They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I assume the boss hastily leaves out of my cell corridor. I rushed to my wall and bang my head. Desperate to hear for more information.

It can't be.. No. No. Seven can't die. She has life blessing. She won't die right? All of a sudden the metal door hissed and ten skully warriors came out. Long military guns hoisted on their shoulders. 

I didn't move. One kicked me straight in the face and drag me off my feet. I didn't bother questioning where they're taking me. I counted the days. It's the experiment "Revival" day. 

The part where they cut off my arms with chainsaws and fired 'Life blessing bullets' at me to slow my regeneration. In days like this, I sometimes wish I was back in the rooftop where I officially introduce myself to Seven. 

Or back to the time in Opra. Where I first met Magnus. Plummeting from the sky, kissing his butt in the mud. When he kicked the school bell because it's loud. When he self –admire himself in the mirror and walk like a supermodel from Homo Sapiens period. Throwing flirty winks to any girls in sight.

Those we're happy times. 

I thought when I'm miserable, I'll think about my time with Dad. But none come out as happy or nostalgic. It's like all my affections for him evaporated. Because of their betrayal. 

They dragged me all the way down to the basement. Where everything is rearing with life. Faeries, in all sizes, all greens, clothes undistinguishable, faces too ugly to discern who is who, are busy scuffling around. There's a part where mechanics do their jobs. Sparks from drills fly everywhere. 

Hammers slamming, machine roaring, I feel like I'm in a very large factory I don't understand what it's for. 

They brought me down to the last corridor. And I recognize the place. It was where I watch them injecting my 'Death blessing' to Magnus and Seven. Where they bound them to an operating bed. 

I can't stop shaking remembering that scene. After all I went through… seeing Magnus and Seven suffer is something I can't undergo again. 

They forced me to sit in a metal chair. But didn't adjust the strap to tie me down on it. There's a  large upside down box hovering above me. I closed off my expression. The battered monster me couldn't get any more surprise for the new tactics they come up today. 

A lot of possibilities float in my brain. They could be doing that old magician trick where they pierced me to death with sword inside that box. Or put me under a boiling Beast size oven. 

Broiling me to death. 

When they removed the metal box, my body froze. It's Magnus. He was chained upside down. Along the aisle, Lista appeared and dropped Magnus from his hanging position. Magnus groaned.

His face is unrecognizable beneath the dried blood, forest bleeding bump of scalp, swollen lips, and body full of grisly claw marks and sword slices. They kicked him. Forcing him to stand up and sit on the chair opposite me. 

What struck me hard… is his dead glazed eyes. There's no longer the spark of humor or life dancing in his eyes. He looks… like a living bloody doll. Will move when told to. Eat when ordered to. Die when forced into. 

He is not the playful idiot Magnus I hang out with back in Opra school. He's no longer the idiot who kicked the wooden cabin of the Auf I killed just because he's frustrated. 

Where is that 'version' of him now? Was he murdered under their animalistic tortures? Did my Seeker finally gave up on me? On Seven? On the other Eklektos probably in danger from these creatures?

I choke back the sob trying to escape from my throat. First, I'll hear Seven no longer breathing. Now I'll watch the physically alive emotionally dead Magnus drifting to his wreak mind.

"Come on, sit straight you useless fool! Greet the Eklektos who betrayed you for his traitorous father!" Lista screamed and laugh maniacally. 

Magnus… lifted his eyes on me. I couldn't discern what expression he's wearing. But I'm certain the dead him is gone. 

Anger? Hurt? Or nothing?

I don't know which is worse. The fact that Magnus still harbor hatred because of what I did or him finally snapped out of his sanity.

"Now, now, how's your little reunion after a few months? Are we expecting some hugs and parties in here or death fights? Mmm, mmm. Looking forward to that." Lista smacked his lips. Eyeing us with wild red rimmed eyes. 

"Now, now, gentlemen, I've got some terrible news for you. Your other companion, the girl, Seven." He let Seven's name hung in the air. Testing if it can cause turmoil within us. 

Freaking right it did! But I did my best to make my expression as dead as possible. I'm already almost dead inside, so it's as easy as regenerating eaten chunk of my body part.

If it worries Magnus, he did a great job not showing it. 

"Seven has stopped breathing at 7:25am today." 

Both of us neither respond nor show any emotions on our faces.

"What a bunch of cold blooded idiots. Don't you care what happens to your only girl? Ladies need to be treated well. You fail as a man if you can't do that." 

Speak for yourself.

"Well, if you insist in keeping silent and go skeptic about it, okay. Poor girl." Lista let out a fake saddened sighed.

"Now, let's get down to business. Five," he turned to me. 

"I want you to do something for us today." 

My eyes never left Magnus's eyes. We stared at each other. It could have been my imagination but I caught a whiff of his stormy grey eyes grew colder. 

Lista startled me by clapping his two hands twice. Two skully warriors, minus the military guns, drag a bed between Magnus and me.

Someone is sleeping in it, draped by the white sheet. Lista removed it. A cold shudder went through my spine.

It's Seven.

"You have 'Death blessing' Five. I want you to raised her from the dead. "