Inmates Ballad: 731 Days

Day 1

I desperately plead that I wasn't a god-eater candidate. That I never took from FENRIR.

Over and over and over again.

They all thought I was lying of course. I screamed for hours.

Day 4

For the past 3 days, I've been trying to escape the semi-official Sikkim Branch of FENRIR.

I had enhanced strength thanks to the oracle cells in my body, but after my last attempt, they put older god-eaters outside my room to apprehend me.

Still made them bleed though.

Over and over and over again.

Day 7

It's been a week, I still try to escape. I've been battered, I've been sedated, and I've been put on double lock and key. The other kids have been put into basic training already, but they know what I'm capable of by now. They try to put me in a classroom, I'll beat anyone to death to get out.

They feed me through a slide opening now. No bigger than a dog door.

I have to get out before I get desperate enough to eat anything from them.

Day 11

I'm still stuck here. It's been harder to escape since I've only been able to go so long without food. Speaking of which those bastards hooked me to an IV to that end after knocking me out. I woke up, bound by metal restraints. Apparently, I broke someone's jaw in my sleep.

Day 18

Two weeks and 4 days. When I don't act violent I try to explain I wasn't supposed to be here again and again. This time after I said it, the guards told me off for repeating myself.

One of them unlocked the door and came in grabbed me and said

"YOU'RE A GOD-EATER NOW YOU MAKE YOUR BED WITH IT! FENRIR GIVES AND TAKES! YOU TOOK FROM THEM AND NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE BACK!

I broke his nose, a tooth, and cut open his lip.

I never took from FENRIR and I wasn't gonna take that.

I made a dash for the door and I evaded the other guard.

I ran as fast as I could to find an exit. If only I knew where to go, I wouldn't have been caught by a net.

Day 60

Attempt after attempt has lead to me being put under triple lock and key. 2 more guards and smaller doggy door.

I've lost track of time, but I know I've stayed here longer than I should have. I recognize the guards by face now. Mostly by the injuries I gave them.

I haven't had solid food for almost two months. When they feed me, they always knock me out first and hook me up to a machine.

I gave up talking and now I just claw at any chance that might get me away.

Day 80

I woke up and I saw the door open. For a second I thought I was in for another 'feeding', but then I noticed footsteps. Surely they hadn't let their guard down?

Regardless I leapt forward and instead of finding one of the guards I found a girl.

She was holding a tray. She also had an armlet.

I was confused and wasn't sure what to do, she was only a little older than me. I had given up on trying to communicate with these people, but up until now I hadn't dealt with anyone under 16-17.

"It's okay." She said.

Despite my hostile form, she continued to approach me with the tray.

"Are you hungry? I brought food." the girl said, politely as she could.

She was a god-eater, but she was almost as young as me. I could sympathize, and…she wasn't the one I wanted to hurt.

Day 81

The girl came back again. She had dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Wore the smallest FENRIR uniform I had ever seen.

I don't know why, but trying to pummel my way out never seemed worth it, if she was in the way.

Thinking on it, I've been trying to leave for two months straight without rest.

This was the first time I hadn't been knocked out to be fed.

Day 82

Her name was Aloni. For the past 3 days she's been coming by to drop off food to me. How long has it been since I really talked to someone?

Without biting them I mean.

She said if I kept things peaceful they'd let me out.

I told her I was only interested in getting out this place forever.

I had no interest in being a god-eater and I never will.

Day 83

Aloni came in again today, looking a little more desperate.

"I need you come with me today." she said.

I wanted to know what for.

"Would you let me explain on the way?" Aloni asked, peaking back at the guards nervously.

If for no other reason I agreed to protect her from the guards.

She grabbed my hand as I left the room, and eyed the guards now armed with shock batons.

When we started down the hall they were never too far behind.

"Did anyone explain the Bias Factor to you?" Aloni asked.

I had no information due to my acts of violence and no one listened to me, so I never listened to them.

At our next stop she lead me to a room with hospital beds and IVs.

Today Aloni taught me the biggest price of becoming a god-eater.

Once that armlet was on, god-eaters would subjected to a life of regular injections of Bias Factor or risk being turned into Aragami.

Apparently they weren't just feeding me with that IV during the last two months.

Still, all I could think about was getting out more than ever.

As they hooked us up to the machines, I held Aloni's hand tighter.

Somehow I had to convince her to escape with me.

Day 95

For the past week I've been trying to convince Aloni to either help prove I was kidnapped or mount an escape.

Her arguments were usually the same. She along with her family in contract to FENRIR were enlisted in the DNA registry and she got a hit.

The price of supplies and safety were her enlistment.

There was also the issue of Bias Factor, without God-Eaters could turn into Aragami in a day or a week.

As far as escaping goes Aloni wouldn't stay on the topic for too long.

As for trying to prove FENRIR was guilty of taking a child without cause, she tries to look into it.

They tell her I'm lying I'm sure, trying to use her to escape.

It's pretty clear they don't like her visiting me, after all the bumps and bruises I gave to everyone else.

It doesn't help that even after I've stopped bluntly trying to escape every day for the time being.

They still keep me under lock and key.

Day 97

Still, no luck trying to get her on board with the idea of leaving with me, even after I said that we could just steal bias factor and that I was capable of securing regular supplies for us.

More importantly, Aloni said she would try talking to the director about my claim.

A bastard god-eater lied about me being part of a group due for the branch. A god-eater part of this branch.

Day 103

Aloni said she'd try to get permission for us to play outside my room.

The very idea that I would need permission to do anything in a place I shouldn't even be in pissed me off.

But I just passed it off to her making the best of a situation she had limited control over.

Day 105

Aloni wants me to eat inside the cafeteria. I told her I'd think about it.

Day 108

Bias Factor Day today the guards look more relaxed around me. Makes me want to break their faces even more.

Day 180

Day after day it's been more or less the same. Aloni says she asks around about the abducting god-eater. I try to convince her to just run away with me.

Day 200

Aloni was finally honest with me for the first time in a while.

She said there wasn't any case the Director could make for me.

But her response sounded rehearsed and I mean drilled into her soul.

She gave me a whole bit about how the Branch needed, no, the world needed all the help the god-eaters could give. Everyone needed to do their part.

She didn't look me in the eye. Just like the god-eater who told me to leave my family back at the house.

Now that I think about it, did that god-eater even ask where my house was?

Day 250

I'd given up any hope Aloni gave me to talk my way out of here, I decided my goal for the past 50 days was just to get her and me out of here.

Every time I look at her I see a future death sentence.

Day 300

After a long time, I was ready to mount another escape attempt. The guards weren't as wary of me as they used to be. Thanks to Aloni I knew where to go for an exit strategy. All that was left was to convince her one way or another.

I resorted to asking Aloni to instigate a riot from the other young god-eaters so we could all escape.

Worse come to worst, I'd find her later after I escaped.

That was my plan.

But today while talking to Aloni she told me something that wrenched all my plans. There were trackers in our armlets.

The younger candidates weren't really supposed to know, but one of the older god-eaters told her and the director confirmed it.

I could successfully escape, but FENRIR would track me down as soon I got out. Me and Aloni both.

Dammit!

Day 310

Is getting rid of my own arm really the only way? To escape would I have to sever both of our hands!?

Damn this damn thing!

Day 364

Aloni was matched with a god-arc. On her 13th birthday, she'd be officially deployed. She sounded excited…

Day 400

Aloni's training seems to be going well, her whole class…

Day 456

I don't know what more I can say or do now…

Day 630

I decided one last time. Just try to get her to abandon the notion of being a god-eater.

On hands and knees, I would beg, whatever I had to do.

Aloni once and for all was done with my arguments on the matter. After all, I still hadn't solved the issue of the tracker.

By reasonable means.

Day 631

I snuck out. I had a clear path out of the building and I was ready to knock out anyone that got in my way.

But no matter what, I just couldn't force myself to abandon Aloni. Not without trying to figure out how to break the tracker.

Day 700

A god-eater came in with a hand injury. The armlet was chipped and thus they were put down.

…Would that also be Aloni…

Day 731

Her name was Aloni Tavana.

She was a draftee like all the other kids. She was kind. She went out of her way to make people's lives easier and she even made time for me.

Last week she was officially inducted into the FENRIR God-Eaters and fitted with a god-arc.

She was kind, she was considerate and she worked hard to improve people's lives.

But she wasn't built to fight. I knew as much when we met.

As of today during her first official mission, she was declared KIA, along with two squads of god-eaters no older than her.

Why didn't you just run away with me?