𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇 || ʜᴀᴡᴋꜱ

14➟ In which nothing is new.

   There was nothing new about the room I slept in. From the four concrete walls to the barred windows- everything was exactly the way I had left it years ago.

Well, everything but my things. They weren't there anymore. The commission must've taken them away when I left.

The only evidence that I'd ever been in that room before came from the faint etching on the wall- my name.

I think I'd done it in an act of defiance, carving my real name into the wall with a feather Hawks had leant me when we were kids. I wanted to show the HSPC that I wasn't going to leave behind my real name just like that- just because they'd told me to.

So I'd done that. Got into trouble for it too, but that wasn't unexpected. What was expected was for them to cover it up and yet there it was, clear as day.

I don't know when I fell asleep, but I had, at some point fallen into a dreamless sleep, waking up to the same wall I woke up to when I was a kid.

Nothing was new, of course it wasn't.

What woke me was the sound of loud wrapping against the door and a shout informing me that I had five minutes to get up and ready for the day.

Nothing new.

At this point, resistance was simply futile, I had no inclination to follow their orders, but I knew that I would just end up in the same place I would've been in if I didn't resist- just a tad more worse for wear.

Nothing new.

So I conformed, changing into the clothes neatly folded in a metal cupboard in the corner of my room and sitting on my bed until the door swung open, revealing two men who proceeded to flank my sides as I left the room. But still:

Nothing new.

We followed the same path, retracing the same steps. At some point, I began to wonder whether these were the same guards as well. The doors to the cafeteria were still coated in a steely blue paint that curled and peeled at its edges. The doors opened soundlessly, revealing an empty hall. Three tables placed adjacent to each other took up most of the room, seats sat in perfectly neat rows.

Nothing new.

So I sat down, first seat, first table. Just like before.

Nothing new.

The food was food. Nothing distinctive, I think it was some kind of soup.

Nothing new.

It was only when the doors opened once more, revealing a kid.

That was new.

A boy, no older than 12, walked in, a pair of eyes, one a calm, soft blue, the other a sea green, immediately meeting mine and widening with some kind of emotion. I couldn't quite read his expression.

In a matter of seconds he was taking the seat beside me, his eyes never leaving my face.

At first, I tried to ignore him, but his stare was so incessant that I couldn't, not for long anyway and he noticed.

He smiled, his hands pushing peach hair out of his face.

"Hello!" He smiled, revealing a gap-filled grin, "who are you?"

"[N/N]," I replied, taking a spoonful of soup.

"That's weird," he stated simply, "is that the name the Commission gave you?"

"No."

"Then what's the name they gave you?"

"What if I don't want to tell you?" I tilted my head.

He shrugged, a small smirk on his face, "I don't know- Ephialtes."

How did he know that?

My eyes widened, "how did you know that?"

His smiled grew even wider, "Magic."

I looked down at him, "tell me the truth."

"A magician never tells their secrets."

"You're a kid," I deadpanned.

"Doesn't mean I can't be a magician," he countered, cutting me off as I began to speak, "why are you here? You look too old."

"Uh-"

"Did you fail a mission?"

"No, I-"

"Wait, you ran away?" He stared a me, his face morphing into that of a shocked one, "how?"

I held a hand up, "no, my turn to ask a question- how do you know that?"

He looked at me, his smile returning, "I'm a magician."

"Breakfast time is up you two, follow your designated guards," a guard now stood in front of the two of us, stopping our conversation.

I couldn't tell if I was more angry that I didn't know anything about this magic kid and yet he knew everything about me, or that I barely had any of my soup.

Either way, that was new.