by Luca Braña
They implied, no, confirmed that only the strongest will receive better treatment, while the weak and unwilling will continue to suffer! What about Myo? What about his poor little brother, who was so weak and scared he always returned to their room in tears? Did those fools have no compassion? Did they enjoy making small kids suffer to the point of despair?!
He wanted to go loose on them, to teach them to never touch a child again, but he couldn’t—he shouldn’t. Both because he was exhausted and wouldn’t put up much of a fight, and because that would only create difficulties for Tela, who was meticulously organizing everything in the background.
“For now, go back to your dormitory and rest. Tomorrow you will have another chance to socialize with your friends. You did well today. If you keep up your current progress, you’ll get the opportunity to be put in a position of leadership,” he explained as Cyko got up from the ground and looked at him. Saying nothing and giving him a nod, he made his way back to his room, the three guards from before ensuring that he would try nothing on the way back.
Another socialization time tomorrow, huh? If that man was not lying, then that would prove to be an important opportunity. He hoped that this time, he would at least get to meet his family again, and Tela too, he wanted to talk to her after all this. Maybe if he was lucky, he would even get to see Magy again. He knew he could get along well with her.
Still, as he tried to think about the future, he wondered how his little brother was doing… He was called for an experiment before Cyko was and he worried for Myo. No matter, he would try his best to comfort him once again, that was what an older brother was supposed to do.
6
As Cyko made his way inside his room, he was so focused on the feeling that something was different that he missed the bang of the door closing behind him. He kept staring for a minute until the source of his curiosity looked up at him with a serene smile.
“Your poor brother was a mess when I arrived here. He was crying hard and didn’t even see me until I comforted him,” the pink-haired girl, Magy, said to him in a gentle voice, indicating to Myo, who was sleeping in her lap while her hands patted his head. “This little lady also helped a lot to calm him down, I can’t say I would have been very successful without her,” she explained, pointing to Snow, who was sleeping in the bed near Myo.
Cyko blinked in confusion. Magy?! Why was she here? “Not that I’m unhappy to see you again, but why are you here?” he asked in a low voice in order to not disturb his sleeping brother although he was surprised that the banging door didn’t wake him up.
“I asked to be transferred to your dorm,” she said with a small smile, earning a surprised look from Cyko, “I like you two, and Scythe told me that a lot of important events will happen around you soon and I want to be there when it happens,” the pink-haired girl said with a larger smile, making Cyko blush a little. She asked to be transferred to their room just for them? That was flattering.
“Wait, did they just grant your request?” he asked in confusion. Why would they even entertain transferring her there just because she asked? It didn’t help that Magy kept smiling, continuing to look at him in a way that was making him squirm.
“The scientists in this place treat those with high potential well… It helps that I am very cooperative with their experiments. I’ve grown to enjoy them, even when they are painful, especially when they are painful. My favorite is when I get to play with the robot army although I wish I got to beat up those guards too,” she said smiling, making Cyko look at her closer.
That was what she meant by coping? he thought incredulously.
“So, you are saying you enjoy pain?” he asked in confusion. As someone who also enjoyed the rush of power through his veins, he could understand if this was the same feeling that she was experiencing now. Magy nodded in response to his question and giggled a little.
“Scythe says I’m too young to enjoy these feelings, but it’s true. This was before I got to meet my dear Scythe—I was a traumatized and suffering girl who only wanted her parents to save her… Even now, I feel sad when I think about those times—oh, I’m all right Scythe, thank you very much,” she said in a way that confused Cyko. Who was this Scythe she kept talking about?
“I thought to myself, ‘what if I enjoyed the pain instead?’ ‘What if I smile instead of cry?’ ‘What if I asked for more instead of begging for it to stop?’ and somehow… it worked. Before I knew it, I was enjoying the pain they were putting me through. You should’ve seen the look on their faces! Hah, it freaked the scientists out the first few times!” Magy said, her voice chipper, reflecting her fondness of the first time she enjoyed the torture.
Cyko himself stared at the girl, his brain scrambling to make sense of her. Sure, he liked the adrenaline and using his powers, but… Was she all right? Should she even have to think such things? No, it was obvious Magy was broken and had kept going despite the terrible situation she was in, and she had been here for a year. Would the same happen to him or Myo if they continued?
“Magy…” the blue-haired child said as he walked over to her. He sat down on her side, opposite of Myo, and took her hand to offer comfort, noticing how small and frail she looked. The girl looked at him with questioning eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to you… That they forced you to learn to like the pain… it is too cruel,” he said with a frown, distressed at the thought of more children breaking like she had. Even that monster, Drago, was another victim of this twisted place.
She gave him a melancholic smile and entwined her fingers in his. “Don’t pity me, Cyko, you are in the same situation as me. Scythe tells me you too will change because of this nightmare,” she said in a small voice, looking at their hands. She shook her head and gazed into his eyes with her serene stare. “Even broken people need friends. Can I be your friend?” she asked, her eyes wide and sincere even amongst her messed up psyche.
Cyko kept looking at her, thinking about the words she had spoken. He had noticed he was changing, just like she said. Using his powers seemed to give him a rush of violent feelings, and lately, he had been dreaming of slaughtering all the scientists and guards in this place… Such a dream would make a little kid scream in terror, it would be a nightmare… But for him, he felt like they would be good dreams, somehow.
He didn’t want to lose himself, but for the sake of escaping… he knew he couldn’t do anything about it. It would forever change them all because of it so he might as well have people he could trust. Magy seemed honest, despite her apparent craziness, and he could also sense a hint of loneliness in her gaze. Did she get along with her roommates if she had any? No, that didn’t matter anymore, she requested to move to their room, so the least he could do was trust her and welcome her.
“Of course you can be my friend, Magy. We are in this together, and I know I can trust you, somehow. Welcome to the family. If you ever feel sad, I’ll be there for you,” he declared solemnly, watching as a grin emerged on the pink-haired girl’s face. She looked relieved for a moment before returning to her serene expression.
“Thank you, Cyko. That means a lot. I promise, when the time comes, me and Scythe will give you our full support.”
“Thank you, Magy,” Cyko said with a smile. He could already tell he would like her, and with her here, Myo would have a better time since she seemed to care for him.
Although he wondered, “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you approach us, Magy? And who is this Scythe person you keep talking about?” Magy’s smile widened, before she took her hand from his and put it near her chest, close to her heart.
“I guess I’ll answer that question in reverse, my friend. Scythe is the wonderful spirit I met when I awakened, she is the main source of my power and my dear companion that has been helping me ever since she first appeared,” she declared with a fond smile, surprising the boy. A spirit?! His mind raced.
“A spirit? Your power is to have a spirit by your side?” he asked in surprise, to which she shook her he
ad.
“No, unlike other spirituals, as the scientists call us, mine is linked to my soul. Scythe is part of me, and I am part of her. Here, let me show you,” she explained before inserting her hand inside of her chest. He worried that she might’ve hurt herself before realizing that there was no blood and from where her hand entered, a small tear could be seen.
From inside her chest, she pulled her hand back out, and alongside it, a big handle came along before revealing a beautiful blade. It was a scythe; a beautiful, purple scythe with a chain attached to its end that connected to the tear in her chest. Magy looked happy at seeing it and began to caress the weapon.
“This is Scythe, she is my dear friend, my mentor, my weapon, my soul. She takes the form of two scythes but the other half is still inside me. Her name is what she is, but I don’t mind. She is my friend, and I love her for always being there for me when I need her. You can’t hear it, but she talks to me, gives me advice, teaches me how to fight…” she said in a fond voice, looking at her scythe with sparkling eyes, before hugging it.
“Wow… she’s beautiful,” Cyko commented, for it was true. The happy smile and positive emotions she showed towards her scythe—her soul and the source of her power—were heartwarming to witness. Magy slowly separated from her weapon, looking at her friend with a happy smile.
“Did you just compliment me?” she asked, her eyebrows raised, earning a blush from the boy who looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. She giggled. “Thanks! I also believe she is beautiful, does that make me a narcissist? I don’t know, and I don’t really care,” she said with a smile before adopting a contemplative look.
“Would you like to touch her?” she asked, her voice soft and open, making Cyko blink at her question, before realizing the trust she was giving him. This was her soul and her closest friend.
“Are you sure? I mean, we just officially became friends…” Cyko looked at her with wide eyes. Magy smiled before handing the weapon towards him.
“Scythe says friends should be able to fully trust each other and she tells me you’ll be important in my life, so…” she said with a small, shy look. That shocked Cyko. How come a spirit can make such predictions without even knowing him? Still, her show of faith was touching, and if one thing was true, it was that he knew he could trust her.
Extending his hand, he touched the weapon. Its handle felt smooth but firm. It fit into his hand as if he’d been holding it this whole time. And then, he felt it… Something looking at him, something feeling him out, analyzing his own soul… But not in an uncomfortable way, it felt like someone he knew for a long time was looking out for his safety.
“Can you feel it?” Magy asked. “Scythe calls it the Smile of Death… Such a scary name, but it feels so nice and so right… She says only a few people can be blessed by Death, and you are one of them, Cyko. She says she can feel the weight of your importance, that you will be central to future events, although she cannot yet determine how,” she said, her hand still holding the handle of her weapon alongside Cyko’s. The boy seemed confused by her words.
“Why me? Was that why you sought me out?” he asked in curiosity, to which she nodded in affirmation.
“Yes, Scythe told me that something big may happen soon and that you’ll be in the center of those events, somehow. She can’t see the future, but she can determine someone’s importance, so I trust her… and… I wanted friends. I was alone before in my room; all my roommates had disappeared in their first few months of being here.” She looked to the ground and paused before smiling again.
“I’m glad Scythe encouraged me to meet both of you, and once again, I promise I’ll help you when the time comes. Even if I like pain, I don’t want to see this suffering continue.” Her brows furrowed, her steel eyes looking at Cyko who took her words to heart.
“Don’t worry, it won’t… And you too will be free from this place… Even broken people deserve freedom, right?” he said with a smile, looking into her eyes. Cyko let go of her weapon, which Magy somehow managed to store back inside her chest. “You know, you look younger than me, but you are great with words,” he said with some amusement, earning a giggle from the pink-haired girl.
“Scythe teaches me a lot more than just how to fight,” she replied in amusement.
That day, the two kids spent their time talking and getting to know one another, speaking about everything from their powers to some curious things they have noted, such as how it seemed like the bearded scientist and the one with glasses were always near each other, or how the large guard from this ward tries too hard to be intimidating.
Myo himself woke up to a big surprise, seeing both Cyko and Magy chatting with one another, their faces bright and animated. He got over the shock and thanked her profusely for helping him out in his moment of sadness, to which she put his head in her lap to continue patting it.
They had a lot of fun talking that night.
7
It was the day after, and this time, the scientists had kept their promises and called them to have a socialization meeting once again. Cyko, Magy and Myo were walking side by side, trying not to get lost amongst the other children of their ward.
Yesterday had been a good day, since both Cyko and Myo got to know Magy rather well, and even if they had just met her for a while, they both felt like she was part of the family already. And Cyko felt an even greater need to introduce the two to his orphanage family members and talk with Tela if possible.
Cyko hoped that the mutant ward didn’t make an appearance today. It’s hard enough they have to deal with the constant experimentation, but he also could see how nervous Myo was, even if both he and Magy were holding his hands. If another encounter with that giant dragon happened, it would only traumatize the poor boy further.
Shaking his head, he saw they were standing right in front of the giant metal gate that separated them from the gymnasium. The large guard who always seemed to hound him walked forward to press a button which began to slowly open the gate. Just like always, he pushed them hard inside the space.
“Hmm… It’s not the same doors as last time and the mutant ward gate is also not opening,” Magy said after a single glance, her expression being a neutral one. It seems she herself was also nervous about who they would meet this time although she hid it well enough that Myo didn’t notice.
Cyko could tell that the gates that were open now differed from before, and there were no dangerous beasts appearing from them… He sighed when he noticed that the gate that led to his family’s ward was closed and it didn’t seem like it would open. He would have to go a little longer without seeing them, and that made him a bit sad.
Still, he noticed one particular gate open and a group of children came from it and in front, as if leading the group, was Tela. She was looking at everything with analytical eyes, counting who she knew and who she didn’t out of the groups that were arriving. He made his way towards her group alongside Magy and Myo, followed by the rest of the children from his ward.
Tela, the redhead who had inspired him to not give up and to fight for what he believed in was once again walking towards the center of the gymnasium, although this time, a lot of children were walking up towards her, likely eager to hear what she had to say. It confused the ones who had never seen her, which was the case for Myo, and Magy was just looking at her with a smile.
“She is important, too,” Magy acknowledged as she gazed at the girl who was now closing her eyes, likely in preparation of whatever she would say. Myo seemed nervous, but curious as to what she was doing. After a moment, they all felt someone observing them, the feeling of something in the back of their minds.
“Interesting…” Magy murmured as she looked at the girl, Tela seemed to be deep in concentration, but after a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked around.
“Hello again everyone, to those of you who know me already, I’m glad you are still with us despite everything, please, keep having hope, we’ll help each other out,” s
he said to their minds, a smile appearing on her face. Magy looked intrigued at the words being spoken into her head while Myo looked scared, but after a moment, he calmed down as a feeling of warmth and comfort grew inside him.
“Many of you here don’t know me, so let me introduce myself… I’m Tela, a girl with telepathic powers. I have been here for a long time, and I can say with sincerity that I know what each of you is going through right now, we are living in a terrible place…” she started her speech, the same charismatic talk she had given to Cyko and several others the first time around, one filled with emotion.
Cyko could feel it all again, her determination, her sadness, her comforting aura taking a hold of many of the children present, whether it be the ones who have met her before or newcomers. Tela’s speech was great in effectiveness, as he could see many people nodding along with her, their eyes watering as they regained their hope of one day escaping from this horrible residence.
Even Myo, who was severely affected by both the terror of the experiments and from the dark aura of the mutant dragon, was looking at the redhead girl with awe and admiration, his eyes filled with something rare…
Hope.
Magy’s expression was one of happiness, like she found something or someone worthy of following, of fighting for. She had already promised to help Cyko fight for their freedom, but it seemed like physically meeting Tela had made her even more determined to help those who are suffering against their will.
Tela’s speech continued on, declaring her plan to organize an escape, to make those who wronged them pay for their crimes, to never give up hope and always hold on to their determination. She was a kind soul; she finished by saying that her mind was always open if someone wanted to communicate to her, even if just for the sake of a talk.
Cyko sighed, letting the feelings she projected on them all wash over him and fuel his determination and desire for freedom, to save his family from this hell, to make the monsters who put them here pay… He desperately wanted to talk to her, even if that might be hard, considering how popular she was right now.