My legs and hands were chained, suspended in the shape of a cross against the cold stone of the jail cell. I had been beaten senseless after the incident yesterday until I finally fell unconscious.
My eyes are swollen shut, and every inch of my body screams in agony. It isn't surprising—the guards took turns venting every bit of their long-held anger on me. I'm nothing more than a punching bag for them now.
It's hot in here. The fire lamps that I'm surrounded by are the reason .It reeks of rotten flesh and vomit. I know this place. This is the underground prison next to the main town. Only highly classified criminals are kept here. I can hear the wailing and mad sounds of prisoners nearby, along with the occasional screaming. The voices are muffled and sound far away.
My body feels heavy in these chains. Every time I try to shift my weight, the metal pulls at my wrists and ankles, reminding me of the beating I took. I don't know how long I've been here, but the silence between the screams is the worst part.
The door opened, slow and steady, as if whoever was there wasn't in any hurry. A tall lady walked in. She had a muscular build but still looked feminine. Her face was pleasant and didn't look stressed like the guards I'd seen—they always had frowning faces and wrinkles from anger. She had downturned eyes.
She stopped right in front of me. When she spoke, her voice sounded like she was fed up with life—dull, bleak, and detached.
"Commander said to beat you up until he comes."
She suddenly struck my stomach with her knee. My mouth opened to scream, but the sound got choked as she hit me again. It hurt, but her kicks felt weaker than the guards from yesterday. Is she doing it on purpose? Or is that all she's got?
That was when she kicked my stomach very hard.
<"Don't underestimate me. I'm the warden of this prison, and I beat prisoners into a pulp here. I'm being light on you because you're just a 17 year old kid.">
I froze. She could read my thoughts? She was speaking directly into my mind.
<"Yes, I can read minds. I'm a psychic, after all.">
She continued to kick me with a cold expression, but her voice in my mind felt so much more alive. It had a motherly touch to it.
<"You think so? I'm glad. This is my original voice. That cold voice is just an act I put on.">
She stops kicking.
<"Well, I don't even know why you're here. They didn't tell me why they've put you here. I bet it's for some petty reasons like they always do. The guards get offended by people who go against them for their rights and put them here. It's usually those people who don't want us to get to The World Beyond. Then those people get beaten up by the commander for saying such things. That's why I'm going to help you. He's definitely going to beat you up. I can't save your body from injuries, but I can make it not hurt.">
"What... what do you mean?" I stammered.
<"My ability uses decay energy to target regions of neurons in your brain to manipulate the signals flowing through it. I can read and decode them, too. Although my ability doesn't automatically turn thoughts into words, I've learned the patterns through experience. That's how I decode the signals into words. I can also suppress the signals. I'll suppress the signals for pain so it won't hurt, and you'll save your sanity.">
"Why are you saving me? You don't even know me. You don't even know who I am." I looked into her eyes; it was as if I was talking directly to the person inside.
<"Because I have a kid your age, too. She's a strong girl. Says she wants to work under the king. She's currently in combat training for a few months. After that, she'll go into training to unlock her innate decay skill.">
My eyes widened. That's when I noticed a similarity. Her hair... her eyes... they were just like the only picture I had of her.
<"I know how it feels to be helpless. I've found my daughter in that situation many times. She grew up without her dad, yet somehow she's just like him! Makes me wonder if Marlow reincarnated through her! haha!"> She laughed in my mind.
Marlow... I know that name. Dad told me it was his brother who died when I was eight. But I doubted it was the same guy.
<"Who are you talking about—">
As soon as she said those words, her expression changed. She was back in alert mode. Immediately, she hit me in the stomach with her knee so hard that I cried out in pain.
I looked at the door with blurry, watery eyes. I didn't need any more clues to know who was there.
It was the Commander.
The Commander picked up a chair from the side and sat down in front of me. He was completely calm. His breathing was slow, steady, and elegant, as if he were sitting in a lounge rather than a torture chamber.
<"I won't be able to read your mind or talk to you while I'm numbing your pain. I cannot multitask; my brain cannot handle too many processes at once, or it will fry. This is one of the limitations of decay skills—they rely heavily on brain power. Goodbye for now. I'll make sure you don't feel the pain, but you must act like you're hurting. If you don't, he'll know.">
Slowly, I felt something pulling away, and my mind felt lighter. Then I noticed one more thing: I couldn't feel anything. My skin had gone blank. Not even the heat from the fire lamps had any effect on me anymore.
"You committed a sin. A sin so great that no god will show mercy upon you," the Commander said, looking at me with dead, cold eyes.
Even with my senses disabled, I could feel the goosebumps. Everything about him was terrifying. He was old, with grey hair and deep-set eyes. Wrinkles lined his forehead, and his skin looked ashy. He had a very short beard that was spread unevenly across his face. His hands were thick, strong, and looked like antiques. He was wearing a shirt and pants in a dark green color.
"But it seems your sin was our blessing."
"I hope you remember, Miro, what I said to you yesterday. This is the new age. The World Beyond is the key to our shackles. One day you'll realize it. The World Beyond is the hope for the world of Lethean. We might not know what it has to offer us, but that's how all hope works, right? The World Beyond represents our hope. It is hope."
I stared back at him, filled with anger and confusion at the things he was saying. I didn't understand. The World Beyond was just a fairy tale. Even if it wasn't, why did it matter? I didn't know if I was manipulated into killing my dad or if it was just a coincidence.
He stood up and began to pace between the two ends of the room as he spoke.
"You killed your father. He had done nothing to you. He only loved you."
"Truth will find its way to you, one way or the other. So I shall not lie to you. I'll tell you our objective."
"We want to get to The World Beyond. First, we will get rid of those who don't want peace. They don't want us to reach the World Beyond because that peace would destroy the powerful positions they hold."
He stopped and turned toward me.
"As for why we wanted your dad killed—he was a clumsy man. He didn't care about this kingdom, only power. A cruel good for nothing really." He came close to my face. "You've seen it, right? How cruel he was. I used to be his dog."
"Now, tell me. Will you work under us to reach The World Beyond and find a solution to this world's problems, or..."
"Will you let more people you love, or will come to care about, face the consequences of this unfair world?"
I can't do anything... My body feels numb and... I can finally feel my skin back to normal. Did she stop her technique?
I look at her. We haven't been together for long, but she's showing emotions on her face now. She looks disgusted, betrayed. She's clenching her fist so hard her knuckles are white. It's as if she wants to punch me herself. I just stare at her, helpless. Then, I hear her voice scream in my mind.
<"My daughter always asked me if she deserved to lose her dad. And you? You killed your father. WHY WOULD YOU DO IT?">
I had my own reasons! I shout back in my head. I didn't know what to do! I had two people to save—people I cared for with all my heart! I could only save one of them! I... I didn't know what to do. I still don't know what to do. I'm confused, I can't think straight...
Miro's death. The patricide I committed. Freya lying unconscious. And now, I was being given a choice I didn't even understand. Whose side should I even be on?
"You can start anywhere, Adel. It doesn't matter if it's a good or bad start. Once you begin, you'll figure things out. So, what do you say? Will you help us?"
I gave him a stern look. I was determined to do this; I let my eyes speak for me.
"I'll do it."
"I'll help you."
"Very well!"
He signaled the lady to get me out of the chains. She didn't even bat an eye. She didn't speak to me in my mind again. She just obeyed his command coldly.
He led me out of the underground prison and up to the patrol department located right above.
"The public knows that the prince murdered the king," the Commander said as we walked. "But they don't know who the prince is. You can thank your father for keeping your identity limited to only a few trusted people."
"We also put out the story that the prince was jailed and beaten, but managed to escape," he added as we climbed the stairs toward the main hall.
He did all this before I even agreed? Was he really that sure I would say yes?
"Which is true—we did beat you up. Remember, your objective is to serve what is right. You must oblige no matter what. We punish those who don't take the side of justice and fairness."
We stepped out of the building and back onto the surface. A horse carriage was waiting in front.
"So, shall we go?" He climbed inside.
I just stood there, looking at him. I had made another choice without thinking... just like when I decided to kill my dad.
I'm just a sheep, being led by the shepherd.