Chapitre 19: [XIX] - Faded Negative
The pale-haired doctor disappeared, and to take his place, another man has come inside my room.
A person with an elderly face, with deeper furrows on his forehead, cheeks, and under his eyes. But his skin shined in the light, seemed to be clear and soft. I couldn't guess the age of this person, two indicators were mixing with each other. It appears that he uses some kind of rejuvenating specifics, the only thing making him look old were those cuts-in on his skin, yet the rest seemed to be soft and clear. His thin and pale lips smiled softly at me, with small eyes closed and eyebrows raised. He dared to close them, despite probably knowing that I could jump at him and attempt an attack within seconds. His sparse, gray hair shined in the bright lights of the room. A small pair of glasses were in between his gaze and mine. My anxiety and indignation, with his satisfied expression. Wearing a black vest over a white, classical shirt, this man stood in the middle of the room, analyzing me with his stare.
What does this person want from me??
There were so many things I wanted to ask, but yelling them at once would probably not give me the answers to them.
Breathing deeply, I just glared at this man in silence, with my hand still raised up, in the air, in case if he attempts something. As always, the key to knowledge would be time and patience. If he doesn't explain what is going on in the nearest minutes, I will strike without hesitation.
"… No questions?… Well, even Stella asked a few, despite being the most silent person in our team." — The man laughed quietly, covering his mouth with a hand in a white glove.
"No matter what I ask, you will tell bullshit anyway, like always." — An honest reply. I won't get bothered and pushed around anymore, by anyone. I'm sick of it.
The old man threw a fascinated look at me. A smirk peeked out from behind his covering hand.
A frightful silence was hanging in the air, surrounding my whole body with chills. I was only brave in my imagination. The fear of speaking to people I don't know, it strangled me from the inside. But I need to act strongly and bravely, to show I'm worth living in freedom, and I should not get played with.
"… Like always? I don't remember meeting you, my dear… Don't classify people you don't know and don't throw them into the one bag of scumbags." — Words with a serious tone came out of his mouth.
"…"
I replied with a silence. We maybe have never met, but I don't need to know a person to be sure that he isn't working on something vile behind the scenes. He is here, right before me, after I got mugged in a dark alleyway with my life on the line. And there is no one familiar in here. This person is definitely suspicious, so I need to stay cautious.
Let's hear the reason behind it all, and get the hell out of this place.
"You came here for a reason, right? Is this reason to explain this hell of a situation to me?" — I tried to stay harsh, but my voice cracked at the end. My questioning gaze landed on him.
The man just went up to the place where the doctor was sitting, and took the metallic chair from there. He moved it to the middle of the room, far enough from me, and sat on it, crossing his hands.
He looked up at the ceiling, with his face, which turned into a neutral one. The light reflected in his glasses, making his eyes invisible to me.
"I went through it… 8 times, I will do it once again." — He whispered to himself, grabbing his head, but my ears could catch it anyway.
What did he go through exactly? Who the hell is he, and where am I? Why am I here and most importantly, what's next? I was urgent to know the answers to all of this. The decision not to smash his head with my hand has fallen down, so I decided to lean against the wall behind me and listen precisely. To catch the truth from between the sea of lies.
His eyes have looked down, on me. Out of nowhere, they turned tired and depressed. But his smile turned my attention away from them, and I watched his mouth move, speaking to me.
"Can you see what is written on this thing?" — He pulled his gloves off and took a silver ring from his finger. The man pulled it closer to his face, rotating it in his hands. It shined beautifully in the artificial light of the room.
Surprisingly, I noticed dark carvings on the inside of the ring. The sharpness of the engraved letters was as natural looking as everything in this room.
"Renascamur… a… favilla…?" — I read those words out loud.
"Do you understand them?"
"… No." — This was the truth. I didn't knew latin.
The meaning of them remained unknown, he didn't explain them to me. A bigger smile just grew on his face.
"Quite good sight you have. A normal person wouldn't be able to read such small letters from afar." — His blue eyes looked at me with an interest.
I still don't understand. This seems to be as normal as always. But was my sight always so well…?
"Haven't you noticed, Asha? Your senses: sight, hearing, smelling, touch… Everything is "better" in every way. The surroundings… Aren't they so sharp? Hasn't the world "transformed"? From an unfair jungle to a place you could actually change?" — His hand floated in the air, showing me every detail of the room that would be unseen for a normal human.
A cracked tile in the corner, a tiny stain of blood on the opposite wall, a dead fly in the lamp above. It flashed rhythmically, with the buzzing of the wires in the walls. His suit didn't have the last button, the desk by the wall was dusty. And in the corner of the room, tall above my head, a black camera, in the size of an ant, was recording me all this time.
All the details and things that would remain unseen or just trivial, they popped automatically in my head, as something not to pass by. And I would miss them usually.
The man was just smiling, observing me casually as I was dazed by my capacity.
"Has a thought, that you aren't just a gray and plain citizen of this city, ever came to your mind?" — His eyes shined maniacally in the light of the lamp.
His words have shaken my body and mind.
Have I ever thought of it? That maybe I'm someone special?
In some way, I was always above everyone. Not with my skills or abilities, but rather knowledge. The encyclopedia of the world, its pages were engraved in my mind, I could recite them with a machine precision. The pictures memorized better than anything. To never forget my origins and what it was before. All of the colors, images, stories, they stand in my mind clearer than never before. This is what made me special, that I actually knew the pinch of truth no one ever would. Knowledge makes one superior. But as I went on further, I realized I was just at the bottom of the pyramid. There is so much to discover yet, and the universal truth will always be hidden.
As for me personally, and the capabilities of my body, it was average. Until recently, where unusual strength entered my body, making me feel powerful like never.
"No… I never had any unusual abilities." — This wasn't a lie. I scratched my head, all of a sudden, it started burning with pain.
"Haha… You couldn't know… Maybe because… Someone hid it from you very well…"
No. Don't go further.
"Someone you were very close with… How to explain it otherwise? Now, when you're far away from your asylum, those unusual powers show up?"
What are you trying to say? It's not possible… Not her…
"Asha. You've been hidden so well. If only all of this happened sooner, you would have been put on the correct path from a long time ago… And nothing dangerous would have happened."
The thunder of thoughts storming my brain held me back from getting focused. The light of the lamp was getting brighter with every second. It's flashing got unbearable. The buzzing made my ears ache… Oh, I wish this old man could stop talking. I wish the lamp would just turn off forever.
•••
The whole room turned white, as the light exploded, making a high-pitched, cracking noise. The glass shard flew in the air, and scattered around the room. A few grain-sized pieces reached my hands, holding my head. It burst with immense pain, making me nauseous. Oh, please. Stop it all. Stop all of my thoughts, and the time.
My aunt couldn't be the one to create the illusion. I thought that…
…it was me who always lived in the light of truth, above the others.
But it turns out that those living in the light, can be blinded by it easily.
•••
Half of the room got dark. But the light didn't flicker anymore. One thing less to make me furious. But there were many others that appeared. I exhaled loudly. In and out. The pain didn't stop.
"The lamp was indeed irritating. Good thing you dealt with it." — Soft words swam in the sizzling air. — "You've beaten Silen too. His wounds don't heal as easily as everyone's else. I pity him for stumbling upon you…" — A soft laughter came to my ears. — "A burst of strength out of nowhere… Didn't it felt good? But why, where did it come from, have you wondered? That's some unusual abilities."
His words ringed in my ears, making me sick.
Who is Silen? Was it the… silver-haired guy? And my sudden strength… It came out of nowhere too… Like never before…
Few sparks of electricity fell from the lamp with a loud noise.
I dealt with the lamp… But how? I didn't even touch it! My hurting head made me unable to move, and it still does. I frowned my eyebrows and contorted my face from the pain.
"You're a very closed person. Keeping all of your thoughts and worries inside… Why not let them out? You can scream if you want. All of them did when they got to know. But you are different. Don't hold it in. No one in here will tell you to do so. Feel free to tell all of your pains to me." — The man got of his chair, and sat on the other end of my bed.
I could feel his body weighing the mattress down. His fragrance got to me. A smell of medicament and sterilized rooms.
I looked at him with my eyes full of pain. How could I tell him, tell anyone, that the only person left from my family, a woman that I trusted more than everyone, has made up a life for me?
Piece by piece, it all comes to me.
Covering one side of my life, she brought up knowledge that could make me feel superior, above others. Not wanting to discover anything else, the information filled me entirely. I took the bait of achieving the wisdom of the past, and got involved into all kind of things to fight for the memories of the history. An ambitious person like me, with easy to set goals. I ventured out too far away from the basic secrets, to be unraveled.
I never wondered about my past, my parents, the source of all the information she relied on me, and the question that has always strangled my mind. Why are we living in a place like this, a poor district and a home far away from the streets, behind a thick, metal door? Why does my aunt never go out of that place? Of what cause did she change, when seeing the footage I have fought for so gravely? Why did she show me all of this?
I always thought everything was for a reason, being made up in my mind, I never truly knew what was it.
"One day it will come naturally." — I thought. — "It's not as important as in what direction the world should be changed… right?"
Without the foundation, the walls will fall down eventually. And they did.
I need to get back to my home. To see her, and get the explanation I need, to calm my mind. Maybe I just, exaggerate it… Maybe it isn't what I think it is… She will surely tell me…
"Well, still keeping it in… I won't force you. But the swirling worries will only worsen it… and the pain won't disappear."
But as I breathed in, it seemed to go away. It's not like I think, right? It will be all good, won't it be? I just… Maybe it's all for a reason… I just want to get home, to her, and hear about everything.
My panic words tried to calm me down.
I need to get out of here.
But why does this person know many things about me so much and well? I haven't seen him once, yet it seems he is so familiar with my life scenario. Who exactly is he? What's…
"What's the purpose of you telling me all of this? Unusual strength? Yeah, so what. Everyone could all of a sudden get a burst of power and vigor… What are you trying to tell me? Be straightforward. Stop going around. Why am I here!?" — The questions finally came out of my mouth. It really eased my pain, screaming.
The man only smiled mysteriously at me.
"You are here with for a reason. It's because you're different from everyone else. You exist for sake of the humanity. You are here to fulfill all of the dreams you've always had."
"How can you know what dreams do I have?" — I yelled at him, he would never know.
"Don't you want to change the world? To give everyone the equity they deserve? Doesn't everyone deserve to know the "truth", Asha?"
"The "truth"…?"
"The sapphire oceans, malachite forests, ruby sunset sky, and the diamond cities…"
"Impossible… How… How can you know about this?" — I couldn't believe it. I held my breath. I wasn't the only one then.
"In here, everyone fights for the truth. And I believe you are one of us, with the urge to change the world too. You always belonged here. We are "the Cube", and we seek the spark of chain reaction, that will lead to a break of this cruel society. You're a chosen one, Asha. One among the nine who are also special, and can alter the reality."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone