by Clara Wake
“Don’t tell me…” he panics, eyes wide as he rolls over and jumps up from his bed.
“No!” she exclaims loudly and quickly to fix his concerns before smacking her palm over her lips. She shakes her head at him before lowering her palm.
“I... I wanted to see you,” she delicately states, as her cheeks flushed brightly. “I was so worried,” she begins to mumble. It’s what she does best when she’s under pressure.
Nickolai is once again struck with awe and shock. Again, someone claiming to care for him; it always feels like some sort of game to him, tangled in lies. It doesn’t click in his mind at all, and he’s left with a dumbfounded expression, as one of his ears drops.
She soon closes the gap between them, “I found out that after you helped me…y-you were taken to the Chamber. I –I never got to tell you just how thankful I am,” she finally explains herself. Looking up at him, she loses herself in his eyes once more.
“You said thank you,” he reminds her, shaking his head. He’s unsure why she has to say it again.
“I did, but… it was rushed. I had to leave. You’re the only person that has ever been so kind, especially among the boys. You’re the first to say no.”
She takes a seat on his bed, and interlocks her hands before her. She fidgets with them while explaining herself as clearly as she can, and possibly sounding like some stalker or something.
“You're the first to show me respect, and I really appreciate it.” She jumps up and snakes her arms around his waist; she leans into him and rests her head on his chest, closing her eyes the second they narrow on the scar on his right peck.
He’s stumped; he doesn’t know what to do or say. Frozen as Skye almost squeezes him to death, he stares blankly at the wall before him. Yet, a warm feeling spreads through his chest. This is a hug, and it is nice, comforting, and sweet.
His cheeks begin to burn.
He clears his throat. “Are you okay, there?” Nickolai finally manages to speak. He’s still got no idea what to say or do before his hands pat her on the back; like an awkward hug between scolded siblings.
“I am now. Thank you, Nickolai. I feel safe with you.” She sniffles as tears spread from her eyes. She smiles gratefully at him, but she’s met with pure confusion tracing his face.
“Are you okay?” She asks him, trying to figure him out – he is an enigma – He is so interesting, so different and he reminds her of the big friendly giant.
“I’m…I-I don’t do well with this,” he shakes his head. He doesn’t even know what this is. A clear sign of affection and admiration, but he’s too damaged and unsure on how to consider it. He slowly moves from her and takes a seat on the side of his bed. Staring down at the floor, he slowly looks up to meet her dazed gaze, watching her carefully.
“How long have you been here?” He asks carefully, curiosity flickering in his eyes as he observes her closely.
“Uh, you mean tonight?” she replies, cringing while she waits for him to yell at her. She always expects every male to treat her in such a manner, but he never does.
“Are you hinting that you’ve been here other nights?” He tilts his head at her, squinting at her playfully.
“Ever since I heard you were back,” she admits, biting her bottom lip before she giggles softly. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes and huffs loudly before she slumps down on his bed beside him.
“I had to know you were okay – and I can’t seem to sleep in my own bed anymore. Not since…” She trails off slightly and stops there for a moment before shrugging her shoulder.
“Please don’t hold back. If I’m overstepping your boundaries, let me know and I’ll leave.” She carefully tells him, although it hurts to speak it aloud. She wants to stay. She wants to continue being here with him. Her heart sinks as she waits for a reply. Anticipating the worse, she holds her breath.
“It’s fine,” he tells her shrugging his shoulders. While his boundaries were being tampered with, he cared about her. He is unsure why, but he does and he doesn’t mind her company at all.
After all, he is an insomniac and having someone to spend the lonely and boring nights with will be great.
“Are you sure?” She’s quick to ask, making sure he is completely okay with this. She’s overjoyed and the happiness beams from her face. A smile is plastered to her lips, her eyes wide and glistening with glee.
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” he bluntly replies. He’s never said anything unless it meant something.
Time disappears or stops when they are together, a blanket of peace shrouding them. They forget the horrors outside and find so much solace within one another.
She doesn’t realize dawn is creeping ever so slowly, and she must leave. She must leave now, or she won’t make it back in time before Mother wakes them up.
“I-I have to go, or they’ll know I’ve been out,” she murmurs, holding, and biting back bouts of sadness.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she invites herself, hoping wants to see her again. She holds in a whine waiting for his reply, begging deeply inside. He makes her days worthwhile.
“Tomorrow.”
Even though his health is improving, his psychological state is something entirely different. He is haunted by nightmares, reminders of the events that unfolded down in The Chamber, alongside the many questions he holds heavily inside. He’s desperate for more answers. He couldn’t speak of the horrors he endured. He can’t even tell Jake about Earth Six or what he went through and why.
He hates it. He hates lying, and he hates keeping so much buried inside. It torments him, eating away at him from the inside. No one knows what anguish and deceit lie below. He can’t wrap his mind around any of it, and he is trapped in mayhem.
With no light to guide him, Nickolai is blind and shrouded with questions screaming in his mind. Things he needs to know. This isn’t a matter of wanting or being overly curious; it is so much more than that now. He’s had a taste, he’s witnessed just how ominous and corrupt this compound truly is.
This is one of the reasons he avoids sleeping once his body begins recuperating and thawing into its normal state.
He knows the second he attempts to close his eyes, he’ll see the flashes of the horrors he went through – and sometimes, it all feels too real – the pain repeating itself.
Insomnia is once again his friend, and most of the time, he welcomes it for that reason—despite his body aching and yearning for rest. He tries, but the nightmares are so loud. The sounds tap and attack his sensitive ears.
Finally, he makes his way back into training; He takes it easy – as easy as he possibly can in this world.
Past injuries surface. His knee locks up and causes ample amount of discomfort in running, jumping, and kneeling—all the gears he needs in a simple day of training.
His shoulder sends unpredictable tension shooting from the socket and down his arm and back. He forces it with a roll and continues with aiming his bow and hitting the target. While most of the time it is slightly off, he is still able to strike the target with a shaking arrow.
It has been far too long since he’s used his own bow – the last time he held it was when he slipped it off the hinges above his bed after waking up. He hasn’t touched it since the leech fired it. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like his anymore. It is tainted, and he has to find the mindset to fade the memories away and make it his own once again.
Aiden is displeased with Nickolai’s return. He blames Nickolai for Tyler’s death. Even without any proof or evidence that Nickolai was responsible, he felt deep inside that he had something to do with it and one way or another. He sets out to find the truth.
Of all of them, Syrus most despises that Nickolai is back. He was getting all the praise while Nickolai was gone, and he loved it, bathed in it, and enjoyed every second of it. However, the star of the squad is back, immediately taking his thunder.
It only grinds his gears more to see The Captain watching him with awe. The freak al
ways one ups him, and he is sick and tired of it.
Their first martial arts session in months has finally arrived, and Syrus sees it as the perfect opportunity to take down Nickolai in one easy blow.
He knows Nickolai’s weaknesses and he intends to take advantage of them.
They all did and who would stop him? No one. No one ever did stop a fight from going out of hand. At the end of the day, the Captain or cleaners would drag the lifeless bodies out and clean up. Blood stains still paint the floors beneath the padding.
The Captain stands before the three boys, while Jake sits back to observe and make sure no one needs medical attention, all while a heart attack is sleeping in his chest.
“Okay ladies, let’s see how much of your training you remember,” the Captain starts, bouncing his eyes from boy to boy, contemplating who would fight. He draws a soft breath, before clicking his tongue. “Syrus and Nickolai.”
The grin on Syrus’ face is thick, and he doesn’t hide it at all. He’s overjoyed that his opportunity has arrived, and he isn’t going to back down—not this time. He’s done so before and this time he is ready for the kill. The freak is weak.
Stepping onto the large ocean blue mat, Syrus is first to bounce on, waiting for Nickolai to enter. His hands rub together in anticipation. Thirsty for blood, his eyes fixate on the elf. He’s eager.
Nickolai steps in, and the two are to bow before the session begins. Nickolai does exactly that, but he’s greeted with Syrus’ middle finger before he steps back and gives him a glare.
“Fight!” The Captain announces, and Syrus is quick to strike Nickolai in his wounded shoulder. He strikes him fast and hard, causing Nickolai to fumble slightly and wince as the pain travels down his arm. A pained hiss shakes from his gritted teeth.
“Syrus!” the Captain screams. “If you were in a real encounter, you wouldn’t know their weaknesses, so how about you stop with Nickolai’s?” He growls at him, before looking over to Nickolai, nodding for them to continue.
Nickolai’s palm rests on his shoulder, massaging it softly while he rotates his arm as much as he can. He steps in and dodges a clean swing to his face. Each of the boys has been taught traditional boxing, Taekwondo, and Brazilian jujitsu. Some, not as skilled in some aspect as the others, and some only learned or wanted to learn one type.
Syrus only focused on traditional boxing. While it is a strong point for his punches, he’s forgotten that Nickolai took every form he could. More specifically Taekwondo. He’s forgotten how fast and agile Nickolai is with close hand to hand combat.
Syrus exposes himself after a failed attack, after Nickolai blocked him with his palm. He finds the quick opportunity to spin and throw a hard blow to Syrus’ knee with a heavy and swift kick. Jake could swear he heard a pop!
Syrus is unaware until the pain surges from the socket and shakes his leg, forcing him to drop, dramatically to his knee.
Screaming, Syrus’ curses and growls in agony, while he clutches and holds his knee, whining and wailing loudly enough for the others within the gym to turn their heads and quench their curiosity.
“Get up! You fucking baby!” The Captain pulls Syrus up to his feet, holding him upwards, while he limps and cries. “Sit down, loser,” he scoffs and shakes his head.
Jake slowly walks in to aid Syrus and leads him back to the bench to check his injury, although he’s smiling like a Cheshire cat inside. The bastard deserved it. However, he puts his inner smile aside and does his job.
Standing there, his hand gently resting on his burning shoulder, Nickolai waits for Aiden to join and attack him.
He’s staring off into space, into nothing while he waits, standing in his black Brazilian jujitsu gi. The black belt wraps and ties around his waist. Most had pride and integrity when they wore their belt, but Nickolai only dreamt of a world without so much anger and pain.
The Captain contemplates if Aiden should step in, hesitation drowning him for a moment before he decides the boys should instead practice on their own. “Hour of training alone,” he orders them before leaving with Syrus in tow, slowly hopping behind him with Jake’s help.
Nickolai favours being able to train on his own. He can feel Aiden’s glare on his back, with the faint sounds of his scoff as he leaves.
Nickolai is left alone to take the reins of his training and do as he please. Eventually, he finds himself meditating.
The yoga room is small and set up for clarity. Candles and incense devour the atmosphere. It is a very rarely visited room, and he knows this because he is the only one to ever step foot inside. There is never a class in session, and never someone taking a moment to work on their inner strength.
He works on his chakra and attempts to find tranquillity, but all he sees when he seals his eyes is pure red.
The pain and anger dripping in hatred tears through him and mold his body. He can’t find the lenient and passive peace he once found. He is lost in despair.
Nickolai’s ears drop slightly. His eyes carefully open to find himself in the yoga room. Not even his meditation works. Nothing seems to mend the mental scars that torment him.
It used to be his only way out of chaos. Even with that, his nose scrunches slightly before he lets out a hard sigh. He isn’t going to let it overtake him. He isn’t going to let the darkness take over.
The more his mind travels to the events that unfolded below, the more determined and dedicated he becomes.
To find the truth, to destroy the hands that built this hell on Earth.
“Oh, my God!” One of the girls comes crashing in, flailing her hands about and screaming the same three words repeatedly. She bounces in and enters the circle the girls have made.
“What are you so happy about!?” One of them growls, irritated by her obnoxious outburst, giving her the question she’s waiting for.
“I’m pregnant!” She exclaims, her smile wide and bright. Her face is beaming; she is one step out of here. The others look at her, both envious and disappointed they don’t share the same glorious news.
“Congrats. I guess… we won’t see you around anymore?” Skye pipes up, bringing her eyes up from her novel of choice and locking her eyes with theirs.
“Nope, leaving tomorrow! A whole new, bright and amazing world awaits!” She brags squealing and clapping loudly, boasting about her entry into the world that sounds like a fairy tale.
Once the girls are pregnant, they are taken out of the Compound— to a promised land with antenatal care, supplies, support, and freedom; while being heavily monitored.
Once the child is born, they are to return for another trial, to test if their body is capable of birthing once again. This cycle is repeated until they are unable to carry a child. Once they are incapable of doing so, they are never seen again either.
If one of the girls or women are infertile or unable to become pregnant in whichever shape or form, they are never seen again.
No one knew what was outside, or if the fables of The Promise Land were real or fictional. Something to lure them into becoming pregnant, rather than taking their lives as most often do. No word was ever spoken from those who went outside and returned. They became mute.
Skye fears this the most. Now that she’s met Nickolai, she is afraid she’ll be taken from him and never see him again. It frightens her to the core – not of the unknown, but of losing him.
She tries everything to make sure she remains infertile, but with that comes the unknown as well. Everything is written in the dark, and every visit to the bathroom with the stick has her heart leaping to her throat.
Skye can’t wait to meet Nickolai. She stares at her clock beside her bed. Curled up in a ball, she blinks and waits for the time. She is eager to see him, to see how he is and hear about his day. The thought alone sends a smile straight to her cheeks. She is so fond of him, of his cheekiness. He is the quiet lone wolf. Yet, he is so protective and calm. She embraces everything about him.
The second the clock ticks to three am, Skye leap
s from her bed and rushes to her window. Tracing her own footsteps, she enters the shadows of the night and finds her home.
“You’re early,” Nickolai tells her with a cheeky tone, as he looks over from his pillow with an arched eyebrow.
“You’re keeping an eye on the time, huh?” She teases him back, but her cheeks flush brightly at him. She is smitten, and she knows it.
“More like you are,” he shrugs, with a quick reply before swinging his legs over his bed to make room. Skye sits down and gently rests her head on his shoulder.
“How was your day? I heard Syrus got his ass kicked by some really tall elf dude,” she starts with a devious tone, but she can’t help but giggle. She tried to deliver the statement more heavily, but she can’t help herself. She’s learned everything about Earth and how they are. She loves the idea of Nickolai kicking his ass, and she can’t wait to hear it from him.
A small rumble erupts from his chest, the tiniest of chuckles. “Yeah, cried like a baby, too,” he adds, almost proud of himself for once.
“Wish I’d been there to see it,” she breathes, still resting her head on his shoulder before she snakes her arms around his arm embracing it.
“How was your day?” Nickolai asks. He’s still unsure of what to do or say sometimes. However, she found this adorable.
“Well…one of the girls from my squad is pregnant,” she tells him, and her tone immediately changes, each word drowning in fear. He knows very well of her impending fears and never presses further about it, but she spoke so freely to him about it.
He knows the ropes involved in their structure; they are just as sadistic and wrong as they are in the boy’s foundation – if not worse in some ways.
He carefully moves his head and rests his chin atop her head. With a soft hum, he sighs deeply through his nose for a second. “I won’t let them take you,” he tells her. He was going to make sure they didn’t take her. No matter what.
