Chapter 4 Chaos

"He has been in there for hours today. He didn't come down for breakfast or lunch. I'm worried about him. What if he doesn't come out for days like he always does? Would you please speak to him for me? I'm worried about him," Felicity said to the man in front of her, who had the same worried expression as she did. They both turned to look at the stairs that led to the upstairs hallway, the worried expression on their faces deepening as they sighed deeply in unison. It was a thing they couldn't seem to get used to, even though they had witnessed it many times.

"I will try to talk to him, but you know how stubborn he can be. Start with dinner. If he doesn't come down, then I will take it up to him," the man instructed, and Felicity nodded. She smiled warmly at him before leaving to do as she was told.

He sighed deeply once again and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, they were filled with determination before he started to climb the stairs. Maxwell had a stern look on his face as he headed to the upstairs hallway, a routine he seemed to carry out every day, but this time with a mission in mind.

When he finally reached the hallway, he took a deep breath before continuing on his journey. He had to get him to come outside. He could already imagine how the room must look, the thick dark curtains blocking the sunlight. The sun was going down already, and now it was the moonlight's turn. A little moonlight wouldn't do any harm, he thought.

When he finally got to his destination, he stopped in his tracks and stared at the door in front of him. Maxwell lifted his hand to knock. When he did, he waited a few seconds for a response but got none. He wasn't shocked by that; he expected it.

"Dinner is almost ready, sir," he said in a raised voice so whoever was inside the room could hear him. He waited again and still didn't get a response. This time, he was expecting that too.

He sighed deeply as his hand travelled down to the doorknob. He turned it and pushed the door open. There was a short pause as he stood at the entrance, staring into the completely dark room. From where he stood, he could see the outline of someone sitting in the room, thanks to the faint light from the hallway. Maxwell fisted his hand as he walked in. Felicity had asked him to talk, and that was what he was going to do.

"Good evening, sir," he said as he stepped inside. He left the door slightly ajar so the hallway light could guide him and prevent him from tripping. His greeting got no response, and he hadn't expected one. Getting one would have surprised him.

As he walked further into the room and toward the chair facing the window, which was covered by thick, dark curtains, Maxwell could tell that he was there. The atmosphere in the room felt heavy and gloomy. The darkness didn't make it any better.

He stopped when he stood behind the chair and sighed. "You didn't come down for lunch or breakfast. Felicity said you've been here all day." Still, he got no response.

The room became completely silent for a few seconds as Maxwell considered what to say to get him to talk. This was the struggle every now and then. Even if he asked him to leave, he'd be grateful just to hear something. Maxwell moved from behind the chair and walked toward the curtain. He could see someone was sitting there, but not their face.

"You should open the curtains sometimes. It's dark in here," Maxwell continued, even though it felt like he was talking to himself. He sighed and reached for the curtain. Just as he was about to push it open, he heard a deep, hoarse voice say, "Don't." He immediately turned to look at him and sighed again.

"You can't keep staying here. Who knows how long it might be this time? Please..." Maxwell pleaded, but heard nothing more. He felt a little angry now, frustrated by everything. Someone had to bring him out of this state, and he didn't know what to do anymore. Speaking to him didn't work. Felicity's words didn't help either. Sometimes he came outside, but it was rare and it wasn't enough. Maxwell couldn't stand the rumours swirling around him.

"Do you know the rumour going around about you?" Maxwell snapped, turning to face him. But his eyes were closed, and he looked completely uninterested. His lack of response made Maxwell scoff and shake his head.

"People are saying you're dead. Everyone thinks you died somewhere. Of course, they think that you barely leave the house. You need sunlight. How long are you going to keep living like this?" Maxwell voiced his thoughts, but still got no reply. His eyes remained shut.

"Calhoun!" Maxwell called out firmly, stepping closer to him. "It's been so long already. I think it's time you moved on. I know it's hard, but..." Maxwell trailed off as Calhoun's eyes fluttered open and met his.

He simply stared at the butler in silence. From that look alone, Maxwell could tell he didn't want to talk anymore. He sighed again and turned back to the reason he had come into the room to let in some light and change the atmosphere, even if it wouldn't change the real reason for the gloom. But he couldn't complete what he came to do.

Maxwell froze when he felt a strong gust of wind in the room. He stood still for a moment, then turned to look at Calhoun, but he was gone. The door to the room was wide open.

He rushed to the door and out into the hallway, but it was empty. Calhoun was gone. Maxwell quickly hurried downstairs.

Felicity had the same shocked look on her face when he arrived. She stood by the front door of the house, which was wide open just like the room door had been. Maxwell could tell that he had gone through it.

"What happened? What is going on?" Felicity asked, still in shock at how quickly he had left the house.

"I have no idea. I had my back turned for one second, and the next, he was gone," Maxwell said in a low voice.

Every day, they walked out of the house and stood staring at the vast forest. The moon was almost out already, and they had no idea where he was or what he was doing.

"I worry about him every day," Felicity said in a worried tone, making Maxwell sigh again. They didn't know what to expect anymore, and with each day that passed, their worry only increased. All they could hope for was that one day, he would finally be okay and back to the Calhoun they remembered.