Immortal (boy x boy)

Part 13

(Takahiro's POV)

I opened my eyes and realized I'd died, yet again. This time, they'd starved me. I tuned them out while they fawned over my ability. They were like vultures, circling around a dead body -no pun intended. They stared at me with their pitiless, curious eyes. I could feel their gazes judging me, deciding my next death. The worst of all was Akihara, the chief. His eyes pierced through me with their iciness.

"Hm. We still don't know how this is happening. The experiments are telling us the what, but not the why. Its healing ability is miraculous. However, the specimen's body doesn't wake up until long after it's repaired itself. I wonder...." he trailed off.

"Sir?" one of the other scientists said.

"Cut him. Torture him. I want to see if his body will heal anything. I don't care what you do or how long. Just keep him alive." Then, he left. The researchers seemed reluctant, but made their way over. I struggled against my restraints. I was accustomed to pain, but it was still horrible. And torture would be worse. I begged them with my eyes to not do it. But, they didn't meet my gaze and picked up some tools. They ripped my flesh open and broke my bones. The pain was excruciating. I could feel my blood leaking from my wounds. I didn't want to watch, but I didn't have much of a choice with how I was positioned.

I could see bone protruding from my skin. I could see my own muscles twitching from the inside. I got nauseous and nearly threw up. These were images I'd rather not have in my head. One scientist, with a weak stomach, ran to a corner and vomited into a trash can. He stayed like that the whole time and sagged against the desk. They burned me, cut me, broke my bones, and cut fingers off. I felt the need to pass out, but Akihara returned then and injected me with something. I didn't know what it was, but I suddenly had more energy. They were able to torture me longer without having me pass out. After they were done, they stared at me. When I didn't heal, they patched me up and wrote about it in their stupid paperwork.

"Hm. So, the specimen doesn't heal unless it dies. Interesting." He lowered the clipboard. "Cut the head off."

"WHAT?!" the vomiting researcher shouted.

"You're a disgrace." Akihara slapped the researcher so hard, the man was sent to the floor again in a daze. "You can't even handle such simple tasks without hurling. You're fired, now get out. The rest of you, commence with the experiment. I want to see if the specimen can heal without a head."

"Yes, sir," they grudgingly replied. He dragged the fired researcher out the door. Two of them held my head still while another approached me with a long blade. As he neared, I realized it was a saw. This would not be a painless death. I twisted and shifted, trying to get away from the terrifying weapon. My eyes were wide open, fear shining from them. That was the question, wasn't it? How far did my ability go? Could I come back without a head? Could my ability heal me even without it? Could it reattach my head? I didn't want to know the answer. What if I simply died? I didn't want that anymore. I didn't want to die. I wanted to keep living. I had so much to do. I had so many things I needed to tell Haruki. Things I'd held back, because I was afraid. I was a coward and I couldn't say them. And now I regretted my cowardice. 

He needed to hear the words I had to say. He needed to hear the feelings I'd so desperately hidden. I hadn't wanted to drag him into my problems, so I'd kept quiet. But he was already a part of my world now and there was no going back. Whether he liked it or not, he was in my problems. I couldn't keep this inside of me any longer. I couldn't die before I got a chance to tell him. He deserved the truth. I'd made so many mistakes when it came to Haruki. I wanted to fix them now. I'd made so many mistakes in my life, but Haruki was the only one choice I wanted to get right. This world doesn't give you any second chances, so you had to make your own. That was just what I had to do. 

That was why I couldn't die now. Not after everything. I couldn't escape, not in the position I was in. I just had to count on my ability to save me. I hated it. I didn't want to count on anything I didn't understand. But, yet again, I was out of options. I couldn't lose this chance. I'd given up too easily in my life. I never kept going when things got too hard. I refused to do that again. I wasn't just going to lay down -no pun intended- and take this. No, I'd stand up and I'd fight. But right now, I just had to trust in something I couldn't see with my own eyes. After all, this ability had saved me before. I'd just have to let it do it again.

I was right, it sucked. I could feel the teeth of the saw biting into my neck. I felt blood squirting all over my face. I felt the crimson liquid dripping into my hair and down my throat. However, drowning actually takes a long time. My body jerked of its own accord. A shriek tried to pry itself from my mauled throat, but got caught on the way out. Instead, a wet gurgling came out. My fists clenched so hard from the agony that my nails drew blood. Finally, my awareness started to fade. I welcomed the black abyss, but it danced out of reach. I still heard the researchers' muted voices.

"This is going too far," one commented.

"Don't let him hear you say that!"

"We're torturing a kid!"

"Remember what this is for. We're helping people."

"Yeah," the first replied sarcastically. "We're such good people."

"What do you want us to do? He'll just keep doing it anyway! It's for his daughter after all."

"I can't stand this! His screams are killing me! What we've done to him....can we really live with that? How can you stand to do this!"

"Just remember, he's not human."

"We both know that isn't true! I'm sure his parents are worried sick about him and there are people who miss him!" I snorted internally. If only they knew. I was sure that Akihara knew that I had nobody. However, what he didn't count on was Haruki. Then again, neither did I.

"I can't do this anymore! Have fun!" He let go of my head, though I could barely feel anything anymore. I was cold, so very cold. Did I even have a body anymore? If I did, I couldn't tell. He walked off and they others called after him. Would I die this time? That was when the black finally claimed me and I sank into the bittersweet nothingness.