Hello! Sorry for being a little late this week; I needed to finish actually writing the chapter. Anyway, I WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE NEXT WEEK, since I am going on vacation. I'll be back next next week though!
Only four reviewers this time, but that's okay! A lot of you already explained that you're going on vacation.
Torri-Chiobie- I know! The pairing is so adorable!
Inoure- I felt that I needed some fluffiness. And my name is...Victoria!
Glimmern-glitas- Well, it may not stay Bryan and Calypso. It's just that Bryan feels protective of her. -smile-
K'onix- I know. I would've invited you...but this is all 2D.
Enjoy!
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Yuri drove into his driveway, and hopped out of the car. Mariah's party had been fun, and he liked the new girl. Bryan's girl. He snorted. Imagine Bryan with a love life! He'd thought all the girls were scared of him!
He walked up to the front doors of his house, his mind straying back to Aya. They'd set a date for the night after the next. He wondered where they would go. Maybe to the beach, he mused, unlocking the door. Stepping inside, he failed to realize something was out of place.
He was so absorbed in planning his moonlight date that he didn't notice someone else closing the door and locking it. It was only when Yuri saw those familiar black boots did he realize the depth of the trouble he was in. He whirled around, to see gleaming jade eyes before something heavy collided with his head, and he lost consciousness.
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" Yuri is absent again? I'm going to have to call home." Aira said wearily. He'd returned to his job, and was taking attendance.
Aya frowned and leaned over to Mariah. " Where could he be? He wasn't sick last night…"
" I don't know. Maybe you should ask Kai." Mariah shrugged, not too worried.
Aya nodded, and turned her attention back to Aira.
After class, she remembered something, and went up to Aira's desk. " Aira, er…how is Kirei?"
Aira sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked so much older. " The operation failed."
" What?" Aya almost dropped her books in shock. " But – but…"
" I know. But they tried the best they could. I can't ask for more." Aira buried his face in his hands.
" Aira…" Aya hesitated, a hand outstretched. " If you need help…"
" I know, thanks. Now, get on to your next class, okay?" Aira's voice wavered as he tried not to cry.
Aya nodded, and left the class slowly.
As soon as the door closed, Aira collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Outside, Aya was trying to get Kai to talk to her.
" Kai? Kai? Kai, Kai, Kai – " Aya was cut off by the aforementioned boy giving her an annoyed look. " Kai, have you seen Yuri?"
" No." Kai replied in a monotone.
" He's probably planning your date. That's all he does. Aya, Aya, Aya." Ian rolled his eyes. Aya mock-glared at him.
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He opened his eyes, his vision hazy. All he could make out was a single light in the darkness. Where was he, anyway? He waited impatiently as his other senses returned.
He seemed to be on some sort of vehicle, judging by the occasional jostling of the room. He tried to get up – but he couldn't! He struggled, but it appeared that heavy chains bound his limbs tightly. He began to panic, fighting against the cloth in his mouth. Where was he? Was he being…kidnapped?
He struggled more fiercely than ever, fighting against his restraints. He was so engaged in his battle that he didn't notice the vehicle stopping.
" Dear god, what did you do to your hair?" A soft, aristocratic voice asked mock-incredulously.
The young man's head snapped up, searching vainly in the dark above for a face. All he saw was the silhouette of a tall man.
" Don't bother. My identity isn't going to help you one little bit. In fact, you already know who I am." The man said, the smirk evident in his words. He reached forward, grasping a strand of the captive boy's hair.
" Don't – touch – me!" The boy hissed through gritted teeth, trying to pull away.
" Tsk, tsk. Touchy, aren't we?" The man laughed, but drew back. " Anyway, don't worry. You'll have plenty of fun on this trip. Or maybe just I'll have fun." The man cackled evilly.
The captive boy felt a deep, sinking fear as the air rung with laughter.
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Aya flopped onto the green coverlet of her bed, staring at the phone in her hand. Yuri hadn't answered her call. She was really starting to wonder where he was. He'd missed the entire day of school. That wasn't like him. In fact, he'd had a big chemistry test today, one that he'd spent ages studying for.
She rolled over, idly playing with the design on her blankets. Thinking back to what Ian had said, she really hoped he wasn't planning their date. He knew she valued education first!
She pressed redial on the phone, and held it to her ear. Soon, it picked up, and played a message she'd now heard several times.
" Hello, this is the residence of Anika, Tala, and Nikita Valkov. We are not here at the moment, so please leave a message after the beep." Recited a softly accented woman's voice.
Aya hung up with frustration. After just lying there for a few minutes, she wondered whether she should just let it go. She was being clingy. Maybe Yuri had a doctor's appointment or something…
Although, he would've told her…no! She did not need to know every tiny detail of his life. He probably just had an appointment somewhere.
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He was in a doctor's office. Well, more specifically, a surgeon's operating room. The surgeons had strapped him to a vertical bed, and left him there.
He fought against the leather straps, gnawing at the one in his mouth. He chewed until his gums were raw, and still the strap held. He leaned back, jaws aching.
He lay there for so long, he completely lost track of time. The drugs being pumped into his system by several drip bags were making him woozy. The room seemed to whirl around and around, and he could feel the bile rising up in his throat. His head hurt, and he completely lost his balance. If he hadn't been supported by the straps he would've fallen over.
Ages later, the door opened, and several white-clad people entered. The room soon hummed with murmurs, scrapes, and running water. His body had been tense when they had just entered, but the surgeons left him alone.
To him it seemed that hours had passed, and he started to doze off. He was jolted awake however, when a surgeon approached him with a flashing scalpel.
He suddenly panicked, and started jostling the upright bed. His fear grew to a hysterical extent and he started biting the worn leather strap again.
The surgeon shook his head, and inserted a needle in the captive boy's arm, pushing in some liquid. The boy tried to pull away, but the straps prevented that. He could feel his body numbing, just like in his dreams.
The surgeon approached again…
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Aya stared gloomily at her closet. Yuri had been absent again today. She glanced at her watch. Five o'clock. She should be getting ready for her date, but she wasn't sure if Yuri was even coming. She hadn't heard from him at all.
She sighed. Five-fifteen. If she wanted to go on that date, she'd better change out of her bathrobe.
At five-thirty, she was waiting downstairs in purple shorts and a pink halter-top. She had no idea where Yuri was taking her, so she hoped she wasn't underdressed. After she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, she looked at her watch again. Yuri was late. Sure, it was only by five minutes, but Yuri was never late. He was never early either. He just arrived, right on the dot.
Maybe there was traffic? No, that was ridiculous. He didn't live too far away, and there wasn't much traffic at this time of day.
So what was holding him up? Aya couldn't think of anything that could have delayed him like this. She tapped her glossy nails against her thigh impatiently, looking around her living room. It was actually a little lonely in her house, with her parents out of the country. She sighed, picking up the remote and turning on the television. She flicked through the channels twice, finally deciding to watch some reality show. She became rather absorbed in the show, and it was only when it ended that she realized that it was six-thirty. Yuri was an hour late. If he were going to come, he would have done it already.
Aya sighed, switching off the television. She slowly crossed the room and climbed the stairs. She brushed her teeth, and changed, slipping into her bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin, and turned off the light.
What was wrong? Where was Yuri? What had happened?
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The boy sat alone on a bare mattress in the corner of a small, dingy room. The white wallpaper was peeling and yellowing, and the room had an odour of old medicine and decaying rodents. There was a rusty old bed frame in another corner, and the roof was leaking slightly. There was a puddle of suspicious liquid in the middle of the room.
But the boy took no notice of any of this. He just stared blankly into the distance. His mind was no longer clouded by the drugs administered by the surgeons, so he fully understood what had happened, even if he couldn't really bring himself to believe it. One thought echoed in his mind. 'It's not possible.'
But he knew that, however far-fetched it seemed, it was possible. For it had happened to him. And the realization struck him dumb.
Everything about the boy seemed faded now. There was only one time that was reminiscent of this, and that hardly compared to the depression he was facing now.
His fiery hair, that had once been as much of him as anything, had become so limp and washed out, no longer the daring, devilish spikes it had been. His eyes seemed too big for his face, and their cunning hue was gone. They were now so pale they were almost white. Almost as if the quenching of his spirit had also destroyed his outer image. The proud, confident young genius had been destroyed completely, leaving only a shadow behind.
He raised his arm and stared at it. He could almost see the wires and computer chips behind his deceptively smooth skin. This sudden scrutinizing brought up another change. He was thin. Too thin. He had been hiding it, but it was true. No matter what he ate, he was dropping pounds faster than he could weigh himself. He didn't know why this was happening; maybe it was a side effect of the nightmares. Which, he reminded himself, were more than just nightmares. But he was practically a stick, way past the anorexic stage. Even his skin seemed translucent.
Tears started to slip down his face. He knew his father was cruel, he knew they didn't love one another. Heck, they didn't even like one another! But he had still hoped against hope that that wouldn't be allowed to happen. That his father would not remove his only son's humanity. But he was wrong.
The door suddenly opened. His father stood in the doorway, smirking hugely.
" Looks like they did a good job. It wasn't too much work; just fixing some malfunctions, repairing some broken connections, reactivating some sensors."
The boy didn't reply. In fact, he gave no indication that he realized the man was even there. Maybe if he pretended his father wasn't there, he'd really disappear.
" You're looking a little under the weather though. But that's nothing we can't fix. After the mental conditioning, you'll be as good as new." The man continued. " Well, I'll leave you alone now." He left, closing the door. The click of the lock sounded, to the boy, like a dead man's knell.
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" He's been gone for a week! It's like he vanished into thin air!" Aya said with frustration, falling into one of the armchairs that circled the table.
" I'm really worried, you guys." Mariah said, her brow furrowed with concern.
" This doesn't feel right." Emily added, sipping her coffee.
" Where could he be?" Ian asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
" You think he went back to Russia?" Spencer offered, rubbing his chin.
" Nah. The old him might've, but not this one." Bryan shook his head.
" W – well, maybe he regained his memories?" Calypso suggested softly. She had been filled in on the whole situation.
" Maybe." Brooklyn repeated doubtfully. " Kai? What do you think?"
The slate-haired boy looked up from the café's menu. He hadn't spoken during the whole conversation. " I think," he began carefully, " that the entire thing looks suspicious. Although he may not show it, he values intelligence above all everything, and would never skip a whole week of school. Also, he loves Aya too much to miss a date with telling her.
" Honestly, I'm worried. The old Tala could take care of himself, but not this one. He could be in serious trouble." Kai ended, solemnly looking at them all.
The silence between the friends was almost unbearable.
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