Lost Soul Down

TWENTY-THREE

I wake up with a strange device on my wrist.

It's metal and practically imbedded into my skin. I don't remember having it before— it just appeared.

And it won't come off.

I pull the sleeve of my body suit over it just as the door to my holding opens. Two agents gesture me forward.

We walk down the corridor to Lombardi's throne and I instantly stop in my tracks.

Everyone is in the same room— sitting on two couches facing each other.

Kylan, Leila, Summer, and Chase— at least I assume it's Chase.

I didn't think Lombardi would ever take a risk this big.

I realize that I froze mid-walk once the agents shove me forward and push me into a seat next to Kai. We face the other three.

No one is sure what to do or say, this is all a huge shock. The weirdest part may be the matching body suits— all of them look black from a distance, but actually turn out to just be a really dark color.

Mine blue, Leila's purple, Kylan's red, Summer's green, and Chase's yellow. I'm not sure what it represents.

Chase looks young, maybe as young as Leila. He has curly short brown hair and his brown eyes are zoned out at the floor.

"As you all know, I have done extensive experimentation on each one of you." Lombardi starts.

I feel Kylan's hand over mine and look down, squeezing his hand back. I notice a silver cuff imbedded into his wrist too.

Lombardi goes on. "I have not been clear with my goals for all of you, and I apologize."

Did I hear that right? Looking at the shocked faces of the others, I'm certain I did.

"I was waiting until I caught all of you until I gave you the knowledge of my true intentions." He smiles. "Now that I have caught the last special." He gestures to Chase, who shifts uncomfortably.

He looks sleep deprived, desolate and defeated.

He's probably been running for a long time.

"Now, I can finally let you all live up to your full potential." Lombardi smiles. "Nothing will be able to stop us. Nothing."

I don't know what 'us' Lombardi is talking about, but I'd rather get electrocuted again than work for him. I would never be on his team or do anything for him.

"It is time you all learn the truth."

The lights shut off and I flinch. A screen lights up to my left, opposite of Lombardi. Does he really have a whole presentation for us? I guess so.

The first picture on the screen is an old black and white picture of a family. Two parents and a son.

"My parents were the most powerful people in the world— which the world didn't like." Lombardi explains. "They were forced to shove all of their power into a single artifact unless they wanted to be executed."

The screen flips to a picture of a thick, golden circle, with patterns over the front. It looks like a massive coin.

"Doing so, killed them, and made the five of you exist as ripple affects," Lombardi continues, "but their magic still blossoms in this artifact— an artifact that the world could not destroy. So they did the only thing they could— they broke it up.

"There are five different pieces of the artifact across the globe, all under heavy protection that no human could ever get past." Lombardi smiles. "But you five are not human. And it is your destiny to retrieve the artifact that you were born from, and give my family back the magic we once had."