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TheAlchemist -> Hell yeah I had some fun writing this. But only when i had finished it, cuz otherwise it was sad, deleting 500+ words over and over again because I asked myself "is that actually meaningful information for the story i wish to write, or just filling for a word quota?".
I will add the psychological tag to the fiction, too. Possibly change the summary.
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- Master, I bring you reports from the third settlement.
- The ceremony?
- Yes, master.
- I assume you bring me interesting results. Don’t bother me with pesky matters, otherwise.
- The results are interesting yes, but not what one would expect.
- What is so intriguing?
- The students who showed the most promising results have, for the most part, failed. The ones who defeated them were some of the weakest of our class.
- Hmph, what a waste of time.
- The report doesn’t end here, master. One student, number zero three, passed the poisoned drinks trial in less than two minutes, although she did not fare so well on the previous exams.
- Luck. Unlikely, but not impossible.
- We don’t discard the possibility. But… I don’t think it is coincidence that the same student killed the most talented child of our quarters, demonstrating cool judgment and proficiency with the knife. Moments before, she had also asked one of our members for a more difficult test. Her speech was remarkable, revealing wit and cunning.
- This… Is indeed interesting. What was the student’s reaction at shedding the blood of her peers?
- Unfazed. She did not react in any way.
- Shock?
- Quite the opposite. From the poisoned drinks test till now, she has shown all the qualities of a cold blooded killer.
- Keep her under watch; we may have stumbled upon an unusual talent.
- Yes, master.
- Is there anything else the third settlement would like to report?
- There is one more thing about that child I have not mentioned…
- More? It keeps getting interesting.
- We have found this, attached to her necklace.
The assassin hands out a tiny flask, filled with the white glowing liquid you are acquainted with.
- We have allowed ourselves to test it on an animal, and it showed a series of symptoms before vanishing completely, few hours later. We have a separate report for the experiment, if master is interested. There’s no evidence as to what it is made of, but we do have an idea…
- This… You mean Aspersius, don’t you?
- Yes. From my researches, it seems unmistakable.
- But then… That would mean…
- Yes, master. The book is not fictional, all that is written there is likely the truth.
- If that is indeed the truth...
The man stuttered, hesitation clearly showing on his concerned tone.
- Master?
- Statik, bring that child to the eighth settlement.
- But this place is…
- Statik, are you going against me?
- No, master. I didn’t mean to…
- Be gone.
- Yes…
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- Wake up…
- Yes, I respond, my eyelids loosening in half a second, for my sleep is lighter than a feather.
Dawn has yet to arrive, and I am sleepy.
- You are coming with us.
- Yes…
These people are from the order’s main branch, I suppose. Coming from that far just for me doesn’t go with their standards, so it must be for the flask. At that point, they must already know I am not normal. I expected one more day for them to come, but that’s alright.
There is… A lingering feeling of uncertainty I cannot wave off. I have never been led by instincts, but this situation… It doesn’t feel right. Is it because they’re from the main branch? Because the sun has yet to rise? Maybe for their quick response? Yes, it is quite strange they came so quickly, but these don’t quite match with the feeling I get.
- Walk faster, whispered one of them, only loud enough for it to be heard.
The way we’re headed to, I’m familiar with it. They are in such a hurry...
- Quick, we don’t have much time…
- Shh… Be quiet, I hate noise.
I do not recall any of this happening in the past, and that night I was unable to sleep. Their objective, if any, is not the organization, but me. However, I only have value to the order – for a third party, any of these children would be of the same importance, and I scrap involvement of the government by how fast the plan is being executed.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
What do I possess that makes me a target outside of these grounds? Who is it that can oppose the order? It could be someone from inside the organization, or strongly engaged in its affairs.
But if my presentiment is right, it is about my return. They must know something the order doesn’t, that I don’t: and I shall stick with them, if that’s the case. If it isn’t, I can only hope to fight back when the moment arrives.
- How do you plan to escape from here? There is no exit to this side.
- Huh?
- I already know what is happening, no need to hide. I won’t fight back.
- Right… That lifts some weight on us.
- We will answer all of your questions later. For now, just follow us.
The last voice is feminine, mystical, bewildering; owner of melody and harmony out of this world. Pleasing, but misleading… If I were to describe it as a “red colored voice”, it would likely not be far from the truth. That I would have such an impression is a strange surprise.
Our steps echo through the underground as our pace increases. It quickly escalates into desperate running, and the teachers should soon notice us. That’s not good, they can’t survive an encounter with the order. No, I’m not thinking straight; realistically, there is no chance for them to get out of here, let alone live.
Invading the manor is relatively easy, but getting out is a feat close to impossible.
Still, they seem very confident on pulling the move. What is it they are hiding?
- We’re really close.
- Certainly…
My breathing becomes gradually heavy and my skin is tingling.
- What is this pressure…? I mutter quietly.
The air should not be that tight down here, I can hardly breathe without feeling my lungs being firmly gripped. I don’t know by how much I can keep going without blanking out.
- It’s coming…
My body falls earlier than I had expected it to, but I maintain consciousness. I can’t move, and there is something more dreadful than my teachers lurking by this corridor. It is infusing me with a feeling I had not experienced in a long time…?
Corridor? How didn’t I notice we were running down a straight line? And it’s dark, even for the underground. What is this place, how did it turn out this way?
- Gah…!
My lungs…
- Shit, grab her!
- Sigh… I did tell you about the noise, so stop being so loud…
My heart feels like it is going to explode, I feel dizzy and sweaty, my chest aches and my stomach hurts. It is unreasonable that I’ve become like this, it isn’t a side effect of any of yesterday’s tests, although some of the symptoms could stem from the lack of sleep. If anything, it must be an emotional trigger.
I open my mouth by a little, trying to chug any amount of air I can suck in, but just that small amount makes me cough and suffocate.
- Don’t worry… Everything will be alright.
I’m well aware of this feeling. It is one I had forever buried inside me and never let out, and I am sure every single one of my comrades, should I call them that, did so themselves, just as my last master and the previous ones, the band’s mercenaries, my teachers…
This feeling. It is called fear.
- Close your eyes.
A howl, so grotesque it can’t be described by words, so loud it pierces my ears, leaving nothing but a ringing bell crashing on me. Even if i don’t see the creature, I can feel it coming from behind at an incredible speed.
We can’t run away, we can’t possibly escape it…
No, why am I so scared? Do I really amount to just that? Lack of empathy, quick thinking, flawless judgment, no qualms for erasing a living being: all attributes I sought after in order to survive in my harsh world. I am such a hypocrite… All i had ever said before, of death, not caring about it, a sense of duty, a reason for living: they were nothing but words of a fool. During all that time, I was riding on someone else’s dream, without accomplishing anything on my own.
The reason why I so easily accepted my death was not because life held no meaning - but because I’ve never been alive.
Is that why I have been offered a second chance? No, it doesn’t matter… It’s pointless to have such thoughts in this hopeless situation.
An abyssal creature, a demoniac beast, a foe I never thought I would meet in my short existence, something a puny human could never ever dream of understanding.
On what I swear to be my last moments, something rolls down my face. It is not sweat, but a tear.
- Damn… I mutter, tears streaming by my swollen face as my lifeless eyes gaze into the depths of darkness.
I want to live. I really, really do.