A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 64: Wake in a Strange Light

Drifting in and out of consciousness, I am hardly aware of someone dragging me across a polished floor and down a brightly lit corridor. By the time I am thrown into a room, my mind drifts further away into a realm of darkness.

When I regain consciousness, I find myself lying in a giant bed with silk sheets and the softest pillow supporting my head. Where am I? It takes me a moment to remember.

My wrists and ankles are no longer tied. That was a mistake that I'm grateful for. As soon as I get out of here, I'm fighting my way out, with or without my legacies. I have to find Ella. I have no idea where John and the others are. I hope they're all okay; I hope they're all alive.

I gaze about the room. There's the bed I woke up in – which is way larger than I thought it would be, a desk, and a chair. If this is a prison cell, I didn't expect it to have any of these things.

On the desk, there is nothing but a glass of ice water next to a big fat book that likely consists of a thousand pages. The book's cover reads: The Great Book of Mogadorian Progress by Setrákus Ra. What is that doing here? Does he expect me to read that? Why the water? This is so strange.

It doesn't take me long to decide against drinking the water, even though I am incredibly thirsty; I know there are probably drugs in it or something.

The camera is one of the last things I notice in the room, stationed in the opposite left-hand corner. A red light blinks consistently beside the lens. Bastard is always watching over me. I sneer into it, trying to make it clear through my expression to whoever is watching that I am going to kill them without a second's hesitation.

When I pull myself out from under the soft covers, I see that I'm in different clothes than before. Before they captured us, I was in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Now, it looks like they dressed me up in a formal black gown. It goes all the way down to my ankles. The thought of the mogs dressing me up in such a way is disturbing. I shudder at the thought.

Not only that, but there's a strange device around my neck. Silver and mechanical. Tight and compact around my skin. No more than an inch in width. There are buttons around it, I feel. I have no idea what they do or what this device does as a whole, but I'm not waiting to find out. I try to pull it off, but it doesn't move. I only succeed in hurting my throat.

I sit on the bed, feet flat on the cold polished floor, finally leaving the device alone and instead thinking through my options of how to get me and Ella out of here. I don't see that many, other than using brute force to fight our way out, which isn't going to work. I consider testing my legacies to see if they work.

I light my palms. They emanate blue, as they've done many times in the past.
I lift the pillow I slept on without touch. It rises in the air, suspended by nonexistent strings.
I close my eyes and search out Ella's mind.

"Ella. Can you hear me? Are you okay? We have to get out of here."

There is no answer.

Two out of three.

Telekinesis and Eneration. For some reason, my telepathy won't work. With a subtle shake of my head, I discard the upsetting thought. I have access to two of my legacies. It will have to be enough.

A moment later, the door – which is really a wall that opens like pistons – opens and a mog enters the room. I bounce off the bed, alert and ready to find Ella and get out of here. My palms glow a bright blue almost immediately.

"Where am I?" I practically shout hatefully. "What am I doing here?"

The mog does nothing initially. Then later responds coldly with a thick Mogadorian accent, "Beloved Leader suspected that you will have questions. He sent me to retrieve you; instructed me to bring you to him immediately. Follow me."

"Why the hell do you think I would go anywhere with you?!" I shout in reply.

He does not answer directly. Instead responding calmly, "I have direct orders from Beloved Leader not to harm you. Only to bring you to him when you woke. Come. Now."

I stand in hesitation, my palms still shimmering a light cobalt blue. I don't want to go anywhere with them. Though I do want answers. I want to know why I'm here, what Setrákus Ra wants with me, and if Ella is okay.

Screw this.

I raise my palm and blast the mog in the chest. He barely has enough time to drop to his knees from the blow before I am on him.

Acting quick, I pick him up by his black tee and pin him to the wall of this room I woke up in.

"Why am I here? Where is Ella? What did he do to her?" I bark in his face. "Answer me or I swear I will kill you right now."

He doesn't have a chance to.

I don't feel it until it happens.

A single electrifying shock at my throat from the strange metallic collar. Causing me to backpedal and grasp at the device. I try to pull it free yet am unable to.

The breath goes out of me as it has seconds ago for the mog I attacked, and I fall to my knees.

When it's over, I can't breathe.

The Mogadorian now standing over me explains, "A technological advancement designed by Beloved Leader himself. There is far more that it is capable of. If you do not wish to comply, he has other ways."

I stare at the mog coldly, still down on the floor with my face marked in a sneer.

"Come now," the mog states.