Naomi

Day 119

The real suspect hasn't been caught, only the technicians got imprisoned in the higher levels. At least, they are not as maltreated as the union Teketa. Thus far, I have been doing the same stuff. Patrol, guard, sleep, contemplate what the hell am I doing with my life, repeat. I enter the castle as a walking guard again. There are some areas that only the higher officials are allowed to go in. The doors are closed off for the rest of us. The only way in is for Frequency Readers to let them in. Those things are hidden and I can't disable them.

I walk up to one of them, making sure no one is around. There are a few Reveta officers, so it will be at least not so suspicious if spotted. I change my frequency at a quicker pace from a wave of a microwave to an X-Ray. Just like that, the door opens. I smirk as I walk into the restricted areas. My body gets the jitters and the bed bug crawls at the same time. This is going to be thrilling and dangerous.

There is a conference room. Empty. The hallways are not crowded, nor guarded. There are no guards at the entrance of the closed-off area. So much for a military territory. I keep walking down the hallways.

A large clear window pops up. A woman in chains with straight-up messy blonde hair with complete ominous yellow eyes with black edges. She is in a ripped floral dress. She pants like a feral beast, baring her teeth.

"Ella," I utter. This is no longer the same Ella I met months back, but a new Ella that's not herself. "What happened to you?" I don't expect an answer. She stares at me viciously as I stroll again.

Aelen told us that Rick, Ella, my father, and Markus were dragged to the other ends of the castle. This is what they have done to them. This is what Netedinark is doing to them. That wretched being of oblivion! He will pay for this!

After a few minutes of wandering through the halls, another window pops up. It's Rick. Same ripped-up clothing he was in the day before we came here. Same eyes as Ella's and in chains. His body is violently shaking and his mouth is opening as if he is groaning. He doesn't look at me, but straight ahead, not mentioning my existence.

Eventually, another window comes by and I expect the worst. My hands tremble as electricity comes out. Here lies my father and the Father. He is chained and he has the same eyes, except all of his veins are black. He is pale. He is no longer holy, a saint, the fatherly figure I know of. He is what he is not. Dark shadows reappear and disappear inside his containment. He looks at me, grinning, ready to be released. He is dying for the day that Netedinark will release him to end us all.

All this is too much; I speed by it and continue roaming the halls, making sure no one is here. If I sense an officer, I dive into one of the empty rooms. Some of them are dorms for the higher ranks. They are better furnished in actual comfort than my own hive. I tone down my frequency, so no one will detect me. Once I am certain they are gone, I continue searching. I went up into another stairwell. The stairwell seems to change into a lighter and glazed fashion. The lights are more in tune with Earth. I can see circle windows upon the walls, letting more starlight flow in. The palace doesn't have windows; thereby, why this area? The stairs guide me onto the museum floor. There are statues of alien buildings. I walk to a small scale of a building that stands tall with a hexagon shape. It's white with circular windows. I look at the sign, which seems to be Netedinark's message.

"I can remember the buildings alive before they were dead. They were obliterated long ago," it read.

I look at a painting. Netedinark was standing beside a family; the parents and their two kids. They look like the priests dressed for their cult meeting and the whole family was invited. What was he doing there? Why was he standing beside the family? Was it his parents? The thought about it makes me chuckle at him being born by these parents and their reactions.

"The greatest Uedie Senate of all time and his family," it read.

Uedie? Is that the place here or in another world? If the latter, was it before this one?

Get out of that room, Naomi, Bracus invades my mind space again, You're in a dangerous zone and Netedinark comes here often.

How do you know this? I ask him.

We used to come here. I doubt that he would change and abstain from coming here.

Yes, liege.

I leave and I pass by my dad's cell before whisking myself away from the restricted area. I am still shaking with tears in my eyes. The other part of me wants me to burn down this whole territory for what Netedinark did. He is not a tyrant because humans are tyrants- He is a monster to put it nicely. A sick twisted monster that needs to face hell.

Day 120

The Teketa Officer is so smart for assigning me to guard the science chamber of the palace, otherwise, I will wander off into that closed-off area again and destroy it. Science guarding has got to be the most boring job there is, and we're not getting paid to do this. Actually, there is no currency in Gaeriscelleh and here, so that's a plus.

I doze off, resisting the urge to fall asleep. Humans would've been on their phones or secretly doing their homework just to keep themselves occupied, but with us, it's not allowed. Phones and the Internet don't exist here.

The two Revetas let the fiend who killed my comrades pass by, getting closer to me. My mind indulges in a fantasy, a violent fantasy. I see myself ripping his sweet branches off his porcupine back before tearing him into two, manifesting him as an illusion, making him die over and over again, but he won't know which death is the real death. The other hand is swinging my axe into his chest with lightning. I will make sure my lightning is hyped up with electro-magnetic radioactive waves and rip his butt up for good. So much death, so much gore, but not enough to unpiss me off. Lucky for him, all I can do now is to give him death daggers beneath my veil before letting his sorry carcass in. I shut the door, leaving him at peace. Whatever he is doing there, he isn't doing something good.

He was there for two hours before finally leaving. If my duty was to assassinate him, I would've killed him behind his back now. If I was on my own terms, I would obliterate him too. He will pay! He will pay! That shrew will pay!

The rest of my shift was boring until I finally let go. The time doesn't dismiss me, the officers do.

Day 122

I walk around in the restricted area. The jitters are gone, but only the bed bugs on my back. I turn off my frequency just in case one of these officers is behind these doors.

"E is becoming more unstable by the hour, my Lord. She is getting close to being released onto Gaeriscelleh," I hear talking inside the conference room.

I stop and kick up my super hearing. I turn and remove the wall from my vision and watch them discuss.

"R is also at that pace," another one mentions.

"What about P?" Lord asks.

"He is unstable, but not up to expectations."

"Fine. We will terminate him as soon as possible." He is grinning at this one.

Terminate? You're going to kill my father?! My father?! My body trembles as fast as my heart.

"What day would be best, my Lord?"

"Undetermined at the moment, but a few days' time. I am very disappointed because his daughter already exceeds my expectations."

I clench my fists and the lightning sparks from them. Plasma circulates in my body like a flaming hot sun. You're not going to kill my father, not on my watch. Screw Bracus's orders; I am going to save my bloody father. I bolt past the door and sprint directly towards dad's cell. I mess up my frequency for the damn door to the observation room to open. Ugh, even this looks like an underground facility. It reminds me of tunnel-like walls and dimly lit candles. Don't forget holographic technology too. I look around looking for the release button. I will teleport him back to Gaeriscelleh and my comrades will figure something out to cure him.

At least, I need to find the button. I look through the devices in a hurry.

The door suddenly opens and shuts, making me freeze up.

"Hello, Kursa," the same ghoulish voice says mockingly. I spin around to see Netedinark grinning, "Or should I say Naomi?" His branches come at me. I swing my axe at them to cut them all up. They regrow. He smirks and laughs. A void takes over. We are no longer in dad's containment room.

"I knew something was up when trouble in my territory was rising," he tells me, "But I didn't know who until later. You're not as smart as you think."

"Didn't say I was," I spat.

Dark thorns manifest around him and explode, hitting me at high speed. Some of them go in me, blood oozes from the wounds. Their thorns came upon and I can feel those horrible bugs enter my body. Slimy, painful, and biting me from the inside. They pump their venom into me. I yelp as I take a kneel, the disguise failing. I dry heave as some of these bugs go up my throat until I vomit them out, along with my own blood. Netedinark laughs and bolts at me. His branches recharge and wrap around me.

"Perhaps, I won't kill you if you tell me what I need you to know and do."

"Like hell, asshole!" I spat.

Then, another branch structure enters my arm. I glare at him as if he is stupid. If he wants to deeply hurt me, he should've stabbed me in the throat, neck, or stomach. I feel something being pumped into me.

"But first, there are some things I wanted to do with you."

My vision waves around and my limbs become too tired for me to carry. He drops me to the floor as my limbs become paralysed. I am still conscious, yet darkness nearly takes over. I am helpless to perk up.