Oaths of Grecia

NO. 7

Cia was awake before six again. No matter about amount of sleep, she just couldn't got out of her routine. Never. No matter how much she hated it, no matter how much it annoyed her, she has been living like that since she was little.

She was about to go running when she remembered last night. "No running tomorrow, we'll talk about this." She sighted, what is she supposed to do in the spare time?

In the end she got up from her bed and went to explore garden, since there is place for archery, there might be a gym right? Grecia walked for a while when she saw a small building. It was too small to be a gym, but she got curious. The door wasn't locked, how surprising. She walked in only to see a stairs to underground. What the hell? She wasn't scared but curiosity just didn't let her leave, so she kept walking.

"How are they so damn rich?" Cia asked herself when she stood in a big underground gym. "Just what exactly don't they have here, huh?" Cia walked around in disbelief. There were engines for body-building, running machines, dumbbells. For god's sake, are they using all of these? In the end her eyes stopped at a punching bag and she automatically headed towards it. No gloves, nothing. Only her and punching bag. Again.

Ten kids were at the gym. It was a big amazing gym. Ten kids not even ten years old were practising inside. Boxing with no gloves or hands protection. Get used to the pain. They were good, all of them except one girl. She was doing it wrong, AF9, this was not her strong activity. She was brilliant with numbers, but not this. "Wrong AF9! Do it again!" A loud scary voice shouted. Everyone would be scared, but not them. They weren't scared of such a trivial thing. Not even AF9.

"Wrong again! Did I show you to do it that way? No! Do it like this!" he shouted and showed the move again. AF9 was carefully watching him and then tried to do it too. "Wrong!" This time he punched her. She fell to the ground. "Again!" She stood up. "Again!"
"Again!"
"AGAIN!"
All kids - two girls and seven boys - heard a wet crack, as AF9's nose broke. "Did I show you to do it that way?!" A whip was suddenly in his hand.

He was whipping little girl, while others continued practising. OF12 knew the pain of being whiped. Everyone knew it. But they did nothing. Every single one knew, that it would only make trouble for themselves and wouldn't help AF9 at all. Maybe they'd make it worse for her. So no one even looked at her.

AF9 screamed. It was a horrifying sound. And at that moment, OF12 turned. She knew right away, she will never forget that. Girl, well no one would even say it was a girl anymore, was laying on the floor. It was blood and flesh. No one got whipped like that, ever. AF9 was screaming from the top of her lungs. Every scream was filled with fear and agony. And that was enough.

OF12 stopped boxing. Her tiny hands in fists, she was about to walk there and kill that man. Luckily, some hand grabbed hers. "What do you think you're doing?" A small boy watched her closely.
"He is killing her! She's gonna die!" she whispered yelled, so that man didn't hear.
"So? You want to get yourself killed too?"
"BM5, we can't let her die like that!"
"Yes, we can. And we will. This is her punishment, so stay out of it and keep practising," BM5 stared at her and then continued practising himself. OF12 looked at AF9 for the last time. Sorry.

OF12 was never boxing like that. Her fists were completely destroyed, blood oozing from her knuckles. She was punching the punching bag fiercely, while AF9 was screaming and even harder when those screams stopped. Everyone knew that was the end. She died. How? From massive blood loss? From pain or shock? OF12 didn't know, she didn't even want to know that. But still, when she was leaving the gym, she took a short look at her. All left was a clod of flesh and blood. That will haunt her forever...

Niles got up early it was only half past six and he knew, he will not fall asleep again. So he went to the kitchen, he will probably go work out. In the kitchen, he met Jin and Leyton. That was weird, no one at this house didn't usually get up before half past seven. Only father and time to time Raven or older twins. "Can't sleep anymore too?" asked Leyton, looking all tired. He nodded.
"I'll probably go work out, do you want to join me?"
"Yeah."
"Sure."

Three boys headed to gym. All of Perxon's guys loved working out and sport generally, but Niles loved it the most. The gym was his idea and he worked on plans as well. He was spending there quite a lot of time. Almost the same amount as Leyton in the greenhouse.

They walked in, feeling that something is strange. How was it, that lights were on? Maybe other boys couldn't sleep too. But they never expected to see what they saw.
Grecia was boxing. She was all sweaty, which means her whole top was soaking wet and even her hair were sticky. They all stopped in door shock on their faces. Cia was in trans. She wasn't realising the world outside. She didn't notice her brothers standing there. No she was too deep inside that horrible memory.

"Wow, she's good," said Leyton.
"How is she not tired?" asked Jin. But those did not concern Niles. What was she doing in his gym?! Who told her, she can come here? Niles walked towards her, ready to scold her, but he stopped himself, while he saw it.

Tears running down her cheeks. But the important part. Blood oozing from her hands. Nothing was protecting her knuckles. Leyton saw that too and he stared at her all scared. She didn't notice them. When Jin came closer and saw that, the doctor inside him took over. Seeing his stepsister hurting herself, he couldn't resist but care about her. He walked towards her, putting hand on her shoulder. He didn't even blink and was already lying on the floor. Cia on top of him.

Cia blinked a few times. She was sitting on top of Jin and he was watching him. She got scared when she realised what she just did. "I-I'm sorry," Cia was blabbering while getting up. Jin stared at her hands. They were shaking and bleeding. "Are you okay?" It looked like she was not aware of it, so he got up and grabbed her hand. Everyone looked surprised, even he was surprised. Cia even more. She looked at her fists. They were damaged, not as much as that day, but still. And she was crying. It probably scared the shit out of them. "It's nothing really," she smiled and tried to get from his grip. He didn't let her.
"Let's treat it."

Cia was sitting on bench, while Jin was wrapping her hands and Niles and Leyton were watching her with death stare. She was just sitting them feeling strange, no one ever took care about her injuries. Well that wasn't true, they did, when she got shot, but that was almost all. No one cared about these little things.  Never.
Her tears already stopped rolling down. Why was she crying? For AF9? No. She was crying for herself. Because she didn't save her that day. She was taught to always protect weak people, but that day she turned her back on AF9. Like a monster. Maybe she was a monster...

"Done,"
"Thanks," she said trying to move her wrapped hands, "that wasn't necessary."
"Can you tell us now?"
"What?"
"What were you thinking? You didn't even take gloves! And who allowed you to go to my gym?!" bursted Niles.
"I was just thinking. I didn't realise that my hands are at this state." It was true.
"What were you thinking about?" asked Leyton. She frowned, what now?
"Just about past." Her tone said clearly, that she's not talking about it anymore.
"Okay," sighted Jin, "let's go for breakfast. Others are probably awake already. Let's go."

Comming to the kitchen after shower she already knew, what is going to happen. Everybody except father were sitting at the table, eating quietly. "So Grecia, let's talk now. First of all, what happened to your hands?"
"Nothing much."
"Okey, let's not talk about it now. Let's talk about your punishment."
"For what?" asked Octavius spitefully.
"We were picking her up at police station last night." Jin! He betrayed her! She glared at him madly.
"Police station?" Almost everyone said at the same time. If she wasn't feeling betrayed, it'd be amusing.
"I thought about it and I decided to tell dad. You should give me your phone. Next week you're going to go to school and stright home afterwards. That is all. You guys should go to school now. Grecia, leave your phone here."

Cia stared at him for a while. Seriously? He wants to punish someone who almost don't use phone and know literally no one here, by taking the phone away and ban going out? How clever...

They went to school. Cia already took off bandage on her hands and was staring from the window. From some reason, Jin was taking her to school. She will need to find a way to meet those people from yesterday night again. And also find time to talk with Kim about her plan. She wasn't about to ask for permission, but tell him what she's about to do. And in how many ways it might fuck up. She smiled a bit. OF12 was ready to start her plan.