Blood on Her Hands (1)

The hallways beyond the thick white walls of Elisium's were as busy as always. Adults wearing white laboratory coats were walking in and out of the seemingly endless maze of pathways that wove throughout Elisium's laboratories. Unknown to the adults, a single eight-year-old girl was weaving through them in a panic, her small body hidden from their gazes with a complex concealment spell.

373 took a deep breath as she stopped to study the leftover traces of Michael's energy in the surroundings. She had started her search in the male's room, but the moment she arrived in his bedroom, the anxiety she was feeling increased by ten-fold.

The already-bare room had been stripped of all personal effects. The clock on his wall was gone. The sheets had been replaced. The clothing in his cabinet had been cleared and the flower on his bedside table was nowhere to be found. Even the familiar scent of him had been erased. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. The traces of his existence in his room were older than a day. He hadn't returned to this room since yesterday night.

The girl had left the room and headed for the secret path Michael had told her about. His traces there were stronger – fresher. She retraced his steps and found herself going aimlessly around Elisium. Then, she stopped. There was nothing significantly different about this corridor that separated it from the rest of the halls she had passed. But Michael Caelum's energy signature was all over the place. 373 could clearly make out a Fulcio spell that belonged to the youth with bright hair and the beginnings of another spell that never managed to form.

The girl with obsidian orbs studied the scene with a sense of urgency. Although there were multiple energy signatures in the hallway, a single energy signature stood out from the rest. It interacted with Michael Caelum's energy signature and seemed to follow the boy everywhere he went. The brown-haired child took a step back. Her back pressed against the cold metal wall. 373 recalled the violent energy signature that had disturbed the flow of magic in Astaroth's room. The blue haired lady's energy signature matched the signature 373 found in the hall.

373 used her Talent and ran.

She stopped caring about bumping shoulders with the adults. The little girl ran as fast as she could while tracking Michael Caelum's energy signature. The weaker it became, the faster her feet carried her. Her hunt led her to the holding cells underneath Elisium's laboratories then back up again to the hallways of Elisium's research facility.

Whether it was how her legs were starting to hurt or how the voices in her head had turned into a mess along with the sounds she heard with her ears, none of it mattered to her. She only allowed herself to take a breath when she found a closed room where Michael's traces stopped. The room had a big glass door that opened in the middle whenever someone went in and out of the room. Aside from the boy's energy signatures, 373 could feel the signatures of three other people.

The small female gathered her wits and tried to make sense of the voices in her head. She used her Talent and tried to look into the three adults' memories. When she did, her hands automatically pressed on her mouth. She swallowed the disgusting substance that rose to her throat. 373 swayed in dizziness. She felt her heart stop for a split second.

Through the adults eyes, she could see the open wounds on Michael Caelum's chest. Through the adults ears, she could hear Michael's screams. Through their thoughts, 373 could understand what the young man was about to go through.

They were thinking of taking his Talent away.

They were thinking of ways to make him suffer.

They were thinking of outright killing him.

They were waiting for him to die.

Her body moved faster than her thoughts. In a blink of an eye, she was in front of the sliding door with a fulgur spell was on her hand. Glass exploded as it came in contact with her palm. The adults in white coats watched in shock as an unseen force knocked destroyed the door and sent shards flying inside the room. A single adult rushed outside. The other two remained in the room. But before they could do anything, 373 aimed her palms at them and used another spell.

"Aer Gurges!"

Torrents of wind formed whirpools which swept the researchers out the door. 373 quickly formed a protective screen around the room and ignored the sound of hands banging on her barrier. She deactivated her concealment spell and quickly made her way to Michael's bedside. The astringent odor of disinfectant and something foul assailed 373's nose. His eyes were closed. His complexion was a few shades lighter. His face was contorted in pain. His mop of amber hair was unkempt. His chest was stripped bare. Open wounds covered the exposed skin of his torso. Crimson blood was flowing freely from the gashes. Some of his wounds were fizzling and reacting with an unknown liquid that smelled so bad it made 373 want to retch.

A foreign emotion stabbed into her heart but the girl ignored the scents and sensations. She found a deep wound and pressed her palms on Michael's chest to stop the bleeding. Her hands were shaking, her breathing was unsteady. She felt lightheaded, like none of the air she breathed went into her body. She tried to swallow her panic with the moisture in her mouth.

"A healing spell… which healing spell," she muttered to herself as she mentally flipped through all the spells she knew. She took a breath to steady her nerves.

"Cosano… Cosano should work."

A soft white light enveloped her hands and spread through the youth's body. She observed Michael Caelum's face and prayed that he would open his eyes. The heavens seemed to grant her wish. His long lashes fluttered and his eyelids flew open. She finally saw the familiar pair of multi-colored eyes that always seemed so warm. But he… didn't really look happy to see her. Worry and surprise were reflected on the young male's face. His bigger hand covered hers but there was barely any strength in his grip.

"You… shouldn't be here," he said. His voice was weak, almost inaudible. He coughed a few times. Every time he did, pain flashed in his eyes.

Her dark orbs met his gaze, but she instantly looked away. The expression on his face made her heart wrench. The little girl pursed her lips. She focused on her hands and at the rate the wounds were healing. But the bleeding didn't stop. The wounds refused to close. Her eyes tried to search his for answers, but the boy didn't look at her. Instead, he looked at the monitors lined against the wall.

Her eyes swept the multiple machines that looked exactly like the machines the adults had hooked on to Zain Amina. Her eyes followed Michael Caelum's gaze and she found herself staring at the numbers that were reflected on the monitor screens. She finally heard the dull beeping that matched the beating of his heart. She finally noticed how the numbers were going down. 373's entire body turned cold. It felt like her blood had frozen in her veins. Michael squeezed her hand.

She looked at him. He shook his head weakly.

"Forget me and leave. If they find you, change their memories. If you don't, they'll do worse things to you."

The child still didn't move an inch. "I won't go. I'll save you."

"You can't. I won't... last long," Michael gasped for breath and squeezed her hand again. "I'm dying, Aria. You have to… go."

373 used more energy on her spell. "I won't let you die."

"Aria…" Michael called her with the name he said belonged to her. 373 honestly felt zero attachment to the name. She kept her lips sealed hoping he'd do the same and shut up.

"Aria…," he coaxed with a voice that was but a whisper. "It's okay."

The small girl's eyes grew moist. She glared at him. "It's not okay!"

The male's bigger hand left hers and slowly reached for her face. His cold fingers traced her nose and then her cheeks. His thumb wiped the tears slipping out of her eyes. 373 stared at his orbs which seemed to contain both the sun and the sky. He didn't say anymore. The boy simply cradled her face in his hand and stared at her with kindness and warmth. Her lips quivered. The cosano spell on her hands finally ended. The rhythmic beeping sound in the room slowed down. The dam holding back her tears broke.

373's sobs escaped her quivering lips. "Don't die, Michael - you can't die..."

The young male's eyes widened and the hand on her face stilled. A heartfelt smile crept up his lips. 373 saw sparks laughter and sadness in his colorful orbs. His voice was soft. Melancholic.

"You finally called me by my name."