The Ultimate Punishment.
Vakiyv pressed a button on the wall, and fluttered his lashes at the waves of electric shocks searing through his body. After hours in a glass cubicle and surviving on the oxygen released from his mouth, he looked exhausted.
The cubicle with enforced glass and an element, Nycarava used to suppress the power of people and radiating objects, was one of the places Vakiyv despised. It made him vulnerable, and he couldn't show that to Vermeen, no matter how it hurt.
Vakiyv's hands were stretched and tied separately. He was hunched over, gasping for the little air there was. His dark uniform, high-neck suit, matching padded loose trousers, and dark boots fitted him. He was lean, with lithe moves and a tall frame. The mask on his face only revealed his eyes, which were half opened to look at his master.
The room contained coloured buttons and switches. Large hoses and wires were above and around the cubicle, passageways to harm Vakiyv.
"Well, Well, Well!! Look what we have here."
Vermeen stared at Vakiyv, who placed both hands behind his back. He was proud of his plans to finally have his toy in great hands.
"I just need to press the buttons or flick the switch on the wall to inflict the most excruciating pain till I break you."
The dark room was only brightened by three streaks of red, green, and blue halogen beams. There stood Vermeen in a black cloak with long sleeves and gloves covering his palm. The neckline was elongated to protect his neck, and combat boots covered his feet past his ankles. The only part of his body uncovered was his head.
Vermeen was good-looking and charming; he worked endlessly and built for himself a world he always dreamt of. A world of men and male creatures. He forbade female creatures except for pleasure, mostly abducted female creatures they locked up underneath the earth.
"Vakiyv, I warned you, but you weren't perturbed; you have crossed certain boundaries, and I ignored but with the girl, that Iritivenor, I won't watch what I have created be reduced to nothing because of his infatuations. I made you, I own you, and you are my progress" His face wore his angriest expression at how Vakiyv would belittle him.
"I control you, and I will show you how."
Vermeen punched a button, and flashes of electricity shocks zig-zagged inside the cubicle. Vakiyv's powers were absorbed, but he couldn't wield them. It hurt, as all the power in him wanted to implode, and the electricity made it worse, hurting his core.
"Aarghh," Vakiyv gnashed his teeth, struggling with the ties around his wrists. He shut his eyes so tightly they might pop.
"You see, I own you and everything that breathes here. The better you know, the better you understand Vakiyv."
The voice of Vermeen through the inbuilt speaker in the cubicle angered Vakiyv. He was close to exploding the cubicle and himself with it, but he couldn't. It was a new project Vermeen kept away from Vakiyv for many years because the sole subject of the experiment was Vakiyv.
It was located beneath the earth where female prisoners were kept. No one cared about him, and no one would help him. Vermeen stopped the torture and savoured the pleasure of watching his greatest work weaken under his influence. The thrill was exhilarating, adrenaline coursing through his veins. With eyes widened and the corner of his lips turned upwards, it was his greatest desire.
He pressed another button, releasing gas into the glass chamber. There was the spread of a dark substance filling the chamber. Vakiyv's eyes were slightly closed, but he smelt something different about his prison. The gas seeped through his pores, and Vakiyv shook with violence. His pupils disappeared, and his eyes turned white.
His head shook, and his limbs vibrated to the poisoning. There wasn't any part of his body he could control. Froth formed in his mouth and seeped through the mask. Vakiyv saw this was a punishment for the future, so he pressed the button to stop the torture.
When Vakiyv thought it was over, Vermeen, with delight, punched another button. Icy water pumped into the chamber through the hoses, filling it inch by inch. Vakiyv was exhausted. He saw the water gushing upwards past his calves. He struggled with the straps binding his hands, but it was no use like he envisioned.
He had been subjected to drowning many times, so he stayed still, normalizing his breath until the water passed over his head, reaching the top.
Just water
In Vermeen's mind, not just water, wait for it, boy.
Vermeen punched another button, and the water swirled around Vakiyv, who tried to be still holding his breath. He felt a sharp pain in his suit and had no idea where it came from. He shook his head to get a better view as the swarm of creatures moved in thousands around him. They were bug bots, and he didn't see them coming. They stopped swirling and covered his body, leaving his head. They poked their metal proboscis through his skin. Vakiyv cried out, gulping water at the sharp pain.
They didn't suck but pumped his skin with electric jolts, Vakiyv closed his eyes and wrestled against the water and the bots, but they didn't come off. He saw Vermeen smirk at his torment and how well it pleased him.
It took more time, and Vakiyv didn't want to surrender; it would only weaken him, but the bots hurt like raw fire blazed his skin. The fear in him this time wanted him to plead, but he couldn't.
Damn you, Vermeen, damn all you stand for, damn your doctrines, I won't plead, and you may kill me.
It took longer than expected, and he surrendered to his only feeling. There was an image he clung to during the torture. Her purple eyes and long dark hair. Fair face blinded with determination. Skills brandished to kill and innocence untainted. He wanted her.
At dawn, after half a Zaiva of torture and wretchedness, Vakiyv was awoken by his master's voice through the speakers. He was denied food, hygiene, medical assistance and attention. Vakiyv regained consciousness and had his power under control after hours of clinging to Shyva's memory for sanity.
"You're awake." Vermeen's cheerful voice awoke Vakiyv. Vakiyv's tried to straighten his stiff neck.
"I see what I did worked well on you. You're now convinced to never defy my orders and to be strong despite harsh conditions. That's my boy. I may not be your father, but I know you very well."
Vakiyv wished he could rip his master in two with a blow, but he needed the man who understood and trained him to be the very best. He clenched his jaw and stared at Vermeen with so much hate.
"I'll be leaving now; we have something great to deal with at dusk with the Dome." Vermeen gave an evil laugh. Vermeen began walking down the hall when his words echoed, "I am proud of you, Vakiyv."
Vakiyv sighed and bent over his numb limbs. A straining ache in his head made him unstable. No matter how he tried to use his powers, the chamber didn't let him, and he wanted to communicate with Shyva. It had been a while.
Whatever Vermeen has up his sleeves, it cannot be any good.
Harnessing all his communicative powers to his brain, he shut his eyes. Neurons gathered and dispersed an electrotransmission, tracing every path of his brain to get him to telepath.
"Shyva." He called in his head but didn't get a response. He could see she was sleeping, and the sun couldn't have risen at the Dome for the beginning of activities. He wished he didn't have to intrude on her sleep; she was gentle, and it reminded him of how meek she was. He wished he could caress her face and whisper gentle words into her ear.
"Shyva." He called again, and she tossed on her bed, mouthing nothing incoherent.
"Shyva." His voice was louder. "Hear me."
Shyva jerked from her sleep; her body vibrated with happiness and another emotion she didn't understand. She rubbed her eyes, giving a quick yawn.
He is alive; where have you been a fool?
"Be prepared."
"Be prepared, be prepared, be prepared," Shyva said to herself. She didn't understand what Vakiyv said, but that was all he told her before disappearing from her mind again.
"Prepared for what?"
The puzzle got her acting odd throughout the day; she couldn't get her mind to think about anything else except Vakiyv.
He can't keep doing that, coming in and out of my head like pleases. It is not right, and I have to warn him about it, only if I could do the same, but no matter how hard I try, I can't. Sheesh, Zixcha.
There was the swirl of red lights around the Dome and the loud siren wailing for all to hear. It was time.