NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Why?
POV: Recruit 79
I didn't reply, not needing to of course, but also wanting to save my breath for anything to come. The man silently twisted the cap on the artifact, pushing down on the button that revealed itself in the process as the recording sparked up in a giant energy puddle until it took shape as an image, although still blurry.
The image finally processed, showing a room identical to this, with that same man in it. Except instead of me, it was another person tied to the chair.
Finally, the man that I had come to meet in these past few minutes, began talking on the artifact. At first, it was only mumbling as the 'soldier', who was clearly also from The New Order judging by his looks, was in utter terror at the man.
Moments later though, the voices finally rendered for me to hear them.
"So can you clarify for me, you were at the militia base in Central Vareth, yes?" The voice from the man within the artifact rung.
"Y-Yes," the soldier stuttered in response.
"And you are a recruit, who would consider yourself aware of the other recruits, yes?"
"Yes, and yes I would," he replied, this time able to maintain his composure long enough to form an answer without... stuttering, sadly.
"Are you familiar with Recruit 79?"
My eyes widened.
So this was what the artifact was for? To show me their answers to a question like this?
The soldier looked downwards, taking a moment to reply by the looks of it. I don't exactly know why they are hesitating—did they hate me?
"Yes, I am."
The man grew a smile. "What is your relationship with him? How do you feel about him, as a recruit and a person?"
Once again, the soldier took a moment to properly answer, his lips moving but no words coming out. "I have no relationship with him. He's basically the clown of the base. Always the weakest, no matter how much new people come along. Never can get the job done, and at the end of the day, nobody remembers his name."
Words could not describe how perplexed I was. Who was the guy? And why am I feeling a surge of emotions from a comment like that... coming from a guy who couldn't even defend the base from the invaders?
Sure, I couldn't either, but I knew how weak I was.
This guy can't hold himself higher than me if he can't do anything better than I could!
The recording cut, but instead of ending, it kept glitching out until it swapped to new footage. Same room, same man, but different person tied up, just as before. The same series of questions were asked as well.
And when it came to the question about me, they all said the same thing.
How many recordings will we go through...
"—idiot."
"Weak, pathetic—"
***
After many, grueling minutes and a dozen or so recordings later, they finally stopped.
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked out of pure despair. I was already broken, how is flooding my mind with disrespect from the people I've worked with for so long help me in the slightest? What does he WANT from me...
"See, I would answer your question, but after showing you that, it feels like you kind of already expected those answers. You just refuse to accept it," he speaks calmly.
I let out a much needed sigh. I suppose he was right in a sense.
But that didn't make any of this right.
"So what the hell do you want from me?"
***
I finally woke up again. My face was bagged, and my situation was just as worse as before. I was tied, but I was moving. On a caravan, perhaps?
But there were people here. More than just me, and that creep...
Many people surrounded me, but I couldn't see much outside of this thick black bag that drooped over my face. The cool breeze of the moving outside air felt fresh as it touched my skin, feeling relief of not drowning in sweat for as little as a second.
I wanted to think back to what the man had said to me, but it was clearly not true. I couldn't remember it, nor did I want to right now.
He did knock me out after we, or I guess he, finished talking.
I'm more surprised by the fact that I'm still breathing over where I am.
They clearly had intentions beyond just information. They didn't ask me anything about The New Order, only personal inquiries, which I refuse to dwell on. Outside of torturing me beyond anything I've ever experienced, they decided to... let me go?
Maybe there was some light at the end of that tunnel. Maybe I will get to survive, or I could be dreaming... imagining? Or they're transporting me to another place to get tortured more.
Either way, I'm still here.
I guess that's something to phone home about.
An unexpected smile creeped my face. It was foreign to even me, especially in these darker days. A few tears mellowed from my eyes, dripping down my face slowly until it soaked into the thick bag.
Time definitely felt like a blur here. Hours passed in what felt like an instant, partly thanks to the unbearable hours I suffered in darkness.
The caravan came to a rough stop, shaking me and the following passengers around.
Faint muffling, almost arguing, seemed to be taking place just outside, likely with the people up front. They were definitely concerned—worried even, about somebody or something. Maybe they don't support the decision of letting us go? Something is blocking the road, by chance?
I still didn't have any energy to do anything really. I was at mercy of these men, whether I like it or not, and I had to live with that.
Finally, the voices turned into faint footsteps, which then grew louder by the second. They came all the way up to what I guess is the entrance to the caravan that we sat, creaking noises making their presence evident enough.
I felt them walk over to me and then stop just in front, almost examining me as their shadow pierces through the thick fabric.
They wordlessly pulled off the bag, dragging my head downwards with slight whiplash in the process, an unpleasant but freeing feeling.
I looked up at the dude.
He was also scarred, like the guy in the room, but with a more stern attitude.
Many of what appears to be his fellow 'guards' began taking the bags off of other restrained people, just like me, and that's when it hit me. I recognized some of these people that were bagged with me. While only 4 others, they each had their own recording that was shown to me...
'So these are the faces of everyone who hates me, huh?' I ask myself, letting out a scoff.
"Now, for some miracle, you guys are being let free. Seems Emperor Kaelith had a change of heart," one of the men spoke loudly.
"It's Emperor Zhang! Learn to respect—"
Before he could finish, one of the men got evaporated in a near instant, the only thing remaining is a splash of blood that scattered across the room, even staining my clothes in the process.
"Pity is one thing. We will not tolerate blatant disrespect against the Emperor," the man spoke again, this time clearly angry—enraged, even. I couldn't say anything about him lashing out over such, because I would do the same. It's blasphemy after all, even if we agree to disagree on who we swear our allegiance to.
"Now, you guys are far too weak to even lay a finger on us anyway, but have I remind you, the moment we cut you lose, you are your own responsibility. We are in neutral lands right now, unclaimed. Do as you wish," the man explained as others began coming to us, cutting off the ropes that bound us to the caravan's walling.
All 5 of us, well 4 now I suppose, after that very uneventful suicide practically, were now making our way out of the caravan and into the wild.
Once we each took a step out, we didn't do anything.
But, we also did everything.
Out in the open. Freedom. Fresh air. No restraints. The simple joys that everyone, everyday takes for granted and doesn't even dare bat an eye or question, some not even considering that such things could happen to them.
Myself included of course, but it did. And I think I'll try to appreciate a bit more of what I have after that terror.
Without speaking, we all collectively agreed on sticking together mentally.
We needed food. All of us. Water too, but that could wait just a bit longer. Assuming they all underwent the same hell that I did, we hadn't ate in around two weeks. We were scrawny, malnourished, riddled with infections, bruises, amongst other things, but we were alive. Not for long though, if we didn't do something.
Setting sail into the sea of the unknown, we continued onward into the forests that surround us as the caravan took off into the distance. We had never been out here before.
Let's hope we can make the best of it.