Gnosis

CHAPTER 6 - THE DAY THAT WASN'T II

Word Count: 2525

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1955

- Commission Headquarters; The Laboratory

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The agents began attaching electrodes to her temples, securing the device around her head with a series of uncomfortable straps. The cold metal pressed against her skin, and she could feel her heart racing, the adrenaline surging through her veins. She knew she was in deep trouble.

A cold sweat broke out across her skin as the machine hummed to life. Then, without warning, a jolt of electricity shot through her body, sharp and blinding, forcing her eyes to clamp shut in a reflexive response to the pain. It felt like her brain was being torn apart from the inside, each pulse of the machine sending waves of agony crashing through her.

Her breathing became labored, each breath a struggle as the device probed deeper, seeking to tap into her perception, her mind. The pain was unbearable, like hot knives slicing through her consciousness, but she fought to keep her mind clear.

"We need you to see," the lead figure demanded, their voice cutting through the haze of agony. "Show us Number Five's future. Show us what he plans."

"I can't!" (Y/n) screamed, her voice raw with pain. It felt like her skull was being split open, her thoughts fragmented and chaotic as the machine continued its relentless assault on her mind.

She could hear her own screams echoed in the sterile room, the sound bouncing off the cold, unfeeling walls. "I can't!" she repeated, her voice hoarse and broken from the strain.

Finally, the lead raised a hand, signaling for the device to be turned off. The painful hum ceased, leaving (Y/n) panting and trembling in the chair, her body slick with sweat. The figures conferred in low tones, their words indistinct through the dull, persistent ache, and her vision swam as she struggled to regain her senses.

"You will remain here until you decide to cooperate," the lead figure said. "We will give you an hour to reconsider."

With that, they filed out of the room, leaving (Y/n) alone, still strapped to the chair. The silence was almost worse than the noise, pressing in on her from all sides. She closed her eyes, trying to summon strength from somewhere deep within herself.

As the minutes dragged on, (Y/n) wrestled with the confusion swirling in her mind. The pain and the drugs had left her disoriented, but the core of her thoughts remained clear—what did they want from her? How could she give them something she didn't possess? She had never seen the future, no matter how much they insisted she could. She relied on her abilities to perceive and read the nuances of people and situations, rather than predicting what was yet to come.

The minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness. Finally, the door creaked open; the sound reverberating through the room and jolting her from her thoughts. The same figures entered, their presence casting a long shadow over her fragile hope.

"Have you reconsidered, Miss (Y/n)?" the lead figure asked.

"You're wasting your time," she forced out through gritted teeth, her voice barely more than a rasp. "I can't see the future."

"We shall see about that," the lead replied, his tone laced with a threat that sent a chill down her spine.

The hum of the machine returned, and with it, the searing pain. (Y/n) bit down on her lip, drawing blood as she fought against the overwhelming agony.