THE MARK OF ELDOREM: Rise Of Eldorians(Book One)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: An organization called Paragon

Ketrah's POV:

The eerie cries from the room opposite mine pierced the air, making my skin prickle. The voice sounded like it belonged to another kid around my age, its desperation echoing off the tiled walls. I knew I was next, but a numbness had settled over me, like a shroud of ice.

Even when the man in the lab coat, his face twisted into a disturbing grin, looked at me like I was a prize and announced that I would be next, I didn't beg, cry, or say a word.

It had been a day now, if I didn’t count the day I was taken. I remembered being taken on Saturday, so it must be Monday by now. The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls as I sat on the cold tiles in the middle of my cell.

Alone. Silent. The only sound was the soft hum of the cameras mounted in the crevices of the walls, watching my every move. Though 'cell' sounded bleak, this place was a vast improvement over the dumpster Rinala and I used to call home. The memory of its stench and darkness made my stomach churn.

Under different circumstances, I might have even appreciated the luxury of this place—the clean bed, the toilet that flushed, the food that arrived at regular intervals. But not then. Not when I was trapped.

The walls were covered in white tiles, and the floor was laid with white floral tiles. It wasn't a large room, but to me, it was the biggest space I'd ever been in. The room was essentially a large square, furnished with only a bed covered in blue sheets pushed against one wall and a toilet on the opposite side, concealed by a matching blue curtain.

A TV high on the wall had remained off since my arrival, its blank screen a constant reminder of the world outside these walls. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less. My world had shrunk to the size of this room.

I’d tried talking to the camera twice, asking about my best friend and the reason for my confinement. On my second attempt, a soothing female voice had responded, saying my friend would join me soon and I would learn why I was here later. Since two days had passed and Rinala still hadn’t arrived, I took it as a sign she was okay.

I’d also tried gathering as much information as possible in case someone came to rescue me. Lol—who was I kidding? No one was coming. I didn’t have any family, except for Rinala, and she was too timid to rescue me on her own.

The screams started up again, and I raised my hands to cover my ears. They were becoming increasingly annoying. The only time a scream had been welcome was on the first day. The man who had knocked me out and brought me here was taken to the room opposite mine just as they locked me in this cell. A few minutes later, his scream had echoed, and I had seen green eyes peering through the slit in my door—eyes that betrayed something terribly wrong.

"That will be you soon, my darling," the person had said just before I could concentrate enough to charm him.

The next day, I discovered those eyes belonged to the deranged man in the lab coat.

So, as I was saying, gathering information had been to no avail. The only person who came near my cell was that deranged doctor. They must have known it was harder for me to charm someone who was acting irrationally and couldn't listen. Sigh.

As for my ability, I'd been practicing. I attempted to charm someone once without seeing them. I didn't bother trying it on the cameras—I figured they were too far away, and my captors already knew about my power and had taken precautions against it. Instead, I listened carefully for voices in the room next to mine, straining to catch the muffled sounds and mutterings. Focusing all my effort and magic into my voice, I spoke to the person on the other side of the wall.