*Thalia Stonefield*
I cannot feel my hands and my arms. That's the first thought to register in my mind as I regain my consciousness. I dreamt a very long and weird dream, but it was forgotten in an instant as if erased from my head intentionally.
Darkness is ruling the whole place, whatever kind of place it is. I cannot see any hint of light. With my eyes shut or not, there's no difference at all.
I tried to recall what happened before I succumb to darkness. Am I dead? Did Trinn shot me to death? If I really am dead, then it means I am free. I no longer have something to do with the Assassin Org. I am finally free from Eromeni's hand. Maybe I am already dead.
My stomach growled and my throat felt dry. Maybe my soul has been sent directly deep down to hell as my judgment. If it not, then I will not feel thirsty nor hungry at all. That was what my Grand Paps told me before about heaven and hell.
He told me that heaven is a place of eternal bliss. No hunger, thirst, pain, sadness, and anger are present in that place. On the other hand, hell is a place opposite to heaven. It is a place for the eternal punishment of pain, hunger, thirst, unalterable sadness, anger, and grief. Hell is where sinners like me belong to. It's funny that I believed every bizarre thing my Grand Paps told me way back when I was an innocent and untainted kid.
I sighed. How come I feel blank down here in hell? I thought misery and damnation will welcome every sinner's soul here? Though I feel weak, I feel nothing but blankness, and that's all.
Lights appear in my sight like dominoes. They happened to be candles placed on walls, and they were lit mysteriously. Thanks to that, I was given a chance to observe the place and finally see myself. I was chained into the wall like a slave being punished by an unknown master. Then, the realization hits me. I'm not dead, yet. The sudden pain that tingles my body, right just the moment I've seen my state, proved my speculation. Yes, I am in hell, but I am freaking alive.
I can barely move, but I still tried to. All my effort was useless, for I felt the chains tighten the more I tried to move. It was as if these chains have their own will and awareness. Where am I?
"Hello! Is anybody there?"
I tried to call out as loud as I could, but my strength abandoned me for an unknown reason. My voice seemed to be a whisper during the masses my mother had attended before.
My eyes were begging to rest, so I gave in. Slowly, for the second time around, I succumb to darkness still uncertain of what will happen to me from then.
~ ~ ~
"You fools! Untie me here!"
I fumed to where I am chained. I regained all my strength now as well as the loudness of my voice.
I supposed Eromeni is behind all of this. Why did Trinn let me live? I thought she wants me dead, but why am I here? I've been to all of Eromeni's hideouts and warehouses, but this place is a stranger to my eyes. I've never been to this place.
I continued resisting with these chains until all of a sudden, I was pressed on the wall by an invisible force. I struggled against the mysterious entity that ceases me to move, but my efforts exerted were of no use.
Slowly and creepily, the door at the right side of the place opened. Light from the outside slowly crawled on the floor, and anger mixed with fear creeps into my system. The odd sound of the opening door was terrorizing my ears.
"I can sense your anger, human, but it is being swathed by your fear."
I jolted with the coldness of his masculine voice echoing in the four corners of the room. Is he a recruit of Eromeni in the organization? Since when did he join? This man is unfamiliar as this place is to me.
"Who are you? What do you want from me? Where's Trinn?" I asked question after question.
He walked in my direction. In an instant, the whole place was lit by the fluorescent lamp hanging on the ceiling. The candles placed hanging on the walls had been blown off.
"Questions, questions, and lots of questions... Why do humans love to ask things to know the unnecessary?"
His voice strangely soothes all over me as he spoke with a hint of irritation. He chuckled and continued speaking.
"Who are you? Why am I here? What do you want from me? Things you ask human... and guess what? I know what your next question is. Are you going to kill me?"
He said with a mischievous tone as if he's enjoying the sight of me being tied with these chains.
"Untie me. Who the hell are you, and what the freaking hell do you want from me?"
I ask with gritted teeth. I know I am not in the proper place to act due to my situation, but I can't help it.
"I am not whom you speculated a little while, human. I have nothing to do with those people that you are saying."
He explained as he walked slowly beside me and lightly caressed the chains that are disabling me to move.
"Then tell me, who you are, and what do you want from me? I do not know you."
He clutched my face roughly using his ice-cold hands.
"Are you that eager to know? Then I'll let you know the fortunate truth. I am the owner of your life, you lowly woman. I saved you from those low lives back in that forest, and you are to follow my rules, my command, and my will." He spoke with emphasis on every word.
"And if I won't?" I dare to ask him though I know that my life was in his hands. He smiled evilly.
"You wouldn't want to defy me, Thalia" He wickedly laughed. How the hell did he know my name?
"I didn't ask you to save me to start with!." I told him angrily.
"It was a matter of chance. It happened by chance that I was there when you were almost killed, and it happened by chance that I wanted to kill humans at that time. "
He laughed.
"How am I supposed to believe you? They are all but elite assassins! How can you possibly do that alone? You must be dreaming!" I mocked at him. This sick stranger is making me laugh despite my state.
"How? Do you want to know how am I able to finish the lives of those humans including your best friend who tried to kill you?" I was astonished by what he stated. He knew Trinn, as he knew me.
"H-How..." I couldn't say a word due to my surprise and chills slowly crept through my vessels.
"I slit their necks... You don't know how delicious their filthy blood tasted, but don't worry I did not plan to drink all of them. The authority might find it odd if I leave them dry from blood, so instead of drinking their blood, I feasted with their fear, with their pain and suffering. I feasted with their deep agony as they wondering why life had been cruel to them until the last moment of it. Aside from blood, I feed with emotions. I got plenty of them with those low-lives as plenty as what I could get from you."
"After that, I broke their bones, every piece of them. I ripped them from limb to limb and shredded their flesh into tiny pieces until blood floods all over the forest." He finished the recounting the grimness of his wicked acts by following them with an insane laugh.
I cannot comprehend every detail of what he said. All I could think about is Trinn. She's dead. This monster in front of me killed her. He is a monster in the disguise of an enchanting person with an alluring appeal. Tears started to fall from my eyes as memories played like a movie in my head.
"Trinn..."
"You are a pure evil monster!" I scorned. He hastily grabbed my neck.
"Yes! I am evil! I am a monster! But remember that this monster saved your life from damnation, so I own you now, low life wench. I'll be the one to decide whether you live or die."
I am horrified to see his eyes shift colors from ash gray to crimson red. It manifested that he is no ordinary creature. He's not really a human. Here and then I realize that I have no other choice but to obey him, to befall under his authority, and to be his slave.
"Who really are you? What exactly do you want from me?" I ask lowly to show that I am giving up. I never knew that I'll end up being in hell upon trying to escape from Satan's hands.
"I never let anyone know my name... especially human beings. As to your second question, let me think about it."
He snickered then turned his back from me. He waved his hands in the air then the black curtain hanging a few meters across me suddenly moved. It revealed a classical wooden tub filled with red liquid. At first sight, I know it was blood. If it's from an animal or a human, that, I do not know, and I would not want to know.
Since he was no longer in front of my face, I can actually examine the entire room- my cage. Every piece of furniture and material that can be seen inside screams senescence. From the old bed to the grand piano, it seems older than my great, great grandparents.
"Now, for your first task as enslave, I want you to keep your eyes on me...
while I am enjoying my bath. "
~~~