3: Angry Too
"You're mine, you know that?"
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Unknown."
"Oh? Really?"
"That isn't how you win a girl over, let me tell you. It wouldn't hurt for you to be a little nicer to people every now and again."
"As if I'm going to waste my time when we both know how this ends."
He awoke in a stupor.
It seemed like he had lost time again.
While it wasn't the first time that had happened to him, it felt strangely different this time around. Unknown was used to that as it had happened often during his entire life, periods where his awareness was fuzzy and when he would suddenly awaken from a daze in the middle of the day only to realize that six hours were missing.
The elixir had its downsides.
It also had benefits.
It hurt at the moment but he would soon feel stronger than he ever had. That was how it worked on him. People who were weak and foolish on the inside needed a reminder of their place every now and again to show them. For Unknown, he needed it to reignite his rage.
It helped him reach his potential and the Savior was always right in her judgments.
Unknown couldn't remember when they came for him but he knew that it had been a long time that his body underwent the ceremony. It was a precaution of sorts or something along those lines; All he knew was that his arms had been held down as they forced the glimmering elixir down his throat until he was gasping for air.
It wasn't a punishment, per se. The Savior just hadn't been pleased with his actions as of late, sure, she let him keep his new assistant, but her trust of the woman was wary. Outsiders brought into Magenta were always given a keen watching before they were accepted and she wasn't one that the Savior picked herself, Unknown had picked her for himself.
He had faith in his princess.
The price of that faith was taking his licks.
It wasn't hard for him.
He was used to pain and used to what it would do to him. Pain was just a part of life. Pain just happened whether you liked it or not. A lifetime of pain was nothing compared to a few hours or days. So, he hadn't entirely been all that bothered by what happened.
It wasn't something that would happen again to him, because soon he would be able to give and administer the ceremony to his Lila and that pain would shift into something far from something ugly into a beautiful symphony.
What felt frustrating surely would become something that he loved, and he was looking forward to the day that he could save her. The insufferable pain that happened when he was alone… would be far gone. Content in paradise with the one that he wanted so much.
It would be perfect.
The only thing better than saving Lila would be the eventual satisfaction he would feel when he was given that traitor's head on a platter. But, he was getting ahead of himself. There would be much more planning to be done.
Only a matter of time, he would remind himself. Only a matter of time until it was the right moment to let her join them. He just needed to prove to his Savior that she was worth it, and she seemed to be thinking in a positive way after she spoke with the girl.
Speaking of which, he needed to get up and figure out how much he had missed and where he needed to make up for the lost time. Unknown tried to sit up but he fell right back against the cushions not long after; He winced in pain and gripped his head.
It was a small buzz of electricity in the back of his eyes that warned him not to move. Irritating, of course, but he knew better than to rush right after this.
He would often ignore whatever his body was telling him but for some reason, it felt like there was a weight on him. His lungs would burn and his joints would ache but he never felt as heavy as a bag of bricks.
That was a new kind of symptom, right? It had been months of taking the elixir for him and he doubted that something new was happening.
That meant that the only possible answer left was—
Lila.
Unknown quickly realized that it wasn't, in fact, his head playing tricks on him this time, that weight wasn't a new symptom. She must have helped him, right? It didn't make sense to him.
He couldn't place a memory beyond being carried back to his workroom by the guards but it seemed like somebody had taken the time to keep him from sleeping on the floor.
She was still asleep by all accounts. He didn't know how long she had been awake or waiting for him to return.
It must have worn her out.
Somebody… worried about him.
She… worried about him.
Her dainty fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt so tightly it seemed like if she wasn't doing so, he might leave her grasp. Her head resting against his chest and curly locks splayed out a bit from tossing and turning. She looked so peaceful. There was always a lingering worry in her expression when she was awake, so to see her look so at ease, and in embrace nonetheless, made him pleased.
"Mmm…"
It wasn't the first time that he had been this close to her body, however, it was the first time that they had ever been this close in such an intimate way.
For him, this kind of intimacy was a strange and new feeling. He had never been this close to another person in his entire life. He knew the warmth of a hug from his Savior but this was a different kind of feeling in his chest.
He wasn't sure if he was supposed to like it or not.
Yet, he let her do these things anyway.
Lila always seemed to be testing the limits of how close he would let her get to him every day, and this was a new height. It was small the first few times, little brushes her fingers against the collar of his shirt when he cornered her, and little touches of her hand against his own when she made sure that he ate that day.
Unknown wasn't sure how they ended up like this but he wasn't going to complain about it. He would not admit it but he liked the way it felt when she cared about him. His Savior cared about him and cherished him but the way that Lila made him feel…
That was something else.
It was why he was so desperate to ensure her place in paradise.
The sooner that she was confirmed and the sooner that she was a real member, the sooner that he would be able to hold onto that strange feeling, whatever it was, forever. His goals were within his reach and the future that he was building for Mint Eye and himself were starting to come together piece by piece, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.
It was only a matter of time.
For now, he would relish in the feeling that came with the feelings that Lila brought to him instead of casting them aside.
"Heh," he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. It was a bit weak and strange as it left him, as he couldn't understand why he felt this way. "I should get onto you for treating me like I'm weak like this… but, this time I'll let it slide. Just this once. Next time, I'll have to teach you a lesson about this and how strong I really am."
As if she didn't know from the way that he pushed her around and ensured his power by asserting his abilities. All it took was the wave of a hand and she was constantly stupified by his talents. She couldn't believe he had taught himself all of this in a matter of a year, or less, he still was a little hazy on the time.
Her fear had shifted to a kind of respect.
It made him feel strange. Like, a weird and dynamic way. Part of him wanted to push back against it and another part of him wanted to keep it close until she smothered him the way he smothered her back.
He liked the way her small hands clung tightly to him.
It was a reminder of how strong he was and how he could be. If somebody like that woman could like somebody like him then perhaps this really was a beautiful paradise. Mint Eye had felt like the prelude to a dream, but with Lila at his side, it felt tangible.
Unknown settled back against the couch and let Lila sprawl out against him. He needed to get back to work but he wasn't going to disturb her when this was the first time she sought him out.
A few moments longer… just a few.
That wouldn't hurt, would it?
It seemed like things had calmed down.
She and Unknown fell back into their little routine for a while, while he did his work and she did her work not far from him. Just because something happened and caused a few bumps in the road didn't mean that work was going to end. There was no stopping until things were completed and that path had no end in sight quite yet.
Sometime soon, hopefully.
These long nights without much sleep were becoming hard to manage. She dealt with it as best as she could but Unknown worked until he made himself pass out mid-sentence. The most that she could do for him during those moments was cover his shoulders with a blanket and sigh.
Lila understood that his goals were important but she didn't hide the fact that she was concerned about him. It wasn't any of her concern, though, as he could take care of himself. Which is what he would bluntly tell her time after time.
Yet, those conversations were brief and stopped before they got too far into something that would be against the rules. It was like trying to talk to a brick wall and everybody knows there's no winning a conversation like that.
Today, one thing was certain, Lila was frustrated.
It had been a while since either of them had been out of this room. It seemed to be the only thing that existed half the time. She wasn't sure how he didn't go stir-crazy from being trapped in someplace like this all of the time. This wasn't a place of security, at least, he didn't always feel like it was the most comforting place to be.
She sighed.
"That's the seventh time you've made that noise in the past half-hour," Unknown noted, his attention still on what he was working with and not on her. "If you're trying to tell me something with that then you should just say it instead of wasting my time with guessing games."
"...Oh, you noticed? I thought you were going to keep ignoring me instead."
He finished keying in the last string of code for this session, and shook his head, "As endearing as your sass is, princess, you should learn how to be direct. I don't like wasting my time with pleasantries. If you want something, tell me instead of wasting my time."
Her instinctual reaction was to pout.
It wasn't like they hadn't been spending time close to one another. As a matter of fact, ever since she had taken a leap of faith, he had been reaching out toward her and making more demands.
Today was no different.
That's why she had found herself on his lap, facing towards him as he spent his afternoon finishing off more of his work.
His excuse was that he wanted to keep a closer eye on her from now on, and he left it at that. Her excuse for the closeness was that she wanted to be sure that he was alright. There was just something satisfyingly gentle about the way it felt to feel the slow rise and fall of his chest and the beat of his heart so close.
It was a reminder that he was with her.
It was a reminder that she was with him.
Lila could feel his gaze linger on her but she continued to stare across the room at the wall. They had been just fine not saying much to each other but now that he had spoken there was no going back to that today.
She sucked in a breath and thought about how to phrase her question to him in such a way that would sound alright.
"It's just… it's been a long time since I've been outside," she said, quietly. "I'm not saying that I don't like being here with you. I just feel a little… trapped. I understand why I can't stray too far but I've been thinking about how nice it would be to go out with you."
"You haven't left this room in days, either. There's not a lot of time for breaks, I know. The mission is really important, no, it's crucial. It's just hard to focus when you can't concentrate. Sometimes it feels like I can't breathe. I just… wanted to know if it would be okay to take a break? Just a small one, you and me… together."
Unknown paused.
He didn't say anything for a long moment. It was like he was thinking over her proposal and weighing the options. She knew that it was asking a lot, and that's why she hadn't really brought it up.
She thought that she could and would make do with the circumstances that were given to her but she just couldn't help but feel… a little selfish. When she was with him… she could feel herself wanting more things that she had never really allowed herself to feel before. Her guilt with that was kind of strong.
Lila just wanted Unknown to be the smallest bit selfish.
He had gotten more obvious with his desires the more that she showed and opened up the possibilities to him. Lingering touches and lasting holds. He would silently beckon her to join him no matter what he was doing and she would find herself listening to him. That's how she wound up in his embrace like this.
"It was silly, I know, I'm sorry I brought it up," Lila mumbled.
Unknown clicked his tongue. He often did that when he was annoyed or bothered by her choice of words.
"Shut up," he told her, simply. "I hate when you talk like that. It's frustratingly annoying to hear you babble..."
That she did.
"...You like flowers, right?"
Lila pulled back so that she could meet his gaze. She cocked her head to the side, perplexed by his question. "Um, yeah? I guess you would have noticed that if you saw my social media when you did your background check. Why do you ask?"
Unknown weighed his options, but the scowl didn't leave his face. "There's a place I've been wanting to show you but there wasn't any time to do it. I'm ahead of schedule so I can take you outside if you really want."
Her brown eyes sparkled with such excitement at that notion. She couldn't stop the small laugh from leaving her lips as she hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you! That means a lot to me. Now I won't have to nag you about getting some fresh air for the rest of the week."
He was true to his word and when he finished what he had, he took her by the hand and led her through the twisting and twirling corridors that seemed to make sense to nobody but the believers and himself until they stopped at a door that leads outside. She waited at his heels as he opened the door and let her breathe the night air into her lungs.
Lila shut her eyes until they were a ways away from the building and her shoulders felt like they were lighter than air. She opened them when Unknown stopped. She opened her eyes and looked around at the space that he wanted to bring her to. It was a vast and colorful garden where it seemingly held no end in sight.
After being trapped in a room with nothing but grey walls for weeks, or however it had been since she had come to place, this was everything that she needed. She wasn't sure what to say. She was in awe of the space around them and how much work had been put into it. It was beautiful, and she couldn't stop herself from getting a real look around and brushing her fingertips against some petunia.
For Lila, this was kind of like being a kid set loose in a candy store.
There was no stopping her from picking apart each new variation, finding things that didn't bloom as easy as they did back home, and smiling ear to ear. She would practically chat Unknown's ear off if she wasn't embarrassed to do so.
To think that a place like this had been hiding amongst the despair and perplexing darkness lingering all over the inside of that building. It was what she had missed most about being outside. It was the ability to come someplace like this where her heart felt really at ease.
As hard as it had been lately… this helped.
She stretched out her arms and stared at the rows and rows of flora, "I love it… I love it. It feels like I'm home again. I never feel happier then when I'm outside like this, I guess you might have seen that, but, not the whole picture."
"I never really had a lot of friends and I never really felt at home with other people. I guess you can say that I lived in my Grandma's garden most of my childhood… I had more friends out there than I ever did while I was in school. It's kind of silly, but being somewhere like this makes me feel so much better. I know that must sound kind of silly but… it means a lot to me, more than you ever might understand."
Lila spun around back to face where Unknown was standing with her starry-eyed expression to thank him.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."
He rubbed the side of his head and looked away from Lila, "Yeah, well, you're into this kind of thing or whatever, so it's only fair I let you see it. You've done everything I've asked and you've earned one reward. Nobody really comes here anymore apart from the Savior so it… it deserves someone to appreciate it, somebody like you."
"Why, that's almost a real compliment, isn't it, Unknown?" a laugh escaped her lips. "I thought you weren't that kind of guy, huh?"
"Tch," he scoffed, but his expression softened a bit. "Don't think of it like that, princess., I owe you one after you took care of me the other day. It isn't often I'm incapacitated. I could have handled it myself, but… thanks. It would have taken me a while longer to get out of that pit if you hadn't done something."
Lila smiled.
His tone was still a little bitter and it was haphazard of him to even try to say that word to someone, she could tell.
He didn't want to admit weakness nor did he want to feel like people were pitying him. His thanks was blunt but it was far more than he had given before.
She didn't pity him.
She just couldn't stand to see him struggling like that when she could do something about it.
She practically skipped over to his side, feeling this rush of positivity all throughout her body, and not-so-casually tucking her arms around him.
Lila was quiet for a moment as she relished in his embrace for the second time that day. She was still hovering just above the water of her feelings for this man. It wouldn't take much more for her to be fully immersed.
She let out a small, contented sigh.
"I just… I just couldn't stand to see you hurting, y'know?" she said, quietly. "I don't like that you had to go through something like that. It's not fair. It doesn't seem right, either.. You're more dedicated than anybody. I've never seen somebody put everything into something like you do for Mint Eye. Why would they put you through something like that when you're already long but proven your faith in this place? You've given them everything, right? Why punish you?"
There it was again.
Her faith wavered in Mint Eye.
Yet, it remained steadfast in him.
It was… strange. She believed in him, but she didn't seem to connect the strength that came from Mint Eye. He was strong because of Mint Eye, and he could fight because of them and how he had been treated. Yet, she saw his strength as his own and only his own.
It felt weirdly… empowering.
"It's what I deserve, I told you," he said. He couldn't look at the way that she clung to him. "I'm not like you. I wasn't born ready to take my spot here. I was… weak, once. Now, it takes a lot of work to be the person that protects paradise, and I've had to fight my way to the top, proving my dedication every time it's challenged by something or somebody. I must commit to everything."
Lila was quiet.
Her nails dug harder into the fabric of his jacket, "Even if those commitments wind up killing you?"
"We've talked about this, princess," his tone was clear. "Don't say another word. It's okay and how it's meant to be. My dedication to Mint Eye is binding, I'd give anything for my Savior if it came down to it. She's the one that saw worth in me. I won't die, anyway, I'm the strongest."
"No, it's not okay!" She shook her head, and looked up at him with the pain and worry in her eyes again. "You can't pretend that it is. Don't you remember what you told me the other night? That the elixir you take nearly destroys you every time you take it? How can this place be a paradise if it treats you like this?!"
No.
No.
No.
Unknown stiffened.
It seemed like he was hearing what she was saying but the fact that he heard it was enough to be a problem. Those words were dangerous and could get her killed if she said it to the wrong person.
His shoulders were tight.
Unknown didn't know what he would do if she got killed or taken away. He had planned their future already and that wasn't part of it, never.
He sucked in a breath and pressed his hands to her shoulders.
"Shut up," he hissed. "Shut up, right now. I'm warning you."
Lila never knew when good was good enough.
She couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth once they started, "How can you ignore it like easily? This isn't okay! You're miserable! This place can't be a paradise if it treats you like this. I can't… I can't stand it. You don't deserve to be treated like this. You do everything you can and look how they repay you. There might be hope in the world outside of Mint Eye, but this place hurts you the same way the outside world does… what's the difference?"
That didn't make sense!
"I can't stop thinking about how badly I want to leave this place with you," she admitted the words underneath the spilling tears. "I know I don't belong out there either, and I'm scared of what will happen when I go back; But, I don't want to be someplace where you're getting hurt. I just want this to be a real paradise, the one you told me about; If it treated you with the respect that you deserve, then you could really be happy."
Her grip on the collar of his jacket loosened a bit as the tears spilled from her eyes. Her sob was quiet, and she didn't get very loud but it was enough that it affected him. "If… If you weren't getting hurt… then..."
She was babbling at that point and it wasn't making much sense at all.
"Then… then…"
Unknown couldn't stomach it.
He could feel the dread in the back of his head starting to build as she spoke those words. She couldn't say stuff like that.
The Savior would do something drastic if she thought for a moment that Lila really wanted to do something that bad.
That was the most important rule of the Mint Eye, and when people broke it they did not come back the same way they left. It had to be done, it had to. They were removed, taken away, or transformed. But that couldn't happen to Lila, she had faith in him and that should have been enough.
Unknown was never good at handling waterworks.
He shook his head and gripped her even tighter than she did him, "Listen, princess, I am happy here. I'm only doing what helps me build my strength. You don't understand it yet, but you haven't had your ceremony. It hurts at first but then everything becomes clear to you all at once. There's no pain when it all clicks, and once I give you your ceremony… I'll no longer be in pain."
Lila winced at his rough grip, "What about me, then? What's going to happen to me when I have to go through that? What are you going to do when I'm hurting because of this?"
She didn't know what to say to that statement of his, other than how worried she was about what the future held.
Not just for herself, but for him.
"It won't matter how badly it hurts or how good it feels. I'll be there for you, with you, throughout the entire time." Unknown whispered.
"The time when I'm with you… that's bliss. Your paradise can be achieved and salvation is within my reach… and it is in yours as well. I've never felt more at peace with myself then I do when you're with me. There will no longer be any need for pain to reach our goals… when I save you, that's when my paradise… no, our paradise begins. "
He made that sound so good. He could make anything sound good.
Lila shut her eyes. "Does that mean that there won't be any need for you to get hurt anymore? That you won't have to work yourself into the ground? If I'm a member… if we're together, does that ensure your safety?"
She really wanted to believe in him.
She really did.
It was just hard to imagine that this place would change into something that didn't abuse him for his talents.
Would it be like a shot?
Would it be like ripping off a bandaid?
Would the problems only last for a short while?
If they could stomach this trial and get through it… would paradise become a lovely place?
"I don't want you to get hurt anymore," Lila said. "I believe in you, and I want to believe in this with you. I just… it hurts me to see you like that."
Once the RFA was taken care of and brought to where the Savior wanted them to be, they, Unknown and she, would surely be able to exist without this pain, right?
Right?
The memory of his pleading eyes haunted her memory and refused to leave her thoughts. He didn't seem to remember that he clutched at her for most of the time with strangled sobs, and every so often he would whimper pleas.
How he wanted the pain to stop.
How he was scared she was going to disappear.
How he feared the pain she could experience.
"As long as you're with me, then I can do anything, I'm the strongest I've ever been in a long time, and I'm so close to destroying that traitor," he muttered. "It's thanks to you that I'm going to be able to ruin them all. As long as you're by my side, then my paradise is with you… here."
This assurance was the most gentle phrasing that he had ever used towards her and his eyes, although hardened by years of unspoken difficulties, was the most sincere thing that he had ever really said. It felt like there was a weight to those words.
As scary and as perplexing as so many of these feelings were just starting to feel, that was what pulled her underneath the current.
Neither of them realized it until the other moved but they were steadily growing closer and closer to one another until there was no space left between them. His lips were on hers and the fire, oh, the fire in his body was far stronger than what the elixir did to him. It was what those lingering touches had been building up to all along.
This meant that she was devoted to him.
Her hesitancy would disappear the longer that he did his best to prove to her what paradise could be with the both of them. Unknown would keep it quiet about her feelings, just until he could save her himself.
Unbeknownst to Lila and Unknown, the Savior had seen everything that transpired between the two of them and she was not happy.
Unknown was gone.
Again.
He had a mission to take care of on the outside of the compound and he warned her that it would be a while before he could return. The Savior had said that it was crucial that he take of it by himself and ensure that everything was in running order before he returned. Whatever it was, it was a big deal, as he didn't even glance at her before he left in a hurry.
It seemed that his health didn't matter.
All that mattered was the success of the Mint Eye.
This stung in a way after they had spent the night clinging tight to one another in the garden underneath the moonlight where they shared so many kisses. She just couldn't take her hands off of him and he didn't stop her from doing. It had been beautiful, lovely, intoxicating, breathtaking, and made her lungs burn.
She never wanted to let Unknown go.
Unknown…
Even though his touch lasted a little longer than it normally did that morning when she awoke and he was on his way out, it still… was frustrating to think that he wanted to go out there and push himself when he knew that she was scared for his sake.
It rubbed Lila the wrong way when the thought came to mind.
She wasn't devoted to this place. She was devoted to Unknown. She only cared about him and his safety. The rest of it wasn't a concern for her and she desperately wanted to protect him from being hurt anymore than he already had. It wasn't right.
It wasn't fair.
That woman had made it clear that if she fucked up or showed the smallest bit of something she didn't care for, then he was going to get it.
Unknown told her plainly that she couldn't dare think about leaving this place, nor should she ever mention it to anyone. The number one rule here was that you never question authority and you never say aloud such blasphemous things. This place was for the weak to flourish into their strengths, not leave to be trampled again.
But…
This place wasn't supposed to have pain, either. Nobody was supposed to be hurting, nor were they supposed to feel any of the pain that supposedly only existed in the outside world. If Unknown had been telling the truth then this really would have been a paradise.
That was far from the truth now, as he was getting hurt.
Hurt!
All that Lila could think about was badly she wanted to get him out of this place and much she wanted to show him the world… that the world couldn't possibly be as bad as it was. There were terrible people out there, yes, but if they had each other… as long as they were together…
Couldn't they survive?
After all, numbers were everything and two was definitely better than one.
She was scared to think about it. After learning that her family just didn't care that she had been missing, and after learning that the place that Unknown tried to play up as a heaven on Earth turned out to be a moot point; The fact remained that neither place was safe for Unknown and herself, and that left her unsure of what to do.
What was she supposed to do? How could she protect him from wasting away? How could she stop them from hurting him even more? What was she even thinking? This was wrong… this was really wrong. She wasn't supposed to be thinking like this. Unknown had promised… he had promised that things would be okay in due time.
Very soon, he just didn't have a date of when. He swore that once the operation was taken care of and things were as they were meant to be, then paradise will truly become the place that he described. He swore by the lingering kiss he pressed to her lips.
Lila pressed her hand unconsciously to her lips and felt the warmth of the ghost of his lips against her own, cheeks flush.
It wasn't like anything else horrible had happened.
Perhaps she could really let herself drown in his promises and accept that change would come eventually. If she could get member status… maybe she could use that to protect him. It was just very confusing. There would be moments where she was ready to go through with this, and moments, where she felt like that, this may have been the wrong choice.
She shook her head, furiously.
It might have been just better if she ignored these feelings and continued to work through what they had at hand.
Things would be alright.
She just had to have faith in him, right?
Lila settled back into her work after she calmed herself down and stayed on task until the sound of her ringtone came from the other side of the room. She rose from his desk and went to pick it up to see if it was his name tag on it.
It always was.
She just felt better knowing that it was him.
Just as she hit the green button on her phone to answer his call, the door to the work lab opened in a flash and Lila whipped her head around to see who it was. It wasn't anyone she knew, or who she had seen anytime before. She didn't know these guys. Nobody was supposed to have the clearance to come into this room.
Unknown had said that only the Savior could come here.
So, why were they here?
Unknown's voice came from the transceiver as she stared like a deer in the headlights at these men that wouldn't budge.
"Ugh. I thought you were never going to pick your damn phone up. Look, I need you to run some diagnostics for me. I'll tell you what you do, I can't do it remotely right now… Lila? Hello? Are you even listening to me?"
She mustered what strength she had and glowered at the men to try and stand her ground, but she had the feeling that she was about as scary as a cupcake. "What the hell do you want?"
It was two of the believers. The ominous and hooded members that would do anything that the Savior wanted of them.
They seemed to be like the ones that had thrown Unknown around like a ragdoll the other day before he returned to this room, and she knew, she just knew when they made eye contact that they weren't here for anyone but herself.
They were here… to do something to Lila.
"The Savior has ordered for you to undergo your ceremony."
Her breath caught in her throat. They had come to take her to her ceremony? Unknown was supposed to be the one doing that.
What were they saying? Why would they be doing this? None of this added up at all. That didn't make any sense.
"No… no… no…. not now, the Savior told me that I was going to be the one to take care of you! No, you tell those bastards that I'm the only one who gets you to give you the elixir of salvation! I'll have their heads if they touch you!"
She stood her ground, though it was obvious she was trembling. "...I have no choice, right? You'll take me no matter what I say? Who sent you? Unknown told himself that he was going to be taking care of this soon."
The one on the left stared, "The Savior herself has requested the date be moved to today, and that she will be conducting it. That's all that I was told, and that's all that matters. You can submit willingly or we can take you ourselves, it's up to you how hard you make this. I would suggest you choose the prior. The Savior doesn't take too kindly to those that don't follow the rules."
Lila dropped her cell phone on the desk and slid it to where Unknown would be able to locate it when he got back here.
It was all she could give him.
She didn't really have a choice. There was no way that she could duck past these guys and make a break for it out of this room, she didn't know where she could go. There was also no way that they were going to believe a word that Unknown was saying, not if the Savior had told them herself that she wanted to be the one in charge of her ceremony.
Her word was above anyone else.
"Lila, answer me, goddammit! Did they say what I thought they said? The… Savior…? She… she wants to take care of your ceremony…? She… wants to… save you…? She... I thought… I was going to… save you… but… if she wants… Oh, God."
She wished that he was here.
She wished that Unknown was the one taking care of her and not that woman.
"Let go of me! Let go! Goddammit! Unknown's gonna be pissed off when he realizes what you're doing! You answer to him too! Not just the Savior!"
All that Lila could do was thrash against the men who took hold of her without any warning as they started to lead her away from her safe space. She wished that these guys would listen but no matter what she told them and what she threatened them with, her words fell on false ears and they ignored her voice.
She could hear Unknown on the other end of her phone as she was dragged away, and no matter how much she thrashed against the guards and tried to kick out of their grasp, she was too small and too weak in comparison to fight them off.
The sounds of his frustration and pleas would haunt her and continue to haunt her as she was dragged into the basement.
Calling this place a basement was like calling a prison a playground.
It may have existed underneath the rest of the place but it was far from just a place for storage. Once you entered the seemingly normal double doors and trekked down a long staircase, you would find yourself in a dark, damp cellar with cells to contain those that didn't follow the rules.
There wasn't a lot of light so it was hard to focus on the finer details.
At first, Lila assumed they were going to throw her into one of those. They would probably have kept her there until the Savior wanted to deal with her and do as she pleased. That would have been ugly but it was better than getting trapped somewhere else.
But, the believers that had held onto her just kept walking forward and further into the darkness. It was quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop apart from the sounds of her own protests. The rows of chains and bars quickly diluted into rooms and doors that lead to other spaces that held God knows what inside of them.
Lila couldn't hide the fear that was creeping up her spine.
It was like being sent to the gallows to be hung. You had a vague idea of what was going to happen to you but you knew nothing about what it was going to be like or how it was going to work out. After seeing everything that had come afterward that Unknown had dealt with, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to fully understand what it was.
He had dealt with that for years.
She didn't have any tolerance for this whatsoever.
Her fears only continued to grow as they reached the end of the long hallway where only darkness remained. There was a pause, a brief moment before the doors opened, and that was when her voice seemingly died. It was one thing to stand your ground where you felt safe, and it was another to be brought where you had no power at all.
Then, she was thrust into the light.
The room was… not what she expected. She thought that she was going to be walking into a real torture chamber, but as it turned out,, the room at the end of this long hallway was a sanctuary of sorts. Unknown had mentioned there were a few throughout the building but there were only two crucial spots.
This definitely fits that bill.
The Savior was watching and waiting at the center of the room. Her head pressed into her chin as she thoughtfully waited for Lila to be rudely dropped at her feet like a ragdoll. She still radiated that calm disposition but that lingering feeling underneath it was there in her eyes. She looked more amused than anything, pleased to see that her will had been carried out.
"Nice of you to drop in," she commented, tone as smooth as honey.
Lila shook her head, "It wasn't like I had a choice."
The Savior never lost her smile.
"Are you wondering why you're here?" she asked.
Lila didn't know how to answer that. It was a loaded question. There was no telling why she had wanted to do what Unknown had long said he would do. All the threats that she had heard from this woman had been directed at him more than at herself. It was possible that she had an inkling of mistrust and her first thought was to take care of it herself.
Unknown's role was crucial.
Anything that got the way of his work would surely make trouble for the Savior.
She had made sure that she did everything that he asked and expected of her down to the letter that she knew, but something in that mustn't have been what that woman wanted.
"..."
The Savior stood from her chair and began to walk forward across the room until she was in front of Lila, "Well, I'll tell you since you can't seem to decide what to say. Your dedication to… Unknown is admirable, really, you do as he asks, and make sure he's doing as he needs to do. However, your allegiance isn't to me, and you've put ideas into his head that I can't forgive. You aren't all wrong in your actions, though, which is why I've decided to help you see the truth."
Lila refused to lift her head.
Savior clicked her tongue, and grasped Lila's chin between her forefinger and thumb, making her look. "Are you aware of what a special treat that is? I only personally save those that I consider beneficial to our paradise. You, my dear, have value to me, but your rebellious streak needs to be corrected.
"Corrected? You mean you're going to beat me senseless until I don't say anything but the word yes," Lila whispered. "That's exactly what you did to him."
Savior couldn't help but laugh. She snapped her fingers and the guards came back into play and took hold of her arms. Lila struggled but she was too small, too weak.
She never lost her smile, "Beat you? That's dreadfully barbaric, wouldn't you say? We have other ways of showing people the truth. For you, that means a special blend of elixir that I just created for you. You've seen it, haven't you? The way Unknown grows in strength every time he drinks his dose? How harder and faster he works when it's coursing through his veins? That is the untapped potential that exists in everybody, but for it to take full effect, you must accept the devil in your heart."
Lila shook her head, vehemently. "I'm not accepting anything! Let me go! You shouldn't be doing this to people! This isn't how you get others to love you!"
"This is how I protect and nurse others to unlock what's inside of themselves. You can no longer be hurt if you accept the Mint Eye into yourself. You're blinded by the feelings of the outside world. You cannot deny to me that you haven't felt a change since you came to this place, I see it in your eyes. You're denying it with your mouth but your eyes say that you are conflicted. You shouldn't fight it, you should accept it." The Savior did not pause.
"If you think I'm such a pest, why aren't you just getting rid of me?! If you're doing this to spite Unknown or hurt him, why don't you just kill me?!"
The Savior let go of Lila's face and went to retrieve the glittering liquid, and it shined an unnatural blue. "I'm doing what's best for you, and what's best for Unknown. If I took you out, he would throw such a fit. A pathetic princess like you… you can be useful if fixed before you get too far into him. I know that power, and I want to show you how to use your care for the sake of Mint Eye. Don't worry, I'll let you stay with Unknown when all is said and done."
Lila frantically tried to find a way out of this but no matter where she looked, there wasn't a path to safety. Her head was taken hold of and her eyes trembled, wide, as the elixir was held just above her head.
"No… No… No…!"
"Now, Lila," the Savior spoke in such a cheery tone. "I invite you to paradise."
Over… and over… and over…
Lila lost track of how long she had been trapped in this basement. It felt like months, but who knows if it had been that long. It could have been a lot longer.
They would barely give her anything to eat and they would starve her until she repeated what they said. They would let her fall asleep and then shake her awake to drown her in more and more elixir. Each and every time, the Savior would drop by and counter the vile liquid with the sound of her coaxing voice.
Her words were not sweet.
She would remind Lila time after time that she was weak, that she was pathetic, that she walked right into this mess by not trusting Unknown fully. She had gotten this way because she didn't listen to him. She kept thinking she knew better than anyone else when she really didn't. What good did she know if all she did was cause grief for Unknown?
It was her fault, and all her misery was because she was an idiot.
She was an idiot.
Why did she ever think she could do anything when all she did was mess things up? That was why her family threw her away and gladly forgot about her when she left them behind to escape. That was why she had no friends in her life. That was why she lived alone with nothing but flowers to keep her company. That was why she wound up walking into a trap and ruining it.
That was why she ruined Unknown and got him in trouble.
Because she was trash.
She hated herself. She hated everything about herself. She was in so much pain and it was all her fault. All she felt was hate and ungodly rage in her heart.
"It hurts…"
"It hurts."
"Make it stop… please… please…!"
"I can't, no, no, no!"
The stupor that she was under lingered for far longer than she expected.
They had said that it would last for quite some time until her body adjusted to the pain and grew to accept it. She wasn't quite sure if she had enough strength to stomach it for much longer. Her body was on fire, and whatever wasn't burning felt like static from the tips of her fingers.
One thing was for certain though, Lila felt an indescribable amount of rage and frustration.
She wasn't sure why.
It might have been the fact that she felt like she had been forced into a corner without her own say in the matter. It might have been the fact that she had been ripped away from Unknown and he was the only good thing about this place. It might have been that fact that she was really starting to believe everything that that woman had told her.
Whatever the hell it was, the feeling just wouldn't go away.
She was so weak… she was too weak… she never stood up for herself… she didn't try harder to fight for her own desires… she didn't try to win. She accepted defeat and turned tail like a frightened little rabbit trying to escape a wolf.
She was cowardice.
She was everything that that woman had said she was, and it really made her angry.
Why wasn't she brave?
Why wasn't she strong?
Why couldn't she be good enough?
What did she have to do to prove her faith? What did she have to do to show these people that she cared? What did she have to do to herself to become somebody that others would respect and be treated the way she deserved to be treated?
What did she have to do to prove her faith and belief in Unknown?
What about herself was so weak and tainted that could be crumbled up and rewritten into someone that could protect and keep what she cared about?
What was it going to take?
The world was going to swallow her up whole and spit her back out if she went back out there and tried to survive. As much it burned… as much as her body screamed at her… a part of her simply just snapped. Rational logic was thrown out the window, and she dug her nails into her palms until they bleed.
She gasped for breath and tried to hold herself together as it all fell apart. She had been left to lay there on the floor for God knows how long, and her entire body hated her for it.
It would have been less of a strain if she hadn't been thrown onto the wet concrete.
She couldn't get herself to get up.
Everything hurt. Everything was numb.
She just wanted the pain to go away. She just wanted the pain to go away. She just wanted the pain to go away —
"Oh, dear, you look like you've been having a rough go of it. How are you feeling now? It's been a while since I've seen you." A voice echoed through the darkness of the dungeon. It was the voice of the very woman that had snatched her away from Unknown and started this pain.
This confusing and blinding pain that made her question her choices and feelings. Lila didn't have the strength to lift her head but if she could she would have glowered at the woman.
But, now? She couldn't do anything besides grovel at her feet like a sick dog. It was the most pathetic and low she had ever felt in her entire goddamn life.
The sounds of her footsteps grew closer and closer and the darkened outline of the woman appeared in front of her, "It hurts, doesn't it? Well, pain is a great teacher for those that can't quite see the way out of the light and into the darkness. Has your allegiance become clear to you? Do you see now what you were blind to before now? I do hope that you understand what I've been trying to help you see."
She was forced to lift her head, and it forced her to cry out in agony. There was no way she could control this. That was what they kept telling her over and over and over again. She was weak, she was breakable, and she was pathetic. How dare she think she could stay by Unknown's side when she was nothing but a crybaby?
Lila opened her eyes for the first time.
She wore a soft expression on her face, the so-called Savior looked so composed and ethereal. She looked nothing like the monsters you dreamed of.
She was very beautiful, in a way that spoke of danger and mystery.
She smiled when Lila did this, "Don't you hate this? Don't you hate me? Don't you want to get rid of everything that hurts? Isn't the first thought that comes to your mind how much you want to destroy me? Tell me the truth. I can see it in your heart. What does your devil tell you? Come now, I won't judge you."
There was a part deep, deep inside of her that was protesting what Lila was thinking at that moment but for some reason, she just couldn't connect with that voice.
All she felt was rage, anger, and the need to fight.
If they wanted to push her until she died, then she had no choice left, they gave her no option to be anything but cruel. So, she glared up at that woman and with every ounce of strength that she could muster in her weary body, she said what was lingering on her mind.
"...I want it back. I want it back. I want back everything you've taken from me. I don't care what I have to do to get there. I don't care what that means for me. I don't care who I have to hurt. If it wasn't for the elixir… I would… I take it back from you… he's mine. I fought too hard to protect him for you to hurt him on my account…"
For some reason, that warmth was starting to feel less like a burn and more like a hot touch. It was hot water in a shower that you adjusted to minute by minute… she was starting to feel like the pain wasn't the worst thing.
No, no…
The pain that these drugs were causing was nothing compared to the hatred in her chest.
"You're the one… that said I… I was too weak to stand by him. You're the one that said that I was nothing but a princess. That I was too scared to do what had to be done for his sake. Well, right now… right now, I'm feeling like I would hurt anyone… even you… do anything… no matter how bad it was... if it meant that I had him."
Her fingers dug into the cold ground as she evened herself out and tried to push herself back onto her feet, although, she was a bit wobbly. By the time that she was standing, the Savior was watching her with what seemed to be amusement and intrigue. She didn't seem to be threatened by these words at all.
That only fueled the fire in her chest.
Her gaze narrowed. "If you all want me to a princess… then I'll be the worst fucking princess you've ever seen. I want what's mine. I want it now. I'm going to take it! That's all I've realized after being trapped down here. I'm tired of being pitiful. I want to be strong. I want to be so strong that nobody can hurt me."
Lila didn't know it, but she meant every word that she was saying.
It was the truth.
She wasn't just repeating what they wanted to hear her say.
She was living it.
"Is that so?" Savior commented.
Was that supposed to be a slap in the face?
"Are you going to stand in my way, then or not? I can't take this crap anymore and I'm so angry right now that I don't think I'm going to be nice anymore. Being nice to people didn't get me anything that I wanted," she spat. "I don't give a damn if you're in charge or not."
She was so tired.
She was so tired…
She wanted to go back…
Go back…
Lila just wanted to make it all stop, and the only way to do that was to prove her worth with her own two hands, "You wanna know what I think? I'll tell you what I've figured out in this damned place now. What good is kindness? What good is being a punching bag for everyone? What good is being weak? What good is there when you aren't strong enough to take what you want?"
What was the point in caring about him if she couldn't stay by his side?
She promised that she would not leave him.
They took that promise and stomped on it like a weed.
They made it look like she lied to him! Her relationship with him may have been complicated in a lot of ways. However, one thing was for certain, she cared about him and she didn't want him to hurt anymore. She wanted to stop that from happening. She wanted to make them stop it. She would do anything that she had to do to ensure that.
If she had to be his shield and his sword then that's who she would be. There was no use in being who she used to be. No, if she wanted to survive in this place and become somebody who could stand at the same level as Unknown she needed to be the strongest.
She needed to stop pretending that she was so sweet and caring. She needed to embrace this pain in her heart and destroy everything until she had him protected. "I see it now. Why be the sweet and kind princess? When I can be the princess that gets everything she wants to have, all the power, all the freedom, and all the respect."
Lila glared at that Savior. "I want it all. I'm going to do everything I can to take it. I don't give a damn who stands in my way. If you're going to keep me locked down here then I'm going to fight and kick and scream until you let me go free. He respects you, and that's the only reason I'm not trying to claw your fucking eyes out right now."
The Savior smiled, her smile grew so wide, and pleased by hearing this. "As a matter of fact, my sweet dear, I came here to let you out. Your progress is admirable. It took such a long amount of time for him to reach his truth. It took you a matter of weeks to realize your devil. I've never seen somebody so vile and pure. You've realized the truth of paradise. I'm proud of you."
The room was suddenly illuminated in light.
Lila winced and covered her eyes. It was too bright. It was too bright. Tears were coming back to her eyes because of it. She had been the dark for so long it hurt to even see a glimmer of light and this was too much to take in all at one time. When she felt like her body could tolerate it and it wouldn't make her fall onto her knees, she sucked in a deep breath and opened her eyes again.
The Savior was looking at her with such a pleased, proud look in her eyes. It was like she was going to praise her for a job well done. Part of her wanted to knock the smug look from her face but the other part of her knew that if she did do such a thing that she would have to spend more time in this place.
As much as every living fiber of her being wanted to destroy this woman, she could not.
Her body was starting to ache but she ignored that pain. Her vision was spotty. Her lungs were crying out. At any moment, she felt like she was going to collapse. She had pushed herself to the brim to display how she felt but it was too soon.
Lila sank down to her knees with a hard snap. She couldn't handle it. Her strength was fading fast and she felt weak again, weak and angry. Her breath quicked, and the heat returned. "Agh… hah… fuck… it hurts… it hurts… make it stop… please… please… I can't… I can't do this anymore… make it stop… aaagh!"
Savior knew that and she could see Lila accept her limits, "Feel that anger and let it consume your body and mind, every part of you. You'll be a force to reckon with then and nobody will control you. I'm not your enemy here. I know you feel that way… but I only want what's best for you, and cant you feel it? Can't you feel your power?"
She rested her hand against Lila's shoulder as she rasped for the air that her lungs desperately needed to consume. "I wanted to show you what you're capable of. Love blinds someone. It makes them forget what they really are. Your love was twisting Unknown, but now it can show him the right path to paradise. You can love him as much as you want, as long as you continue to feel this power and spread the message of this power."
Power… she could have it.
All she had to do was survive this pain.
This is what Unknown had been talking about all along.
All she had to do was hold her breath and pray she lived to see Unknown again. If she lived through this then she could prove herself to everyone and show the world that she wasn't a pitiful crybaby. She was going to the queen on top. She was going to get what she wanted and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her from getting it.
"Unknown will be satisfied to see you've accepted us into your heart. I have great expectations for both of you in the future, especially you, princess. Revel in your strong devil, Lila. Don't ever let that fire go out. Let it fester. Let it feed your wrath. I only have one question."
He would… be happy…?
He would like that she was strong?
She hadn't seen him in such a long time, and she hated to think he thought she was weak and pitiful.
She was going to control them all.
She was going to have it all.
She gazed down at the ground and noticed her reflection glimmering in a puddle on the floor and paused to stare down at the strange vision. There was a woman with messy brown hair and familiar rosy cheeks. It looked like her but at the same time, she didn't feel right. She didn't quite look as she remembered.
There was one striking feature about the person she saw and that was the intense mint-colored eyes they possessed. They were darkened and her expression was twisted in such a beautiful and yet tragic way.
The birth of a new person was happening today.
"Well, Lila, are you ready to accept paradise?"
She lifted her head and gazed up at the Savior with this expression lingering on her face as her lips curled into a grin so wide it could have rivaled a Cheshire. " I accept your invitation. I accept paradise. I accept the truth of this world. The weak will be eaten by the strong, and the strong will overtake the weak. However, there is no more Lila."
"Oh?"
She nodded her head. "It is the begotten name of my weakness. It no longer holds any worth to me, whatsoever. I am… Wisteria. One who loves without limitation to stop them anymore and feeds into the ever-growing vines that consume their body inch by inch until there's nothing left but binds to suffocate and choke them into true bliss."
There would be nothing to stop her control from spreading anywhere, and there would be nothing to stop Unknown from smothering her with his intense obsession.
He was hers.
And nobody, nobody was going to get in her way.
AUTHOR'S NOTE.
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