Blessings of Anathema

Chapter V: Dalton IV

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Dalton. Oh, you are Christian, correct? You still have your faith, don't you?."
It's been 3 years since we entered this hell hole. My daily life is a schedule of misery. I eat, train my Yurie, and become subjected to Mental abuse and torture.
I see Pablo only so often during specific dates. Today is Christmas. Being a Christian, they'll allow us to see each other.
They're twisted in that aspect. They want us to see each other deteriorating into something less than ourselves on the day of celebration to our holy one. They want us to lose faith and give in to their reasoning and follow them with full purpose.
I don't know what they want us to become to them, but it's scary to imagine any of us joining them.
My Yurie is a Frost mark. It's come a long way. At day 1, only my finger tips could harden underneath an icy shield. Now I can turn those shields into shards and fire them from my finger tips. My index finger can also produce one long, sharp shard if I focus everything into it.
Pablos Yurie is an Aqua Mark. Originally he could only hyperdrive the water in his sweat glands. Now he can use that water to blast around him, like a grenade. It's fairly weak currently, but if he spins hard enough, it can sting a bit. His progression is much slower than mine. It actually seems like his entire body is having a hard time cooperating with his Yurie.
"Have you ate your apple, today?" He said.
I looked up at the man. "You know, it's been 3 years and I still don't know your name." I said to him.
He chuckled. "My name is irrelevant to you. You don't need to know a thing about me, I only need to know everything about you."
I looked up at him. "Then it seems we're both lost. If you really think I'll lose my faith at the hands of someone like you, you're delusional."
"Perhaps so. Or perhaps you're a candle in the wind. You'll strengthen when being blown but then all at once, you'll extinguish."
I glared at him and he glared back.
He stood up and headed for the door.
"Someone will be here soon to escort you to your brother. Do make sure to have fun."
And with those words, he left.
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A few hours passed and my door was slung open. A group of guards came in my door and did the regular transport routine.
First, I'm clamped into heavy metal gloves so I can't use my Yurie. I'm then chained around my entire body and placed on a stretcher and strapped in and blindfolded. They then push me to my destination.
We reached the location and I was unstrapped and sat down on a metal seat. We can't remove the blindfold until told to do so.
I sat and listened to the clatter of chains and wheels as they removed the stretcher and themselves from the room.
After the door was shut, a buzz filled the room. That's the signal to remove our blindfold.
I removed mine and looked to the side of me and there sat Pablo.
He looks so skinny and saddened. He smiled at me and I had to fake one back. It's been 3 months since we last seen each other. His mark.... it's gotten bigger than mine...
We spent the next hour or two catching up. Talking about everything we have done or thought about. Made jokes. And for an hour, alone with my brother... I was happy.
But the riddle of cruelty doesn't rest, for we were interrupted by the sounds of water dripping.
Pablo picked up his hands and water was just flowing out.
"I'm not doing this. I can't stop it!" He shook his hands and clinched them. Nothing is stopping it.
He looked over to me, eyes swollen from panic.
"I'm scared." He said.
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They soon rushed in and took Pablo away. They brought me back to my room and strapped me down again. Here I sit in the darkness again, terrified for my little brothers life.
My thoughts of fear was interrupted by the sounds of alarms.
What's going on? I've never heard alarms in here before.
Water began seeping through my cell door and filling the room. I struggled to release myself from the straps but they weren't budging.
The water filled up to my neck and I took one last breath before becoming submerged in it.
Just as I was losing consciousness, the water emptied out of my room.
I began coughing horridly, water spilling out of my lungs.
I looked up mid cough and there stood a kid in torn clothing and dirt all over. It's looks like smoke ashes.
He walked over and unstrapped me. I dropped into the water, which fills my room and the hallway about 3 Feet.
I stood up and looked at the kid.
"Get moving." He said. "This our only chance at escape. I don't know why, but the facility is falling apart. It's time we make it crumble."
He then ran off.
Pablo...
I have to get to him.
But I don't know where his room would be.
Wait...
His hands. They took him to the operation room, they had to.
I stood up and began running to the operation room.
The walls in the hallway were destroyed. It opened up the facility. I finally see what kind of place we're in. It looks exactly like a super sized prison.
I found the operation room. The door was blown off.
I ran inside and in there stood Professor Dalvin next to my brother who was strapped down to a stretcher. Dalvin was completely soaked.
"Well, well. Can't say I'm surprised to see you here. Did you come to save you brother? Just turn around and go back to your cell."
Guards surrounded the door and pointed their guns at me.
"Now why don't you just surrender and go back to being the lab rat that you are?" Dalvin said with a crooked smile.
I didn't move, I just stood there.
An explosion suddenly filled the hallway, blowing away the guards and destroying half of the wall.
I heard footsteps running past me and battle cries from voices that seemed awfully young.
"Why don't you use that ice of yours to shield up the wall? Would be a shame if something were to happen to your brothers precious face."
He then reached over and squeezed Pablo's cheeks.
"Don't...." I said.
"YOU TOUCH HIM!" I threw up my hand and ignited a shard out of my index finger, which I could use as a blade, and yanked my hand upwards to slice off Dalvins arm, severing it from his body.
He screamed out in pain and fell to the floor. The water around us was dyeing red.
I walked over to Pablo and began to unstrap him.
His mark...
It's covering half of his forearm now..
I picked him up on my back and began to carry him away.
"You're pathetic!" Dalvin screamed at me.
"After everything we did to you, you still don't have the courage to ignore your morals and follow your desires!? Kill me!! I know that's what you want!"
I looked over my shoulder. "I don't have to." I said. "This place will fall today. Your guards can't protect you anymore. There's a lot of angry kids fighting right now, someone will be here to kill you soon. Test Delta..... is a failure." And with that I carried Pablo out of the room and into the hall.
The whole facility is filled with water and smoke. It's hard to walk and breath in this place.
I began to stumble through the water. I don't have much energy.
I leaned against the wall to catch my breath. I could feel Pablo's dead weight pressing heavy on my shoulders. He's completely passed out.
I heard metal shift above my head and I looked up to see pipes falling directly on us. I don't have the energy to dodge them. I lifted my arms up to shield us and braced for impact.... but it never came.
The pipes were somehow completely gone. Like they vanished.
I continued moving through the smoke. I couldn't see anything but I could hear everything. All the screams, destruction and fighting. This is a madhouse turned warzone.
I felt an opening and slipped inside however it wasn't a way out. It was an opened cell.
In that cell stood a dark skin boy with patches all over his body. He was holding a knife and all around him were dead bodies. The water looked like the inside of a cherry.
I looked over and in the corner was another young, dark skinned boy. He looked terrified. I can tell he's been crying.
I left the room and continued down the hallways of smoky mist.
I couldn't even make out the splashes beneath my feet, I could only hear the sounds of battle.
"Hey, you." I heard.
I looked around. What am I doing. I can't see anything.
"You seem lost. Do you want to escape?"
I couldn't see anything so I just answered to the world "Yes I do."
The voice spoke again "oh? You can't see. This is too much for you? It's a storm in here. I like storms."
Suddenly a loud cracking noise appeared in my ears and warmth touched my body. Light was shining through the smoke.
I ran toward it and ended up outside. Fresh air. It's been 3 years.
I looked around. The entire outside is gated off. There's only one way in and only one way out.
I began walking. My vision is blurry. It hasn't adjusted to the outside light yet.
I found the road heading toward the exit and started walking down it. I hope nobody comes after us. I don't have the energy to fight or run.
I looked back at the facility.
The whole place is falling apart. It's almost completely covered in smoke. Fighting is still going on. I can't imagine what's happening in the heart of it all.
I turned back and continued walking.
I looked down at my feet... these two limbs.. they hurt... but they can't rest now. They're the only thing keeping our freedom alive. I have to get him away from here. I have to give us a better life.
"Hey, brother..." Pablo said over my shoulder.
I peaked up at him "Yes?"
He pointed ahead of us.
"There's more kids up there."