At the same time somewhere else.
"All rise to welcome the supreme one". A man announced audibly to the hearing of the inhabitants of the hall.
They all stood from their seats and lowered their head in a bow as the grand door to the hall room opened to reveal a man in a mask dressed in a suit, accompanied by bodyguards to his left and right walking gracefully amidst the lowered heads as he made his way to what appeared to be a throne.
" Rise".He ordered in a calm voice signaling them to raise their heads.
The room was engulfed with silence for a while as no one dared to utter a word due to his frightening aura which now surrounded the room.
A beautiful woman in red heels dressed in a black bodycon dress that stuck to her like a second skin stepped out of the crowd. She walked elegantly swaying her hips, with her vibrantly radiating red hair and green eye almost seizing everyone's attention.
"Supreme one". She said in a bow." We would like to present to you the newest test subjects".
Immediately after she said these words ten figures emerged from the crowd.
"They have been under surveillance after being exposed to the parasite...and so far the results have been positive, their strong immune system has made them resistant to the side effects, I believe with time they would become one with it".
They waited in anticipation for his opinions.
Unexpectedly he stood up from his throne and walked toward them excluding a lethal aura.
" Click clack...click clack.."
Only the echoes of his footsteps could be heard as he strolled down the stairs, with every passing second their agitation continued to increase although it had only been some seconds it felt like hours to them.
When he finally got closer to them they quickly lowered their heads in fear, although they could not see it his eye flashed with slight disapproval. They couldn't mask their apprehension as their hearts continued to race faster by the second.
He walked across them scrutinizing them individually until he got to the last person.
"Are these the test subject?"He asked calmly in an indifferent tone without glancing away from the bunch.
"Yes Supreme one". The woman from before replied if she didn't know him better she wouldn't have noticed the slight sarcasm in his voice.
" Who chose them?"
"I...I..did Supreme one". She uttered almost hesitantly before she promptly added." because they passed the test you gave".
He swiftly turned around and walked back to his throne.
"Do you think you are worthy to house the symbiose?".
" Yes Supreme one".They replied, finally able breath.
"Time will tell". He announced with a smirk no one could see because he had his back faced toward them.
.....
" Miss, Miss, is everything okay?"
I turned around to gaze at Natalia, I noticed she had a worried expression on her face, with the way she looked at me I could tell this wasn't the first time she had tried to get my attention.
"I'm fine Natalia, I was... just thinking".
I glanced back at the beautiful scenery before me but all I could think of were the nightmares I had been having. I didn't know what they meant, why were there so many unanswered questions? Could I ever find the answers to these questions?
" Turn around".I ordered the chauffeur.
...
I gasped, waking up from the same bewildering nightmares. I was drenched in my sweat, I tried to steady my heartbeat.
I looked up hastily when I perceive a presence in the room, I saw a figure sitting on a chair in the dark and gazing directly at me, at least I thought the figure was.
"Do you still refuse to remember or must I force it out of you, don't you hear their cries for help?". The figure asked in a relaxed voice that displaced a scornful notation.
I couldn't say a word, I felt like I had lost my voice, I could only stare at the figure, I couldn't see the figure's face because of the darkness, for some reason I didn't know why I felt like I had heard the voice somewhere.
" You are weak, you can never possess what you search for if you don't learn to dominate it and prove that you are worthy".
In the blink of an eye, he stood before me, I felt fear build within me, from the height and body structure I could tell it was a man, without another word he gripped my neck forcefully, pushing me down to the bed.
With the passing second, he continued to strangle me. I tried to fight him by pushing and pulling his hands but his grip on my neck was too strong. I slowly felt myself losing consciousness.
"Do you understand now, can you feel the pain, it should be a driving factor, not a limiting one".
He continued to suffocate me, I could from how steady his voice was that he wasn't even using all his strength. I felt weak and I hated it.
"The pain within you is far greater, you must accept and embrace it."
All I could see at that moment was his glowing red eye, daring me to be stronger.
My eye closed gradually, then I started to have flashes of people I wasn't sure I knew, I could hear their voices but I couldn't see their faces, but I knew it was a man and a woman. Subconsciously tears strolled down my eye, why was I crying? I didn't understand.
Then I gasped again, trying to catch my breath as I opened my eye to my room, the same room I was attacked by the stranger.
I quickly glanced at the chair where I saw the figure sitting before but I didn't find a trace of his presence, had it all been a dream?
I hurriedly stepped out of the bed and opened the door to the balcony.
.....
"Miss, Miss, I have good news, the master would be returning today". I glanced at Natalia who had just entered my room carrying a tray of food with a smile on her.
I didn't understand how she could always smile even at the worst times.
It was a good thing he was coming back today because I still needed to talk to him and immediately after that I decided that I would leave the estate. I needed to find my purpose and recover my memory plus the unanswered question continue to pile up, and I don't think the answers would just come to me on a platter.
" I know what is on your mind Miss, you should have your breakfast so you would have the strength you need to talk to the Master".
Lately, I didn't have an appetite for food but I obliged and ate a few spoons because I knew she would protest if I told her I didn't have the appetite.