Ink Stained

62: slipping sanity (3)*

滑る正気

Open it.

She hesitates. It's lights out.

Who cares for rules? You are as curious as we are.

She is. She hasn't been curious about many things for a long time now. She has killed her emotions, herself, so much so that very few things remotely interest her anymore.

She steps back. She stares at the vague outline of the door handle in the darkness. Then she reaches for it, grips the cold steel in her palm, and pushes the handle down. The door opens smoothly and without a sound. She walks out and closes the door very, very quietly behind her, pulling it back so that the click of the handle sliding back to place will not be audible.

And then she is out.

Trainees' cells aren't locked because the rules are clear; after lights out, everyone goes to sleep. No one is allowed out of their cell afterward. She doesn't know what happens to those who try to leave their cell. So Fu's punishments are severe enough that nobody ever tries to break the rules just to see what will happen. Their punishments are severe enough that her hair turned white from it.

She has never tried to go out after lights out herself, and after tonight, she probably wouldn't have the chance to do it ever again. She has completed her test of loyalty to So Fu. She passed. Kiku told her that she will only remain in the trainee's section of So Fu's database for a few weeks longer until her promoted status of Level 1 Agent is officially recognized. Even so, he says that she is, in effect, an Agent already.

Agents are allowed to go anywhere they want.

Anywhere their strict Level permits allow.

As a trainee she wasn't allowed to leave the premises unless accompanied by her handler, an Agent, or on a mission. As an Agent she will be allowed more freedom to come and go as she wants – as So Fu dictates.

She isn't technically breaking any rules if she isn't actually a trainee anymore, is she.

She looks to the right, to the left. There she sees the shadow of two people disappearing down the corner that lead out to the stairs going up to the second floor. The murmur of their voices is fading. She turns left and silently walks down for a few metres.

Her cell is part of the row of rooms facing the training ground down the stairs that are on the right. Normally the whole area is illuminated with bright light that chase away any semblance of shadows. Now it is all darkness except for the few lights underneath the platform on which she walks on, giving the metal bars of the railings an eerie, ghostly sheen.

Her shoes are silent as she quickly walks forward, hugging the wall out of instinct so that she won't be seen if the two she follows turn back to check if someone is there. The closer she gets, the easier it is to make out the words being spoken.

Perhaps they have stopped walking.

She reaches the corner of the wall. There is a sudden sound. Skin slapping on cement. She stills just as she is inching forward to peer around the wall. Then one of the two speaks, the other answers, and she realizes she shouldn't have left her room. She shouldn't have let the weakness of her fatal curiosity drive her out of her bed. This is not a conversation she wants to bear witness to.