Star Academy: Will I get my freedom? (hiatus)

15

"I see. Is that all?" Bella smiled. 

Despite feeling slightly surprised, she remained a composed facade.

"...yes." Ian replied.

"Will you answer my questions honestly?" 

"Of course..." 

"Is our father the headmaster of the middle school division?" Bella asked licking the whipped cream of the latte.

"...how did you find out?" His eyes widened slightly but went back to normal.

"I was just guessing...I remembered he had red eyes. That's all, but I don't recall that he has white hair...guess that's from our mother. " She eyed the boy from top to bottom "So the red uniforms are special treatment because we're his children, I assume."

"That is correct. You're good at guessing..." 

"Not really, I'm sure anyone could've figured that out. But this type of scenario is quite common in mangas, where the female lead gets reunited with her family, cliché don't you think?" She let out a chuckle "But reality is a harsh mistress. Go on, I'm quite curious about my story."

"Father had always wanted to take you here...when you were born...you were kidnapped by our mother's brother, our uncle. He...had always wanted to-"

"Use me as a lab rat and find the vulnerability of ability users but I got out of control so he could only lock me up." Bella continued "So he was actually my uncle...so who's our mom?"

If her uncle's wife wasn't her mom...then that woman must've been brainwashed or some sort. That bastard even brainwashed his wife and children for his own benefits.

"Our mother died, two years ago...she really wanted to meet you." Ian said softly. I guess they were close, Bella thought looking at the boy's expression.

"Hmm, my condolences. I guess mother was an ability user too...since we actually followed their traits. Afterall, normally ability users don't come from genes." She took another sip of her drink wondering when she would get back to the dorm. 

Lucious is cooking tonight so she had to make sure she didn't miss the dinner, his cooking is heaven after all.

"...don't say it like she didn't have any relations to you...she's our mother." Ian furrowed his brows.

Sadness flashed through Bella's eyes...she had always hoped for a family. She wanted to be that heroine that reunites with her family and lived happily ever after but, that might never happen.

"...I'm an abandoned child. Blood relations doesn't matter to me." She yawned slightly, finding the conversation boring. It wasn't hard to guess what happened, "For me, Lucious and the others are more than enough."

"Stop being childish...father really loves you." Ian said in a soft voice.

"From what I've heard, I don't feel his love anywhere. I was kidnapped by my uncle to become a lab rat, all those years, no one came for me. I'm sure with all this technology, finding me is no problem. Then, after I escaped, when I finally had my freedom, my biological father threatened me to come to this island. 

To assassinate others, to be experimented on. Do you think I care about reuniting with my family that I never knew existed? If this was the case, I wished I never had a family at all." She scoffed.

"Father didn't knew you would be experimented on...he can't do anything. He may be a higher-up but there are still people above him..."

"So? Ever since the first day, I have never seen this man so called my father. Don't get me wrong, I don't resent any of you, but I don't like any of you either. Like I said, I was abandoned...none of you cared when I was suffering and now you came out of nowhere to tell me I had a family..." She clenched her hands "Do you think I would believe that you guys had love me?"

The boy stared at her wide-eyed...her carefree aura changed.

"I can't just forgive you and let you in my heart just because we are related by blood, this isn't a fairy tale...I'm someone who holds grudges. Everytime I woke up after an experiment, the ones who were there are Lucious and the boys...it was never my 'family'. I've once longed for a family, but...now I think family doesn't necessarily means that blood connection is needed." She smiled weakly.

The boy stayed silent, what she said was right...

"It's getting late...I have to get back to the dorm. Thank you for your treat." Bella stood up but a hand held her wrist.

"Yes, is there anything else?" 

"Can you meet father, just once? Just give him another chance..." Ian's eyes showed determination making Bella hesitate. 

"...If it's only for a while." She replied looking at her pulsera...there's still some time till dinner, it shouldn't take too long anyways. 

"Let's go..." Ian lead her by the hand which took her by surprise.

Ah, I really am going to meet my father...she felt nervous, even after she said those things, she can't help but feel restless. She didn't show it, but the fantasy of having a loving family that she had always dreamt of just got destroyed not long ago.

"You...this wasn't the condition! I brought her here like you've instructed but I never...wanted her to be experimented on...she's just a child." 

This voice made Bella quickened her pace to the office, it was familiar, too familiar.

"I didn't expect-"

"Auntie?" Bella's pupil shrinked. 

"....Bella?" The two adults' eyes widened.

"Ha...so you were part of this too?" She felt like her brain was about to explode. 

In the first place, she wouldn't be here if it weren't for her aunt being her weakness. Even if her aunt didn't know she was going to be treated as a lab rat, it doesn't changes the feeling of being betrayed growing in Bella's heart.

"...I predicted at least 20 outcome on my way here, but this exceeded my expectations. I suspected why you didn't struggle but...I doubted myself because I trusted you." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, I might be stuck here until my life ends."

That's right, after you are no longer a student...you'll work for the academy. Either continuing being a killer, become a worker at the central or become a teacher. No ability user can escape this system. And it's worst for her, she doesn't have much time left.

"...Do you know how many years of my life one experiment session takes from me?" Her eyes glowed red, she was bottling everything up...but she reached her limit. 

"...Do you know how it feels to have your fingernails peeled off one by one without any anesthetic? Do you know how it feels like to be electrocuted? Do you know how hard it is to keep my sanity?" She raised her tone without realising it.

"Bella..." 

Kill her, come on.

"Shut up..."

Kill her, kill him, kill everyone here!

"...I'm...leaving."

She felt like she was about to lose her mind there....she wanted to go to the dorm...it felt safer there, she wanted to see the boys who's always there for her, she wanted to see Lucious.