Rebellious Minds-- An IDV Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Grave Mistakes

Word Count: 5.2k

Naib carried Eli in his arms as he walked down the long hallway to the newcomer's room. His gut told him that something strange was going on with the man in his arms, lighter than he had anticipated. Naib's gut was usually right, and since Eli said that he was forced to come here despite knowing a broad idea of the events occurring, he was... scared? He wasn't sure if Eli could see the future, but something about his persistent attitude made Naib believe that he was telling at least a part of the truth. What could he be holding back? Who was Eli Clark truly? The moment he stopped lying to Naib, to everyone, then he could trust him more.

Grunting, he approached the door without a plaque, opening it and bringing Eli into his room. Naib didn't hesitate, bringing him to his bed and laying him down. The young man flinched occasionally, clearly suffering from some kind of nightmare. Naib looked around, a little concerned. He remembered the first time he played the game, though it felt like an eternity ago. After all, he's gone through countless matches, the details have begun to blur, yet that first time was as clear as day. He had grown tolerant to it, nothing could compare to the physical and emotional pain he's suffered through already. He closed his eyes, quickly removing himself from that train of thought, going back to his first night. He wasn't terrified the way Eli was, he actually felt a little confident. Nothing could be worse than literal war, a nightmare that constantly raged in Naib's memory.

That first game was what set him up for the rest of the crew's reliance on him. He proved himself countless times over, and it made him one of the most, if not the most, reliable member of the team. He didn't break down after he played his first game, in fact, he never felt more alive. Clark, on the other hand, seemed drained. However he created that shield, he took more than a hit for Emma. It concerned him, after all they should've been celebrating. They had gotten all four members out of the gate and it was against a hunter they often had trouble with. Yet, Eli wasn't joyous and excited, despite knowing the statistics of their success. He wondered what Clark was thinking at that moment, as the man sank to his knees, crying into his hands.

Naib glanced at the male, noticing that his blindfold, which was curious in itself, was much looser than normal. It probably loosened up a bit during the match, which would make sense since Eli had contained the hunter for a bit. Slowly, he moved his hands towards the blindfold, curious to know what lay beneath. Why was he so curious? Perhaps he wanted at least one answer to his questions, who was Eli Clark? Why was he so mysterious? So opaque? So... so questionable? That blindfold hid Eli's eyes from the rest of the world, and Naib wondered why. What secrets did he hide in those eyes? He knew that it was much easier to tell if someone was lying when he could see the full picture. All body language was vital in understanding someone, including the implied and unspoken.

Slowly, he pulled down the blindfold, dropping it around Eli's neck, glancing at his closed eyes for the first time. Yet, it wasn't his eyes that intrigued him, it was the marking around his eyes, the bridge of his nose and the two tear-like extensions down his cheeks. Why was he hiding this from everyone? What caused this branding to take place? Naib supposed he always saw the scarring on his cheeks, yet he didn't think anything of it. Damn it! Now he just had more questions about the newcomer, questions he craved the answers to. Perhaps he should ask Emily to get a better look at the scars, maybe she knew what happened. He decided not to put the blindfold back over Eli's eyes, in fact he removed it from his neck and firmly grasped it in his own hands. Another experiment perhaps? He was curious how the self-proclaimed Seer would react. Besides, it could not be healthy to wear a blindfold twenty-four-seven. As far as he was concerned, he was doing Eli a favor.

Suddenly, he heard knocking on the door and opened it up. Martha was standing outside, twirling her gun in her hand, "Hey Subedar!"

"Shh! Not so loud!" He retorted, motioning his hand to the sleeping figure of Eli.