Author's note: I've decided to upload this chapter as is, as I am no longer going to be updating this. It's a hard decision but one that I think would be best.

She felt a hand caress her cheek as she woke.

"Hello, dear. Thank you for letting me work. I don't need any more blood samples for now." Zayaka started to remove the straps binding her. "It's time for a few tests, dear." She removed the last strap. "Pick her up." She ordered Arkin and another guard with her. They approached, grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up from the table.

She slipped from their grip and hit the ground, crushing her legs under her weight.

Zayaka knelt down and gently held her face up. "Oh, dear… still drowsy, are we?"

Rhea looked at her with half open, vacant eyes.

"Well, dear it's time to wake up. We have work to do." She stood as the men picked Rhea from the floor. "As I said before, I want to see your magic in person. I need you to infect and cure a few subjects, along with some other tests." She turned and started walking with the guards dragging Rhea behind.

"No…Please." Rhea murmured and weakly tried to resist. "...Do…Not…Want…"

"Unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice, dear." Zayaka interrupted her. They pulled her out of the room and down the hall. "You won't have to do much and these experiments will be simple." They picked her up as they entered the new space and placed her in a heavy wooden chair in the center. They shackled her ankles and arm to the chair then attached a shackle with a longer chain to her right arm.

Rhea slightly looked up and scanned the room, there were few giant flasks lining one wall. Some were empty and some had people. They looked terrified.

"Bring the first subject." Zayaka ordered. One of the guards went to the first occupied flask and unlocked it. Sitting in the containment was a young girl, no older than ten. She pushed herself away as the guard reached in and dragged her out by the collar of her dark red shirt. She started crying and kicking but her resistance was useless.

The guard pulled her in front of Rhea and shackled her arms and ankles together, then forced her to her knees in a knelt position. The girl kept squirming and whining. The guard slapped her on the back of her head and yelled at her something Rhea couldn't understand.

"Now dear, this is your target." Zayaka gestured to the girl. Rhea lifted her head and locked eyes on her girl.

"No…" She shook her head slowly and stared at the girl.

"Now dear, you don't want to be punished for insubordination?" Zayaka gave her a slight smile, her black eyes bearing down on her.

"She is…young." Rhea's voice shook under the pressure.

"Oh dear, you don't have to worry about that." Zayaka encouraged, "Do as you're told now, you don't want to be punished, do you?" Rhea shook her head slowly again. "Good." Zayaka smiled and temporarily deactivated the device around her neck.

The guard by the girl grabbed her and pulled her forward. Rhea watched the girl as she started resisting again. The guard struck her in the back of the head again.

"Now dear, grab her, preferably by her head. I have a theory to test." Rhea stared at the girl, she stared back at her with wide fearful eyes. Zayaka placed a hand on Rhea's shoulder. She dropped her head then lifted her free arm, her limb feeling impossibly heavy.

I'm so sorry… She closed her eyes and infused her. Her arm glowed and pulsed as the corruption moved down her arm to her hand. Even with her eyes closed, she could "see" the corruption flow into her body like water flowing through girl struggled and cried then screamed as the corruption quickly overran her body. The girl fell out of her grip and hit the ground, her body seized and writhed. Her sclera and veins turned dark before she gasped for air one more time before her body went limp.

Zayaka went up to the girl and knelt down. "Oh… How disappointing. Tsk, tsk." She stood and waved her hand, "Remove her. Take the subject's body to be studied. I want to know exactly what happened." She turned back to Rhea. Her head hung. "Well done, dear," Zayaka brought her hands together, "...but it seems that she is too weak for you. A shame really, she could've been raised into a good soldier. She would've been easier to train too. Such a waste."

"You are…monster…" Rhea spoke quietly.

"Oh dear, it's just research and science. It is all a part of the process." Zayaka turned to Arkin and the other guard, "Bring the next."

A man was brought up and shackled, he had bruises and cuts that looked fresh. He fell to his knees without intervention, clearly exhausted from beatings. She grabbed his head without lifting her head,starting the process again. As the corruption entered him and slowly began to overtake him, he suddenly grabbed her arm and dug his claws into her arms. Her eyes shot open and she screamed in pain.

"Let me go!" She cried out and let his head go. "I am sorry! So, so sorry!" She begged, "Let me go!" He dug his claws deeper into her arm and pulled her. Arkin kicked the man in the face. Rhea screamed as his claws ripped through her skin as he fell. "Arkin." Zayaka spoke, almost too cold to be human. He nodded and kicked the man again, knocking him unconscious. "I see now, he's going to have to be one of our 'indirect' subjects. Tsk. Take him back."

"Don't worry about your arm, dear." Zayaka turned around to Rhea. She looked down at her shredded and bleeding arm, felt her head get light.

"They will bandage it up for you." Zayaka caressed her cheek, in a way that was more creepy than caring as they quickly and carefully wrapped up her arm.

"Please…No more." Rhea begged.

"It is alright dear." Zayaka grabbed her chin and lifted her head, she stared into eyes. "You've done good dear."

Rhea stared at her with weak eyes.

"Just a little bit more, dear." Zayaka stepped back. "Now dear, can you form a construct for me?"

Rhea slowly lifted her bleeding arm and formed a small dark-pink cube.

"Keep it up for me, bring the next." She ordered. "Now, we will perform another test."

Within a few moments, they brought a woman in front of Rhea. "Now, can you form the construct into a projectile?"

Rhea focused, her arm shook, it hurt. The cube split and formed into spikes.

"Very good. Now, fire it into her."

"What…?" The spikes flickered and began to lose shape.

"Now, now, no need for questions. Do as you're told."

Rhea looked at the woman then at her hand then back up at the woman.

"Dear?" Zayaka leaned over her, "All you need to do is fire them at her, preferably at the heart, neck, and abdomen. I'm curious as to how a direct strike affects corruption."

Rhea bit her lip and closed her eyes. Without thinking, she aimed and fired the spikes at Arkin and the other guard then summoned a construct then swung it around and hit Zayaka, pushing her back. Arkin evaded the spikes and dropped the woman as she was struck, while the other guard was struck in the arm. Arkin rushed Rhea and grabbed her arm then locked it down. She tried to fight back but Arkin struck her in the face, putting an end to her resistance. Zayaka recovered and reactivated the device around her neck.

"Let her go." Zayaka ordered, pushing her hair off her face. "Take them, put them in a flask each for now."

Arkin nodded and went to work.

"Now dear," Zayaka said in a way far too calm for the situation, "Your behavior is quite inappropriate and I didn't quite enjoy that 'stunt' you pulled." Zayaka walked to Rhea's rear and grabbed the pressed a button on the back then stepped away as the device started beeping.

"No…"

The device started shocking her again, she screamed and gripped the chair. It stopped, Zayaka pressed the button again and watched Rhea again as she regripped the chair and screamed again. It stopped again and she pressed it again and again and again.