GEOVRU: IV

Chapter 8

The lighting I woke up in was dim and dark. There was a single lightbulb turned on that rested in a bowl in the ceiling, but the bowl was so dirty that the room was almost orange. Metal shelves towered over me on both sides and I struggled to sit up against the cold wall. I immediately noticed my hands were restrained by zip ties. My vision was blurred and watery. I blinked a few times and shook myself to free myself of that burden before my vision finally focused on the bodies around me. To my left, two men sitting upright against the metal shelf, their hands also tied. To my left, a blur of blue hair and pale skin.

"Caedes..." I hear Cry tell me quietly. "You're up?"

I groaned noticeably as my head finally cleared. I replied groggily with a large amount of bile in my throat. "Where are we, Cry? What happened?" I asked him, my throat killing me.

"You got tazed by PRAT and they shoved us in here with Krystal. You've been out for maybe an hour." Halit nodded his head to agree, but remained silent.

I looked over to Krystal. Her skin was pale, and there were dark bags under her eyes. Her hands were also tied behind her back, Her zip-ties were turning her skin nearly black from rubbing and wear. Her eyes were closed but her stomach, what remained of it, was rising and falling at a steady rate. She was resting, asleep most likely. She had her head resting against my arm, her body giving off so little warmth as she laid there. At least I was finally here with her.

"So now what do we do, oh great leader?" Halit asked.

I looked down at my lap and pondered for a good few seconds, mainly to gather my senses. "I...I don't know." I closed my eyes. I had honestly run out of options, we were locked up in a closet with our hands tied. Outside that door, even if we were to break through, there were people ready, willing, and able to kill us at the drop of a hat. But that was honestly our only option.

Cry mumbled. "We lost."

A few silent seconds passed. I couldn't sit here and watch everyone give up. I refused to watch these people die. I gently stood up, making sure I didn't wake Krystal.

"What're you doing, Caedes?" Halit asked.

"I'm not giving up on you guys. We didn't come all this way just to give up like this." I didn't even look at them, instead I eyeballed the door. With no other thought coming to mind, I tense up my shoulder and smash myself against the door. It hurt a small bit, but this was all I could do. I went at it again, ramming my shoulder into the door.

"Caedes stop." Halit told me.

"We lost man." Cry said. "Just sit down and accept it. There's no way we're getting through that door."

"No." I growled at them.

I hit the door again and again, ignoring their words of advice and continuing to burn as much energy as I could to break down this door. Every time I hit the door a loud boom could be heard, the door was metal and was denting a small bit, but it wasn't budging from its hinges. I ignored the signs and kept on. I was thinking to myself I can't give up on these people. Cry, Halit. I brought them here; I can't let them die here. Krystal... Krystal has been waiting for me to get her out for a week... I have to get her out of here, if nothing else, Krystal is getting out of here! I kept charging the door. With every impact I could feel my arm bruising, but I didn't care.

"You're wasting your energy, man." Cry told me. "Sit down, conserve yourself, help will come."

"How can you guys just give up like that?" I turned around to ask them. "We came all this way, we were so close, and you're just gonna give up?" I turned away from them and continued to try and break down the door. "What happened to Eripio Domum?" I asked them. "I see how it is you two, quitters!"