The Fallen arc
TRIGGER WARNING!! Intense violence and physical abuse.
12 Years Ago
The Capital: Andromeda
The Citadel
Henro's Pov
After I saw my younger self get taken away by Silas. My surroundings changed again. I was now walking through a hall. As I reached the end of the hall there was an electronic controlled door. I pressed the keypad on the wall and opened it. The door opened and what I saw on the other side made me want to vomit.
On the other side of the door lay pools of blood and dozens of corpses belonging to both demons and half breeds. Mostly adults but...some of them were even children. They all had needle markings, knife cuts and even bite marks belonging to draugr.
I began shaking. Growing my class and sharpening my teeth. I wanted to hurl. No more than that I wanted to scream and lash out. But I kept reminding myself that this wasn't real. Just a memory. Or more so a representation of what I witnessed first hand while being under Silas' captivity. I had to remember that or I'd lose my mind here.
I took a deep breath and began walking over the corpses of my demonic brethren. My shoes splashed against the pools of blood I stepped into which made me wince but I kept walking. I didn't focus on the bodies below, just the door in front of me. As long as I kept my cool I would be fine. After all, this isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't...
"Reeee".
That moaning. What the hell was that? No. It can't be. It can't! I looked down at the bodies below me to find the source of that sound but it was just the corpse of a little girl. A half breed to be exact. She was still dead and so were the other corpses. So nothing to worry about.
I took a deep sigh of relief. But still to see her dead like this was heartbreaking. She looked to be about 11 years old. She had needle and scratch marks all over her body. She didn't have a bite mark like the rest of them but she had the draugr virus injection on her leg. Silas must have poisoned her himself.
For some reason she looked familiar? But maybe it was just a coincidence. Regardless, It felt awful to see her like this but there was nothing else I could do. Nothing but offer my condolences.
"I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this." I said with sorrow. I reached my hand out to her head and ruffled her black hair. "None of you did. None of you." I said as I shut my eyes and bawled up my other fist in frustration. I sighed and attempted to retrieve my hand from her hair but....
She grabbed onto my wrist. I jolted back a little out of shock. She started to growl and pick herself up.
"No." I said, trembling with fear.
"Reee". She moaned.
"No! No! No! NO!" I tried to get my wrist free but she had a tight grip on me.
"RAAAAAAAH!" The girl roared as her face was now pale grey. She was now a draugr.
"NO STOP!" I begged.
"RAAAAAAAH!" The girl roared as she leaped onto me trying to bite my neck.
I pushed her head away trying to keep her teeth away from me but to be honest it wasn't her strength that had me concerned. It was because she was a child. Like how I was. Silas took her from her home and did this to her. Then when he had no more use for her, he discarded her like she was trash. The same with the rest of my brethren. The same with....
I started to tear up but shook my head and roared as I threw her off me. She flew and hit the wall while I stood back up holding my head.
"This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't fucking real!" I kept telling myself that over and over.
"Reeeeh."
That moaning didn't come from the little girl. It came from the other bodies behind me. I looked behind me and saw the corpses begin to rise. They stood on their feet with her arms hanging and heads looking down as if they were zombies. No. They were worse than zombies. They were all.....
"RAAAAAAAAAHH". The Draugr screamed.
I couldn't do it. Dream or not I lost all my nerve and immediately hightailed it out of that hallway. I opened the door and ran as fast as I could with the draugr tailing me from close behind. I held my head as I ran with tears in my eyes.
"They're not real! They're not real! They're not real! THEY'RE NOT FUCKING REAL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I made it to another automatic door. I pressed on the button but it wouldn't open the door. Those draugr were getting closer.
"Come on! Come on!" I yelled with frustration.
I panicked and began sweating profusely as I kept pressing the button over and over and over and over and over again but it still wouldn't work. They were about to be on me in a few seconds.
"FUCK THIS!" I cursed as I grew my claws and dug them into the door trying to pry it open with my bare hands. I grunted as I struggled to prey it open but what choice did I have!? If I didn't they were going to kill me! No, what am I thinking!? They aren't real!
"You're not real!" I grunted. The door started to slowly open up.
"RAAAAAAAH!" The draugr roared as they dashed towards me.
"None of you are real!" I kept grunting as I came closer to opening the door.
"RAAAAAAAH!" The draugr reached me and leaped into the aid ready to pounce me.
"NONE OF THIS IS REAL!!!!" I roared as I finally managed to pry open the door. But as soon as I did a giant wave of blood splashed in my face and pushed both me and the draugr behind me back. As I sank deep into the small wave of blood, both the draugr who pursued me and the hallway around me were gone and replaced with an ocean of blood.
As I sank deep into the ocean of blood, it felt like I was being pulled down towards something. I kept sinking and sinking until I found myself inside a giant tube. I coughed out the blood I swallowed and tried to stand up but hit my head. I looked at the glass tub in front of me and then at my surroundings. I'm in a lab.
No. I'm in hell.
The door to the lab opened and inside came Silas and my younger self walking behind him.
"Welcome to my laboratory, subject 6167. This is where we will conduct your surgery." Silas said politely.
"Surgery?" Younger me asked.
"Yes indeed. As I said earlier your species is the rarest I've ever seen from Esos. And you in particular are quite special. I could feel your immense mana from that cell. No the moment I first laid eyes on you back at that church. Yes. You will be a fine specimen to study, subject 6167." Silas said with excitement. But my younger self was not amused. He grit his teeth and glared at Silas with defiance.
"Stop calling me that! My name is Henro! My mother gave me that name so stop calling me 6167!" My younger self demeaned.
"I already told you 6167. You won't be needing a name any longer. And you said you would willingly be my test subject. Or shall I go back and pay your mother a visit?" Silas asked threateningly.
"No! Please don't hurt her!" My younger self begged.
"Then no more defiance from you. From now on I am your master and you are my test subject. Nothing more. Nothing less. If you defy me again your mother will have a fate worse than death. For example...". Silas snapped his fingers.
Two imperial soldiers came in and were dragging something. No. Not something but someone. A child!? They threw the child onto the floor right in front of my younger self.
My younger self was obviously scared but then he and I got a good look at the child. It was a little girl. Around my age at the time. She had bruises, needle markings, ans knife cuts. She was drooling on the floor and barley looked alive. Wait a second! She's that same girl from earlier! The one from that hallway! No wait! I remember now! She's...NO!
"Allow me to introduce you to subject 6163. A half-breed whom I had acquired a month ago from a small town within the western continent in Midgard's territory. And just like you she was also generously given to me by the holy church. Ever since then subject 6163 has been quite cooperative. Granted that she will get to see her demon mother again as long as she behaves." Silas explained.
The girl looked up and took notice of my younger self.
"He-Help. Help me." Subject 6163 spoke in demon tongue.
I remember how I felt back then. I wanted nothing more but to help that girl but I couldn't. I was so scared. If I made a move, Silas would have hurt my mother and the girl would have suffered anyways. So back then I didn't move an inch. I just looked at her with a fearful look.
"Ah but alas, I've grown rather tired of experimenting on half-breeds. I've learned everything I could from them from both a biological and magical perspective. They have their strengths yes but unlike say dragon-kin where their dragon DNA are the dominant genes and progress their bodies as time goes on, Half-Breeds are held back by their human genes. The reason is uncertain but I have several theories. Still, the fact that this is the case is... disappointing." Silas said begrudgingly.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
He turned his attention to the girl. He wrapped his tail around her waist and picked her up above his head.
"What further use could a mediocre species provide to me when I've learned everything about them? What more could you bring to the table? What other secrets could you provide to me? To the world? Surely there must be something about your kind I haven't found yet. Something that's even remotely worth exploring? Please tell me, subject 6163. Don't you have anything else to offer?" Silas questioned.
"Please. My...M-momma. I want...my momma." The girl said weakly. Silas just sighed.
"What have I done? It's inexcusable. I......it fills me with so much grief." Silas said with sorrow as he placed a hand over his metallic bug face.
"Y-you promised. That I'd see my momma."
"That fact that I wasted an entire month of research on such a mediocre species. It's just...just so...unfortunate." Silas said with disdain. His tail poked at the girl's leg injecting her with the virus.
"NOOOOO!" I shouted as I banged in the glass. I tried breaking it but no matter what it wouldn't budge.
Silas dropped the girl's body onto the ground in front of my younger self. The girl's leg started turning purple and purple veins spread all over body in an instant. Then the gril started growling and twitching. My younger self was beyond frightened.
"Wha..what's happening to her?" My younger asked, feeling frightened.
"I think it's better if you see for yourself." Silas replied.
The girl's skin turned grey, her slit eyes turned blood red, her claws grew, she drooled poison from her mouth, and she wouldn't stop growling.
"6167, I would love to introduce you to my finest work. The Draugr." Silas announced.
"RAAAAAAAAH!" The girl roared at the two.
"AHHH!" My younger self fell on his back in fear.
"RAAAAAAAAH!" The girl roared again and leaped onto my younger self. She scratched across his face reaching up to his eye.
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!" My younger self cried out in pain. The girl wasn't done though as she tried to bite him but my younger self wasn't planning to lay down. His eyes glowed purple as his mana began to rise.
"RAAAAH!" My younger self roared as he shot a black shadow at the girl and pushed her back.
"AHHHH!" The girl fell back to the ground. She tried to get up but she started choking and held her throat. Henro sat there confused and afraid. While Silas chuckled.
"Calm yourself. She won't kill you. As I said, you are valuable to me. Though I am impressed you pushed her back so easily. You have an instinct for combat I see." Silas said.
"What...what's wrong with her?" My younger self asked.
"I just told you. This is a draugr. My very own creation. You see 6167, my ability is known as "Synthesis". A plain chemical with no taste, smell or any affect whatsoever. On it's own it's like a white sheet of paper with no canvas. Sounds worthless right? But that's far from the truth."
"Synthesis has the advantage of mixing with any other substances to create something new. It is quite versatile. For example, I mixed the blood of demons with my syntheses, to create medicine for the empire. Our medical technology has advanced quite splendidly thanks to your kind's generous blood donations."
"But just as I can create medicine I can also create poison. That is how I created Draugr. A deadly toxin that is fatal to anyone with demon blood in their veins. That is what I used on your mother earlier. Though I'm surprised you haven't healed yet. Delayed reaction?" Silas asked."
"But this girl, she turned into a monster." My younger self said.
"Ah yes. You see, I found that making a simple toxin to kill demons to be quite...dull. Anyone can make a simple virus. But not me. No. What I seek, is to see how far I could go with this virus. To test both my limits and the limits of your species. That is why I created what you see before you. A deadly bloodthirsty animal that is designed to hunt anyone with demon blood. Lord Zenal found this project to be useful so he had me create more for his empire. Ironic isn't it? Your kind want to be seen as people instead of monsters and yet, this is what they see you as." Silas chuckled.
"That being said. I injected more than the appropriate amount of draugr into 6163's bloodstream. Right now she's suffering from deep vein thrombosis. Soon her blood will stop flowing and then she'll suffer severe lung tissue damage. And finally, she'll stop breathing. I understand half breeds have a sufficient healing factor like demons do but...just like with your mother, she won't be able to heal." Silas said.
The girl continued to cough and choke until she was on her back crying out.
"Please help her! She's dying!" My younger self begged. Silas didn't say anything. He just stood there watching the little girl dying in front of him. I turned my head. I couldn't watch this again.
"M-mommy." The girl choked out.
Eventually the girl stopped breathing and her eyes shut as she drifted to an eternal sleep. My younger self sat there distraught as I kept my eyes closed and grit my teeth. Silas walked over to my younger self and took a knee. He brought his tail and placed it under my younger self's chin to push it up and have him look at Silas.
"Do you understand now? Defy me again and your mother is the next one you see die. This is your last warning. Am. I. Clear, subject 6167?" Silas questioned in a threatening tone.
I remembered it all as bright as day. I wanted nothing more than to cry my eyes out and run. But I couldn't. I was at his mercy. And he knew that. He just wanted to rub it in because he could. I hated him for it but at the time my fear outweighed my hatred. That is why I always lost to him. It's why I keep losing even now.
"Y-Yes. I'll do as you say." My younger self compiled.
"Excellent. We'll begin immediately. Guards dispose of that body. And SIX!" Silas called out.
Who entered the room was Silas' head assistant. SIX. She foresaw Silas other projects and assisted him with whatever experiments she was working on. She helped him torture me along with countless other demons and half-breeds so she disgusted me just as much. However, even back then I alway felt there was something...off about her.
"Yes, Lord Silas. How may I assist you?" SIX bowed.
"Have 6167 prepped for surgery immediately. We will begin the next phase of our project. It's time to see how far draugr themselves can...evolve." Silas said.
"As you wish, Lord Silas." SIX stood up straight and got a long white medical shirt for my younger self. She then turned her attention to him. "Come 6167. Get undressed and put this on. Lord Silas does not like to be kept waiting." SIX said with a monotone voice.
"Stop! Just stop! I've had enough of this shit! I know this isn't real! So just let me the fuck out and wake me up!" I demanded but like always no answer back.
"AAAAAHHHH!" A scream. That was from my younger self. The things Silas did to me back then.....No! I can't think about it! I can't! I won't! This isn't real!
"RAAAAAAAAAH!" My younger self cried out in pain.
"You know I must say. I'm grateful to you 6167. It's because of you that I can now continue my research on the study of evolution. You see, we as a species are limited. Limited by our power, our intelligence, our mentality, our ideals and even our will. My goal is to see how far we can all go when we push past our limits. And the answer to that, are hybrids." Silas explained.
"Yes! Hybrids are the key to helping me find that answer. The answer to how far can evolution take us. How far can we all go as a species? Where do we go from here? Just what kind of hybrids can be created? Did the gods design us to have limits? Or do we simply believe that and choose to limit ourselves? Oh. It's all so.....fascinating." Silas moaned.
"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! I HATE YOU! I HATE THIS! WHY!? WHY DO I HAVE TO RELIVE ALL OF THIS!? THIS NIGHTMARE! THIS HELL!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and banged harder and harder at the glass tube I was stuck in.
"And for that I thank you, 616-."
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!" I screamed and finally broke the glass. I fell out of the tube and fell onto the floor. I was on my knees and had my hands on the floor. I began crying my tears out.
"Just calm down. Just remember. It's not real. It's not real. It's not....GAAAH! My head!"
***
"It hurts mom! It hurts!"
"Where does it hurt baby?"
"What the hell?" I looked at my surroundings. The scenery around me changed again. This time I was back at my old cell where I saw my younger self crying into the arms of my mother.
"Oh great. More fun memories."
"Everywhere! My head, my arms, my legs, my chest, my face! It's all burning mom and it won't heal! Why won't it heal mom!? Why!?". My younger self asked.
I saw my younger self's condition. Back then I had acid burns, large knife cuts and needle holes all over my body. I was bleeding so much it was dripping onto the floor. Though for some reason out of my entire body, the scratch marks on my face were gone. That's neat I guess.
"Mom. Why aren't the Guardians coming to save us?" The younger me asked.
The Guardians. I gritted my teeth and bawled up my fist.
"Tsk! Because they didn't care! They never did! If they did we wouldn't have been in that mess in the first place! Equality my ass! Heroes!? What a fucking joke! As far as I'm concerned the guardians were never...". I spat but stopped myself.
["I want to become a hero just like the Guardians of Esos". Jayden said].
Just like that I lost all my anger. A hero like the guardians? Why? They...they never really cared about helping people like me. So what's there to look up to? Why would you even...want to be like them?
"That man. He keeps hurting us because of what we are. Because of what I am. And other people call me a mistake." My younger self said.
"No. No. No you can't think like that!" I began panicking.
"Are they right?"
"NO!"
"Am I a mistake?"
I collapsed and fell to my knees. I felt like I was barely hanging on at this point. I didn't want to see anymore memories. I didn't want to be here anymore. I just wanted to...
"NO! No you can't think like that! This isn't real! This. Is. Not. REAL!" I shouted.
"But it is."
I froze. That voice. It sounded disjointed but also....familiar.
I looked around and I wasn't in the cell anymore. It was nothing but pitch black. In the darkness I heard a chuckle.
"Who said that!? Show yourself!" I demanded.
"Man talk about pathetic. Even when the truth is thrown in your face, you still won't accept it. As if pretending it didn't happen suddenly makes it all better. When really you're just a coward running away from all your problems."
"Shut up! That's not me!" I kept looking around and around but couldn't find any source to where the voice was coming from.
"It is you. Come on Akumura. That's always been you. All you do is run. You'll never fight for anyone or anything. Tsk. Not when it matters anyway. I mean look at your mother."
"Shut up!"
"Look at your new friends. Did Jayden really deserve to be treated like that? At least he's got a backbone."
"I said shut up!"
"Oh and how can I forget Emilia?"
"Don't you dare!" I said in a threatening tone.
"Emilia loves you like family. And the second she makes one mistake you treat her like garbage. You made her cry. You did Henro. No one else but you. What a sorry excuse for a man."
"SHUT UP! Don't say her name! Don't act....don't act like you know me! I..didn't mean to..".
"Didn't mean to? DIDN'T MEAN TO!? Haha! Didn't mean to hurt the last person who actually gives a damn about you? Didn't mean to make her cry when she only ever treated you like a person rather than a monster? Haha wow! Oh man. You're not just pathetic. You're a riot!"
"Quit talking and show yourself already! Who are you!? Huh!? Who the fuck are you!?"
"But that's to be expected."
I heard the voice coming from right behind me. I turned behind me and saw who that voice belonged to.
"No".
"Yes. I mean. I am you after all."
I backed away but then he dashed towards me and slashed at my chest.
"AH!" I yelped. He looked at the damage. If EAs a big scratch mark but there was more to it. The purple veins. I was infected with draugr serum!
"Hey Akumura? Why don't we show everyone what you really look like on the inside?" My shadow asked with a sinister grin.
"No! No! No! NO! NOOOOO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as my voice began to change. The purple veins spread all over my body. My body turned grey as it grew bigger, my teeth and claws grew sharper, I grew a tail and my horns grew larger. I screamed in pain as my entire body kept changing until I looked at the ground and saw my reflection.
"Let's show the world what you really are."
"N-no. This isn't what I am! This....this isn't real!"
"It is. It's the real you. It's what you've always been. To Silas, to your mother, to your friends, and to Emilia."
I began crying and screaming as I looked at my face. I couldn't take it. I couldn't take it anymore.
"A monster."
"NO! RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" I roared.