Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 26: Paranoia

August 01, 4021 02:27 [Matriarch 04- Room 222]

Indra stared at the ceiling listlessly; all was quiet, save for the soft snores coming from across the room. The low hum of the air conditioning unit created a blanket of white noise as he lay in bed lost in thought. Usha had been silent since the operation. Every time Indra tried to reach him, he was presented with a mental block; a wall of rage preventing him from delving deeper into his Domain. What was more concerning, however, were the faint traces of other emotions that escaped the wall. Fear, sadness, and...guilt? What could be so dreadful as to put those concepts into the heart of a Siren?

Indra didn't have the capacity to unpack the mortifying answer to that question. He had his own problems to deal with. Every night, the same recurring events played out in his dreams: scalpels and needles gutted him open like a fish. Faceless beings in scrubs leaned over him, speaking in tongues as they sewed him back together. The sickly smell of antiseptic lingered all around him, following him everywhere he went. But it wasn't the operating theater in Aegypius Lab that he found himself reliving.

It was always the same place. He remembered saying his goodbyes, following after the Director as he led him to the operating room. Jìguāng placed a stool for Indra's younger self to step on, helping him up onto the sterile table. The surgical team had been prepped and ready to go since early morning. He had been briefed beforehand, introduced to the team, and given a rundown of what the procedure would entail. But the success rate... it worried him. He had said his goodbyes with a smile so that at least he would be remembered fondly when he passed. The risk was too high for him to expect his survival. He could only pray for his sister's safety...

A cough from Emil, still fast asleep, snapped Indra back to the present. The details of his dreams, while fuzzy at points, puzzled him. He frowned. The logistics didn't make any sense. How had all of them survived? Given what the surgeons had told him, at least a few of them should have died that day. It was too much of a coincidence to purport the outcome to chance. Why would they lie?

He shook his head. Did it matter? Why was he questioning all of this now? Wasn't it a good thing that they had all survived? Maybe he was thinking about it too hard, to distract from his current predicament. Regardless, he wished to avoid dreaming, wary of returning to the operating room. Additionally, Indra was uninterested in finding himself submerged within an endless ink sea again, relayed cryptic messages and warnings by an enigmatic being that held little meaning to him. Maybe it was better for the both of them that the wall stayed up for now. He sighed, checking his Nerve Cord for the time. Only a few more hours. Indra would forgo sleep again for the fourth night in a row.

***

"Your hands are shaking."

"Huh? Oh, it's a little chilly in here," Indra said, lifting his head from his plate. They were in the Grand Hall, eating breakfast. He managed a weak smile.

Prasanna's eyes narrowed. "Have you been sleeping okay? I know recovery takes time and all, but it doesn't look like you got a wink last night, or any of the past few nights for that matter."

"It's the painkillers, they're messing with my sleep schedule. I'll be fine once I'm off of them."

She nodded, turning back to her plate, still eyeing him suspiciously. Emil observed them from across the table, raising an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" he signed.

Indra shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'd appreciate it if you two dropped it." An alert on his Nerve Cord saved him from further scrutiny.

"Who is it?"

"It's Chait."

"The tailor?"

"Yeah, he says my DIVE Suit's complete and he wants me to check it out."