Kindred Souls

Chapter 26 - Escaped

It takes time, but I've been patient. Each day, they run their tests, pushing my limits with their cruel fascination, and I pull just a little bit more of their flames into me. It's dangerous—if they notice, they'll stop the experiments and change tactics. But they don't know. They think they've drugged me into submission, that I'm just a shell of the person I once was. They're wrong. Every time they manipulate my Kindred flame, I'm learning. I'm growing stronger. And I'm going to escape.

The haze around my mind is constant, thick like a fog that seeps into every part of me. They've drugged me and kept me disoriented, but their arrogance is their downfall. I continue to slowly pull in their energy, feeding off the Kindred flames that spark every time they test me. The flames they're so desperate to manipulate are my lifeline. At first, I wasn't sure I could do it. They were careful, and measured in their approach, but they don't realize just how deeply I can reach into the essence of other Kindreds. I'm absorbing small pieces of their power, fueling my own flame, waiting for the right moment.

It takes weeks, but I start to feel my mind clearing. The drugs can't fully suppress my abilities. With each test, each experiment, I feel my strength returning. Little by little, I'm slipping out from under their control. When they finally drag me back to that torture chamber they call a lab, I can sense the shift in myself. I'm sharper. Stronger.

Today, when they take me into the operating room, something's different. The air feels charged, electric, and for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I sense him.

Soren.

The realization nearly brings me to my knees. It's faint, like a whisper on the wind, but it's him. His flame, weak and fragmented, is flickering somewhere nearby. I'd almost given up hope. I'd convinced myself they had taken him elsewhere, that maybe he was gone. But no—he's here. He's close. And he's hurting.

I steady myself, blocking out the pain as they prepare their instruments, ready to drain more of my blood. They think I'm still weak, still under their control, but I focus on that faint connection to Soren. I have to reach him. I push past the haze, letting my flame pulse stronger, and finally, I feel him. His mind, his thoughts. He's broken, torn apart by whatever hell they've put him through. They've been using his own abilities against him, making him believe that everything is a lie. That I'm just a figment of his imagination.

The painful irony stings deep. I feel the same.

Part of me is terrified this is just another trick, another twisted game they're playing with my mind. But the connection is too strong to be fake. I know it's him. Soren's flame is part of me now. Even though he can't see it, even though they've shattered his mind and buried him in doubt, I know he's real.

We're both real.

I grip the sides of the metal chair they've strapped me into, using the pain as a focus. I feed off the experiments. The creepy Specter was careful, everyone who has approached me --the guards, staffs, and Scientist--have all been human. It's like he knew it was risky to be around Kindred. But it was inevitable once I was faced with the other Kindreds.

I reach for Soren's mind, sending a gentle pulse through the bond. I don't know if he can hear me, but I have to try.

'Soren... I'm coming. Don't give up. I'm coming for you.'

The flame flickers in response. It's weak, uncertain, but it's there.

I wait for the moment when the guards' attention wavers, just enough for me to make my move. And when it comes, I strike.

I have slowly pieced my plan in my mind. However, it still has many holes.

The first step in my plan is to disable the sedatives. I know they're drugging me, keeping me disoriented, but I've been slowly building a resistance. When they come in with the next dose, I'll fake taking it. Since I've been docile, they no longer pump them into my veins directly. I've learned to slow my heartbeat and control my breathing, making it look like I'm still under their control.