The Sounds of Breathing

Chapter 13: The Sounds of Breathing

Luca was hidden among the Shadows. His heartbeats echoed in his ears. He couldn’t hear Magnus and Sarah’s conversation clearly, but he could feel the sharpness between the words. The sounds hung in the air like a heavy stone, but their meaning couldn’t reach Luca’s ears fully. With every breath he took, a slight dampness filled his lungs, increasing the suffocating atmosphere. There was tension pressing against his chest. He pressed his body against the wall, his heart pounding as if it were going to burst through his chest. If he took one more step, he would be noticed, but if he stayed here, he was facing an unknown risk that could last any amount of time. He thought to himself, I need to get closer. But just then, a board creaked under his feet.

Sarah’s voice suddenly cut off. Silence quickly spread throughout the room. Luca held his breath and stepped back. However, his foot lightly brushed against a box. A tiny clink... His pupils dilated. His breathing became irregular. Everything froze for a few seconds.

Steps...

Someone was about to approach.

Luca gritted his teeth and tried to retreat, squinting his eyes to look for an escape route, but it was too late. A shadow suddenly fell over him in the dimly lit storage room. Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. Just as he took a step back, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and swiftly dragged him into the darkness. Before Luca could comprehend what was happening, he was thrown into another room. The door slammed shut quickly, and the room was dimly lit.

“What do you think you’re doing, kid?” a voice called.

Luca squinted, looking at the person who spoke. Aldric Veil. A former colonel, now a scientist, and known for his instability. His body language seemed relaxed, but the sharp gaze in his eyes pierced Luca to the bone.

Aldric grabbed Luca’s arm and quickly pulled him into a corner. Magnus’ approaching footsteps quickened but then slowed, as if he felt something but wasn’t sure... He paused for a few seconds. Luca continued holding his breath. Then the steps retreated, and the sound of the door closing echoed.

Luca leaned back slightly, taking a calm breath, but Aldric didn’t allow it. He pushed him roughly aside and stood in front of him. With the sharp gleam in his eyes, he stared at Luca.

“So, your goal is to take down Magnus, huh kid?” Aldric’s voice was mocking, but the curiosity in it was undeniable.

Luca clenched his teeth. He stared into Aldric's eyes but didn’t answer.

“Not going to speak?” Aldric tilted his head, bringing Luca’s face into clearer view. “Did you lose your family? Want revenge? Or is it something else?”

Luca clenched his teeth and fists. The rising anger in his chest tightened his lungs, but he opened his mouth to respond. However, Aldric suddenly lunged at him, and Luca reflexively jumped aside. He found himself suddenly in the midst of an attack! Aldric moved with wild intensity, and Luca could only dodge. With every strike, Luca realized what Aldric was really doing: he was testing him.

“Your reflexes aren’t bad, but they won’t be enough in a life-or-death moment.” Aldric stepped back and crossed his arms. “If you want to go after Magnus, either you’re crazy or you’re dying to get yourself killed. So, tell me, Luca. What do you really want?”

Luca clenched his fists and tried to steady his breathing. He took a deep breath. “Don’t underestimate me. I know what Magnus has done, and I know how to control my anger towards him. I’m not just after revenge. If I don’t destroy him, he’ll ruin more lives. This war isn’t just mine, it’s a battle for the future and the present.”

Aldric tilted his head thoughtfully. “Ha! So, you have ideals, and in your quest for revenge, you plan to defeat Magnus and save the world, but there’s something you’ve forgotten.” He suddenly lunged forward and delivered a strike that grazed Luca’s cheek. “…You’re still weak.”

Luca stepped back, panting, with anger and determination gleaming in his eyes.

“Not bad, kid.” There was a glint in Aldric’s eyes. “But you’re not strong enough to face Magnus yet.”

Luca gritted his teeth. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

Aldric shook his head and stepped back. “I don’t know your story, but I’d like to hear it.”

Luca took a deep breath. When he began to speak, his voice was shakier than he expected. “I’m a Rare. We Rare ones are not loved or accepted by people like you, nobles and the common folk. We’re usually treated like animals. We’re given no food, no water, our clothes are generally torn. We eat your filthy, disgusting scraps. We drink water mixed with toxic chemical waste from factories. Because of that, I’ve watched many of my loved ones slowly weaken and die, coughing up blood. Everyone in my family, all my closest friends, they all died that way. You don’t know how much it hurts.” Luca’s eyes had turned bright red as he spoke. “I was different from my family. Unlike them, I was inclined to think and research. I decided to solve this problem and create a world where no one has to suffer like that again. Yes, I want revenge. I had to watch everyone I knew, my family, my relatives, my friends, slowly die when I was just a kid. But I won’t punish you all just because people like you made me suffer this much. If I did that, I’d be no different than the people who oppressed us. I have a plan to fix that-"

Just then, the door suddenly opened. "So, you were here. Slacking off, huh?" Camille stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, frowning.

Luca sighed and shook his head. “This guy was attacking me. You could’ve helped, you know?”

Camille turned her eyes to Aldric and sighed. “Aldric is bipolar, and he has these kinds of tests. You’d better get used to it.”

Luca grumbled in frustration. Camille grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out. “We need to fill out your form. Come with me.”

Camille took Luca out of the lab with her. As they walked down the street, Camille casually sipped her energy drink. Luca squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows, pointing at the bottle.

“Really, Camille? How many times is this now? You must have caffeine running through your veins.”

Camille shook the bottle with a mocking smile. “This gives me energy. Want to try it?”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Camille chuckled. “Just a suggestion.”

When they arrived home, they found Selena asleep inside. Papers were scattered around. Luca picked one up and squinted his eyes as he read.

“I found documents that say Magnus has a warehouse far from the city center,” Selena said, yawning.

Luca examined the papers, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Selena. “We should investigate this tomorrow.”

Selena nodded. “Makes sense. But we need to be very careful.”

Just then, the front door slammed open. The footsteps were heavy and firm. The footsteps were quickly getting louder, approaching Camille’s room. This was a great danger. Luca needed to hide immediately. But there was nowhere to hide. As Luca searched for a hiding spot, Magnus’ silhouette appeared at the doorframe and swiftly walked towards Camille’s room. Luca’s heart pounded as if it would explode. He searched for a hiding place, but there was no time left.

Magnus’ footsteps grew closer. Only the sounds of breathing filled the room. Luca took a deep breath. There was nowhere to run.

And then...

Magnus slammed the door open.