As they watched a crying Blaine doing what he didn't want to do, the camera showed Barica entering the room. Movement stopped and the grandmother of these two people moved them without touching them because that cancels the time-stop ability. She adjusted them so she was between them.
She did inappropriate things to them, fully enjoying herself. She placed a strange thing on Blaine which resembled a device known for birth control, but it had an extra piece to it. As Barica continued the act, Blaine's seed filed the extra piece. She removed it, put the contents in a tube and sealed it. She reset them as they were, then restarted time as she left the room. They never knew she did that. It became clear the extent of evil the woman was capable of, even with her own family.
Cere disconnected the computer and informed Blaine she was taking it as evidence against their grandmother.
Kent started sniffing the air and jumped down from Lana's shoulder. This shocked her and Blaine as they stared at each other for a moment then watched the cat. He ran to a spot then started pawing the wall. Stinks.
Blaine looked at what he was doing then he realized there was a line barely noticeable. There was a secret door. After searching around, he found a button and pressed it.
The door swung open, revealing a small room with video equipment set up. There was also a main computer. Cere turned it on and revealed there was a main camera in the room but there were many cameras in another room. Blaine pulled back the curtain on the far wall to reveal the room they were all forced to copulate in. They were not allowed to pleasure themselves or each other unless it was in this particular room or there was strict punishment. Blaine looked at everyone in the room and left, not saying a word.
In the main room, Kyle took out the book and readied telekinesis and fire. Using both, he took every painting off the wall and centered them on the easel. He then burned the whole thing, controlling the fire so it only burnt the area with the paintings.
He then went to the room next door. Since the whole house was built using stone, he didn't need to worry about burning the whole place down. With Kyle in charge, everything in the entire room was soon turned into ash. He created such an inferno, the walls were thickly charred and the windows exploded, including the one into the secret room. All the equipment in there was destroyed. A few stones cracked but with the weight on them, it wasn't enough damage to cause any problems. If the fire had continued much longer, it would have been.
He turned to Gerald, "this room is to be locked and I am to have the only key, understood?"
Gerald gulped and nodded.
Kyle glared at his mother and Gerald. "This family's decades of abuse ends. Now."
His eyes settled on Lana and he calmed down. They then roamed to Cere.
"Gerald, prepare the best room for my mother-in-law. See that she has everything that a dignitary should have. Lana and I are going to walk around the grounds. I need fresh air. Get that witch burned to ashes before we return."
Without even looking back, he grabbed Lana's hand and headed for the nearest exit. Within a couple of steps, he had her in his arms carrying her as though he was already crossing their wedding threshold together.
As they walked out, Bianca told Gerald to get Cere settled. Let her rest then they would discuss wedding plans and more after dinner. Bianca looked around the room before it was sealed up again. She wanted to know what made her mother so insane.
It didn't take long before she found Barica's journals over the years. She was shocked how many there were. She took them all to her room to read as she was able. She hoped to understand and prevent the same happening in the future.
As they approached the door, Lana opened it since he barely slowed down. She saw tears running down his face. He was now running down a set of stairs out the back door carrying her as though she didn't weigh anything. Kent sat on her chest, and he placed a tentacle on daddy's chest.
"He's asking why is daddy so sad…" Lana said softly. "I don't know what to say. This isn't a concept he could understand…"
They reached the flat ground, overshadowed by the mansion up above. Kyle had no words to answer. He took off running, Lana's head on his shoulder.
Before she knew it, they could see the rolling waves of the ocean as they collided with the beach. Kyle didn't stop until they were in the water, a wave washing over them, drowning the tears that ran like a waterfall down his face. He adjusted Lana, her arms around his neck, legs around his waist as he sobbed uncontrollably into her neck, caring nothing about the waves that violently caressed him and his family, washing away the horrors of his past, the horrors he had come to realize would have been worse if the angel in his arms hadn't changed his future.
Neither knew how long he sobbed for. Neither cared. The salty water cleaned them, baptized them as if they said goodbye one last time to everything that haunted them. The abuses they suffered would never repeat themselves. From this day forward, they were finally in control of their lives.
Lana could feel the fear of Kent as he held them both tightly with each wave. After a few more sobs, Kyle slowly turned around and took them just above the water level and laid down. He knew they needed to go back and eat dinner, but he didn't want to just yet. His family, all he needed was right here. He wanted to enjoy it.
"Thank you for coming here with me…" Kyle said through still-flowing tears, though they were slowing down.
"You know there was no way I would have let you come here alone. We belong together," she smiled. "I don't think Kent appreciated the ocean water." She chuckled.
"This is going to be a hard adjustment for your family, you know that, right? I think you should hire some therapists to come and work with them to help them through this."
He kissed her forehead, "I think you're right. Especially for the older adults. Maybe I should hire some people to help with the children as well since we know there are some at the school."
Lana nodded, "we want them to learn but not endure the trauma that was caused by the psychopath. The combat training, I'm not really worried about that since it's effective at making you strong but there needs to be a balance."
"I was thinking about training you some, but I don't know how much you'd need it. You have your own style, and I don't want to ruin it by adding our stuff in. It's up to you. It's extremely painful. You get healed during and after each session."
"I'll think about it. I think I'd like to see it before agreeing to it."
Kyle nodded, "that can be arranged." He sat up, "we need to get cleaned up for dinner. I was never into these extravagant meals, but Blaine has always enjoyed them." He chuckled, "I think they're pompous."
He stood up, helped her up and wrapped her body around his, retracing his steps until he was finally in his room. He closed the door and was getting ready to sag against it when there was a knock.
Putting Lana down, he opened the door.
Jessica was standing there with some designer dresses, "I thought Lana might need something to wear to dinner?"
Kyle nodded and looked to Lana. Taking the message, she reached out and grabbed a soft pink dress. Once she had it inside the room, Kyle closed the door in his sister's face. They showered and dressed in silence. Kent was still traumatized over the ocean, so they gave him lots of pettings to calm him down. Once they were dressed, Blaine took over and gave her his arm. Holding his head up high, he escorted his lady from the room, along the corridor, to the exact spot he requested dinner to be served.
Tonight, she was going to get the royal treatment.
Lana had never worn heels before, and she quickly decided these things were designed as torture devices. She walked with her head down because she thought she was going to die. She decided to just walk on her toes because the stilettos were stupid and had no purpose. She was thankful to Blaine for getting her to her seat. When she lifted her head from the ground, she gasped as she took in the scenery.
Lana found herself standing below the biggest pergola she had ever seen. The table before her had place settings with jewels encrusted in the cups and flatware. The candles were flickering softly in the gentle breeze. There was a hint of melting wax, jasmine and roses in the air. There were rose petals scattered on the table adding to the romantic atmosphere. Climbing roses clung to latticework that created a small divider in the area as there was a swinging bed that she could barely see from her current vantage point.
The sun was going down over the water. The sky was slowly turning shades of pink, purple, and orange. The chirp of birds got her attention as well as Kent's. She watched as a cardinal swooped in and snatched a firefly out of the air.
"Fireflies and cardinals? I thought they were extinct?" Lana gasped.
"They were but grandmother found some DNA that could be recreated. The new species are brought here for a testing phase."
"The flowers, I've only seen these in books!"
Blaine chuckled, "with having a genetic company, they like to experiment in combining species especially with plants because they are trying to maximize medicinal properties. Even though the Walkers destroyed a lot, especially with plants known with medicinal properties, the company had seeds for many species so those plants will never go extinct."
Lana couldn't take her eyes off the sunset and the plants in her view before the sea in front of her. Her mind started digesting the combinations of plants that must have formed some of the species in front of her and she wanted so much to study them.
Blaine bent to her ear, "this is what I wanted you to see. Not everything in this place is bad. I'd probably lose you in the library…"
Lana chuckled, "you probably would."