Chapter 6

Tala's POV

What have I done? what would Boris want to speak to me about? I was trying my best to keep calm as I walked towards the Director's room. 13 years in this place has taught me that appearing bold was the key to survival. You had to act like you feared nothing, while in reality you feared everything. The last time I had a weak moment was when I was 11. I had a phobia towards spiders, and one day I nearly fainted when I saw a Karakut on my training bag. Since I had a very vibrant relation with goddess luck, Boris saw it. I can never erase the memory of having to put my hands into a box filled with creepy crawlies while the guards held me in place and brought a heated metal rod dangerously close to my body every time I tried to pull back. I still remember the way I had ceased to care about anything, when my vision was blurred with tears which I was desperately holding back, and The way I could no longer feel those insects moving on my hands since they had gone numb.

This memory was so not helping my current situation. I opened the large door and stepped into Boris's lair. He was sitting with his back turned to me and was watching a camera footage.

" Is one warning not good enough for you?

I detected anger in his voice. "Sorry sir. I'm unable to keep up with you. What is the matter?"

This time he lashed out me. Before my body could hit the wall, A black book was thrown at me. The impact of hitting the hard wall was nothing compared to the blow I got when I saw photos of Kai flying from torn pages of the album.

.Nooo!

Anything but that! I watched horror stricken when Boris pulled out a match and lit my precious collection right before my eyes. I reached out to save it, but it was too late. The book was completely ablaze. It was as though the fire was inside me, burning my heart.

Boris laughed at my reaction. "Hadn't I made myself clear when I said I don't want you to mess with Kai? He shouldn't remember. He doesn't need to remember."

"Of course he does! I can't watch you toy with him. He needs to see what you truly are!"

Boris was silent for a moment. But when he spoke next, his tone was different. It was diplomatic.

"Is that the only reason? I'm ashamed that you turned out to be such a weak liar. You want him to remember you, isn't it Tala? You even admitted it. How can you be so selfish? Kai liked you back then because he was broken. A lonely child who needed someone to call a friend. Someone who was like him. But now you claim to care for him when you are trying to make him suffer. Do you really think Kai will ever trust anyone, or even himself, if he gets his memory back? Do you think he would still want to live after that?"

"We can't just lie to him forever. One day he will find it out on his own, and that will be the day when I completely loose him." My tongue was no longer under my control. It stung to know that this was exactly what Boris wanted.

"You have already lost him. The boy you knew is no more, and his remains are just food for my black bird."

I wasn't angry. I was furious. Boris was shamelessly admitting that he only needed Kai to wield black Dranzer.

"You are a sick bastard!"

A creepy smile formed on Boris's face. This was what he was waiting for.

"Now that was disrespectful. Don't you agree dear?" He raised his hands and I felt strong arms hold me tightly. The guards were already here.

"Well, if you don't...-" whip him till he agrees!" Boris ordered the nearest guard.

I was dragged away.

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When they were done, my back was a bloody lump. I staggered back to my room in darkness. Time had flown, and it was already midnight. I was grateful for the lonely corridor, I hated seeing that helpless expression on my teammate's face when they confront me after such beatings.

I couldn't digest the fact that my gift to Kai has been reduced to worthless ashes. Had Kai been careless and lost it? Or hadn't he cared for it enough and just discarded it?

I couldn't bear it if the second case was true.

Physically I was hurt, but I had endured worse. There were times when I thought of quietly slipping back to my room and ending all this misery once and for all. Just one cut... I would tell myself, but then I would think about my team. What would happen to them if I was gone? Would they miss me? Will Boris make Bryan the captain and start torturing him even before I was buried? Now I had one more concern. What would happen to Kai if I die? If he eventually breaks like how Boris predicted, will there be anyone to patch him back?

I'm not a coward. I won't just run away and leave such matters to fate or luck. I'll fight.

Motivated with this little self talk, I entered my room. The lights were off and it was dark, but when I switched it on, I saw Kai sitting on the bed with a crazed expression. I looked around the room and saw that everything was scattered. All drawers were open, and the clothes thrown out as though Kai had been frantically searching for something.

"Have you, by any chance, touched a black book in my safe?" He enquired before I even stepped into the room completely.

I realized that he was searching for my gift. So he did like it. I got a bittersweet sensation.

Kai's irritated expression immediately turned into shock when he saw my bloody shirt.

"Holy Christ! What were you doing?!"

"Nothing to worry about. I got bored, so I tried a new way of measuring how much blood was left in my system" I replied.

Kai didn't snap back. Instead he walked close to me and inspected me. "Take your shirt off" he instructed.

I would have jumped with joy if these words had been said under another circumstance. But right now Kai had his 'no bullshit' expression on.

I felt my face heating up as I did the simple chore. But the embarrassment was short lived since the clotted blood peeling gave me a stinging feeling like many tiny needled pricking my back. When I took it off, I made eye contact with Kai. I had to suppress a laugh when I saw him stare at my abs. "Kai?"

The blush on his face was priceless. But he went back to business mode when he saw the various whip marks on my back. The sight must have been gruesome. Fresh bloody cuts accompanied by fading scars. Kai brought a first aid kit and began disinfecting the wounds. Then he gently traced the outline of my scars with his fingertips and applied ointment on the open wounds. He also bandages a few deep ones. Every part that he touched tingled. No one has ever treated me with so much care. Despite the physical pain, my heart was fluttering. "You should go to a doctor" he advised. I shook my head. I didn't trust the doctors in the Abbey to treat me unless it was absolutely necessary. They were scientists cum doctors. The last thing I wanted was to get involved in some other crazy experiment.

Kai stepped behind me and inspected my lower back. "Who did this to you?" His voice was calm, but it was filled with anger. "None of your business" I lied. The conversation with Boris was fresh in my mind. Mentioning him would be dangerous.

"It's definitely my business" Kai was stubborn.

"Hey why don't you check whether something is infected down there instead of simply stating at my back and asking questions?" I swapped his focus. And slightly tugged at my jeans.

"The only thing infected is your mind. I'll keep my distance. Your foul thoughts could be contagious" he said.

I wasn't leaving him.

"Really? Tell me Kai, hasn't this dirty minded brat slowly creeped his way into your heart?"

"Never! I don't care about you. I just don't want someone bleeding to death under my roof"

"Well, maybe I should change my approach and get in you, and then into your heart." I said with a suggestive grin and leaned forward to hug him.

I regretted it when I felt a stab of pain from my cuts. I winced and drew back. Kai held me by reflex. "Stop moving, Idiot" I took the drama one notch higher and leaned on him. Kai didn't push me away.

I ignored his sigh and rested my chin on his shoulder. When my face was out of his view, I smiled.

So much from Mr. I don't care.

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AN; I enjoyed writing the KaiTala moment in this chapter. Tbh, I have the various scenes ready to include in this fic, but they lie at extremes. It's either full angst, silly fluff, of hot stuff. I'm stuck here trying to arrange them in order and maintain a plot instead of making it random drabbles.

Hope you liked this.

[p.s I'm running out of elegant ways to ask for reviews ;D]

Bye