Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 24: A Dream You Can (Not) Attain

July 28, 4021 18:17 [Matriarch 04- Aegypius Lab]

How long had it been? Hours? Days? Staring up at the surgical light as masked figures dissected him piece by piece, Indra wondered what it would be like to crush their skulls under his foot. He figured it would be a cathartic experience, a smile creeping up his face. One of them paused for a moment, hesitating after catching a glimpse of his expression. Indra had been strapped to an operating table, presumably within a hospital or a lab of some sort. The air was cold and sterile; the sharp scent of antiseptic wafted around the room.

The once agonizing pain he had felt as they sawed into his bone to collect samples had become a dull discomfort in the back of his mind. They had taken tissue out of one eye, leaving him partially blind. Sections of his skin and pieces of his hair had been carefully cut away. Vials of blood, plasma, and bone marrow had been extracted, placed in a rack on the instrument table beside him. Scalpels and other surgical equipment lay inches away. Which one should I use to slit their throats? Indra scowled, looking confused. Why can't I get up? Never mind, I'll sink my teeth into their necks as they approach me. I want to watch as they writhe in agony, nice and slow. He turned to his right; a golden dagger had been pierced through his palm, pinning him to the table. It seemed to act as an anchor, sapping him of all strength. What was it made of?

A seething rage boiled within as he lifted his head to glare at the one-way mirror that peered into the room. I'll make them pay. He tried calling for Usha, urging the Siren to come out. Yet, there was no response. Is it the dagger? The door to the surgical room suddenly swung open. A regal-looking man stepped through, accompanied by a woman dressed in military attire.

Kǔ Shén smiled smugly. "How are you doing Indra, my boy? Are these accommodations to your liking?"

Indra grinned, viciously fighting against his restraints to get at the Director, his shackles keeping him tightly bound to the table.

"Ah, you still have so much energy. That's good to see. I wonder, is that you or the Siren? You were so mild-mannered when we first met. I suppose it doesn't matter now, does it? You've managed to merge with one another. I think we've gotten enough samples, haven't we?" he said turning to one of the masked figures.

They nodded curtly, measuring out a syringe before sticking it swiftly into Indra's neck. Indra grit his teeth glaring murderously at Kǔ Shén.

"Don't worry, you're done for now. Of course, we'll need you to come back if we need more material to study. This is just a safety precaution so you don't kill my staff once you're let out. If it were me I'd free you right away." He leaned in close. "I'd wager you wouldn't be able to lay a single finger on me as you are right now." He pulled back swiftly as Indra snapped his teeth at him.

Kǔ Shén laughed, amused. He left the room, followed by the woman who gave Indra a light smirk just as she passed through the doorway. I'll kill them all. I swear. Every last one of them. No chain will ever bind me again. Again? Indra's vision became blurry as his eyelids drooped. Whose thoughts were these? A muddled mess of emotions clouded his mind, overwhelming him as he tried to sift through an endless barrage of rage and sorrow. What is this? Usha? Still, there was no answer, and Indra's mind slipped into unconsciousness once more.

***

Indra awoke to an empty room, save for a single guard. The guard sat in a chair next to his sick bed, ironclad in pure black Sanitation Gear, an insignia with the head of a crow emblazoned on his left shoulder. A helmet with a gas mask attached shrouded his face. A subjugator rested against the wall beside him. Indra sat up, adjusting his gown, wincing as he put pressure on his hand. His wounds had been patched up and tightly wrapped with a generous amount of gauze. However, dark splotches still bled through the bandaging. He picked at his eyepatch; the itch was almost unbearable.