ORGÁNOSI I: Broken Mask

ANTECEDENT: CHAPTER 15

ANTECEDENT: CHAPTER 15

TODAY, in psychotherapy, the fourth door was opened. The moment Midnight twisted the door open, and he get a glimpsed of what was inside, his hands started visibly shaking as his heart rate dangerously shoot up.

Seeing this, Silvanus became alert. Midnight had not entered yet, but the psychological effects on him of this room were so severe that his whole body was quivering violently, as if suppressing a horrifying memory.

Silvanus wanted to awaken Midnight in that instant, but he remembered the promise he made before they started today's therapy, that whatever happens, as long as it would not kill Midnight, he would not wake Midnight up to get to the bottom of things.

Fuck it! Silvanus shouted in his head and grip the edge of the tablet he was holding. I have to calm him down!

"Knight, listen to my voice. Just focus on me." He said. "That's not real. It's just a memory. It's already in the past. Slowly take a deep breath, then exhale. Relax. Follow my pace. I won't let anything happen to you."

Silvanus did not know if it was because there was finally trust between them or because Midnight's brain was already used to him. Midnight's quivering listened, but his palms remained sweaty, trembling as if a catastrophic scene were waiting for him inside.

Then Silvanus heard Midnight's trembling voice.

"S-scared... I'm scared..."

"It's okay. Relax. Take a deep breath. I'm here. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"I'm scared. I'm scared." Midnight kept repeating these words and his trembling became severe again. "I'm scared."

"It's okay, Knight. You're brave. You can do this. Don't hesitate and push that door open."

Midnight's trembling became even more rough. Silvanus had to employ some tactic.

"Remember why we're doing this, Knight. You have to hold on."

Blood started dripping from Midnight's nose. His eyes underneath his eyelid were moving frantically, as if he was desperate to wake up! Begging to wake up!

Silvanus could not continue this anymore. What promise? His patient was afraid and in pain!

"At the count of five... you will slowly wake up and come back to reality..." Silvanus started counting in an unhurried manner even though his fists were clenched with worry.

And when he reached the number 'five', Midnight woke gasping for air as if he was being choked. He gasped desperately as he reached for the glass of water Silvanus had prepared earlier.

Silvanus hurriedly grab the glass and handed it to Midnight.

Midnight drank the water with shaking hands that some of the water got spilled.

"Take a deep breath, Midnight. Relax."

Silvanus' voice was soothing, but Midnight was shaking his head. "No... n-not working... I can't... c-can't calm down..."

In his messed-up head, it kept shouting that Silvanus doesn't really care. This was just a job. That he was a burden Silvanus would gladly get rid of.

His mind was telling him that Silvanus' care was fake. That everything was fake! Just like himself, a fake!

Even when Midnight could see the worry in Silvanus' eyes, in his mind, the worry was being questioned if it was real or not.

He was so messed up that even he couldn't discern what was genuine and what was pretense anymore. Everything in his head was jumbled up and anarchic.