Number 7

"That's an order."

The moment the man said these words, the light in the eyes of the six changed.

As if all emotion had been robbed from their expressions, their bodies became like robots - acting on impulse as they carried out the orders that they had been given.

'What's happening?'

'My body... it's moving.'

'I'm not controlling myself... this...'

And in an instant, the six who had been given the order surrounded the six who were attempting to leave.

"What the hell are you people doing?", Gus spat, reaching behind him as he grabbed his rifle once more. "Do you all think you can stop us? Maybe that old man could, but you spineless lot who couldn't even work up the balls to reject this offer?"

However as Gus aimed his rifle at his particular opponent, the man's eyes were not those of someone who could be reasoned with.

"Hey. If you take one step closer, then I'm going to blow your brains out."

Even as Gus made this statement, the man took a step towards him.

Bang!

The man's internal fluid shot out of his head, which exploded into a pile of flesh and guts as the bullet tore straight through him.

"I warned ya."

"And I warned you not to use any violence in this place."

However in the next instant, Gus fell forward as something slammed into the back of his head.

The voice of that old man echoed within his mind as his consciousness faded, and the sounds of desperate fighting ensued as he lost his grip on reality.

"Get away from me!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots could be heard and punches were thrown, but in the chaos Gus fell to the ground as he hit the floor.

With numerous footsteps filling his mind, everything became quiet.

'What just happened?'

----

Of the six people who had been ordered to fight, three had been shot.

Among those three, one was shot to the head resulting in instant death. The other two were shot in the arm and side, respectively - resulting in wounds that would hinder them for life.

It was only a few moments before the older gentleman had appeared as if out of thin air, and within those few moments whatever attacks the six could perform were the only ones that occured throughout the scuffle.

The moment he appeared, not a single further attack was made on anyone. The six who had refused the offer were incapacitated immediately, all of them having been rendered unconscious at the hand of the man known as the Janitor.

'What... just happened to me?'

However once the excitement was over, the five whose bodies had been controlled by an otherworldly force were now thrusted back to reality.

'I... I couldn't control myself.'

'The second he told me to stop those six... I lost control over everything.'

'My body moved on it's own. And that person...'

Gazing upon the man whose brains were splattered across the floor, the five who had been controlled gasped in horror.

Their breathing became ragged as they hyperventilated, and insanity rushed it's way into their minds as they failed to comprehend the situation before them.

'He's... dead.'

'Dead.'

'Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. DEAD. DEAD. DEAD.'

'DEAD!!!!!'

One man began to grasp his hair, pulling it out as his eyes were filled with veins.

'Are we going to end up like that too!? Why did we attack people when we had no weapons to defend ourselves!? Why couldn't we control our own bodies!? What is going on!?!?!?'

"You all seem to be confused. It would be inconsiderate to force you five to take those six away, so I'll have another six do so. But I should explain first."

Stepping forward, Gerard looked to one man in particular - the man who clung to his daughter with everything he had.

"You. You were with that man who rebelled against me, so I'll have you serve as an example."

Shocked at having been singled out, Boris could do nothing more than gulp as he wondered just what this man was about to do.

"From this point onwards, everything I tell you is an order. Put the child down for a moment, will you?"

At that moment in time, Boris would never have let go of his girl.

He held her tightly, refusing to put her down even as he was ordered to do so.

Ordered.

'Why are my hands moving on their own?'

Suddenly, the child was placed on the ground - gently - though firmly as the man obeyed his superior.

'I didn't do that...'

How terrifying it was for one's body to move without consent.

"What's your name?"

"Boris."

Boris responded immediately, though not of his own volition - he spoke the word without even thinking, as if he was a robot responding to a prompt.

"And the girl's name?"

"Tina."

All eyes focused on the three as Gerard grinned deviously, looking down at the girl.

"Tina. What is your relationship with this man?"

"He's my dad!"

Strangely enough, unlike the others who had been ordered, the young girl responded in an energetic manner, as if she didn't comprehend the bloody scene that had occured.

Perhaps she didn't.

"How touching. A father protecting his daughter in this wasteland. Were you working with that man? Or perhaps he was just using the two of you as bait?"

"He was using us. I wasn't able to disobey him, or he would threaten to kill my daughter."

Boris responded immediately, his response a mere prompt which he had no control over. He was forced to give information the moment this man asked for it, and he could hide nothing from him.

"How horrible."

Bending onto one knee, Gerard looked the young girl in the eyes with a smile.

"Then, Tina. Please kill your father for me, will you?"

"No!"

Suddenly the girl cried out, however as she did so something changed in her expression.

Her head tilted in a strange manner, and the emotion left her eyes as she walked over to Yakov.

Holding out her hand, she waited for something.

"Here you are."

Placing a knife in the hand of the girl, the older gentleman seemed to be prepared for the occasion, as if he had expected this development.

"Hey..."

"What is that girl doing?"

"Why... why did she do that?"

"Why did that man hand her a knife?"

The people around began to whisper, however the scene that played before them was enough to silence such speculation.

"Tina!! What are you doing!?"

The father rushed over to his girl, grabbing her shoulders as worry filled his expression.

"You're not supposed to play with dangerous things like that, or accept things from strange people! How can you- blurgh!"

As the man shouted out to lecture his daughter, he was met with a blade to the stomach.

Coughing up blood, the man's eyes widened in torment as he was unable to perceive the situation, horror unable to describe the torrent of emotion that flooded within him.

"Tina..."

Sliding to the ground, the man looked up to his daughter, whose eyes returned to their normal state as she looked down upon the man she had stabbed, blood covering her hands.

"D-dad!!"

Dropping the knife, tears filled the girl's eyes as she fell to her father's level with a shout.

"DAD!!!"

"Be silent, girl."

Yet even the mourning of the girl for her father that she had killed with her own two hands would not be permitted.

For speaking up, was the man at the center of this entire scene.

"Every person here is under my reign. You all have accepted to become my subordinates, and thus I have obtained power over you. You cannot deny my orders, and even if you yourself disagree with such orders, you will automatically move to fulfill them. It is best if you willingly carry out my orders, because at least then you will not be forcibly controlled."

Standing up, the man began to walk off, motioning for Yakov to follow behind him.

"To everyone here... assist in rebuilding this paradise. This is my first order. Eclaire will handle you from here. I give her the authority over you, and anyone who disobeys her will be subject to me."

With these words, the man began to walk off, the people unable to even so much as speak out in response.

For what could they even say?

This demon - this monster - this inhuman pig - had just ordered a girl to slaughter her own father.

And yet they had no power to stop him.

Rather, they had all played right into his hands.

For now, they were under the rule of such a man, who held an otherworldly power that allowed him to control all he reigned over with absolute authority.

"Ah, and one more thing."

Stopping just before he left, the man didn't so much as turn around as he uttered another command.

"Nobody is to tell a single soul about my ability,"

With these words, the man made his way off, his Janitor holding open the door for him as he left.

"That's an order."

----

The quiet cries of a young girl filled the room, and not a single person dared to so much as take control or interrupt.

As she clung to the very father that she had killed with her own hands, the people of that room came to realize the gravity of the situation they were in.

The existence of such an ability was not something that seemed real.

It was nothing more than a myth or a fantasy - something out of a story that could never possibly happen within this world.

Yet the existence of the girl who mourned over her father was proof of such an ability.

There was no way this girl would have been capable of killing her father.

Even if she was, there was absolutely no chance that she would have done so - and at the order of a stranger.

It was madness.

"When he said those words... when he said that it was an order... my body moved on its own."

One of the men stood up, taking center stage as he explained to the people present.

This particular man was one of the few who had been ordered to seize those six who had refused Gerard's offer.

"I wasn't going to follow his orders. Would anyone have? He said something ridiculous, and I had no weapon to fight nor the physical abilities to do so. But even so... my body moved."

Thus, the man gave his testimony to all - further confirming the statement of the man regarding his ability.

They were all under the control of some strange magic that forced them to follow his orders.

What other explanation could there have been for a child to become a murderer?

And to their own parent at that?

It was unthinkable.

Any child that would be capable of killing their parent would be nothing more than a demon.

And the child before them was no demon.

She cried, blood covering her as she hugged her father's corpse, proving to all that this was no mere setup.

However, breaking the silence that had ensued following the testimony of the man who had been controlled, a pair of footsteps made their way through the room.

All eyes fell upon the white haired woman who had invited them to this place as she approached the girl, standing above her.

This woman was Eclaire Samantha Armstrong.

'She... she's the demon that invited us here...'

'That woman! She tricked us all!'

'She brought us here with the promises of food and supplies, all in order that we would fall into the trap of that man!'

As the woman entered their field of vision, hatred flared up within them as they realized how they had been deceived.

Yet the actions of the woman which followed created chaos within those hateful hearts.

"I'm sorry."

For with a choking voice, the woman bowed to the young girl as tears filled her eyes while she apologized.

"I'm... so sorry."

She could barely even speak, so overcome with torment at the scene before her.

"I didn't want it to end up like this... why did it have to end up like this?"

The young girl looked up to the woman who cried beside her, her expression trembling as she looked at the woman.

"I... I'm sure you all understand just how terrifying his ability is... I can't disobey him... and that's why I brought you all here."

Looking up to the people around her, the woman pleaded with her expression.

As she did so, the people around her came to a realization.

"Ah... I'm sorry as well."

One man bowed his head, grimacing as he held back his emotions.

"I... I misjudged you. I thought you were just some demon who had led us here, but you're no different... you're trapped just like we are."

As the man voiced his thoughts, the implications became clear to the people around, who all nodded in agreement.

Each and every person present was subject to whatever whims that man held - with no choice but to follow his orders.

However, the woman stood up as she placed a gentle hand upon the young girl.

"I understand that there's nothing I can do to bring your father back. There's no way I could possibly ask you to forgive me for what I've done. However... I'll do everything I can to make sure that this place isn't a hell on earth."

The girl looked up to Eclaire, a glimmer of hope lit in her teary eyes.

"That man... he seems to have taken a liking to me... so he's given me some power. The fact that he has given me authority over you all means that I too can command you just as he has, but I will do no such thing."

Placing her hand to her chest, the woman spoke out to the people, who listened intently to her words.

"I wish for nothing more than to free you all one day of this madness. And even if I cannot do that now... I will do everything I can to ease his temper and curb his demands until that day comes."

And as she said these things, the people realized something.

'This woman...'

'She's... an angel.'

'I thought she was a demon... yet she is willing to go so far to help us.'

'While we're powerless to do anything against that man... she is still fighting.'

'How could we possibly hold any hatred towards her?'

"Thank you..."

The first to speak, however, was none other than the girl.

Emotion filled her words, however even so she managed to get them out - displaying her gratitude before all.

"Thank you, Miss."

"No... thank you."

Placing a gentle hand upon the head of the girl, Eclaire looked down with a saddened expression as she pulled the girl in for a hug.

"Thank you... for not hating me."

----

'Those people were so easy to manipulate. It's as if they were begging to be used.'

[Is that so?]

'Look at how easily they fell for my words. All I had to do was play the victim card and they were in tears.'

[They certainly couldn't have imagined that you brought them to this place for your own purposes.]

'Well, it isn't like I wasn't doing it because Gerard ordered me to. But... I suppose it was my idea in the first place.'

[And the girl's father? You could have easily retried and prevented his death. But you didn't. Why is that?]

'Should I be so concerned about every person who loses their life?'

[I thought that would have been the right thing to do, from your perspective.]

'It's a necessary sacrifice. I'm not here to save every person in this world from death or suffering. My goals are more important than that, so I can afford to overlook a few deaths here and there.'

[And even if you retried, it would have been too much effort to save him?]

'It would have bred suspicion from Gerard. He quite likes me right now, so if I were to go against him and show sympathy for someone that he decided to kill for his entertainment, his opinion of me might decline. I can't have that happening just yet.'

[Ahh.... so it isn't that you couldn't have saved him... but that you tactically chose not to in order to improve your chances of success later.]

With an approving tone, Four commented on Eclaire's methods in a snarky manner.

[You're proving to be quite entertaining.]

'I'm not trying to be. I'm just trying to increase my chances at success for when the day comes.'

Like this, the woman became a beacon for the people.

One after another, she roped in groups of people into Gerard's Paradise, gathering more and more survivors under his reign.

Her pledge of loyalty was further proven, and Gerard's suspicions of her declined the more she did for him.

All the while, hatred for Gerard spread among the people - and she became known as their only hope.

For as mere subordinates, they could never so much as hope to go against Gerard.

However, the people who were taken to the basement were not so fortunate.

These people, stubborn by nature, refused to come under the rule of Gerard - and as such posed a threat to his domain.

Because of this, they viewed Eclaire not as a saint, but rather as the demon who had dragged them to this place with the intention of ensnaring them.

However, the existence of both of these groups were a part of Eclaire's plan.

Now, we return to the present - the time at which Eclaire was headed to the basement on her third attempt to kill Gerard.

----

When Gus had awoken, he was in a cell.

He didn't know how many days it had been since then. Everything was dark in this basement, so he couldn't even know whether the sun was out or not.

All he knew was that he had been deceived.

There were numerous other prisoners in nearby cells, all of which were guilty of the same crime - having rejected the offer to serve under Gerard Stirling.

Fortunately, they were under no strict watch, and they were allowed to speak with one another freely. They were at least able to pass the time by talking with one another.

Even so, they were basically thrown into this basement and locked up here without any means of escape. While they had discussed an attempt at such things, it didn't seem practical.

They had no tools, no way to dig through the concrete walls, and no way to bend metal bars. While an escape in the movies might seem practical if the guards were lax, the real thing was completely different.

You get locked in a cell. You have nothing to use, nothing to dig with.

Water was delivered once a day by the man known as Yakov. Perhaps they didn't trust anyone else to get near the criminals, or perhaps they anticipated that someone could potentially be taken hostage or harmed.

Of course, Yakov was far too skilled to be threatened.

Food was only delivered a single time a week, and it was nothing more than the scraps off the tables of those on the upper levels.

However every once in a while, that woman would appear.

If there was one thing that the men and women who had been thrown in here had agreed upon, it was their hatred toward both Gerard and Eclaire.

She was a witch - a demoness who had convinced them to come to this place only to be incarcerated.

These people knew not what had happened to the people who had accepted the offer, however none of them were willing to accept any offer to be freed at the cost of their servitude.

Anyone who would have done such a thing would never have been here in the first place.

On this particular day, or perhaps night, Gus found himself sitting in the corner of his cell.

Staring at the ceiling, the man looked up in boredom, grimacing as he wondered whether his decision was correct.

'Should I have just submitted to that man?'

Shaking his head, the man rejected such a notion.

'Nah, that ain't right. I ain't about to submit to some tyrant who knocks people out and locks 'em up like criminals for doin' nothin' aside from refusing his demands.'

Obviously,Gus's firearm had been confiscated from him. Even if Yakov had no fear of such a thing, leaving a criminal in a cell with a weapon was a horrible idea.

'Damn bitch. If only she hadn't come... maybe I should've run from the first moment she invited me to this place.'

Gus had this thought, however some of the people here were indeed people who had tried to run away or ignored the call.

All of them had been captured and locked up down in this place, as if running or hiding didn't matter.

'Just who is that man, Yakov?'

His presence in a battle was completely inhuman. Gus never even found an opportunity to take him on during the few moments they tangled with one another.

There was a similarity between him and Eclaire, however Eclaire was different. She was overwhelming in a different sense, but at least her combat style seemed to be within the realm of possibility.

While Eclaire almost seemed to be capable of predicting the future, it was as if Yakov moved in a way to perfectly counter his opponents.

Combining this with his unnatural speed and power, and his uncanny ability to read people, it made him an unmatchable existence.

'It was like... he knew what I was going to do before I even did it.'

Of course, the same could be said for Eclaire.

They both seemed to be monsters in their own rights.

'Why would they serve that man, Gerard? He seemed to be pretty weak in a fight. Was it his charisma?'

There was something strange about the ringleader of this whole thing as well.

However as he thought about these things, the sound of footsteps, accompanied with a round of jeers, filled Gus' ears.

"You... how can you show your face?"

"Hey witch! Why don't you go back to your precious leader!"

"Ptt! Get out of our prison!"

"Don't you have more people to deceive!? Or are you going to try and deceive us as well!?"

"You can take your rotten deals out of here! Nobody wants anything to do with you!"

Based on the vile comments, Gus could immediately tell who had arrived - at which he sat up in his cell.

'It's her.'

Slowly but surely, the jeers became louder as the ones who made them were people closer to his cell, and eventually his next door neighbor was lashing out with insults.

"Get out of here, filthy woman!"

Yet even as she was showered with such hate, the woman didn't say a single word in response, her footsteps coming closer as she made her way in front of Gus' cell.

Then, stopping, the woman gazed upon Gus who waited inside without another word.

'She's right there.'

The two stared off with one another for a few moments, at which Gus broke the silence.

"What do you want, woman?"

----