Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1)

by Shaina Anastasi

  “Annihilation,” she said, and the needle spikes slipped away from the bone and flesh, rune dispersed only for one I do not recognise to come up. It was a rune that is similar to Lawliet’s stick rune and mine. A rune that she created on her own and that no one else has. As steep, serrated thick blades shot from the ground, and that was hitting vital points that would shut down his system. The light dimmed from his eyes as he collapsed in a heap and the crimson-soaked into the blue cursive lines of the rune.

  Lowering her arm, she shuffled back and to the side and twisted around while her eyes still cast to the unmoving Lowborn mage. After a few more seconds, she turned around, and I hitched a breath. An arm sliced quickly to the side of her throat and then forced into her chest and pierced directly where the heart was. The knife sliced through easily as cutting through butter. Angered eyes of a child with a curl of a feral lip and spittle that was slitting through his clenched teeth.

  “The fuck just . . .” Lawliet’s voice trailed off into nothingness.

  Hitching a breath in four times. I opened blurred eyes and stared at the simple whitewashed walls that were freshly painted. I blinked again, and the blurriness started to fade, and I realised I was in the bedroom I have been staying at since coming to Sorcerer City. My left arm seemed to be stuck, as I struggled to move. Turning to the side, Lawliet was crouched on the chair. His head was resting on the edge of the bed, and his hand was clasped with mine. I glided my hand through his hair and sighed softly

  “Sorry,” I murmured. “You must hate me. I understand.”

  “I do,” he agreed, and melancholy eyes opened. Twitching fingers in hair, I went to retract when he said, “I hate the old you. Psychotic Highborn who was two runes away from causing mayhem on earth. You now are different,” he closed his eyes, twitched a half smile and said, “Loveable.”

  “Ok.” Looking around, I still felt drained. My eyes stopped short at his hands on mine again. “Necklace.”

  “Shit,” Lawliet straightened up. The blanket dropped from shoulders, he released his grip and raised his hand that had my chain that was dangling from it. Narrowing eyes suspiciously, he answered, “Someone gave it to me. At first, I was confused as to why he had it but didn’t ask questions because the mere sight of them makes me want to . . .” he trailed off into a ball of anger. Leaning forward, I took my pendant away from him before he broke it. “I thought that it was my fault you were in a coma. I was wrong. Now I know, because of your memories.”

  “Ok?”

  “Eileen, it’s –” the door flew open and banged incredibly loudly against the wall. Lawliet groaned an irritable noise that was coming from his throat, and then he muttered, “This family has impeccable timing.”

  My eyes followed two replicas of each other when I leant back. Eyes widened as surprise registered on their faces. Donte looked sleepless and exhausted while Nixon was well composed after the note of surprise. There was a hint of agitation as if they were expecting some sort of catastrophic explosion of words to erupt from my mouth. It made my heart sink and lower my gaze. Tightening the hold on the bedsheets, I was hoping that my brothers wouldn’t have a clue or to look afraid of me when I woke. Suppose I shouldn’t have been overly surprised that they would have known about the erasing of memories.

  “I should get going,” Lawliet straightened to a stand, gave an apologetic look towards me briefly before he turned hardened gold liquid eyes at the twins. “I will come by later to check up.”

  “Ok,” I nodded.

  “Mr Clarintine,” Hopper appeared at the door. A not so composed look on his face. “Mika would like to speak to you urgently.”

  “As per usual,” he muttered, half waved and walked out muttering to himself with disdain.

  At least he hasn’t changed.

  “My Mistress, how are you feeling? You have been out for almost two days. I can make you dragon eggs or – Mistress?”

  I was at the door to my bedroom and was slipping past Hopper who stared dumbstruck as I placed my slippers on. With a wave of nausea from the gears of time, I realised that I wasn’t properly ready to use runes after a few days of a cold streak.

  “Dragon scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice.”

  “It’s ten at night, Eileen,” Donte and Nixon laughed wearily. “At least let’s have a large dinner and watch some documentaries to celebrate you waking up. Do you remember why you were out cold?”

  “No,” I lied, as I recalled the wash of crimson splodging across the tiles of the bathroom as if it was spilt paint. Unbelievable. “Was I sick?”

  “When we went to that underground rave, we believe a hostile shape-shifter placed a hex on you. Hopper had to put you in a coma. It was the healthiest option so the hex could be cleansed. You weren’t in any pain while you were asleep.”

  “No,” I answered as I closed the door to the bathroom.

  I find their excuses to be rather pathetic, even more so that they have to elaborate for my benefit. Yes, there are multiple hex’s that when applied, works better at releasing and flushing the toxins away by sleep. They asked the questions they needed to without sounding suspicious. Do I remember before I was unconscious and if I was in any pain while asleep? Meaning, if I was awake in my mind. So far, with both answered, the tension they were feeling dispersed. They believe me because in this family, telling the truth was always second nature, no matter how horrible it could destroy the ones they have known my whole life. They wouldn’t expect me, the emotionless droid, to have lied rather than demand all there is to know about my memories and what happened after that fateful day in the basement. Still, I don’t understand. If a memory cuts off in the middle, it usually is like a sentence that was breaking off into nothing, or a dying voice that was fading away. Death. Unannounced. However, I am here, alive and well enough for my understanding. It makes it that hard to trust anyone, as I can now remember and know what they had done. They severed my ties and pushed everything that is me down. Not once but twice.

  Rubbing eyes and yawning, I turned on the shower and let the hot water spurt out. Shrugging out of the nightgown that I have been wearing in my dreams off, I let it fall to the ground and slipped under the heat and steam that rose. Ducking head under water, I hoped that I could wash away the throbbing headache that plagued me since waking. However, the distress and my unstable mind didn’t dim ever the slightest.

  I believe the only one who would tell me the truth is my grandfather. If I can find him, I would not only get the answers to what happened at the betrayal, but also the reasons of what happened to me in that basement that turned me into an emotionless mage. Valeria won’t be the one to grant me these answers. The way she acted in my memories made me realise that maybe she wasn’t an unlikely friend, as I watched her shoot me in the head more times than I could count. Even if I did wish for it, what shifter could pull the trigger without a flicker of emotion? What mage could . . .

  I pressed both hands on the glass wall of the shower and leant into it.

  I truly am a monster.

  Outside of the bathroom, I sat on the kitchen bench. There was a banquet of food aligned from breakfasts all the way to desserts, categorised by my standards of acceptable foods. On the other side of the counter are Hopper, Donte and Nixon. They had proud grins from one corner of their lip with the other. Isilies, the only one I find difficult to read about knowing the cause of my lapse of sleep sat a few seats away from me and was staring intently at the tests that he has to score. I told him to sleep, but he waved it away and said that it is nice when we all get to sit down and eat together as a family.

  So far, his presence is innocent.

  “Well, Mum and Dad aren’t here so I wouldn’t call it a family gathering,” Donte and Nixon laughed bitterly.

  Ever since the thought of me not having gained memories, Donte and Nixon started to talk as they always would. They would leave bitter remarks about Mum and Dad. There was always a hint of anger and loneliness that washed away from their faces once th
ey are stuffing their face filled with food. They tried to talk to me, but I was in no mood for a conversation. It was nauseating listening to them all at once. Isilies complaints about marking exams, Hopper was trying to baby me as he handed me food and drinks while he reverted back to, ‘my Mistress,’. Donte and Nixon went back to talking about future pranks amongst their peers. It was, as I have always known. As I sat back and listened to the voices around me, it was comforting and annoying.

  “Did they leave again? I hadn’t noticed,” Isilies said in a bored tone of voice. Raising his head, he looked at Hopper and asked, “Another organisation thing?”

  “I believe they have finished with that they needed to do here and are now on their way back to report. They have told me to apologise for leaving so abruptly without saying goodbye. I have also told them about Eileen’s recovery progression, and they’re glad to have you awake and well.”

  Liar, I nodded. Hopper is a sugar coater. He would have told them about how I was, and they would have taken it in but never acknowledge or tell him to speak in the third person if it didn’t benefit them, as well as apologising. If it didn’t help them in any way, shape or form, they wouldn’t. They’re too busy for such tedious conversations when they work for the government.

  Who is the government? Why are they so loyal to that? When they say jump, they already have done so a moment beforehand.

  Annoyed with the notion of doing nothing, I reverted into my room without a word or glance at the others that were cheerfully talking amongst one another. As cheerful as it has always been. With diabolical brothers that were plotting and Hopper who was trying to shut it down. It left Isilies and me to walk away with a little patience of their demise.

  Closing the door, I pressed against it and closed eyes for a brief second. Being out of my head is still foreign to me. These discoveries are still too new. Everything about this is wrong. Memories, family, logic and Zero.

  I recall that mage in the basement calling me that instead of Highborn. Does that mean the letter my grandfather sent the organisation has become known secretly? Have they already given us a type that isn’t widely known? Type Zero could possibly mean another word for Highborn. It was less discriminative because it is a word without understanding. That could only mean that Lowborn who tried to kill me is the organisation, apart or close to it to know.

  Are they really here to help us or to destroy us?

  Grimacing, finding it hard to believe that my parents are working with something that is life-threatening to Highborn’s. It is illogical, to say the least. They find the evil mages. They eliminate mages who want to destroy our kind or stupidly believe they can play God with power. A false illusion of magic is what I would refer it to. Unfortunately, Highborn’s are the ones who end up being hurt and discriminated against. The fear that resides in Lowborn’s fuels the hate for Highborn’s. It creates jealousy and the means to act on jealousy with hate. That is how I believe the betrayal started. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am wrong about everything.

  A rhythmic tapping came from the window. Looking up, Lawliet was half crouched on my windowsill and was tapping on the glass. Opening the window for him, he looked inside, and let his eyes move around every corner before he looked at me.

  “Can we talk?” he asked. “Urgently.”

  “Ok?”

  “Good. Come with me,” he raised his hand, and I reached out, hesitant at first. I looked him up and down before I grasped hold and let him help me up and out of my bedroom.

  He was cold.

  Chapter 38.

  Lawliet – Prototype Zero.

  “Shit head, you caught me in a wrong time. I need to speak to . . .” trailing off, I tilted my head to the side and walked into Mika’s office to find that he was staring intently outside the window. He never looks outside windows unless he was thinking or talking to someone at the time. “If you wanted me here to talk about what happened in Eileen’s memories, let me say that it had something to do with a creepy child.”

  “You and little doll have to leave, immediately,” Mika turned around, and there was a grave expression on his face. “The organisation has found out about the both of you and is coming at first light.”

  “Wait. Before you demand me to do shit, tell me what the fuck is going on, Mika.”

  “Very well,” Mika raised his hand, leant towards his table that I was standing at and slapped documents on the wooden oak surface. “Hopper told me in great detail of what Eileen is categorised under.”

  “The hare! That reminds me, Valeria was in Eileen’s memories. She said the rabbit sent her.”

  “Hopper said nothing to me about Valeria being in Eileen’s dreams. I believe he would have said something considering how precious she is to him. However, I had no idea he was friends with that Valkyrie. . . Nonetheless, she is no concern at the moment. Eileen is, but before I go on in this pressing matter, what did you see inside Eileen’s memories?”

  Taking an agonisingly long breath, I explained everything, right up to the core part which is, Eileen was fucking psychotic and went into an emotionless state. Mika nodded slowly and narrowed eyes further with everything that I was describing.

  “The rune. What did it look like?”

  “You’re lucky I have a photogenic memory,” I muttered as I flipped the letter over and grabbed a pen that was on the desk and drew. Once I was finished, I handed it to him, and he tweaked a mysterious smile. “Tell me.”

  “It is so similar to Victor Malloy’s, and strangely enough, I recall Gospel Frost having one,” narrowing eyes further, he murmured almost to himself, “Come to think of it, I didn’t know Gospel’s original last name before he came a Frost. Maybe he is . . .” Mika’s eyes widened for a slight second before he shook his head and turned towards me. “I figured out the emotionless state is precisely the same as Victor Malloy’s also. He would go into this strange persona that is called in the ancient books as emotionless. It is a disease that is usually unexpressed on the inside. However, the little doll cannot express outwardly she can express inwardly to an extent I believe. Which leaves me with this conclusion: Eileen is emotionless, but not in the way Victor Malloy was. She definitely has emotions, but she can’t express them outwards. A reversed type I presumed.” With a roll of my eyes, I figured as much when I was in her memories. “Anyways, is there anything you needed to know before I go on?”

  “Why am I on the list and under type zero with Eileen? I am not even a mage.”

  “Moron, I and your foster parents have gone to great lengths to keep your identity from the organisation. They even died rather than be captured to keep you safe. They assume you’re a mage. I am hoping to keep it that way. You and Eileen are type zero, a class the organisation puts under elimination.”

  “Are they threatened by us? We’re teenagers, and they want to fucking kill us. How corrupt are they?”

  “They have always been corrupted,” Mika grimaced. “Hopper’s top priority is the Frost children. So far, to his knowledge, Donte, Nixon and Isilies are under type one. Unfortunately, the one who sent Eileen into a coma is also part of the organisation. He has been giving them information about you and a little doll. I made a mistake, a colossal one and because I was under knowledge with the Frost family, their parents have been prohibited from leaving the organisation now, in case they try to hide her. Not even the mage that they work for can do anything for Eileen now that she is now known to them as type zero. The most he can do is delay Nysa from her hunting duties.”

  “You mean the organisation is coming after us? Why? I heard the Lowborn in Eileen’s memories say all zero should die. I thought he was just fucking nuts.”

  “I don’t know much about the organisation. I try to steer off the radar for yours and my sakes. Hopper is well informed and explained it all to me. Eileen’s past. I understand the reason on erasing hers when she was younger. To remember being kidnapped would be traumatising for any child.” I highly doubt she would have been fucking traumatised. More
so as pleased. “The second time when she was eleven, and she drank the memory potion herself. It was due to her having to potentially wake up to the only mages and family that were hiding this secret from you. You would be distraught. She wouldn’t know whom to trust. This time I suppose was an exception because you are an outsider. She has made friends. She has you, someone who she can trust because you have had nothing to do with the family betrayal.”

  “Alright. The organisation is corrupted and has made a type zero category for what purpose? Did you know Gospel Frost wrote to them about classes, expecting equality within the mage society?”

  “Hopper explained briefly that they got the idea of types by Gospel but distorted the idea for their own benefit. They created type zero because of a threat from a Highborn that happened before my time. I made you read it in theory not very long ago. Eileen and her brothers are very distant with the mage world until now, so they are learning about our ways for the first time. I believe the only reason they came to mage Academy is that Eileen, Donte, Nixon and Isilies would have more difficulty hiding how great they are at being mages in the o-d-h world. Mainly little doll. It is confusing, and I don’t have much time to talk but bear with me.

  “The Frost family, Donte, Nixon and Isilies are categorised under type one because of the connections they have with someone in the organisation. Eileen was also ‘type one’ until recently when the insider debriefed organisation. You and she are now classed as type zero, elimination response. Victor Malloy was a mage 109 years ago, who had the ability same as Eileen. The death domes. He was unstable and wanted to purge this world from o-d-h, shapeshifters and Lowborn. He found them to be a disgrace and wanted to create this world anew. His insanity took over because he couldn’t feel anything. Therefore, because he couldn’t feel love, happiness, anger and sadness, he wanted everyone else to feel nothing at all. Meaning, he wanted the world to end. He was that deranged. Back then, there wasn’t an organisation to fight back, only mages free will. He had an unlimited amount of mage power and if wasn’t stupidly psychotic, could have lapsed the past, present and future, to create mass destruction and annihilating on all humankind. Hopper says that he was under ‘type zero’ and they try basing mages underneath what he had. Eileen has gears of time, the art of replicating what she sees. She has perfected practical and theory work and keeps advancing. Her veins are brightly lit white, stronger than others that I have seen as well as her emotionless status makes her more so intimidating. You are similar to Eileen besides gears of time and the death type rune she can create in her emotionless state of mind. You can create unknown runes with ease. You’re a known ‘type zero’ threat due to your sudden anger. They believe your rage could best you into the destruction of the world. The descriptions are in there. Every single detail of you and little doll since her coming here has been written in there and sent off to the organisation. Her parents have to play by the rules now or else they will find the family a threat and would have to evaluate all of them and could place them all in ‘type zero’ and eliminate a Highborn gene. The organisation is afraid. No. Petrified of another outbreak so whenever someone comes under the ‘type zero’ category, they remove and ask questions later. They have been doing it for years. Killing off mages discreetly. Hopper believes that is the reason Gospel Frost disappeared. They placed him under ‘type zero’ or were watching him too much that if he stayed longer, would have been suspicious of little doll.”