I Am Mustafin

| 9 | - Isaak

"Alaki...?"

My breath catches in my throat as I press my hands against the glass wall. With my eyes locked onto his, I part my lips to speak, but my voice eludes me.

This boy–man–was my best friend.

When I do find my voice, it trails off in a whisper, "I thought you were..."

His muscles tense at the sound of my voice, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before averting to the monitor on the tall podium before him.

The familiar beeping of the screen meets my ears, and a second later, the glass begins to slide to the side. I flinch at the sudden movement, stepping back a few feet while keeping my eyes on Isaak.

He isn't the teenager that I remember from seven years ago.

At least, he looks different.

His thin arms have become muscular, and his chest ripples through his shirt with even the slightest movement. My head tilts back to fully study his light brown, messily combed hair, unlike before when we could see eye to eye, literally.

My voice quavers as I ask, "How are you here...?"

At my words, the surprised look on his face quickly fades, and he arches a brow before blankly asking, "How are you here?" His arms cross beneath his chest, his eyes locked onto mine.

I hesitate for a moment before saying, "He... Efrem saved me, or is keeping me. I don't know..."

I eye him, studying his demeanor. At first, I had taken him off guard, but as soon as he recomposed himself, it's as though I'm talking to a stranger.

"But you?" I pry, my voice shaky.

"It's a long story," his voice trails off. He gazes at me for a while longer before finally nodding toward the door of the room. With that, he turns away from me and steps aside, motioning for me to follow him.

I'm skeptical, cautiously asking, "Are you here to help me?"

I've already started moving out of the cell, getting closer to him until he stops me. He pauses and muses, "Escape?" He glances back at me, saying. "No. He asked me to show you upstairs and take you to him."

He? Efrem..?

I hold my tongue and cross my arms beneath my breasts, hugging myself. As we emerge into the hall, past the same man who stood at the door when Alek escorted me in, I occasionally glance at Isaak.

He looks bothered—bothered at me, and standing next to him doesn't feel the way that it used to.

I stray a couple of feet away from him each chance I get, afraid that I may bump into him, I'll irritate him even more. However, after the first few steps, he takes my wrist, pulling me closer to him. My head snaps to the side, and I notice a small coffee table with a glass vase that I would have bumped into if not for him.

"Can you pay attention to your surroundings?" He mutters in annoyance.

His coldness tugs at my heart, erasing the sweet memories I have of my old friend. I try to understand what he's been through, even though I don't truly know, and I assume his mind may have been corrupted.

Maybe... now, he thinks like that soldier, Corvin.

"What's on your mind?" He sighs.

I realize that I'm still standing still and staring blankly at the coffee table. His voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and my eyes meet his. He stands before me, gazing down at me with a curious look on his face.