World of Women - World of Women – V4 – Chapter 27

The group of us were handcuffed and then pushed along. The lights from the towers were in my eyes now, blinding me from making out too many details. Although the ones holding us were all women, they were dressed in black and their faces were covered. I couldn’t see what they looked like. Their expressions were hidden from me too, which made it hard to feel the mood.

“Where are you all taking us?” I asked.

“Quiet!” One of the guards snapped.

“We haven’t done anything wrong. Our car broke down and we were looking for assistance. The lights just caught our eyes,” I lied.

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you!”

“How about you give me something to put in my mouth?” I asked suggestively.

The world went white for a second as something hard hit me in the back of the head. I heard my name cried out by one of the girls next to me as I fell over to the ground. There was a throbbing bump, but I had somehow managed to maintain my consciousness. Two people roughly grabbed me and pulled me to my knees. A third person grabbed me roughly by the chin, pulling my face to look at them. My eyes danced wildly in the lights and everything was topsy-turvy.

“Your childish little games won’t work out here. If you speak again, we’ll hit you hard enough that you don’t wake up. Do you understand?” The voice asked coldly.

She waited for my answer, but I had a distinct feeling if I took too long to respond I’d face even more consequences. I forced myself to nod as the world around me lurched unpleasantly.

“Good.” She dropped my face, and the two others hefted me back to my feet.

I turned to see Cornelia looking at me with a worried look. I gave her a reassuring smile, but a masked soldier immediately stepped between the two of us and I broke my look. I didn’t know how we were going to get out of this. I just had to play it by ear as I went. That seemed to be what I always did. The girls had the good sense to remain quiet. Even Lilith was uncharacteristically quiet as they dragged us past the gate and into the quarry.

We were put on an elevator platform that brought us down to the bottom level. It had no walls and merely lowered us down into the quarry while making loud grinding noises. The place was filled with armed guards. If the outside looked like a complex, the inside wasn’t much better. It was laughable thinking we could have made it to the castle without being seen. There was a guard on every level and spotlights that kept the quarry nearly as bright as if it had been day still.

It was only upon reaching the bottom of the quarry that I was finally able to see the hints of the buried castle. There were a couple of pillars and statues that were partially dug out from the ground. The horrifying visages of demons with rings and horns had decayed and were sanded with time to look like faceless malformed shapes. Several spotlights were pointing directly at the castle, so it was illuminated even in the dark, but no one would be able to see it unless they were already at the bottom of the quarry anyway.

The entrance was tall and wide, allowing at least twenty people to pass in a group through. The floodlights didn’t seem to reach the interior of the castle, giving that entrance the feeling of a gaping maw that would suck you up. I didn’t see a path lined with lava like the entrance to the previous castle. The heat was rather mild. Perhaps these discomforts had already been removed, or perhaps every castle was different.

Several dozen people were standing in front of the castle entrance like they were waiting for us. I had a feeling that they were the ones who were ultimately in charge of this operation. I didn’t want to face them, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice. We were grabbed and yanked from the elevator platform and dragged toward the group.

As we grew closer and I could make them out, I saw several ladies all wearing formal suits and suit dresses. They looked like the politicians I had a few run-ins with in the past. They were those that worked for Amaryllis. Although I didn’t recognize any of them, a few had an air of similarity that told me I might have seen them once before, especially when I had given my speech during the peace talks.

That was when a small girl stepped out from behind the larger women and began to lead them toward us. My eyes locked on her. I wasn’t the only one who looked at her. The others all watched her too, with looks of confusion on their faces. However, I could guarantee they were far less confused than I was. They were only flustered because there appeared to be a child not much older than ten seemingly leading a bunch of adults. I was startled because I recognized the little girl.

The group of them stopped in front of us, and our captors stopped shoving us forward, holding us in front of them like we were being put on display. I barely noticed since my eyes were stuck on the little girl standing in the front.

“Charlie,” I said.

The girl didn’t react to the name at all, but she did look at me with recognition. “So, you’re the boy called Clyburn I’ve heard so much about.”

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

She raised an eyebrow. “One could ask the same about you.”

“She’s the head of the WRA. I heard that she was young for her age. It seems like even the rumors are a bit off. If she’s here, then this entire site is under their control,” Brooke spoke up.

“Huh? She is?” I spun to her. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember her from the boat.”

“What boat?” Brooke narrowed her eyes.

“Charlie? The airship?”

Brooke continued to look confused, but the little girl’s eyes flashed with understanding. “Oh? Have you seen someone who looks like me before? And… you even remembered. That must mean you’re the one she picked. Well, I did have my theories, but I didn’t expect you to confirm them for me so easily.” The little girl smirked.

I felt like I had already said too much. However, I was confused, and she wasn’t making things less confusing. She looked exactly like Charlie; although where Charlie had a playful demeanor, this girl seemed much darker.

It had only been a few years since Charlie had first appeared in my life. It had been during a particularly dangerous period of my life, where I had almost died. I had died, and it would have been worse if she hadn’t shown up. Now that I thought about it, she had shown up recently too and now I was here. Both times occurred right before I found one of the inheritances. I didn’t think that was a coincidence.

However, every other woman who had run into her quickly forgot about her. Brook, Lyra, and even Kemala couldn’t remember her after a few months. Only I seemed to remember the little girl who kept showing up at random moments. I had never figured out who she was, but perhaps this girl held some answers.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

“Everything thing in this world has two sides, a front, and a back,” she spoke calmly while the rest of the women following behind her just stood and waited. “For women, they have men. For angels, there are demons. For darkness, there is light. For her… there is me.”

“Is that it?” My expression fell.

I had a feeling that was as good of an explanation as I was ever going to get. The important thing to take away was that they were on opposing sides. Although I never understood where I sat with Charlie, she had genuinely seemed to be trying to help me. That would mean that this girl here had no intention of helping me at all.

“What name is it? Charlie? So, that is what she calls herself these days? No, I am not Charlie. She remains aloof and distant, only toying with this world. I prefer a more hands-on approach. I’m known as Jenji, and as your friend Brooke here explained, I was the former head of the WRA.”

“You admit it?” Cornelia gasped. “You… you should be an outlaw. The government…”

“We are the government.” She chuckled.

“You’re not with the government, you’re a villain!” Mia spoke out. “The inheritance has to be destroyed! Once the rest of Amaryllis finds out about this…”

“You seem to be under the false assumption that we’re doing anything illegal here.” Jenji laughed. “This is all done expressly under my jurisdiction as the Chair of Antiquities as selected by the Council. I follow the law completely here. Everything is being done by protocol. When I said we are the government, I meant it. The WRA is no more, and I was selected for this job by elected officials as determined by the citizens of Amaryllis.”

She continued, “You were all led to believe that after the Day of Wrath, the WRA was eliminated. It was true that the government cut off a few loose strands, but that day wasn’t the day the WRA lost, it was the day we won. The WRA had infiltrated every part of the government. They simply didn’t need to exist anymore, because they no longer needed to fight for power. They already had it. The extended male protection act went up without a hitch. The isolation and segregation progressed smoothly. The males are where they want them.”

Cornelia’s expression turned steadily horrified. She had already seen the state of things herself. The way men were being treated was exactly something a WRA led government would want. They had somehow managed to achieve this without anyone even being aware of it. The WRA may have ceased to exist, but those same people at the top were now just going by another name and pretending they were righteous.

“So, what’s your end goal? To wipe out all men? Didn’t you just say there were two sides to everything?” I demanded. “If you get rid of the men, then the women will fall.”

“Hehe… I won’t tell you all of my secrets.” She chuckled.

“Demons,” I said it anyway. “You want to replace the male sex with demons! But why?”

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” She sighed before turning to soldiers. “These are terrorists who sought to destroy important ancient artifacts. Detain them indefinitely.”

“What?” Mia cried out.

“You can’t do that? What about the law?”

“I’m using the law.” She looked slightly irritated now. “The extended Male Protection Act. You really should read it sometime. In the face of apparent jeopardy toward a man, I am given a ridiculous amount of power.”

“What jeopardy toward a man?” Cornelia demanded.

“Why… we have this man right here.” She gestured to me, causing my eyebrows to raise. “He has been seemingly kidnapped and taken in by a group of terrorists.”

“We’re not terrorists!” Cornelia cried out.

“And yet, you’re standing right next to a woman who calls herself Lilith. The Lilith imposter… isn’t that right?”

“You…” Lilith glared back, but that only made Jenji’s smile grow.

“We’re not with them!” Cornelia tried one last defense, but it sounded weak even in her ears.

“I’m not in jeopardy,” I growled.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “How can I say? Men are stupid and easily deceived. Influencing a man in such a manner is a crime. I’m within my complete authority to repossess the man named Clyburn and imprison all those I deem a threat to his emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Clyburn, you will be coming with me. As for the rest of them, take them away.”

The girls let out cries and started to resist, however, the armed guards were stronger. Only Brooke, who had a good read on the situation, didn’t try to resist futilely. They were dragged away one at a time. I could only watch, unable to do anything to stop this. Even if I tried, the chances of someone getting hurt was too high.

“What are you going to do to them?” I demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

“That depends on you, Clyburn. If you act like a good little boy, then I can guarantee they won’t be killed. If you push my patience, then I’ll send them to you body part by body part until there is nothing left.”

I clenched my teeth, wanting to say more, but I knew I had to play along. She may have only heard of me, but she seemed to know everything about me.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

“Good.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I want the inheritance. Isn’t that obvious? Unfortunately, only demons and those with one know how to make it through the castle. You’re going to bring me through the castle and get me my inheritance.”

“You don’t want to give it to a demon?”

“Why would I want to give demons all the power?”

“I mean, isn’t that your plan?”

She chuckled and then waved her hand. The guards remaining around her were dismissed. They turned and walked away. There were still sharpshooters on us, and people with guns watching from a distance. My hands were also still in handcuffs. Either way, this display showed that this little girl didn’t fear me at all. I admitted I wasn’t very fearful. Even if I had the opportunity, she looked like a small child. Could I bring myself to attack her?

Once we were all alone, Jenji stepped close to me, looking up with an expression that almost reminded me of Charlie. “I seek power, the same as everyone on this planet. Believe it or not, but I don’t want to see a world ruled by demons any more than you. I know about your little gift. If you absorb the inheritance, you’ll destroy it. That won’t be happening. That inheritance will go to me.”

Her words only served to confuse me further. Whatever Charlie was, it was some kind of supernatural being. Why did Jenji want the inheritance of the Demon King if she was the same as Charlie? Wasn’t she already some kind of powerful being? Of course, I wasn’t going to ask her that. I kept these questions to myself.

“Come, lead me to my destiny.”

I looked back at the other soldiers standing by as Jenji began to walk toward the entrance to the castle. She had made no gesture for any of them to follow her. When she noticed I wasn’t following, she looked back with a displeased expression on her face.

“You don’t need any of them?”

“They won’t be needed.” She shrugged, before turning away and walking.

So, it was like that. She was overconfident to the point of arrogance. However, was she wrong? If I tried to run, I died. If I didn’t seriously try to go through the castle, I died. Even my life wasn’t that important. They could always use Lilith. Even though there was a small risk I could somehow destroy the inheritance, I still wasn’t much of a threat to them. They must have determined trying to use Lilith was much greater of a headache. They also apparently weren’t interested in using Rebecca. I started to follow her, but my mind worked a mile a minute.

“You know that demons take over the bodies of men, right?”

I was trying to use any method I could to catch her off guard. Her people still had a deep-rooted hatred for men, and finding out that they couldn’t bring demons into this world without men should have been enough to catch her off guard. Instead, she chuckled softly in the dark.

“I’m counting on it.”

I frowned, trying to understand what she meant. She wanted to wipe out the men… but by bringing demons into this world?

“Do you think demons will ever let you rule? They will try to conquer you. They are stronger than you can imagine.”

“I can imagine a lot of strength. You know… there was once a time when they said that men were stronger than women. There was a time long ago when men controlled the world, and women were nothing but slaves desperately hiding under the protection of their men. Times change.”

I didn’t know if such a time truly existed. I had heard similar sayings before, likely spread by the WRA as a reason to dislike men. However, there was a truth to those words. I had lived in a world dominated by men. Although it wasn’t as bad as she spoke, there was a certain truth to her words. There was a time when men were the protectors and women depended on them.

However, something about the way she said ‘time change’ had gotten to me. It was like she wasn’t just talking about men. When realization struck me, I gasped.

“You won’t be able to control them.”

She finally turned back, a grimace on her face. “You’re more intelligent than I gave you credit for. Hmph… very well. Since you insist on badgering me with questions, it’s all very simple. The demons represent a power long lost to this world. If we want to progress as a society, we need their magical power and knowledge to take the next step. Women outnumber men a thousand to one. Do you believe the demons will be able to overwhelm us? You’re as naïve as they are. When the time comes, the men will depart from this reality and will be replaced with demons. However, women will not be the ones to be enslaved. We’ll be the ones to enslave them!”

“Even if that’s possible… how do you think you’ll get away with it?”

“Get away with it?” She sneered. “Haven’t you been listening? I’ve been following the will of the people from the beginning. They are the ones that decided to protect the men with the extended protection act. When the time comes and they see all men have turned into malicious monsters, they will consider it mercy to put them in chains. Thanks to that damn queen, too many women believe men should be protected, but I don’t think they’ll feel that way when the men stop being men, do you?”

It finally all clicked into place for me. In a single swoop, the WRA could get everything they wanted. By turning men into demons, they would be public enemy #1. At that point, they could conquer the demons and finally turn them into nothing but labor and livestock. Rather than continue to try to change public opinion on males, they’d simply take males out of the equation.

The WRA had already put themselves into an undefeatable position. All they had to do was pull the trigger with a large blood sacrifice. Even if only a few dozen men turned into demons, it’d give them enough public sway to finish suppressing the entire population. Best of all, they already had them all locked down under constant supervision, so it didn’t matter who got demonized.

Men were on the verge of extinction, and no one knew it yet! If I refused to help her, then my friends would be hurt. However, if I did help her, then it would be checkmate.