Page 22 of The Chamber

Kenneth shivered as he stepped out of the warm bath, water droplets clinging to his naked body. He wrapped a towel around himself and padded into the attached room in search of his tattered clothes. As he entered, Michael’s voice echoed from the bathroom.

“We’ll get you something better to wear.”

“Sure,” Kenneth muttered, not really paying attention as he rummaged through the pile of rags that had once been his clothes. His fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. Curious, he picked it up and inspected it: a small silver lapel pin shaped like an insignia that Kenneth recognized from Richard’s inner circle.

The beasts who muscled him into the whipping experience wore the same pins. The gears in Kenneth’s mind whirred to life, raising doubts about Michael’s true identity.

“Hey, Michael?” Kenneth called out, trying to keep his voice steady. “Have you got any explanation for this?” He returned to the bathroom where Michael was still soaking and held up the pin, turning it between his fingertips, light reflecting off its metallic edge.

Michael looked up with an expression of casual concern on his face. He looked at the pin and then back at Kenneth’s face. “I see you found that, and you’re smart enough to know what it is. I was going to tell you eventually.”

“Tell me what? That you’re working with him? Tell me that you’re one of Richard’s goons?” Kenneth’s grip tightened around the small symbol of betrayal. “Is that why you finally agreed that I should come here? Were you biding your time and trying to send me here all along?”

“Kenneth, it’s not that simple,” Michael said as he climbed out of the bath. “It’s true. I’ve had an affiliation with Richard, but it’s complicated, too.”

“Complicated?” Kenneth scoffed, his gaze narrowing. “You lied to me, Michael. You led me right into his trap.”

“Believe me, it wasn’t my intention to deceive you,” Michael replied, his voice tinged with regret. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Everyone has choices, Michael, unless they’re dead,” Kenneth growled. He found it hard to breathe as the potential implications of the dishonesty rattled around in his head. “You chose to serve him. You chose to betray me.”

“Kenneth, please,” Michael implored. He searched Kenneth’s gaze for a hint of understanding. “I never wanted this. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Too late for that, isn’t it?” Kenneth spat, tossing the pin onto the floor. He turned away from Michael, feeling the sting of the man’s treachery deep in his core. The warmth and comfort he’d begun associating with Michael was a lie. All of the positive feelings evaporated, leaving only anger and doubt in their wake.

“Please, let me explain,” Michael pleaded, his voice heavy and dull. He took another step towards Kenneth, who could see the conflict in Michael’s eyes—a battle between truth and loyalty.

“Fine.” Kenneth crossed his arms defensively. “Explain.”

Michael paused for a moment. “When I first met Richard, he seemed—charismatic, and I was young and vulnerable. He had a way of making me feel important like I was part of something bigger.”

His voice grew distant as if recalling a memory long buried. “I was impressionable and looking for a purpose. He offered me one.”

Kenneth clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the swirling emotions inside. Betrayal, anger, and disappointment fought for prominence, but he had to admit to a hint of curiosity beneath all of those.

“Over time, our partnership grew stronger,” Michael continued as he stared at the floor. “Until one day, I realized I’d become little more than a tool for satisfying his desire and greed. He used people and manipulated them for his own gain. Over time, as he’s gained power, it’s only gotten worse.”

He looked at Kenneth, pain etched across his face. “By the time I figured it out, it was too late for me to escape.”

“Escape? Did you even try to get away?” Kenneth asked bitterly. “Do you expect me to believe that you’re not still under his control?”

“Believe what you want,” Michael replied, his voice cracking. “But I swear to you that everything I’ve done since we met has been because I care about you. I’ve never wanted to hurt you.”

Kenneth desperately tried to get a grip on the feelings raging inside. He needed space to think. As much as he wanted to dismiss all of Michael’s words and actions as lies, the raw sincerity in his voice struck a chord. Could Michael have been nothing more than a pawn?

“Richard is a master manipulator,” Michael added, his voice gaining strength. “He knew precisely how to play me and use me as a decoy. It’s not me that he wants. It’s you, Kenneth, and I’m ashamed to say that his scheme has worked so far.”

Michael paused, and then he met Kenneth’s gaze once more. “But know this—my feelings for you are real. I’m not a good enough actor to fake what we just did here.”

“Even if that’s true,” Kenneth whispered, his heart aching with the weight of it all, “how can I ever trust you again?”

“I don’t know,” Michael sighed. “But I promise you; I will do everything I can to make things right.”

Kenneth stared at him, torn between the idea of the man he’d cared for profoundly less than an hour ago and the reality of the deception.

Michael continued to speak about his experiences with Richard. “His ability to shape people to his will is phenomenal. He has an uncanny talent for finding and exploiting a person’s weaknesses for his gain.”

Kenneth frowned, and his eyes narrowed as he listened. He looked at Michael and tried to discern whether his explanations were just another ploy, another attempt to deceive. The hurt gnawed at his gut, making focusing on the information presented difficult.

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