Elevate

Gulping to Thoughts

PENELOPE HAMINGTON’S POV

I prevailed an intensive breath. What a fresh morning to start with, probably the best day of my life. I slowly soothed my fingers on the thin sheet of the bed, letting me feel it once again. Opening my eyes, the ray welcomed me to my new home – Etherial. It’s good to be back here. After a long journey, I can now be able to get things on my track once again and there’s no one to stop me. I want to do everything according to my plan – how things should be set in the first place. This place shall be a new world to call my own.

I rose myself on the bed and tucked my robe around me. Jack had already left the room and is nowhere to be found, probably is on the verge of hunting again. I could hear the sound of the waves moving back and forth the shore and the crowd of birds whirling around in the distance – freedom.

I looked around and saw the room. It was neatly arranged – those knitted mats and pillows were in the corner where those books I used to read were being loaded like skyscrapers. My old deep brown and shoal were hanging on the wooden chair, next to the window. The cold current entered and wiped through my arms, letting me put on a smile. A sudden weak knock was heard from the door. I saw his shadow from the small opening on the ground. He was standing still. I moved to open it for him and I saw those eyes glistened to see me. He sprung immediately and wrapped his arms tight around me, smelling my hair.

“Did you miss me?” I scoffed.

I heard him take a fine drag and silently nodded. “Yeah. I thought you’re off for good…”

“Nah. Penelope is not like that and you already know it.” I added.

He broke from the hug and his eyes looked at me intently. “I’m glad you’re with me now, but I want to know why Zyrender was able to save me that day.”

I sat on the chair and placed my things on my lap. “He secretly went by himself from Era and went in your direction. I knew that he’s not in his will to help you but he needed you. Zyrender couldn’t think less but to have everything for himself. He might be so good in their eyes but his soul is reeking for greed.” I uttered and combed my hair, tying it into a bun.

I stood and faced him, placing a fervent kiss on his forehead. “Where have you been early in this morning?”

“I was roving around and it’s true that the dome had somehow stood again.”

“So, he did make it once again.” I ridiculed.

Zyrender truly had the skills to manipulate others. I wonder how would Era react about it since the city had closed for the people who wanted to get inside during the intrusion. Perhaps, he already prepared a great speech for them to fall again in his coated lies. To think that he’s my ex-lover, we already knew our attitude and how to deal with each other. Jack, somehow, is not fully approved of getting him in the team, not because we have a relationship before but because of the man’s intentions.

When Zyrender knew about the place that we’re keeping, he volunteered intently to be the spy for Era. He promised us to get their trust and make them do their part on behalf of their plan. He needed to convince Era that we’re the enemies and they’re vital to end the Embreal’s core – the system. We wanted to destroy it and have a new place for us – more enhanced and austere. Era was our best shot to be used since it's their plan in the first place. The more their drive gets stronger, the more people would doubt their capabilities.

They might be the hero for now, but time will come that they will be cursed in the eyes of many. A smirk grew on my lips. Our plans will just begin.

I brushed my fingers through his hair. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Likewise.”

We agreed to run outside the room and headed to Azazel. The boy was so delighted when he saw us both yesterday getting back in place, that he didn’t help but to cry out. Knocking over his room, we laggardly sought inside and confirmed him lying soundlessly on his bed. He was covered with his blanket. Watching him with those thick bandages and ointments for his wounds clenched my heart.

I could still remember the time when I gave birth to him. The moment I intuit him covered with wounds and dark bruises I wept my eyes out and it felt like the heavens have cursed us. We went to the healer, begged her to do everything to save the child – to make him at ease from the aches of his body, but she told us that it couldn’t be helped. She said that Azazel was expletive by those who have died under my ruling.

The only thing that I can do for him is to make him strong now. I need to do everything to teach him to become like me, so no one would be able to touch and degrade him.

“Mom…” He said and smiled.

“Hey…Good morning, dear.”

“Good morning, Mom.” He replied and looked to his left. “Dad…”

“Good morning. Did you get enough rest?”

The boy simply shook and expressed, “Are we going to have an adventure today?”

“No. I and your mother are going to discuss things today. Do you desire something?”

The boy was silent for a while and decided to jerk his head afterward. “No. I got you two now. And, that’s more important to me.” He said, but his eyes were telling something more…more different from what he’s letting us see from him. But, I decided not to ask Azazel again but rather let him do anything he wants.

A bang was there and the door was slowly sprung by Mariella. She infiltrated the room, holding still a timeworn box clasped with tarnished chains.

“You’re all here, so I guessed I needed to give this to you.” She stretched out her arms and gave them to me. I stared at it. It was my old stuff with my friends during my teenage years. Well, not like I am sociable but because I chose to be friends with them. But, I didn’t expect that I am the only one who thought about ‘friends’; I needed to get rid of them just like the others. A smirk was coated on my face. I gazed at her. Mariella.

“Thank you. Can we talk in the afternoon?” I meant to her.

“Sure. Well…I have to go now in the laboratory. Just call me anytime if you need something.” She quickly responded.

“Okay. We will.”

Mariella fled us and went back to her assigned post. Azazel’s breakfast was already on top of his desk, being covered with a clean white cloth. I took it off and saw a cup of rice, a fried egg and tuna. I placed it on his lap. “You should eat more. Mariella will tell me everything that’s happening right here.”

“Mom, when will Etherial be opened to everyone else?”

“When everything is ready, son. We just have to be patient. I assure you…soon, this will be in your hands.” I glowed at him.

Azazel decided to eat his meal, so we concluded to let him be alone for a while. We shifted back and went to the balcony. We vouched how our aides were orienting on the ground. Those redwoods which used to cover the surroundings were now being cut and piled in the corner. A statue was standing still in the center ground. It was a woman dressed in her thin cloth, which you can clearly see her curves. She was raising her right arm, as if she wanted to reach heaven and her left one was holding a rose that had wilted.

“It looked like the predicament had enthused their training.” Jack commented as he held still on the bars.

“Since when did they start doing that?” I queried inquisitively.

“When you were taken in the forest and both Mariella and I were helped by Zyrender, we decided to take slowly each one of them, without letting the others to notice.” He responded.

“How sure are you that they’re loyal to us still?”

“They just signed a contract with Mariella. You know the woman already. She doesn’t want anyone to go without her. Perhaps. If she goes to her own pit, definitely she would let the others join her or maybe take them into force. Mariella is very competitive. What is your plan now?” He asked me, reverting the topic.

I stared over the apparent blue sky. “We are going to take the blossom. We need it. Do you know where to find it?” I said promptly.

“I bet I do. We just need a little more destruction for us to take it.”

The flower was the cause of everything, but it will be beneficial for our goal. To have a new place to call our own, we should start from ground zero. I wanted to eradicate those pests by using the flower. The only thing left was the one which can take someone’s strength just like with that child’s power. But when we tested him that time, Macky’s strength wasn’t fully developed that it can only make the other’s strength to wane for just a couple of hours and not permanently. As far as we know, he’s still the only one who got that thing.

“How’s the child? I heard that you recently kidn*pped him. For what reason?”

He rubbed his chin and faced me. “Your ex-lover wanted to get rid of his memories for the fact that the kid was able to detect our talk with him back in the Highburn Laboratory. He wanted not to get snagged by the ones who gave him the trust, specifically his own daughter. I felt bad for his child though. Even though she’s not his real daughter, she lives with him for years.”

Carmilla. Her name rang a horn on my ears. It’s been a while when we saw each other and I knew that the young lady still got the rancor for me. I thought being in that cell had already paid off the deaths of her family and to Zyrender too. I derided on that aspect. Who would have thought that after what happened in the past – me having to kill his wife and his own child, had made him to have an agreement with us. I guessed he’s really desperate for dominance!

“Let’s go to the laboratory. I wanted to see any progress that had been made.” I said honestly.

We left the hallway and drove inside then. Jack opened the entrance for me and we went straight the laboratory. There were twenty people inside the facility all covered in white gears and boots. Some were monitoring those who’re inside the tanks while the others were making some ointments and supplements for Azazel. I moved to Mariella who was standing in the corner, facing one of those in the containers.

“How is she?” I asked her intently.

She glanced over me. “She’s doing fine. We took her a month ago and she’s the strongest among the rest. I think she can sustain the system for a week from now. Most of them just last for three to four days.”

“She’s a brave one. Where did you find her?” Jack mumbled as he stared over the young lady.

Her body was so dull as she floated in the water. Her eyes were closed and I could see those marks from those syringes that were injected into her. Suddenly, the red lights alarmed on top of those tanks. One of them was taken out from the pot and transferred the boy to the compost pit that was behind the building. We needed to bury them. We don’t want to have evidence scattering around freely. His body had collapsed and the fluids can’t help him anymore. The alarm continued to beat as he was taken out. I nommed my lip and stroked my hands together. This is getting intriguing.

We moved to the center where the core is located. Etherial is alive! Its heart is in the middle – a sphere wrapped in thick wires which led to the tanks filled with people. Their fluids were extracted and moved through the small tubes for clearing then the radiant, glowing particles were transferred to the heart, serving as the place’s blood. It’s a great help in making Etherial invisible to those who’re outside it. We can see what’s happening around us and it was one of our best weapons that we established for ourselves. We wanted Etherial to be born again. I believed that it was the original place but was taken down for Embreal.

When we discovered the spot furtively, we have excavated that the core was already built and it was just needing some refinement and fluids, then everything was put into still and working well. The healer had suggested that we should take first those who’re just roaming the city freely without any family for them to take. We started slowly, experimenting each day under the shadows until we successfully elevated it. It’s now working and soon it will be opened to those who’re justified.

I touched its core and I could feel the hot engine working well. I supposed that it was better than with Embreal. Embreal is just a crib! I decried.

“It’s working on.” I commented and glimpsed over Mariella. Pride can be seen in her eyes as she watched it moving.

“Yes. We’ve been functioning hard for this and slowly our hard work is paying off.” She replied. “Do you want to do the next step?” She queried.

I fiddled my joints. Of course, change is something inevitable in my hands! “Yes. Bring Azazel. We’re going to take down Embreal just like how we planned to.” I smirked.

She bowed her head with a smile and attentively went outside to get Azazel. I took a fine moan as Jack strutted beside me, crossing his arms. The red buzzer had stopped and everything went back to its place.

“Do you think he can handle it this time?” He worriedly asked.

“We’re going to make him. I know he can.” I said firmly.

Luckily, Azazel is working nicely using the heart of Quinten which Jack had brought for him when he killed the man. Era still doesn’t know where the heart right now and probably would go berserk if they know what we did about it. I snickered as I imagined how wretched their faces would be when the time will come. I whistled as I dragged around and watched everything. I decided to go to the corner where a tinted window was facing the path to Embreal.

“Let’s take everything that was snatched from us this time.” I announced.

He looked at me hushed as if he’s reading what’s on my mind. Probably, he understood that I’m going back to Embreal, not because I wanted to surrender myself or make an agreement with Zyrender but because I’m going to annihilate it. What a nice view to take.

“Are we getting rid of him?” He questioned, referring somehow to Zyrender. He was clearly not enjoying the agreement we have with him and I could still remember the day that we made a pact with an Everdeen.

BACK IN HAMINGTON'S RESIDENCE

Sudden, debauched knocks were heard from the entrance as if someone could have broken it to get inside. I was left without a choice but to leave Jack for a while and moved to entertain such prying. I raptly opened it and Zyrender revealed. He immediately entered the room and interrupted our conversation without thinking whether he’s welcomed or not. I closed the way and talked to him, “Why are you here?” Our eyes began to meet each other as I knew that he’s been conscious with his surroundings lately and he doesn’t want to be talked by others, except if all are compliments to him.

He slumped some pictures on the desk. Jack moved to us and saw those – his eyes went enormous as if he had seen a wraith. I eyed on the images and saw ourselves being taken wandering around certain areas in the forest to meet the healer. She knows where to find the secret passage and basically, she’s one of us.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know what you’re up to?” He uttered.

I grinned. Zyrender, what a lovely creep you’re! I walked to him slowly touching his chest, rubbing my fingers downwards. I hate you. Obviously, Jack isn’t having pleasure of what’s occurring right now. Who would have thought that things will turn out this way? I didn’t even expect it.

“What do you want?” I asked him directly. I knew that he wouldn’t go here without any valid reason. He’s a ravenous person and everything has its own price to pay.

“Take me with you and I’ll join you. You wouldn’t have to worry much regarding Era’s movements.” He attentively answered.

“And what do you have to offer?”

“I’ll serve as the greatest spy under your shadow. Everything that I will know about your foes will be in your hands.”

“What makes you think that I’ll take your offer? And, let me remind you of our not-so-beautiful past. I bet your passed wife wouldn’t like this. She must be cussing in her own grave right now.”

“I think we need to set aside our boundaries and work for the benefit of each party. And, it’s because you need Era to make a damage in Embreal so you could get Etherial to work and let people transfer there and abandon Embreal. That’s your plan. You wanted to build the real city that was taken from us. Embreal shouldn't had existed if the Founders weren’t forced to abandon it.” He said.

He knew! He knew our plan and I guessed the Informant was the one who gave him the information. Elikai. Elikai. I should have taken you down since the time that you have ran away, but I guessed you’ll be a help in Zyrender’s terms.

“Then, I guessed we will be seeing you off in the other side. I hoped you’ll do your best to gain their precious conviction.” I glared at him.

“See you in the other side.” He grinned and winked at Jack, then he shoved to the entance to leave. When his presence can’t be kept already, Jack confronted me with a grim face.

“Are you sure about what you’re doing?!”

“Of course. Don’t you trust me?”

“But we both know that he’s our enemy.”

“I know that. But, sometimes…we just have to play with the games – act like we’re each others comrades; use everyone and in the very end, we’re going to fight each other and forget about the bond. Don’t you think that will be a lot of fun?”

I heard him sighed. “You don’t want to get yourself fooled again. I hoped you’re right about your decision.” He added and started outside the facility, leaving me without letting myself give him a reaction. He's totally against it.

I guessed reality is dabbling its chess with us now and I wonder what will happen next after this.