echo Kane — ‘the most courageous man on earth’ — was the biggest fraud of the century.
He was also a dimwit. But that’s for another day to talk about.
He strode past the corridors of marble, glitter and glamour. A confidence that betrayed nothing, especially the fact he didn’t belong there— the Majestic Pantheon of Eternal Glories. It wasn’t because of the opulent, gold-plated beams that contrasted his shabby flat. Nor the iridescent ceiling-high glass. Not the promise of seafood rarities displayed on expensive wood. No, it was the fact he’d been invited. This was one of the grandest dinner events ever hosted. Its purpose to celebrate the achievements of the most honourable individuals of the country. Here, Kane attended the dinner as the most courageous man on earth. Kane, the coward who’d stolen the title from its rightful owner. Not that anyone knew.
He adjusted the collar strangling his sweaty neck before the grand double doors of the ballroom. He imagined a sea of applause welcoming him as he entered. Endearing gazes and eyes sparkling with admiration. For some, maybe even envy. The doors would swing with dramatic flair. The spotlight, all on him. He bathed in those fantasies, a smile touching his lips whilst his mind wandered further and further. Puffing up his chest, he dusted his immaculate suit and took a step into the event room.
The quiet hallways gave way to a grand ballroom of bustling, dreamy riches. It was as though Kane had entered a whole new world. A magical, fever dream. Except not a single pair of eyes turned to him. No one was there to greet nor acknowledge him. A sliver of heat crept up his cheeks. Before he knew it, he once again cowered in the shadows near the food stands. He watched other people entering, assimilating into the crowd with perfect ease. A twinge of envy stung his heart.
Then it struck him: he was a fraud, but no one knew it except himself. He had as much power and status as everyone else. Why should he be a lizard on the wall? A surge of confidence flooded through him. He huffed out a determined breath. He would live up to his title.
He trudged through the mob of people and marched straight into the heart of the crowd. To the place where people congregated. To the life of the party, the country hero— Garrick Bruegrs. He watched Garrick Bruegrs like a hawk marking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. The moment he saw an opening, he mustered all his charisma and slithered up to Garrick Bruegrs’ side.
“Fine evening, isn’t it?” asked Kane, awkwardly leaning on the baroque-style pillar. He offered Garrick Bruegrs one of the two wine glasses he’d whisked away from a waiter’s tray. Garrick Bruegrs turned to him, brows slightly raised. The jagged scar running down his face creased a little. It was a mark of honour for his heroic deeds. Garrick Bruegrs accepted the glass curiously and asked in his low voice, “Forgive me, you are?”
Kane flushed and cleared his throat. “Kane Fosi.”
Recognition lit up in Garrick Bruegrs’ eyes. “The most courageous man.”
A fraud, yelled the voice in Kane’s head. A tinge of pink touched his cheeks. Kane waved a hand to brush off the flattery. “Courage lies in everyone,” he said. “It only comes to light depending on the circumstance.”
Garrick Bruegrs’ lips quirked up in amusement. He nodded in agreement and took a sip of the wine. “You’re a humble man.”
Kane suppressed a smile. “And you, the hero of the country.”
Garrick laughed and shook his head ruefully. “People like to exaggerate.”
Kane paused, considering his next words carefully. He had to gain Garrick Bruegrs’ favour. The question was: how? What would interest Garrick Bruegrs’? Ask about his day? His career? His wife? His life goals? After a moment of pondering, Kane settled for family. Because who wouldn’t like to talk about family?
“How’s—” Kane opened his mouth to say something, but a voice cut in, and a newcomer swaggered forward. Sandy blonde hair, half a head taller than Kane and a pretty boy face, he snatched away Garrick Bruegrs’ attention within seconds. The man addressed only Garrick Bruegrs and never spared Kane a glance. Kane was left standing there awkwardly as both men engaged in deep conversation. Kane felt a surge of embarrassment and glowered at the newcomer. He gritted his teeth as they chattered eagerly and laughed. A brief vision of throwing himself at the newcomer flashed through his mind, but he suppressed it.
Just as Kane turned to stomp off, the exchange between Garrick and the newcomer piqued his interest. Garrick was asking the pretty boy for updates on a project. The pretty boy shifted with uncertainty, hesitation flickering through his features. There was a quick pause in the conversation, a broken momentum. It was a chance, and Kane saw it. The pretty boy was shaking his head as he started, “I don’t think—”
“Pardon me,” Kane cut in. He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”
Both men turned to Kane, a little startled. The pretty boy glanced at him as though he hadn’t noticed Kane before. He raised a brow at Kane. “You are…?”
“Fosi,” he introduced with slight annoyance. He tipped his chin up in challenge. “And you?”
The pretty boy blinked. “Liam Nelson.”
Kane ignored the pretty boy in spite and turned to Garrick Bruegrs. “I believe I can be a much superior candidate. I can help you.”
Garrick Bruegrs stared at him blankly. It took him a moment to register what Kane had meant. Then, understanding dawned on him; he smiled regretfully and shook his head. “While I appreciate your offer, you seemed to be mistaken. This isn’t a business task; it’s a personal one. I couldn’t possibly trouble you, Mr Kane.”
But Kane wasn’t willing to let it go. “I happen to have some free time on my hands. I would be happy to help, personal or not.”
Garrick Bruegrs seemed unsure at that. “It’s a dangerous job.”
Kane clenched his fist. “All the better. We can all agree that I have the better skill sets.” Kane glanced haughtily at the pretty boy, looking him up and down. A muscle twitched in the pretty boy’s eyes.
Garrick Bruegrs offered Kane an apologetic smile. “With respect, Mr Kane, this task requires more…” Garrick Bruegrs paused to find the right word.
“Experience,” finished the pretty boy, a dangerous, challenging glint in his eyes. Kane met the pretty boy’s gaze with equal hostility. “They call me the most courageous man for a reason, right?”
They were silent for a moment. Garrick Bruegrs hesitated, before saying slowly, “I suppose you would be of great help…”
The pretty boy scoffed imperceptibly. The corner of Kane’s lips twitched.
“Are you sure you can do it, Mr Kane?” asked Garrick Bruegrs.
“Definitely.”
“You’re replacing me?” the pretty boy asked incredulously.
Garrick shifted uncomfortably. “If you cannot have it done this month, I’m afraid I’ll have to find someone else.”
The pretty boy’s face took on a deep shade of red. “Fine,” he said, and stalked off.
Taught that arrogant brat a lesson. Kane was brimming with smug satisfaction. He offered Garrick Bruegrs his hand, which Garrick accepted with the grace of a true hero. They shook hands, and the deal was secured. Garrick Bruegrs promised to inform Kane about the assignment details soon, but he couldn’t do so now because he had details to confirm. All Kane had to do was ensure his task went smoothly.
———
Kane rose in popularity shortly after his exchange with Garrick Bruegrs. “Friends with the country hero”, people gossiped. He’d gotten a blast of attention out of it. Though not as much as he would have liked, considering how short-lived it was. He felt a strange sense of deja vu as he stood by the food stands again, sipping wine. This time, in the ballroom of a private manor, where an art exhibition took place. His gaze was trained on Garrick Bruegrs, who’d been doing rounds around the ballroom, greeting everyone and everything at the dinner. Kane bid his time in a corner, waiting for the signal to arrive.
A day before, a note had landed itself at Kane’s doorstep. On it was a messy scrawl: “10th July, Art Exhibition at Manor Axe. Burn after reading. Details are as follows…”
The letter explained that Garrick Bruegrs’ wife had been getting blackmailed and was spiralling into despair with each passing day. The note hinted at pleading urgency as Garrick Bruegrs laid out his plan of stealing something from a vault in Manor Axe. “To see my wife well and happy again,” said the note, and the plan’s success depended largely on Kane. More specifically, Kane was going to pretend to steal the very famous and expensive painting, which was incidentally the main subject of the art exhibition at Manor Axe.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess. It’s a dangerous job, but all you have to do is create a diversion. I will do the stealing so no one else gets into trouble if caught. This entire plan is counting on you…”
And that was how Kane ended up here, fidgeting nervously. His heart hammered against his chest; butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He never liked the thrill of treading on thin ice nor the threat of being on the brink of death—or, in this case, jail. Most courageous man, he reminded himself. Garrick Bruegrs trusted Kane, so Kane would show him what the most courageous man could do.
A piercing sound of shattering glass cut through the murmur of voices. A dead silence ensued; every head whipped towards the source of the sound to Garrick Bruegrs, who stood next to a pool of shattered glass. A young waiter crouched beside him, frantically picking up the glass shards. Kane immediately set down the wine glass and slipped out of the ballroom.
He made his way through the corridors of wood, heading straight for the painting room. No security guards were stationed there, just as Garrick Bruegrs had promised. He wasn’t sure what Garrick Bruegrs had done, but it was convenient.
The painting room was a hexagon, with marbled floors and mosaic walls of colourful paintings secured in glass cases. Kane wasted no time getting to work. He doused the contents of the little bottle Garrick Bruegrs gave at the centre of the room, careful to avoid any paintings. A pungent smell wafted from the pool of colourless liquid; he wrinkled his nose. Faint chatters could be heard from the party. It seemed the crowd had moved on from the shattered glass, which meant time was ticking. A knot tightened in his stomach as he scrambled to screw the cap back onto the empty bottle. Next, he pulled out a little matchbox from his coat pocket. His hands trembled, his palms too clammy and damp. He retrieved a match from the box and struck it against its rough sides. Once, twice, thrice, before a fire bloomed. Kane ignited the pool of liquid on the floor. Garrick Bruegrs had assured Kane a small fire at the centre of the room wouldn’t damage any paintings.
Now came the most pressing task: attaching a simple system of pulleys before the fire alarm went off. Judging by the growing stream of soot, Kane had less than two minutes. Thankfully, he’d spent days rehearsing the setup. He shut off his whirlpool of thoughts and proceeded to carry out a sequence of attaching and securing knots. When he finished, he held on to one end of the string and stood at the doorway of the painting room. Releasing the string, he sent a heavy load hurling towards a painting. It slammed into the anti-theft glass casing. And then a siren sounded. The theft alarm. He scurried away in satisfaction at the job well done.
Kane sauntered proudly through the hallway when he stopped abruptly, a nagging signal going off in his head. He’d forgotten a step! He gasped in horror, whirling around, before speeding back towards the room. As the theft alarm blared, metal shutters lowered, barricading the entry to the painting room. He swiftly pulled out the pen Garrick Bruegrs had given him and flung it into the gallery before the metal shutters clamped down. He exhaled in relief.
Kane had slipped back into the party right when the fire alarm began. Worried gasps and exclamations went through the crowd. Within seconds, the manor descended into chaos. The host flailed his arms helplessly, trying to calm the anxious mob. His assistant rushed to his side and whispered frantically, inciting a furious hiss from the host. The assistant fled the room in a panicked frenzy. Kane couldn’t help the surge of excitement that bubbled through him as he watched the plan unfold. The assistant would open the vault, just as Garrick Bruegrs had predicted. The point of Kane’s task was to create a diversion. He would set off the fire and theft alarms of the painting room. And a fire near the paintings was guaranteed to make the host panic. Meanwhile, the theft alarm would trigger a lockdown, which could only be opened using a specially designed key. The same key Garrick had entrusted to Kane for safekeeping. With the special key missing, the assistant would have to retrieve the emergency key from the vault to extinguish the fire. While the assistant rushed to open the burning gallery, Garrick Bruegrs would sneak into the vault to steal the documents he needed. What a brilliant plan, Kane thought, smiling to himself. He wouldn’t expect less from the mighty hero.
Suddenly, someone started screaming that there was a person in the gallery. Kane jerked his head up. A person? He hadn’t seen a soul! But they might’ve seen him. Kane froze. He had the key and could open the door, but that would mean ruining the plan. The person could’ve been mistaken. The gallery was big, but it wasn’t that big for him to have missed a person…right? And yet, there was a fire blazing inside the locked room. Kane might end up being responsible for hurting another person…again. He chewed hard against his cheek. The liquid he’d poured earlier ensured the sprinklers couldn’t extinguish the fire. And the assistant was still nowhere in sight. If Kane left the trapped person there…He was already feeling sick in the stomach. Yet, if Kane were to open the door, he would reveal that he was the person behind this. He would be arrested. He could be fined, and that was something he wouldn’t be able to afford. Worse, he could be sent to prison. Kane the coward could never survive there! He fisted his hair in despair, in frustration, dread clawing its way up his throat. The unwanted image of his brother’s limp body flashed through his mind. Lying in the hospital bed, face ashen, teetering between the borders of life and death. He could hear his mother’s cries of pain; feel the stab of guilt that pierced through his heart. All because of a title. But what was I supposed to do? There was nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to drown out the memory.
As he opened his eyes, he took in the frantic crowd and worried shouts. He huffed and gritted his teeth, then spun on his heels and dashed out. Resolute in his choice; he couldn’t make the same mistake twice.
The most courageous man.
Kane repeated the phrase over and over in his head like a mantra. He pushed away all doubt and acted before he could back out. Fishing out the special key, he unlocked the metal shutters with a loud clank. Smoke flooded out; he coughed at the suffocating stench. It took him a moment to realise something wasn’t right. There was no one there.
Kane whipped his head around just in time to see a police officer securing cuffs around his wrists.
“Mr Kane, you are under arrest for multiple offences, including burglary, arson, criminal trespass, vandalism, possession of stolen property, tampering with security systems—”
“Wait!” Kane shoved against his grip. “This is a mistake!”
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” The policeman tightened his hold and propelled Kane out of the room. “You have the right to an attorney. And if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.”
Kane barked out protests, along with a stream of obscenities. “You have security cameras, don’t you? Check it! I didn’t steal anything!”
The officer was unamused. He pulled out the pen that Kane had left in the gallery. “This is yours, isn’t it?”
Kane was robbed of words, unsure what the pen had to do with everything. The policeman seemed to have his answer. “I don’t know where you got this, but this camera disabler is illegal to own.”
“It’s not mine!” Kane protested. “A friend gave it to me!”
The officer half-dragged him past the gossiping crowd.
As Kane wildly glanced through the horde of onlookers, he caught Garrick Bruegrs’ familiar face. His shoulders relaxed by a fraction.
“Garrick!” he yelled. “Garrick! Tell them this is a mistake!”
But Garrick Bruegrs had an expression of upset and disappointment. “Why would you do this?”
Kane stuttered in disbelief. “What are you talkin—”
Kane was pushed out of the manor and into a police car. The door slammed in his face. Just as the car engine revered, Kane made eye contact with Garrick Bruegrs. He winked at Kane. So brief; there, then gone, before Kane was whisked away.
———
Five years had passed. The cell gate opened to reveal a grubby-looking Kane.
“You’re free to go,” said the prison guard.
Kane felt a little braver as he breathed in the gust of fresh air. He felt like he could take on the world. He wouldn’t cower in fear and hide. Instead, he was determined to find Garrick Bruegrs and pay him back. Kane was one step closer to becoming ‘the most courageous man’. But he was no doubt a dimwit.
Written by: Emily
Edited by: Ryan
