Elira's POV
I was screaming and crying and the same time, pain coursing through my veins like fiery blood. My head was pounding, sweat sticking to my face, as the Essence worked into my brain, making me blind.
"Don't do it again, Elira Sun. Next time, we will be far less lenient, and the Pulse is not our only torture device."
That was one of the two times I'd ever heard a human voice.
***
The Pulse. Again. Turning my bones to lava, my blood to ash. I was paralyzed with pain. My voice was barely a croak. "What did I do this time?"
The response was another jolt of agony, striking me like an angry lightning bolt, racking my body with so much force I almost fell out of my seat, except I was bound to it by steel ropes.
"Hell," I whispered. "What did--"
But my words were cut off by another wave of pain.
***
I was burning with the heat of ten thousand suns, and I was surprised I haven't shriveled into a crispy husk of a human.
"Stop it! Please, stop!" I sobbed, my tears evaporating into hot air.
And then the entire atmosphere changed, making the room colder than ice. My breath came out as fog, and my heated skin turned bumpy with gooseflesh.
Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop.
I couldn't get control of my bearings. My eyes were blurring. My head was spinning, and blood roared in my veins.
My world plunged into darkness as I collapsed on the cold, cold floor.
***
The knife was serrated and deadly, but the cut wasn't meant to kill as it was dragged along my face--from the beginning of my cheekbone to almost the edge of my chin. I gasped in agony, but refused to scream. They can't win. I won't let them.
"WHAT DID YOU SEE?!" The words were spat into my face, and I could feel the spittle coming from the mouth, could smell the foul breath permeating the air.
"What did I see? Nothing," I retorted.
"WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT ANIMAL WAS IT?!"
I was confused. Animal? What the hell is an animal? "I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't give a shit about it."
"Tell us, Elira Sun, or you'll go back to the Pulseroom."
"I swear, I've never seen another living thing in my life!"
"Of course you haven't. It was dead."
"I don't know. I couldn't see it."
My arms were lifted above my head as I was dragged out of the chair. "Damn you!" I yelled. "Damn you and the Command and the Elites! Might as well damn me, too."
The room was locked behind us, and the steel ropes were tightened around me.
By now I was slightly used to the pain, but the sensation was terrible all the same. I hated it. I hated all of them. I hated society and its bullshitty rules and I hated not being free.
I let the pain embrace me.
And my thoughts were clouded by a lyric from an old, old song I've replayed millions of times. It was composed five centuries ago.
"The blood in my veins is made up of mistakes."
Sry about the terrible language. i rly dont use words like that irl i promise. do u like the little 5SOS twist i put in it? :) please comment and vote, ilyasm. ik that rn(at this moment) i doubt anyone has read this but if u do, thnx, ur awesome!
xx,
luke-the-penguin
