Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1)

by Shaina Anastasi

  “You,” Rebecca called to me as she would a dog. “Don’t look at me, talk to me, and try to be friends with me or talk about your worthless non-mage life to me.”

  “Ok.”

  She went to turn but stopped to glower at me with profound hatred. Looking me up and down, she stripped me raw with her eyes. Right now, she looks as if she wants to scrutinise my appearance and everything about me that is on the surface.

  “Do you know why people call you a droid?” she asked with a smug look on her face.

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “Because . . .” and she started, the list about myself could have been endless to her, I wasn’t sure. “You,” she breathed an icy laugh. “Everything about you screams . . .”

  “Fuck off!”

  Rebecca jumped while I turned to the earth-shattering explosion that came from the room beside my wall. The voice of Lawliet was the one who was shouting, obviously. A reaction, as another voice had shouted back after the explosion. Grabbing the handle, Rebecca made a weird sound when it unlocked. Pushing it inwards, a gush of dark black smoke wafted in and dulled everything in sight. Walking out, I bumped into a shoulder and suddenly felt my body be shoved. It wasn't a light shoving of pushing someone out of the way. There was certainly hostility as I saw the smoke part and a fist come my way. Blinking slowly, the clenched fist that was coming towards me slowed down to a controllable timid movement. When I stepped back, I tripped into somebody from behind me. Pain throbbed strangely against my cheek. With all the chaos and commotion, the screeching of someone behind me sped up. Looking up, a mage I have only seen a handful of times stood at my door, fist clenched, and was staring down at me with the same confusion as I have. It was Rokk, the only person who can annoy Lawliet to the extent of an instigated fight.

  Rebecca grabbed my shoulder in a vice grip and leant over my head weirdly. It must have been because I was the one who fell into her when I was shoved back. At first, I thought she was shoving me off and screeching at me. It baffled me that she was moving me towards her while she leant up and screamed at Rokk who looked even more confused with the altercation.

  Before I could make any sense of it all, a shadow figure crash-tackled Rokk from the side. The anger was dominant in those golden eyes as they collided with the ground.

  Trying to get up, it happened again. ‘The gears of time’, as I grabbed Lawliet’s arm before he slammed it down on Rokk who was pinned against the ground. I blinked and took everything in.

  How did I get here?

  Lawliet looked up at me, at my hand which clasped hold of his arm. Rebecca who was leaning forward shouting was sitting on the ground, dumbfounded.

  “You’re bleeding,” he stated angrily.

  True to what he was saying, I felt the warmth ooze down the right side of my nose slowly. He stood, and Rokk rolled over coughing while Lawliet reached out to me. I stepped back with no understanding of what he wanted to do.

  “Enough!” bellowed a voice.

  It was similar to witnessing an earthquake. The cart shook, the smoke sucked up like dust that was slipping through a vacuum, and then gravity failed Lawliet and Rokk. They floated stiffly in the air. Head Mage stood underneath the two. His eyes as angry as an erupting volcano ready to burst with fury.

  I can see where Lawliet gets his anger from almost instantly.

  “You two, follow me,” Mika wiggled a finger and both stiff forms of Lawliet and Rokk moved in the direction Mika began walking also. He suddenly stopped and turned towards me. “Eileen, I will bring a nurse to tend to your wounds.”

  “I am fine,” I mumbled.

  “You need to –”

  “I will,” Rebecca has piped in from behind, her attitude clearly was annoyed, but she didn’t seem spiteful or curl her lip when she said, “I can help Eileen. I have a medical degree in first aid from my old high school.”

  Head Mage looked between the two of us, nodded slowly and walked off with Rokk and Lawliet who still seemed to be arguing through clenched teeth.

  With a wave of emotions that were flooding through my insides, I went back into the room with Rebecca, and she went into the bathroom to come back out with a medical kit. Tucking my legs up to my chest and hugging my knees, Rebecca, the last person I would see was opening up the container and dabbing a cloth into liquid before she touched my nose with it. The alcohol burned but I sat there in silence while she stared daggers at me.

  I find this situation strange, as I played back what initially went down. I was shoved and then punched, however, the way his arm was going to collide with my face I should have had a fractured nose and a lot more damage done to my cheek. Either my healing rune is a lot stronger than I assumed and healed most of the damages, or something else illogical happened.

  How do I get to places with no one stopping me until I am already there?

  “Rokk is such a dick,” Rebecca sneered. “I mean, I am always mean to you, but not once did I feel as if I intentionally wanted to punch you in the face.”

  “Ok?”

  “You know whatever. Rokk hit you hard, and you fucking got back up somehow to run and protect your lover boy, Dragon,” she blanched his nickname as she peeled off the sticky patch to put on my face. “Don’t get me wrong. I still hate you. I find you very smug, and it pisses me off.”

  “Ok.”

  “See, right there pisses me off soooo bad. Say that with the bland expression on your face. A fucking Droid.”

  “Sorry,” I apologised.

  “Why?”

  “Sorry for being me,” I replied and averted eyes.

  “Jesus Christ,” she slammed the medical kit lid back on and stood. Her face turned bright red. “Why the fuck do I feel bad? You humiliated my aunt and me in front of everyone. Why do I feel compelled to apologise to you now? I am the victim and weaker species, Highborn.”

  “I can help you,” I murmured.

  “I don’t want your fucking help,” she spat. “I don’t even want you in this damn room or near me. You’re poison to us Lowborn, and it is disgusting. You and Dragon think you both are all high and mighty.”

  “No.”

  “Elaborate, little Highborn.”

  “I want to be left alone. I don’t want friends. It doesn’t bother me that that is what you think about me, I cannot change your mind, only to disagree.”

  “Then I will be the most annoying friend you ever had. Worse than Charlie.”

  I don’t understand where she was going with this. Is she trying to be my friend because she likes me, or is this a strange form of torment that is nauseating me already?

  “Come here, friend,” she said wickedly. She then extended her arms towards me for some evil hug. “Let me let you hate me.”

  “Ok?” I responded, felt my veins heighten and whispered, “Level two shield, activate.”

  Rebecca looks amused. Disturbingly amused. She certainly cannot come in. Her tapping the shield while tormenting me with the fake word friend vomiting out of her mouth seems likely that she doesn’t want to come in. I doubt she was only doing this to get on my nerves. She defended me because of Rokk, only to do a 180 with this obsessive friend thing.

  I am finding Mage Academy to have fascinating insane creatures I have ever seen. Rebecca was up there with the psychotically deranged ones I want to avoid. She is spiteful, cruel, spread rumours and wants to be my friend. One of those statements shouldn’t be in that sentence.

  Human contact, I still don’t understand it as much as others do. This is a foreign territory, and it was nerve wrecking. On the inside, my stomach was having these nauseated pains as I looked at Rebecca lying on her bed and reading her magazine aloud as a form of communication.

  “Hey, Droid,” she said as she rolled to the side of the bed, and threw the magazine onto mine, “Read.”

  ‘Ten different potions to make a mage man fall in love with you.’ A very bold headline that concerns me more than interests me. If Donte and Nixon knew this is what is in girl’s
magazines, they would be buying the whole lot at stores. If I were a male species, I would be terrified. Females are lethal creepers, and with our level of magic, maybe half the relationships are magic-induced and not actually true love.

  “You do that to Dragon for him to like you,” she smirked.

  “I don’t like potions,” I mumbled.

  “Crystals?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Globes? Technology? The essence of Magic?”

  “I like runes,” I stated.

  “Really? I have been picking on a Highborn mage that only likes shitty runes. Oh, now I do feel guilty, Droid. I think I can actually like you as a friend now. You’re no threat to me.”

  This friendship advanced quickly. A lot faster than Charlie and when she befriended me.

  “You should see him,” Rebecca said with a serious look on her face. “I patched you up. Dragon also looked as if he wanted to say something to you before Head Mage came.” I nodded, stood and felt my veins diminish and shield drop. “If you see Rokk. Punch him in the face for me.”

  “Ok?”

  The door was unlocked somehow. I was the only one who could roam around while the other doors were closed and locked. Ideally, I would like to say the big explosion caused by Lawliet created a huge hole in his wall had done something to affect my door. Except, Head mage's magic shouldn’t be negated that quickly for a master mage. It would make him mediocre. A part of me believes he diminished the magic for me to help Lawliet, except I may have done worse being in the way with their altercation.

  Their voices carried out through the carts. Vivid discrimination was exploding in a room. Dragging the door open, Lawliet slouched against a chair almost half-asleep but still argued while Rokk was screeching. Head Mage was sitting on a chair between the two and wasn’t ushering a word to either of them.

  “Ah, Eileen. Are you bonding with Rebecca?” he asked.

  Unfortunately, I thought but nodded.

  Lawliet’s golden eyes shot up and instantly moved to the soft squishy material that covered my cheek. I don’t particularly know what I look like, but it was the first time I saw his eyes darken a shade. It was intimidating, and I wanted to hide behind the door.

  “Would you kindly take Lawliet back to his room? The wall should be fixed. It was my fault for placing both of you in the same room together. I apologise and will now separate you both.”

  Raising my arm, Lawliet stood. When he reached close to me, I felt the soft fabric and clung on. He didn’t seem bothered as we walked out in silence. His head was bowed, and he kept glaring down at the floor while I struggled to keep up with his long paced stride. When we got to the door, he shrugged my hand off, whirled around and glowered.

  “Don’t ever get involved.”

  “Law . . .” he slammed the door in my face, and I stood there and listened to the loud complaints of other conversations that were surrounding me. It was a blanket of discomfort I was wrapping myself around to hide from my own hurt of the rejecting words he had said before he slammed the door. “I don’t understand.”

  Chapter 16.

  Eileen – bittersweet.

  The town will never be as extravagant as Sorcerer City. However, it doesn’t mean this town wasn’t any less unique or beautiful. We got there when it was very late at night, and the moon was a huge magnificent eye high in the sky that gleamed down the town that is clean, sheen in ice. There was no feeling of the magical essence as strong as Sorcerer City nor the natural bubble lights that always flittered around. There was, however, Jacko lantern type lights displayed around the wharf and was carrying out into the town. They weaved through the large twig-like trees that gleamed with icicles, jagged and sharp.

  Breathing out the crisp frosty air, I jumped down the step and onto the cement wharf that crunched under boots. Rubbing hands in gloves, I went to move with the crowd when I noticed Lawliet who was walking briskly in front of me. Not necessarily wanting answers, I want to be trusted and to trust him. Their fight was meaningless to what I have installed when we get back home. This is just a strange obstacle in the way of our friendship that seems to be ending as soon as it started.

  However, several mages were holding me back from talking to him. First, it was Rebecca, as she still pretended to be a close friend before she ran off to her minions. Next, Charlie nudged me playfully and asked who I was stuck with. Obliged to answer, I told her as truthfully as I could and made up a logical excuse for the bandage on my face. Unfortunately, no matter what I said to my brothers, they pressed and pressed until they came up with the answer themselves and they were right. Donte and Nixon with their stone drawn faces fell back to talk in whispers. They made me nervous as to what they have installed for the excursion. After that, Spenc grabbed my shoulders from behind in an attempt to scare me. It did on the inside. My stomach flopped, and heart eradicated. He smiled that same stupid smile and apologised for what happened at the café. It seemed some will for him to cliff dive overtook all his other senses.

  It wasn’t his fault. I manipulated him to go.

  He asked shyly for another thing he considers a date. I just nodded I believe. I wasn’t too sure. I was drifting off to my atmosphere and pretended that I was listening. It was rude of me to do, except at the time I was too busy finding Lawliet who ended up too far in front for me to see.

  Puffing cheeks, I tightened the hold on the suitcase when it lifted slightly upwards. Glancing to the side, Lawliet had a hold of my bag and was wheeling it behind him.

  “Thank you.”

  “For carrying your suitcase or for taking up all your time for this excursion?”

  “Second,” I tried to say it jokingly. Unfortunately, I only have one facial expression, and that is passive and bland.

  Lawliet would probably think I am intentionally a rude bitch.

  “Ungrateful Droid,” he chuckled.

  My heart fluttered in my chest. The swirling magic butterflies airily flitted as we walked. No one, not even my family has understood my joking side. Not until now. It made me feel less emotionless as I smiled stupidly inside my head.

  “High maintenance Dragon,” I said as I walked a little faster for him to catch up.

  “Eileen and Lawliet, you will be staying here,” Head Mage popped up out of nowhere and handed us a pamphlet. “You have the three days to do as you please. I will check on you the night before we leave.”

  “Anything we should know before we go to the hotel?” Lawliet asked.

  “Nope.”

  He lied.

  “What do you mean there is only one room!” Lawliet demanded.

  “Mr Mika only said for one booking with two single beds . . . but,” he looked everywhere but at Lawliet who moved in, a clear sign of anger that registered all over his face. “We only had one room available with one twin bed. Mr Mika said that would be all right. Please don’t hit me.”

  “Umm, but . . .” I trailed off and squirmed a little before saying. “Can we get two beds? Thank you.”

  “Of course, let me arrange something.”

  Lawliet eyed me when the receptionist worked his magic and found another room with two single beds that he hadn’t mentioned earlier.

  The room was reasonably roomy for a place we will be staying at for three days. Two single beds on polar opposite sides of the chamber, two bedside tables with a rickety lampshade, one of them often flickered as if it was about to blow a fuse. The walls are a darkened brown, trimmings grey that doesn’t match at all and the window overlooked the thickly covered woods. I could see the tip of the tower with the bright blue crystal that gleamed. It looked almost similar to a lighthouse light that flashed across the darkened sea and illuminated the night.

  After having no sleep being in the same room as Rebecca, the droopy eyes and exhaustion weighed me down. I was always on my toes in the room with her. I crawled into the bed and tucked knees up to my chest. I rarely sleep straight away because of being in a house filled with diabolical brothers. It came as a surprise that as s
oon as my head hit the pillow, that I slept soundly.

  The next day I rose early and was determined to find that rune store Head Mage and Hopper was talking about. Mechanically getting up, I rubbed eyes and lifting off the bed and then went into the bathroom. After my shower, I walked out and paused for a moment to absorb my surroundings. Firstly, I completely forgot that I was sharing a room with a mage with pure white hair that was sleeping soundly on his bed. I don’t remember what happened last night at all. I don’t recall him sleeping. He wasn’t even tucked in nor curled up. He rested on the top of the blankets, arm over his eyes in a thin long sleeved top and pants. Looking at him was making me cold.

  Lifting the top flap of the suitcase after I dragged it out from under the bed, I slipped my Grandfather's notebook that has the letter lodged in between the pages and put it in my purse. Curling myself into my large grey overcoat, I glanced at the directions on my phone before I left.

  I know Lawliet had rules of only going places he wanted to go, but I want runes. The desire to look at three-dimensional runes I have neglected for some time. With the rumours made by spiteful teenage mages, my grandfather and everything in between with Lawliet, there has been no time to get inspired by the one thing I love, and that was runes.

  Out in the brisk cold of early morning, the crunch of softly fallen snow broke underneath thick slab boots. I made sure I didn’t walk on the path where it was sleek with slippery, slimy ice. That would be a death trap for me. Ice is unpredictable.

  Town’s mages are also different to city mages. They smiled as they set up their cute little shops. A senior woman raised her arms. Tables and chairs floated underneath the canopy style under place. She smiled politely at me and said ‘good morning’. It has been so long that I forgot what it was like being called anything other than Highborn. There were no Highborn or sinister sneers of hate that were on their face. I was merely a tourist that was strolling through the main street of the town and looking for this particular rune shop.