto the table, right in front of Isaak so he could see them.

"What is this?" Isaak glanced at the reports and quickly closed his mouth at what he saw in them.

In those images, corpses scattered everywhere, each of them died in a horrific way, their lifeless eyes staring into the void. Some were young, some were old, some were men, and some were women. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that they are all dead.

The scene in those pictures showed nothing but a huge area full of crumbled stone and broken debris. Pools of blood gathered amidst the debris, surrounded by endless lifeless bodies.

His gaze fell upon the neatly typed letters beside the images. 'Report #21' was written on the first line of the paper, followed by the date: 23/8/977 PMI.

Day 4 since the Bloody Night of Semenov Family event occurred.

Even though it was kind of difficult to move his head, Isaak was still able to read the reports on the table, one by one.

The Homicide Division continues to have trouble investigating how many victims 'The Sinner of the Empire' had murdered as they continue to found more than ten corpses near the cliff next to the Semenov Family's estate. The bodies were also unidentifiable like every others due to their terrible state when discovered.

As he read more, the young man couldn't help but feel a slight feeling of guilt. Even though he wasn't the one who had done it in the first place, but the thought that this body was used to commit such terrible acts still made him feel disturbed.

There are not many witnesses that survived that night, making it even harder to gather information. We have checked all the areas around and found no houses equipped with digital cameras; as an example, no video evidence exists. The only reports we have come from police and some other individuals who arrived after the event had occurred.

Even so, the amount of evidence is still limited, and the case continues to lack information. However, it is undeniable that the main suspect, and the murderer, is none other than Isaak Semenov, the first son of the grand duke.

After reading the reports, Isaak glanced up and met Princess Nikolai's gaze. The prince's smirk played on his lips, a hint of amusement showing as he watched Isaak's reaction to the reports of his crimes.

"Your Highness. Why are you showing me those reports?" Isaak asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

Nikolai leaned back in his chair with his arm crossed. "Well, you could see that until now, nothing too suspicious has been discovered. I just wanted to show you that the police are struggling with their investigation. They won't find anything anytime soon. Especially with the thing you used that night."

Isaak tilted his head slightly, a mix of curiosity and caution in his voice. "About 'the thing'?"

Nikolai's smirk widened as he spoke with confidence. "I know, I know. If it gets found, not only will you be in bigger trouble but so will I. So I took care of it. You don't need to worry, just owe me a thank you and a proper bow."

Suddenly, the young man felt relief washed over himself like a cold breeze for no reason at all. He unconscious let out a slow sigh and relaxed his shoulders.

"That's good to hear." He said, attempting to make Nikolai forget the earlier tension between them and return things to normal.

Nikolai seemed satisfied with Isaak's response, as the young man had successfully shifted the prince's focus from their earlier tension. Isaak felt a sense of relief wash over him for the momentary escape, but still, he remained cautious because he knew well that trust was a luxury so he could not allow himself to relax in this situation just yet.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Isaak pressed, determined to keep the conversation going.

Nikolai leaned forward again, amusing sparking in his eyes as if he'd been waiting for this question all along. "Of course. Now, shall we plan for the jailbreak?"

Nikolai's words nearly choked Isaak.

What? Did I hear that right? The idea of a jailbreak weighed heavily in his chest, swirling with confusion and disbelief.

He certainly didn't expect Prince Nikolai to bring up the idea of a jailbreak, in fact, it was the very last thing he'd expected him to say in this tense and uncertain moment.

"Your Highness, I appreciate your... generosity, but why do you said that you would help me?" After a few seconds of silence, Isaak finally spoke, his voice shaking but still managing to maintain its calmness.

Nikolai leaned back, a mischievous smirk curling his lips. "You mean why I'd rather help you than simply execute you? Isn't it obvious?"

He chuckled devilishly, his eyes glinting with something dangerous.

"You know, I've made quite a show for everyone to believe that I WILL execute you to boost my standing in the current political race for the throne. But let's be honest, after what you did for me, I can't just let you rot and perish in here."

Isaak narrowed his eyes, trying to find out whether this was all part of some elaborate game to trap him.

Nikolai continued, unbothered by Isaak's suspicious. "Betrayal is not my style. I am not that petty to execute someone who helped me increase my standing."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice wicked. "And besides…" He paused for effect before continue. "There are other reasons for me to help you escape, some of them are even better than choosing to execute you. You'll understand soon enough."

The ambiguous offer hung heavily in the air.

Isaak found himself caught between skepticism and a flicker of hope. It felt as though he were in quicksand; if he accepted Nikolai's offer and took it as a branch to pull himself out, that branch could break at any moment, leaving him to sink further. On the other hand, if he refused, given his current state and lack of information and supplies, he would certainly be dead as well.

….Am I really considering this?

He looked at the prince closely, observing not only the mischief behind his eyes but also a cunning intent. If Nikolai wasn't planning to target him, then he should be fine right…?

If doesn't consider the fact that the young man wasn't Isaak, being locked in this prison, enduring beatings and mistreatment every day, and finally facing execution at the end was likely worse than anything he could imagine.

What are the consequences? he thought bitterly. If I'm already on death's doorstep, what could possibly be worse? So why not take the risk? I'd rather die trying than just give up, right?

Isaak took a deep breath to steady himself before slowly nodding. "Alright then… Let's talk about this jailbreak."

Hearing the response he wanted to hear, Nikolai's grin widened, the kind of smile that definitely made the young man feel as though he had just stepped into a trap.

Nikolai leaned back in his chair, a playful chuckle escaping his lips. "You know, your execution is scheduled for a month from now. Quite pressing, wouldn't you agree?" His eyes hinted with mischief, as if he enjoyed in the urgency of Isaak's predicament.

On the other hand, Isaak remained calm as he thought, though a hint of panic and nervousness crept in. A month? This is truly a problem…

"What happens if I don't make it out in time?" He asked, glancing at Aaron, who stood silently by the door with an unreadable expression.

"If you don't make it out in time, then you'll face the death sentence from the princess." Nikolai replied simply, a hint of amusement lingering in his tone. "But don't worry, I will decide when we make our move for your jailbreak."

He gestured to Aaron with a confident smirk. "This fine gentleman will be your main accomplice. Believe me, he can sneak in and out of this prison if he's careful enough. After all, the royal guard I chose myself is trustworthy."

Isaak nodded slowly, considering his options.

"And you?" He raised an eyebrow. "What's your role in this jailbreak you're planning?"

Nikolai leaned forward once more, the glint in his eyes shifting from mischief to something more serious. "I'll support you however you need: resources, information, whatever it takes to get you out of here. But…" His expression hardened slightly. "If you get caught before we execute our plan? Try to snitch on me, I promise you'll be crippled for the rest of your time in here before execution."

A chill ran through Isaak at the threat lacing in Nikolai's words. He swallowed but managed to nod in reluctant agreement.

A moment of silence enveloped them as Isaak took in all the thoughts racing through his mind. The stakes were high, and the threat of failure hung just beyond his reach.

"You said before you could back up for me anything?" He finally asked, calculating in his voice

Nikolai straightened, nodding firmly. "Anything in my power."

The word repeated in Isaak's mind as he pondered his options. Finding a way out was essential, but what else could he request? His thoughts swirled through various possibilities until finally settling on one idea that felt absolutely crucial.

"A blueprint. I need a blueprint." He said firmly.

Nikolai blinked, momentarily taken aback before breaking into another chuckle that hinted at approval.

"Not bad." He remarked with genuine amusing. "But how do you gonna use a blueprint if it was too revealing, too bulky, and too risky to keep hidden?"

Isaak coughed a little before continuing, his voice calculating.

"Dear Your Highness, a blueprint isn't merely a piece of paper, it can be concealed in plain sight. You could disguise it beneath official stamps or letters, encode it inside notes. As you mentioned earlier, Aaron could assist in smuggling it inside, correct? He could disguise as a guard and exchange coded messages back and forth effectively without any problems."

Nikolai's eyes widened, the prince momentarily speechless at Isaak's quick thinking. A chuckle escaped him, admiration lingering in his tone.

"I must admit, you're quite the planner. I didn't expect such fast calculation from you." He leaned back in his chair, clearly impressed.

But before Isaak could respond further, Aaron, who usually remained mostly silent, suddenly shifted his demeanor. His expression darkened as he swiftly tied the face mask back over Isaak's mouth.

"Huh?" Isaak mumbled confused against the mask.

"What are you doing?" Seeing that, Nikolai couldn't help but ask.

Aaron glanced toward Nikolai and whispered urgently. "Your Highness, I afraid but we need to end this conversation sooner than expected."

Nikolai frowned but sensed the gravity of Aaron's tone. "What is happening?" He asked as Aaron quickly whispered into his ears.

"We need to wrap this up." After hearing Aaron's words, Nikolai's expression shifted a little as he sighed in annoyance.

"Why? What's going on?" Isaak's voice muffled beneath the mask.

Nikolai's gaze sharpened as he leaned closer. "Somebody is coming."

"Is it the Warden?"

Nikolai shook his head sharply. "No, not him. Someone else."

A heavy silence settled around them as Isaak sensed the tension intensifying in the air.

"Then we have to—"

Nikolai interrupted again with annoyance in his tone. "Yes. We must end this conversation before they enter and overhear us." He looked at Aaron, his voice commanding. "Aaron, I believe they came because they sensed your barrier. Take it down now."

Aaron immediately sprang into action, making quick gestures as he moved around the room, ensuring nothing remained amiss that would draw attention once they left.

Nikolai stand up from his chair, glancing at Aaron for confirmation that all was in place before he turned back to Isaak.

"Listen closely." Nikolai instructed with a slight smirk. "This isn't over yet. We'll regroup soon to discuss the escape plan and how I can assist you further."

Nikolai leaned closer, his expression serious as he locked eyes with Isaak.

"And if my sister ever comes here to visit you, ignore her words." He warned with a low voice. "It's better for you to face my wrath than listen to her bullshit about redemption. Her hypocritical preachings are just a facade for her hypocrisy."

But before Isaak could respond, a metallic click echoed through the room. The door creaked open, and stepped inside a figure who caught Isaak's attention immediately.

She stood shorter than Dmitriy but nearly matched Isaak's height. Her short black hair framed her thin face, and behind thin-rimmed glasses, light blue eyes darted between Nikolai and Aaron with curiosity.

"What are you two doing in here without boss's supervision?" She asked, tilting her head slightly as she crossed her arms.

Nikolai smirked mischeviously. "Oh, Lena! The Warden is currently dealing with some chaos outside. And he left us to have our little meeting here."

Lena narrowed her eyes suspiciously but let it slide anyway.

"Meeting? With the Sinner? Your Highness must be kidding," She responded, folding her arms tighter.

Aaron shifted uneasily beside Nikolai, his posture tightening slightly as he prepared for any sudden changes in their situation.

"Relax." Nikolai said, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, we were just finishing up our discussion. You wouldn't believe how cooperative Isaak has been. You did such a great job punishing the Sinner."

Lena raised an eyebrow but maintained her skepticism.

"And what do you expect me to do now? Just lead you back out like nothing happened?"

"Exactly!" Nikolai replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You wouldn't want to leave a royal stuck in here now, would you? That would be a huge problem."

She rolled her eyes but nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll lead you back to the entrance. But I will still report back to boss about your suspicious actions today."

As they turned to leave, Lena glanced back over her shoulder toward Isaak. In that fleeting moment, he caught something unexpected, an ember of empathy flickering behind those light blue eyes before she broke contact and moved ahead.

Isaak felt an unfamiliar warmth creep into his chest despite the chaos outside the door. It felt as though he had met her somewhere before, but of course, he had no way to remember it.

What a strange day today…