by Elle Grace
The Director was busying himself inviting in some assistants. They all wore the same grey uniform that sort of looked like hospital scrubs. They had the word ‘assistant’ written across their backs. I guessed that they were not strong enough to be soldiers, but they were not hybrids either. It was clear people that they called Mults were at the bottom of the food chain at the Inperium and they had labelled me as one. The Director bossed the assistants around like they were his own personal servants. Maybe they were, I thought.
Looking around the table there were people I recognised from earlier that day. Colt sat at the head of the table and Tristan moved to join him. Lance and Caitlyn also sat there. Colt had found himself a plaid shirt since the last time I saw him, and he looked good in it. Tristan shot me a grin, trying to be reassuring as I looked for somewhere to sit. A chair that looked a little fancier than the rest sat between them and I guessed that was the Director’s chair. To the left of the four of them at the head of the table, was a girl about my age. She was simply beautiful everything about her intrigued me from her dark skin tone to her bright blue eyes and I felt equally intimidated and attracted to her. It was an unusual feeling for me. A man sitting next to her was staring at me, excitedly. He was a little bit chubby, but he had an enthusiastic look in his eye. On his chest was a handwritten name badge that said ‘Cameron.’ There were stickers and pens on the table but nobody else had seemed to use them. I was clearly right about the enthusiasm, I thought. The other side of the table were some other men and women. They all seemed to be friends as they were joking around and laughing as we had walked in. I made a mental note to avoid all of them, knowing instinctively that they were not friendly. A red headed boy who looked a lot younger than most of the room stood up breaking the silence. He looked at me with a big smile.
“There’s a seat free next to me.” He offered. His strong accent told me he was a Londoner. I moved to sit between him and a young woman who also looked younger than the average demographic in the room. She smiled as I passed by her and sat down.
“Hi, I’m Sam. That’s Mike.” She said as she shook my hand and pointing at the red head. “We were super excited when we heard there was someone new coming into our group!”
“I’m Viola, but everyone I like calls me Vi.” I offered. Everyone around the table looked at me as I spoke. Next to Sam was one more person that completed the circle around the table. His gold coloured eyes intrigued me, possibly the most out of anyone else in the room. He stared at me intently, he frowned at me. He sat with near perfect posture and an immaculate chiselled complexion. He was hard to read. Intense almost.
“Hi, I’m Cameron.” The enthusiastic one said. “You seem nice, surprisingly so. I knew you would be! When they said there was someone new, I just knew you were going to be nice, didn’t I?” He rattled off. He made a grab for the stickers and pens on the table and messily signed my name, handing me the sticker. “I brought these so it would be easier for you to learn everyone’s name.”
“Thanks that is really thoughtful.” I said, sticking it to my dress. I suddenly began to realise what a mess I looked with my torn dress and smeared make up. No wonder people were staring, I thought. They all looked smart in their matching uniforms; I was barely wearing clothes.
Down the table the group that had been talking about me when I walked in sniggered, Cameron went red in the face. “Ignore them Cameron.” I said. I called them out, making enemies already. I was stupidly righteous apparently. “Some people just don’t know how to be nice to others and it intimidates them when they see others that can.” I reassured him and he beamed at me. I liked Cameron; he was the only person I liked so far.
“I’m surprised you are still here.” Lance sneered and all the people at the table that were clearly his friends thought it was great. I rolled my eyes at him.
“I’m surprised you have friends.” I responded indicating his friends that were hanging on to every word and his face turned into a scowl. “Or are they just licking your arse to get up the ladder?” Even though I did not really know him, I knew the type from even my limited experience.
“You aren’t one of us. You are a dirty imposter and we will prove it this week!” Lance retorted back. I had touched a nerve. He was overcompensating and his pitch raised in frustration like a petulant child.
“I think that’s enough.” Colt gruffly chirped in. He was clearly an authority at the table. His deep voice silencing us. All eyes moved to him and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
“Oh Colt, you need to learn that you cannot defend every orphan that walks in here. God knows you feel like a kindred spirit to them, but just stop. It is getting a little bit pathetic. The Mutts don’t deserve your sympathy.” Caitlyn spoke up and I felt like I learned something personal about Colt. He looked a little bit abashed. She looked proud of herself. “Half people like Viola and Cameron are here to be put in their place. It is the natural order. That must learn that humans, pure humans are… well… superior.” Caitlyn continued. Cameron looked down at his hands visibly upset. I could see training had been an absolute barrel of laughs for him.
“Caitlyn, is it?” I asked and she nodded. “You have it wrong. See I don’t think someone’s blood makes them superior, pure, or not. Whatever ‘pure’ even means. It’s how you treat people and you are clearly a bottom feeding worm.” I could not stand bullies. It was harsh but a truth I needed to share.
“How dare you?” She screeched back at me.
“You are all a bunch of insane assholes.” I said looking at the top four who thought of themselves as leaders. “Like really fucking insane, and massive assholes.” I clarified and angry glances were exchanged for a brief second.
Lance stood up and drew a pistol. He lurched from where his seat was and moved to grind the barrel of the gun against my temple hard.
“You need to learn your place mongrel!” He spat wildly pressing the gun harder. My breath hitched a little. He was unhinged, I thought to myself. I remained calm on the outside. He was not going to shoot me. We both knew it.
“That is enough.” The Director was now paying attention to us. The whole room was silent, and the tension was high. “Let’s calm down, shall we?” The Director made Lance lower his weapon and return to his eat. I took a breath for the first time in a minute or so, looking at Colt, already ng able to guess what his expression was going to be like. I was surprised to see far more concern than I was expecting. “Well, I’m glad you are all present and accounted for.” He continued. He found his place and stood next to his more ornate mahogany chair at the head of the table. “Hello all.” William outstretched his arms theatrically for effect. “For those who have been here at the Inperium for some time and to those who are new here, this is a meeting to get some formalities out of the way before the week ahead of us.” He began and a few people smiled excitedly. Most of the others looked thoroughly fed up, I was beginning to think I could recognise a hybrid just by their reaction to the Director. There really was no need for a crappy special stone. “You are all incredibly special to us here in the Inperium. We need you to work with us to achieve a better world. It will not be an easy job, but it will be worthwhile one.” Somehow, I did not believe we were ‘all’ incredibly special. It certainly felt like he wanted to add a ‘but’ in there somewhere. “Wednesday is a big day for all of you. The humans around this table will be given their final tests before being announced as guardians.” A few of Lance’s friends gave each other looks and small high fives. Lance beamed. He was clearly in charge of training the humans. “The Mults in this room will go through their trial, a very important part of becoming an assistant guardian.” The other hybrids rolled their eyes, something told me that becoming an assistant guardian was a little bit of an insult. “The highest rank a Mult can obtain here at the Inperium. Your role is to make missions easier for our guardians using your natural born powers to open and close gates.” It sounded boring, I thought. “One of the formalities that we must get out of the w
ay is a contract of service. This protects you and us going forward.” He smiled but it seemed forced. The assistants around the room handed out the contracts. The font must have been a size 1 or 2 because there was no chance any of us could read it. “In front of you is your contract. We need you to agree to these terms before we can move forward this week. They are just to confirm the terms of your being here once you have passed the trials and tests.”
“Can I have a pen?” One guy said near to the top of the table. He looked friendly with Lance.
“You don’t sign these contracts with ink. You seal them with a drop of your blood.” William answered with a that crocodile smile he held.
“A blood contract?” Colt questioned loudly. “Have you lost your mind? What do you think this place is?” We all looked at him. “We have never had blood contracts before.”
“A blood contract is an ancient tradition within the Inperium.” William argued.
“Since when?” Colt retorted. “I have never seen the effects of one, but we were always taught that when you break a blood contract it has profound consequences as they are often protected by dark incantations. I don’t like the fact that you are treating it like it should be used for everyday business.” Colt argued back. “There are people here who still need to be assessed as to whether they should be here.” Colt looked at me and I gulped, feeling less than welcomed by him than I did before.
“As Colt has pointed out, a blood contract is a little unusual, but like I said it is an ancient tradition here within the Inperium and I am a man who simply adores tradition. I am sure you can all understand. Miss Hart, why don’t we get your contract done first and show everyone how it is done?” He offered looking at me. I must have seemed like easy pickings.
“I suppose I don’t have a choice?” I retorted. I had been there all of five minutes and they wanted a contract. My cult theory was becoming more valid by the minute.
“Of course, you do.” He soothed still smiling. “If you want to leave us, all you have to do is just say it and I will have some of my assistants escort you out.” It was a threat or a bluff. I could see it in his eyes and was tempted to call it. I knew that they would not have gone to the trouble of kidnapping me if they were going to let me go that easily. I nodded and one of William’s assistants that lined the wall stepped forward. A small extremely thin and pointed blade in his hand. It looked like an ornate letter opener only slimmer. A strange large needle. He placed the blade to my finger and gently cut it open just enough to let a drop of blood land on the paper he had positioned underneath. It was so sharp I could not even feel the cut. Everyone watched intently. I could not even look at Colt, his face would tell me exactly what he thought of the situation. The guy I had nicknamed ‘golden eyes’ watched my constantly. The other hybrids looked as angry as Colt did.
“Are you sure that is enough blood?” Lance jeered. “I would make sure the contract is fully satisfied and spill a whole lot more.” He looked captivated by the sight of blood. Lance was clearly a man who was not allowed pets as a child out of fear of them torturing them just so he could feel some semblance of power.
William shot him a look instantly making him fall silent. The other assistants joined the first and began to work their way around the table and filling in blood contracts. William watched chuffed with himself.
The final assistant signalled to tell William he was finished, and the blood contracts were gathered from the table quickly. We did not even have chance to read them. Not that it would have mattered. The terms were not choices.
“Fabulous. So, your two years of service begin today.” William continued with his spiel as if he were telling us good news. “Wednesday you will be tested. It will consider whether you are worthy to serve the Inperium. Those who pass will be part of our new elite team after you go through one last training simulation situation that is specific to the team’s future project. I will personally oversee this; it is a project close to my heart. Once that has been completed and everyone is ready and in their correct place, we will begin our main project.” He summarised quickly. I shook my head in disbelief. There was something about the way he looked at me when he said the word worthy and it was not a good look. What have I got myself into? I thought.
“Two years of service?” Mike, the red head with the cockney accent, questioned from across the table. When did we agree to that?” He was shocked.
Two years did seem like a long time to me too.
“It was all in the contract.” William replied in a matter of fact manner as if we had read the contracts. “What is your name?”
“Mike.” He said sheepishly.
William took out a small notebook and a pen from his breast pocket and wrote Mike’s name down.
“Surname?” He barked.
“It’s Caper.” Mike responded not letting William get to him.
“Oh, I know who you are now. I’m surprised you would be the one to question this.” He shot me a look. “Well Mr Caper, since you are just full of questions. I will make sure we answer each one of them later.” He was threatening Mike. I could feel it. The whole table could feel the tension. The assistant that had helped me fill in my contract creeped beside William and whispered something in his ear.
“Quite right” William replied to him and the assistant began to assemble the others promptly. “Okay, you guys have a big day of training ahead of you, so I suggest you go and prepare yourselves. Your schedules should tell you where you should be.” I panicked a little bit as I had not been given a schedule yet or any information I could use. The Director swept out of the room along with his assistants. Lance and Caitlyn whispered to each other. Colt and Tristan left quickly not looking at me.
Everyone else began to talk amongst themselves and shuffle out of the room. I followed them out of the room but walked away once I recognised where I was.
I needed answers.
My mind was reeling. I had learnt so much I thought my head would explode. I felt strangely calm about it. Maybe I was in shock and had not processed it yet, I thought. One thing I did know was that I was not sure I could stay.
8
Viola
7am 6th September 2025
I was not sure where I had ended up, I left the meeting and quickly tried to get away from everyone. Honestly, I wanted to try and escape. I walked out into the gardens. Praying that I could just remember like everyone said I should. So, I could remember a way out.
“Hello.” He said almost out of breath. The man with the intense golden eyes had caught up with me.
“Hey.” I replied cautiously, not knowing his allegiance.
“I’m James.” He shook my hand. He was incredibly well spoken, his accent seemed British but there was a hint of something else that I could not place.
“Nice to meet you.” I tried to mirror his formalness. He was taller than he had looked at the table.
“You handled that meeting very well.” He complimented me. There was something about him. He had a strong jaw and rugged yet charming face. He looked like he had been designed.
“Thank you, but I’m not sure that is true.” I sighed.
“You stood up to those vile officers. I’d say that was handling things well.” He nodded. “We do not see much of that here.”
“Does no one else stand up to them?” I asked blushing slightly. I tucked my hair behind my ear.
“Not really. How are you finding the Inperium so far?” He smiled, acting as if it was a normal place.
“You can’t be serious.” I laughed. “The campus is pretty enough, but I’m not so keen on the torture or the weird half breed slurs. So, I would probably give it a solid 1-star review.”
James chuckled at me. I looked around. The campus really was a strangely beautiful place. The collection of buildings seemed to reflect architecture of every period, but they all seemed to blend well. The gardens that connected the buildings were stunning. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the grass was lush and manicured. Some benches an
d seating areas were dotted around, and I could not help but think of the gardens as almost romantic. It was as if the weird cult I had found myself at were in the wrong place.
“So, are you a blood traitor too?” I asked him.
“Whoa, that’s a colourful term.” He frowned at me. Slightly startled by my question.
“Yeah well, I think I have heard them all since arriving.” I laughed but really it did not feel that funny.
“Trust me you have heard hardly any of them. The commanding officers get quite creative in training. Some of the stuff we have been called is pretty hideous.” I could not image anybody being able to insult him. He seemed almost too perfect.
“Why am I not surprised.” I shook my head.
“Personally, I prefer filthy mongrel. That has to be my favourite.” He stated and I laughed too. Suddenly becoming overwhelmed with a sense of guilt about Frankie. I still had not handled that emotional situation that simmered on the back burner in my mind. It was strange, I did not feel very much about it. As if the pain of loss had not kicked in yet.
“How do they get away with it?” I asked.
“They are in charge.” He shrugged.
“Did you know about any of this stuff before you arrived here?” I needed to know that I was not the only one. He seemed to understand more than most.
“Most of it, yes, I think. I mean I was raised being told this stuff by my Dad. Some of it I always knew I guess.” He explained.
“I was adopted so I don’t know any of it.” I sighed disappointed. I felt alone.
“Not even a little bit?” He asked puzzled.
“No, how would I?”