[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"Not everything that meets the eye is as it appears."
???, America September, 1995
HER EYELIDS WERE HEAVY WHEN she forced them open. She was greeted by bright lights that blinded her immediately. She squinted. The world around her was blurry- she could feel the cold of steel underneath her fingertips, chilling her arms and littering her skin with goosebumps. It was like she was looking through a low resolution camera, everything pixelated and nothing clear. A silent groan escaped her lips and she tried to push herself into a sitting position. She was stopped short by metal digging into her forearms, which was quickly followed by irritation.
Her eyes flicked to the dried blood trailing her arms, then the faint scars- cuts which had healed.
She furrowed her eyebrows, perplexed by her current predicament. What had happened? She tried to remember the last few moments before inevitably succumbing to darkness. Her breathing grew uneven, discomforted by her inability to remember. She was supposed to remember for Winter- she was supposed to be his box of photos- of memories.
She shook her head furiously, hoping the physical action would clear her mind. There was- oh.
Relief flooded her veins. There had been the- the tests! It was coming back to her now. Natalia and Yelena had tried to run, and then Sasha had- he had-
The drowsiness disappeared from her eyes as realization struck her. They were going to wipe Winter and then they were going to punish him. They were going to hurt him, or her, or both.
There was a small click of metal shifting, and Verfall turned her head to the left. Rather than an agent guarding the door, there was Winter, with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning nonchalantly against the wall.
She looked at him, expecting him to feel her stare. Instead his head lowered as if he was sleeping- she narrowed her eyes. His lids were shut, his shoulders awfully relaxed for someone who was meant to be alert at all times.
She exhaled, letting out a long breath, before clicking her tongue twice. Winter's head snapped upwards. She gazed at him with soft eyes and he stepped over to her side. He slowly lowered himself to his knees, pain flashing across his features as he gently pressed his nose against her, chin propped on his arms.
"Does it hurt?" He asked softly and she tilted her head.
