Chapter 5: The Selection
The awakening was brutal.
A blinding light burned his eyelids. The Mute opened his eyes slowly. His muscles were heavy, numb, and a dull ache pulsed in his chest and limbs. He blinked, trying to understand where he was.
Around him, the scene was tinted a dreadful shade of red. Luminous orbs hung from the ceiling, casting harsh light on the floor, walls, and alchemical instruments lined against the walls. The air reeked of burned herbs concoctions, meant to purify the place... or to mask the rot.
Other children were still asleep, some moaning softly, others holding their trembling hands on their knees, eyes closed as if trying to chase away reality. The Mute recognized Lina, her black hair framing her pale face. Further away, Jem was curled up, jaw clenched, brows furrowed in a mix of fear and pain.
But Rash... Rash was nowhere to be seen.
The Mute furrowed his brow. A bad feeling twisted his guts.
Then suddenly, a massive door slammed open.
A cold draft made everyone shiver. A silhouette appeared in the doorway: a tall man, pale complexion, thin, wearing the same white coat as yesterday, his features severe and expressionless. His black eyes swept across the room.
The Professor.
A shiver ran through the child. Nobody moved in the room. The children slowly sat up, some rubbing their eyes, others lowering their heads as if they wanted to disappear.
— You are finally awake.
His voice was calm, cold, relentless.
— It's time to understand what awaits you.
The Mute felt a huge weight in his chest. He frowned, gathering his strength to listen.
— Some of you are no longer here.
Silence. Then a tremor, as if the air itself was shivering.
— They did not survive the first injection. Their fragile bodies couldn't withstand it.
He paused, his gaze lost in the void.
— Your young friend, the strong one, Ra... Raze, I can't remember, is among them.
A hammer blow. Brutal. Harsh. Final.
Lina suddenly raised her head.
— Rash?? You're talking about Rash? What? No... No... NO!
She stood, faltered. Her eyes widened, then filled with tears. She staggered towards the Professor, arms trembling.
— You lie! He was here! YOU LIE!
She screamed. A scream from her belly, her heart, her throat torn by pain. She screamed again, and again, until her voice could no longer produce a sound. Jem looked at her, paralyzed, eyes red.
The Professor did not flinch.
A guard, massive and silent, stepped forward. He raised his hand.
And struck Lina in the face.
She fell flat, like a rag doll. A sharp sound rang out. Silence fell again, crushing. Only her half-stifled sobs could be heard, mixed with panicked breaths.
— Anyone who succumbs to emotion is dead weight, said the Professor in a glacial tone. This world doesn't need burdens.
He took a few steps.
— You have been chosen for your potential. For your resistance to the injection. We have infused you with a fraction of the energy of a Fragment. This power is unstable. Dangerous. And it demands a price.
He stopped, looking at the children one by one, as if sizing up their worth.
— This kid, along with others, has failed. Like many before him. And like others after you.
The Mute felt his heart race. A quiet rage rose within him. He clenched his fists but did not move. Lina, on the ground, was curled up.
Jem cried silently, lips bitten until they bled.
The Professor continued:
— From today, you will be tested. Strength. Endurance. Resonance with the Fragment. Those who resist will progress. The others... will disappear.
The blackened iron double doors creaked open. More guards appeared.
— The trial begins now.
The Mute cast one last glance at Lina. She was no longer crying. Her eyes were empty. Dead.
He stood up with a painful motion.
Jem briefly took his hand.
— We'll make it, he whispered with a forced smile, full of sadness.
But the Mute said nothing. Because deep inside, something had just broken.
And something else... darker... was born.