Ciara
hid her shaky hands inside her pockets as she exited the Specimen Room. A sheen
of cold sweat coated her face. It was another day of torture, another
observation test at the Specimen Room. This had been going on for years. Three
years, she counted, and it would never end, not until they found the Candidate.
“You will be deposited in your new cell
today,” the Rein Guard said.
Ciara
simply nodded, weary-eyed from the test she took a while ago. The Specialists had
given her a strange one, which required a great insertion of mental capacity. Usually
the Specialists would give her a simple assessment, like guessing the person with
whom she was talking, or memorizing and describing the room by feeling her
surroundings. But this one was different.
They had
given her a ball test.
Oh boy.
As she
and the Rein Guard proceeded toward her new cell, she could still recollect the
scenes in her mind.
“For
today’s test, we’ll be observing the awareness of your perception. If you can
successfully locate the ball inside the room within 5 hours, we’ll extend the
observation test next week. That way, you can take a little break from work.”
the woman Specialist said.
Ciara’s
stomach tightened in fear. A ball
test?
“You might notice a little change in this
activity, because we’re trying to aim higher,” the woman Specialist continued.
“We Specialists have been surveying the disabled for a very long time. We’ve
examined their IQ tests, physical exploration, and mental analysis, but none of
them were compatible for this particular test. I do hope that you’ll be able to
figure it out.”
Compatible
for the test? Ciara thought.
“Now then, Ciara.” the woman Specialist
cleared her throat. “Where is the ball?”
If Ciara
was an ordinary blind girl, she would have never been able to find the ball.
But everyone knew she was different. That was why the Specialists had desperately
studied her as often as possible.
Ciara
closed her eyes, allowing the information of the room to freely flood her mind.
Since
the Specimen Room is air-conditioned, I can easily hear the sounds sailing
across the marble floor. Ciara had
analyzed. The ball must be rolling. But where is it? The Specialist is standing
two meters to my right side. There are swishing sounds nearby...not too
close...not too far from where I’m standing. .Ciara guessed. If
the ball was in a stable position, it wouldn’t be producing sounds. But I can
hear faint noises...so that means...
“Ciara?”
the woman Specialist asked impatiently. “Where is the ball?”
“The
ball is…” Ciara’s voice trailed off.
“Where,
Ciara?” the woman Specialist asked eagerly.
Swish.
Swish. Swish.
“The
ball is four meters to the left, near the door,” Ciara blurted. “It’s located
at approximately 3 o’clock from where I’m standing, but the precise location is
uncertain, since the ball is not in its stable position.”
“Very
good,” the woman Specialist said, “It took you merely 14 seconds to detect the
ball.”
Ciara heard
the woman Specialist scrawl noisily on her clipboard. 14 seconds. Ciara thought. Most physical
activities took her more than two hours to complete. She was stunned that it
took her only fourteen seconds to complete this test.
“As
expected from the most talented blind girl in Sore Tower, your four senses are unusually
high. But still, they need practice,” the woman Specialist said, “What they
lack is progress.”
“Um…”
Ciara muttered. “Have you discovered the Candidate yet?”
“Yes,” the
woman Specialist answered, “but we’re not exactly sure yet which one of you it
is yet. This topic is very subjective. I’m afraid asking about the Candidate
won’t help you. I know it’s hard to accept the reality of being confined in
Sore Tower because of the Prophecy, but you just have to accept that this is
your fate.”
Ciara
lowered her head in shame.
Her
fate.
Ciara’s
trance broke when the Rein Guard bark at her side. “Hey, what the hell do you
think you are doing?”
Her
heart slammed against her rib cage. This was bad; she was staring into space
again. She wasn’t supposed to absentmindedly get distracted while following the
Rein Guard. Ciara began to move. “I-I’m sor—”
“Get
your hands off me, stinky!” a boy shouted, as she could hear the scuffle of
feet and the clash of bodies smashing into the gravel wall of the sunken
hallway.
Ciara blinked
back, puzzled. A boy?
Bodies battered across the
pavement. Cries and groans filled the sunken corridors. They must be
wrestling on the ground. Ciara guessed, still frozen in her place.
“You got
to be kidding me!” the boy gasped. “You can’t throw me in that disgusting cell.
I’m innocent!”
Suddenly,
a rough hand seized Ciara’s collar, and flung her on the ground. A harsh pain
splintered across her head. She could hear a heavy thump and a groan
skid across the pavement. That’s the boy. Ciara guessed.
But what
was he doing in this solitary confinement?
“Ouch,”
the boy complained, and Ciara could hear his clothes flutter when he moved. He
must be getting up. Ciara analyzed.
The Rein
Guard gave a haughty cackle. Using her two elbows, Ciara hauled herself up and
massaged the swollen lump on her right cheek
“Welcome
to Sore Tower,” the Rein Guard barked, “The most lonesome prison for disabled
people. I hope you rot in there, pretty boy. And don’t forget you have a
Specimen test next week!” He vigorously slammed the steel cell door shut,
causing the worn-out lights to sway back and forth.
“Bastard,”
the boy swore under his breath, banging his fists on the wall of the steel
cell. “Let me out!” he then called out. “How can you possibly leave me here
with a blind girl?”
No
response.
“Hmph! I
don’t even have a disability, so why should they lock me up in this tower.” the
boy grumbled.
Disability.
That word brought reality to Ciara. As
soon as he said it, an alarming panic throbbed against her ribcage. “I-Impossible,”
she blurted.
“Huh?”
the boy groaned.
Ciara
scrambled to her feet and jabbed a finger at the boy. “This is the prison for
the disabled people. An abled-bodied person shouldn’t be here in the first
place!”
“Hey,
calm down, will you?” the boy said grumpily. “Besides, you’re pointing your
finger in the wrong direction.”
Ciara’s
face heated up. Her eyes slowly trailed to the right, where she could sense her
impolite cell mate standing on her left side, the opposite of where her finger
had been pointing.
Ciara
never had a cell mate. Despite being placed into fifty different cells, she was
always alone. Alone in a world surrounded by darkness. So why was he here? Was
this another test from the Specialists? Why had they placed an able-bodied boy
in her new cell?
Two
slender hands touched her shoulders and Ciara screamed, instinctively thrusting
her hands forward and hitting the boy’s chest. She heard the boy topple to the
ground, cursing and groaning.
“Stay
away from me!” Ciara shrieked and covered her head. Fear throbbed her chest,
and she shuddered. A sequence of images suddenly flashed through her mind. Dark
smoke, rising flames, hysterical screams and the sound of gunshots. Ciara shook
her head. She must be hallucinating. Her memories had been long destroyed, so why
were they coming back?
Hatred
flared inside her. New information popped into her mind, computing and
inputting into her sensory stimuli. He’s standing at 9 o’clock, Ciara
detected. I only need to rely on his clothes. Her ears twitched as she
traced stiffness of the boy’s clothes skimming the ground. He’s retreating
backward. Not too fast…not too slow.
“Hey, I
didn’t mean to make you angry, you know.” the boy said with an aire of
attempted humor.
But
Ciara wasn’t listening anymore. Tears sprouted from her eyes, and she charged
and raised her fist as the computing data completed a full circle in her
frontal lobe. 2 seconds. He's moving backward...but not too far.
“I'm not
a Specialist!" the boy shouted anxiously. "I’m here because I’m a
sp—”
Thwack!
Ciara’s
fist hit the boy’s face, the impact throwing the boy across the ground. Ciara
panted heavily, her aching knuckles throbbing from the blow. A sense of relief
washed over her. Her anger quickly vanished, replaced by a sense of fear. She
blinked, unaware of what she did.
She
didn’t mean to punch the boy.
I’m a
spy! The boy's voice echoed her thoughts.
“I-I-I’m
sorry…” Ciara apologized, guilty of what she did. “I-I didn’t mean to punch
yo—” Ciara inched closer, cautiously trying to detect the boy since she
couldn’t see a thing. Two steps more. Ciara guessed. I can hear the
squeezing of his hands, the shuffling of clothes and the exertion of his body.
He must be getting up on the groun—
The boy
barked a laugh. Ciara retreated back, astounded by the boy’s queer reaction.
“Wow, I
never knew you were this strong, blind girl. That’s a pretty good hit.” the boy
laughed. Ciara raised a disturbing eyebrow. “I guessed I underestimated you. By
the way, my name is Liam.”
“You
shouldn’t be laughing.” Ciara muttered darkly. “I hit you…and…”
“Forget
that. I understand you’re angry because of the Prophecy, but people need to
cool their heads off, right?” Liam said frankly. “Besides, I'm already feeling
feeble since I've been here for more than three hours. So thanks for the punch,
blind girl."
“Why are you here?” Ciara said sternly,
changing the topic. “You said you're a spy, so how did you get inside Sore
Tower with your physical state?”
“That's
a secret." Liam blurted. "A blind person like you wouldn’t understand
me. All I did was kill one person, and in a flash, those stupid Rein Guards
threw me in this dungeon. Pretty neat, huh?”
“Kill?”
Ciara shivered.
“But of
course, the only reason why I’m here is to find the only Metric survivor in this
prison.” Liam recited. “I heard that lone Metric survivor is a blind girl.
That’s you, right?”
Ciara flinched. Metric. She could almost form
that word at the tip of her tongue.
Metric
was the poorest region of the six states in Round. It was also her hometown,
known for its lakes and complicated rivers. A picture of her younger self
flashed across her mind: Ciara casting the fishing rod at the pond; Ciara
darting across the fiery flames swallowing her village.
“How…”
the pictures vanished from her mind. Ciara muttered, “How do you know that I’m
a Metric survivor?”
“Well,
judging from your attitude, you blame the Prophecy for everything.” Liam
explained. “After the Prophet declared the Prophecy of the Candidate, Metric
was annihilated, right?” Liam lowered his voice. “I’m sorry for your great
lost. Everyone died, except for you.”
Ciara
lowered her head. She didn’t wanted sympathy for her love ones, because every
single detail of her memory was diminished. Did she have parents? Did she have
siblings? What was her life in Metric?
A dull
gong echoed inside the room, interrupting Ciara’s trance.
Ciara
smiled. Lunch time.
“Hey,
you’re freaking me out, you know?” Liam said. “Tell me, what’s your name blind
girl?”
She
swallowed back the fear in her throat.
Ciara.
It took
a few minutes before Liam and Ciara arrived at the lunch room. Ciara skimmed
her hands on the walls to support herself, while Liam kept asking her if she
needed any help. She refused. Three years ago, she had mastered the essential
skill of traveling all by herself without anyone’s help, so she was fine on her
own.
Right…Left…Right…Ciara
memorized.
Once the
chattering voices begun to grew louder across the hallways, Ciara knew they
were getting closer to the bland entrance of the lunch room.
“Can you
really handle this all by yourself?” Liam asked worriedly. He's standing on
my right side, Ciara noticed.
“Yes,”
Ciara said confidently.
“How do
you know if there is an obstacle on your way?” Liam asked.
“Instinct,”
Ciara said for the final time. It had been Liam’s third question to her after
they left the cell.
“Liar,”
Liam said. “They practically enhanced your brain, stimulated your four senses
and made you blind because you’re special. Before I was imprisoned in this
tower, I heard those creepy Specialists talking about some disabled people
dying from their tests. We all know the Candidate is specifically a disabled
person, but the Specialist wants to relocate the Candidate faster by using all
those physical and mental tests they throw at you.” Liam continued, “And some
of them aren’t just puny old tests. They’re electrocutions, over empowering of
brain, and dissecting human body parts.”
Ciara
swallowed hard, feeling nauseous about the idea of the experimentation. She had
undergone those tests while she was first detained in Sore Tower. Gingerly, she
touched her eyelids, almost feeling the searing pain of the hot blades pressing
against her skin. She shuddered at the thought.
“Ciara?”
Liam asked.
“I-I…survive
those tests…” Ciara gulped, slipping her hands inside her pockets. “…s-so that
means…”
Yes. But
we’re not exactly sure yet. You need to accept your fate. The
woman Specialist's voice echoed her mind.
A hand
patted her head, the apprehensive thoughts disintegrating into ashes, replaced
by a serene feeling.
“Don’t
worry,” Liam’s tone was soothing. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Just
take deep breaths and get yourself together, okay?”
“But
what if I’m…” Ciara muttered.
“You!”
The Rein Guard barked.
A dread
of fear passed Ciara’s face. This was it. This was the end of her.
“Me?”
Liam asked innocently.
“No! Not
you. The girl!” the Rein Guard roared. Ciara gulped. “Stand up. Our lady has
called upon you."
“Lady?”
Ciara asked. Suddenly her face hit the rough ground, and a splintering pain
burst out from the back of her head. A message transmitted into her cerebrum. The
Rein Guard must have hit me with the butt of the gun, Ciara surmised. It
wasn’t the first time she felt this pain. It was the punishment of objecting.
That was the system around Sore Tower. Complain, and you’ll get hurt.
“Don’t
hit her, you sick bastard!” Liam yelled, and later, a crowd of rowdy figures
began to pass her. The Rein Guards. They’re arresting Liam, Ciara
suspected because of Liam’s groans and shouts filling the hallway.
Someone
abruptly yanked Ciara up on the ground, hauling her to the doorway. A stinging
pain swelled across Ciara’s face. This is it. They’re going to kill me.
“Let go
of me, or I’ll smash your heads with a rock!” Liam yelled. “Yeah, go on…Kill
me! Wipe me dead, and you’ll be sorry!”
“Liam,”
Ciara muttered. Why is he so stupid to risk his life for me? No one is
waiting for me. Not my friends, my townspeople, or even my family. They are all
dead, Ciara thought.
The Rein
Guard shoved her forward. We’re at the empty hallway...Ciara analyzed,
while she could hear them brawling from behind.
“Like
this, huh!?” the Rein Guard’s voice echoed the sunken walls, along with Liam’s
groans and sickening punches.
“Yeah…knock
him dead!”
“That
will teach you, bastard!”
“Kick
him…right in the stomach…good!”
“Here we are,” the Rein Guard said, breaking
her reverie when he clutched the doorknob. The conclusion of getting killed
dispersed from her thoughts. This was the reason why the Rein Guards spared her
a while ago. “Chin up high, don’t speak. Respect the Empress of the Epicenter.”
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