by Addison West
“Nowhere.” I responded. I actually had no clue where I needed to be. I just felt like walking until I was free.
“I have been told you show you around and to your allocated bed.”
“It was nice to meet you James.” I turned to him and smiled. He grinned back. Caitlyn was tapping her foot, impatiently.
“With me, now!” Caitlyn barked at me and she obeyed. I dared to look over my shoulder and give the nice guy one last fleeting glance.
9
Aurora
9am 6th September 2020
“It is my job to give you a bit of tour and explain some rules to you.” She told me 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.”
“Sounds fun.” I said sarcastically.
“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.” She huffed and I nodded. “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.
“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.”
Every so often she would cast me a glance which would just further highlight her disdain 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 permitted to be on those floors. 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 in no uncertain terms.
The door to the room was large and made of steel, beyond it the dormitory was bland and grey. Single beds were 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. She stepped over to by 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.
I sat on the hard bed. It was narrow and uncomfortable.
“When can I speak to the director, I really think there has been a mistake here.” I asked
“You don’t half breed.” She looked down at me and marched off. I lay down and closed my eyes, desperately trying to hold back tears.
10
Aurora
11am 6th September 2020
Tristan came and collected me at about 11am. Honestly, I was glad of the distraction.
“How are you settling in?” He asked genuinely.
“I’m okay.”
“I know it’s tough here, but it will get better.” He shot me a glance. “Well, it gets easier to cope with.”
We continued walking.
“How are you feeling?’ Tristan asked me sincerely. “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.
“You handled it like a pro, but when you passed out, I thought you were…”
“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 short 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, Aurora. 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.
“You might not have been. That Partenth stone has done some terrible things to people.” He said.
“I think a lot of people have suffered here for a lot of reasons.” I said coldly.
“True.” He sighed and there was a silence between us. “Do you remember anything or know who you really are yet?” He asked.
“Why does everyone keep asking that? It’s getting really old really quick!”
“Don’t stress about it.” He said reassuringly.
“Who were the others at the meeting?” 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 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 humans. Lance’s group is a bit like a clichéd fraternity.” He said honestly. “Then there is 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” He answered. “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 fourteen years old as he helped to design a training programme for them last year. He is quite young, but he is super smart. Last but not least, 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 medie
val period, but they have technology! A lot of women here have been trying to get their claws into James for a while, but he isn’t 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.
I stood opened mouthed not sure what question to ask first. The fact that James was a Prince blew my mind. My inner Disney princess was running in circles with glee. I reminded myself I looked more like the beast than beauty and I couldn’t wear normal heels without moaning let alone glass ones.
We arrived at the main building and walked inside. We stayed on the downstairs level and headed to the back of the mansion. Tristan opened a door to reveal a small old-fashioned library. It was fitted with a book shelf all around the walls, filled with old looking books. It smelt stale in there. 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. “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, 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. 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. Realms and Kingdoms sounded like something out of a young adult novel.
“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 very 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.
“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 aren’t 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. They are humanoid to look at but often have slightly different features or abilities. Then there is Immortuus which is the kingdom of the supernatural, it is where creatures like the infected come from. Things like vampires, witches and werewolves are born there. Again, technically they all look very humanoid apart from their special abilities and specific needs.” I knew he was referring to the vampires’ thirst for blood that I had seen in the infected. “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.”
“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.
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 guardians 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 was not a friendly man, was he?”
“That is an understatement.” Tristan laughed.
“Why did he not like half-breeds?”
“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. “He started the Inperium after his second son was born. His first wife, Eleanor, died giving birth to their first son, John. He remarried. A woman name Ann Dubois. She gave him his second son, who they called 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 3 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 put on half breeds of sorts. I mean, that is what the legend says but some books have different ideas about how the arch works. 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.”
“That is insane.” I stated staring at him. It was the craziest story I had ever heard yet I seemed to believe it. “What happened to John?”
“Thomas made both his sons work for the Inperium. William became a high commander, whilst John was kept as more of a servant or prisoner. The Inperium began to capture other Mults and kept them as servants as they came up with more projects. Thomas mostly hired humans to work for the Inperium and serve as Guardians and Keepers of the Mults. John actually fell in love with another hybrid in secret. Romantic relationships were strictly forbidden for Mults at the Inperium. John did not care and ended up getting his young love, Abigail, pregnant. As soon as Thomas found out, he had John punished. The punishment back then was death. Once the babies were born Abigail was also punished. Their twin babies, Victoria and John Jr, were then raised in the Inperium to serve.” He told me and I listened intently.
“That’s dreadful.” I concluded.
“The Inperium is a little different now.” He said.
“I’m not sure it is as different as it should be.” I added and he nodded. I was beginning to feel like I could trust Tristan.
11
Aurora
2pm 6th September 2020
“She’s mine now, Tristan.” Colt had stormed into the room. “You should have finished ten minutes ago.”
“I am not anyone’s.” I snapped.
“You need to watch your mouth!”
“Colt, just take her, we were finishing up anyway.” Tristan relented. I could see he was getting fed up with the way people were treating me. I stood up following orders.
“Follow me.” He barked and I cast a look to Tristan hoping he would save
me. I followed Colt out of the room and down some stairs. As we walked across campus, I got a glance at the other recruits who were going some combat training on the main lawn. They all looked like they really knew what they were doing, apart from Cameron and Mike who seemed to be struggling. We eventually arrived at what looked like a small gymnasium. There were lines on the floor indicating boxes and a few punch bags around the room. He walked in and waited by a punching bag. The room was warm and humid.
“What exercises are you used to doing?” He asked abruptly.
“I do Pilates and yoga. I used to take ballet when I was younger. I also played hockey for a while at school.” I answered nervously.
“Useless.” He mumbled. “Any fighting classes, karate or jujitsu?” I shook my head before remembering some classes we were forced to do in physical education at school.
“I had a few self-defence classes at school.” I was honest. He perked up a little.
“At least that is something.” He muttered. “Punch this.” He pointed at the bag and I obliged. Winced as my hand hit the hard leather. It barely even made a noise. “That was pathetic. Again.”
I punched the bag again. It stung my hand.
“You aren’t even trying!” He shouted at me. “Again!”
I punched the bag again. As hard as I could. I hated the pain in my hands that followed. I had never had to punch anything before in my life.
“That’s better.” He remarked. “Now keep going until I tell you to stop.” I did as I was told and kept punching the bag. My hands were screaming. I must have been punching for what felt like an hour. Sweat covered my face and poured down my back, I felt terrible.
“Stop.” He finally said and I nearly collapsed. “That was not the worst I have seen.” He remarked. I looked down at my hands which were covered in abrasions and blood. They stung something rotten. “Run to the end of the room and back again.” He ordered me and I just looked at him for a second. Not moving. Defying him. I was exhausted. “Did you not hear me?” He was getting angry, so I set off slowly jogging. “Faster!” He exclaimed and I picked up the pace. As I arrived back to where he was standing, I stopped. “Why are you stopping?” He lifted an eyebrow at me, and I continued to run. My body was screaming to stop. He began to build little circuits for me to do, around the gym, repeating the exercises over and over again. Taking HIIT to a new level. Finally, he said I could stop for a minute. I slumped against a wall and slipped down to the floor. He rummaged in a bag by the wall and handed me a bottle of look-warm water. I drank the entire thing in one go. My body desperate for the hydration.