by Noah Michael
Roko walked over to Alia and put his hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye.
A test. Accept, he will believe he’s begun to win me over. Rejection means we’re still enemies. Alia smiled cautiously back at Roko.
She was in.
“Many years ago, our race was led by a great man named Vespirus. He and his valiant group of leaders, known as the Fury, overthrew the previous rulers, known as the Guardians, whose philosophy was to keep the might of our powers away from humanity. To hide ourselves from them. However, we believed that our powers were something to take pride in, not to hide. Humans, without our guidance, were incapable of keeping peace amongst themselves. They have inherent evil that needs to be regulated. They need our rulership.”
She watched his face carefully as he spoke. There was truth in his story, but he was bending it according to her soft spots.
“Vespirus and the Fury ended the useless leadership of the Guardians. Outraged and power hungry, remnants of the Guardians formed a resistance aimed at stopping the Fury. In the ensuing battles, leaders of the Fury, including Vespirus himself, disappeared without a trace. People like me – those committed to the true leadership – are devoted to resurrecting the Fury. In my own search, I discovered a most powerful member of the original Fury, Vespirus’s second in command, frozen in a pillar of ice in the depths of the Arctic. Come, I will show you.”
Roko reached out towards the orb above his desk and lowered it. “The awakening chamber. Take my hand.” Roko grabbed the orb and Alia at the same time. The orb expanded, its smooth, silver-colored material spreading across Roko’s body and making its way towards Alia.
“Don’t worry,” Roko assured her as the silver moved over his face, “It won’t hurt you. It’s just a bit cold.”
It was indeed cold. She closed her eyes as the orb engulfed her. Everything was black, and she couldn’t breathe. Just as panic seized her, she was thrown onto solid ground with Roko standing beside her.
She was in an empty cement storage room lined with gas pipes, test tubes, computers, wires, and robots. Along the walls were glass shelves holding artifacts from all over the world. Connected to hundreds of wires at the center of the room, were two glowing statues of men.
Closest to her, the first man was tall, broad, and muscular. He was dark-skinned and dressed in a heavy cloak, the hood draped back. His face reflected command and strength, but also showed signs of greed, vengeance, and struggle. The symbol of a crescent moon shone upon his forehead and on the palm of his hands.
The second man was shorter, but of similar build to the first. He wore a glove on his right hand, but his left hand was bare. In contrast to the first, this face showed worry and betrayal. More importantly, it looked as if it was trying to warn her of something.
“Hello Alia, it’s nice to see you again,” a voice said from behind her.
It was James Booth.
“What’s he doing here?” Alia asked turning to Roko.
“I’m just paying a visit to my dear brother. Is that allowed?” He glanced up at the second frozen man.
“Nice way to treat your brother, trap him in some kind of iron coat,” Alia said sarcastically.
“Actually, he did it to himself.” James’s smile was forced.
Seeing his brother in this state pains him.
James wore some kind of machine on his right hand. It looked like a thick iron glove, glowing with a blue and purple energy. A wire was clipped to each finger, feeding into some kind of generator on the back of the hand.
He’s hungry for violence, but Roko is trying to win me over. If I fuel James’s anger and start a fight, it will create a rift between the two. He wouldn’t dare hurt me badly. Roko needs me.
“You’re a pretty worthless piece of trash, aren’t you?” Alia taunted, preparing for a fight. “You couldn’t even kidnap me by surprise with three super-powered men, so you had to go for my sister in a coma.”
“Says the super-powered tramp who can hardly pay her own rent,” James replied spitefully, powering up his glove. “Now, I’d advise you to keep quiet an do as you’re told. We wouldn’t want a poor girl like yourself getting hurt, now would we?”
Roko stepped in between them. “James, please,” he pleaded.
To his astonishment, Alia threw him into the wall and ran at James. James sighed and fired a shot from the palm of his hand, smashing her into one of the computers. James pointed again and Alia, dodging the blast, sprinted for the silver orb at the other end of the room. Before she could reach it, a wall of energy materialized in front of her. She turned, but more walls formed to her left and right and behind her, trapping her in a cube.
“You would be a nice addition to this iron trophy collection,” James scoffed. He took aim, a clear thirst for blood in his eyes.
“Stop!” Roko stood, blood dripping from his lip. James lowered his hand but not the walls.
Roko spoke in a pained and frustrated voice, as if Alia had hurt him by bringing violence to his home. Or maybe by throwing him against a wall.
“Please, Alia, just listen to me. Finding Galaxius was one thing. Freeing him turned out to be quite another. He is encased in some sort of layer of solid energy. It’s probably the same energy keeping Galaxius alive. The second man is Salience Booth. He was the head of the project working to free Galaxius. Salience managed to find a key to our puzzle, but rather than hand it over, he betrayed me, revealing himself as a member of the Resistance. Realizing there was no escape from me, Salience trapped himself in the same manner as Galaxius, locking away the answer with him.
On the brink of giving up, I came up with an idea. The last thing on Salience’s mind had been the key to unlocking Galaxius. So all we need is a Reader powerful enough to find the information in his face. We have Readers, but reading such a complicated idea from a facial expression was beyond their capabilities. We tried an object, known as the Eye of Armolin, which boosts Readers’ ability, but only a Reader who shares the blood of the guardian Armolin can use it. Maybe, if we’re lucky, you’ll be able to use the Eye. Or perhaps, you won’t even need it.”
He’s still telling the truth, but only just. There’s something deeper here. Why would a power-hungry, arrogant man want to wake up his sleeping boss?
Roko motioned for James to lower the walls. He sent him a pointed glare, hinting that he’d deal with him later.
“Alia, I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble, but I was desperate. Let me train you, let me teach you the ways of your people, make you more powerful than you could ever have imagined. It is your birthright.”
Alia hesitated. If I disagree, he will just force my help by using Bella as blackmail. My best chance is to agree and gain his trust. Plus, strengthening my powers can’t be a bad thing.
“I want my sister transferred somewhere I can see her.”
“She will be, I promise.” He extended his hand towards Alia.
Alia paused one more time, then she took it.
◆◆◆
Roko moved towards the door, and Alia followed him slowly. “When do I start?”
“Your training will start immediately. Every floor above this one is limited access only. Some contain rooms of entertainment, and some hold soldiers and weapons. You will be granted access to every floor except for two: floor 100, my personal office, and floor 176. Under no circumstances are you to go to floor 176.”
A sincere and deep sense of fear pervaded his voice. Alia wondered what on that floor could be so dangerous that even Roko feared it.
“The top floor is the training area. That’s where we’re headed. There is no elevator to this floor, for security purposes, so we will head to the elevator one flight above.”
As they ascended the stairs, Alia was surprised to find herself scurrying to keep up with him. Reaching the elevators quickly, they entered the empty elevator. “What happened to all the people?”
“This elevator only responds to calls between floors 101-200.”
“Ho
w do you use the elevator when you don’t have a number on your clothes?”
“Roko elevator to floor 150,” Roko said out loud, smiling at Alia as the elevator rose.
“While we have the time, allow me to further explain what it means to be an Enlai. Although we look human, Enlai have a unique appearance which reflects their soul but is hidden deep inside. The ancients called this the true being. The more Enlai learn about themselves, the more powerful their gifts become to the point that they can adopt their true form. Few Enlai reached that point, but those that did had to hide themselves from the human world, as not all of them possessed the ability to switch back. Human myths of creatures such as mermaids and dragons are simply careless Enlai. The only exception to this was a Guardian named Legasus, whose true being, most interestingly, was the form of a human.”
Alia listened in fascination. “How do you know when you are close? How do you know when you’ve reached your true being?”
Roko beamed at her. “Each Enlai has five names which separate him from all others. Finding each name moves him one step closer to his true being. It is a truly remarkable feeling of self-discovery and strength. In the ancient days, Enlai used to embark on long and daring journeys in search of their true being.”
“How close are you to discovering your true being?” Alia asked.
“I am on the second level of being.”
“What were your attributes?” Alia probed, unable to read them off him.
He shook his head ruefully. “True names can be weaknesses as well as strengths.”
The elevator opened into a large hallway lined with ten doors, five on each side.
“This area is modeled after the ancient school of Socrates,” Roko explained. “We organize all Enlai into five grades. Growing closer to your true being advances you a grade. Some Enlai remain in the first grade their entire lives, and though many reach grade three, or even four, a grade five Enlai is rare. This hallway is designed per grade. As a grade one, your training starts within the first door on each side. We will start with the one on the right.”
She had been expecting another room full of intricate machines and advanced technology. Instead, she faced a library of glasses – hundreds of pairs of black glasses with tinted lenses, organized in labeled bookshelves. In the center of the room was a collection of blue beds with removable glass casings.
“These are our simulations. Each pair of glasses will put you in a different situation with a different mission. You must figure out what the mission is on your own.”
She followed Roko to a shelf labeled Reader Tribe. “These will immerse you in a simulation which will feel almost exactly like reality. Even emotions and physical pain will seem real. However, if you fail, or die in the simulation, you will simply wake up. Are you ready?”
Alia nodded.
Roko pressed a button by one of the blue beds, removing the glass. Alia lied down and donned the glasses as the bed covering moved back into place. She closed her eyes for just a moment.
She opened her eyes and jumped backwards, startled by her own reflection. She was in a small, square room. Each of the four walls around her was a mirror. Turning right, she placed her hand against the mirror, and her reflection did the same.
She was still peering closely at her reflections when the walls started closing in.
She pushed frantically against the walls, but it was no use. Panic rose more quickly than she anticipated, but she concentrated on reigning it in and solving the simulation.
The walls are mirrors for a reason.
She took a deep breath, searching the mirrors for clues. No matter how hard she looked, there was nothing in the room but herself. Catching her own frightened gaze in the nearing reflection, she saw it.
Something about this reflection is off. My expression is anxious and focused, but my eyes should still reflect the panic and desperation within. They aren’t there.
She placed her hand against the mirror, gently touching the reflection of her eyes. The walls stopped. Then, the ground below her dissipated and she cried out as she fell through the space.
“Pretty good for your first practice.”
She was back in the simulation bed. Roko pushed the button retracting the case and helped her out of the bed. She was breathing hard; her shirt and hair were drenched in sweat.
“So how did I do?”
“Before a Reader can understand others, she must understand herself and master her emotions. Remarkably, you completed the mission the first time, which is very rare. With more training, you can achieve incredible power.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Alia returned Roko’s smile with a grin.
Roko chuckled, his face beaming at her enthusiasm. “I like your attitude.”
Chapter Seven
Kidnapped
Chicago
July 13
10:00 a.m.
“Watch your left,” Maximus said as his blade clashed against that of Raiden. He twirled around the blades and slammed the blunt side of the sword down against the back of Raiden’s left leg. Raiden cried out and toppled to the floor, drenched in sweat.
“Why do you have to hit so hard?” he panted, leaning back against a crate for support.
“Why do you have to keep making the same mistake every single time?”
“Well I’m sorry not all of us were trained since birth by a super-powered Guardian.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve been too hard on you,” Maximus said. “You’ve been showing improvement.”
“Really?” Raiden asked, surprised by the compliment.
“Yes. Perhaps now you’re on par with a ten-year-old.”
Raiden sighed, rolling his eyes. Behind them, someone broke out in laughter. Raiden sat up and turned towards the captured Shadow, who sat chained against the ceiling support beam.
“What are you laughing at, huh?”
“Even the weakest Shadow could slay you in an instant,” the man taunted.
“I’m getting sick of this guy,” Raiden turned to Maximus. “We haven’t fed him for days. How the hell is he even still alive?”
“Shadows are very stubborn,” Maximus answered. “But you’re right. This cannot go on forever. I will try to question him again.”
Maximus walked over and knelt onto one knee, bringing himself to the Shadow’s eye level.
“Are you gonna hypnotize him again?” Raiden asked.
When Maximus didn’t answer, Raiden looked to make sure Sarah wasn’t around. She was busy blasting crates to bits at the far end of the warehouse with her kaza.
Maximus stared deep into the Shadow’s eyes and began to speak. “Open your mind and let your thoughts run freely. You will tell me now, your mind relaxed and open and your thoughts free, what I want to know.” The Shadow’s face relaxed, his eyes and pupils widening.
“What does Roko want with the girl?”
“I answer to my Chief, not Roko.” The Shadow answered.
“Is your Chief working with Roko?”
The Shadow nodded.
“And what does your Chief want with the girl?”
The Shadow paused again, this time for longer, fighting Maximus’s hypnosis, but it was too powerful. “My Chief seeks the key to the Nexus Mirror.” With that, the Shadow’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he went limp. Maximus shook the Shadow’s head and slapped his cheeks, but to no avail.
“What did you do?” Raiden asked urgently. “Is he dead? Did you kill him?” Raiden checked the shadow’s pulse but felt none.
“His mind was pushed too far. He couldn’t take it.”
“You killed him with your mind?” Raiden asked in shock.
Just then, they heard a shriek coming from behind.
“Sarah!”
They turned and ran as fast as they could towards her. Sarah stood in a mess of wooden shards, shaken, but safe. An unconscious Shadow lay sprawled under a massive crate which she’d thrown using her kaza.
“They’ve found u
s again. We must go,” Maximus said. “Now.”
They grabbed their weapons and hurried out of the warehouse.
“Take the wheel,” Maximus said. “If need be, I will hold them off while you get Sarah to safety.”
“What’s the Nexus Mirror?” Raiden asked as they piled into the car.
“I don’t know, but it appears that Roko and the Chief of Shadows believe Sarah holds the key to opening it.”
“Where are we going now?” Raiden asked as he drove.
“As far away from here as we can. We need to get the Shadows off our tail.”
“Maybe they’ve lost us,” Raiden said. “We haven’t been chased yet.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than a long blade penetrated the car’s ceiling in front of Sarah’s face. The ten-year-old shrieked. Raiden gunned the engine as another blade penetrated the ceiling, even closer to Sarah’s face. Raiden slammed on the gas and felt a thump as a Shadow fell off the roof.
In his rearview mirror, four Shadows armed with swords clung to the back of the car. Raiden pulled out of his lane, honking at pedestrians to get out of the way, and turned into an alley.
“Go faster!” Maximus demanded.
“I’m going eighty!” Raiden answered as Shadows continued to emerge from the ground and walls around them.
“There’s one in front of us!” Sarah exclaimed.
“Hit him!” Maximus shouted. Raiden picked up speed. Instead of hitting the Shadow, the car passed right through him. He reappeared behind the car, his two sword sheathes empty. A horrible screeching sound filled the air and the car shook violently. The Shadow had slashed the front tires and stabbed the belly of the car with his swords, which were dragging against the ground like anchors. Raiden braked hard, sending the Shadows tumbling off the vehicle.
“What are you doing!? Keep going!” Maximus demanded.
“The car is trashed! We have to fight!” Raiden answered.
Maximus drew his swords and Sarah ran behind the car and took out her kaza. She played a few notes and a sonic blast tore through the air, sending the nearest Shadows flying back. Raiden drew a long, thin gun from his belt. “What does this do?”
