Chapter 14: The Cellmate Next Door

Chapter 14: The Cellmate Next Door

"Luna?" Lyman rolled the name around. "Sounds like a girl's name."

"That's a terrible pick-up line."

"Weren't you the one who hit on me first?" Lyman raised an eyebrow. "I'm Lyman Vichard."

"Hello, Lyman Vichard." Luna's voice was polite and courteous. "I've been watching you since your first day here. The black prison rarely gets new inmates, and it's even rarer for one to end up right next to me. It's lonely in here—maybe we could be friends?"

His first day? That far back? Lyman hadn't noticed any other prisoners in the black prison the entire time. After all, the guards always dropped off his meals and left without hanging around. Lyman had never heard footsteps in the corridor other than the guards'. If there were other prisoners here, didn't they need to eat?

Lyman didn't think Lunast's intentions were as simple as making friends. If that were the case, he would have struck up a conversation from day one—why wait until now?

If Lunast had known he was there from the start, then all his muttering and his conversations with the *Book of the Evil God*—had Lunast heard all of it?

How much did he know?

Lyman eyed the wall warily. Since he couldn't see his cellmate face to face, he couldn't use *Masterful Acting* to tell if the other was lying. Better to feel him out first, see how much he knew and what he was really after.

Lyman asked, "Since you knew about me from the start, why are you just now getting around to talking to me?"

"Ah?" Luna sounded surprised. "So you wanted us to meet sooner?"

"...Terrible pick-up line. What, did you get locked up for running your mouth at the clergy?"

"My crimes are too many to count—I could talk for three days straight and still not be done."

Lyman remembered what the guy digging rocks with him today had said—in ten years inside, he'd never seen a live cultist. That meant Lunast was either a cultist who'd been imprisoned for over a decade, or he was in for something else entirely.

Lyman asked, "How long have you been at Cape Prison?"

"A long time. So long I've lost track."

That's not an answer at all! What a riddle-me-this type!

Lyman leaned back slightly and said in a low voice, "Could you speak up a bit? I can't hear you clearly. Can you hear me from your side? Do I need to talk louder?"

"I can hear you perfectly well." Lunast spoke up a little.

"Oh... you can hear me." Lyman's face slowly went cold.

Lunast chuckled. "Sounds like you've got a lot of beef with Captain Prey!"

"You must've heard wrong. I wouldn't dare have a problem with the esteemed captain."

"Oh? Didn't Captain Prey bully your buddy in his office today?"

Lyman's head shot up in shock. "Wait—you're locked in the black prison. How do you know what's happening outside?"

"I've got my ways."

Someone was feeding Lunast information? Or was Lunast also a superhuman who could hear and see what happened in the prison?

If that was the case, then Lunast could see right through Lyman, couldn't he?

Lyman had always assumed he was alone in the black prison, so he didn't watch what he said. Now suddenly there was a cellmate next door. What if Lunast ratted him out to the guards?

What could he do to shut Lunast up? Smashing through the wall to kill him wasn't an option. If Lyman had that kind of power, he'd just fight his way out of Cape Prison—why would he be sitting here stressing about it?

But Lunast probably didn't know Lyman could recruit followers from afar using the *Book of the Evil God*, since Lyman never physically left his cell. Even if someone stood right next to him and watched, they wouldn't know his mind had left his body. And no one would find the *Book of the Evil God* even if they searched him.

So even if his cellmate wanted to rat him out, he'd only have his word—no hard proof. If Lyman wanted to defend himself, he could still weasel his way out.

Lyman mulled it over while casually changing the subject, trying to fish for more info: "Captain Prey does have a temper, and I really don't want to provoke him. You seem to know this prison inside out—any idea how to avoid him?"

"Keep your head down and endure what you can," Lunast said lightly. "Prey is just here to pad his resume at Cape Prison. He'll get promoted before long, and once he's gone, you'll be safe. But then again, his successor might be even worse. Looking at Cape Prison's track record, Prey isn't even the worst one."

"Sounds like we're screwed."

"There's one surefire way to get out of Prey's reach."

"Do tell."

"Leave Cape Prison. Then Prey can't touch you, no matter what."

"I was framed," Lyman said firmly. "Once I clear my name, I'll be able to walk out of here..."

Lunast cut him off: "Let's say the Inquisitor actually believes you're innocent. From filing the report, to getting it approved, to the release order reaching the prison—you know how long that takes? You really think you'll live that long?"

He had a point. Captain Prey liked to play elimination games with prisoners when he was bored. If Lyman got unlucky one day... well, that wouldn't end well.

Lunast went on, "And the report might not even get approved. Even regular folks hate admitting they're wrong, let alone the 'glorious and great' Dawn Church. Besides, you might have a shot at getting cleared, but what about your friends?"

"So you're saying we don't stand a chance?"

"About as slim as that crappy prison cook suddenly having a revelation and becoming a master chef."

Yeah, that was pretty damn slim!

"So, do you have a solid plan for us to 'leave' Cape Prison?" Lyman deliberately avoided the word "escape."

Lunast said, "You want the answer? Nothing's free in this world. What are you willing to pay?"

This guy! He'd just said he wanted to be friends, and now he was bargaining! What was he really after? Trying to pump him for info? Wanted Lyman to try escaping, fail, and then rat him out?

No, wait. Lyman had been at Cape Prison for days and hadn't even realized he had a cellmate. If Lunast hadn't said anything, Lyman might never have known he was there. So why reveal himself now?

If Lunast wanted to dig up Lyman's secrets and then rat him out, he should have stayed hidden from the start. Because once Lyman knew someone was next door, he'd be on guard, keep his mouth shut, and never let another word slip. That would make it much harder for Lunast to gather intel.

In other words, Lunast's sudden approach—bragging that he knew everything without leaving his cell—was meant to let Lyman know he was there. He was basically saying: I can hear you, but I haven't told the guards. I've kept your secret. What are you gonna do for me?

"So that's your real game..." Lyman muttered to himself.

He pulled himself together and spoke to the wall: "I hate riddles. Just tell me straight—what do you want? Don't tell me you're just bored and want someone to talk to."

Laughter echoed from the other side of the wall. "What I want is the same as what you want. I want to leave this godforsaken place too. But I'm locked in the black prison—I can't move freely. But you're different. So why don't we work together?"

"How would that work?"

"I'll point you in the right direction on escaping. As long as it succeeds, you can bring as many friends as you like. In return, I want your promise: when you leave Cape Prison, you take me with you."

Should he agree? Could this guy be trusted?

But right now, there was no better escape plan. Waiting for his followers to rescue him might take forever. Why not do both—build up his followers while also looking for a way out from the inside?

Since this cellmate was so well-connected, teaming up with him wasn't a bad idea. Lyman would be the one taking action and risking failure, but he could always go back on his word later and leave Lunast in the dust. Lunast had no choice but to trust that Lyman had a conscience.

"I accept. I'm a man of my word—you can trust me."

Lunast clapped his hands hard: "You know, neighbor, Cape Prison is said to be the most secure prison on the whole continent, but that doesn't mean it has no weaknesses. To get out of here, you need two things."

Lyman held his breath and leaned in, listening closely.

"The first is the building plans for Cape Prison. The second is the position of stable assistant."

Lyman blinked in surprise: "The stables? Why?"

"Trust me. Once you become the assistant, you'll understand."

A map is always the key to any prison break—whether you're digging tunnels or starting a riot to slip away in the chaos, you can't do it without one.

But a stable assistant... Did they plan to ride horses out of here, so he should go undercover in the stables first?

But Lyman didn't know the first thing about horses. The closest he'd ever been to one was riding a carousel at an amusement park as a kid. Was he even cut out for stable work?

Well, that wasn't something to worry about right now. He could learn jobs he didn't know how to do. First, he had to figure out how to get his hands on that map.

"Where's the prison map?"

"In the Warden's office and the Captain's office," Lunast said, sounding unconcerned. "As for getting it, that's up to you."

Lyman had been in the Captain's office just today! He remembered righting the bookshelf and a few scrolls falling out, just a corner showing—looked like maps. He hadn't given them a second thought at the time. Could those be the Cape Prison maps?

Damn it! If he'd met Lunast sooner, he'd already have the first thing he needed for the escape!

"I've said all I needed to say," Lunast said. "Come find me once you've made some progress."

"Wait, that's your whole escape plan? Isn't that a little rough? Can you be more specific?"

Silence came from the other side of the wall. The dark cell was dead quiet, except for the faint rustle of rats.

"Damn cryptic bastard!" Lyman muttered under his breath.

He leaned back against the wall, deep in thought.

The Book of the Evil God automatically recorded anything he saw or heard. He just needed one glance at the map, and it would be recorded in the book. He didn't need to actually take the map out of the Captain's office...

He had to find a way to get back into Captain Prey's office somehow!

But the only way into the Captain's office was to pretend he was there to clean. But Lyman had no way of knowing when Captain Prey would want his office cleaned.

Was there any way to make sure the Captain would trash his office?

***

Another bleak, gray morning. Lyman was woken at dawn by Deputy Captain Edton and walked to the prison cafeteria in the cold morning air.

He grabbed a wooden bowl, got in the long line, and took his ration of watery soup and black bread.

There were no tables or chairs, of course—prisoners just sat on the ground. Lyman found a spot in the corner of the yard and started his tough fight with the black bread. Before long, the Scholar shuffled over and joined him, looking drained.

After that depressing breakfast, the prisoners dragged themselves to work under the guards' yelling. Lyman and the Scholar headed to the chicken coop to keep building the wall.

Lyman kept glancing at the watchtower, scared Captain Prey might start shooting arrows at prisoners for fun again. The Scholar noticed and said, grinning, "Don't worry, Captain Prey went hunting before dawn. We'll get a quiet day."

"Where's Eric?" Lyman asked in a low voice.

Just then, someone came limping toward them.

"Nikola, Lyman, you're here."

Lyman looked at him and was shocked.

Eric's face was swollen, and he had black eyes.

"Eric, what happened to you..."

The boy's gaze darted away, and he said timidly, "I fell by accident. It's nothing."

Before Lyman could press further, he hastily pulled two biscuits from his rolled-up sleeve.

"You saved me yesterday, and I haven't thanked you yet. I brought these for you." A smile squeezed onto the boy's battered face. "Don't worry, these are clean—not the ones from the floor. Captain Prey brought them later, and I hid a few. Eat up. Other prisoners will snatch them if they see."

Seeing the two men unmoved, disappointment flickered in the boy's eyes. "Why aren't you eating? Do you think I'm a sinner and look down on me..."

"No, no!" Lyman and the Scholar said in unison. "We're eating right now—delicious, we love it!"

Lyman shoved the biscuit into his mouth. Compared to black bread, it was a delicacy, but it was the most tasteless food he'd ever eaten in his life.

Eric dragged his feet to carry stones, but could only manage small pieces at a time, wincing in pain with each step.

Lyman gestured for the Scholar to come closer.

"Is there a doctor in the prison?"

The Scholar glanced quickly at Eric, his face full of sympathy, but said regretfully, "There is, but he only treats the guards. Unless a prisoner has a broken limb or an infectious disease, they have to tough it out on their own. Of course, it's different if a guard approves, but whoever approves Eric's visit to the doctor would offend Captain Prey..."

Lyman looked at the injured boy, and suddenly an idea struck him.

"Then what if someone of higher rank than Captain Prey gives the approval?"

"That could work, but the only people in the prison ranked higher than the Captain are the Warden, and..."

And the Inquisitors. Both Aether and Nashel outranked Captain Prey. Apart from the Warden, no one in the entire prison would dare defy their orders. They were also the only ones bold enough to stand up to Captain Prey.

He could report Eric's injuries to the Inquisitor and request their approval. Lyman didn't know the temperament of that red-haired Inquisitor, but Aether's integrity was well known. If he learned that Captain Prey was taking out his frustrations on a poor boy, he certainly wouldn't stand idly by.

Captain Prey had just been reprimanded by the Inquisitor yesterday. If he received another condemnation today, what would he do?

Surely he'd fly into another rage, with a tornado-level tantrum that would wreck his office. At that point, Lyman could simply volunteer to clean up! That way, he could both get Eric medical treatment and search for the map in the office!

Lyman needed to stir up conflict between Prey and the Inquisitors. The bigger the clash, the easier it would be for him to fish in troubled waters!

He simulated the process in his mind, then mustered his courage and walked toward Deputy Captain Edton.

"Deputy Captain, I'd like to see Inquisitor Aether."