A black car pulled up behind the truck. Rexton nodded to the back door and pushed Cassius's forward. The push was more a nudge, but Cassius didn't like it either way. The force around him lifted and was replaced by a feeling that pressed at the back of his neck. He was still reeling from the encounter minutes ago and the strange confrontation between Rexton and Iza's men. There were too many things happening at once that it made it hard for him to concentrate on one thing. And now he was being pushed into the back of a black car that could be taking him anywhere. That was the one thing that he hated the most. When he was back at the base, he had a routine that barely ever changed. The unknown put him out of his element and made him have to think about the things happening around him at the moment. Now he was unsure of anything. Rexton was no help and his own mind was playing tricks on him. He didn't even have the help of the Eye because it was even hiding information from him.
It was a moment of truth that would never happen. Nothing was making sense and there was no way for him to find the answers to anything now. That's what he believed for reasons he could not understand and though he was tougher than this, the weight of last night and the nightmares plaguing his mind were dragging him down. His eyes were heavy with sleep and every time he tried to focus on something new, he felt the world tilt and swerve. When he made it into the backseat, he leaned against the farthest door. It was locked. He didn't even try the handle, already knowing that there was no way for him to make an escape that way.
The seats were made of black leather. The material stuck against his skin, rubbing against him the most uncomfortable way. He twisted to find the best spot possible, but every turn made the pain worse. Rexton slid in beside him and he stopped fidgeting. On reflex, he grabbed his knees and squeezed until he thought his fingers would break. He sat rigid, waiting for the next second, expecting something as worse as a gunshot. He was disappointed, for Rexton sat there without a glance in Cassius's direction. His eyes were drawn to something outside of the car, something that Cassius couldn't see in the dark. The tinted windows made it harder to see the city lights glowing miles away and whatever had Rexton's attention couldn't be seen even if Cassius squinted.
His heart skipped. It took a while, but he was beginning to feel the effects from the surprise. But his head hurt more than anything. A pounding formed at the base of his neck and worked its way to his frontal lobe. The silence beating screamed in the darkness, demanding his attention. The pain was easy to ignore now, though if it continued to grow, he might keel over.
He thought back to the nights he spent in the dark with just himself. All he had in the past was the Third Eye and what little warmth it could give him. It could never be the same as a real person, as a living breathing human pressed against him. When he couldn't handle the loneliness, he would revert back to imagining that nothing was real and he wasn't caged for the use of the Exteru.
In his new world he would make up, he was a free man, living a life full of happiness. That couldn't be further from the truth.
And even if he wasn't a slave or if all Mekiah were free, there was no chance they could all live a happy life. There would continue to be death and sadness. Heartbreak and torture. No matter how the world changed, those constant factors were the reason for humanity. It was the definition.
It wasn't just hard to stop himself from dreaming about a better world. It was impossible. Maybe it would be easier to push out the bad if he'd never gotten a taste of the better, but it couldn't change anything. Nothing could change.
This was the worst time to start thinking about dreams and hopes. He was sitting in the back of a black car heading to nowhere with Rexton next to him. He'd fallen from one maniac's grasp into another. And he kept saying the same thing over and over. it was repetitive now, but it was just so hard to think about anything.
The guards were covered in blood and his hands were stained red. It was as if he'd been the one to shoot them. He could taste the blood in his mouth and smell it as if it were directly under his nose.
Rexton moved his arm to rest it on the door. He turned to look at Cassius.
Cassius met those eyes. He held his breath. He had to force himself to let it go steadily.
The plains of Rexton's face were hidden by dark shadows, but the moonlight shined just bright enough to reveal some of his features. The light blue light made his skin glow in a magical way, like the dust of an exploding star. If there'd been another time, maybe if the power dynamic wasn't so fucked, there could have been something there besides hate and disgust.
He couldn't kid himself any longer. There was something there, something he didn't want to acknowledge.When he looked at Rexton, stared at him with just an ounce of respect, he felt his stomach flip. That split second in which he let the slightest amount of emotion slide through was a tidal wave. What lay beyond this small feeling could be more.
He didn't want that. He didn't want to deal with his rocky emotions on top of his own survival. It was his stupid fucking mind playing some fucked up game on him. The same went for the Third Eye. It hid information from him, lead him on wild goose chases, and what did he get in return?
Some demon from the other side of the Veil biting him.
The idea crept to the front of his mind, sealing his decision as the car pulled to the edge of the city. The capital was an array was bright florescent lights. Flashes of yellow, green, and red bounced off the seats of the black car. He squinted, watching as the tall buildings grew taller and taller. He could barely see them and if he was still stuck in the back of the large transportation car, chained to the seat, he wouldn't be able to see anything.
This wasn't his first time in Keshtin, but it was the first time he would visit and remember most of it. When he was taken from the HIVE, he'd first arrived at Keshtin for the first part of his training. Those memories were just whispers in his ear.
Years after, it didn't seem all that long ago. He couldn't remember much about his time there, but the smells and the emotions that came along with the Capital transported him back to a time when he could feel nothing but fear. He wanted to believe he was over it or that he could overcome it if he tried hard enough. This wasn't a fight he was prepared for. Life had done this to him, had pushed him around and beat him until he could no longer stand on his own two feet.
Looking at the bright lights, he imagined the city to be unchanged from the years apart. He was never a part of the city nor did he ever want to be. The Capital was a place only for the Exteru. Even the Remu were outsiders to the high and mighty race ruling over the world. For that reason and for it only, he didn't remember much about anything concerning the Capital.
Maybe it was all in his head, something he believed because it was the only thing for him to keep a hand on his sanity. Or there was a real reason from him to not remember a thing. The fuzzy memories showed faces, blurred by anger and fear. He was a small boy in a scary place. It had never been his fault for what had happened to him. No one had to tell him that, but for some reason, he forced himself to believe it now. he was shoving down a false truth down his throat as punishment for everything he hadn't done right.
And why? Why going through all this suffering when he could end it all right now?
Death wasn't an answer. It could never be because that was not who he was. He was a fighter, stronger than most would think. But there was so much holding him back.
His eyes flickered to Rexton's face. Rexton's eyes were set on the city growing larger in the distance. The closer they came to it the brighter Rexton's face became. A pearly glow etched across his cheeks and nose. The light pulled Cassius's eyes in and tugged at the strings in his abdomen.
The car slowed to a stop.
He forced his eyes to look out the window once more to see where they were. in just a few short minutes, they'd made it outside the Capital, on the edge of entering it. He could see the black masses rising in the air, skyscrapers which looked deserted. Though the lights of the city were blinding, he could see no one on the streets. Perhaps they were too far out or it was too late for there to be a soul wandering in the dark. But Keshtin felt dead. It felt soulless and dark.
"What relationship did you have with General Iza?"
Cassius turned away from the window.
Rexton's voice was softer, the complete opposite from when he'd given order to hide the bodies of the dead guards.
Cassius should have seen this coming. He should have known Rexton was putting on another character, trying to tap into Cassius's emotions. The more he spent around Rexton, the more he saw how much he and Iza had in common. Their techniques seemed like they were taught by the same teacher.
He was understanding more as time went on. Yet, the more he understood, the more he grew confused.
He should have seen the question coming. As expected as it, it still made him sick.
He turned his head away again. He wanted to confront the problem head-on, but he didn't know how Rexton would react. Whether he denied what was going on, Rexton would still think what he wanted. It felt like if he told the truth Rexton would think he was a liar. If he lied, Rexton would believe him.
"General Iza taught me. Personally." Cassius watched as they entered the dark city. There was no denying what was happening now. He was never going to see his old base again or his SWARM. There was no hoping to escape.
Rexton leaned his arm on the side of the window and rested his chin on his palm. He gazed over at Cassius with a narrowed look. Cassius returned the look and as the moment hung in the air, there was a struggle within him to overcome his own emotions. Whatever may happen inside of his own head, he had to make sure it never drew in Rexton's attention. This emotion, this attraction would be a weakness Rexton could and would exploit.
The car zoomed past the first of the buildings. The dark mass crept up toward the sky like a hand reaching for the heavens. The windows were blacked out and the streets were lit by only a couple of street lamps. Cassius tried to catch someone in the alleyways or maybe hiding on the steps of a building, but he couldn't find a single person.
When he came here as a child he'd been drugged to the point he could barely remember his name. He knew that he'd met with one of the high ranking Exteru before he was sent to General Iza's base, but he couldn't remember what they looked like or what they sounded like. It was just a fuzzy memory, one that he was half glad that he couldn't remember but also disappointed about. He might have been able to scrounge together some information to help him, but it was far too late for that.
After a couple of blocks, he could make out a fence that stretched for miles around one piece of land. It was the same fence that led towards the base, but this one seemed to disappear into nothing. He could see no building, nothing that hinted there was a building in the city.
The car rolled up to the gate. No guards were in sight.
Rexton opened his door.
"What is going on? Why are there no guards?" Cassius leaned over the seat. Rexton looked down at him, but instead of answering him, he slammed the car door.
Cassius sat back. Rexton walked with his own guard to the gate and pressed the intercom button.
Cassius strained his ears, but he could hear nothing. The static of silence filled the air and left nothing for him to trace. It was the feeling of emptiness that made his stomach twist. Rexton spoke into the intercom, not even worried about what Cassius might be doing or what he might be planning. He knew he had no chance. He'd tried to escape before and it had gone to shit.
Though the more he thought about running from this place, the more his body was itching to just do that. All of this could be over in a matter of minutes if he had the courage to fight for the freedom which should have been his from the start.
The dark sky flooded the gray clouds. They moved over the car in a slow melodic pace. A strike of lightning lit up the horizon. Small droplets rained down on the car and streaked the window. The guard in the driver seat leaned over and turned up the heater. Hot air shot out into Cassius's face. He scrunched his lips and turned his face toward the window.
The high cit building faced inward, looking down at the vacant city street. It was an endless sea of black windows that looked nothing like the closed in camp he'd grown up in. His memories before he came to the base in Parlera and trained under Iza were almost non-existent. Trying to remember the time caused painful headaches. He didn't understand why he tried anymore when it only caused pain and never game him answers.
His questions were far too many to count, but as the years went by, he was able to cut them from his mind. The separation from that part of his life was never his intention. He would always be interested in what his life was like and what he grew up with, but the past was over. The future was what he needed to worry about.
The gates opened. Rexton and the guard walked back to the car.
Cassius left his legs spread in a relaxed posture. He tried to pretend he didn't want to jerk his leg away when Rexton sat back in the car. It was hard to ignore the heat radiating off him or the smell of his cologne. Questions about whether he should be worried what he was thinking ran through his head faster than he could analyze them. He shouldn't have to think so hard about something so trivial. It was in his nature to lust after others. Attraction wasn't just for the Remu, but he hated falling for someone he knew was evil.
His body couldn't care less about that.
It was the last straw though. This whole situation had been blown out of proportion. If he didn't act now, he might fall for another side of him that he didn't know existed, a part of him that was tainted by the creature from the Veil.
His hand drifted to his side, hidden by his thigh. It rested right under the door handle. Rexton looked at him from the corner of his eye.
He reached for his gun.
Cassius flung the door open. Before he heard the shot, he fell to the ground, rolling along the pavement. He jumped to his feet and ran toward the first building he saw. Another shot rang out in the dark, echoing in the large empty city. He didn't look behind in fear that if he saw Rexton's face or any of the guards for that matter, that he might stop in his tracks.
The dark buildings all looked the same, ominous, reeking with evil energy that made his bones quake. Every alley and every street looked the same; no matter where he went, it looked like he had low chances of making it out of here alive.
Fuck. Why did he do this? Did he really think that second time was the charm? Or was he that fucking stupid?
There was no clear answer for his thoughts. He'd done it; now he had to make it count. He wasn't about to lose a second time.
The sea of darkness was like a welcoming hand from the past. His mind was running in circles, trying to piece together all this mess, to try and fix the problems he'd caused, but it was no use. He couldn't concentrate on anything and the more he tried, the more he forgot where he was going. Each path he chose, he felt Rexton and the guards gaining on him.
He ran down an alleyway, squeezing between the two buildings. This way they couldn't take the car and mow him down. That would be his fucking luck, wouldn't it? Be run over by General Rexton's guard and be tossed in some dumpster like all the other Mekiah.
He pressed against the building with his palm pressed against his chest. The rain poured down on him, soaking his clothes and his hair. The dark strands stuck to his forehead and the sides of his face. His pulse raced, every beat pounding against his chest. Every shaky breath he took rushed through his body. He reached out with his senses and tasted the magic around him. It was hollow, a shadow of what it used to be. There was just a hint of it, like there was a film between him and it.
It was the strangest thing and it threw him. Most times he could feel magic and rank how strong the person was. This time, he couldn't pinpoint where any of the magic was coming from.
The small window of time he had was thinning. He didn't have much time before Rexton caught up to him.
He felt the air once more. The largest of the magic was radiating from Rexton's direction. Cassius assumed it was Rexton's own.
He turned on his heels and ran the opposite way. Down the dark alley, his feet pounding against the asphalt, soaked from the rain, he ran as fast as he could. He gulped down air. Rain fell in his eyes; he blinked it away.
The magic was fading away. It was a faint glimmer in the distance, far from him that he almost felt safe. But there was no such thing as safe inside Xtavia. It was a hell for a Mekiah and running would get him no where if he was stuck here. He didn't know whee he could go, if he could find a place where he could truly be free, but he had to try.
He would beat himself up for the rest of his life if he gave up.