Resistance

Voice of the Soul

A dream. That’s what Cai realized when his amber eyes fluttered open, an unfamiliar living space reflecting in his vision.

He had appeared to have dozed off while leaning against the wall, muffled voices reaching his ear, though still inaudible.

Rather than a far off dream, the fact that this was a recent memory left a foul taste within his mouth. That awful, bitter taste of resentment that lingered even now from the moment he stepped out of that room.

Even though he wanted nothing more than to put it all behind him…

“You alright over there??” The sudden voice snapped him out of his own thoughts, belonging to the strange, dark haired individual they had followed, having provided them with a hidey-hole of sorts...Of course, whether or not he would be truly providing them with such a thing or not, Cai was still skeptical. “...Still pretty cautious, are you?” The man continued, picking up on that sense of distrust...Rather, it was hard not to. “There’s really no need to be so skeptical, you know.” He added in, rubbing the back of his neck, his somewhat rounded, cat like ears twitching ever so slightly.

“...Do you expect anything less from us?” Cai frowned, crossing his arms. “Out of nowhere, we’re attacked by a group of people dubbing us as ‘Demons’, and then some strange cat man comes out of nowhere spouting all of this nonsense?”

“And yet you still followed me, despite all of my ‘nonsense’, now didn’t you?” The man shot back on the dime with a slight grin on his face, receiving quite the scowl from Cai in return.

“Alright, alright, it’s been a tough few weeks, yeah?” Syrus intervened, noticing that look in Cai’s eyes, but he needed to dum it down a little, or they wouldn’t get their answers. “Could you explain please?” He questioned, casting the man a small glance. “It’s...Hard to believe some of it, but we can’t really deny the things that just recently happened...What you said earlier...Did you really come from within the city too? What did you mean that our entire world as we know it isn’t real?? Could you tell us more???”

“Calm down there, that’s a lot of questions at once.” The man replied, falling silent for a moment as he appeared to be considering where to start with his explanation.

“You had us come all the way here, so I sure hope you plan on explaining everything.” Cai spoke up, already growing impatient with the man’s silence.

“Gods, you’re a touchy one, aren’t you?” The man rose an eyebrow. “It’s not that I don’t intend to tell you, but it’s not exactly easy knowing where to start. None of this will be as believable as I’d hope it could be.”

“Try us. We’ve been through some pretty ‘unbelievable’ things as of late.” Syrus urged him, wanting answers as badly as any of them did. “Maybe just start with explaining those reactions from earlier?? How are they any less ‘Human’ than we are???”

“Because you’re not Humans. I mean, just take a look at yourselves.” The man rose an eyebrow. “Perhaps you’re somewhat Human in appearance, but that’s where the similarities end. Nothing else is the same. Your strength, your senses. There’s nothing Human about that.”

“That’s not necessarily strange back home.” Syrus frowned, still not feeling very convinced with this whole subject. It just didn’t make sense to him. “There’s people like me, and even people like the ‘Humans’, as you call them, who look as ordinary as any average Joe.”

“That’s because the line between those who are Human and those who are not, is a thin one. Practically non existent. Those we once called ‘Mutants’ is a false identification, an easier way to label those who are too different, if you will, but everyone is about the same. This is because the city consists of those carrying mixed blood. Truthfully, we’re probably more ‘Human’ than our full blooded counterparts outside the city, but the Humans won’t see us that way regardless.”

This man...Was speaking in tongue’s to Syrus. He couldn’t even begin to make sense of the information he was relaying to them, even if he had already been expecting something downright outrageous...This was just on another level entirely.

Humans? Demons?? He didn’t understand one bit. Weren’t they all the same?? Where did the line between a Human and a Demon end? Where was the clear cut distinction??

It was a lot to take in. Difficult to believe...But then again, they barely knew anything about the world outside as it was to begin with.

“...Then...What about outside…?” Syrus proceeded to question, trying to ground himself before he flew off the handle trying to grasp straws at all of this.

“Outside there’s not many of us, at least not from what I’ve seen. I’ve never gone beyond the harbor, so I can’t say for sure. The people here are as ‘normal’ as one can get. Not people with abnormal strength, nor unusual appearances. Regardless of how many of our kind exist beyond the sea, around here…We’re unusual. Regarded poorly even. Perhaps some of our kind terrorize them.”

“Do they really though, or is that just speculation??” Aaron spoke up, sitting in a chair and looking as skeptical as Cai did by this point.

Skeptical as they were though, there was nothing that could disprove the things they were being told. Nothing at all.

“...Regardless of how hard this is to believe or not, we can’t deny the way they treated us.” Syrus spoke up, staring at the hardwood floor. “That much is a fact, and if we put what he’s saying into perspective...It only makes sense, doesn’t it??” His tone was flat, feeling a lack of energy. Both the situation from earlier, and the need to try and understand all of what they were being told...It left him feeling exhausted, mentally and emotionally.

There was no rebuttal in return, the three of them having fallen silent.

“...As for your previous question, I’ll give you a straight answer; yes, I did come from within the city. Just like you three.” The man spoke up, sensing the group’s exhaustion, so he thought to change the subject somewhat. “...By now…” He began, leaning back in his chair as his light, lavender gaze fixated on the ceiling. “...It’s probably been over a decade, hasn’t it?” He questioned, though that question seemed to be moreso directed towards himself.

“...A decade…? Then you must have been there around the time of the invasion, weren’t you?” Syrus questioned, surprised with the notion that anyone could have escaped that...That hell.

“…” The man fell silent in response for a brief moment. “...Ah, that, huh? Yes. I ran.” He admitted with a dry laugh. “...Cowardly, right?”

“...Rather than calling you cowardly, I’d consider you more sensible.” Syrus replied, flicking his ears back. “I’d say it’s more surprising than anything else that you managed to escape. I don’t think anyone else was able to...I don’t blame you for not going back to that hell either.”

“Even if I had wanted to return, I couldn’t.” The man replied, to which Syrus looked startled, confused even.

“What...Do you mean?” He questioned.

“You saw it when you passed through the end of the forest border, didn’t you? The strange fog. It’s a barrier of some sort, one that’s only passable from one side. People can leave from within, but once they pass through, they’re unable to return. It’s the ‘veil’ that separates the city from the world outside.”

“...So then…”

They couldn’t go back. Syrus didn’t need to finish his question to know the answer.

Even if he hadn’t intended to go back right now...The realization that he likely couldn’t return at all shook him.

Kiara, Taharo, and the rest of the city...Would he never be able to return to them? To free them?? He was shaken by this notion, and on top of that...He’d made it so that neither Aaron, nor Cai could return either, and he couldn’t resist the urge to cast them both an apologetic look.

“Don’t give us that look, Syrus. There’s nothing to feel guilty for. We chose to do this of our own accord.” Cai sighed, shaking his head.

“Cai’s right. We’re the ones who made this decision. Us, and us alone.” Aaron nodded in full hearted agreement.

“...I…” Syrus began, feeling a heap of emotions rise up in his chest. Fear, appreciation, happiness...There were so many. “...Thank you.”

At such times, he wished he could say more than a simple ‘thank you.’ Those words alone just didn’t feel as though they were enough...They couldn’t have been enough.

No words could describe his appreciation for his friends...His family.

“...You have good friends.” The man spoke up after listening to them speak.

“The best around.” Syrus shot back without even a moment’s hesitation.

In return, the man simply smiled, looking between the three of them.

“So your name is Syrus, is it?” He questioned, his gaze lingering on Syrus for a few, prolonged moments before drifting back towards the other two. “And you two?”

“Aaron.” Aaron spoke up with a little nod, pressing his fist against his chest. “And the grump over there is Cai. He’ll grow on you over time, but he’ll probably always be cranky.”

“Shut it.” Cai shot back, casting Aaron an annoyed glance, though Syrus was seized with the feeling that he didn’t seem as aggressive towards Aaron anymore.

“...Alright then. You kids can stay here for as long as you need to. Until you can figure out what to do.” He nodded with a warm smile. “And you can call me Calem.” He introduced himself before his gaze trailed back towards Syrus again. “As for you, I’ll teach you how to hide your ears and tail. It’ll make things at least somewhat easier for you out here if you learn how to mask them.”

Syrus looked up, recalling that the man, Calem, had mentioned something about hiding them before...But how?? The thought of not having his ears and tail...That just sounded absolutely bizarre. How could he not have them?? They were a part of him, completely natural. He couldn’t imagine living without them. How would he hear?? How would he keep his balance??? A million and one questions of concern popped into his head, and that certainly showed all over his face.

“Don’t look so concerned. Hiding them isn’t nearly as complicated as you’re likely imagining.” Calem chuckled, his long, black tail flicking in amusement at Syrus’ response. “We’ll worry about that later though. You kids are probably exhausted. I have a spare bedroom down the hall, but there’s only one bed. I’ll see if I can’t get ahold of some extra sleeping bags or something.” He nodded, finally pushing himself out of his chair and stretching, his tail arching in time with that stretch.

And with that, he made his way to the door, and headed outside, leaving the three of them to themselves as they glanced around the small living room.

The room...Really was small, and yet, it somehow didn’t feel that cramped at all. Perhaps that was because there wasn’t much within the room. A simple sofa along the back wall, a few, wooden chairs, and a small kitchenette like area to the left of the room.

The hall with the bedrooms Calem spoke of, was just along the right end of the wall.

“So what do you think?” The sudden question from Cai made Syrus jump just a tad. “Do you really want to stay here?” He continued to question, falling silent as he waited for Syrus’ input on the matter.

It was quite obvious that Cai was still incredibly skeptical, but….

“...I think we can trust him.” Syrus finally replied with a tiny nod, feeling certain. He couldn’t put his finger on it...But this man wasn’t their enemy. His instincts told him so, and he could always trust his gut at the end of the day.

Cai said nothing in return, but it was apparent that he had no rebuttal towards Syrus’ decision. He had no reason to argue with him about it...However, even if he was accepting of Syrus’ choice, Cai still had every intention of keeping close watch over him.

He refused to allow another mishap like last time.

“Well, if we’re staying, I guess I’ll go hunt down this spare bedroom that Calem guy was talking about.” Aaron spoke up, seeming to have no problems with Syrus’ decision either, and disappearing down the hall.

These were...A strange turn of events, leaving the group trying to understand it all...But even with the answers they received, it felt as though all Syrus had were more questions.

He wondered if any of this would ever start making sense to him.

Unknowingly, he let out a heavy sigh, and was pulled out of his thoughts yet again at the sound of Cai’s voice.

“Why don’t you head off to rest too?” He suggested. “You might be trying to hide it, but you’re exhausted.”

“...There’s no fooling you, is there?” Syrus couldn’t help but chuckle. “Have you always been so attentive??”

“Only when it comes to you.” Cai’s reply was so swift and without hesitation, that it left Syrus a bit speechless. He had only been trying to tease Cai a little, but his nonchalant reply threw him off.

Cai didn’t even seem to think twice on his answer.

...Was he even listening to himself??

“...Well, if you insist.” Syrus finally found his words, deciding it was best to not speak up on the matter. He didn’t want to open an unneeded can of worms, after all...Besides, sleep really sounded good to him right about now….And sleep would come easily to him, but perhaps not as quietly as he would have hoped.

There was a strange sense of familiarity when he opened his eyes next, seeing nothing but that quiet, empty nothingness.

The sensation of falling.

Again? How many times did this make it now?? He wasn’t sure, but he moved on anyways, going by his memory of this familiar dream.

But...Was it really just a dream??

He saw the gentle, but bright flickering of a light some distance ahead...No. Not a light. He knew what it was. The memory was on the very tip of his mind, but he couldn’t seem to recall it at that very moment...All he knew, was that he had to go to it.

A fire.

He recognized it somewhere in the back of his mind, but...Somehow, that flame seemed different from usual.

The colors that reflected in his vision appeared much more vibrant, the heat radiating from those flickering flames pulsating gently.

Like a heartbeat.

A whisper brushed beside his ear, as soft as a quiet sigh.

Who was it? He must have heard this voice countless times by now.

He decided to reach out towards that flame, already knowing somehow that he wouldn’t be burned by it...No, all he felt was a gentle heat. A comforting heat.

“...Who are you…?” He questioned quietly, wondering if he would receive an answer. If he would hear that voice. “You spoke to me before, so why not now?”

Silence.

Syrus felt a wave of agitation rise up within his chest.

“...Why…? Why do you keep calling me here if you won’t even answer me?” He continued to question, not understanding.

He felt frustrated.

What was this power? Why did he have it??

Why…?

“...Why won’t you answer…?” His tone went weak, frail even, having lost it’s conviction. “...What do you want from me…?”

”It is you who won’t answer.” A voice finally responded, soft, gentle. Like a Summer breeze. ”The one who hides is you...The one who does not wish to see is you.” It continued, yet the voice held no aggression towards him. ”Do you not wish for this power?”

The sudden questions threw Syrus off, the one who had questions, only to be questioned.

But...His answer should have been obvious, shouldn’t it?

“...I…” He began, finally finding his words, his throat going dry as he shook his head. “...I don’t know...I don’t know what to think anymore...I didn’t know anything, but I can’t believe just how much it was that I didn’t know...I don’t even know what’s what anymore.” Those thoughts and emotions suddenly came loose, flowing from his mouth in the form of words...He wondered why. He hadn’t even been aware that he had been repressing anything at all. “My friends...No, my family...They’re doing so much. Trying so hard to protect me...But what if I can’t protect them? If I lost them, I...I…!” He couldn’t even begin to imagine such a thing...He didn’t want to imagine such a thing.

A world without them...Was a world he refused to live in at all.

Suddenly, he felt the sensation of what felt like...Hands cupped along his face. They cradled his face with a tender delicacy...As though trying to reassure him. As though he were the most precious thing in the world...As though he might break.

Who did these hands belong to? He couldn’t see.

”It’s alright.” The voice sounded off quietly from in front of him. ”If your wish is to protect them, then I shall fulfill it for you...I’ll be your sword, or your shield. Both, if that is your desire...Whatever you need me to be, I shall become...All you need to do, is wish it from me.” The words sounded as though they were a promise, an oath even. ”Until you are ready to both accept and wield this power, I shall protect you...You, and everything that is precious to you.”

Syrus felt as though these words were sinking into him slowly, giving him a sense of calm, and yet...

“...Why…? Who are you…?” He didn’t understand. “Why go that far??”

”...Why…?” The voice echoed, silence ensuing before it answered him, it’s tone as gentle and warm as before, a chuckle almost seeming to pass along a nonexistent breeze. ”...Because you, Syrus, are special. More special than you could ever know. Your soul is bright. You illuminate a clear path for those trapped within the dark around you. Night becomes day, dark becomes light. Your soul moves people’s hearts.” The soul spoke fondly, even emotionally towards him. ”When you are ready, you will lead this world down to a bright future. A new Age of Hope and Light.” That voice continued softly, growing softer still as the moments passed. Fading away, even, alongside the warmth that filled his body…He only just barely heard that voice’s parting words, echoing throughout the blackening silence. ”...All you need to do...Is wish for it.”