At the announcement, Charles felt his knees buckle, and he slumped to the floor in a heavy slide.
Here? Forever?
"It is difficult to bear, but you must. There is no other life for you."
He found it difficult to breathe.
"My life, my efforts to stop the Charles of this place, my existence here...what is the meaning of it all?!" He sobbed.
"As you deduced, I have a vested interest in the survival of the Omega known as Connor Lee. This world's Charles Lee was not conducive to his health, and I looked to find a solution to his continued detrimental effect on the Omega."
The voice softened.
"When I looked and saw how good you were to your own wife and that you had no future in your own world--"
Charles choked at that.
"--it seemed that it would be in both our best interests to bring you here."
Silence.
Then, "send me back."
"I cannot. You do not live in that--"
He slammed the ground with the flat of his palm.
"Send. Me. Back."
"You wish to die then? To return to your world simply for your wounds to grow back and to bleed to death? It is futile--"
"And yet I wish for it."
The voice grew curious then.
"And why would that be? You are still lost in the woods. You would not have enough time to see your son or your mentor and definitely not enough time to influence your organization. Why would you possibly wish to return?"
Charles shook his head.
"I would at least die where I belong. I have..." He stilled for a moment. "I have wronged my family, I know. My son and Master Kenway...they did not deserve my deserting them."
"And you believe that death is how you can best repay them?" The voice scoffed.
"No. But I wish to be as close to them as possible. I want to be where I belong. I left it all once, to chase after my wife's killer. The least I can do is return to my place and face the consequences of my actions head on."
Charles paused.
"I beg you."
A long silence fell. Charles felt afraid to even breathe improperly.
"I can see that you are sincere in your desire to return to what is certain to be your death."
Charles nodded.
"There is nothing I would like better than to return home, for however short a time."
A sigh fell around him.
"And yet, I will not."
Charles started.
"Lady, you--"
"--Your desire, while understandable, is not something I can grant you."
"I helped the Omega you wanted helped," Charles bit out.
"And do you really think I would reward such with death?"
Charles felt frustrated.
"Perhaps when the death is yearned and plead for."
"Not even then."
"I only want to be back in my world! The same world that houses my son!"
"And I will not send a man back to a place where he would die five minutes he returned."
Charles growled.
"You owe me for my efforts here."
"Returning you would not be paying back my debt to you, but simply adding to it."
Charles opened his mouth to protest.
"And before you ask, I will brook no more argument on this. I will not return you to the world whence you came."
"And if I kill myself here? What then?" Charles muttered darkly.
A laugh sounded.
"You will not. You want to return to your own world for your family and not out of a true desire for death. Killing yourself here would only serve to further separate you from your son, and you would never do so."
Charles could find nothing to say to that.
"You will remain here, and that is final. This is your world now, and you will make it your own."
"And if I do not wish to?"
"Then do not. But you will not return, I promise you that."
And as the voice left, Charles put his face into his hands and wept.
Finding Connor 29
Chapter 29
At the announcement, Charles felt his knees buckle, and he slumped to the floor in a heavy slide.
Here? Forever?
"It is difficult to bear, but you must. There is no other life for you."
He found it difficult to breathe.
"My life, my efforts to stop the Charles of this place, my existence here...what is the meaning of it all?!" He sobbed.
"As you deduced, I have a vested interest in the survival of the Omega known as Connor Lee. This world's Charles Lee was not conducive to his health, and I looked to find a solution to his continued detrimental effect on the Omega."
The voice softened.
"When I looked and saw how good you were to your own wife and that you had no future in your own world--"
Charles choked at that.
"--it seemed that it would be in both our best interests to bring you here."
Silence.
Then, "send me back."
"I cannot. You do not live in that--"
He slammed the ground with the flat of his palm.
"Send. Me. Back."
"You wish to die then? To return to your world simply for your wounds to grow back and to bleed to death? It is futile--"
"And yet I wish for it."
The voice grew curious then.
"And why would that be? You are still lost in the woods. You would not have enough time to see your son or your mentor and definitely not enough time to influence your organization. Why would you possibly wish to return?"
Charles shook his head.
"I would at least die where I belong. I have..." He stilled for a moment. "I have wronged my family, I know. My son and Master Kenway...they did not deserve my deserting them."
"And you believe that death is how you can best repay them?" The voice scoffed.
"No. But I wish to be as close to them as possible. I want to be where I belong. I left it all once, to chase after my wife's killer. The least I can do is return to my place and face the consequences of my actions head on."
Charles paused.
"I beg you."
A long silence fell. Charles felt afraid to even breathe improperly.
"I can see that you are sincere in your desire to return to what is certain to be your death."
Charles nodded.
"There is nothing I would like better than to return home, for however short a time."
A sigh fell around him.
"And yet, I will not."
Charles started.
"Lady, you--"
"--Your desire, while understandable, is not something I can grant you."
"I helped the Omega you wanted helped," Charles bit out.
"And do you really think I would reward such with death?"
Charles felt frustrated.
"Perhaps when the death is yearned and plead for."
"Not even then."
"I only want to be back in my world! The same world that houses my son!"
"And I will not send a man back to a place where he would die five minutes he returned."
Charles growled.
"You owe me for my efforts here."
"Returning you would not be paying back my debt to you, but simply adding to it."
Charles opened his mouth to protest.
"And before you ask, I will brook no more argument on this. I will not return you to the world whence you came."
"And if I kill myself here? What then?" Charles muttered darkly.
A laugh sounded.
"You will not. You want to return to your own world for your family and not out of a true desire for death. Killing yourself here would only serve to further separate you from your son, and you would never do so."
Charles could find nothing to say to that.
"You will remain here, and that is final. This is your world now, and you will make it your own."
"And if I do not wish to?"
"Then do not. But you will not return, I promise you that."
And as the voice left, Charles put his face into his hands and wept.