Chapter Nineteen

Trapped...

Shyva panicked below; there was only one choice she was left with, to fight for her life. But, she wasn't in the best of health as the blows she had received from her combat with Vakiyv had caused a broken rib and her lack of composure.

They can't stop me; I will retrieve the orb and be returned to my world, a world of good people. I will die before I…

The head of a spear shot through the door, nearly piercing her arm. The spear was pulled out, and Shyva sighed, but immediately, it was plunged deeper, nicking the bridge of her nose, trickles of blood sliding down with ease. The spear was pulled out again, and silence followed after.

To her surprise, there was a pull at the door, ripping it off its hinges. Grinning and snorts followed as hands reached out to pull her out, but she sliced numerous fingers with a flash of her dagger, sending spills of blood and screams everywhere. Shyva was scared, but she wasn't going up without a fight like she had promised herself.

A massive figure with a brawny silhouette blinded the light as she looked above. Shyva cringed, but her predator didn't. He shot her with darts from a pistol: once… twice… and the last before she was knocked out.

Vakiyv had heard a commotion in one of the carriages; he couldn't predict what was happening until he heard a report to Vermeen through the communication system.

"She has been sedated, found her in one of the engine carriages. She didn't leave without a fight. Two warriors were down, their hands sliced."

"Zixcha" Vakiyv yelled, and he was rewarded with awkward stares, but he composed himself. He hadn't lost control in years, and at that moment, it was happening all over again. Gladdened Vermeen wasn't on their vessel because he would have seen to his torture for spiralling out of control, for the same reason he was subjected to torture only days ago…

Ileniyia girl, I have warned you many times: Don't come after me. Why do you think you can fight everyone and win? And with the Red Lords, you can't start a war and expect to win. It was impossible. The algorithm and the foundation of our belief are to destroy. Shyva!! What have you done?!

Vermeen, on his vessel, smiled at the video of Shyva imprisoned. This was leverage, and he knew Nyla would be coming soon for her priced toy.

The vessels passed through the invisible barrier of their world. They descended to their dorks, holding Shyva captive. Vakiyv stood afar, away from Shyva, whose body was dragged by two other male soldiers gripping her arm as she was unconscious.

He pitied her, but if he stayed close, Vermeen would read through his feelings and punish him even more. The better he stayed away, the better he could arrange a plan to get her out of this world. She wasn't meant to be there. To quench the men's lust, to be used as a game in the tournament ring to satisfy pleasure, to be imprisoned until she was no use like the women or the creatures underground who didn't have a life and wouldn't for the rest of their lives. Bound to shackles and gassed in chambers.

Shyva was taken into the torture chamber, a place for the soldiers. Strapped on both limbs as she stood and shook her head slowly, too tired from her torture. Her arms were wide apart, and her feet as well. She was stripped till she was left in her underwear and her slacks. Vakiyv watched as they did such to her. He felt remorse and wished he could take them all down, but he knew better. He couldn't stand to watch, but he had to prove himself to Vermeen.

A blow was thrown to Shyva's face, and she blinked repeatedly, awakening completely to her reality, blood pouring from her lips.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Where you made yourself be, Vermeen spoke to her through his mind.

"You! you! Why are you speaking to me, traitor?" She yelled and pulled her falling head upwards only to see a room of clad warriors with heads appearing more than there were with her distorted mind.

"Let me go." She yelled, fighting her way, but she was bound.

The chamber enclosed her, and the soldiers responsible for her torture flipped a switch, and the chamber reverberated with electric shock. Shyva screamed and felt her organs fry with sharp pains moving through her body.

Exactly how Vakiyv envisioned, a few soldiers were present, and about a dozen fed their eyes. The torture stopped, and she was left to breathe; it wasn't her time to die.

What have you done, Shyva? You are not leaving here after stepping onto our ship. I should have dragged you in your world to a room and locked you in if I had the tiniest inkling of what you might do. You are not getting out of here, Vakiyv penetrated through her mind.

And you think I won't because others have tried and haven't escaped. I will escape this place after I have retrieved what I want. Shyva responded for the first time.

And what will that be?

The orb of the Tuveshis

It's been gone a long time since it left your world.

It doesn't stop me; you all won't stop me.

When will you accept defeat?

I never accept defeat

One reason I can't stay without you, Vakiyv chuckled.

What did you say?

There was silence again.

How do I get out of this world?

Are you calling for my help?

Of course not; I want to get out of here.

You can't.

"Leave," Vermeen ordered the soldiers in the room, and they obeyed without choice. Vakiyv, the last to leave, stood for quite some time, with the urge burning in him to look behind, but he couldn't. He left.

Shyva was hurt that he would leave her to his overseer, who had no respect for humankind, let alone creatures that roamed on their own will. He felt he alone could take charge of all worlds and unite them for his own covetous intentions, to impose power and destroy at his wish, with the orb to perfect all he had worked for, to be a god. That meant he wasn't going to allow anyone, any creature, to get in his way—this meant even Nyla.

Vermeen crossed his arms and clicked his tongue to seize her attention.

"Remember me, Shyva?"

Shyva's defiance wouldn't let her look at the man because she loathed him more for all he had done to deceive and steal.

"The warrior who got caught." He mocked her, stepping closer to the transparent chamber, and Shyva shifted violently, wishing she could tear him apart.

"Unlike me, Nyla has more secrets no one knows except me, of course. I do believe when you hear about it, you'll doubt your loyalty, to begin with, or maybe kill her." He shrugged, feigning being pitiful.

"I will never do that." Shyva spat.

What is he talking about?

"Oh! Look at you."

Shyva drew her brows, curious to know what there was to know.

"Ah! I see I sparked some interest." Vermeen pointed to Shyva's face, "There it is, the desire to know the truth. You deserve it, and I'll tell you. You don't need to owe me anything. I will tell you anyway."

Shyva didn't speak.

"That's my abducted girl," he smirked.

"You know, Nyla and I go way back to when the Earth stood. When we weren't too ambitious building a world for ourselves. Nyla was always beautiful and innocent. Then I left, and she changed. I am pushing her to her limits; she doesn't know it. Nyla has powers. She's stronger than any living creature and hasn't realised how powerful she is yet. Have you all questioned where you were from? Maybe you dropped from the sky?" Vermeen jerked his shoulders, "or she created you; I can guess you have never questioned your existence."

"You were all abducted from your mothers who were tested projects and were left to die somewhere they eventually decomposed and never existed. You were taken, Shyva, just like the rest of your sisters. Many were discarded due to combat and a few tests. Remember Otolyt."

Shyva's thoughts were in disarray. She heard the voice, which was grotesque. There was a little girl who was once like her, but there wasn't a face, just her voice and hands holding her shoulders.

"Shyva!" she called with affection, "I want to leave here one day and live far away from here."

Shyva blinked rapidly, trying to bring the memories back. Still, they were lost from various tests except one: the day Otolyt convulsed, the day she was gone forever.

"You're lying." Shyva screamed with all her might, "I do not understand why you're doing this." Her pulse raced, and her eyes became open to the revelation.

"Am I?"