SOMA:
A closer look at me and you would know how much concentration I have fallen into. Although I have not shut my mind completely from the outside world, I can hardly hear anything ongoing around me. That’s if there is any.
It would probably be the fifth time I would be in this state of position since I got the gear back from Leonard. And the usefulness that Leonard wanted to know about has not been maximized yet. I’m sure it would in no time.
At the moment, I feel so confident. Much more confident than I was a day ago when I first opened my eyes to this hellhole. Much more confident than when I realized my brother has destroyed the image of the family bloodline. Even more confident when my mate proved to be as insecure as ever.
I have this glee in me that something worthwhile was about to occur and I am in full preparation for it. I just want to set my mind to it and hopefully, it would work.
“Soma...”
Yeah, I heard my name being called but I wanted to take my time before dishing out a response to the caller. I can already tell who it is even without putting my mind to it. And it was possible due to the trigger that accompanied it.
Eventually, I open my eyes to stare at who just called and I did not need to change my positioning because the caller was staring right at me. “Yes?” I say, responding to the caller that way. And it was Luis who looked a lot different from the way he was when he talked down on me yesterday. I’m not about to dwell on that.
“I...” he starts to say but then cuts it short. I have no choice but to raise my brows at him to request that he goes on with what he intends to say to me. And he did. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did.”
I smile at him, even though it is a dry one. “You know you can’t keep saying sorry every time you do something wrong. Let me put it that you cannot keep offending me and think it will always end with you saying sorry. It doesn’t work that way,”
“I will try to–” but he stops and his expression switches to something other than the soberness reflected on it initially. I think he has caught on to the meaning of what I was telling him and he can only utter an “Oh” after.
The smile on my face widens as I close my eyes to continue with my concentration. But before I commence that, I tell him, “You owe me one, just so you know,”
I dive back into what I was doing before I got interrupted by him. Although it is not much to it and that is why I do not get offended when Leonard chooses to interrupt me as well.
“When will you let us know what your bracelet is useful for? We are all curious here,”
I choose not to open my eyes to respond to him. “You are the only curious cat here, Leonard. And don’t call it a bracelet. It’s a gear,” I correct him at the same time. Never knew he was this impatient.
“At least get out hopes high with a little info on it. We need to know if we will be leaving here alive or not,”
“I do not get to decide that,”
I can feel a tingling sensation on my arm and it makes me open my eyes to know what resulted in that. And when I do, I see the gear on my wrist glowing a slight dark energy. And the energy from it was going straight up into my body.
Just as I am about to make meaning out of the sudden effect on the gear, I hear the sound of the entrance door opening so I put my hands to the back. It should do well to be out of sight.
By the time I see who is it that just made it into the hellhole we are all locked in, the smile on my face has worn off. And I am instantly consumed with rage. So much rage that I would not mind tearing up this place down if I get the chance to.
It’s my brother without a mask. Apparently, he did not need it anymore because I already know it is him. And surely the others do too as I have told them already. Pretty sure he came in here without it because he is about to finish the job on all of us.
“Why are you here?” I ask him while glaring hard at him.
He looks down at Luis whom he is standing right beside and then at the men behind me. I do not understand what he is trying to do by that but I know it is not something good coming out of it.
“I need to know how many of you are in here. How many I’m going to be finishing off today,”
I will give it to him because he sounds so convincing about what he is about to do. And mostly I wolf be scared that this is the end of me but nothing like fear got into my system from hearing him announce that.
“Then what are you standing there for? Be a man and get on with the job,”
He finally looks right at me, sinister vibes oozing from his gaze in my direction. I feel a little chill in my spine and it mostly came from how nauseating his aura is.
“I do not know where you get the confidence from but I am sorry, you will be losing it all today.”
“Aren’t you a monster to be saying such to your sister? You have no remorse whatsoever?”
I cannot help but turn to look at Leonard who just spoke that. “I thought you wanted to justify his actions. Why the sudden change of mind?” I ask, mockery evident in my tone.
“This monster right here doesn’t need a justification. A man that cannot feel a little remorse for his wrongdoings does not need a justification,”
“Arrgh!”
When I hear that, I am forced to look forward to see Harold grabbing onto Luis’ hair. He is literally pulling at it like he is about to rip it off him.
“Stop!” I yell at Harold, already about to have an outburst if care is not taken. I cannot stand the sight of Luis being in that much pain.
Harold continues to pull at his hair and then says, “Tell me one good reason why I should stop,”
I do not have to think it through before saying, “Because I cannot bear to watch him in such pain. I just can’t. If you want to end us all, why not start with me? At least I am the reason you started this whole mess in the first place,”
I’m glad he slowly hands off from Luis. “That sounds like a tempting offer. And as much as I would like to take it, I’ve got another idea in mind.”
I feel something devilish about to come out of his mouth if he has another option. And he does not disappoint with his attitude.
“What about I kill them all right in your eyes so you would at least see how much pain I felt years ago. The pain from losing my rightful position to you,”
And that is when he draws out a sword that I did not realize was with him all along. I did not need a second look at it to know that it is laced with silver due to how much glow comes with it. One swipe and it could end any of us in here.
“Please, Harold. Don’t do this. We're still family, remember?” I have to plead because I am afraid of what he would do with the sword at this moment.
“That’s why I want to give you the benefit of dying last. Am I not a good brother?” he smiles creepily at me after saying that. I don’t understand how much he has in him that would make him this sinister. This was too much.
“Just do me this favor. Take my life first and you are free to do the same to the others,”
The sword is still wielded and luckily not yet directed at Luis who is beside him. My heart is at a pulsating rate at the moment that I am hoping he does not strike Luis with it.
“Please,” I still mutter to him whole he looks at me with this look of uncertainty. I only hope he is rethinking his decision because I cannot tell what he has in mind. Too weak to even guess it.
Fortunately, he leaves Luis’ side and then starts to walk over to me. I am so glad that the joy in my heart can be felt if another was right beside me.
‘We are here!’
I hear that voice in my head, and at the same time, the whole building starts to shake like a bomb has just been set off. Perfect timing I must say.
Harold suddenly looks confused as he starts to look around to know where that came from. And I’m pretty sure he became more confused when he looked at me to see that I have a wide smile on my face.
“Is this your doing?” he asks me, trying not to sound infuriated which he already is.
I shrug. “Fortunately it is,” is my quick response.
“But how?” he quizzes when the building starts to shake once more.
“Oh dear Harold, you seem to be forgetting that I possess something that can undo everything you did to me.” and that is when I reveal the gear to him.
“You still have that?” I have never seen a man go through a lot of emotions in under two minutes. Now, he looks as surprised as hell at the sight of the gear.
“I do. It was never meant to leave me in the first place, was it?” I say, already feeling like I have the upper hand now. “I already had an idea that it was not safe in my room. And thanks to Cassie and a little quick thinking, I changed the location a long time ago. She helped retrieve it before I came here. As if I knew something like this would occur. You see, Harold, I’ve got a lot of strategies cooked up in me. And this is one of them.”
Another supposed bomb goes off, and I think that infuriates Harold to the core. Immediately he starts to come at me in full force with the sword, exclaiming, “Enough of this!”
“Sorry, but I won’t be dying today...” and instantly, my transformation into Rainia takes place, breaking off the chains I am bound with.