Zèro

Chapter 10: Phase 1

Azura's head was still pounding when she gained consciousness. All the events that had occurred some time ago rushed back into her head as she winced in pain. Her body was throbbing with pain which was probably because of falling down the tunnel-like slide. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. The blurriness slowly faded away and she saw that she was with three other people. They were in a dimly lit room with blue lights fixated on the ceiling. She noticed that all of them were seated on metal chairs with their arms and legs strapped to their respective chairs. She was with Akiko, Matias, and Caylus and none of them seemed to be conscious but they didn't seem to be dead either. Her gaze traveled to their heads and arms and then to her own as she saw some wires attached to her body which were connected to some machine behind each of their chairs.

Her throat was parched and her knees were slightly bruised. Was this the end? Is this how we are gonna die? I can't see Zenon and Bladex...I hope they are fine. She quietly thought to herself as she continued to scan the room for anything else. She hoped to find some hint so she could escape and help the others as well.

"Wh-where is this.." She turned to see Akiko who seemed to be slowly regaining consciousness. Her forehead had a cut from which a thin trail of blood slowly trickled down her face. She looked weak. The fall must have done much more damage than what Azura could assume considering Akiko's small body.

Caylus and Matias also started moving as they opened their eyes as well.
"What the hell.." Matias muttered in his usual deep, icy tone.
"I want to know that as well," Azura said when suddenly a virtual screen opened up in front of them.

Welcome, dear Specials. I am sure you all are surprised by the sudden turn of events and the strange smell that has been surrounding you for a while now. Do not worry, it will get worse. There is no chance of escaping the room so refrain from trying if you do not wish to succumb to death before your time. Right now we are going to have some fun. I'm going to open up your tiny little heads and unravel all of the darkness and evil you hold inside. This will be fun. Let us go now...inside the deepest and darkest chambers of your heart.

The words that were being displayed on the screen made no sense to anyone. Was it Mr. X who was behind this? Or was it entirely someone else? Azura, Caylus, Matias, and Akiko stared at the screen trying to make sense out of the words in front of them. At that moment, the purple translucent gas they had encountered in the beginning was slowly released from the ceiling vents and in a matter of a few moments, the gas had covered the entire room. The smell was so strong this time and everyone was beginning to feel lightheaded once again.
"Who...are..y-you..." Azura breathed before she blacked out again.

Akiko opened her eyes again but this time, she did not feel any pain surging across her body. There were no straps around her hands and legs and she was not tied to any metallic chair. The strange smell, however, still lingered in the atmosphere but it was very faint. She looked around and was suddenly surprised when she found herself in a familiar place.

She was standing in the hallways of her elementary school. Familiar faces walked past her but no one seemed to notice a strange girl standing amongst the crowd. She walked up to her classroom and her eyes widened when she saw herself sitting in a corner in the back of her class. Her clothes were plain and boring, her eyes had the dead look that she used to have in her childhood and her desk was covered in garbage and it seemed someone had dumped it on her desk. That's right. Akiko clenched her fists tightly as she realized where she was. She was back. Back to the time where people did not see her, nor did they acknowledge her presence. The time when people used her as a place to cool off their anger. Beating her up, playing mean pranks on her, throwing her into the water, and many other worse things for no apparent reason. She was too unfazed for them and that annoyed them more. They were pissed because, unlike their other victims, she did not wail and beg for forgiveness, she did not do as they told her to and simply walked past them when she ran into her in the hallways of their school. It annoyed them because she did not care about what they did.