Seven years ago...

Waking up, I found myself in an unfamiliar tight room, confined with nothing but a bed beside me. In front, there was a number of iron bars tightly engraved preventing my escape. “Where am I? Mama? Papa? Where are you? Help me! ” I shouted with all of my voice.

“Shut up!!!” A loud shout coming from outside; it was from a man.

“Help me, please. I’m scared. I don’t know this place. Please, help me.” I kept screaming at him, hoping he would help me. But, his response was not what I wanted.

“Shut up, you stupid kid!!!” He let out a deafening voice.

“Waaaah.” Repeatedly, I cried.

“If you don’t shut up I’ll cut your tongue!” he screamed, walking towards me carrying a knife.

Scared, I ran towards the corner of the room. “Mama… Papa…” All I can do is mop while hugging my knees. “Help me. I don’t want this place.”

Suddenly, I heard another voice. “Oi, little miss crybaby.” At first, I ignored it, but he spoke again. “Oi, I’m talking to you.”

“A-are you talking about me?”

“Yes. Who else is crying right now? What’s your name?”

“A-Aria. Aria Li.”

“My name’s Robyn. Robyn Láng.”

After that, we talked to each other. He was on the adjacent cell. He said that he was just playing outside their house when two men approached him and offered him candies. However, after he walked to them, one of the man covered him with a large sack then carried him until they reached this place.

“They probably kidnapped you too,” he spoke.

“That… That's not true… Waaaah… I want my papa and mama.”

“Ahhh. Will you please shut up?” he shouted. “Crying won’t help you, you know.”

“But… But...”

“Geez. This is why I hate crybabies,” he said in a loud voice.

“W-what are they going to do with us? I… I’m scared. What if the bad guys hurt me? Am I going to see my mama and papa again?”

“I don’t know, ok,” he replied. “They still haven’t touched me ever since I arrived here.”

“I… I’m scared. What if... What if they cut my tongue... like what the guy said earlier? What if they kill me?”

“Ahhh. Alright. Alright. I’ll protect you, ok? So please... please stop crying!!!” he shouted.

“Y-you will protect me?”

“Well, I’m quite strong you know,” he responded.

Robyn and I continued with our conversation. We talked and talked from morning till dawn. It was the only thing we could do in that tight room separated by a wall. Speaking to him eased my loneliness; he was the only friend I had that time. This lasted for days.

One morning, two individuals, a male, and a female wearing a white coat came.

“Good morning to you two.” The man greeted us.

“W-who are you?”

They ordered the guard to free us from the cells. That was the first time I saw Robyn in person. With his boyish nature, short hair and clothes combined with his voice, I assumed he was male.

The man in a coat spoke to us; his name was Albert, and the female is named Agatha, his wife. The two of them were surgeons. They requested us to participate in an experiment. Its objective was to strengthen the human body using the DNA of demons. During that time, I had no idea what they were talking about, but their reason convinced the child mind of me and Robyn. They wanted to do it for their daughter who had a weak constitution and on the verge of dying. The country’s law, however, forbids the usage of humans for this type of experiment so they had no choice but to abduct us. They also promised they would return us to our parents once the experiment is finished. Robyn and I thought that by helping them, we could save the life of their daughter; we agreed. It was for a heroic deed, we thought. After that conversation, they took us to a mansion.

***

“It’s so big...”

My family and I lived in the streets of Mohe. During those times, we searched the trashes of restaurants in hope for something to eat. At night, we slept in the outskirts of the city. I never had the chance to step inside a house, let alone a mansion.

“This will be your new house for the experiment.” Dr. Albert smiled.

Robyn and I had a separate room. Doctor Albert said it was necessary. It would help them with the observation since there would be lesser factors to consider. Since then, Robyn and I rarely met with each other. Most of the time, I was alone in my room, and would only go out during an experiment.

Routinely, they would inject me with some sort of liquid. They told me that it was a concentration of DNA from demons, though I had no idea what they are talking about. However, months passed, but all the experiments failed. My body rejected the liquid. Usually, my stomach pained, followed by vomiting with traces of blood in most cases.

“I miss my mama. I miss my papa. Waaah.”

“I’m sorry, Aria. If only the experiment was a success.” It was Dr. Agatha who was comforting me after a failed experiment.

“I want to go home, doctor” My hand held Dr. Agatha’s palm. “When will the experiment end?”

“I… I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I don’t know.”

“Doctor… Do you think my mama and papa also miss me? I really miss them.”

Talking with the doctor, I told her my life with my family. Even though we were poor, we were happy. We would always smile and didn’t worry about not eating in a day as long as we have each other.

“You really love your parents,” Dr. Agatha spoke.

“Yeah. I really love them.” I talked to her about my siblings, my parents; all the members of my family.

“Aria, follow me,” Dr. Agatha requested.

She took me in a room. Opening the door, I saw a child lying on the bed. She got up in a sitting position.

“Good morning, mother,” the girl spoke, softly.

“Aria, this is Ada, my daughter.”

After every experiment, Dr. Agatha would bring me to Ada. Sometimes, Robyn would also be there. The three of us shared stories and laugh with each other’s jokes; we became best friends. Doctor Agatha would also come and play with us if she wasn’t busy; she became like a mother to me and Robyn. However, these blissful moments soon ended.

A year passed, the experiment was far from success. The two doctor’s expressions turned gloomy every time I saw them in the lab. One day, while having our usual conversation with Robyn and Ada, I went to the bathroom since my bladder was at its limit. Going back to our room, I saw Dr. Agatha crying as Dr. Albert spoke to her with a sad face. What I heard shook me. It seemed Ada had only a few months left to live. My mind went blank; I didn’t know what to do. I ran towards Ada’s rooms. They asked me if there was something wrong, however, I couldn’t speak.

A week after that incident, it was time for a new experiment. However, Dr. Agatha was not present in the lab.

“D-doctor? Where is Dr. Agatha?”

“Agatha… is busy right now,” Dr. Albert replied. Soon, four people entered the room. They were wearing the same coat as Dr. Albert. He then asked me to take a pill. “Please, take this. This will be the last stage of the experiment. If it fails we will return you back to your parents.” After I took the pill, I felt sleepy. “Good night, Aria,” Dr. Albert talked to me as I closed my eyes.

After I woke up, the laboratory was destroyed.

***

“W-what happened?”

“The experiment was a success.” The voice was coming from behind; it was Dr. Albert.

Soon, a car stopped behind him. The driver came out and opened the door on the backseat of the vehicle. A man in a white suit sat there smoking his cigar. “Good morning, Dr. Albert,” the man smirked. “Is she the one? Where is the other girl?” With the sudden blow of a strong gale, the foul scent of the smoke found itself onto my nose; it was like the smell of the city.

“S-sir.” Dr. Albert stuttered as drops of sweat fell from his face. Looking everywhere, he was avoiding eye contact with the man. “T-the other girl is on the house.”

Soon, two huge men in black suits came out from the other side of the car and accompanied the man in a white suit as he got out. Directing my gaze at them, I noticed something. They had pistols tucked on their pants. But, it was not the first time I saw something like that. Living in the streets for so long, seeing a gun was normal for people like me. And most of the time, a person having that meant bad news.

“Aria, I’m really sorry.” Dr. Albert looked down. “It’s the only way.”

The two huge men ran and attempted to grab me. “W-who are you?” But I squirmed. “Don't… Don’t touch me.” With great force, I released a deafening shout; the two men were thrown away. Everyone was stunned. “Wha… I… I...” Suddenly, electricity came flowing out of my hands. “Wha… N-nooo!!!” I shouted and produced a powerful shockwave that blasted everything surrounding me, creating ice everywhere. “Mama, Papa, help me!!!” However, the electricity just got stronger; I couldn’t control it. A current managed to find its way into the man’s car, freezing it. As the wind got stronger, the coldness of the place spread everywhere. The sounds of the electricity resonated around me, dancing with blinding light. “I… I don’t want this…” Tears fell from my eyes, with bits of sparks freezing into solid ice. “Mama... Papa... Please, help me...”

“Hahaha,” the man in a white laughed. “This is amazing. Truly amazing.”

The man in white then pulled out a gun and pointed it at me.

“S-sir. Please, don't kill her,” Dr. Albert pleaded.

“Don’t worry. This is just a tranquilizer,” the man in white replied. “A very strong tranquilizer.”

He pulled the trigger, and a loud bang echoed throughout the place. The electricity flowing from me slowly stopped. When I touched my stomach, blood flowed from my hands. “Ma...ma...” My vision turned blurry. Everything turned dim as I fell down.

***

When I woke up, I found myself lying on the ground. “Aria, can you hear me?” It was a shout from a woman. “Aria, please answer me.”

“D-doctor Agatha? Doctor Agatha!” Immediately, I ran towards her, but I bumped into something; there seemed to be a transparent wall between us. “I’m scared. Please, help me. Please, I want to go home. I don’t want it here.” I cried while repeatedly pounding the glass.

“Aria, I’m glad you’re okay.” However, it seemed she was scared to look at me.

“Doctor?”

“Aria, I’m really sorry.” She looked down. “I… don’t have the power to help you right now.”

“Doctor? What are you talking?”

“I… I’m really sorry,” she replied.

Slowly, I stepped backward. “No, you’re lying.”

“Aria,” she said. “Please, believe me.”

“Nooo!!! You’re lying. You’re just like Dr. Albert. You just want to hurt me.”

“Please, Aria,” she pleaded. “I tried everything I can to stop Albert. I didn’t want this to happen to you.”

“Get away from me!!!” My body released a strong surge of electricity towards Dr. Agatha, however, it was blocked by the wall separating us.

“I… I’m sorry.” She looked down while going out of the room.

Feeling betrayed, I sat at the corner of the cage, crying. “Robby… where are you? You said you would protect me.”

Moments later, Dr. Albert came with a bunch of people wearing a white coat. “Hello Aria,” Dr. Albert spoke. “How’s your wound.” But, I was silent. He then faced the people who accompanied him. “Please, leave us for a while.” After the others went out he began to speak again. However, I never responded.

“Aria… I’m really sorry,” he apologized. “It’s the only way. Ada… Ada is dying.”

Based on what he said, Ada’s illness was getting severe. They had to put her in Cryostasis. However, it would only delay her death, and with Dr. Albert’s limited resources, time would tell when would be her last breath. In order to save Ada’s life, Dr. Albert sold his research to an international terrorist specialized in creating superhumans; the Shadow Purgatory. The man in the white suit before was one of the higher-ups. He was called Umbra. The experiment they did on the lab before was to transplant a vampire’s heart into me, and since the operation was successful, they needed to transfer me to their secret base located in Razzia for the next experiment. Using their advanced technology, the group further slowed Ada’s death. However, to completely save her life, Dr. Albert must complete a certain experiment which they would also use on Ada. They called this, Project: AD or Artificial Demons.

After Dr. Albert’s talk, the people in white coats returned. They seemed to be talking about something, however, I couldn’t hear them anymore. It seemed there was something blocking the sounds. Watching them, I was bewildered by Dr. Albert sudden change in behavior. He was begging them for something, but they didn’t agree.

At first, I thought the experiment was just the same as from the mansion, but I was wrong. Project: AD was more severe. It was inhumane. Every week they tested one of my ability as an artificial vampire, regeneration. They would cut off one of my limbs and observed it grow just to cut it again a few hours later. Multiple times they would shoot me with guns. Other times they would pour acid on my body, or burn me with fire. They tested every form of torture they could think off. Everything was so painful that my body stopped feeling anything. The ratio of me dying in a single day was more than seven. The experiment lasted for months. Time passed, wings slowly grew from my back, and I could also feel my teeth changing.

“Aria, please answer me.” It was Dr. Agatha, looking at me from outside. She was not present in any experiment, but she would always see me after the guards brought me back to my cage. However, I never responded to her. All this time, I was at the corner of my cage, silently hugging my knees and would never talk. “Aria, please, talk to me.” But, she was persistent, and would always come.

The only good thing the experiment did to me was that I stopped crying. However, my smile also never came back; I stopped caring for anything. My family, Robyn or Ada, nothing mattered anymore. Dying only to be brought back to life. That was my new purpose. I wanted to die, but I couldn’t. Funny, for a child such as myself, my only wish was to end my life.

One day, the doctors brought me to a large hall. There was no one there except for me and another child. When I looked at him, I was petrified. His limbs were different; he had claws.

“Robby? Robby is that you?”

“Aria?” he asked. “Nooo. Please, don’t look at me.”

“What have they done to you?”

“Today, you two will kill each other,” a man announced. “You can use the weapons located beside you.”

“Noo,” I shouted. “I can’t kill him. Please, anything but that.”

“You two will kill each other, or would you like another punishment?” the man asked.

“Aria.” Robyn looked at me. “It seems... we don’t have a choice.” Robyn jumped and dashed towards me, but I dodged.

“Robby, please stop this.”

“Good job, Aria.” He grabbed a sword.

“Robby… Please, don’t do this.” He smiled. However, I did not expect his next move; he stabbed himself with the sword. “N-nooo!!! Robby!!!” Soon, the guards approached us and separated Robyn from me. They brought me back to my cage. It was the first and the last time I saw him in that lab.

Midnight came, I couldn’t sleep. A mysterious person entered the room where my cage was located. The door of my enclosure suddenly opened. “Aria, are you ok?” It was Dr. Agatha, panting. She ran towards me, and tightly hugged me.

“Dr. Agatha? What’s happening?”

“We’re going to escape,” she answered. “I… I can’t stand this anymore. This… This is just too cruel.”

“But… How about Robby? And… And Ada? We can’t leave them.”

“Don’t worry,” she replied. “Robby is safe right now. She didn’t hit any vital parts.” Dr. Agatha gave me a piece of paper. “This is a map of this lab. Follow this line and go here. Wait for me there. I’ll go and get Robyn and Ada.”

We parted afterward. Carefully, I went to our meeting place. There were a lot of guards roaming the area, but with Dr. Agatha’s map, I managed to avoid them. Until I finally reached the goal. There, I waited for them, but they never came. Time passed, the sirens suddenly activated. I knew that if I waited any longer, the guard would eventually caught me; I had no choice but to escape. Wasting no time, I ran as fast as I could, not knowing where it would take me. The only thing that was on my mind was to go as far as possible.

I didn’t want to come back there. I didn’t want to die again. I wanted to live.

Days passed, it was amazing surviving for so long without food or water. However, it only saddens me, for it meant that I was no longer human. Due to exhaustion, my vision was slowly blurring; I found myself walking with my eyes closed until I fell down.

When I woke up, I was lying on a bed in an unknown room. There, a man wearing a robe was standing. “Good morning. How’s your body?” he spoke. “My name is Oliver. Oliver Silvermoon.”