Awoken

Bastian:CH8: Denial Part 2

Unfortunately, we don't have far to go. Sahari's lab is connected to the large infirmary that consists of 20 single rooms, a quarantine area, and four wings, each one with 15 beds separated by curtains. Here we go.

Entering the room, I see Everly who is lost for words as she scans the room's contents. Desks piled with various pieces of equipment, magic, and science using wireless electricity and solar power. I recognise the microscope sitting amongst the clustered beakers, flasks and vials. 

There are jars sitting on shelves filled with decomposing animals, some under light, a few surrounded by ice, while the others are buried in damp dirt. Stacks of books, filled binders and notebooks fill the various tall thin bookshelves scattered amongst the room. In the very far corner is where the large box sits, made of amethyst it's spelled to contain even the "strongest" magic.

The height reaches the ceiling and the width can accommodate two adult males. Part of me wants to walk away, but my intuition is telling me that I can't, that Everly is still reeling from the attack this morning, that Karma or the man are just waiting for their time to strike again, I've got a feeling they're the same person despite appearances, and being seen separately yet at the same time.

"All you have to do is just stand there, or sit if you prefer. You will feel your heart rate increase, your body will perspire, you will feel as if your life is in danger, but you are perfectly safe."

Despite Sahari unable to probe Everly's mind, there's a chance Sahari will be able to activate certain parts of Everly's brain. If not, Everly's magic will activate to defend what it perceives as an attack, as it did just moments ago. This time we'll know Evelyn's strength. 

The scale is numbered from 1 to 10, with the highest number equaling the strongest of the legacies' and demigods' throughout history, the inbreeds; the ones that were born lucky and didn't inherit the abnormalities like the rest of their siblings.

After a moment of hesitation, Everly steps into the box and Sahari pulls the door across, pushing it in place. One hundred percent sealed it has artificial oxygen, otherwise, Everly would suffocate like a bug in a jar without any holes in the lid. I learn that lesson early in life. I was obsessed with pill bugs, the way they curled up into a ball, so small yet fascinating.

Sahari places her hands against the barrier. Closing her eyes I can feel the magic being channeled through her hands, penetrating the crystal, trying to instill fear into Everly. The alarm bells begin ringing in my mind, fear spiking within Everly. The purple cloudy crystal is hard to see through, but the light is bright enough to hurt my eyes, flashing crazily. 

Everly can't control it. The fear tactic has activated Everly's defenses again, just as I predicted, but that doesn't matter because Sahari gets what she wants either way; to push Everly to her limits, consequences be damned.

The room is heating up drastically with every minute that passes, as Everly's defenses push back against Sahari, the two battling against one another. The doctor is refusing to back down, despite the fact, her hands are burning, I can smell it.

Kal is thinking the same thing as me, but she's closer and rushes to Sahari's side, "You have to stop Sahari!" Kal demands but the doctor may as well be on another planet. Kal grabs Sahari's wrist and tries forcing it free although even with Kal's superior strength, it doesn't work.

Fuck! Why can't it ever be the easy way?

If Everly was a fire elemental, we'd be burnt to a crisp by now, instead, it feels like I'm standing in front of a roaring fire. I'm already covered in sweat. It's suffocating. I can't breathe, no it's Everly that can't breathe.