Don't Forget

Chapter Five

When I wake up the next morning, Chance's words ring in my ears. 

They're going to break you. 

I look across the cell and see Chance sitting in the corner, his head hunched over and his body slowly rising and falling with every sleeping breath he takes. I walk over and shake him gently. "Wake up," I whisper. I'm still almost frightened of my own voice, afraid to speak too loudly, as if the volume will awaken ghosts from my pasts and bring them back to haunt me in my future. Chance opens his eyes drowsily and shakes his head. "Morning Alyssa," he says, squinting. It's a little brighter in here than normal- the  rising sun streams in through the window and across the floor. "Breakfast is here," I tell him, reaching for the table in the middle of the room for one of the two breadrolls they've left us. I grab the two of them and hold one out to him, and he takes it carefully. I bite into the cold bread and lick my lips hungrily. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chance devouring his roll, so I break off a piece of mine and extend my hand out with it gingerly. He stops eating for a moment and gives at me with a curious look. "Take it," I say. "You're hungrier than me." He looks at it longingly for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I can't. You're gonna need your strength for today," he says, holding up his hand. I drop it on the bed and retreat to my own, refusing to take the bread back. I put my back against the wall and raise my knees a little, finishing off my meager breakfast quickly and then cleaning my face with my hand. I untie my hair and brush it out again, then braid it once more, hoping I look a little cleaner. As I do, I see Chance try to resist the temptation to eat the bread, but in the end, he takes it and eats it in less than twenty seconds. I feel something unfamiliar rise on my face- the tiniest fraction of a smile. It's gone in a heartbeat, but it was there. 

Progress, I say to myself. 

We both sit in silence for a little while, before we hear heavy footsteps coming down the hall. The footsteps of a guard. I tilt my head and listen to try to figure out when it stops. They get closer and closer, until they stop, right outside of our door. I hear the familiar sound of the lock sliding open, and the door reveals a large guard, holding a pair of cuffs in his hands. "You're coming with me," he says gruffly, pointing to me. He comes inside a few steps, and motions for me to hold my arms out. Seeing the grim faced guard brings the lock back on my mind, the no-speaking lock, and I do as he tells me. I turn back and try to tell Chance goodbye with a single glance, and he gives me a single nod. The door slides closed behind us with a heavy thud, and I trail after the guard into the labyrinth of halls and passageways, deeper and deeper into the prison. The cells down here are empty, windowless places, half the size of my own cell. They are places of absolute confinement and imprisonment, and I am incredibley grateful for my shared cell with Chance. If I were to be alone, with just my thoughts, in such a place as this, nothing good would come of it. I would loose my sanity.

We stop in front of a pair of double doors, made of dark metal and engraved with intricate designs. I study the symbols for a moment, and recognize them faintly, the memory of the symbols somewhere in the back of my mind. They are the symbols of the elements and races, lined across the door. I want to look longer, but they slide open and the guard takes me inside the room.

 In the center of the room is a white chair, with confinements on the arm rests. It is easy to know that the chair is meant for me. In front of it is a desk, where the man I met after my incident sits- Thorne. He has a cold smile on his lips as he looks at me, but I look past him, and see a large flat surface, which is almost like a screen, but it shimmers in the air; it's not solid. Thorne motions for the guard to sit me in the chair, and he does so. I put my arms on the rests and wait for the familiar feel of the cuffs to come onto my wrists, but they don't. The guard looks confused, but Thorne waves him away, and he exits promptly and the doors slam behind him. 

"You don't need those silly things," Thorne says. "You won't be going anywhere either way, will you Alyssa?" he asks. His voice has a cold edge, an unforgettable sound that seethes into my mind. 

I shake my head. "Good," he smiles, but this smile has no warmth. It holds no friendliness. 

"So you're wondering why you are here, aren't you?" he asks. He continues on without waiting for my answer.  "Well, my... colleagues and I have a vision. A vision for a... better future," he says. "The world we live in is a broken one, Alyssa. It is full of inequality. That is the root of it all. The Supernatruals seem to think they are above humans and mortals, and other mortals seem to think they are above others. Our vision is to remove this inequality by removing what make a Supernatrual... supernatrual," he says, taking a deep breath. "Illumine. The supernatrual portion of a soul. The portion that gives a being their powers, their abilities... and their  'mates'," he says, uttering the last word with disgust. 

"However, it is very, very hard to do this. It requires a very special person, a person like you. You have the power to remove these Illumine, with the assistance of some magic that has taken us centuries to master. Once these Illumine are removed, the Supernatruals loose their powers, and without their powers, they cannot resist those whose powers are left," he says. "Us. My colleagues and I. We will leave a small group of select individuals with their powers, so they can cleanse and uphold a governement for all beings, not separated by Superanatrual and mortal," he says. "No longer will just anyone obtain Supernatrual status by birth. Each and every single person, once they reach the age of sixteen, must enter a labyrinth, an obstacle course of sorts, to test their abilities. If they make it through, they may obtain their status. If they die in the maze... then so be it. The fittest and best qualified survive," he said. "This is how it should be, and how it will be. And to achieve this, you will help us, Alyssa," he said, nodding at me. 

"You will remove the Supernatrual portion of souls by the thousands. As we speak, our armies are rounding up Supernatruals for... reassesment. This isn't the entire plan, of course," he said. "There are many changes to be made. There are still flaws. But they will be solved in due time. Do you understand?" he asks, locking his steely eyes with mine. 

I nod. 

"But... but that's not right," I say softly. "The removing of Illumine is illegal, and painful," I protest. 

He gives me a pitying glance. 

"Still resisting, I see," he says, disappointed. He presses a button on his desk, and a guard is present almost immediately. He looks at the guard with a hard glare and says, "Take her to the Chamber." 

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Dun dun dun....

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for abondoning you! I've been really busy :( What did you think of this chapter??

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I love you all sooo much! 

xx Ari