NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Escape
Nicholas entered the dormitory, his head in the clouds, but his intent was clear. He met no one as he rushed into his room.
Many students walked in unison, greeting him with valor as if keen on starting a conversation, but he didn’t even acknowledge them. He kept his head low, only watching his steps as he climbed the staircase up to his room. The air outside was crisp and cold, and the grand hall was far too big, its walls towering. The furnace couldn’t warm the common area as much as many would have liked. As a result, the common room remained empty most of the time.
He entered his room, shutting the door with such recklessness that he felt the windows rattle.
Clyde sat on his bed, bent over a book, trying to focus with the limited light in their room. In such harsh winters, the sun would be out for just a few short hours, after which darkness took over entirely. Clyde did his best to utilize the daylight, spending the rest of the time downstairs with his friends. As of now, the light was fading, and the view from their room was the clearest of the setting sun.
Nicholas paid no attention to Clyde, instead heading to his bed and pulling out his trunk. He rifled through it, pulling out a few clothes, a skullcap, and a shirt, before shoving the trunk back under the bed. His mind was numb. He knew what he was planning was too reckless to execute, but there was no stopping him now.
He opened his side of the cupboard, pulling out a thin tie along with a pair of shoes, which he tossed beside the bed to make it appear as though he had casually removed them.
Leaving the cupboard open, he rushed back and forth, creating a mess. Clyde kept glancing at him, his concentration shattered by the constant shuffling of fabric and the clatter of boots.
Nicholas dumped everything onto the bed and stormed out of the room. Clyde felt a wave of relief, but by the time Nicholas had left, it was too late—the sun had set, and Clyde no longer felt the urge to study. Besides, Clyde’s father had always disapproved of him studying in poor light.
“You’ll ruin your eyesight,” his father would warn. Clyde missed him. He sat on his bed, closing his book with a loud thud, left pondering over what little he’d managed to absorb. He knew he was falling behind schedule, but today he didn’t feel compelled to push himself. His head throbbed, and he knew he might turn in early, skipping his usual evening with friends. Resting his head in his hands, he lost himself in thought.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the room plunged into darkness so complete that Clyde couldn’t see his own hands. He cursed under his breath, dreading the effort of finding a candle. But he didn’t have to. Nicholas returned, a candelabra in hand, its light flooding the room.
They exchanged no words. Nicholas moved to his bed, setting the candelabra on the table. He tied a thin tie around a pillow, pulling it so tight that, had it been a person, it would have choked. He placed the skullcap on top and threw a shirt over it, adding another pillow underneath. It was a crude imitation of a sleeping figure, but he knew it fell far short of convincing.
“You need that pillow?” he asked Clyde, who was watching him closely.
Clyde tossed him a pillow but made no effort to hide his disapproval. “That’s not fooling anyone.”
“It’s worth a try,” Nicholas said, positioning the pillow and pulling the blanket over it.
“Swallow your pride, Vials,” Clyde warned, his tone low but firm. He had heard the rumors—Nicholas had been caught breaking into Professor Charles’s house after class. He’d seen them in the principal’s office and knew Nicholas was bound to face a severe punishment. But Clyde also knew Nicholas well enough to realize he wouldn’t accept it quietly.
“I will,” Nicholas replied, not looking up, “right after you learn to digest humility.”
Clyde stood, bristling at the remark. “Who do you think you are?” he snapped.
“Get your nose out of your books, maybe you'll find out" Nicholas replied, still trying to make the pillows look the part.
Clyde Cullens glared at Nicholas. His lips curled into a sneer as he took in the ridiculous decoy on the bed.
“Unbelievable,” Clyde spat, stepping further into the room. “This is your grand escape plan? I didn’t realize the foiled demagogue was resorting to children’s tricks now. Pillows and old clothes? Really?” Clyde had nothing better to make fun of.
Nicholas didn’t look up, his hands calmly adjusting the decoy’s shirt collar. “I don’t need your approval, Cullens. In fact, I don’t need anything from you at all. So why don’t you save us both some time and leave?”
Clyde let out a derisive laugh, crossing his arms. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. Someone needs to put a stop to whatever idiotic stunt you’re pulling, and it might as well be me. Face it, Vials—you’re just upset you finally got caught, and now you’re running like the coward you’ve always been. Because you cant stand to face the people who saw you get dragged in here by your collar.”
Nicholas froze for half a second, his hands stilling over the decoy. Then, slowly, he turned to face Clyde. His expression was unreadable, but the sharpness in his eyes spoke volumes. “Coward?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.
“Yes, coward,” Clyde snapped, stepping closer. “You’ve spent years prancing around this place like you’re untouchable, like the rules don’t apply to you. But now that someone finally called you out, you’re slinking away in the middle of the night like the fraud you are.”
Nicholas’s lips twitched into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “You talk a big game for someone who’s always been two steps behind me, Cullens. What’s the matter? Mad that I’ve always been better at everything, including getting under your skin?”
Clyde bristled, his fists clenching at his sides. “Better? You think breaking into a professor’s house makes you better than me? All it proves is that you’re reckless and desperate. And now you’re running because you can’t handle the consequences. That’s not better, Vials—it’s pathetic.”
Nicholas shrugged, his calm demeanor only seeming to enrage Clyde further. “Think what you want. Unlike you, I don’t need to prove myself to anyone—least of all to you.”
“Right,” Clyde shot back, his voice rising. “Because you’re Nicholas Vials, the guy who’s too good for rules, too good for the rest of us. But guess what? You’re not special. You’re just another selfish idiot who thinks he’s above it all. And I swear, if you try to leave, I’ll make sure you don’t make it past the front gate. I’ll tell them everything”
That made Nicholas pause. He tilted his head slightly, studying Clyde as though seeing him for the first time. Then, without warning, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
“Tell them, Cullens. Go ahead. Yell it from the rooftops if it’ll make you feel better. But you know what I think? I think you won’t. Because deep down, you’re afraid. Not of me getting away, but I am the only challenge you have. Without me, you have no one to belittle, no one to look better infront of. Youre just an average man with nothing to show because I make you look saintlyin comparison. So go ahead, make your move. But know this— I win— simply because I don't need you.”
Clyde’s jaw tightened, but he couldn’t find a retort fast enough. Nicholas turned away, the conversation already forgotten in his mind. He slipped past Clyde and toward the door.
“Don’t follow me,” he said over his shoulder, his tone more a command than a request.
Clyde didn’t move, his hands shaking with frustration. He watched as Nicholas disappeared into the hallway, leaving behind the crude decoy and the undeniable sting of defeat.