by Elle Grace
“I thought that Mults always knew a little bit, like instinctively knew their own identity. Maybe not though. I’m sure you will learn about everything in training, you seem pretty switched on.” He was informative and complimentary.
“Thanks.” I blushed a little.
“It’s going to be fun having you around Viola.” He smiled, genuinely.
“Please call me Vi.” I said. He had earned it already.
“Sure thing. Have they assigned you a bed yet, Vi?” He asked. I liked the way he said my name.
“No not yet, hopefully that means that they won’t make me stay!” I was pretty hopeful, but I knew that was not true.
“I doubt that.” He laughed.
“Something tells me this place isn’t a place I really want to be at.” I sighed.
“Maybe I will change your mind.” He winked at me and I smiled back. Is it possible this man was flirting with me? I asked myself.
I saw Caitlyn jogging down towards us and I thought about running away. Looking at her shoes there was no way she would have caught me if I had run. She caught up to us and stopped us. She looked me up and down and cast a filthy look at James. She really was a charming creature, I thought.
“Where do you think you are going?” She asked.
“Nowhere.” I responded. I had no clue where I needed to be. I just felt like walking until I was free. That was the hope.
“I have been told you show you around and to your allocated bed.” She was not happy about it, someone needed to let her know she would be a terrible poker player as her face hid nothing.
“It was nice to meet you James.” I turned to him and smiled. He grinned back. Caitlyn was tapping her foot, impatiently. I ignored her, not letting her rush me. If I was going to stay, I needed friends to survive. The meeting and Lance’s weird entourage had made that noticeably clear.
“With me, now!” Caitlyn barked at me, fed up of waiting and I slowly obeyed. I dared to look over my shoulder and give the nice guy one last fleeting glance. To my surprise he did the same and our eyes caught each other's for a moment.
9
Viola
9am 6th September 2025
“It is my job to give you a bit of tour and explain some rules to you.” She told me blankly as we walked away from James. “It is not a job I want, but here at the Inperium we always do what we are told.” She explained quickly not mincing her words.
“Sounds fun.” I said sarcastically, wondering if I could ditch her and truly try and make my escape before it was too late.
“Ah yes, your sense of humour.” She smiled at me like a snake. “These little quips of yours had better stop. Otherwise we will be forced to punish you for your smart mouth. This is not a holiday camp or some fun voluntary boot camp. You work for us. Your blood has determined your station.” She told me and I did not know what to say back. For once. “I will show you where you sleep. The rest you can figure out on your own because I don’t care enough to deal with you.” She huffed and I nodded preferring that she left me alone sooner. The disdain was mutual. “The rules here are extensive for people like you. We don’t give you a second chance and the punishments are harsh. We have found it is the only way Mutts really learn their lesson. There are basic rules like only speak when asked and that you should know your place. Of course, fraternization with humans is a major offense and fraternization with other half breeds is also not allowed. Your very existence sullies so many bloodlines so we go our best to limit future damage. Personally, I would be ok with sterilization, if the Board would agree to it but some of them think that is too harsh.” I looked at her, my mouth open. I could not believe how hateful she was. Her views were disgraceful.
“That is vile, you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking like…” She cut me off. Growing mad at my clear disobedience.
“We expect respect as your commanders, we also expect you to watch our backs and look out for us on missions. It is the only reason we train you ungrateful Mutts. I think if you understand those basic rules you might survive here.” It seemed silly of them to treat us like dirt but to expect protection from us. Maybe they relied on Stockholm syndrome, I thought. I certainly had no intentions of watching her back.
Every so often she would cast me a glance which would just further highlight her hatred for me. She really was a vile person.
We stopped outside a red brick two story building. It had an ornate glass and metal door in the dead centre on the ground floor and matching windows symmetrically placed all over the building. We walked in and headed straight down a flight of concrete stairs.
“This is one of the dormitory buildings. Most new recruits sleep in here. Humans are on the ground and first floors. You are not allowed to be on those floors ever, no exceptions. Mults sleep in the basement.” Charming, I thought. “You wake up when we tell you. You do what we say. It is rather simple really. You are inferior here.” Caitlyn told me plainly. “And you do as you are told. Remember that and you are likely to survive.”
The door to the dormitory room was large and made of steel, beyond it the dormitory was bland and grey. Single beds lay parallel to each other only separated by a small bedside table and a very narrow locker. Everything was made from metal. It was very cold. The green blankets on the bed looked thin and scratchy.
“This is your bed.” She pointed to the one on the end nearest to the door. “The bathrooms are through there.” She indicated another door on the opposite side of the room. I could just about make out the dirty white tiles. “There is no hot water down here so don’t even think about showering for too long.” She spat at me and I shook my head. I think long showers were about the last thing on my mind. She stepped over to my bed and opened the small locker. “Your wardrobe should have everything you need in it.” I could see she was right. Several outfits hung on metal hangers and a pair of heavy boots sat neatly at the bottom. “I suggest you shower and get changed. You smell and look like a 10-dollar hooker. Put those vile clothes in the basket over there to be incinerated.” She showed me where everything was. Insulting me at every turn.
I sat on the hard bed. It was narrow and uncomfortable. I sighed. Of course, it would be, I thought. Everything was uncomfortable at the Inperium.
“When can I speak to the Director, I really think there has been a mistake here.” I asked thinking of anything to say that might potentially be my ticket out of there.
“You don’t get to speak to him, half breed.” She looked down at me for a moment before she turned abruptly and marched off. The faint smell of cheap perfume being the only evidence she had been there at all. I lay down gingerly and closed my eyes, desperately trying to hold back tears. This place might break me, I thought.
10
Viola
11am 6th September 2025
Tristan came and collected me at about eleven. Honestly, I was glad of the distraction. He really did seem like a nice person in the wrong place. It almost made me angrier at him for allowing it all to exist.
“How are you settling in?” He asked genuinely sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I’m okay.” I lied.
“I know it’s tough here, but it will get better.” He shot me a glance. “Well, it gets easier to cope with.” He knew it was hard and I was struggling. “We have to go now.” He stood and I followed his lead silently through the dormitory building. It seemed like an eternity in silence.
We continued walking once we got out to the grounds.
“How are you feeling?’ Tristan asked me sincerely, looking at me concerned, I looked terrible. “You lasted about five minutes with the Partenth stone in your test.” Tristan added sounding a little bit impressed. Those five minutes had felt like hours. Five minutes seemed like nothing. “You handled it like a pro, but when you passed out, I thought you were…” He paused.
“Let me guess… dead? Five minutes, are you kidding? It felt like hours.” I laughed it off. I think if I did not laugh, I would cry.
; “No one has ever last more than four minutes before.” He was impressed and solemn.
“That can’t be true.” I rolled my eyes. From my brief time at the Inperium I had come to realise that people at the Inperium had a way of making things seem like they are a big accomplishment or something special when realistically they were pretty average. Everything sounded so dramatic.
“It’s documented though, Viola. There are special laws surrounding the tests, there not even supposed to use it for more than a minute.” Tristan seemed like he was really good with the facts. A real book worm perhaps, I thought.
“I’m okay.” I brushed him off. Trying to change the subject.
“You might not have been. That Partenth stone has done some terrible things to some pretty powerful people.” He said and I could see he was being honest. “I think you broke it.”
“I think a lot of people have suffered here for a lot of reasons.” I replied coldly. Everything I had endured so far had been simply terrible.
“True.” He sighed and there was a silence between us. “Do you remember anything or know who you really are yet?” He asked quietly. He seemed more interested than most.
“Why does everyone keep asking that? It’s getting really old really quick!”
“Don’t stress about it.” He said reassuringly. I sighed frustrated at myself.
“Who were the others at the table?” I asked. I wanted to know more about the others especially as I had now learned I was sharing a room with them all.
“Well, let me think.” He started. “Colt obviously you know. The same goes for Caitlyn and Lance, you met them earlier. Then there is the human recruits, Tim, Kieran, Buggy, Miranda, Chelsea, and Clem, you don’t want to know them. They are all Lance’s friends and not that nice. They are all ‘pure’ humans. Lance’s group is a bit like a fraternity.” He said honestly. “Then there are the other hybrids. You’ve got Sam. They are a little more interesting.” He saw my confused look. “Sam doesn’t conform to any gender. They are a shape shifter. Their mum was a shape shifter, a mostly Immortuuis hybrid, and their dad was full human. Making them a hybrid but they adopted the same ability that their mum had.” He explained.
“That’s cool.” I responded. “So, they can change appearance?” He nodded. “Do a lot of hybrids have abilities like that?”
“Some of them, yes, actually most of them do.” He answered. I rolled my eyes internally. I had no powers, typical, I thought. “Who else was there?” He muttered to himself. “Oh, yeah, there is Doe, actually her real name is Dorothy. She trained here extensively as a child but more recently she has been living in Milan. Cameron is super lovely. He is a bit of a klutz, but he has the kindest heart. Then Mike, he is a whizz kid at technology. The Inperium have decided to recruit him even though he is only just sixteen years old as he helped to design a training programme or something for them last year. He is quite young, but he is super smart. Finally, is Prince James, well actually His Royal Highness Prince James Alexander of Absum, Oblituus. That is his full title. I think his dad sent him here to help bolster inter kingdom relations or something. He is betrothed to a princess from his kingdom. At least that is what the rumours say. I think their kingdom is a little bit like ours from the medieval period, but they have technology! A lot of women here have been trying to get their claws into James for a while, but he is not interested. I think he is honouring his arranged marriage to be honest. Romantic really. Shame he isn’t available though, he is a fine-looking man.” Tristan finished, he seemed like a bit of a gossip by the way he had reeled off so many details. I was almost sorry I asked.
I stood opened mouthed not sure what question to ask first. The fact that James was a Prince blew my mind.
“Another kingdom?” Was all I could mutter after him.
We arrived at the main building and walked inside. We stayed on the downstairs level and headed towards the back of the mansion. Tristan opened a door to reveal a small old-fashioned library. It was fitted with a bookshelf that wrapped all around the walls, filled with aged books. It smelt stale. He indicated for me to sit down on a big leather armchair whilst he darted around gathering a few books.
“They don’t keep the good books in here.” He confided sadly. “They are all in a vault under the house. It’s such a shame.” He sighed, grabbing the books he had picked and sitting down opposite to me.
“Immortuuis and Oblituus, so, are they places?” I began barely waiting for him to be seated.
“Yes.” He replied. “I will try to explain as simply and quickly as I can, as I know time is not on our side. Since you know none of this.” He stopped to take a big dramatic breath. “So, the world we live in is not made up of one realm as such, but six. We call them kingdoms.” I looked at him puzzled.
“Okay.” I frowned.
“It is a little complicated to explain actually.” I felt like Tristan was an incredibly intelligent man, but he also struggled with explaining things without rambling or giving extremely detailed descriptions that meant extraordinarily little. I sighed. “So, I’m sure you have heard of dimensions and parallel universes. There is a lot of theory out there, a lot of physics professors have produced some amazing publications at an attempt to explain the phenomena that we…”
“You are losing me.” I was honest. He stopped and narrowed his eyes for a moment, thinking. I had been through so much in the last few days and it was all too much to take in.
“Do you believe in heaven and hell?” His question made me think for a minute.
“Well I suppose I believe there has to be something, I mean my parents aren’t religious and neither am I, but I would hate to think that there is nothing after we die.” I answered truthfully.
“Good.” He stated. “It is easier to explain this to someone who is open to the idea then someone who isn’t. So, heaven and hell are technically real places.” He began. “Now they are not the heaven and hell that is suggested in places like the bible, where your soul goes when you die, based on your moral choices. The heaven and hell we know are just sort of named that based on how they look and the beings that exist there, still with me?” He asked and I nodded. What he was saying seemed insane but also a little familiar.
“All kingdoms have ancient names and within the kingdoms live specific beings. There is Caeluus and Abysuus which are kind of like heaven and hell in the sense that the beings that reside there are considered as Angels and Demons, based on human mythology anyway. They are humanoid to look at but often have slightly distinctive features or abilities. Then there is Immortuus which is the kingdom of the supernatural and paranormal. Things like vampires, witches and werewolves are born there. Yes, they are real.” He said quickly before I could stop him. “Again, technically they all look very humanoid apart from their special abilities and specific needs. Then there are the three human based kingdoms. Oblituus, which we call the kingdom of the forgotten, Vetituus, which we call the kingdom of the forbidden and Munduus, which is the kingdom that we are currently in. The kingdom of man. Questions?” He finished his short ramble and I sat staring, clearly this man needed help of the psychiatric variety, I pondered to myself.
“Yes, about a million of them.” I shook my head. “Okay, if all these kingdoms are separate places and only hybrids can open the doors, then how can hybrids exist to open the doors, if the doors need to be opened first?” I asked. “That is so goddamn confusing! It’s a paradox.” My cult theory was circling back in my mind.
“Good question!” He complemented me and handed me on of the books. “Page 85.” He said knowingly. I opened the book and began to read. “Maybe you are starting to remember.”
Upon further research, it has been made clear to me that half breeds have existed since the dawn of time. Ancient documents hint at an organisation that worked to monitor and protect the kingdoms. Guardians of the gates, allowing free passage and blood mixing. Ostiarius. Luckily over time the humans have become pure again after the gates were closed and locked by the guardia
ns in response to the chaos that was observed. Only mixed bloods have the ability to open these gates making them the perfect servants to my new organisation, the Inperium, which serves the world to stop blood mixing and half-blood tyranny…
I stopped reading. Whoever wrote it had a real issue with Mults.
“Who wrote this?” I asked.
“Thomas Walsh, the founder of the Inperium.” He stated.
“He was not a friendly man, was he?” I raised an eyebrow; his views had created a hatred since the beginning.
“That is an understatement.” Tristan laughed.
“Why did he not like half-breeds?” I asked knowing that it must have been more than just his fear of hybrids.
“It’s a long story.” Tristan sighed and I raised my eyebrow. I wanted to know more. Tristan thought for a moment before telling me. “I will give you the abridged version. He started the Inperium after his second son was born. His first wife, Eleanor, died giving birth to their first son, John. He never remarried but he had an affair with a woman named Ann Dubois. She gave him his second son, but he was illegitimate, they named him William. When William turned one years old, John did something. He was only six or seven at the time and he worked out how to open a gate. Ann was unfortunately swept into the gate and John closed it. He was too young to know any different. Thomas Walsh sunk into about three months of madness, strong liquor, and research until he discovered what John was and what his first wife had been. He was head over heels for Ann and so angry with John, he decided that no half-breed should be able to do anything like it uncontrolled by a human again. He consulted all sorts of people and managed to have curse of sorts put on half breeds. I mean, that is what the legend says but some books have different ideas about how the arch works and the inner workings of the trials. I don’t know what I believe if I’m honest, but it meant that hybrids could not open any gates until they had been found worthy in the eyes of the Inperium in a trial.” He spoke as if he was hoping for a debate on the matter, but I clearly knew nothing.