A New Age, of old strength and allies (ONC 2023)

10. A deadly game

I stared at him, as he droned on. Cain had been right when he said that the guardians’ hatred of humanity burned hot, but with Casimir it seemed almost personal. True hatred was born from circumstances, whether emotional or not. During our sessions, he’d often mocked others emotional responses, as though the thought of them was somehow repulsive. He viewed them as a weakness and unnecessary.

As I was thinking, a lost memory drifted to the forefront of my mind. I remembered when Lavender had been crying, the only time that I had ever seen her let her guard down. Her parents had been caught outside during a lightening storm, and almost died. Casimir had appeared and helped her to calm down, his expression placid, but hidden in the depths of his eyes had been a look of deep disgust along with resentment.

My thoughts still circling, I took a chance and interrupted him. “Casimir.”

He paused, looking at me.

“You don’t feel anything, do you? No emotion, nothing.”

It was a rough guess, but at my question, his eyes thinned to slits before his features suddenly smoothed out, but it was still answer enough.

“Are you planning on analysing me now, Lilith?”

I snorted, “I have no wish to root around inside your head, though I’ve a feeling you’re nothing but hollow.”

As the last words left my lips, Casimir was already looming over me, his hands clenching my throat.

“What do you know about it? Humanity and their ability to feel. Their feelings driving them into madness, crime and wars.”

I tensed. “But also to love, create and preserve. You can deny it, Casimir, but it seems your emptiness has been driving you for far longer than you’d care to admit. Pretty sad really, that you loathe your lack of feeling so much, that you’ve turned it back on humanity.” I swallowed, my dry throat flexing beneath his tense hands. “We may be flawed, but our ability to feel is what makes us human, in the best and worst of ways.”

“Such wise words, it’s a shame that no-one else will ever hear them.”

I felt his hands tighten, my breathing restricted as I gasped, my body tensing against my restraints. As my vision blurred and faded, I almost wanted to laugh.

‘I always knew Casimir would be the death of me. Thank god there’s no whale song.’

On the brink of unconsciousness, I felt his hands hesitate and then freeze before silently slipping away. Gasping and choking, I inhaled, coughing as I leant forward, straining against my cuffs.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you’ve figured it out. I always knew you were observant. I promise you, though, once I know the serum from your blood works, I’m going to enjoy killing you, Lilith.” His voice had deepened, a guttural desperation bleeding into his tone.

After putting his gloves on, he ripped open the swab, carelessly swiping my arm. With a composed smirk, he brought the needle closer before quickly finding a vein, my earlier struggling having made the task far easier. Slowly and carefully, he drew a syringe full of blood.

I turned away, but not before noticing the other needle marks, as I hoped that I hadn’t poisoned myself for nothing. Once he’d withdrawn the needle, the large doors to the right opened, and a man along with a woman stepped into the room. Their faces looked intent and malicious, as they stared at me with clear cruelty in mind.

I watched as he filled a vial, before sealing it, and handing it over to a man that had already been in the room, who then nodded and left.

“How would you feel about a little game, Lilith?” Casimir asked, with a look of anticipation.