Manipulation

Anna sat on the edge of the bed with a weary expression. The room was mostly empty; there was a small chair leaning against an adjacent wall from the bed and a round table on the opposite side. Stone walls surrounded her with a coldness that chilled her body, and the metal door in front of her was the only exit. The door was extremely heavy; she could tell without touching it that she wouldn't be able to break it open. There was no inlet either, so she was unable to see outside. She rubbed the side of her face slowly as a burning sensation covered it and clenched her teeth. After a few moments of pause she stood gingerly from her seat and began slowly pacing up and down the length of the room.

She had not been restrained; that was something she was grateful for. There were two kerosene lamps hanging on large metal hooks on either side of the door that illuminated the entire room. She assumed a flame of that size wouldn't be enough, but for some reason she was able to see her surroundings very clearly.

The door opened suddenly, and she scrambled back to the bed on instinct. Perhaps things would be easier for her there if her captors thought she was injured in some way. A tall man with short blond hair entered with a blank expression and leaned his back against the door after closing it.

"Pino." She said it under her breath and stared into his eyes with defiance.

"You're awake," he said plainly.

"Where am I?"

"You know the answer to that question, Anna."

He was standing so far away from her on purpose, she determined. Although she was staring directly at his face, she noticed he wasn't looking at her. Pino didn't appear apprehensive at all, but he was staring at the wall behind the bed as if looking at her was a bothersome chore. She decided she needed leverage.

Look at me.

Pino glanced at her face with a frown. He heard her voice, but he didn't see her lips move.

"Sit with me," she said warmly.

"Why would I do that?" he asked with slight irritation.

You want to sit with me.

He pulled the chair away from the wall, placing it directly in front of her, and sat down without protest or hesitation. The action was confusing, but he didn't want her to know that. She clasped her hands neatly in her lap and smiled at him. This gesture increased his irritation, and he clenched his teeth.

"Were you worried about me?"

"No."

"You came to visit because you missed my company. It's more interesting when I'm awake, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"So, is Hao planning to kill me? I'd like to know beforehand."

"I'm not telling." He folded his arms over his chest.

"He doesn't know I'm here?"

Pino stared at her with narrowed eyes but didn't speak. She didn't change her calm expression, and the silence lingered for several moments.

"You're a telepath," he said with a heavy sigh. "I hate telepaths."

"Why is that?"

"Because listening to someone's thoughts is unfair. It's an invasion of privacy, like breaking into their home."

"Hao is a telepath, and you have no problem with him."

"I've never said that."

"If you don't like him, why are you here?"

"I don't have a choice."

Silence resumed, and Anna's smile faded as she watched him shift his weight in the chair.

"Tell me about it." She placed her hand on his thigh.

"He took out half my town..." He clenched his teeth. "...killed my entire family...just to find me."

Anna pulled away and stared at his stomach.

"I had two options: go with him or die."

"You chose to save yourself."

"I asked to bring Zria with me. He was going to kill her but decided not to on a whim. I guess I should be grateful for that."

He began rocking his leg in an agitated fashion and turned his head away.

"You can't feel guilty for the choice you made. Your family would have wanted you to survive, and you did. If you had died Zria would probably be dead too."

"Why the hell am I talking to you about this?" He stood from the chair quickly and began pacing behind it.

"I'm assuming you can't be honest about your feelings here. Hao would probably kill you if he sensed any hesitation."

"Zria is loyal." He stood behind the chair and stared at her hair. "She thinks Hao saved us. She would never betray him."

"But you think that you could?"

He paused. "...Not everyone came here willingly. We didn't all just volunteer."

"Some did."

"I was here almost a year when Thalim, Rutherfor, Nemari and Nichrom came." He scratched his ear. "Thalim told me they had been adopted by the Patch. They had only been there for three months before Hao came for them."

"They were orphans?"

"Yeah. But he came in and burned that village to the ground. He was only interested in Nichrom and Rutherfor, but she begged him to let Nemari and Thalim come with them. She didn't want her brothers to die."

Anna stared at the floor with an angered frown.

"Nichrom is a heartless bastard. He was willing to kill them. He doesn't care about anyone but Rutherfor, even now."

He sat in the chair again and stretched his legs. The fabric of his pants brushed against her calf, but she didn't move.

"Rutherfor is sheltered. Nichrom won't let anyone near her except for Horo and Pirika. The rest of us barely talk to her."

"Why was Hao so interested in them?" She tapped her finger against the mattress and stared at his leg.

"Rutherfor is a healer, and Nichrom is just really strong. I mean...it's ridiculous. He doesn't fight much, but when he does it's crazy."

"He fights like Yoh."

Pino stared at her again and clenched his teeth. "Stop doing that."

"What?"

"Don't listen to my thoughts. Just ask me."

"Fine." She folded her arms over her torso and crossed her legs. "Where is Hana?"

"Resting."

"Is he safe?"

"Yes." He rolled his eyes

"What about Mei?"

"I don't know who that is."

"What is Hao planning to do with my son?"

"Do you really think he would tell me?" He smirked.

"Is Tamao okay?"

"She's not dead, if that's what you're asking. Apparently Zria has compassion."

"Would you help me escape if I asked you to?"

"Yeah."

Pino paused and narrowed his eyes. He didn't intend to say that, and there was slight confusion apparent in his expression. Anna gazed into his eyes blankly and didn't speak for several moments.

"So is that your power?" He stood slowly from the chair and backed away. "You trick people into trusting you?"

"No," she sighed. "You're just comfortable with me. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You're not getting out of here, so don't try anything." He stormed angrily to the door.

"Pino!"

He stopped abruptly before opening the door but didn't turn around.

"Thank you for visiting me."

"Shut up."

"Come back, okay?"

"...Okay."

She smiled as he quickly exited the room and slammed the door. Nemari was waiting for him as he entered the hallway. He stared at him with an amused expression and followed him as he stormed away.

"I told you not to see her."

"Leave me alone."

"She tricked you, didn't she?"

Pino slowed his pace but refused to turn around. He clutched his hands into fists and clenched his teeth.

"Why do you think she's in that room, Pino? It's not for her protection, you know."

"You don't know everything."

"Ah." Nemari giggled lightly. "So she did trick you."

"She didn't...trick me. I'm not an idiot."

Nemari grabbed his arm and abruptly stopped him from walking. Pino pulled away immediately and leaned his back against the wall while staring at the floor. He was overcome with anger and didn't want to see his smile.

"Was she polite? Was she smiling? Did she make you feel comfortable?"

He didn't answer.

"Anna is not a nice woman, Pino. Everyone knows that. She's setting a trap for you. There's a reason why she's not to have any visitors. You're being handled, and you can't see it."

"I don't need a lecture from you." He closed his eyes. "I'm not going back anyway."

Nemari stared at him with a calm expression and didn't restrain him when he quickly walked away.

"You'll be back, Pino," he mumbled bitterly. "It's already too late."


Mei sat impatiently on the edge of the sofa with her arms folded over her torso. She clenched her teeth when the door behind her was closed, and as she heard his approaching footsteps she closed her eyes.

"She needs rest," Hao said blankly. "I'll take you to your room."

"What did you do to her?" She glared at him angrily and pointed her finger. "She was fine before you interrupted us."

"I've already told you she's sick."

"I don't believe that. I'm beginning to think that this is something else."

"What are you implying?"

The intensity in Hao's eyes was greatly intimidating, but she decided she couldn't cower.

"It's not an implication. What did you do to my mother?"

"If you spent half of this energy strengthening your power, you'd be much more useful."

Mei sensed the bitterness in his voice but was too confused to respond.

"Jeanne is sick." He didn't address her hesitation. "If you want to help her you'll have to trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You have to master your power in order to get through to her, and I'm the only person who can help you do that."

"I don't understand what you mean."

Hao sat beside her, and his warmth sent a crippling chill down her spine. Her brain was jumbled with too many thoughts at once, but she tried desperately to keep her cool.

"Jeanne's sickness is not physical. You'll have to use your telepathic power to release the barriers she's created. You're not strong enough to do that now."

"But...you are," she whimpered. "Shouldn't you have done that already?"

"I can break them, but that would kill her."

"You're too powerful to help," she sighed. "It requires a delicate hand you don't possess."

"That's one way to put it."

Mei was suddenly afraid. She wanted to help her mother so badly. This was the chance she waited for her entire life. But did it really mean putting her trust in the hands of a man who has proven himself to be evil? There were dark secrets she knew needed to be discovered. Hao was hiding something; she was sure of it.

"You have the potential to surpass her," he said softly. "But you have to focus."

"If I agree to have you train me...it's not an endorsement. It doesn't mean I trust you."

"Of course."

"I want her to get better," she said sadly. "That is my only goal."

"That's fair enough."

The main door opened suddenly and startled her. Luchist and Marco entered the room quietly, and Hao stood from the sofa.

"Excuse us for interrupting," Luchist said politely. "There's something important we need to discuss."

"Marco," Hao said authoritatively, "take her to her room."

He exited without saying anything else to her, and Luchist quickly followed. Marco stood silently in front of the sofa and stared at her with a cold expression that made her nervous.

"I don't believe we've met," she said politely and stood from her seat. "My name is-"

"I know who you are," he said sternly and walked toward the door.

"Are you...familiar with my mother?" she asked apprehensively. "Do you know...Jeanne?"

He paused in front of the door for several seconds in silence. Mei swallowed hard and held her breath when he closed the door.

"I know her."

"She's...sick." Mei couldn't control her anxiety. "I want to help her. Hao has offered to train me in order to do that, but-"

"It wasn't an offer," he interrupted. "You don't have a choice."

"Excuse me?" she whimpered.

"You'll train with him," he explained. "You'll master your power or you'll die. There are no other options."

"If...if I can't master my power..." She paused.

"Hao will kill you."


Hana stared at the stone wall in front of the bed with an uneasiness that made his limbs shiver. He spent several minutes pacing before sitting on the thin mattress and staring at his feet. The brief conversation he had with Rutherfor was unsettling, and he was unsure of what to do. There was no intention to fight; he did not consider the possibility would arise in meeting Hao. Maybe Mei was right. Perhaps Hao could no longer be trusted.

But this didn't seem like a trap. Rutherfor told him the adults he fought were training him, but because of her ambiguity he couldn't tell what this meant. He stood quickly from the bed and rubbed his face with one of his hands before slowly exiting the small room into the hallway.

He needed to find her. There was no other choice.

As he entered the dark stone path an important thought quickly crossed his mind. He was unfamiliar with the design of Hao's camp and had no idea where to look for this woman. Hana didn't want to admit to himself he was afraid and decided to take a random direction from his room. There was no guarantee he would be able to return there; he knew this but going back would make him a coward. He had to wander around for the possible chance he'd get lucky.

Hana entered a small room mostly devoid of light. It was the only space along the corridor that was open, and he wanted to come up with some sort of plan before continuing. There was a large table at the center with stone benches lining the walls and what appeared to be a small bed positioned in the corner. When he suddenly heard voices in the hallway he panicked. His fear was irrational but strong, and the only instinct present in his mind was to hide. He darted underneath the large table and held his breath as he watched the doorway.

Two men entered the room, from what he could see. The first man was extremely tall with black hair and a black beard. Hana was unsure if he'd met him before, but he couldn't place him in his memory. His garb resembled that of a priest, and for some reason that increased Hana's fear. The second man was immediately recognizable; the twin of his father. Hana leaned his body as far into the table has he could. He didn't want them to see him out of his room. It was like being back at home. He was sure he'd get into some kind of trouble.

"They left without permission," he heard Luchist say.

"For what purpose?" Hao asked with slight annoyance.

"I suppose the plan was to divide them. They didn't return empty-handed."

Hao paced a few steps in front of him with his hands clasped behind his back and stared intently at the wall.

"Which one?"

"Asakura Anna."

"Anna," he repeated as a smile crossed his lips.

"I've instructed them not to restrain her, but she is in the brown room. The...insulated one." There was great emphasis on the word, as if Luchist was speaking in code.

"I see."

"They have been informed that her isolation is necessary." Luchist cracked his knuckles. "I didn't elaborate, but they understand that she isn't allowed to have visitors."

Hao stood in front of the wall with his back facing him. His hair blocked Luchist's view of his expression, and he waited for a response.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

Luchist scratched the back of his neck and stared at him with a frown. Hao didn't turn around, and his question was greeted with silence.

"Stop hiding, Hana. Come out here."

Hana crawled out from underneath the table and slowly stood upright. He glared at his back with narrowed eyes and tightly clenched his hands into fists.

"Hana," Luchist said with surprise. "You should be resting."

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," Hao said softly.

"Where is she?" he asked defiantly.

Luchist quietly excused himself and stepped out into the hallway.

"What did you do her?" Hana's voice was mixed with anger and fear that he couldn't hide. "Where is my mother?"

"You have a busy day tomorrow. You should be in bed." Hao didn't turn around, and staring at his back increased Hana's frustration.

"I heard you talking about her," he said as his voice elevated. "Why did you bring her here? What did you do?"

"You're tired, Hana. You should rest."

"Where is she?" Hana couldn't handle being dismissed. By Hao refusing to face him he took the gesture as a direct insult, and that severely bruised his pride.

There was no answer. Hana clenched his teeth as the ground beneath them began to shake. The table and benches were broken away from the floor and began crumbling into pieces as he stepped forward. Various stones that held the walls together dislodged from their resting places and spun through the air in a violent display. A few of the heavy ones narrowly missed Hao's body, but he didn't move.

"Answer me!" He couldn't control his anger. He couldn't control the surge that was rapidly destroying the space around them. Hao was standing in front of him completely still, and that was all he could focus on. He didn't want to feel inferior, but there was something about his silence that triggered exactly that.

"ANSWER ME, HAO!"

He turned around very calmly and lifted one of his hands. It looked like a nonchalant wave, but the debris that had been swirling around them stopped in mid air. Hana stared at him in shock as the rocks, table, and benches were returned to their original resting places. The stress fractures that had been created in the floor were sealed as well, and the room fell eerily silent as a burst of air flustered his ears. Hao was staring into his eyes the entire time, but Hana found himself unable to return his intense gaze. He was amazed at the sight. Hao managed to completely undo everything he destroyed with almost no effort and still didn't respond to his demand. Hana realized something in that moment that was extremely important and incredibly humbling.

Hao's power was devastating.

"You're tired," he repeated softly. "You should go back to bed."

Hana's eyes filled with tears involuntarily as he stared at the man's stomach. Hao walked toward him slowly and placed his hands delicately on his shoulders.

"I'm...tired." He struggled to keep his eyes open suddenly. As he rubbed his face with his hand he fell forward, and Hao caught him in his arms.

"I'll take you back so you can rest."

"Okay."

Hao picked the boy up and carried him out of the room and into the hallway. Luchist was there and stared at him with a grave expression, but Hao dismissed it. Hana rested his head against Hao's shoulder and clutched his shirt with his hand.

"Wait," he said weakly.

"What is it, Hana?"

"I was...looking for something," he said faintly. "What was I looking for? I can't...remember."

"Just rest," Hao said warmly. "I'm sure it will come to you."