"How long have you been a test subject?" Alina asked with curiosity in her voice.
"Six years, I think? How bout you?"
"Two, not sure though; we have no way of telling." Said Alina while shrugging her shoulders, moving her gaze off of Victoria to Cinder and back again.
"Do you know each other?"
With confusion written on her face, Victoria responded.
"No, I just had a strong urge to get closer to him. I don't know why."
Moving her eyes over to Cinder, Victoria's feelings started to come back again, drowning the logical side of her brain. Before losing bodily control again, Victoria asked while removing her gaze from Cinder.
"I assume it was the same for you?"
Removing himself from deep thought, Cinder responded.
"Yes, I have the same symptoms."
'Symptoms? I guess he doesn't think of me fondly.'
"Did you two share memories?" Asked Alina.
"Share memories?"
"Yeah, me and Cinder both shared each other's memories unless I'm mistaken."
Alina moved her gaze over to Cinder for confirmation. Noticing her gave Cinder nodded his head.
"No, I didn't see anything."
"Well, do you wanna try?"
"....Um, sure."
"How bout you, Cinder?"
Lost in his world again, Cinder weighed the pros and cons of sharing his memories with a complete stranger. After judging, they would likely be stuck together for the foreseeable future, and trust was a needed commodity amongst companions; Cinder relented.
"Sure."
"Great, now, Vicky, hold hands with Cinder."
'Vicky? When was the lost time someone called me that?'
After holding each other's hands, flashes of images eventually turned into complete memories.
Cinder started seeing a young girl with blue eyes and blonde hair living the life of a princess in a mansion with maids and butlers everywhere. In this memory, young Victoria was talking with one of her maids.
"Sharrie, when is mommy and daddy coming home?"
"They should be home soon, young miss; why don't you eat some supper?"
"Yes, please!"
Said Victoria; after the maid left, Victoria's joy-filled expression disappeared, giving way to a slight frown.
"Why isn't mommy or daddy ever home."
Victoria mumbled under her breath with a hint of loneliness across her face.
***
In Victoria's vision was a young boy, presumably Cinder; unlike Victoria's vibrant mansion, this mansion was quite dreary. Cinder started feeding his younger siblings in their cribs while ignoring his growling stomach; that was before sounds of flesh slapping against flesh accompanied by sounds of a familiar woman moaning within another room.
Continuing to ignore the sounds, Cinder kept feeding his siblings until his little sister started crying from the loud noises. Quickly grabbing Grace, Cinder started to rock her back and forth even while the sound of heavy footsteps sounded behind him.
"Shh, Shhh, everything's going to be alright Grace."
The doors slammed open behind Cinder, revealing his mother with frustration plastered across her face.
"SHUT THAT THING UP!"
Both babies started to wail with all the yelling and screaming, which further angered the woman. Trying his best to calm down Leylin and Grace, Cinder didn't notice his mother lifting her leg before kicking him to the floor with Grace in his arms.
"I'm sorry ma'am."
Cinder said quickly to try and appease the woman, but his words fell on deaf ears. She was continuously kicking young Cinder into the floor to release her frustration.
"HOW CAN YOU NOT SHUT THEM UP! I'M TRYING TO HAVE FUN BEFORE THAT BASTARD HUSBAND OF MINE GETS HOME!"
After repeatedly apologizing, she finally relented to catch her breath before threatening Cinder again.
"I better not hear a damn thing from this room. Do you understand me, boy?"
Slowly getting back to his feet with Grace still weeping within his arms, Cinder bowed.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good, now hopefully this time I get to finish this time." She said before walking off to be with the unknown man.
Left all alone again, Cinder started to check Grace and Leylin for any injuries while blood was slowly leaking from his closed mouth.
***
Watching Cinder and Victoria holding hands, the doctors started discussing once more.
"Why hasn't Lucifer got up yet?" Said Chris with a confused expression.
"I would have to relate it to Lucifer's degrading intelligence; his body never entirely accepted the first dosage of divine and with the second, this only hasted the degrading process, his body can't register damage, so healing would be impossible." Said Natalie in a flat tone.
"Is that so? What a pity that means we can't allow Adam, Lilith, or Eve to consume his remains."
With disappointment apparent in his voice, Chris shook his head.
***
After ten minutes of holding hands, Cinder and Victoria finally separated. Cinder's cold expression remained the same, but Victoria's eyes started to drown in tears; who wouldn't? A child abused for his parent's appalling actions for no reason but annoyance, in what world does that make sense?
Once again, locking eyes, Victoria walked over to Cinder before giving him a tight hug. Surprisingly Cinder couldn't dodge; Victoria was too fast and caught Cinder just as those strange feelings started to ail him again. Realizing what Victoria was doing, Cinder tried to free himself only to have a second pair of arms catch him from behind, locking him in place.
"What are you two doing? Let go of me." Cinder said with slight agitation in his voice.
"What does it look like we're doing? You need a hug, so that's what you're getting." Said Alina with a caring smile.
"I can only imagine what other terrible things you went through. Anyone with that history needs a hug." After saying those words, Victoria's grip only got tighter.
"I don't need your pity." 'This was a mistake.'
Cinder's body once again wasn't responding to his wishes, so he was left at Victoria's and Alina's mercy.
".....If you don't mind me asking, how are your siblings?" Victoria couldn't help it; she was hoping for a happy ending to Cinder's tragic tale.
"Yeah, what happened to them?" Said Alina.
"Why should I tell either of you? My matters don't concern you."
"If you don't tell us, we'll never let you go." Alina and Victoria said in unison with conviction in their eyes.
Cinder could only sigh in defeat.
"Fine it's not like you knowing this information will affect me in anyway."
*****
Bonus Chapters
25 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
50 power stones = 2 Bonus Chapters
100 power stones = 4 Bonus Chapters
Hope you enjoyed it.
From your author RogueErebus.