The Nightscape

Immortality

Lyra thrashed, straining against the bonds and fighting to get free. Panic shot through her, making her heart hammer in her chest and her breaths come in ragged gasps. She had been unsure about immortality when he first brought it up, but after some thinking and reflecting, she may have decided that she wanted to become immortal, but she didn't want it to happen like this. She could hear the others around her, most of them also struggling, aside from the French woman who had already agreed to becoming an immortal. From what she could tell, she had one person to the left of her, and the rest were on her right. She tried to just her hands lose, though she was sure it wouldn't matter even if she did. The boy was walking around, humming to himself, so even if she did manage to get herself free she doubted she would get very far. 

Lyra turned her attention to the gag, trying to push it out from beneath her teeth so she could talk. Maybe if she could just reason with him, explain why this wasn't the way to do things, then she could talk him down and get him to let them all go. But would he even listen? He had heard a mere suggestion that they might not want to become immortals, and this was how he had reacted. After being locked away on his own for so long, his mind had been twisted, and Lyra doubted she could reason with madness. 

"It's alright, this will be done with soon, I promise. Just relax and wait your turn." He sang out, coming and kneeling next to the form on Lyra's left, humming to himself. "Alright, Etalia, you're up first." He said cheerily. Immediately, to Lyra's right, she heard a low roar followed by thrashing and banging, Guy trying to get free and stop him from harming his sister. His desperation was palpable in the air around them, and Lyra noticed that Ettie had gone silent and still next to her. Realizing she was the only one close enough to even have a hope of helping the young girl, Lyra began to writhe, twisting so she was laying with her feet pointing towards Ettie. The top of her head was pressed against the side of whoever was next to her, so she could estimate how far away Etalia was. She shifted around to get closer, raising her legs and kicking out at the source of the humming. Her feet made contact with Zidros's side, launching him away from where he had been hovering over Etalia with a yelp. When she heard him hit the ground, Lyra first realised that she might have made a terrible mistake. 

She had acted on instinct, and had done nothing other than piss off the extremely powerful being who currently had her entirely at his mercy. She couldn't stop him from doing anything, and now she had just lashed out and no doubt annoyed him. What was she thinking? Lyra went very still, tears leaking down her cheeks, soaking through the blindfold as she laid motionless, as though he wouldn't notice her. Everyone seemed to have realized that something had just happened, as silence prevailed and the atmosphere dropped. 

"Lyra, why would you do that?" Zidros asked, climbing to his feet and rubbing a hand over the spot where she had kicked him, a blue glow seeping out and healing what little damage had been done. He sounded tearful and confused, like a child who had been struck for no reason, even though neither was true. "I don't understand. I'm not trying to hurt any of you, I'm just trying to help you." He explained, coming and kneeling next to Lyra's head, reaching out and gently stroking her hair despite her flinch. Lyra mumbled through the gag, hoping he would release her so she could try and talk him down, but he didn't. 

"Maybe you were jealous of Etalia going first? Do you want to be the first one to become immortal? That would make a lot of sense. Well, alright then. I'll change you first. I'm honestly just glad you've been able to see sense. Come on, let's get started." He said, slowly reasoning himself out of anger. The initial wave of relief she felt was short lived as he made it clear she would be the first to be made immortal, she would be the first human guinea pig. Sure, she'd prefer it be her over the younger Etalia, but that didn't mean she wanted it at all. 

He grabbed her under the arms and dragged her away from the others with ease, clearly not willing to risk anymore interference with his process. Lyra was struggling to breath now with the panic, fighting to get free even though she knew, in her heart, it was too late. Zidros either didn't notice her struggles and fear, or didn't care. When he put her down, she tried to roll away, only to realise she was between his legs and a wall, utterly trapped in. She could hear Anya somewhere to her left, kicking and banging against the floor as muffled howls came from behind her gag, no doubt full of threats and curses and insults.