The Devil's Blade

𝟹𝟹 || 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑: 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚜'𝚜 𝙻𝚒𝚎𝚜

This morning, I found myself on an unexpected grocery shopping trip with Eli, Jude, and Liam. It had been a long time since I last did such a chore, so naturally, I was excited. However, the excitement was short-lived. Our destination was Smithlane, the nearest town to the north for supplies. Since Smithlane, like every other town in the North, is under the protection of Mavis, it was supposed to be relatively safe to visit. However, on our way there, we were attacked by multiple monsters. Facing an escalating threat, we made a run for it and arrived in Smithlane, drenched in sweat.

Which brings us to the current moment.

"I can't believe this... this was supposed to be a simple task, not a mission!" Eli complains, sprawling on the ground.

"We'll make it quick and get back," Liam encourages.

"Wait! Please... just give me a second," Eli pleads dramatically.

"Those creatures were barely level 1 on the threat scale; come on, get up," Jude says, helping Eli to his feet.

As Eli continues his complaints on the way to the grocery store, we once again encounter crawling creatures. This time, we are prepared and divert them away from the store using a smoke bomb. We gather what we need and head back to headquarters:

"It was a trap! We were brutally attacked in the middle of our task, and we barely managed to escape from that place. I find it troubling that you sent us there without any warnings," Eli complains to Lincoln in the office.

"I'm aware of their presence; however, you guys are beyond their level, so I didn't think it was necessary to mention it. But if you're struggling, I'll have to put you back into beginners' training..." Lincoln responds.

"Oh... that won't be necessary, sir," Eli replies.

After a respectful bow to Lincoln, we leave the office. Once the door closes behind us, Jude playfully pinches Eli's sides.

"Ow!" Eli exclaims.

"You deserve that for your act back there," Liam says.

"Well, if we'd gotten something out of that, you would've all praised me," Eli retorts.

"I don't think we would've gotten anything out of that..." I remark.

Eli pouts.

"Anyway, I think we deserve a meal," I announce.

Everyone agrees, so we head toward the dining hall. After getting ourselves a plate, we join Rheino and Erik. After a satisfying meal, we all return to our other tasks. Erik and Rheino head off to train, while Jude and Liam go on patrol through the village.

I, on the other hand, went to look for Simon to check up on him. Yesterday, he left in such a hurry and I haven't seen him since. But there was no sign of him in the weapon room or the lab. Confused, I walk through the hallway, heading towards the nursing room. But instead of finding Simon, I stumble upon Rheino seated next to a bed. I remember the mysterious woman lying on the bed, connected to all those machines, her face covered by that iron mask. I'm curious, but knowing my rocky relationship with Rheino, I decide to retreat slowly. But unfortunately, he catches me.

"Don't stare like that," he says, his back turned to me. "It's rude."

Startled by Rheino's unexpected acknowledgment, I step back, unsure of how to respond. His tone is firm but not unkind, and it makes me hesitate.

"Sorry, I was just... looking for Simon," I stammer, trying to mask my interest in the mysterious woman.

Rheino turns slightly, giving me a side glance. "He's not here," he says simply, then returns his attention to the woman.

I linger for a moment longer, the silence heavy between us. "Who is she?" I ask carefully.

For a moment, I think he won't answer. But then he sighs, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "She's someone important to me."

I want to ask what happened to her but I sense the slight tension in the air, causing me to hold back.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. "I had no idea, I didn't mean to bring it up."

He suddenly gets up and turns to approach me. I step back, instinctively, but he stops a few paces from me. His gaze is intense, eyes searching mine.

"She turned," he says, his voice cold but there's no malice in it. "And at the last moment before we went through the walls, they shot her."

I swallow, feeling the weight of his words. "I'm—" I begin, but Rheino cuts me off.

"Don't apologise," he says, his eyes soften. "I'm not blaming you. I just want you to realise how lucky you are. To be here instead of chained to a bed."

"But, why are they keeping her here?" I ask curiously.

His jaw thickens, veins popping from his neck. "Where do you think they're getting the blood samples from?"

My eyes, wide, follow him as he heads towards the door.

"Oh right," he begins. "If you tell anyone I was here, I'll kill you during our next training."

"Oh," I say, as I watch him leave. "Okay..."

I catch one last glimpse at the girl, the monitor beeping softly at the rhythm of her heartbeat, wondering if this girl has a chance to be saved from her cruel fate.

I decide to resume my search for Simon, my mind racing with new questions and the lingering tension from my encounter with Rheino. I'm suddenly angry, remembering Erik his words from last time: "These things are kept from you for your own safety." This place holds some dark secrets from us, and it makes me wonder if it was really 'luck' that got me to stay here in the first place. Kai used to be skeptical as well, about Mavis and the North, I never forgot about his warning back then. Yet, he stayed and they allowed him. None of it makes sense now that I think back on it with a clearer perspective. If Mavis and the North are truly the bastions of safety they're claimed to be, then why are there so many secrets? Suspicion grips me and forces me to turn on my heals, towards the other direction.

I forget about finding Simon, one task at hand. I burst back into the lab, opening drawers in a rush, in order to find some files that catch my attention. I don't even know when I became this impulsive but something inside me burns and I'm itching to put it out. The lab is unusually quiet, the lack of company in the area doing little to calm my nerves. My hands move quickly, rifling through papers and folders. There has to be something here, something that could give me a little more insight.

After what feels like an eternity, my efforts are rewarded. I find a folder labeled with my name. I flip it open, my eyes scanning over the documents. I look through all the contents, passing through my blood samples, brain scans, and observations, but I can't seem to find anything significant in my file.

I throw the folder on the floor, frustrated, continuing to rumble through the drawer. A noise at the door startles me. I freeze, turning to see Simon standing there, his face a mix of confusion and concern.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, stepping into the room.

"I was looking for you," I reply, trying to sound casual. "But then I got curious about some files."

Simon narrows his eyes, clearly not convinced. "So suddenly?"

I nod with a forced smile.

Simon sighs then walks over to his desk to put down the stuff he was carrying. "I don't know what you're trying to find. But I can tell you, you won't find anything interesting in there."

My eyes follow his movements as I contemplate about confronting him. Feeling bold, I shift on my feet, my brows furrowing. "Is that so?" I begin, challenging him. "Well, then you wouldn't mind me looking through this drawer." I say, walking back to the drawer to continue my search before Simon slams it shut in my face.

He looks at me, pausing for a second before answering, "Of course you can."

Simon's sudden action jolts me. The drawer slams shut with a sharp metallic clang that reverberates through the quiet lab, the noise jarring in the tense silence between us. His face is closer now, his eyes locked onto mine, a mix of warning and something else— fear, maybe?

"That's enough," he says, his voice low but firm, his hand still pressed against the drawer. "You shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand."

I take a step back, my heartbeat quickening. "Then help me understand, Simon." 

He sighs, running a hand through his disheveled hair, and for a moment, he looks older, worn down by something I can't quite grasp. He closes his eyes briefly, as if weighing his next words carefully.

"That's the thing, you're not suppose to understand," he finally says, opening his eyes again.

I flinch at Simon's words, and they cut right through the uncertainty that's been consuming me. "Why!" I demand, my voice rising, tears welling up in my eyes.

"It's all for your own—" Simon starts.

"Don't say that!" I interrupt, my anger flaring. "I tried to ignore it, I really did, because I had nowhere else to turn." My voice breaks as I continue. "But why is everyone lying to me? Why is there a woman being kept in the nursing room for experiments? And why, whenever I ask these questions, do I always get the same fucking rehearsed answer? I know nothing! It's driving me insane."

"Because it's you!" Simon shouts back, his frustration boiling over. "We're protecting you—and everyone else—from you!"

I freeze, my heartbeat racing in my chest. "What...?" I whisper.

Simon swallows, his eyes starting to fill up with tears. I flinch slightly at the unexpected reaction. Simon looks down, seemingly grappling with his thoughts. After a moment, he raises his head, determination in his eyes. "I went to Gale's bedroom after you told me I should look for the copies in a more secure place," Simon begins, walking over to his desk. He takesout a dark blue recorder, covered in stickers out of the top drawer. There are tracing where some of the stickers had fallen off, suggesting it's an older device. "There were no copies but I found this instead."

Simon's finger hovers above the play button, hesitating his decision, before he presses the button and the recording starts to play:  "... Hi... this is Gale... If you're hearing this right now, I'm probably dead. Now you all must have a lot of questions about my actions... and I wish could I make an excuse for them but I have none... I was weak... and because I was weak, I made the wrong decision.... because I was weak, I turned to the wrong methode..." the recording plays as a long pause follows.

"There was someone I wished to protect... I thought that no matter how much the world changed, it'd be okay as long as I was by his side and I could protect him.... Even if that would mean I would no longer be myself..." the recording continues, his calming voice forming a lump in my throat.

"...Simon...I'm sorry... I'm sorry that I wasn't the strong older brother you'd thought I'd be... if you're hearing this... I want be honest one last time... It's going to be a lot to take in... but I don't have much time... There's someone in Mavis... that betrayed us... they tricked me...manipulated me... in the worst way... please... don't trust anybody... not even the ones we trust the most. And... I have found something... about Alexander... but... there's someone after it so I had to destroy it along with the... substances. Keep this to yourself at all times but... Alexander's episode are caused by remembering fragments of his past... something... some kind of power is blocking the memories from resurfacing... please keep it that way. Protect Alexander from those memories and that... person at all cost. If you're unable to... he'll become... he'll become a monster. Please... I trust you on this." the recording crackles.

"It's time... to say goodbye now.... Simon I want you to be happy... no matter how you do it... if you're happy, than my job has been done.." The recording ends.

Tears spill from my eyes and drip onto the floor, my hands clamped to fists. All this time, Simon and Erik, protected me by lying to Mavis about this recording.