ANTECEDENT: CHAPTER 10

MIDNIGHT was taken to a hospital, and Silvanus was called to the hospital by Dominick. The three were tense while waiting for the result of the examination. But Happy had to go home first to rest, as she was recuperating and also needed to take care of the cat.

After sending his daughter home, Dominick wasted no time and hurried back to the hospital.

"How is he?" Dominick asked Silvanus when Silvanus entered the private room. "Why was he in so much pain? Is he okay?"

Silvanus sighed and handed the result to Dominick. "He's physically fine. It's the side effect of the psychotherapy."

"Then should we discontinue it?" Klaus filled with concern.

Silvanus shook his head. "I can't decide that. We have to wait for Midnight to wake up and ask him if he still wants to continue."

Dominick nodded. "Then let's do that."

Silence fell, and the three looked at Midnight, who was still unconscious on the bed.

Dominick sighed and turned to Silvanus again. "How's his therapy?"

Silvanus shrugged. "Honestly? They messed him up so much that I don't think he can fully recover from it."

Dominick's forehead furrowed. "Those bastards..." He gritted his teeth. "Are there any other options we can do to undo what has been done to him?"

Silvanus shook his head, his expression grim. "There's no undoing what has been done to him. It's not just months of hypnosis but more than a decade of indoctrination and brainwashing. What must take root has already taken root. Even he, himself, didn't want to go against his father even though he knew how." Silvanus let out a loud sigh. "Even though he's cooperating now, that doesn't mean he would not go back to his father and be the perfect little soldier once again. He was made to follow orders and to be loyal."

Dominick clenched his fist. "You mean, even if we treat him nicely and connect with him, he will still go back to that asshole father of his, even though he knew he's being abused?"

Silvanus nod with a sigh. "He was made that way."

Dominick burst in anger. "No one is made that way, Silvanus! We all have our own free will! If he fought harder, he will be free from those bastards!"

Silvanus shook his head and calmly explained to Dominick. "Midnight's brain does not work that way, Dominick. His free will has been slowly stripped off of him since he was a child. What was left of it—a miniscule amount—was used for his everyday life. To be a functioning person. That's it. He's not like you and me. He was experimented on, and he can't decide for himself unless it was for his day-to-day life. You know why he is cooperating? Because his brain perceives that the psychotherapy does not pose a threat against his father. You understand now?"

Dominick fell into silence. His expression was dark, as if he wanted to murder someone.

Klaus fixed the skewed blanket covering Midnight, his expression sympathetic. "Is there really nothing we can do to cut that connection? It's not healthy for him."

Silvanus hesitated at first before he sighed and answered. "There is... but it's full of risk and there's a chance of relapse."

The entire room fell into silence. Then suddenly, Dominick spoke. "Is it dangerous?"

"Yes." Silvanus gave it straight to Dominick. "Very. If a relapse happens, his brain may not be able to function properly. In short, he might become unhinged."

Silence fell on the room once more.

Then Dominick spoke once again. This time, it was a decision made for Midnight. "Continue your psychotherapy and when you think it's okay to bring up that option, tell him. Let him decide for himself. Because even though you say that he does not have his own free will, I disagree. He maybe made that way, but humans are not robots. We are made of flesh and blood. As long as there is a beating heart and flesh that bleeds red, there is always hope for a change."

Silvanus stilled at those words and then he smiled, in awe of Dominick's faith in humans. Because as a man of science and who had seen the result of Midnight's brain scan and brainwaves, he could not share the same view as Dominick, which was okay. The world needs differing opinions to continue developing and evolving.

"Alright." Silvanus acquiesced. "I'll tell him when the right time comes."

As the three concluded their conversation. A few moments later, Midnight stirred awake.

When Midnight saw the white ceiling and walls, he realized he was in the hospital, which was not an unfamiliar experience for him. He remained calm, but his calmness was disturbed when he saw three people inside the room.

Something inexplainable stirred inside him. He was used to waking up in a hospital alone. So, to see these people surrounding him and looking at him with worry, he was at a loss.

Solitude had become normal to him, something that he didn't question anymore. So, seeing these people invade his solitude was something he had not experienced.

And to his surprise, he did not feel displeased by their presence. He actually felt pleasantly surprised by that fact.

"You had me worried, kid!" Dominick flick Midnight's forehead. "Why didn't you call for help?"

Klaus added with a deep frown, "if I didn't hear you groaning in pain inside when I went to call you for dinner, we wouldn't have known you're in such a state."

"Alright, alright. Don't blame him." Silvanus stepped in and then told Midnight what had happened and the result of the examination. "As I said, as we go forward, the side effect may worsen. Still willing to continue our therapy?"

With no hesitation, Midnight nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Midnight nodded again; this time he gave an explanation for his decision. "I want to know what had been done to me. I have guesses, but I'm not really sure."

"And then?" Dominick's tone was a bit aggressive. "What will you do after you learn what happened to you?"

Midnight blinked at Dominick, his mind blank. He replied honestly. "After that? I don't know..."

Dominick frowned, and he couldn't help shaking his head. "Don't you want revenge? Cut off ties with that bastard father of yours?"

Midnight's blank expression was painted with bewilderment as seconds passed, then his face gradually lost its expression. "That... won't be necessary."

Dominick snorted. "What a filial son you are."

Midnight looked down at his own hands. Seeing that, Silvanus gave Dominick a warning glare before turning to Midnight to console him. But they heard Midnight speak.

"What revenge? I felt nothing towards that man I call father, but even the thought of harming him makes me tremble in fear that it renders me useless."

Everyone became silent. And Dominick was in a bad mood that he had to leave the room. He was not angry at Midnight; he was angry at Kelleon. It was clear to him that Kelleon was not an upright individual, but the sheer cruelty of how he had messed up a child like that was truly sickening.

Silvanus sighed when Dominick left and the door closed. "Let him get some fresh air to cool off."

Seeing his boss upset, Klaus did not follow him and instead turned to Midnight. "Little lord, what do you want to eat? I'll prepare it immediately."

This time, Midnight did not hesitate. "I want to eat albóndigas."

Klaus smiled because Midnight was now telling him what he wanted to eat without wariness. "Of course. I'll prepare it right away."

After Klaus left, Midnight asked Silvanus. "When is our next session?"

Silvanus smiled, amused. "Get discharged from the hospital first and then we'll talk about it."

"But I'm feeling fine now." Midnight insisted.

"No." Silvanus strictly answered. "Let's give it a few days to make sure. I can't have you passing out again. You made us worry."

Worry — this word that Midnight only hears from his big brother was now being used by these people he barely knew. This was an unfamiliar experience to him who had no one that cares about him.

Because even in his mind, he doubted his brother's care and affection. Unsure if it was real. The more time they're apart, the more he doubts everything about his big brother.

"Midnight, are you listening to me?"

Midnight blink and nodded. It was a lie. He didn't hear any word Silvanus had said. It was another lengthy explanation again, and he was not interested.

"Good. In our next session, we will delve deeper into what kind of hypnosis had been done to you. It's going to have side effects and I'm sure it'll be hard on you, so I suggest you stay in the lab for monitoring. I will ask Dominick for you."

Midnight was about to nod when he remembered something. "Can I take a cat with me?"

Silvanus was surprised. "A cat?"

"Yeah. His name is Loki. He's adopted."

"Your cat?" Silvanus was still astonished that he thought he had misheard Midnight.

"No. Dominick adopted him. I'm just looking after it."

Hearing Midnight assert that it was not his, Silvanus asked no more. It was good that Midnight was given a responsibility to care for a pet. This way, he would have a companion by his side, and it might elicit some emotion in him.

Silvanus excused himself after telling Midnight his current condition and to rest more until Klaus return with his food and he went to look for Dominick.

"You want to kidnap the one I kidnapped?" Dominick clearly looked displeased after hearing Silvanus' plan.

Silvanus sighed. "Just for monitoring. Or else this might happen again. It would be best for him to stay in my lab for the time being."

Dominick couldn't immediately decide. He was torn. He knew that going to Silvanus' lab was good for Midnight, but staying in the lab with close to no interaction with the outside world and people can be detrimental to someone's health as well.

Dominick expressed his thoughts to Silvanus.

When Silvanus heard them, he compromised. "You can pick him up a day after the therapy. How about it?"

"Alright. Deal."

With that settled, Dominick asks what was bugging him since he left the room. "His loyalty towards his father. Was it really implanted in him through years of indoctrination?"

Silvanus' face hardened as he responded. "It's not just indoctrination, but also fear. Based on my observation—take this with a grain of salt—his loyalty to his father seems to stem from his fear of him. I don't know how that kind of fear was instilled in him, but it's not an easy thing to get rid of. It's almost an instinctive fear, you know? Maybe it's part of the experiment, making him hopeless to the point where he became scarily obedient."

Dominick shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Frustrated. "I thought I have seen all the evils in the world..." he scoffed. "Experimenting on an innocent child. How could he do such a thing?" He knew he had asked this question countless times, but he just couldn't understand.

Before Silvanus could respond, he received a call from one of the researchers under him. He excused himself to pick up the call.

Alone in the hallway, Dominick pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed Ruthgar's number.

"What's up?" Ruthgar answered.

"Make a new identity for me."

"Sure. Give me the basic details."

"I'll send it to you."

"Okay."

Dominick hanged up and sent Midnight's file to Ruthgar.

Moments later, Ruthgar called back.

"What kind of identity do you want for him?" Ruthgar inquired. "And what will he be using it for?"

"He'll be using it to be himself." Dominick told Ruthgar about the rundown of what had happened these past few weeks.

"What the fuck?" Ruthgar felt distress for the little lord he hadn't met. "How could Kelleon do such a thing?!"

"Exactly my question." Dominick clicked his tongue. "Just make him a new identity that aligns with his true self. I confiscated his wallet and when I checked it, everything he has is under Knight Velasquez's name."

"Won't this alert Kelleon though?"

Dominick snorted. "That'll be good. Let it alert him. If he stirs up trouble while Midnight is clearly under my care, I will make sure to bring that trouble to his doorsteps."

"Alright. I'll get ready on my end—just in case."

"Okay. Oh, and by the way, look for a laboratory connected to Kelleon."

"Sure. I'll call you once I have information."

"Alright."

The call ended and Dominick called his daughter next to check up on her.

Meanwhile, Klaus returned with a delicious-smelling plate of albóndigas for Midnight. Midnight didn't know where Klaus get it, but he enjoyed every piece.

Seeing Midnight eat with gusto, Klaus didn't believe that Midnight had no emotions. Maybe it was suppressed and deeply buried that they couldn't see it from the outside because Midnight was made that way. However, he was certain that there were some emotions in there that they just couldn't see because Midnight didn't know how to express them.

Klaus' own reasoning came from his belief that no person could care for his big brother, save another, enjoy food, care for a cat, and want to know what had been done to him without having an ounce of emotion.

"Is it good? Do you want more?" Klaus asked softly. Thank the heavens for the Spanish restaurant nearby.

Midnight shook his head and continued eating. Soon after he finished, he was forced to rest by Klaus and Dominick, who went back to the room after his call with Happy.

As usual, nightmares plagued his sleep. He kept seeing himself on the operating table, the words clone, and a mirror kept repeating in his head and he was gasping for air when he woke up.

Fortunately, no headache or dizziness this time.

And to his surprise, he learned that Klaus did not leave his side for the whole time while Dominick went home to accompany Happy.

"After the doctor gives us a clearance to be discharged, we will go home. The little princess wanted to make you a welcome home cake, but I advised against it. Don't worry. She said she bought an ice cream instead." With a kind smile, Klaus used the towel he bought to dry Midnight's sweaty forehead and neck. "Anyway, no need to worry about anything. This butler will take care of the rest."

Midnight watched as Klaus walked out of the room to ask the nurse when the doctor was coming.

Midnight recalled how Klaus dried his sweat, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, making him feel somewhat bewildered. The feeling felt pleasant, but he didn't know what it was. He couldn't put a name on it, and it was bothering him.

All his life, only his mother and big brother had taken care of him. Cloud, his brother's butler, would sometimes care for him, but Cloud's sole attention was always on his brother, which was understandable. So, to be taken care of now that he was an adult, he had no words.

He remembered how he wanted to have his own butler before, but that want was shut down by the laboratory. They told him it was impossible for him to have one because, first; he was useless. Second, he was unimportant. And third, no one would like to serve him.

Even after all those reasons, he naively replied, "no need to serve me. I will take good care of him or her."

But he later found out that he was not deserving and qualified to have one.

Thus, being at the end of Klaus' care, it reminded Midnight of his farfetched dream to have a butler of his own. Maybe they would be like Cloud and Klaus, who takes care of their master and the people around their master really well.

But it was such a farfetched dream. He now knew his place. He understood and accepted that there were things that were not meant for him as his big brother's shadow.

He had accepted that, but was it really terrible of him to want what his brother have? Was he really undeserving of care? Was he such a useless and burdensome person who no one wanted?

Am I really...unworthy? This question that had been instilled in him since he was a child had gnawed at him. As if to remind him that Midnight Velasquez was worth nothing and that only by being Knight Velasquez could he have any worth.

CECELIB | C.C.