A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 66: Studying Abroad - part 1

I'm back in my room again, nestled delicately under the soft covers. My eyes are tired. My body itches from the gown. Though worst of all, I feel it.

The scar.

An unearthly symbol burnt into my flesh. Forever marked as Setrákus Ra's prisoner. Forever marked as helpless. Forever marked as a human that got involved in a war that she could've stayed out of.

Forever marked as weak.

I feel the urge to cry though I don't. Instead I simply shake my head. I prevented the pain being done to Ella. That's all that matters. Ella does not bear a scar. I may not know what this does, but I am bonded to him now. In what way? I have no idea.

I lie on the bed for a while on top of the covers, thinking. Until eventually, I hear this constant shrieking sound in my room. It becomes louder. It grows annoying, like nails on chalkboard. I cover my ears, try to hide them in the pillow, but the sound still comes through.

Struggling to keep it out, I hear a voice. Likely coming through a speaker somewhere but I don't know where.

"Hello child. Are you ready?"

I sit up and glance at the camera. Judging on how the voice says child, I know it's Setrákus Ra talking. He must be watching me. I give an angry and hateful look into the lens.

"Ready for what?" I ask with a sneer.

"Why your studies of course," he answers plainly.

I glance at the fat book on the desk. Please. No.

"Studies?" I question fearfully even though I already have a good idea of what he's referring to.

"Correct. You're going to learn the ways of Mogadorian Progress," he says.

"And why the hell would I do that?" I snap.

Without replying, he puts the irritating sound back on, even louder this time. A high-pitched frequency of sound that I cannot block out. My hands fly up to my ears.

After minutes of trying to block out the noise and failing, he increases the frequency in the device. I feel the excruciating sensation of a thousand jolts of electricity zapping in my throat yet again. It hurts like hell.

I get up off the bed, nearly collapsing from the pain and stumbling into the desk. All due to the freshly burned scar embedded into my right ankle, I realize. I can't stand or put any pressure on it.

Only when I smack into the wooden table's edge does the sound get quieter, though only for a moment. It's then where I get the idea.

With a glance at the camera in the corner, then back at the book, I turn to a random page and everything stops entirely. The noise. The pain in my throat from the device. It's nice. Hesitantly, I take a seat in the furnished chair.

I stare at the book, pretending to read. Though my eyes are closed. Thankfully, the camera is in the other direction so he can't see my face. In my own quiet mind, I think.

How am I going to get out of here?
How will I find Ella?
How do we kill Setrákus Ra?
Is John okay?
Why won't Ella respond when I try to communicate with her via telepathy?
Why does Setrákus Ra want me now after torturing me for information in the past?

Every so often, I turn a page so he doesn't get suspicious.

I try to reach John with my telepathy, though he never answers. Neither does anyone else, including Ella. I don't know why. It worries me. It's becoming harder and harder to avoid reading the book. I begin to wonder if my telepathy is working at all.

I try for hours. Until eventually, I have a thought. What if I can find information in the book that is the key to defeating the Mogadorians? Though, it's possible everything in that book is bullshit, maybe I can find a weakness or learn more about him; find something that I can exploit. I know he's just trying to turn me, but I'm not falling for it. I won't end up like Five. I'll forever be loyal to the Loric. I know they are the ones that does what's right, unlike Setrákus Ra who has destroyed an entire planet. I tell myself that this is for the greater good and try to ignore the feeling of doubt inside me.

Flipped to a random page, I take a closer look at what is written. The book is written in both Mogadorian and English – the right being Mogadorian and the left being a translation of what is said. Three words catch my eye immediately.

Written in bold print, I see the words, "Conquer. Consume. Cauterize."

I grit my teeth when I read it. Then continue, hoping this isn't a goddamn waste of time. In other words, hoping I can find anything useful.

"There is no greater achievement for a species than the shouldering of one's own genetic destiny. It is for that reason that the Mogadorian race must be considered the most elevated of all life throughout the universe."

Suddenly feeling immense rage inside me, I stand up in one quick fluid motion, practically throwing my chair backwards. Almost immediately do I feel a slight jolt from the device around my neck. I grit my teeth when I feel it, but the pain is quickly forgotten as I eye the book again.

With one glance at the camera in the corner, I do the only thing my brain can think of. I approach the thick book on the desk and tear out the pages with enough force to get my point across.

Just as I begin tearing the book apart, the device at my neck increases in frequency. I grit my teeth but continue destroying the book's contents. Despite the pain I feel, I smile. I know he probably has more copies of his stupid book, but right now, I'm just satisfied that I get to destroy one. I plan to destroy a lot more. I want to destroy them all.

Once I'm finished destroying the book and tearing up the pages into unreadable shreds, I take a deep breath to fight through the pain and I smile into the camera. I know Setrákus Ra is watching me, and so I speak coldly, "Your stupid book will meet its end, just like you. I promise."

Silence. Nothing to be heard of except the faint hum from the cold metallic device, it's frequency still high but my being willing to look past the pain it causes.

Until I hear his voice, muffled through the speaker, "You will regret doing that little girl."

"I highly doubt that I will," I say with a sneer into the camera.

This time, I don't get a reply.

My reward is a couple hours of alone time in my room without any pain from the metal ring fixed around my throat. At first, I was happy for it, but as time passed, I grew anxious and paranoid of the consequences. All I can think about is Ella. What's going to happen to her after what I did? What if Setrákus Ra threatens to harm her for my actions?

Again, I try to reach Ella telepathically to see if she's okay, but I never get a response. I don't know why but it bothers me much more. The two of us are telepaths. Why wouldn't it work?

How I wish I could see her now. I want nothing more than to see Ella; to hold her hand; to hug her tight.