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Hearts Entwine in Calamity
Navigating carefully through the dimly lit back of the hospital, we approached a rear entrance, trying to avoid drawing attention. The desperate camp outside the front made the less guarded back route seem like a mercy in disguise.
"So, Leo mentioned a little window around here they don't use much," Fabian whispered, scanning the area. "It should be just around this corner."
True to Leo's word, we found the small window tucked away behind an overgrown bush. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while, but a new set of bolts suggested someone wanted to keep it secure. Fabian grinned and, with a swift, controlled motion, he used his super strength to snap the bolts cleanly. The window swung open with a creak that seemed too loud in the quiet of the night.
We slipped inside, the stale air of the unused room greeting us. We paused, listening for any signs of movement. The hospital was mostly quiet, save for distant voices that we steered clear of. Moving cautiously, we navigated through dimly lit corridors, searching for something that resembled a medicine room.
On a counter, a doctor was looking through some notes. Without hesitation, Fabian approached her, covering her mouth with one of his hands. She jumped from the surprise but remained calm. "We are not going to hurt you," Fabian said as I approached them. "We're just looking for medicine for someone named Mayra. She has two kids, is very sick, and can't get up from the bed. After that, we'll leave. Please don't scream." He started to remove his hand from her mouth slowly.
The doctor, whose name tag read Dr. Ramirez, didn't seem fazed by Fabian and calmly replied, "You're talking about Mayra Robayo? She has severe asthma complicated by chronic bronchitis. Without her medications, she'll die in a few days. Let me guide you to the room and give you the medicine she needs." Fabian looked at me, raising an eyebrow, silently asking if we could trust her. Dr. Ramirez quickly added, "You want me to blindly trust two strangers with powers, but you can't trust a doctor?"
I thought about it for a second, but she did sound genuine. "Let's follow her," I said to Fabian, who removed his hands from her and pointed to his eyes and then to hers, indicating that he was watching her closely.
Dr. Ramirez fixed her coat and started to walk down the right corridor, with us following closely. "So you're one of the 'good' doctors who actually care for their patients?" Fabian asked sarcastically.
"I do, actually. That's why I came to this small island to work—to personally know my patients and to help them with all their needs, both medically and emotionally. Mayra is a very sweet lady who's been dealt a bad hand, but she has the most caring boys in the world." She smiled, clearly thinking of Leo and Diego. "She just needs someone to help and guide her. I'm glad you guys are helping her. I bet it was all Leo's idea," she said, turning to Fabian with a grin.
Fabian seemed uneasy, clearly not expecting her to be so genuine. Looking away, he replied, "Well, it was my idea, but he did tell me how to sneak in. Now that you mention it, maybe this was his plan all along. What a clever kid." Fabian now had a grin of his own. "So, what are you doing working with that monster, Dr. Moreno?"
"Dr. Moreno was transferred here from the USC to help us with medicines and set up new equipment. They told us he used to run a medical lab before, and after the storm passed, the government left this hospital for USC officials only and put Dr. Moreno in charge. I can see how he's using us for the USC's benefit."
"He's a horrible doctor. A liar and manipulator. He's as sadistic as they come," Fabian said, his tone serious, as if Dr. Moreno had personally wronged him.
"You know him, Fabian?" I asked, curious about his intense reaction.
He was silent for a moment, clearly contemplating whether to tell me or not. "He's someone from my past. Someone who changed me," he said in a deadpan tone.
I didn't want to pry any further. As we continued walking, I noticed that the hospital was eerily quiet inside, despite the hundreds of people outside. Many rooms were closed, but some were open and empty. "There are plenty of rooms here. Why won't they let anyone else inside?"
Dr. Ramirez looked at me with an angry expression. "Because the rule states that if they aren't sent officially by the USC, they can't be given treatments as the medicine provided is from them."
What sadistic game are they playing here? What is the USC's end goal—to make the island theirs by slowly letting the locals die or forcing them to leave? This infuriated me. I wanted to break open the locked doors and let everyone inside. Fabian noticed my clenched fist but didn't say anything.
We reached a locked door, which Dr. Ramirez unlocked with her keys. Inside were dozens of racks full of medical supplies. "This is more than enough for everybody on the island!" I said, not even realizing I was yelling. Fabian didn't seem to care, but the doctor's eyes darted around, checking if anyone heard.
Fabian motioned for Dr. Ramirez to look for Mayra's medicines. Without a word, she went to the racks like a soldier following orders. "What are you thinking?" Fabian asked, noticing I was lost in thought.
"We have to let the people outside know that they're hoarding the supplies, forcing them to either leave or die. We'll take as much medicine as we can to distribute it among the people outside," I replied. Fabian nodded in agreement.
Dr. Ramirez returned with a puzzled look. "They're not here, the medicines. It seems someone took them." As soon as she spoke, we heard a familiar voice from outside the room.
"Predictable," Dr. Moreno said, stepping into view. "I took the medicine. When I saw that you were hanging with that stubborn kid, I knew you would try to sneak into the hospital, just like he had done dozens of times. All of which, he has been captured. But to bring rebels into the hospital to intimidate a doctor and steal medicine from the people? That's a new low," he said with a smirk, clearly planning to use this break-in to turn the locals against us.
Fabian couldn't hold back his anger and quickly threw Dr. Moreno against the wall, cracking it in the process. He then pressed his arm against Dr. Moreno's throat, slowly choking him. "How will you say anything if you're dead?" Fabian threatened, his voice indicating he was ready to end it right there.
I lifted my arms instinctively to stop him but hesitated. The desperate faces of the people outside, in need of medicine, dwelled in my mind. I was actually considering letting Fabian do whatever he wanted.
"Stop! There is no need for violence!" Dr. Ramirez pleaded, trying to intervene, but Fabian's eyes and mind were locked on Dr. Moreno.
"Hell, there is indeed a need for violence! That is one of his main experiments, isn't it, Doctor?" Fabian taunted.
Dr. Moreno's eyes widened in surprise. "Who are you, and what do you know of my experiments?!"
"It's impossible to forget your unsympathetic eyes as you lie to children," Fabian said, his gaze growing more intense.
"I remember... all of my children! I certainly... don't... remember... you!" Dr. Moreno said hoarsely as Fabian's arm pressed harder against his throat.
"Of course, you don't recognize me, but maybe this will jog your memory: Soren Varro!" Fabian spat the name out, and it seemed to hold significant meaning. Dr. Moreno's struggle intensified as soon as he heard it.
"Impossible!" Dr. Moreno gasped. "He died a long time ago! Only—" His face transformed into an expression of shock and fear as he finally recognized Fabian. "HOW?!" he screamed.
As Fabian was about to reply, the sound of footsteps echoed from both sides of the corridor, the clinking of heavy uniforms and metal indicating USC officers approaching.
"Fabian! We need to go!" I yelled, placing my hand on his shoulder, trying to pull him away from Dr. Moreno, but it was like trying to move a boulder lodged between two canyons. He didn't budge.
"Where are the medicines?!" Fabian demanded as the officers' footsteps grew louder.
"I'll be long dead before I answer to any of your kind," Dr. Moreno hissed. Fabian's face twisted in fury, and he looked ready to kill.
"He's not worth it, let him go!" I desperately urged Fabian. The officers came into view from both sides, guns drawn. "FABIAN!" I shouted. He then threw Dr. Moreno with fierce force into the officers on the left side and I quickly created an ice wall on the right corridor, sealing it from floor to ceiling.
"Now what?" I asked in desperation looking for an exit.
Fabian looked around, then dashed toward the wall in front of him. He broke through it with his shoulder, creating a path. He continued to smash through the walls, one after another, as I followed. Gunshots rang out behind us, and I turned to seal one of the holes, preventing the officers from following.
We kept moving, breaking through barriers, the sound of pursuit fading behind us. After a few seconds of smashing down walls, we finally got outside. We emerged on the building's left side, and a few of the locals outside saw us. We exchanged glances for a few seconds until we heard the sound of officers behind us. Then we ran towards the trees. As we tried to escape, we heard a commotion of all the locals gathering where we had been, as the officers were ordering them to stand back, but they weren't listening. I think they were helping us escape, but I had no time to dwell on it. We just ran as far as we could until we heard no sound from behind us anymore.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Once our surroundings were filled only with the chirping of insects, we paused to catch our breath, the night air cool against our heated skin. I noticed Fabian's face was still very serious, clearly preoccupied with the thoughts of Dr. Moreno.
"Back there..." I said softly to him. "What happened? Did he do something to you when you were little?"
Fabian stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating his thoughts before replying. "I'm sorry. My rage overwhelmed me. I'm supposed to do better now and look toward the future, not the past. I'm glad you were there to snap me back to reality," he said softly.
"Yeah... no problem. But who was the doctor to you? He seemed terrified when he recognized you," I asked, curious to know what had happened.
"He... He's the reason I became who I am, and why my brother is dead," Fabian said, still looking away.
Was Fabian and his brother part of some experiments? Ivory had told me about Dr. Clemons and his studies with people who have the Clemons Cells, but how many doctors and facilities were there? "I'm sorry, I can't imagine what you must be feeling."
"My whole life has been driven by his death. Everything I did was a way to either honor him or avenge him. But now, I don't see things the same way. If we focus on the past, we can't change. Right, Ellion?" Fabian looked me directly in the eyes.
All I could think of was how everyone had suffered some heavy loss or had a rough life in their past, while I had been solely focusing on my studies and my sister's well-being. How can I reassure someone when I can't fully sympathize with their pain? My parents are dead, but to be honest, I don't feel much for them anymore; I don't even remember if I ever did.
"I'm not sure, Fabian. I don't even remember what my parents looked like. Is that what you want, not to be able to picture your brother anymore?" I asked, hoping he had an answer for both of us.
"I've been learning a lot from watching you these past weeks. You're always positive around people, looking for new ways to help them, not stopping until you do. You keep the group's morale high, no matter how much it sinks you. You keep marching on, with the weight of the lost, the people's hope, and the group's leadership. Life threw this storm at us, and we survived. Life took away our loved ones, and we still survived. Life threw you into this world of powers, and you're surviving. We can't control life; we must mourn, learn, and keep surviving without looking back. Or else we're better off dead." It seemed Fabian had thought about this for a while. That's why he's been acting differently—he's changed.
I smiled at him and offered my hand. "To forgetting the past." He smiled back and grabbed my hand. "Let's head back and tell them what we've found. They're going to freak out." Fabian nodded, and we started walking back to Leo's house.
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Inside the old living room, the group fell into a momentary silence after I told them what happened at the hospital. Turmoil churned inside each of them, the weight of the situation sinking in.
Max was the first to speak. "We have to go back and get the medicines! There is no other way. The doctor told you herself—Mayra will die if we don't get it to her!" Desperation was clear in his eyes.
"I don't think stealing all the medicines will help in the long run," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. Max clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "This is more serious than what we've dealt with before. We have to let the people know, but without causing an all-out war. I'll call Ivory and get her to come here with some of the group to make a plan."
"The signal is dead. I've been trying all day, but I've gotten nothing," Kyriah chimed in. "And I don't think this is a coincidence. I think they're deliberately blocking our signal."
"We'll head back to Vanity first thing in the morning, then we'll make a plan on how to deal with this, okay?" I said to Max, hoping to calm him down for the time being. Without Annabella around, he seemed more intense, ready to snap at any second. I needed to keep an eye on him.
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Dawn broke over Amaracuya, the first light filtering through the cracks and gaps of Leo's shabby house. Everyone was ready and packed. We did not tell Leo or his family about our discovery, instead, we assured them we'd return with reinforcements, a promise that made Leo's eyes shine with hope, knowing more Sunspears would come.
The air on the way to the Ferry Terminal was thick with tension. The absence of the usual few crowd was unsettling. As we drew nearer, we saw a sight of USC officers swarming the area. We stopped quickly in our tracks, thinking that this might be a trap for us.
"This is bad," Kyriah muttered under her breath. "They're tightening their grip on the island."
We moved closer, hoping to find a way through, but it was clear the ferry was no longer an option. USC officers blocked all access points, their presence a formidable barrier.
"Is this because of last night?" Fabian asked, his voice tinged with guilt. But I knew better, USC had their eyes on us since we set foot on this island.
Growing impatient, Max stepped out from our hiding spot and approached the officers blocking the entrance. "What's going on here? Why are you blocking the ferry's entrance?" he demanded.
One of the agents, a tall man with a stern expression, replied, "By order of the USC, all transport to and from Amaracuya is restricted. No one leaves or enters until further notice." The finality in his voice left no room for arguments.
Max took a threatening step forward, but the officer and his equally stern-looking partner mirrored his movement. Kyriah grabbed Max by the shoulder, pulling him back. "Take it easy. We'll find another way," she said, her voice calm but firm. Max reluctantly relaxed his shoulders and turned away.
The tall officer sneered, "If you want to leave so badly, turn in those rebels loose on the island that everyone loves so much, and you'll have the island back to normal."
"It'll be back to normal once you leave it," Kyriah hissed, her eyes burning with defiance. She walked back towards us, guiding Max, who still seethed with barely contained anger.
I looked around at the team and noticed their spirits dimming at the realization that we were completely isolated on Amaracuya. We couldn't afford to lose focus. "Let's split up," I said, injecting as much determination into my voice as I could muster. "We need to find a way to communicate with the others on Vanity. There has to be another way off this island—maybe someone has a small boat."
Max didn't respond; he just started walking off into the unknown.
"I'll go and ask around, see if I can find anything. We'll meet back here in a few hours," Fabian said, heading towards Isabella Town.
Kyriah approached me and entwined her arm with mine. "Ellion, come with me. There's a place I want to show you."
I flustered slightly but remembered this was her childhood home. She probably wanted to revisit a familiar spot. "Um, okay. Where to?" I asked, giving her a nervous grin.
Kyriah grinned back at me, her cheeks forming small, rosy balls every time she smiled. She started walking, her arm still linked with mine, leading me down an old dirt road that wound through the trees near Isabella Town.
After walking for almost half an hour, I teased Kyriah, "I think this is far enough. They won't find my body way out here."
She shot me an unamused look. "Everyone knows everything here. It's a very small island. If someone wants to make someone disappear, they'll have to take them away from here."
Indeed, the island was small. You could get anywhere on foot. There weren't many cars, mostly horses, but the few vehicles around were rugged 4x4s for the rough roads. I'd heard that if you walked continuously along the perimeter of the north island of Amaracuya, it would take 8-10 hours to complete.
As we continued walking, the dense flora gradually gave way to a small clearing. In the center, a large pond with crystal-clear water stretched out, its edges fading into the surrounding greenery. "What is this?" I asked Kyriah, who was curiously examining the giant boulders near the pond. "Everything alright?" I asked again, thinking she might not have heard me the first time.
"Huh? Yeah! I am just looking for—Here it is!" she exclaimed, pointing excitedly at a dark gray, grainy boulder.
"Yeah, there it is," I responded weakly, still unsure of what she was referring to.
"Don't you see?!" she insisted. I squinted, trying to make out what she was pointing at. Then I noticed some letters carved into the boulder, obscured by moss and dirt.
"VIK? Who's that?" I asked, peering closer to make sure I was reading it right. With all the moss and dirt, the inscription was barely noticeable.
"It's Ivory and my initials," Kyriah explained, her excitement palpable. "We used it to mark the spot where the blue hole is in the pond." She threw her backpack to the ground, kicked off her shoes, and stripped off her shirt, leaving her in shorts and her underwire on.
A wave of nervousness consumed me, and I felt my cheeks flush as I fought not to stare at her. "Whoa, hey! You're going in?"
"We're going in," Kyriah corrected, jumping into the pond without hesitation. She submerged for a few seconds before resurfacing with a big smile. "It's so good! Come on in!"
Chuckling nervously, I started to take off my shoes, already dreading how cold the water would be and the discomfort of wet clothes. "Do I have to?" I asked weakly, my hesitations bubbling up despite my desire to impress her.
"Yes, you have to! One can't go down to the blue hole alone. I need your help so I don't drown." Kyriah said, extending her hand towards me as she floated effortlessly.
"Okay, if you insist." I knew I was going in regardless. I dropped my bag, removed my shoes and shirt, and slowly waded into the pond, one foot at a time. I felt the water getting colder and colder as it reached my waist. "Why isn't immunity to cold one of my powers?" I muttered as I tried to fight off the cold, but Kyriah's laughter and the sparkle in her eyes made it all worth it.
Kyriah swam slowly toward me, her eyes locked on mine. She grabbed my hands and gently pulled me towards the middle of the pond. Although I knew how to swim, I still struggled to stay afloat.
"Or I won't let you drown," Kyriah said with a small laugh, noticing my awkward attempts to keep still.
As we floated, I noticed a dark blue circle at the bottom of the pond, stark against the lighter blue surrounding it. "You and Ivory used to go down that hole?" I asked.
"All the time. This was our spot. The pond stretches from the east to the west of Amaracuya. We used to come all the way from Esperanza Town, crossing the Green Bridge to get here. We'd spend most of the day trying to see who could swim further down," Kyriah explained, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
"Ivory obviously won, with her power. She could just teleport to the bottom of the blue hole," I said with a grin but Kyriah didn't smile back.
"She didn't have that power back then... " Kyriah said somberly.
Right, the cost of gaining more powers with the Clemons Cells—killing another bearer with the same cells. Kyriah must be remembering a time before everything changed. Curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't hold back. "I saw there were three letters on the boulder. So, who's 'V'?"
Kyriah smiled softly. "An old friend of ours. She died when we were little." She looked up at the sky, lost in memories. "I hope we can visit my hometown in the future."
"Why can't we go now? It's just across the Green Bridge, south of the island, right?"
"The Green Bridge doesn't exist anymore. After the freak flood, the vines and barks that held the bridge swelled and died. Now there's a man-made bridge, but it's controlled by the government, and therefore by the USC," Kyriah said, a hint of anger in her voice. Then she swam up to me and wrapped her arms around me, pressing her body against mine. Despite the cold water, her warmth enveloped me. "Let's forget the past for a moment and enjoy the present, even if it's just for a little while," she whispered.
I blushed, looking everywhere but at her face, which was inches from mine. "Y-Yeah, let's enjoy it. I'm sorry for asking so many questions."
She smiled widely, her eyes never leaving mine, and leaned in for a kiss. Her soft lips pressed against mine, and my heart raced like a runaway train. "Thank you for keeping me company, Ellion." I wanted to reply, but my mind was a jumble of cheesy lines and bad jokes. I didn't want to ruin the moment, so I stayed silent. She slowly pulled away, holding onto one of my arms as she began to dive down. Just before fully submerging, she said, "Remember, don't let me drown!" with a playful grin and dove into the blue hole.
I couldn't believe what had just happened. My face split into a wide, stupid grin. We had a few hours before we needed to head back to our daily chaos. I wanted this feeling to last as long as possible. With that thought, I took a deep breath and dove down to follow Kyriah into the beautiful blue cave.