Chapter 41: Confrontation and Decisions

Within the austere confines of a hospital room, Sakolomé had become the focal point of palpable tension. Doctors and nurses, usually masters of their actions, were now gripped by panic.

Sakolomé screamed, his body contorting under the grip of relentless pain. Foam bubbled at his lips, and his desperate moans filled the room, defying any attempt at comfort.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!"

The usual treatments proved ineffective, each attempt seeming to worsen his condition.

"If this persists, we risk losing this boy!" a doctor alarmed, his face betraying his fright.

"If there's nothing to do? We've exhausted all options, and he's still suffering so much!" replied a nurse, his expression grim.

Countless serums had already been administered, often simultaneously, in a desperate effort to soothe his suffering.

"With all this dose of analgesics, he risks another crisis, even more violent. We may have gotten carried away too quickly, in our desire to stop this pain at all costs!"

Sakolomé, oblivious to these considerations, continued his harrowing lamentations.

"Aaaaarrehhgggg!"

A doctor approached, a syringe filled with a reddish liquid between his fingers. A hesitant glance at Sakolomé, then at the other members of the team, before nodding in agreement.

"This is our last card. If this serum fails, there will be nothing left to do."

Nurses and doctors immobilized Sakolomé, and the doctor injected the serum into his arm. He withdrew the syringe, carefully observing the reaction. Sakolomé continued to suffer, but his cries were less intense.

"Do you think it's working?" asked the doctor, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"This serum is extremely powerful. We use it to sedate mutants. A normal human body would struggle to withstand such a dose!"

A murmur of astonishment swept through the assembly.

"What?"

"If he dies?"

The doctor who had injected the mysterious serum replied with a hint of irony:

"Calm down. A few moments ago, you were ready for anything. And if this boy dies... well, it doesn't matter. He's a prisoner. Here, a rat is worth more than him. Stop playing innocent. Most of the inmates are just guinea pigs to test new vaccines."

An exchange of knowing glances sealed their tacit agreement.

"That's not wrong."

"Yes, you're right."

Their eyes turned back to Sakolomé. His breathing was weaker, his body calmer. He dozed off, fatigue overwhelming him from head to toe.

The doctors monitored his heart rate, which was dangerously weakening.

"He won't withstand this dose. His heart is slowing down. It looks like he's leaving us."

A few nurses discreetly left the room.

The doctor responsible for the injection sighed:

"It's a real shame, such a young boy..."

Sakolomé closed his eyes. His heart rate became imperceptible.

"We're losing him! Let's try to keep him alive!"

The medical team rushed, using all available equipment to revive him. But Sakolomé's heart had stopped beating.

"Sigh. We lost him!" exclaimed a doctor.

"At least he won't deafen us with his screams anymore!"

A doctor took a sheet and covered Sakolomé from head to toe, as is done with the deceased. After which, the doctors left the room, closing the door behind them.

Yet, under the sheet, Sakolomé opened his eyes. He found himself in a strange place. Black clouds swirled in the sky, and gigantic trees rose towards the heavens.

Sakolomé, worried, murmured:

"Where am I?"

He got up and scanned the surroundings.

"Hey! Is there anyone here?"

But his voice was lost in the void.

"It's the first time I've found myself in a place like this!"

He took a step, and the ground fractured into a thousand pieces.

"What is..."

The earth turned into a red mass, resembling blood.

"This is a nightmare!"

Suddenly, the pain inflicted by Grafay's blow overwhelmed him again. He collapsed, screaming and writhing.

"Damn it, what is this?"

A voice echoed in the gray sky:

"Hey, kid!"

Sakolomé, overwhelmed by his suffering, paid no attention.

The clouds gathered and formed an imposing silhouette, horned, muscular, and with red eyes.

Sakolomé contemplated it, struggling to control himself. He gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet.

"Well done, my little one. I always knew there was that iron will in you!"

Sakolomé fell to his knees again, unable to bear the intensity of the pain.

"Get up, come on. You're stronger than that!"

Sakolomé looked up, his face distorted by suffering, his teeth clenched.

"Who... who are you?"

The gigantic silhouette replied:

"You'll know when you're powerful enough to bear my presence. For now, you're too weak."

Sakolomé, surprised, stammered:

"What?"

The silhouette extended its gigantic hand towards him.

Suddenly, a feeling of peace washed over him. The broken ground returned to its normal appearance, and everything went back to the way it was.

"What happened? I'm not in pain anymore!"

Sakolomé got up, smiling with relief. He looked up at the silhouette and asked:

"Did you do that?"

"No, it's thanks to you and me. Look at this place. Do you have any idea where you are?"

"Uh..."

Sakolomé scanned the surroundings, then turned to the silhouette:

"No, I've never seen this place."

The silhouette burst out laughing.

"It's amazing how you still ignore yourself!"

Perplexed, Sakolomé asked:

"What are you talking about?"

"Here, this is your soul!"

Sakolomé widened his eyes.

"My... my soul?"

The silhouette nodded.

"Yes, your soul. Normally, you shouldn't be here, because you haven't transcended your body or your mind. But you have the right to see it, because I allowed you to. The one who hit you reached your soul. That's why the pain was so intense!"

Sakolomé was stunned.

"Wow... So that was it? You're not making fun of me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"So, Grafay hit me directly in my soul... Incredible! I didn't even know it was possible."

"You must learn to absorb this kind of attack, because Grafay only targets that part of you. Since you are not yet a being of soul, the pain is amplified. You are purely physical. His attacks hit your body, and the pain goes back to your mind, then to your soul. This triples the suffering. If I hadn't intervened, you would have died on the spot."

"I don't understand everything you're saying."

"Basically, you have to learn to absorb attacks that touch your body, your mind and your soul, and to inflict similar damage. But since you are purely physical, it will be complicated. I'm going to help you a little. You have already managed to project your energy from your mind, that's good. Even if your consciousness remains in the physical plane, your energy is in the spiritual plane. I'm going to push it a little to your soul, and you'll have to manage the rest!"

"But how? I don't understand anything!"

Then... complete darkness.

Sakolomé woke up, covered with a sheet from head to toe. He removed it and recognized the hospital room.

"It's the room from before, where they were taking care of me!"

He thought back to the strange place where he had been.

"Was it a dream?"

The door opened, and a nurse was stunned to see him sitting on his bed.

"You... you're still alive!"

Sakolomé, perplexed, replied:

"What are you talking about? Did I brush with death?"

The nurse approached and felt him from all sides.

"I can't believe it. It's impossible. Your heart rate was flat!"

"Madam, stop touching me like that!"

The nurse recoiled, shocked.

"I'm coming!"

She ran out.

"She's really weird!"

Sakolomé focused on himself.

"The strange silhouette may not have been a dream. I no longer suffer at all from the pain inflicted by Grafay!"

The door opened again, and the nurse returned with other nurses and doctors.

"Look, he's still alive!" she exclaimed.

The healthcare professionals were all stunned.

"How do you feel, young man?"

"What happened to you?"

Questions flew, incessant.

An hour later, Sakolomé was lying on his bed, lost in his thoughts. There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

The door opened, and Sakolomé smiled when he saw Yuki.

"Yuki, it's you!"

Yuki entered and gave him a smile.

"I heard that your pain has subsided. That reassures me! Sit down."

Yuki took a chair and sat down next to him.

"Where is Grafay?"

"Grafay has been locked up in the hole."

Sakolomé, intrigued, asked:

"What is that?"

"It's a detention place where you are brought in chained, blindfolded. It's dark, and the space is reduced to a phone booth. You spend months there, and some come out traumatized."

Sakolomé worried:

"That means Grafay..."

Yuki shook his head.

"Don't worry about him. It's not the first time he's been there. It doesn't affect him. On the other hand, you should worry about yourself, Sakolomé."

"About me? Why?"

"Grafay will come back to face you, that's for sure. You'll have to be ready, because this time, I may not be able to hold him back."

"I don't want to face him!"

"Sakolomé, do you think you are strong enough to face him? If not, tell me, and I will help you escape."

Sakolomé sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

What should he do? There was no guarantee that he could stand up to Grafay, let alone defeat him.

Outside the hospital, an unusual commotion was taking place. Police officers, weapons in hand, were surrounding someone: Grafay.

"How did you get out of the hole? It's impossible!" exclaimed a policeman.

"Be wise and go back there!"

Grafay, standing, wore a psychopath's smile. The broken chains hung from his wrists. He ignored the threats and replied:

"You speak as if your bullets could hurt me. Feel free, shoot!"

The police officers obeyed without hesitation, opening fire on him.

Grafay's body was shaken by the impacts, but instead of screaming, he laughed heartily.

"This guy is crazy!"

Grafay glanced around and spotted the Monor City prison hospital.

A mischievous smile lit up his demented face.

"I found you, Sakolomé!"

He clenched his fist.

"We're going to have some fun!"

Inside the hospital, Sakolomé was still deep in thought.

"So, Sakolomé, what is your decision?"

Sakolomé sighed again, then announced:

"I'm going to face him!"

Yuki widened his eyes. Suddenly, everything exploded around Sakolomé.

A fist stopped two centimeters from his face. Sakolomé disappeared, and the blow missed its target, demolishing the room.

Sakolomé reappeared outside, with Yuki by his side. He watched Grafay take the shots, indifferent, his elastic fist stretched towards him.

The fist returned to its normal size, and Grafay declared:

"It's over!"

He struck his arms together, creating a shockwave that twisted the firearms.

Fear and astonishment seized the police officers.

"How is this possible?"

"What should we do?"

Grafay stared at Sakolomé.

"I can read in your eyes that you are ready to fight!"

Sakolomé sighed. Yuki touched his shoulder. Sakolomé looked at him, and Yuki nodded.

Sakolomé did the same.

Grafay shouted:

"Yuki, I hope you don't plan to interfere in this fight. Otherwise, you'll be next!"

Yuki replied:

"Don't worry, I won't be your opponent!"

Yuki disappeared and reappeared on the balconies of the prison's administration building. He crossed his arms, a simple spectator.

The balconies were all occupied by prisoners and police officers, who had come to witness the impending battle.

Grafay launched at Sakolomé:

"So, my little Sakolomé, are you ready to die?"

Sakolomé replied, "Bring your ass here Grafay, I'm gonna wreck it!"