Chapter 1
'I thought I could finally sleep forever, but… it seems I still woke up. I feel my chest heaving with air. My blood was pumping with my heart. Why am I not dead yet?' Opening her eyes, a flash of light came into her view, allowing her to look around. Taking a look at the small hands that were right in front of her, moving to her every command. 'Where am I?' She questioned, getting up to see that many other bodies were around her—dead ones, that is. Seeing children around her, they were only in poor rags of clothes that hung onto their poorly thin bodies. 'Where is this?' Another question lingered in her mind, setting her sights on the entire place around them. This was no haven from the looks of the whole place, being more like a prison and torture chamber. Seeing many shackles hanging on the ceilings and cages, she was about ready to flee, but more to where?
"You're finally awake." Hearing a voice speak out to her, she looked to see that there was a man who grinned and looked at her from behind metal bars, in which she was locked in a cell or a cage. She could not feel her voice come out; she shook and backed up to where she had bumped into the other kids—live kids this time. There was no time to think about why the man would leave both dead and living children in the same cell. The kids all woke up when they heard the kid she bumped into let out a grunt. They all felt frightened as they huddled together with the fear of the crazy man who stood outside of the metal bars. "All of my pretty creations are awake now." He said. Getting up, he walked around the cage and looked at them all. Looking again to the girl who had woken up first and sensed his presence. "Especially you, Subject Seven." There seemed to be some pride in his tone when he said it directly to her.
'What?' She did not understand where or how she came to such a place, but it shook her body. The surrounding children were all frightened by this man who kept them locked up.
"Have the dead ones removed. We will not need them," he told his servants, who did not show a single inch of their skin from the look of the cloak on their bodies. We don't want the live ones to get sick from the decomposing ones." The servants bowed to the man who had left the hellish place.
***
She did not know how long she had been there, but she found that her name was 'Subject Seven' and there were thirteen children, including her. There was no other simple answer besides that they were merely test subjects for this mage, whom she happened to find out that his name was Laonn Garfanini. The children that he had taken there did not know much about him; besides, the same story went on that he had offered them food and shelter if they went to 'work' for him.
She felt all the memories returning slowly each time, and she did not think she would obtain the memories from the body's previous owner. 'Why am I here?' She questioned while trying to think more and more about it. Once the man had left, she looked at the children, who refused to speak or even look at each other. She could tell there was no hope in their eyes, as if they had already lost all hope of getting out. Seven didn't know how long she would be able to survive, but it was clear that there was no way for either of them to get out. The cage they were all in was made from silver that would not budge with the locks made of gold and chains.
Being stuck there, Laonn had taken them out once. They were all left with a choice to try and run away or obey. Like a test, Laonn did not show any mercy to any of them, even if they were children. They were only like livestock to him. They were too afraid even to attempt to run away since they had seen it before with one child who tried. The child had been killed without mercy and tortured before he could even fight back. Blood was drained first, right in front of everyone's eyes to see an example—some vomited, and others fainted. Seven stood with the children huddled together, who were all being observed from afar by Laonn, who loved the fear in their eyes. "Are you all not going to entertain me?" He asked them.
Keeping to themselves, none of them wanted to make a single move with the fear of being attacked or hit by him. Seven did not even want to attempt anything since the memories were apparent in her head that she should not make any slight mistakes with this mage. 'Just who is this man?' She wished to talk back, but fear still lingered within her. There was a higher chance of surviving by following orders than disobeying. 'Are these fears perhaps mine or the original owner's fear?' She did not know what it was but had to follow through with her emotions.
The clink of the keys turning to the lock had opened the door, and the servants mushed and pushed the children out to enter a forest that belonged to Laonn—leaving not longer after finishing that duty of theirs. "Why don't you all go and try to hunt something for me? I'll be waiting here. Do not think about running or escaping. You all know what happens if you do," Laonn then frighteningly told them. "Whoever does not bring back anything for me by sunset, then I will punish them." He gave them a look that sent shivers down all of their spines. Some children gulped, unsure of how to hunt or capture anything, but they knew that they were going to be harshly judged.
All of the children headed into the forest, where they were allowed to go and hunt. Some children were confused, lost, and rushed. Most did not even know how to hunt, but it was clear that Laonn was leaving their instincts to kick in. Seven did not know she would come across, but she knew she had to find something. Seeing each child looking for something, she looked around and saw many insects. 'None this would work, but… do I care about entertaining that bad man? He would likely want a small or big capture, not a tiny bug.' Sitting down, she leaned against one of the trees that hung around in that place. It was as if she was relaxing through that time outside since they were hardly ever outside due to being tested and locked in all the time.
Some children looked at her, but they would turn and look away to try and hunt once more. 'Nosy children' was the only thing that ran through her mind when they finally took their attention off of her. Ignoring them, she did not care the least bit. Seeing a small bird in front of her, she knew that anything other than bugs would suffice Laonn. Catching the bird, she knew that there was no way to take it back unless it was dead. Looking at the bird that she had acquired with her bare hands, she stared down to see how fragile it was. 'It's like me. Small and weak.' She thought. She was looking to see a few eyes that stared into her hands. Taking the bird away, she stared down at it and tossed it up. There was a sense of pity for the bird; it was just too cruel to take a life such as a bird. Watching it fly away, no one was going to be able to catch it.
Seeing one of the children bring her one of their catches, and she looked to see that it was a fish in their hands. Seeing them push one of their catches towards her, she shook her head to decline it. Knowing that she would be punished, she felt that it would be wrong if she willingly accepted this catch from someone else who actually put in the effort to survive. Her heart was not yet willing to be greedy and selfish. Speaking of the passing of time, all of the children knew that Laonn was coming back soon—very soon.
"Did everyone get something?" Laonn had walked in where all the children were, seeing that they had all caught something in their hands—from birds, mice, and fish. He then stared down at Seven, who held nothing in her hands. It was clear that she knew the results would end badly for her without a doubt when one of the children tried to help her. "How unexpected," Laonn commented.