BROTHERS

Chapter 9

TWO YEARS LATER, 2007

-GEORG'S POV-

Two years have elapsed since the catastrophe. Since our lives had been taken from us. We have all remembered that day. Compared to the twins, Gustav and I had it considerably better; we weren't mercilessly punished for every error we made. We have been partnered with this clan's fighters from the start. Gustav and I were taken in by them, and they trained and strengthened us. We went to courses with Felix too, just to learn the fundamentals and our part in the crazy scheme that Felix, Merlin, and Leonel had in store for us.

Leonel and Merlin were always preoccupied with the guys; we never attended a lesson with them. Felix spent time with every one of us; he proved to be a well-rounded individual. Occasionally, We would get smacked or assaulted in the face. Gustav and I never complained even though our hands would sometimes end up immersed in boiling water if we weren't so fortunate. We were aware that the suffering they endured was incomparable.

But as time went on, we could see each other more often by this point. As a team, we trained together, shared meals, and had nightly breaks. We were all aware of a distinct feeling in the air. Not one of us was the same as the young children we used to be. We all became cold, Bill and Tom most of all. Gustav and I would have been afraid of them if we hadn't known them.

The beating they suffered two years ago altered them in some way. When we were among the soldiers or anybody else besides Gustav and myself, Tom went nearly silent and seldom. His evenings in the chambers grew dimmer. He was no longer able to let out the shouts or screams that you used to hear, only the occasional grunt.

Bill was in the same boat. He'd spent so much time with Merlin, he was pretty good with a weapon. We would frequently discover bean bags and training dummies that had been cut and chopped with knives. There was something sinister about Bill and Tom, and that worried us.

-FELIX'S POV-

We did not stray from our course. Bill and Tom had developed into the men we had so forcefully sculpted and shaped. Their bodies have adjusted to their new lifestyle, and they are truly wonderful and flawless. They were no longer as naive as they once were and were now exclusively concerned with the goal. Both of them were expert fighters and weapon operators; they were killing machines. They were incredibly skilled at handling a knife or firearm in any way they chose.

But I, Merlin, and Leonel were afraid. frightened by the animals we made. We had a breakthrough with the twins two years ago. They at last permitted us to shape them into victorious leaders. We were unaware that we had not only broken them; they lost all sight of humanity.

A dark aura hovered about each of them, but Tom's was the most unsettling. Of all of them, he harbored the greatest hatred. He had a harsh, malicious, and uncaring look. Every time I was in his presence, my body hair stood on end. He reveled in the torment, so you would think no one could ever grow accustomed to it. It seemed like child's play to hurt him. Every blow, every impact, every break.

He did not cry out for assistance or scream. He chuckled. He giggled uncontrollably while being tormented. He had a radiant smile on his face. The scene was terrifying, to put it mildly. His expression was emotionless; like you were moments away from greeting death.

If it wasn't for Bill, nothing could have caused him to react. It seems that Bill was his lone evident weakness. His eyes would light up when he inflicted misery on others. It seemed that although everyone had a vulnerability, Tom didn't. That's why we let him and Bill see Georg and Gustav regularly. That seems to be the only way to normalize them and soothe Tom.

Tom had been practicing in the training room, so I went down to see him. Leonel turned to leave. "How was training?" Peering through the glass, I asked. Tom was sitting on the floor staring into my eyes. Glancing down at his hands, I noticed a sneer on his face. The training dummy had been decapitated by him. Leonel shook his head and added, "I don't know what to do; he's getting worse." "Bill has started to follow suit," Merlin stated as he moved in our direction.