A Paradox Reality

Chapter 11: The Coma

Adeline set off at a brisk jog, the boy following. She lead him to two tall, glass doors. When opened, the room was stunning. It was shaped like a hexagon, with windows framing each side, acting like a wall; and the floor was made out of sleek marble. Five chairs, somewhat like thrones, sat in a arch-like formation, the tallest chair in the middle. On top of them sat five lucky people, all calm and collected.

"Please be seated," said the man in the tallest chair, gesturing to a row of chairs that's sat directly in front of the five, main ones. "My name is Jace, although I believe Adeline already knew that." He flashed a calm smile at Adeline. "I believe we are here to discuss the boy's fate. Boy, what is your name?"

"I don't know, sir. I can't remember."

"Interesting..." Jace muttered. Then, louder, he said, "Have you any memory of--"

The boy cut him off. "No, sir. Nothing at all. It's all gone."

"Everything, hmm? I--"

Again, he was cut off. "Jace," the woman beside him quietly said. "We have received information that the witnesses of the rescue say his leader, Mother Earth, was the one who attempted to kill him, with a knife to the heart."

"Thank you, Evelyn," Jace said, acknowledged her. Then, he turned back to the boy. "Rebelling, eh? Rebelling against your own leader? You've got some nerve, boy. You've got some nerve."

"Renegade..." Adeline muttered.

"Adeline? Did you say something?"

Adeline blushed. "I was just thinking, sir, that we could call the boy Renegade. He rebelled. So far, it's all we have."

Jace nodded. "It seems fitting. Do you like your new name, Renegade?" He turned to the boy, waiting for confirmation.

The boy shrugged. "I like it." Then, he tried out the name. "Renegade."

"Well then, Mr. Renegade, I think I might have found yourself a proposition. You may stay here, at our base, but you must work for us. When would you like to test out for our job units?"

"As soon as possible, sir."

"If you need time to recover, we understand..."

"I can do it now, sir."

"Very well, then. I'll give you an hour. Adeline will show you around this place. Then, you're up for the test."

Renegade nodded in agreement. "And one question, sir," he began. "Where exactly AM I?"

"You, Renegade, are at the Rebel's base." Then, Adeline scurried Renegade out.

"The Rebel's base?" Renegade questioned Adeline once they were alone. "Where is that?"

"We're on the shard 'Vrede'," she informed him.

"Shard?"

Adeline sighed impatiently. "Mother Earth, whom we are rebelling against, split the Earth into two, big parts about two hundred years ago. The two parts are called "Gloom" and "Joy", and they are often called the two "sectors" of Earth.

"In the middle of those two sectors, are several smaller land masses called "shards". Shards are like..." She struggled for a good explanation. "Imagine if the Earth was a slice of bread." Renegade smirked at her lack of creativity. "Oh, come on. Bear with me." She said, punching his arm. He stifled a snigger. "Like I was saying, imagine that the Earth is a slice of bread. Now, we want to cut that bread in half, right? But the problem is, we don't have a knife. So what do we do? We tear it with our hands. It's not an even split, and crumbs are all over, but it's in half, and that's what we wanted in the first place.