Ascension

Prologue

  Darkness.

  All I could see was darkness around me. It was difficult to distinguish where exactly I was. No matter how far my outstretched hand reached, I felt and saw nothing. It didn’t help that I forgot how I got here or who I was. The only thing I knew was how to speak and think, so my situation wasn’t that critical. Not knowing my location, I was too afraid to move. As I brought my knees up to my chest, I closed my eyes, still seeing the familiar darkness in my sight and wondering what truly happened to me. Was I like this for quite some time or just a few minutes? I couldn’t tell as my memory failed me.

  There was a click across from me and a door slid open. I was blinded for a moment as my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. At first, I could distinguish a blurry silhouette of two men standing by the doorway. One had his hands across his chest as the other stood upright behind him. Soon, my eyes could make out the small details on each man. The one in the front with his hands across his chest had these stern yet tired grey eyes as they were bloodshot from the lack of sleep. His body built was lean, revealing his work either behind a desk or something of that sort. His clothes resembled something from a lab coat to a body suit. It seemed unlikely to have that combination, but I didn’t question it.

  The other man had much kinder, brown eyes, but I could tell they were tainted from sights unknown to me. He was muscular compared to the other with a scar running down his cheek from who knows how long ago. His clothing was those coming from what I recalled as an Eye Watcher in which they worked for the government to maintain order in the city and report when things get hectic; they were practically the “eyes” for the President. They wore all black to conceal themselves at night with a navy blue insignia branded on the left shoulder of their coats, indicating their division and their position. The man was in the higher rankings as the shape on the emblem was the letter ‘S,’ meaning Special Rank. Special Rank would indicate their intelligence level, their strength level, and any other sorts of levels. Each could only be advanced in one skill, but not the other or they could be advanced in all. Either way, they would be ranked based on their standings.

  I stared at them which felt like an eternity. None of us moved as we examined each other with different thoughts. It was clear that the one in the lab coat was filled with amusement towards me while the other was filled with pity. It was evident in their eyes. The eyes told me everything. I opened my mouth to speak, but it seemed my voice forgotten how to. No sound escaped my lips except for a croak. I knew what I wanted to say, but my throat didn’t want to cooperate.

  “I want this thing dead by tomorrow morning,” the man in the lab coat ordered without leaving my gaze.

  Dead? What have I done to deserve such a consequence?

  The other man’s eyes widened. “Dead after all your hard work?”

  He shot him a glare that pierced through the soul. As he spoke, his tone was that of annoyance rather than hatred. “I messed up. You have no idea what this Defect is capable of. This thing doesn’t deserve to live even if her memories are locked away. We can’t take chances. It might come back to her one day, and we’ll all be in deep shit. Kill her, and if you don’t, I’ll do it myself along with you.” With those words, he brushed passed him, leaving me with this unknown stranger.

  I stared at the man as my body began to tremble. Something inside me didn’t accept the fact that I would die right there, right at that moment. I had a feeling I must do something before I go, but of course, my voice continued to betray me. I whimpered as he came closer, pulling out a gun from under his coat. No. I wouldn’t accept dying there without understanding my true self, but what could I do in this state? I couldn’t even speak. Closing my eyes, I waited for the bullet to blow my brains out, but instead, I felt a harsh tug on my wrist, pulling me up. My eyes shot open, meeting the man’s gaze. I didn’t understand his intentions, but I knew his plan didn’t include killing me.