The Ushered Pain

Finally, we reached home safely, I wasn't much into it but Xiba, on the other hand, was too much into it and she was intense. The way she was taking the situation and handling it as she moved forward was quite a bit impressive. Well, she is kinda tough hun?

“Here ya go you piece of shit!” Xiba was blaring at the screen as she defeated the final boss of Last Fantasy VII.

“Damn! I am shocked you managed to defeat this hard-level boss so easily I have never seen you this happy after nearly killing someone.” Yeah, I was right, she did manage to handle the situation as she kept on moving in the game.

“What did I tell you? These types of things are nothing compared to what I had to deal with daily.” Xiba said out loud. She was too proud of herself.

“Well, we need this kind of attitude if we are supposed to work where you were,” I replied.

“I am still working there ya know! Most of the people I have worked with weren’t as interesting as you.”

“Hun! ME? interesting? I don’t know what is so interesting about me, dying slowly?” I said as I looked at myself through the reflection from the small mirror that was hanging on the side of my bed.

“Oh, there is lots of stuff you still don’t know; Ed,” Xiba answered while directly looking into my eyes.

There is something strange about her, I still don’t get it. How did she end up working for Shin and what was Soya talking about? Many things were unanswered but I had to make peace with them as Xiba herself didn’t seem comfortable addressing these points.

“Hey, Edra,” Xiba called.

“Yeah, What is it?”

She looked at me with a bright smile and said, “Don’t worry, I am not gonna let you die.”

To be honest, I was still in disbelief about what was happening around me, yet her words comforted me.

“Ah, thanks. I will try to live at least those 250 or however many days I have got left.” She went to sleep after our conversation, but I on the other hand was still restless about various stuff.

Especially about my memories which were fading.

I fell asleep after some time and when I woke up, Mika was glaring at me from above. Did I forget to wake up on time? We were going somewhere right? Oh yeah, Karaoke. I questioned my memory there for a second.

Why are you still asleep Ed? We had to meet up at 10 am remember? I called you like 7 times already but you never answered. It’s good that your cousin is here and she answered my phone and told me you weren’t dead.” Mika kept on ranting and honestly, I love this feeling. The feeling of belongingness.

“Ok, alright, will you move from above me? I need to get up to get ready ya know.”

“Haa!” Xiba looked into my eyes and slowly landed a karate chop on my head and moved from me.”

I got dressed and we headed out. It was a nice day. Mika tried inviting Xiba but she refused to tag along which was surprising for me as she never before took her eyes off me. She said she had a business that she had to deal with. I wonder want kinda business was she talking about.

We took the tube transport to arrive at the karaoke which was about 23 kilometres away from my place. But it took us just 42 seconds to reach there, at least our public transport is fast yet cheap in this era. Thanks to Bristle Husk for that. (Bristle Husk was an inventor and one of the leaders in innovation in this world)

We entered Karaoke and sang the songs we used to. We had a great time, but ever since the incident at the school, I always have my guard up. We were leaving the karaoke room after 4 hours and I wasn’t ready for what was about to happen next.

Mika grabbed my arm and asked, “Is that an earthquake?”

“I doubt it is” I replied.

The building stopped quaking. “I guess it was an earthquake after all.” Mika was sweating, maybe the incident at the school was to blame for her reaction.

As I was smiling back at Mika to comfort her, I saw a bright light flashing before my eyes and half a second later I heard the loudest boom ever. Mika’s grip loosed up and we both got thrown apart by the explosion.

As soon as I gained consciousness I panicked and started looking for Mika.

“Mi-Mika! Mikaa! Oh no God, I don’t want this to happen!”

“Mika! Where are you?!” I was screaming her name and my eyes were getting teary. The black smoke was blocking my vision. I started digging through debris but there was no sign of Mika to be found anywhere.

“Where are you? What is happening?” I was more confused than panicked, my body froze up and I didn’t know what to do next. I heard muffled screams from outside. A figure started walking towards me. He called himself- “Oi, Bright here, are you looking for this piece of human?” He threw Mika’s unconscious body toward me. I was in a state of shock just staring at her, her clothes were intact yet she had several burns all over her body. I reached toward her head and took her head in my arms. She was still breathing.

He was wearing all white clothes, almost like a cyborg. He was wearing a steel mask on his face ‘doom’ was written on it. Was he some kindof special assassin or ninja of some sort?

The Bright person kept saying something but I wasn’t paying any attention to his chatter. I wasn’t sad at that moment I was getting furious, all I felt was rage and a desire to kill.

“So, you must be Edra? You don’t seem tough to me and who was this chick with you? I wasn’t informed about her.” He asked me while pointing his sword towards us.

I removed my jacket and place it under Mika’s head and got up. My eyes turned red and I replied.

“Why won’t you find out yourself?”

“Huh, I see.” Bright mumbled.

My hand started to transform again and within seconds my left hand converted into a claw.

Without wasting any time I charged myself toward Bright and he charged his sword toward me, we clashed and my claw contacted with his sword and sliced it in the middle from the tip of the sword to the end of his left shoulder. He sighed for a bit and then started screaming. The pain started affecting him as he fell to his knees and tried to control himself. I was raging for more, I couldn’t stop myself, I grabbed his skull and pushed it to the ground. His upper body was touching the ground, and his lower body was still in the kneeling position.

“I will make sure you remember this pain and despair, hahaha.” I whispered into his ears while still holding onto his skull.

“Ah,ahhhhh-I-I feel it, I can feel your rage an-and your fear ack, ack!”

“Shut your mouth!!!” I punched his head with my right hand 2 times.

As I was about to hit him in the face for the third time, he blocked it with his right hand and pushed himself backwards using the heels of his foot as they were still facing the ground and slashed a left foot on my face. I got pushed back by that kick.

“Now-now, don’t get ahead of yourself, kid, as I wasn’t ready this time. Glad to see you got some fighting spirit in you.” Bright showed no expression of pain when he  addressed me with his coarse voice.

“Btw, are you sure you should be leaving the gal without the treatment for so long?” As he said that I moved my gaze towards Mika and as soon as I turned my head back at him, he had already left the area.

I rushed, and picked Mika up in my arms and got out of the building. The mobile hospital car had already arrived as there were many people injured. (A mobile hospital car is a vehicle fitted with advanced medical tech and equipment that can even be used for minor surgeries and can be found all over the major cities of Jahan) They took Mika and started treating her. Luckily her injuries were not that deep and the burns were not too severe. She gained consciousness and I was sitting beside her.

“Ed-Edra” She called me. “Are you ok?” That was the first thing she asked me. My eyes got teary again and I just hugged her.

“Yeah, I am absolutely fine,” I answered.

She smiled and asked, “can we go home now?”

“Yeah, we can.” She was discharged soon as the treatment took just a little amount of time. After a full diagnosis of her body, we headed back to our homes.

“Ed, can I stay at your place for today?” Even though her asking that make me happy I still was concerned about her safety. If she remains around me I will be putting her in the danger. So I just refused.

“You know what? After this incident, you should see your parents first, they might already know about this. After all, Atrocities spread faster than good news, plus we live in interconnected times, so you better get home safely or they will blame me for your carelessness. I smiled and sent her off.

“Now then, where is Xiba I wonder?”

The facility was conducting experiments on more humans but every one of them was failing to survive. I was looking towards those humans who were once given the hope that they might survive, were dying in the worst way imagined. I for one was also part of this once and to be honest just a slight hope to survive in this world and defy death gave me enough hope to hand my body to Shin. I was treated like a lab rat and now I see others suffer. I wonder how long I can take this?

“Xiba?”

“Ah, yes Shin sama?” He called me here, I don’t know why would he keep me away from his precious subject? He sat down on the white chair which was placed near his table and he looked at the experiment room window.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Shin said.

“Yes indeed, pretty painful ones, I might add.” I don’t know what’s going on in his head half of the time.

“I know you might be wondering, why I called you here? Well, I hate keeping secrets for too long except few that shouldn’t be said. I wanted you to be away from him for some time so that I can examine him and how he manages himself without you around.” He didn’t seem worried if Edra went berserk or something, there were those possibilities and yet he was sitting there taking puffs from the cigarette.

“So, why even keep me on guard then? Just examine him from afar, I mean, he is wearing the watch as well, so I don’t think I must be near or around him.” I asked him while staring at the experiment room through the glass window.

“Actually, you play an important role.” He alleged.

“Important?” I presumed.

“Don’t worry about the minor details and just take care of the stuff in your hands for now. By the way, you should return to him now.” With that said he left the room and I took my last glance toward the large glass window and saw my own reflection in it.

Uf, the suffering never ends. I thought.

“Where is Xiba?! Why isn’t she answering my calls as well?” I heard a knock on the door.

“Who might it be? Xiba? Or someone from my previous encounters?” I proceeded towards opening the door.

Wait, there is no one. I don’t know if someone knocked on the door or I am starting to imagine stuff now?

“Boom!” As I heard that, I instinctively threw my left arm toward the voice but they managed to evade it and came beside me and put their arm on my shoulder and said. “Not bad for a newbie.”

“Huh! A newbie? It was Xiba, forget about that, where were you?!”

“As I mentioned before, I was called by the boss.” Xiba looked at me a little puzzled.

“Hey, forget about me, what happened to you? You seem all beaten up.” She questioned.

“Yeah, about that…” I got lost in my thoughts and didn’t reply to her question. Xiba looked confused as she didn’t understand why I wasn’t answering her. So she tried asking me again.

“Hey Ed, Edra! What’s wrong?”

I almost blacked out, but her voice got me out of my thoughts. “Yeah, I am here.”

“Let’s go inside first and settle down then you can tell me all about it.” Xiba was cooperating with me. So we moved inside.

After getting in and taking a break I tried explaining why I was worried and wanted to talk to her, but I wasn’t able to convey my thoughts as all I could remember was that Mika was injured and she needs help. I was just worried about her.

“Mika is in danger and I am worried about her. She might’ve been attacked as well, but I don’t remember why and how.” Xiba listened to me with a serious face and tried to understand my situation. She seemed concerned about it as well.

“But., weren’t you with Mika the whole time today?” Xiba glanced at my arm and touched my left hand.

“Did something happen?”

“I- I- I don’t remember, yes something did happen and I was looking for you.” I was getting worked up a lot and was getting confused at myself as to why I was so much concerned about Mika even though we were together the whole time. My eyes got teary, I looked at Xiba and asked her for a favour. She smiled in agreement.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” She assured.

I stared at my left hand for a brief moment. I wonder if I will ever be the same again or even sane again.

“Don’t worry, I understand how you are feeling right now and you must be confused as hell, to be honest, I used to be like you.”

Wait a sec, did I say that out loud? I remember saying it in my mind but not with my mouth. How did she still know what I was thinking?

“Oh, I didn’t tell you, did I? I can hear your thoughts.” She winked.

“Wait-what? So you are telling me you can hear my thoughts all this time?” I asked her as I covered my face in with my elbow to hide my eyes from her. She probably heard my weird thoughts too.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I need to focus pretty hard to hear them.” But she heard my thoughts right now quite easily. Soon as she finished her sentence, she was looking at me with intense eyes. Maybe I should just speak normally instead of just thinking.

“Ok, about that, Can you read anyone's thoughts?”

“No, not that actually. I can only read those minds who are injected with a special fluid from hope. Why do you think I was assigned with you?” She smiled again.

“I see, that explains everything then. By the way, do you know anyone like me from before? I mean you’ve been working with Shin for so long.” Xiba’s smile faded and she looked serious when I brought this topic up.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Nah it’s fine, you probably need to hear this to understand m-, her.”

“Her? Was she, someone who was part of the experiment before me?” Why does it feel like I know who she is talking about? I just said to her straight on her face. “Is it about you?”

“Whaat! Who told you? I mean anyone can read that easily, the way you were saying, you need to understand and stuff. So, what is it?”

“I need a coffee before I can tell you her story.” Closing her eyes and bringing her eyebrow closer Xiba made a weird face.

“Oh coming right up, and you don’t need to keep that her part you know.”

“Hmph!” She pouted.

“Ok-Ok.” I made her some coffee and she started her telling tale. She told me everything from the start till the end, there wasn’t anything good in her past to reminisce about. I felt bad that she had to go through all this just to end up being with Shin, I hope we will find a way around it.

As she finished about her past, she yet again smiled and whispered. “Please forgive me.”

“Forgive for what?” She fell asleep without answering me about it. I didn’t disturb her and went to sleep as well. She was sleeping on the bed and I was sleeping on the ground. But after hearing about her past, it kind of made me feel closer to her as she was going through the same stuff as I was.

I don’t know what the future holds or whether I will be able to survive to see that or not, but now at least now I know someone who understands me. She should be herself instead of working in The Hope. I was falling asleep as I was thinking about her and then I closed my eyes.

I don’t want him to know, I evaded his question by pretending to sleep but I don’t know how long can I keep my secret. I should’ve died that day the day I took his parents' lives.