Five days I have been cooped up here in the W.D. MediCenter. Recovering my physical injuries I can handle. I don't know about my mental ones.

People really felt I could be delusional. But it took me enough to realize Anita is missing. Whoever is that black, gold tattooed figure has her. He's somewhere around hiding. I'll give it to him. Dawning is massive. It could take an entire year and a half for the centurions to search this city, every building in every quad. Anita could basically be anywhere.

I can't imagine what Anita's parents are going through. I pray she don't end up like Rufus. It's hard seeing him dead. I can't imagine seeing hers. She has to be saved.

Dr. Ryland had to move me from the observation room to a smaller one. Still the same old, withering smell of dead flowers. That's the scent this hospital always gives.

At least, I got visits from Pratt, Zip, Viola, Bertrand, Declan, classmates, and some teachers from school. It was good seeing them. I focused on them and not Anita. I was even surprised to see Mr. Chandler. Anita's parents refused to see me. I think they held me responsible for their daughter's vanishment.

I'm almost to the point I agree.

Aunt Verdi has always been there for me. She took Addie once he was discharged a couple of days ago. She told me his recovery has been doing great. I'm eager to see my buddy again. One person who hasn't come to see me yet is Emmet.

Could it be Emmet doesn't like coming to the MediCenter, and rather stay recluse in his bookstore and basement. No matter, I still haven't had any reason why those freaky mages came that night. What do they even want? They're probably using Anita for leverage. To force me to give them that object. I wish I knew what it was. I would be happy to give it to them, along as Anita's safe back in my arms.

During my stint here, I had to take these small yellowish-brown, oval pills. It looked disgusting. And worst, it tasted nasty. But the ironic part, it kept my mind calmed. It has a powerful effect that somehow blocked my long term memories.

It was Dr. Ryland's way of telling me, to live my life normal without dwelling on the past. Down side, the effects are temporary. I'm required to take two of them a day. I was shocked I didn't take the pills when I was younger. I even asked the doc. He mentioned to me that I was too young to take them. The effects are really strong.

Since taking them, I didn't see those flames, burnt wood, and three dead bodies. I can still remember the most recent events such as what happened when Anita being abducted, but the flashbacks I have when I was a small kid, those are the ones being blocked.

I guessed it took me long to find out these fractured memories and traumatic event was causing me to be a maniac. I hope I can regain my full memories, remember everything. No pills can do that.

Today is discharge day, the first time I can leave the center. I might have to return to Aunt Verdi's home. No way is she going to allow me to head back to the apartment. I shouldn't go there anyway, knowing what happened.

I zip up the small backpack my aunt gave me. Lying on my bed, I take out a black sleeveless shirt, a grey pair of pants, and tennis shoes. It took a few minutes to change, but I'm happy to get out of this dull hospital gown. I fluff up my mohawk fade. Staring at the small mirror that's hang a few feet away from the bed.

I'm ecstatic I can get out. I can seek my other Gliders to help me find Anita. And then I halt when I hear a series of knocks. My aunt's here.

"Come in." I say. I expect to say Aunt Verdi's name, as she enters. The door slides to the right. I take a small exhale, but I gasp.

I see two centurions about to come, but then there's Joa appearing perky as always, wearing his teacup-theme bowtie. He enters first. I'm lost, where Aunt Verdi is. I look over his shoulder to see no one else is coming. Is he going to escort me to her, or something?

"Why are you here?" I ask.

Joa leans his head down slightly. I can see his lips tuck inside his mouth. "I need to take you to Dawn One." He replies vehemently.

Dawn One, huh?!

Why I got to be there. That place is the epicenter for all Dawning officials. It's where the centurions are stationed and trained. It's where the Director resides and rules there. And then as if a pen drops to the floor, my head leans down. My eyes widen in revulsion. If Joa is here, there is one and only one reason he's here.

She wants to see me.

I lean my head back up. I feel scared and abhorred. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope." He says so collected.

I try to grab my bag's handle, but then a centurion clutches on my arm. I can feel the tight, crushing grip. It hurts. I look back as I turn to Joa. I give out an 'are you kidding me' stare.

"Just you."

I shiver in trepidation feeling the worse. Biting my lower lip, I wonder why the director wants me.

***

Inside the clear elevator shaft, it moves up rapidly. I view the many floors we bypass.

I stand right in the center. Joa is beside me, a couple of centurions in the back. I had no time to prepare. They just grab me and took me on a long drive, in one of the Dawn One's luxury hovcars. Only officials can ride them. As for us citizens, we ride hovbuses and norm hovcars.

Dawn One is to what all directors mention as the "brain of Dawning". Without the brain and the heart aka Beacon Tower, Dawning would be lifeless. As for the mages, no mages are allowed to enter Dawn One. I heard this place has a sensor that picks up the mage birthmark. It'll be easy for them to capture the mages and force them out.

That's what has been preached to us time and time again.

As the elevator reaches near the second highest level, Joa and the two centurion guards escort me out to a marble hallway. We walk about a mile until we stop, facing two big, mahogany doors. Joa walks forward, gripping on the copper knob. He turns it and opens the door.

Joa signals me to go first, so I enter. Once inside, I survey the fancy room, gold-laced walls, and windows overlooking the rest of North Dawning, the Bellator stadium, and Beacon Tower. I then notice in the middle, a long oak table, multiple chairs, yet there is only one being occupied.

She's sitting at the end of the table. I gulp swiftly as I see the petite woman, light green dress suit, orange shirt underneath, golden necklace with a diamond center. Her brunette hair tied in a tight bun.

There she is, Director Iris Vartwild.

She signals me to sit down, next to her. I walk close, pulling the last chair on the right side. I carefully sit down. She then orders Joa to inform the Chief of Arms about the latest on the protest bombing. I spot Joa nodding and exiting. Not showing any interest to be here, I turn back to her. Just wondering what she has to say.

"I'm sorry, Naven."

"Excuse me."

She frowns a bit before answering. "I feel sorry for Ms. Belladon." She then leans closer, her groomed hands coming towards me. "I'm doing whatever I can to find her."

What about Rufus?

That question popped in my mind. I wonder how much she had 'helped' him. I doubt I would allow her ignorance in the missing to continue with Anita. I won't allow it.

"I'll make assure those cowards who did this will pay." She then leans back to her plushy chair. "Since you too was there that night, I wonder do you know exactly who could've done this?"

I hesitate mildly, but I shake my head. I don't usher a word. Frankly, I don't know what to say to her. I'm thankful for her to have her influence over my arrest record, but I'm doubtful I truly need her.

"Do you have a clue that might have done this?" She repeats. And then she mentions, "I heard you referred to a man all black and gold tattoos all over." She then leans over to her right to grab a fancy cup and a saucer. She sips a little. Her slim lips touch the rim. That's probably Sweetnade tea. It's what she always have been seen drinking. "Care to elaborate?" She asks, as she sips again.

Joa must have fed her my rant. She could be thinking I'm literally crazy, why I'm here. But right now I don't look manic. I don't feel ready to go wild.

I know that figure was real. If I only took something from that freak, it might prove my point or at least find him, find Anita.

The director then places the cup down. She keeps sweet talking me about opening up; give her more info about that gold tattooed man. Why they were there? I wish I could, I just don't think she deserves to know. And then I'm shocked about what she says next.

"I already had spoken to your doctor. About your condition."

My condition?!

"Nothing is wrong with me." I finally break my silence.

"Are you sure?" She then leans back on her chair. "I heard about your little nervous breakdown a week ago."

I reacted like that because I initially didn't want to believe Anita was kidnapped, or my dog would be harmed. And the similar experience of my family fire, which left me helpless to save them. My mind's not right, so yeah I had a breakdown.

"I don't need this. I need to go."

"You can't go out there."

"What are you saying?"

"I had to contend with a friend. This friend of mines didn't want this option, but I'm the director. I have final say."

What friend is she talking about? I then think about Aunt Verdi. I glance back at Vartwild.

"I have been discharged."

"From the doctors." She corrects me, "Not from me."

I'm baffled. "Why I need your approval?"

She smirks as she explains, "I have this particular interest with you for many years. I felt your pain, losing your parents and older sibling. I lost my husband to sickness, and my only child...." She reacts quickly. She exhales, shuttering away a tear in the process.

I'm astounded, this is the first time I've seen her being this open-minded. I never had seen her like this, not in her promos that air around the quads. She then turns her ice cold eyes back to me.

"I can't allow you to walk outside Dawning streets not until those responsible are captured, and Ms. Belladon is safely returned to her family."

"I want that as well. Desperately, I want it. But I'm not standing here and allow you to defy a doctor's say."

She then slaps the table with a force. "Don't you dare mock my ruling!" She says upset. "It's already been done. Dr. Ryland would understand, if not he'll be searching for another job."

I can't believe it. Not taking anymore, I stand up. And begin walking to the doors, I can hear her yelling at me to stay, don't leave.

"I'm going. This is my discharge day. I'm not going back to the center." I say as I feel my hand grabbing the handle of the mahogany door. As it opens, two centurions are already standing on the other side. And I'm appalled when I see a familiar face. My head bends down, I feel disgusted.

Mooseface is back.

Quigsby smirks, no doubt happy to see me again. But I'm not. He suddenly grabs hold of my arm, squeezing it tightly. He must be euphoric that he gets to restrain me again. He then forcibly turns me around. I can feel his hold tightening. I feel a tingle, a painful prick. His hand not letting go of my arm.

Vartwild suddenly gets up. She straightens out her long skirt. She then walks forward and comes close to me.

"You were never going back to the MediCenter." She lifts her chin up.

I'm just confused. She continues, "Until we bring Ms. Belladon back and capture the monsters, you're to remain at Level 8."

I pause bewildered. I heard about Level 8 during stories at school; one of my classmates named Gavin claimed his father worked as a Level 8 admisntrator. The place is held under a secret location somewhere in Dawning; not even the director knows the exact location. Only very few people do, and those few people no one knows.

I heard from Gavin that the director wanted everything including who works there classified. I heard many rumors that Level 8 is where they mistreat mages and dissect the dead mages, so they can find where their source of magic comes from. So they can understand them more. If this is true what's going on there, M.A.D.O.O will go ballistic. I hope it's a rumor, but why I have to go there.

"This is for your own good." She says.

She's not worrying about Anita's safety. She worries about me...for a good reason. A reason I have yet to realize. I then see Vartwild instructing Quigsby and the other guard to bring me to the pod. What is the pod?

With utter force, Quigsby escorts me out of the room. I turn briefly to spot Vartwild leaving out to another door, where she quickly meets up with her assistants, or should I say drones.

Back in the hallway, I get push into the elevator shaft. Quigsby and the other guard stands behind me. The other guard begins to instruct the shaft to go down, down to the basement level. The whole area is claustrophobic. I can't breathe. I want to collect myself, but all I'm thinking about is Level 8. Where is it?

I then take the bold step to ask Quigsby about the location. And being mooseface that he is, Quigsby won't respond, as well the other guy. They remain quiet. Minutes of silence, the only sound is the shaft going down in a rapid pace.

I make another bold move and ask Quigsby again. But then he just stares at me with a sneer.

"Want to play a game?" He asks.

I remain speechless; only to hear mooseface wanting to call the game, "Guess". I don't want to play with him. He's just a jerk. But then he grabs my arm again, and pinches it hard. He wants me to play this, it's mandatory in his eyes. The other guy just stands there being a mute. Without a choice, I play along.

"Guess where we're going?" I ask.

Quigsby laughs like the sound of a hyena, "No, guess what you see." He states.

"See what?" I question.

"See nothing but the dark."

I want to say something. Why he said that, but the next thing I know. There's a black sack coming from behind, covering my face. Nothing but the dark.

***

It's been a while now, a couple of hours...or possibly days. I don't know. I woke up in this padded whitish room.

They see me as this ridiculously crazy kid. I'm not, I been messed up over the past ten years. Since being in this room, I have worn the same outfit since I left the MediCenter. I'm just barefoot, feeling only but the piercing cold floor. There's no heat in this place.

An hour ago, they gave me a plate of tuna sandwich and a cup of water, but I detested tuna. I remembered having a fit against my aunt. She didn't know back then, but I just don't like eating tuna. I screamed nonstop for them outside this room to give me something else that I can eat.

So just like my aunt having to fix around the tuna thing, whoever brought me the tuna sandwich, made a correction and slide out a plate of cheeseburger.

I glance at the plate, the burger is near-finished, and the cup is empty. Just dryness circulating the cup's rim.

I start rocking back and forth, embracing my legs with my arms. I just hear nothing, only the deafness of the walls. Nothing is making one beat of noise. That's what it been, hours of silence. All I could do is reminiscing. Think about that bad night; think about what Anita could be going through.

If I was discharge a while ago, I would've started my hunt to find her. Convinced my fellow Gliders, Zip and Pratt, to help along. If people think this was my fault for Anita getting taken? I need to rectify that mistake.

I can't trust the centurions, not the Dawning officials, and especially Director Vartwild. But she had to put her stamp almost to everything including how people discharge. I hate that. There's more to this than meets the eye. Why would she even bother helping me, and yet she do these things. I remembered Quigsby mentioned me about being the Director's Pet; in an odd way.

He might be right.

Then suddenly a voice echoes out from the room, but it's coming from the other side of the solid door. I wonder who it is, and then I get a musky reply.

"This is the Director's friend."

I remember the director said that she had a friend who didn't think I have a condition. I doubt I should allow this person to get in. But could her friend be one of the Level 8 administrators, who could actually be Gavin's dad.

I can't lose this chance. I yell out for this friend to come in. The door unlocks, sliding to the left. And there I'm beyond words. The director's friend walks through the doorway. The friend just stands there, showing his harden demeanor.

"Nice to see you sane again." says Emmet.

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