Rated M for gore, blood and violence in later chapters
Disclaimer: Soul Eater would be ruined by my dark mind.
Chapter 10: Simulation Lesson
"The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all."
― Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries
"Why are we strapped in a chair, Professor?" Maka questioned again. squirming in the seat. The straps on her wrists and ankles constrained her from moving, a feeling which she hated. It made her feel useless, and had it been metal, she would have screamed like a crazy animal. It reminded her of her time in the circus, something that she was burnt in the back of her mind.
It still haunted her dreams, and it always will until the threat was dead.
"Simulations. The next person who asks me that, I'll make you my next lab rat to study human anatomy." Stein said indifferently.
"Told you the theory test results were inaccurate! She's so dumb! Maybe she's deaf because they did some experiment to her ears!" Ox whispered to Harvar, but clearly making it loud enough such that she could hear it too.
She gritted her teeth, hoping one day, when she saw his fears, she would use it against him, mercilessly.
"This is not some kind of torture I would put my students through to attempt to control their fears, but you won't get out of your fears until you learn what is the motive of this lesson. The change doesn't make you any different. It doesn't make you more superior, it doesn't make you more powerful, unless in combat." Stein's grey eyes glanced around.
A few students nodded while a few looked confused. The scientist never repeats strict instructions twice.
"It may take you minutes, hours or even days for you to get out of it. But if you cannot pass the simulations, you are not fit for the change. It will only divert you to the path of madness, instead of fighting for the good. If I see fit, I will expel you because you are not capable or needed for the Death City Association."
Every students' eyes hardened in determination, not wanting to fail the test. There were only a handful that managed to join the Death City Association officially, even lesser that went up to high ranking positions. Even if they were hard, people still tried in hopes of being recognized.
Stein walked over the white room, putting his headphones over his head. "The simulations begins now."
For what seemed like she was sucked into her own mind, Maka was transported into a black room. She adjusted her eyes t see if there was anything ahead, but there was none. Green words flashed across the dark space.
Scanning for fears... COMPLETE.
Transporting Test Subject 04 into abandoned factory landscape.
As per command, she suddenly found her feet touching down onto the cold cemented floor, only a hazy light bulb flickering occasionally as a light source. She peered ahead, unable to see what was ahead.
Simulations begin in 5 seconds. The voice boomed in her head, starting a countdown.
The last second changed everything.
The once clean pastel white walls were suddenly splattered with blood, finger prints on the ground as if someone desperately grabbed onto the floor, in hopes of stopping someone from dragging them into their impending doom. The light bulb was dying out fast, and she could only make out the silhouette of a flashlight ahead of her. She grabbed it, heaving a sigh of relief that it was still working.
She continued walking on in the abandoned factory, hearing howls of the wind coming through the shattered windows, treading lightly on the broke glass. It seemed like a fight had happened and she didn't want to find out. If she had to go through such things to learn, then surely it must be worth it.
The place started to become brighter as she continued to go from room to room, glancing at the old machinery that had been rusting from not being used. It seemed like the fight had taken place every where, except it seemed like it was a one-sided fight. The bloodied footsteps seemed to be running away from the source of threat, but the other was aiming to harm.
It made her more anxious to find out what in the world was going on. The moment she heard soft sobbings and moan of pains, she knew she couldn't continue at a leisurely pace. She sprinted towards the sound, taking a few deep breaths when she reach the closed door. Her hand reached for the cold doorknob,, wondering if it was correct.
The sounds were definitely coming from here, her senses confirmed, before she burst through the doors. "STOP!" She screamed, as she saw the scene before her.
Soul paid no heed to her shouts, continuously whipping Tsubaki.
"Stop, stop, stop! Soul get yourself together and stop!" She screamed once more, her limbs not wanting to react properly and she was just moving awkwardly. She didn't know what compelled her but she surged forward and took the hit for Tsubaki who was crying, barely holding her wounded body together as she lied flat on the floor, crying.
"Maka... you're here." The camellia flower breathed, her tears dripping onto the floor.
"What's gotten into you Soul?" She spat, grabbing onto the whip when it tried to land on her. She winced as the leather bit into the skin and the force of the hit. The whip was stained with blood, but this didn't feel like a real Soul.
When she saw Soul's eyes, that seemed to be contradicting with his toothy grin that showed that he was enjoying torturing the poor girl. His crimson eyes showed otherwise; that he was fighting with his body for control. The tears that leaked out of his eyes told her that he regretted doing this, but he couldn't stop it.
"K-K-Kill me before I harm you." Soul whispered but the words seemed to boom louder in her head than any shout.
"You know I can't." She murmured, pulling the whip and moving backwards, making him lose grip of it. She tossed the whip to the side, glancing at Soul whose fists were clenched before it hesitated a little, and then did a deadly charge towards her.
She clutched onto the fist that wanting to hit her face, twisting his arm and blocking his leg from shooting up by raising it. She knew Soul's style of sparring. Aggressive, not bothering to give the other party a breather. He was good when it came to counter-attacking, but this time, it was different. She couldn't go offensive. She couldn't bring herself to hurt him.
They kept dodging and hitting, neither refusing to give up. Maka was just trying to find out how he was controlled while he aimed to kill her and a few moves of hesitation that made her believe that the real person was there. She was more than clear on what these fears represented.
The fear of losing her close friends.
She side-stepped him again, but this time he went straight towards the camellia flower, plunging a knife into her heart which made Tsubaki let out a scream before she took her last breaths, her eyes closing. Maka could barely register that Tsubaki just died.
Soul just stabbed Tsubaki.
Why did her do it?
Tsubaki is dead.
Tsubaki is dead.
"How could you!?" Maka screamed, her floodgates opening as the she started to cry uncontrollably, clutching her mouth in attempt to stop herself from making crying noises.
His eyes said that he was sorry but his body posture said otherwise.
"HOW COULD YOU!?" Maka lunged for him in rage, pushing him onto the floor. He was about to get back up when she pounced onto him, grabbing his collar and slamming his head into the ground repeatedly.
As she screamed out her sadness, she landed punches, not allowing his to escape as her knees pressed again his thighs, His hands trying to get a firm grip on her while blocking her attacks. But she was swift like a snake, landing blows and immediately retreating before he could fight back.
She grabbed onto his neck, wanting to shake the living daylights out of her when she felt something implanted onto his neck. She let out a cry of shock when she touched it, only to get a electric current surging through her. It triggered a message. 'Your friend is indeed a good pet. But sadly, you won't be able to see him do great things as you'd be dead.'
"I'll free you from your beasts..." Maka whispered to Soul, as she pulled him closer. She yanked out the device out from his neck and he let out a hoarse scream.
It was the same moment he impaled the knife from the chest.
Test Subject 04 finished Fear Landscape #1.
Motive of lesson: 67% completed.
Construction of Fear Landscape #2. Complete.
Transporting Test Subject 04 to Dark Wood Circus.
Her blood ran cold when she heard the words 'Dark Wood Circus'. First she saw Tsubaki die and get killed to save him. Now, she had to face the haunting eyes that she wasn't ready to face yet. Life was just peachy right now for her.
Tada~ I'm done with a chapter. The next chapter will of course be more darker and I'm really sorry to say it'll not get any brighter until after the change that I have yet to name. This probably wouldn't receive good attention :/ But it was something I start and I will end it. Well you know the drill!
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