CHAPTER SPECIAL III: Veltos

Jordan stroked back her hair behind her ear before taking a swig of her shot. Her face was reddened with drunkenness, and her eyes fell lustfully on the man in front of her whose snow-white hair with occasional purple strands twisted around his finger. The man's skin was an angelic white with hints of subtle pink. The man looked gorgeous, but stared boredly at his drink with distaste. What she would give to make him hers. But first, it was time to test the waters.

"And what do you think, Vel? Anything else we could do as a group? I know you've got some pretty good ideas! I can't believe it's only been a day since we've met…" five others were with them, all tired out since the myriad of activities they burned through on their day off "or should we split off… it's been a long night, why don't we all go home? I'm feeling a little worse for wear, can someone help me get home?" Her voice was followed with silence intentionally. Her friends were aware of what she was doing, but didn't want to get involved in her shenanigans.

"What about you, Vel? Do you want to take me home?"

The man's eyes drifted up to hers with a piercing stare unlike any other. Such beautiful violet eyes… Does he usually wear colored contacts? Either way, it matched his hair and dress to perfection. Those eyes were intimidating, forceful, seductive, and enchanting. They sent shivers down her spine. She loved the way this man looked. The violet-eyed man cracked a smile. Was she sensing things, or did a flash of something grotesquely unfamiliar shoot through her mind like a needle for a split second before disappearing as quickly as it came?

"Sure!" The man calmly stated. His eyelids dropped softly as he said it.

"You know, why don't I come with you? Just to keep you guys company" Melony piped in, keeping an eye out for her friend. They were besties, after all.

"Ugh, fine, Mel. You can come too…"

And with that, they left for the entrance. As the group stepped out into the cold wintery air, Jordan shivered as she looked up at the new moon. The stars glowed ever so dimly as the orange-tinted street lights radiated halos and soft light beams inside the haze of drifting fog. She said her goodbyes as she and Mel split off to go alongside the man. They glanced behind the man's back as they walked, subtly using nonverbals to talk with each other. Jordan didn't want Mel getting in her way, but Mel continued to follow them, ensuring Jordan of her good intentions. They were far down that lamp-lit street when Vel stopped suddenly. With a smooth turn, he glared at Melony with disdaining eyes.

"Go back to the others later in the night. Tell them that you killed this woman, and that no one will find her body. Your focus from now on will be this task alone."

The words escaping the violet-eyed man's mouth shook Jordan to her core. What did he mean by that? He was still standing here! What was he planning to do, saying something like that… Mel would never even consider following that! Aside from the boredom she saw on his face a while ago, this man had only been kind and considerate the entire night and had radiated a comforting charisma. He was smart, clever, and always knew what to say. She admired him for this trait, too! This was a joke, right?

His eyes.

This wasn't the person she met. She turned to Mel, the frightened look in her eyes begging for help.

"Mel-" She voiced nervously. But Mel's eyes did not lock onto hers. It was as if she was being ignored. After a few seconds, Mel turned back the way they came, and started walking. "Me-"

"Be quiet," Vel sneered, annoyed at the squeaky-voiced woman, "and come with me."

Her muscles locked uncontrollably, keeping her lips in check. As her body stepped forward, she was dumbfounded. What was this feeling? She was walking with him both with and against her volition. As if certain parts of her brain were bickering amongst each other. Her new, complex brain said no, but her old, primal brain screamed YES.

YES

YES

no.

YES

YES

YES was the overwhelming majority, it overpowered her brain, it overpowered her will.

The new brain is no match for the old's primary functions. Fear clouds judgment, and anger does too. Fight or Flight. That is the weakness the eyes exploit.

She was not a puppet on strings, no. She was infected with a mental parasite, one that collapsed her judgment and made it his own, its own. She could only drown in the figment of her own imagination as she walked with the man. Morbid fantasies, Morbid expectations. Her mind raced as thoughts like a kaleidoscope ran in her head all at once. Mel, help me. Mel, please turn around and save me. Mel, this man is going to kill me. Mel… I'm scared. All of her thoughts concluded into one single notion as the last spark of her conceivable joy snuffed out and suffocated her mind: All went to hell under those watchful eyes of the Violet-eyed man. Tears streamed down Jordan's tired and emotionless face as the shadows of an alley engulfed them, crossing into obscure darkness.

Time flashed by in an instant to Violetta as it usually does. Days, weeks, months. All measured in the progress of this and his other projects. Before he knew it, he was standing over the operating table with an old frien-

An old subordinate.

He hated that first word. It cried dependency on one another. This "Lone Violetta" had no dependencies. He was the leading researcher of this "Foundation", as the few that knew about it liked to call it. It was all him. He made these walls, these experiments, these creatures known as extinction units. It was his will through other people's bodies that made this possible. Without him, all of this would never have existed.

As he looked down at the failed carcass of the woman he never bothered learning the name of, he thought of his other creations. Midnight, you better not fail me, he thought. Show me what you can do with what bland and pitiful power you have. Though you may not be a suitable soldier when facing off against… them, the analysis of your progress will help shape the next generations of extinction units to come. You are but one of the many keys I've planted in this world, Midnight, to unlocking my own vengeful objective. This world is a nice testing ground for the next step before a fateful battle. Then, will the Supreme acknowledge me once again? Next time, surely as equals. Topple a country and gather information, Midnight. That is all you have to do for your contract to be released at last. Or so you think.

Veltos E. Violetta turned to his subordinate.

"A shame. Prepare the X Enigma for extraction, and as always, incinerate the body." Veltos said as he turned his back on the woman's husk. He stepped away with graceful impatience, throwing off his mask and gloves to go dress in his usual attire. But just after he exited the threshold of the room, his subordinate's voice caught his attention.

"Look, sir!" He spouted sharply. The body of Jordan was sitting up, curious, unfamiliar eyes staring deep into his soul, unbothered and unafraid. It moved, but there was no human in that shell. No breath came from her lips, and neither did it seem to display the primordial fight or flight response. A new advancement into an uncontrollable unknown. Violetta's lips widened into a teeth-baring grin as his eyes flashed with the brilliant vibrance of violet displaying his amusement. One thought burst into conception inside Veltos' mind. Compelling.