Frozen Flaw

The blonde male stepped forward as Overseer Jophiel introduced him. "Ian, Gian-Luca, this is Abel. He'll be joining our experiments starting today."

The two looked at him with curiosity. It was unusual to see a new face around the facility.

"I'm Abel Vaso," his blue eyes glimmered. "I hope to get along with you guys. What are your names?"

"Include your last names too, he likes those," Jophiel said.

"Ian Sedia."

"I'm Gian-Luca Yvox, nice to meet you."

Abel put his hand out. "Nice to meet you too Mr. Yvox," they exchanged a handshake.

Gian-Luca found himself slightly startled through the contact with Abel's hand. It was cold, almost freezing. Like an ice cube or an icicle.

Abel then moved his hand towards the other experimentee. But Ian turned away as if he didn't notice.

"Are we gonna start experiments now?" Ian asked.

"Before you two start, we're going to first induct an ability into Abel. He has yet to gain one." Jophiel turned to Abel. "Is there anything that peaks your interest for an ability?"

Abel wondered. His memories were full of brightness that blinded his eyes. "The sun…" he said faintly.

"The sun?" Ian repeated.

Jophiel froze for a second.

"Yes, back home, or rather, back at my master's home, I'd burn under the hot light of the sun throughout the entire day. I'd work outside in his garden until I dropped asleep at the red sun."

"The red sun?" Ian listened.

"Hey hey," Jophiel loudly snapped his fingers. "Don't listen to what he's saying." He rushed up towards Abel, his back facing the two other experimentees. "You still remember your past?" He whispered.

Abel looked at him as if the question was odd. "Yes…? Why wouldn't I."

"Fuck." Jophiel's heart sank.

Raphael had one job and he couldn't even wipe the new experimentee's memories? Jophiel grunted in his mind.

This isn't good.

He moved in closer to Abel. "Listen Abel, no matter what you remember from your past, whether its a little or all of it, you keep quiet."

Abel nodded. He watched the Overseer who seemed to be in a panic. He found it oddly satisfying seeing a higher authority dwindle down to an anxious state off a mistake.

"Now," Jophiel returned to his normal tone. "Around what part of your body would you like your ability to be based around?"

Abel looked down at his hands. He'd been using them to carry his weight his entire life.

"My hands."

"And how do you want to use them?"

Abel took the time to think. "Like a mirror."

"Like a… mirror?"

"Like a mirror, I want to be able to reflect things. Like reflecting light back towards the sun, I want to reflect any pain, suffering, or unwanted desires, back towards the person it came from," he paused. "There's nothing more satisfying than giving people a taste of their own medicine, and no one is more deserving of pain than the person who first inflicted it."

Jophiel sort of stunned at the words, thought to himself, "Another weird talker like Ian?" He sighed.

"Alright," he held one of Abel's hands to observe it. "Reflecting using your hands…" Jophiel felt his finger tips grow colder. He realized Abel's hand was oddly freezing.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

"No," Abel smiled.

Jophiel took a step back, slightly weirded out. "I'll bring in some Angels for you two to test your abilities," he told Ian and Gian-Luca. "I'm going to take Abel to the Garden to begin his ability-inducting process." And the two left the chamber. Two Seraphim then walked in to keep watch, followed by two Angels to be tested on.

"You can go first," Gian-Luca told Ian. He nodded, and proceeded with his commanding words on the Angel.

Suddenly a banging was heard from behind. Gian-Luca turned around to see Vidia knocking on the window into the chamber.

His heart rate picked up.

"Gula!" She yelled. "Gula! We finished our experiments early today, make sure to come visit my room when you guys are done!" She was pulled aside by Overseer Ariel, continuing back down the hall.

"Your sister?" Ian asked.

Gian-Luca felt panic rise, but took a deep breath to inhibit the anxiety. He turned back towards Ian.

"Y-Yes…" He forced a smile. It was the weirdest Ian had ever seen the six-footer act.

Gian-Luca looked back towards the window in fear thinking she'd still be there, but she wasn't. He sighed of relief.

The two then continued to test their abilities on the Angels provided to them.

Someplace else, an Overseer and a new experimentee were arriving to begin a process.