Ashes

Arch III. The Longest Road. Entry 10. New Day

Hope slowly came to, her body weak and every breath difficult. It was semi-dark, and only the dim light of the lamps illuminated the surroundings. She felt that her wrists were chained to the bed. Hope realized that she was still here, that this was not just a bad dream. Opening her eyes with difficulty, she tried to put her thoughts in order, but the pain and fatigue did not allow her to concentrate. Her head was buzzing.

She heard footsteps. Someone was approaching. It was Atreus. Fear squeezed her chest. The girl understood that her weakness left her no chance to resist.

Atreus walked up to her bed and, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, lifted her slightly. Hope let out a groan of pain. The man released one of her arms so he could sit the girl up. "It's okay, little girl," he said, studying her face, full of fear and weakness. "The sun has risen, which means we will continue our researching today."

With the ease of a skilled puppeteer, he turned her so that her back was closer to the edge of the bed. Then, without letting go, he carefully sat her down, letting her legs hang over the edge. At that moment, Atreus released her other hand. He injected something into her back, and she instantly felt her legs go numb. There was no chance of escape at all. She was now completely dependent on him.

"We have a lot of things to do," he said, smiling as he moved her into a wheelchair, securing her wrists. "But first, we need to eat, right?"

"I... I won't eat anything," she said confidently, although inside she immediately felt the strongest fear.

"What did you just say?" He looked at her sternly, his eyes seemed to flash with anger. "Do you think I will tolerate your whims? You'll eat, and that is not up for discussion."

Hope turned away from him, trying not to meet his gaze. At that moment, he squeezed her cheeks with one hand and turned her head towards him.

"You can resist as much as you like, but never dare to look away from your master again. Did you understand me?" he growled, and the girl nodded slightly, trembling with fear. He smiled. "That's better. Come on, the others are already waiting for us."

He took the arms of the chair and rolled the girl into the dining room, telling her that today he planned to conduct a small research again, but this time related to the ability of her body to resist various "drugs" and, if there was time, to check how long she would remain conscious when he placed her in one of the test rooms.

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The dining hall itself was a dark, cold room, lit by equally dim lamps. The walls were painted grey, and in the center were long tables where Atreus' other test subjects sat. Their faces were haggard, and their eyes were filled with fear as they saw him wheeling his latest experiment.

Hope looked at them slowly, but her attention was drawn to the two sitting together. One had buttons sewn on instead of eyes. He often raised his hands, touching these buttons, as if hoping that they were not there; and the girl sitting next to him had her mouth sewn shut. It seemed that they complemented each other: he was her mouth, and she was his eyes. "Don't look at them," Atreus gently turned her head away from the two. "They are punished. What happened to them is their guilt. And if you talk too much or argue with me," he leaned towards her ear. His warm breath touched her ear, and she trembled. "The same awaits you. Yesterday you saw for yourself what I am capable of if I am angry." While he rolled Hope around the dining room, he examined the results of his research. He promised many a "cure", but in reality he was just like a puppeteer, skillfully manipulating destinies. His true goal - the goal of immortality - was to create the perfect "doll". If he succeeded in doing so, he would be able to turn the world upside down.