ORGÁNOSI I: Broken Mask

ANTECEDENT: CHAPTER 16

ANTECEDENT: CHAPTER 16

MIDNIGHT immediately slammed the door shut when he saw what was inside, aghast. His stomach tightened. It felt like a hand was twisting his intestines, pulling it down. He felt a tingling sensation in his spine, crawling up to his skull, numbing his whole body. An extreme terror ripped through him. His fear left him completely paralyzed.

Cold. Immobile. Trembling.

He knew, in the rational part of his brain, that what he just saw inside was not frightening. This was just hypnosis. What happened was in the past. That already stopped. He was faraway from that place. It will not happen again.

Midnight kept telling himself that it was nothing but a room full of medical equipment and medicines, but he still couldn't move his body.

Fear was still gnawing at him, and his body was shaking.

"Knight, calm down..." Midnight heard Silvanus' voice. "It's okay. No need to be frightened. This is just a memory. Don't let it swallow you. Calm down."

But Midnight couldn't calm down. Beads of swear were running down his forehead. Coldness and fear gripped him.

He can't do this... he can't... he wanted to leave. This place was the last thing he wanted to see again.

Midnight felt like he was back in that room again. Surrounded by people with crazy, bloodshot eyes.

Those eyes were looking at him as if he was just a piece of meat on the table, not a human being. Those probing eyes. Testing him... experimenting on him.

Midnight slightly shook his head. He took a step back.

Outside, blood trickled down his nose. Lips pale and body cold and trembling.

He had been swallowed by immense fear.

"Please... l-let me leave." Through his gritted teeth, he whispered. He had gone back to the days when he used to beg for mercy. "I'm not Knight... I'm not." He hugged himself as he continued to tremble. "Please... I don't want this. I don't want any of this. Help me... help me..."

But no one came to help.

"Please... stop... I don't want this. I'm scared. Please..." he begged and begged.

Outside his consciousness, he couldn't hear Silvanus anymore who had become worried stricken because Midnight wouldn't wake up after telling him to countless time.

Midnight was trapped in his own frightening memory. Cannot escape. Just drowning in his own despair and helplessness.

He couldn't breathe. Gasping for ear. Wanting to fight to live, but having a hard time surviving.

He had no one. He had nothing. What was he living for—

"Midnight... your big brother is here. He's worried about you. You need to open your eyes slowly and wake up. Silvanus voice remained calm amidst his worry.

Silvanus voice finally penetrated Midnight's consciousness.

My brother? Big brother?

Slowly, his consciousness that had been trapped in his despair came out.

"Big brother..." he called out softly.

"Yes. He's here." Silvanus was lying through his teeth just to wake Midnight up. "He's worried. Wake up. Slowly open your eyes. At the count of five, wake up. One...two...three...four...five..."

At last, Midnight's eyes opened and the first thing he saw was Silvanus hovering over him, looking pale and worried. And then he felt something covering his nose.