Redemption

I fiddled with my hands.

I was anxious.

I sat in the little chamber. Aron looking at me from outside. He seemed to be speaking to some of the laboratory workers. The ones in lab coats kept looking at the displays in their hands and saying something to each other.

I couldn't make out what they were saying, the glass in between us muffled any sound that they made.

The tube I was in was a tight fit. It made it so I couldn't lift my arms but I could turn around. Not that I minded, I wasn't claustrophobic. 

I looked toward the doors that I came from, ones now tightly guarded. 

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

My head swiveled to the side and I looked at Aron who had his thumbs up asking if I was ready.

I didn't know what would happen now. No one told me how a Waking could be removed from a person. Aron always skirted around how the process took place, not giving a clear explanation in regards to how I would lose my Waking.

"Like sealing your Waking temporarily."- He called it.

Haaaaaa

Huuuuuu

Haaaaa

Huuuuuu

I started taking deep breaths in an effort to calm myself.

And then I heard a metallic sound above me.

KRRRRRRRRK

The top of the tube, which I had assumed was connected to the ceiling opened revealing the darkness above it. Then it dawned on me. I was going to be awake during this entire thing. I started shaking in fear, clenching my hands in an effort to prepare for the incoming pain.

Time passed.

Nothing happened.

I stopped looking up and looked outside again.

As I did, Aron moved his hand and pressed a button.

BBZZZZZZTTTTTTTT

And horrifying screams erupted as he pressed the button.

I shrunk back and looked up.

The screaming stopped.

Everything was silent for a little bit.

Then I heard something sliding across the ceiling. I tried to get as far down as possible. Cowering at the incoming creature.

And in the darkness above me I saw something move. Then, in the shadows, a vague outline slid into view and it kept moving closer. Its face looked kind of human. I moved my head in an effort to see if it was truly a human. Then I saw the smile on its face. It was unnatural, curving from the side of one eye to another. Its eyes were dark and hollow.

There was only one word that could describe that smile. Demonic.

It slowly moved its head down the opening giving me complete vision of its head. Its perfectly round grey head completely free of hair, tilted as it focused onto me. A long lanky hand slithered into view. 

A horrifying and sinister creature.

My heart started pounding, ready to leap out of my chest.

I was going to die.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AAGGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I yelled in fear. And looked toward Aron for help, screaming, crying but his expression remained unchanging. He looked like he was bored. I scratched at the tube, my nails sliding across the glass doing absolutely nothing to it.

In my fear I overlooked my Waking, if I transformed, I could break out. Then I started transforming. My arms changing first but not completely, the tube was restrictive. I tried to move my body, wiggling it in an attempt to fully transform. My tail fully formed and hissed at the incoming creature. Its smile widened in response revealing a row of sharp blade like teeth. My horns appeared next and as they did, I felt something wet land on me. The creature was drooling on me.

Very slowly its jaws opened. Revealing an endless and infinite void of darkness. And as it did I felt a force pulling me, tugging at my very being. It felt like an endless array of sharp hooks were latched onto my soul, pulling it out. My body stopped transforming. And I felt my soul slowly slip out. The transformation reversed as I felt myself get pulled. My unbearable agony ran through me and I felt it. I felt my Waking move through my soul and directly out of my body, along with it a piece of my soul. My Waking then solidified into a bright orb with various colors swirling inside and rose slowly. The piece of my soul that broke off, shot into the mouth of the creature and it stopped for a moment to savor it. Savor the taste of my soul. I couldn't feel anything anymore, it was cold at first but now I couldn't feel anything.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT

The creature shrieked and shrank back into the hole and back into the darkness.

My soul slipped back into my body but my Waking didn't follow it. It remained outside. Floating above my collapsed body. I tried to reach for it. The orb that personified me.

As I raised my arms weakly, I was slowly losing consciousness.

I saw the tube slide up and I fell onto the ground completely. With the last vestiges of my consciousness slipping I heard Aron speak.

"He seems to have lost a portion of his soul, an unfortunate situation. But his Waking has been successfully extracted."

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The next day came soon enough.

I woke up despite the pain from my aching muscles. My nightmares did not let me wake up refreshed either.

I got myself ready and prepared myself mentally for taking back my Waking. And then hopefully, I would be able to leave this family.

Though they would like to have me here after I got my Waking back, I would actively choose to leave this family. I was done. I had been through enough. Not only did I have my Waking taken away from me, I had also been thrown out of the main living quarters and was forbidden from accessing any of their facilities as well. I was allowed to use the outer quarters and the facilities but that came with the relentless bullying from every outsider.

No amount of nice treatment could make me stay here. No words. No benefits. Nothing. Nothing could prevent me from leaving. And if they did try to stop me, well...…. my Waking would stop any of those attempts. Controlling it wouldn't be an issue anymore, I was sure of that.

But before leaving I needed to do one thing. I would kill that creature. That I would do for sure.

I ran my fingers through my hair and then rapped my knuckles on the sides of my forehead. Standing up, I took long breaths to calm myself and ensure that I would remain calm for the rest of the day. Showing emotions or being overly enthusiastic put me in bad situations, I needed to be calm, composed and not attract attention, since that was what got me sent here in the first place.

Leaving the quarters, I walked to the inner compound's entrance.

My walk there was silent. No one actively called me out or tried to get a reaction out of me. But they were watching me and whispering to each other. They all probably found out what I would be doing today. It's not like the instructors wouldn't know about today either.

The entrance had a guard stationed outside.

"Reason for entrance?"

He had to be fucking with me. But I still answered calmly.

"I'll be going to get my Waking back."

He seemed surprised at how straightforward my answer had been. Silently he stepped aside and pressed a button, opening my way into the compound.

I nodded at him and started walking through. Eyes instantly fell on me. Then I heard the hushed voices, it was louder than the ones outside. And they clearly showed their hostile intent. I kept my eyes straight ahead of me and my mind on the prize.

No one moved to stop me or obstruct my path.

Good.

I wasn't in the mood to deal with them either. Every dog has its day. And mine would come soon enough.

I walked to the main building, in front of which a crowd was present. Joining the crowd, I watched as Aron talked to someone beside him in a soft voice.

"Here to get your Waking back?"

I heard someone ask. I turned to look at the person who spoke. I didn't recognize the girl who spoke. And she hadn't asked me the question either. 

"Yeah! But it would be amazing if I could get a better Waking." The person she had spoke to replied.

A better Waking?

These guys came for upgrades? But why? It was a part of you, your soul, why would you...…

Unless....

I felt a strange sense of foreboding wash over me.

I just wanted my Waking back. That was all. Just my Waking.

Then again. I looked at the outfits and the accessories the others had on. More than half of them had extremely new clothes and items on them, new and expensive. The rest had normal clothes indicating their financial status.

These guys were pampered and raised. Even after losing their Waking, they had an easy time.

I felt hatred rush through me and unconsciously clenched my hands.

"Now after such a long time, three and a half to four years, you guys have been without your Waking. Mostly because either you couldn't control your own Waking or because your Waking was too dangerous to be used." Aron started speaking.

I let out a breath and unclenched my hands.

"Now, the lot of you will be called inside one by one and go pick out your Wakings."

One by one?

Why? Just let me take my Waking and I will be out of here.

I asked in frustration, "Can I just take my Waking?"

Aron's eyes settled on me. And with a sneer on his face, he answered, "No. There are protocols and they will be followed."

I was left stunned.

The foreboding feeling just increased multifold.

He led us all into the main building and into a room. Instantly, I felt a pull to the long table at the end of the room. And my eyes landed on one of the orbs neatly laid out on the table. The orb was brightly glowing with a medley of colors swirling inside it.

My Waking.

My soul. 

It was within my reach now.

The anxiety in me faded away. Hope resurging.

"First, Orion Hunter. Pick your Waking."

Of course, the first person to pick their Waking would be his own son. I should have realized that already.

He walked toward a blue colored orb and reached out to it. It did not react at all.

And then an orb flew toward him from the other side of the table and melted into him.

Those colors....

They were my the ones inside my Waking....

The pull I felt suddenly died. An emptiness overtook me.

Fully merging with the orb he started transforming. His arms turning into massive ap arms, with rippling muscles covered in red fur. Brown fur than ran down his legs, as its muscles strengthened and formed hooves. Horns sprouted from his head and a snake's head hissed from the newly formed tail.

He let out a triumphant roar.

I froze, I felt all my hopes shatter and my dreams get crushed. I fell to my knees powerless.

My soul was gone. Not only had the creature eaten a part of my soul. I had also lost my own Waking, another portion of my soul.

Why had it flown to him? Wasn't it my soul? I felt a pull toward it and it should have felt a similar pull. Why hadn't it come to me?

Why?

I looked toward Aron and I saw him looking back at me. A smirk on his face.

My mind stopped. And the next person was called. Another rich kid who was a member of some influential family was called up and a similar thing happened to him. He reached toward one orb and another orb flew to him instead. And as he merged with it. I heard a thump to my side. One of the more normal looking people crumpled to the ground. And another was called and the same thing happened.

The same happened until all of the normal ones were either on the ground or standing in shock. The one expression on their face that was common was despair. I didn't need a mirror to know that I was making the same expression.

It was a set up from the beginning. This was a Waking swap. These kids around me were also probably orphans from different areas of Millica. We were just lab rats for these guys.

I watched as everyone got called up, even the ones around me..... 

They all got some or the other Waking. And the entire time, not a single rejection happened. Like the orbs they were getting were already accustomed to them.

"Finally, Gen."

He hadn't even called me Gen Hunter. So, that was all I was worth huh? I carrier of a good Waking only for it to be donated to one of the family's actual children.

Clenching both my fists and teeth, I walked up to the table. There was only one orb left. The orb was clear. No color. Every orb that had been chosen before had some sort of coloring to them, every single one except this. Not a single person had picked this orb either. As I reached my hand toward it, I felt a little tug from it, as if it wanted me to pick it. As if it wanted to fill the hole in my soul.

It felt cool to touch and then instantly melted into my hand. Something inside me clicked. I felt almost full. I could feel my soul being patched with another different soul. Then I felt the Waking inside me.

"A useless Waking for a useless person. Am I right Gen?" Aron spoke in the most condescending tone I had ever heard him speak.

My Waking was Absorption. I could touch things and transform my body to exhibit their properties. This seemed like a good ability but there was a catch. The first thing I touched would be what I could transform into for the rest of my life. I didn't have anything worth transforming into and most Wakings could easily kill me.

There was nothing that could be done now. I was played and thrown away.

My training? Useless.

My struggles? Left unrewarded.

My hopes and dreams? Crushed. 

 My redemption? Stolen.

My life? A waste.