Hanging upside down with her hands and feet tied with a bionic rope that rendered a being's power uselessis not what Selfer's would consider a good day. The rope was connected to a rusty metal bar above this prison cell. The smell was putrid and ghastly. But that didn't deter her in focusing more on her surroundings.
This was the life she was subsequentially thrusted into and there was no turning back for a measly orphan like her. Every day they would train them, her and the others who had been collected and raised for this lifestyle.
Her eyes peeled for anything, she heard the distant sound of a cell door opening and a shout of dismay from one of the procurers. Rustling and clanking sounds could be heard as her neighboring cellmate failed and was now hanging like her albeit, there was no life found in those eyes. There was only a section of cell bars that separated her from that person.
They would talk about menial things, just anything to give them a sense of normality.
Rendering them to ignore the fact that they were in a dungeon underneath the very basement of the organization, hanging upside down form one of the cell's ceilings, their hands and feet tide and that the unknown substance that they just injected to them was just a booster.
And not a lethal one that hooked and put a subject's head into delirium and sooner or later die by their own nightmares and hallucinations.
The procurers shouted more and then the sound of the main doors closing could be heard, that was the signal that the final test for this graduation has started. Deaths have tallied on before it even began.
Selfer swore in her mind not liking where this graduation was turning into. The training was brutal filled with blood, sweat, tears and probably a whole lot of blood again. Then they would be chosen based on only one thing, survival. The ones who didn't die on the training period where the ones to also be part of this graduation which is equally fucked up like the training period.
"Hey, Sefy! Hang in there. We don't want you to have a hangover on the fact that poison now runs in our veins!" A familiar voice shouted, while letting out a barrage of laughter.
Turning her attention to the individual as she swung to her right while making sure to calm her heartbeat as she felt another wave of dizzy spell upon her due to the poison in her system. "Only you, Ramiela, would find something funny about this situation."
"When they said to us that the graduation would turn our life upside down, I didn't think they would mean it literally. Truly, got me changing my perspective about my life!" Ramiela gushed out looking ecstatic on the very notion they had little time left on this wretched place.
"Just let her be, Selfer. Ramiela's way of coping is making passing jokes about what terrible things await us." Fiela lectured, her breath steady and in tune while being in the same situation as theirs.
That got Ramiela's attention, the brunette with her blue eyes huffed at Fiela. "You always kill my fun, Fily!"
Fiela rolled her eyes, while she tried to struggle from her binds. Selfer watched on as the others try to get out of their binds. While they were doing that, more mumblings and whispers were all around the cells. And some did not even have a fight left in them anymore.
"Oh, Great Almighty Father Phalmoge and Sacred Mother Onicea, give us strength to pursue the end of this trial, give us bravery when we feel scared and light when we feel darkness closing in our hearts," Croix prayed, her eyes closed as she fervently asked for the Divine Couple's guidance.
"And there goes our acolyte in the making, I do hope her prayer is heard even if I think its utter bullshit." Ramiela scorned. She was one those people who do not believe in the Divine, for her if you have to survive, you must be the one to do it by action.
Hearing that, Croix opened her eyes, stopped her prayer and glared at the brunette in retaliation. " Let's be clear, its either I pray or break your neck the second we get out of this." she snapped.
"Oh, please do choose the latter, pretty please." Ramiel cooed, eyes mocking Croix.
Selfer sighed, not many knew Croix tendencies they were only the ones who were on the front row seat when prayerful woman changed suddenly.
She let them bicker as she scoped out her surroundings, her gaze landing on another cell where two others like her was contained. They were quiet, eyes vacant, it was only by their twitch that she could tell they were alive.
"Owen? Olivia?" She called, concern etched in her voice for the younger ones. In all honesty she does not know what their ages are or even hers. The organization no doubt does not know it as well.
After all, who would even think of caring about those details when they don't treat them as fellow beings or children. She heard it back then, one of the procurers said it so. "Weapons all of them, they are living for the blight and that's all they will ever be."
Both younglings glanced towards her seemingly waiting for her next move about their current situation. The two were twins, special on their own and quite formidable even if they lack the emotions that was normal in everyone to feel. Knowing that they were fine, she turned her attention to the three women who were bickering like there was no tomorrow.
"Playtime's over." Selfer announced, her words were met by silence as the three stopped and then let out their smiles as she finally said what they needed to hear.
"Finally, I was getting bored." Ramiela gushed out, excitement clear in her eyes.
Selfer sighed at her antics and focused on pouring out her energy. The darkness of the dungeon was temporarily bathed in light as her whole being glowed with bright gold ringlets tinged with a red hue. She angled that energy towards the ropes on her hands, unsurprisingly it gave way and turned the bionic rope to smithereens. Dimming her energy she pulled up, and let it out through her hand burning the rope tied to her feet.
The rope caught on fire and rose upward melting away the metal plank leading her to fall and land on the dusty bricked floor. With a groan she stood not minding the pain she got from falling from that height, knowing she would heal soon.
With no time to lose she set out to free Ramiela, Fiela, Croix, Owen and Olivia from their confinements and helped them land safely. As she and Fiela gathered the twins to head as a group.
They heard a scream of outrage and turned only to find Croix gripping Ramiela's throat, while dangling the brunette over the dungeon's floor. Croix's eyes were glowing blue, fangs showing and snarling in anger towards Ramiela.
"Croix, let her go. This isn't the time for thi-" Fiela sighed attempting to intervene as she took in what was happening in front of her. Selfer could only agree that this was unnecessary.
Croix ignored her and with a snap she twisted Ramiela neck so haphazardly her head twisted to the right, leading for the bone to stick out. Blood poured on the ground as Ramiela went lax as Croix released her grip leading for Ramiela's body to fall like a broken doll on the ground.
Selfer crossed her arms on her chest, annoyed to a fault. This was not what she wanted to happen when she freed them. But what did she even expect. She glanced at Croix who was busy wiping off Ramiela's blood on her.
"She said, she was bored. I always follow through what I say." The blonde simply explained as her eyes dimmed and the glow was gone from it as well as her fangs. There was no hint of remorse found in her as if what she did was normal like the way the weather changes every day.
The twins were eerily silent. Their eyes fixed on Ramiela's dead body, there were no signs of shock or even fear on what they just witnessed.
The remaining five people waited; their eyes fixed on Ramiela's body. Selfer was getting annoyed by this occurrence that she just wanted to get it over with since they were pressed for time.
"That fucking hurt like the Abyss!" A disembodied voice yelled out as black wisps of smoke billowed out and formed the shape of a woman, hovering near Ramiela's corpse." You got me good, Croix." It sounded impressed as it said it towards the blonde.
"You were bored, I just made it fun for you." Croix huffed, finding everything tiresome.
"Oh, how I love playing with you. You always know how to ravage me."
"Must you always turn every word you say to sound sexual?"
"I think that's a rhetorical question as far as I am concerned. You were so brutal I think I can still feel how my throat gave out and how my bone slid out of my neck, I was not expecting such fatality from you Croix." It crooned, its voice pleased and even ecstatic.
"Bitch please, not expecting it she says that a pile of bullshit right there. You know that I take my warnings seriously." Croix snapped, irritated by the shadow's presence.
"Oh, my merciful God and Goddess. The Acolyte kiled and spouted profanity in front of thy children all in one day. Such blasphemy!" the shadow mocked, feigning shocked by Croix's actions. As it danced around and even gestured towards the twins.
"I think given the situation. The Divine Couple would gladly make an exemption especially when you're the reason."
"Aww, I feel so special" The group groaned. Selfer had it enough of this ridiculous display.
"This? Again? Really? Enough chatter Ramiela, go back to your body right now." Selfer shook her head they needed to settle this soon. The quicker they get out of here, the better it is for all of them.
The shadow saluted much to Selfer's annoyance. It proceded to billow out and then hovered toward Ramiela's corpse, it possessed the corpse and let itself be absorbed in it.
Within a moment, a yelp of pain could be heard as Ramiela's body spasmed, her neck sticking itself in, bones mending until it went inside the throat, and her head twisting back to its original place. Each process earning a pained groan from Ramiela until her pale corpse like skin got its glow back when it ended, she stood up with a satisfied smile on her face.
"You're lucky, feeders are immune to lethal deaths Ramiela. Stop pushing Croix's limits, her beast dislikes it and she can't even control it." Fiela sighed, she had told Ramiela this a thousand times. Yet the brunette seemed keen on ignoring her admonishment quickly.
"Yes, Fiela." Ramiela agreed, her face serene and brimming with content.
"Let's just get on with this graduation and talk about this later." Selfer suggested, she always knew why Ramiela acted like that. Croix amidst her pleasantry and fragile looks is a Ravager. Ravagers tend to have a beast within them that lives on savagery and kills.
There was no doubt the beast was agitated for being imprisoned for many days now with no outlet for its needs. For Ramiela, as a feeder she needed the essence of a positive emotion, she sustains herself with it. And getting Croix's Beast to mutilate her was the surefire way to get it. Because as long as the beast gets his fill of kill for the day, Ramiela gets a pleasant positive emotion right away.
"If you all don't mind. Why are we in this shithole again?" Ramiela asked. They all just took a breath. The downside of being a feeder? Whenever they die and relive again, they tend to forget some of the memories they had until at such time their brain functions got it back. The worst of it all is that Ramiela tends to forget the important ones.
"Graduation." Selfer answered, as they push on. The task was get the hell out of there and destroy anyone that gets in their way. Many beings had failed due to the poison that was also coursing through her veins.
Out of the one thousand beings collected by the organization for this graduation only six are permitted to live and become one with the Blight. And she would do anything to make sure the people around her including herself would be the six chosen ones.
"Kill on Sight." Selfer's eyes widen as she heard them say it, they must have seen her worries for incoming battles headed their way. It was the first part of the motto of the organization saying it would mean that they had fully accepted this way of life and would die with it.
All of them had different reasons joining it some were forced, others were sold, and for all of them it was a means to acquire the skills they need not just to survive but to live.
"For the Blight." She whispered, finishing those words. Her eyes glowed and she let her energy out and consumed her. Its presence heavy in her heart yet the same time freeing. She hoped that when she wakes up. All will be well.