Compressed air was released from the Purifier. Kry watched with wariness. The remaining students huddled together unsure of what to do.
“Even without our powers, some of us still have our weapons.” Ren brandished his katana in the air.
“Weapons will be no use against that,” said Whisper.
A mist of smoke rose from the feet of the Purifier, and then there was the sound of the door opening. Kry was not scared as he looked into the eyes of the grotesque machine. He tried again to bring his energy forth, but it was no use. Their powers had all been nullified.
“Stand down.” The voice from the Purifier’s speaker was alluring and seductive.
“It’s Botulinia,” declared Kry.
Akira widened his eyes. “The Blade?”
Whisper was worried and looked at Kry.
“A Blade and the CEO of the company which made those machines,” said Kry.
“Stand down.” Botulinia’s voice boomed across the courtyard.
Kry was not ready to give up, but he saw no other choice. He looked around and saw the students with him. They were young, and many had already died. Zero had given him the strength to fight back, but he was useless without his User abilities.
The smoke from the Purifier drifted aside, and there was the sound of steel hitting the ground. Steel stairs emerged from below the door.
“We’re all in this together,” said Whisper.
Suddenly, men and women wearing Bellum uniforms emerged from the machine. There were five in total, and they were as lifeless as Kry had remembered. They lined up against the stairs and waited. Next, several Seekers appeared and joined the Bellum staff in a separate line.
Kry was calm, and his mind was clear as he waited for Botulinia to show. He would not give her the satisfaction of showing fear or doubt. He was no longer the weak Kry. He was stronger now, but the next person to descend from the machine was someone he did not expect.
Whisper gasped as Michael walked down the stairs with pride. The Bellum uniform on Michael was unnatural to look at, but the golden epaulets attached to his shoulders were even more unnatural.
A cruel laughter came from the speaker of the Purifier. “Old friends reunited.”
Michael joined the line with the others and stood to attention.
“You know him?” asked Akira, noticing the surprise on Whisper’s face.
Whisper was dismayed. “He’s Kry’s friend. What have they done to him?”
Kry kept his eyes on Michael. Michael was staring back at him with a face of anger, but unlike the other Bellum staff, there was still life in his eyes. Kry experienced a strange sensation. The memory of Michael was one he had pushed back into the recess of his mind, yet the memory had strength; it pulled and called to him.
A scent of lavender drifted from the machine, so powerful that it filled the entire courtyard with an essence of perfume. Botulinia finally appeared from the machine with Blackhat just behind her. She gracefully stepped down, holding her purple dress above her ankles. There was a noticeable gasping from several of the male students. Botulinia’s beauty was mesmerizing.
She moved her hips side to side and walked with a confidence of someone who was victorious. She stood next to Michael and softly touched his cheek. She then smiled and turned to the students. The Seekers followed her as she began to walk toward them with Michael and Blackhat by her side.
“Sarah isn’t with them. If Michael is here, where is she?” asked Whisper.
Kry held his hand against his head as a sharp pain developed inside his mind. And then there were voices: one, soft and gentle, the other, angry and violent. He clenched his fists.
Power above all else.
Friendship is what matters.
Survival requires sacrifice.
Love cannot be sacrificed.
Kry winced as the voices argued with each other until one voice was silenced.
Power above all else.
Botulinia had now reached them. She pointed to the sky where hundreds of her Purifiers were hovering. “Any sudden movements and you will all be burned alive.” She turned to Michael with motherly affection. “Michael, my dearest, which one of these students is Kry?” She pressed her lips and kissed his cheek.
Kry was silent as Michael stepped forward and pointed straight at him. “Him. He’s the one who betrayed me and left me for dead. It looks like he has new friends now,” said Michael with anger.
“612K,” snarled Blackhat.
Kry could not care less about Blackhat. “Michael, what are you doing?”
Michael stepped toward him and pulled out a black rod. “What should have been done sooner,” he said and struck him with the rod.
Kry had no way to form his barrier and instead tried to stop the attack with his arm. He felt immediate pain as the rod hit him.
“You betrayed me, Kry. You left me. I was your friend. You left me while you went and played games here with your other friends. What was I to you?” demanded Michael.
Kry ignored the pain. “I didn’t betray you. I came here to learn to become stronger so I could fight back. Rush promised me he would get you out.”
Michael laughed. “You did betray me!” he shouted. “I was nothing to you—maybe I always was. And Rush? He couldn’t even save himself.”
“What do you mean?” asked Kry, narrowing his eyes.
Michael glared at him. “He was as much a disappointment as you are.” He then pointed to Kry’s face. “Were you not strong enough to avoid getting your scar?” He spat on Kry.
Kry wiped the spit from his jacket. He then slowly returned his gaze on Michael. “What happened to Sarah? What did you do?”
Michael raged. “What did I do? You mean, what you did! Sarah’s dead just like Rhea. You killed them both!”
Kry did not look away.
“I’ve changed, Kry. How do you feel about what you did?” shouted Michael.
Kry was deep in his own thoughts and then looked at him. “I feel…nothing.”
Michael’s anger changed to confusion as Kry’s expression was one which lacked any sympathy.
“I’ve changed, too,” said Kry.
Michael was about to strike again, but Botulinia stopped him. She stroked his cheek softly causing Michael to become calm. She turned her attention to Kry and smiled. She touched his face and trailed her finger down his scar. “Handsome, even with your disfigurement.”
Kry pulled her hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
“You might like it,” purred Botulinia.
He glared at her. “Never.”
Botulinia glanced at Michael and then back at Kry. “Friendship is something that needs to be forged, nurtured, and protected.” She chuckled under her breath. “So, you’re the one causing all the problems for the Shadow Government?”
“There’s more to come,” said Kry, defiantly.
“We shall see.” Botulinia looked across at the other students. “Good, at least some survived. She signaled to the Seekers. “Bring them to the Cube. It’s time for a lesson to be shared.”
Chapter 33 – Fire and Rain
The Cube hummed. The Purifiers had left it unscathed, but the stadium was partially destroyed. Several Purifiers had landed on the field while the rest remained in the air watching with their humanoid faces. The bodies of students had been collected and swept into a pile. Many students cried as they saw their friends lying dead. Kry was still unable to focus his mind and knew he would not be able to do anything while the Seekers and Purifiers nullified his power. He and many of the students had been marched back into the Chamber and were now inside the stadium. They were forced to kneel down in a line in front of the entrance to the Cube.
“What do you think they’re planning to do?” asked Whisper.
More Seekers had arrived, and more captured students came in and were forced to kneel with the others.
“Nothing good.” Kry wondered where Zero was in all this. Surely, he would not just leave them here, but what could Z
ero do against such odds?
Botulinia strode past them with Michael and Blackhat a step behind her.
“She looks troubled,” said Whisper.
“They’re waiting for something,” said Kry.
Whisper turned to him. “Or someone.”
Another group of students accompanied by more Seekers had just arrived. Sonus smiled when he saw Kry on his knees. Dice and Abbas were with him. Dice seemed hurt and Abbas looked as if he wanted to continue his killing. The students Kry had left to stay and fight the Blades had all been captured. Aiyax was pushed forward and forced to her knees. The remaining faction leaders were also with them: Gustav, Wei Long, and Hendrix. Yujin and Kayne, both of them looking exhausted, were standing tall and proud even in defeat. The Seekers forced them all to their knees.
“This is ridiculous. We should just kill them and stop wasting time,” declared Dice as she happily kicked Aiyax to the ground. “This one gave me more trouble than it was worth.”
Aiyax stoically pulled herself up and stared ahead as if nothing had happened.
“Dice, if we just kill them all, then how are we going to get the answers we seek? We already have Kry, and the rest is a bonus,” said Botulinia, making sure everyone heard the authority in her voice.
Dice hissed back at her. “Do not presume you’re higher than me. You might have an army and a large corporation, but we’re equals, so I warn you not to assume authority over me.”
Botulinia curled her lips. “I would never assume such a pompous position,” she said, maintaining her gaze on Dice. Their eyes were equally cold and cruel.
Yujin was next to Kry, and there was sorrow in his eyes. Kry did not see Yuri anywhere in their group. “Yuri?”
Ren was kneeling behind them waiting for the answer from Yujin. Yujin looked to them both and shook his head. Kry understood the loss. Many had died this day, and she was one among many who had fallen. Akira placed his hand on Ren’s hand. Both of them were Japanese, and Yuri had once been their faction leader. Yuri was unpredictable, but she was never malicious or cruel like Sonus had been. Kry did not believe Ren would remain calm as they awaited whatever the Blades had planned.
“Come now, you two. We’re all on the same side, are we not?”
Botulinia and Dice turned to the next group who had arrived.
“Makai, sometimes I’m not sure who is on whose side, especially you.” Botulinia stared at him as coldly as she had done with Dice.
Makai spoke with an intellectual tone; his voice was sharp and clear as he walked toward them. Eclipse, Svana, and Seranay followed, escorted by a group of Seekers. They were forced to the ground as had the others and made to kneel in the line. Whisper was happy to see Eclipse alive. Eclipse was just as stoic as Aiyax had been and maintained the same calm expression. Her weapons had been taken from her, and it was the first time to see her without them. Beside Makai was another man who carried Eclipse’s weapons. Kry noticed the scars which were all across his body.
“You need not worry so much, Botulinia. Everything is in order. Your machines were more impressive than any of us could have imagined,” said Makai.
“Your hollow compliments mean little to me, Makai.” Botulinia glanced at the man with the scars. “Luka, who are they?”
“Two students and the other is a professor,” replied Luka.
“One is the daughter of Nightshade,” said Makai. “The one in black.”
Botulinia narrowed her eyes. “She looks just as pathetic as her dead mother.”
Eclipse tried to rise, but a Seeker pushed her back to her knees.
“She has the same anger issues, too, it seems.” Botulinia then looked to the other Blades with concern. “Have you seen Veron? I can’t sense his presence. He should have come out by now having seen the attack.”
“We haven’t had any contact from him. His presence is almost as if it’s non-existent,” said Luka.
“Maybe he was killed by these students. He was always one of the weakest among us,” said Dice, sarcastically.
Botulinia glared at her, but Dice only returned a playful smile.
The tense atmosphere was broken as another Purifier landed on the stadium grounds. Metal stairs extended as smoke burst up from the feet of the machine.
“So, it’s true?” asked Makai, looking toward the recently landed Purifier.
Botulinia smiled cruelly. “Reunited with her colleagues.”
The smoke dispersed, and then the air around the metal stairs turned into a frosty mist. Geminae appeared and walked down the steps. Behind her, more Seekers followed escorting a prisoner. Whisper had despair written on his face when he saw that the prisoner was his father. Dr. Rhodes caught sight of his son, and his eyes showed the same terror.
Whisper rose to his feet ignoring the danger, but as he did, a Seeker immediately smacked him down with her rod. “On your knees, boy!”
Whisper fell flat on his face, but he did not cry. He looked ahead and saw his father shaking his head.
Botulinia came to him and studied his face. “What’s your name, little one?” she asked with a motherly tone.
Whisper looked into her eyes and was comforted by her voice.
“Name?” she repeated.
“He can’t speak,” interrupted Kry.
Botulinia turned to him curiously. “A User who can’t speak? Well then, how about the mind?” Her voice entered Whisper’s mind. “What’s your name?”
Whisper looked over to his father. “My name’s Daniel.”
Botulinia left his mind. “Well Daniel, I need you to be a good boy, because your parents would certainly like to see you back alive. I’m not so cruel as to kill all of you. Maybe I’ll let you live, how does that sound?” she purred.
Whisper trembled and looked across to his father. Again, Dr. Rhodes shook his head.
Geminae came to Whisper and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Be a good boy.”
Geminae knew who Whisper was, but Kry did not understand why she was not telling the other Blades. It was clear Botulinia had no idea that Whisper was Dr. Rhodes’ son.
Makai clapped. “Geminae, I’m glad you could return to us. You missed our last reunion. It was a dull affair without you there.”
Geminae blew icy air from her lips. “It would’ve been a dull affair with or without me.” She then glanced at Kry.
Makai caught her line of sight. “I heard he’s related to you. It must make this difficult. Losing family is never fun.”
Geminae took her eyes off Kry. “We’re not family. I have no family.”
Dice laughed and slapped Abbas on the back. “See, she hasn’t changed at all.” Abbas did not understand, but laughed anyway, grunting as he did so.
Kry was unmoved to see his supposed aunt returning to the Blades. Geminae was not herself, though, as if there was something on her mind; it was very different to how he remembered her when she fought with his mother. That Geminae was ruthless, but now, Geminae looked partly defeated in her eyes. No doubt, her reappearance coincided with Dr. Rhodes being returned to Botulinia.
Dr. Rhodes looked terrified—more for his son than for himself. Kry was not surprised that Dr. Rhodes was forced to complete the machines. He knew Dr. Rhodes was weak. The effectiveness of the Purifiers had been proved by their sudden and violent attack on the university. Kry tried to see if there was any way out of this, but there were Seekers everywhere, let alone the combination of all the Blades who had been assembled.
Makai strode down the line inspecting all the captured students and studied each of their faces. He stopped when he reached Kry. “The Shadow Government wants you a great deal. Do you know why?”
Kry looked into his eyes, and there was a familiarity he had not noticed before. “The Shadow Government fears change. And like any threat to power, they want to stop it.”
Makai smiled. “So, you think you’re a threat?” He turned to the other Blades. “Did you hear that, everyone?”
Dice rolled her dice in her hands w
ith a crazed look in her eyes. “I see no threat.”
Botulinia stepped in. “Don’t be so melodramatic, Makai.”
Makai continued to smile. “Beautiful, smart, powerful Botulinia. This man before us might have enough power to destroy us all. Aren’t you worried?”
Botulinia looked at Kry. “As of now, my only worry is for my missing brother who none of you seem to care about.”
Makai pleaded with his eyes. “We’ll find him. I’ll help you.” His tone was genuine enough for Botulinia to relax a little.
“So, this one has the power to destroy us all?” inquired Luka with great interest. “What does he look like?”
Kry was surprised by his comment. The man with scars had looked at him directly.
“I see his energy, and it’s unusual, erratic, and wild. Very different to how Viktor’s energy is. I fail to see how he’s a threat with what I see now,” continued Luka.
Makai’s deep eyes showed a well of intelligence. “He’s an Ascended, or so we’ve been told. We all know the power that the Shadow Government, especially Viktor, is able to wield.”
“I see nothing but a scared young man preparing himself for his final hour,” said Dice.
“Yes! He’ll make a delicious meal! Allow me the pleasure,” snorted Abbas.
“I’m not scared,” assured Kry. “I’m scared of none of you.”
The Blades were surprised by his response. Even the students looked worried for him.
“Liar! He’s scared!” shouted Sonus whose eyes were bursting with rage. “We should kill him now!”
Makai walked to Sonus and punched him in the stomach. “I understand where you get your anger from, but I promised your mother I’d do my best to keep you alive. Your parents helped us a lot. For that, we’re grateful, but my patience, as well as my colleagues’ patience, can wear very thin. Stay quiet and leave this to the Blades.”
Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2) Page 48