Trapped Soul

Miya and Jesse walked silently beside one another, their minds dwelling on the information just relayed to them. Miya seemed scared, her lips shifting uncontrollably as Jesse remained unfazed, at least on the outside.

Inside, she too was conflicted on their next course of action. It was her first mission with the force, but her confidence from before had been cut in two, following their talk with Dola who seemed not on her wit's end but reaching a point where her wit was insignificant. This, followed by the nerves of the mission itself, tore at them both from the inside, but they were determined to fight through this agony to help Dola.

They looked toward each other and without a word, nodded toward each other in a newfound respect of not only each other, but the situation they were in. The bleak, white walls of the police department became a bit less so, and they were able to confidently walk together toward this goal.

"Dola! Dola!!!"

Screams echoed throughout the halls, stopping both of them in their tracks. The source of the sound came from a gated room with a male guard in a police uniform standing with his back against the wall adjacent to the door. Their face was hidden by the shadow of his hat, and his expression never faltered, no matter how much the man inside the cell screamed.

"I'm hungry, Ms. Dola!"

Jesse approached the officer, and his head slowly narrowed onto her form. Jesse's authoritativeness didn't phase him, and he remained off guard as her hands moved with her speech.

"What's going on, dude?"

"Inmate won't eat unless Dola personally feeds him. He's been at it on-and-off all night and through the day. I suggest you just ignore him for now; he'll be going on for a good thirty minutes."

Jesse peeked through the glass window of the cell, revealing a small man with black hair and dark, green eyes with a pupil and iris. His short, scruffy hair was unkept, but Jesse didn't expect much different, having no idea how long he'd been in the cell. Still, something didn't sit right with her, and her attention returned to the guard on duty.

"What's a prisoner doing in the police department itself?"

"Beats me, but Dola reinforced the idea, ingraining it into our skulls since morning. My best guess is he's too mentally unstable to be released and hasn't been sentenced yet, so they're holding 'im here."

The inmate continued whining, his limbs locked by the straightjacket around his body. Suddenly, his eyes darted toward Jesse, startling her.

"You! Do you think you could bring Dola here?! I'm so hungry-- I haven't done anything wro--"

The guard slammed his fist against the cell door, generating a thud that shook Miya and Jesse's bodies thoroughly. He screamed toward the inmate, his voice echoing throughout the long hallway.

"We brought you food hours ago, and you've yet to fucking eat it! Chief Dola will not treat you like a child!"

His passion surprised Miya and Jesse, a genuine anger seeping through his voice as his eyes became glossy, holding back tears. The way the inmate made a mockery of Dola's name enraged him, and his devotion to protecting her name was made apparent. Miya thought to herself as the guard began calming himself down, trying to drown out the sound of the inmate who continued to sob inside the cell.

'Dola is so important to so many people... We can't let her down.'

...

"Right this way, you three. She's been very... active this morning."

Miya, Jesse, and Tori walked through the hospital's packed hallways, dodging the oncoming traffic with the nurse that led the way. Miya recognized the nurse, even though her body was completely covered in sanitation wear. She'd taken care of her when she'd passed out a week prior, and the sight of her brought a smile to her face although she hadn't spoke with her long. The nurse spoke while facing forward, her pen wildly carving a checkbook that lie in her right hand.

"The doctor assigned to her has had trouble dealing with her zombie-like state, but through his power, he has been able to soothe her body, if not her mind. I'm sure that with your power, Ms. Miya, you can uncover something about why this is happening."

"Me?"

"Yes, you... We're here. I ask that you all be patient with both the doctor and patients. They've been through a lot since last night's occurrence. The police won't tell us anything about what happened, so we've been at a loss."

They stopped in front of the door, the nurse holding the checkbook on the inside of her elbow and leaning against the door. Tori, Miya, and Jesse stood at attention, ready for her to speak, as the buzz of the busy hospital began to fade away immediately until only the nurse's voice remained. Miya could see the dark aura of the nurse destroy the sound waves surrounding them in an almost frightening manner. Tori and Jesse seemed unaware of this phenomenon, making Miya finally understand the differences between the specialized ability classes.

"The adolescent patient's name is Nyssa Verger, and she shares a room with her mother, Ann Verger. Ann has been in a comatose state since this past night, when Chief Dola forwarded their care unto us herself. Nyssa has remained unresponsive throughout the night, and we've been unable to get her to sleep, no matter what medicine we try to give her. She desperately needs sleep, or else her state might worsen, her body struggling to keep up with not only the physical strain but the mental."

Miya interjected, careful not to come across as rude.

"So, you want me put her to sleep, correct?"

"Please... The doctor should be able to take care of her from there."

Miya's determination was halted by something, and it shown to those around her. They allowed her to continue gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"I-- I have something I must desperately inform you of beforehand. It could mean failure if not taken care of..."

...

Miya passed the unconscious woman, the sleep energy exuding from her wild and crazed, but she knew it wouldn't harm her. Sitting straight with light, dead eyes was the young girl, Nyssa, a man with a black suit standing before her with sanitation gloves and a mask covering his face. He stood like a statue, his eyes trained on Nyssa as Miya approached the white curtains, ajar enough for the four entering to see through. She instantly recognized the man to be Fable, but she thought nothing of it, having seen him volunteer as doctor numerous times before. Still, Nyssa's state saddened her, and her body looked as if completely awake yet wishing to sleep.

Miya instinctively walked toward her, and Tori and Jesse followed closely, matching each step perfectly. The nurse stood by the curtains, placing her checkbook on the marble table beside the opening as she watched Miya closely. As Miya stood above Nyssa, her eyes trailed down her body, pitying the young girl's horrible state.

She wore a spring high-school uniform, a dress jacket over her formal, white shirt with a green tie. Under the bed's sheets, she could she her striped skirt, a pretty green that complemented the highlights in her hair. Her soft, brown eyes reflected the powerful light of Miya's, and her face nearly mimicked her's, her face dainty with no blemishes.

Their resemblance only made Miya pity her more, but she had to help her. She slowly reached her hand toward Nyssa until it went through her head and Miya's head slumped. However, she remain standing, her hair slowly rising by the second and taking up as much space in the room's air as it possibly could. Tori and Jesse stepped backward as Miya's aura flew about the room before her head suddenly jerked toward them, sending them into the world of dreams instantly with her powerful gaze.