Chapter 41

Eve was a curious human being.

He roamed around the room, peeking into empty cabinets, hoping to stumble upon something, anything related to Alpha. He himself doesn't know what exactly he's after, just an unexplainable urge to find out more about his roommate. He couldn't get to ask any questions while Alpha was here, so now he wanted to find some answers on his own.

He suddenly thought about Alpha and how strange it is for him to have such a hold over his mind and heart, even though he knew Alpha was nothing but a devil in disguise yet he couldn't help getting lured right into that trap.

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him.

After not finding anything and feeling tired, he plopped down onto the bed. The chill from the cold mattress seeped into his skin making him shudder; it reminded him of the cold he felt whenever his skin brushed against Alpha's. Just this cold doesn't make his heart race and gives a giddy feeling in his stomach like Alpha's cold does.

It was messed up, he knew that, but he couldn't help the way he felt, no matter how hard he tried to deny the developing feelings he had for Alpha, his sole tormentor.

Startled, he jumped up as he realised he was trapped by his feelings, and shouldn't think like this. He got up quickly and shook his head, telling himself that he doesn't have feelings for Alpha. How could he like him after all the cruel things Alpha did to him?

He decided to leave the room, but when he tried to open the door, it didn't open. The doorknob wouldn't budge, he panicked and saw horrors as he tried to force it open. Trying again and again, it still didn't open. His grip loosened, stumbling back, he stared at his dorm through the mirror, his heart pounding, and fear gripping him when he realised that he was stuck and trapped in a way with no way out.

It was at that moment he realised that while he knew how to open the mirror from the outside, he was unaware of how to exit. 

And to add to his misfortune, the only person who knew about the mirror room was Alpha, who won't be returning for the next six days.

 * * *

River's breath came in heavy huffs, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he practically threw Sage inside their dorm.

"Ouch!" Sage cried out as he stumbled to regain his balance. "River, what the fuck?! Why are you tossing me around? Have you lost your goddamn mind?" he asked, rubbing his arm where it hit the wall.

River clenched his fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip. He looked on the verge of losing his shit, lost in his own thoughts, and struggling to make sense of his messed-up emotions.

Sage's confusion deepened as he observed River's agitated movements. Suddenly, River's burning eyes fixed on Sage. His lips parted, but words seemed too heavy to escape his mouth, leaving him struggling to find a coherent explanation.

Seeing Sage's fearful expression, River inhaled deeply and reached out hesitantly, his trembling hand cupping Sage's face. The touch was surprisingly gentle despite the anger on his face. "Promise me," River implored in a deadly whisper, his eyes searching Sage for reassurance. "Promise me you'll stay away from that bastard."

Sage's confusion increased even more. He thought River was simply being jealous again. He opened his mouth to tease River, but the genuine fear he saw in River's eyes silenced him. His heart clenched, and his throat tightened.

"River, why are you–"

"Promise me, Ziggy!"

"I-I promise," he said softly. "But please tell me what's happening to you. Why are you reacting like this? Do you know him? You're scaring me–"

"Urgh!" He stopped when River groaned and ran a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling.

"Come here," Suddenly, River's arms engulfed him in a tight embrace, catching Sage off guard. He could feel River trembling against him.

"Are you alright?" he murmured, running a soothing hand up and down River's back. River rested his head on Sage's shoulder, resembling a giant puppy sulking at its owner.

While Sage pondered what had triggered this reaction and what River might be hiding behind his panicked demeanor, he also wondered why Nick's words seemed to hold such power over him. Sage racked his own memory, trying to recall if he had met Nick, but nothing came to the surface. It was as if Nick's claim of knowing him from his past didn't fit into the puzzle of Sage's history.

River's arms slowly released their tight hold, and he stared at Sage with anxiety and desperation. "Never leave the dorm without me again, got it?" he warned, their faces inches apart, their breaths mingling.

River appeared almost frantic, and Sage could only nod, even though he lied to River. 

"I can't lose you. I won't let anyone hurt you," River repeated before pressing his lips against Sage.

An hour later.

The evening was quiet, and River lay asleep, his arms securely wrapped around Sage. Sage's eyes fluttered open, his body nestled against River's. He gently unwrapped River's arms from around his waist. His heart raced as River stirred slightly. Holding his breath, he waited for River to settle back into slumber. Once River's breathing steadied, Sage carefully extricated himself from River's embrace.

He got out of bed, his gaze lingering on River's sleeping form. With a final glance, he turned away and tiptoed toward the door, gently closing it behind him.

Walking through the empty hallway, Sage narrowed his eyes, ensuring he wouldn't be caught, and stiffly made his way to his destination– the principal's office. It was around 8, which meant the office must be closed. He needed to return by 9 before the lights went off.

As Sage approached the office door, tension knotted in his stomach. His fingers wrapped around the cold metal handle, his breath catching as he tried to turn it. As expected, the door remained locked, denying him access.

He groaned and bit his lip in frustration. Time was running out, and he needed to get Eve's file before Alpha returned. The guilt he felt whenever he saw Eve, he didn't want to feel that, he just wanted to be done with it.

Quickly scanning the hallway, Sage began to lose hope. But then his eyes landed on a window. He hurriedly approached the window, praying it wouldn't be locked like the door. With a sigh of relief, he found the window unlocked.

Carefully pushing the window open, wincing at its faint creak, he slipped through it, his movements cautious as he landed in the office.

The office appeared typical, with desks neatly arranged, shelves holding a multitude of files, and the soft glow of a desk lamp casting its light. But Sage could feel the spookiness in the environment, yet he decided to ignore it. 

His heart pounded as he surveyed the room, feeling anxious. He knew he had to find Eve's file, but the sheer number of files and documents seemed overwhelming.

Taking a tentative step forward, Sage's fingers traced the edges of a row of file folders. Each one seemed ordinary, containing mundane records of student activities. He searched through them but found nothing useful. Just when he was about to lose hope, his fingers brushed against a file that felt different– its cover was a deep shade of red.

Intrigued, he pulled it out, but a sudden noise shattered the silence, causing him to jump and his breath to hitch. Shit! 

But it was just a rat. He let out a shaky exhale as the rat crawled and halted before him, its tiny eyes fixated on him. He frowned but decided to ignore it and returned his attention to the red file in his hands.

Opening it revealed a collection of papers, each page holding a student's personal information. Sage's eyes scanned the pages, but he didn't find Eve's information. Disappointed, he considered closing the file when a thought struck him.

He began to read through the details, skipping a few lines here and there, and searching for any clues that might lead him to Eve's information. But the information he read about a few students made him confused and nervous. It seemed anything but ordinary. His heart raced, and his brow furrowed when he finally found what he was looking for:

Subject: 1010

Name in Sunford: Eve

Original Age: 26

Age in Sunford: 19

Identity Taken: Younger brother who died of mysterious circumstances.

A chill crept down Sage's spine as he read the words, struggling to process their meaning. 

Why is Eve referred to as a "subject"?

Questions stirred through his mind. What did these numbers signify? And the mention of Eve taking on the identity of a deceased younger brother– what did all of this mean? Does…Eve killed his brother? 

His fingers tightened around the file, his breath hitching in his throat. The unease in the pit of his stomach deepened. It was as if he had stumbled upon secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. The secrets that shouldn't be discovered at any cost.

As Sage's gaze moved down the page, he realized there was no photograph of Eve, unlike the other students' files. They all have photos. 

He read some more students and everyone seemed to have similar representation. But he was unable to understand why a school kept details in this strange and weird way.

"Why can't I find River's details?"

His hands shook slightly as he turned the pages, his eyes scanning for more information. And then, with a hesitant breath, he saw his own photo.

Subject: 5001

Name in Sunford: Sage

Original Age: 29

Age in Sunford: 21

Identity Taken: Sage Parker, who committed suicide along with his two siblings after jumping in front of a car.

Progress: The memories from Sage Parker are working well on Subject 5001. The subject seemed to be coping well with the transmitted memories and showed no signs of remembering his original memories.

Sage's world spun as he read his own information, his mind stopped working. His hand flew to his mouth to stifle the horrified gasp that threatened to escape. A single tear slipped down his cheek, his head throbbing as the weight of the disclosures fell on him. The words on the page felt like a cruel joke.

"W-What the hell…what the hell is this?! I'm not dead and so are my s-siblings. They are not dead…r-right?"

He barely noticed as the file slipped from his trembling hands, his fingers pressing tightly against his lips. His chest tightened, grief, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of fear began to eat him. 

But his shock was abruptly shattered as the doors burst open, the sudden noise causing him to jump so high his soul left his body. "Raise your hands!"

His eyes widened in terror as he turned around and the sight left him paralyzed in a moment of heart-pounding fear. At the speed of light, he was surrounded by an ominous group of men in red suits. Many guns were pointed at him causing him to thrust deeper into the horror he was feeling.

A siren suddenly pierced through the air, deafening him. It sent current waves through his entire body as if the siren was some kind of alarm.

"Well, Well, what do we have here?" The principal showed through the entrance.

"The guards are waiting to shoot the subject, sir," A guard said.

Sage gulped the thick lump of dread in his throat, his palms grew clammy, and his entire body trembled.

The principal's gaze scanned him from head to toe, his scrutinizing eyes like lasers that pierced through Sage. Suddenly, he smirked and drew closer to him, the principal's finger touched under his chin and made him look into his eyes. "No, not yet. First, call the doctor and inform him that his birdie had flown from the cage."

"Sure, sir."

"Tie him and take him to down ward," he ordered while picking up the rat toy which had a camera in it. 

Sage's legs wobbled, and all his thoughts were filled with chaos. "Let me go!" he cried and fought, but soon his head was covered with a black cloth and everything turned dark, just like his life. His hands were tied behind his back.

"Fucking, let me go! Where are you taking me, and who are you all?!" The journey to down ward was about five minutes. He was dragged, ignoring all his crying.

"Stand him there and ready the dose," Sage heard with a thumping heart. A faint creak of a door hinge reached his ears, followed by the hushed cadence of footsteps that pierced through the silence.

"Oh, look, the Doctor's here," the principal said. "I feel like you're pretty useless, neither you could kept a good eye on Alpha and neither on your roommate."

"What's the meaning of all this, principal? Why did you bring him here?" Sage heard a voice that raised goosebumps on his entire body. His heart skipped a beat because it was a voice he knew all too well, a voice that he hears every minute and closer than anyone else.

"Don't lose your temper so soon, doctor. You should know what your dear roommate was doing. The lab reports were in his hands when we caught him."

Silence. Which was scarier.

Sage heard the footsteps coming near him. And all of a sudden, the cloth was aggressively lifted from his face.

Tears instantly filled his eyes when he saw River standing before him with an indifferent expression.

"R-River–ah!" but before he could even speak, the sound of a rough slap made his ears ring. The sudden slap from River messed up his senses even more.

When he looked back with his cheek hurting, he almost couldn't recognize River. River was panting insanely, his eyes were red and burning, jaw tightened. Sage wanted to cry because he had never seen this much anger and hatred towards him in River's eyes. The sight was painful yet frightening.

Suddenly, he winced when River's sudden grip on his hair forced him to meet his gaze. "I fucking told you not to leave the room or do something stupid.." His voice was cold, but Sage could see the pain in his eyes which broke his heart.

"I-I..don't even know what I did wrong," Tears fell from his eyes, but for the first time, River didn't wipe them. "River…I'm s-scared.."

"You should be. Because you have seen something you shouldn't have, not you, and not anyone in this school," Sage could see everything breaking in River while he said those words, he could feel River trembling. He brought his face closer to Sage. "You shouldn't have done this, Ziggy. Now see, what you have got not only yourself but me as well into."

Words couldn't describe what Sage felt in that moment, he didn't know what he would believe, the pain he was feeling or the misery on River's face.

Suddenly, River backed away and glanced at the guards who were silently watching their doctor talking to a subject rationally when he never even cared for other subjects.

"Get the machines ready," River yelled as he instructed while his indifferent gaze never left Sage. "Three of you stay near Alpha and the rest start the machines."

Sage's trembling eyes only now noticed Alpha who was sleeping on a steel bed, tubes attached to his head and chest. His confusion was tenfold. 

"You will learn your lesson today," The doctor, River Palmer, announced to his subject, 5001.

________________

Thoughts on the chapter? 

So, my little confused human beings, any theory on what's going on? 

River is the doctor who's here to deal with Alpha. Did anyone have any idea or guess? Or this shocked you? 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this sweet and small chapter. 

See you in the next chapter. 

~Rain