Remnya

Remnya’s mind was a void in her head. Devoid of sensations, she couldn’t tell the difference between life and death. A timeless nightmare where her only company was her brain playing tricks on her. During her three days journey through hell, she glimpsed familiar silhouettes in the darkness. The most vivid one was Marcus’. Why was he the only one? Remnya felt an overwhelming nostalgia when his bodyguard showed up before her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t feel his warm hugs anymore.

The faint smell of alcohol and disinfectant woke her up on the fourth morning. Back to her senses, she tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were too heavy, and a white flash blinded her. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. Remnya tried to sit up, but her body didn’t respond. When her eyes adapted to the incandescent lights, she witnessed in horror her arms and legs restrained.

Her body hung from her wrists and neck, held tightly by steel devices attached to a platform. She was only wearing her underwear, while multiple wires were attached to her body with electrodes. Her heart kicked against her chest as she twisted her weakened body in a futile attempt to break free.

“I’m glad you woke up, young lady,” an old man in a white coat said. He was sitting meters away from her with his glasses fixed on a computer screen.

“What is this? Where am I?” Remnya mumbled, scanning the place with dilated eyes. Everything was glowing white.

He walked up to her. “My name is Sagan. Doctor Sagan. I apologize for the uncomfortable circumstances we meet in, but Mr. Ronner thought this would be the best method to execute our tests.”

A blow of realization hit her face as she recalled isolated events from the past. The last thing she remembered was an unbearable heat inside her body and falling unconscious when Persen was undressing her.

“Persen . . . “ she whispered, and her breath shortened. “Where’s he?”

“Worry not, young lady.” Sagan smiled. “He’s dead and buried. We shall keep those events as a secret, though.”

Her face turned pale like a ghost. “What events? What did he do to me?” Remnya shouted, panting as cold shivers ran down her spine.

“Nothing. You defended yourself. Well, technically, your body did. Your pureness has been preserved, young lady.” He bobbed his head with enthusiasm.

An odd feeling of relief eased her heart, but soon, new concerns arose. “Let me go!” She glared at Sagan. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Please, relax, young lady. We shall proceed with our tests now. It won’t take long.” Sagan typed multiple keys on a blue touchscreen.

A long cylindrical device resembling a gun emerged from the floor in front of her and stopped, aiming at her left arm.

“What is this? What are you doing?” She shook her body.

“Breath deeply, young lady. This shouldn’t hurt.” The man entered a command and dropped a switch. The tip of the device glowed orange as it heated up. Remnya ran out of breath, shrieking as she felt the heat increasing over her.

The device shot a stream of blue fire directly into her arm. Remnya forced the steel around her wrists with all her strength and closed her eyes.

However, the flame didn’t hurt at all.

Slowly, she turned to look at it. The fire was hitting her forearm, yet she only felt a warm sensation, softer than her hairdryer.

“What is this? What are you trying to do?” Her voice trembled.

“As expected. Not even this 5000 degrees Celsius torch can harm your body, young lady.”

Remnya widened her eyes, staggered and mesmerized by the blue flame caressing her skin.

“You’ve always been immune to fire, but ever since you’ve awakened your hidden abilities, your resistance to heat has increased dramatically.”

The flame stopped.

Sagan grabbed a steel beam he had been heating up over a stove and approached it to Remnya’s stomach.

“Take that away!” she yelled, leaning away from the metal. But again, when it touched her belly, it didn’t hurt.

“Fascinating,” he said, taking the metal away.

“Who the hell are you?” Remnya scowled at him. She wanted to kick his face and shove the metal up his mouth. “Where’s Ronner?”

“I told you, young lady. I am Sagan, a bio-scientist from the ECC of Crysalton.” He bowed. “Mr. Ronner trusted me with this research. I’m so honored to work with you.”

“Why am I chained like this? Let me go!” she shouted, shaking her arms and legs violently.

“Mr. Ronner assumed you wouldn’t be very fond of cooperating with us. My apologies, young lady. This was not my decision.”

“Ronner . . . “ Remnya huffed. “This is embarrassing! I want my clothes back, stupid old man!”

“I’m sorry, young lady. We had to remove your clothes or else they could catch fire.”

Remnya clenched her fists as an actual fire built up in her. “Shut up and let me go now!” She spat on his face.

Sagan was unimpressed. He blinked and wiped his face with a handkerchief. “I’ll release the young lady if she promises to cooperate and not hurt me.”

“I promise!” she yelled, shooting a glare at him. “Now, do it!”

Sagan deactivated the security system from his computer. A loud beep and a clank resounded throughout the room as the locks released Remnya, who dropped to the solid metal floor. She rubbed her wrists and demanded him to give her clothes back. As she tried to stand up, her legs didn’t respond. They were numb and cold.

“Take it easy, young lady. One step at the time. Remember, you’ve not walked in days,” he said, observing her clumsy moves.

Remnya curled her lips and dressed up where she lay. It took her a while until she could stand on her own. She wanted to punch the old man but held back; her body was too weak for it. She took her time to scan the place. It was a lab, no doubt. The room glowed in dazzling white, and screens covered every wall, each displaying different information.

A metal door slid open, and Ronner walked in. Sagan bowed as he approached Remnya, who sat in a corner with her eyes locked on him.

“I’m glad you’re awake. I was so worried,” Ronner said, smiling.

Remnya darted at him like an arrow, knocking him to the ground, and punched him with all her strength.

*°*°*

Remnya had Ronner pinned down on the cold laboratory’s floor. Sagan tried to talk her out of it but blinded by rage, Remnya slapped the doctor’s face, sending his glasses flying away. Her fists returned to Ronner, who laughed at her weakened hits.

Ronner seized her wrists and smiled at her. “Rem, please, don’t do that.”

“Asshole!” she shouted, headbutting him like an angry ram.

Ronner was unimpressed and pushed Remnya away as he sat up without releasing her arms. “I’m glad you’re feeling so lively today.”

She yanked her arms away from his grasp and kicked his chest. “Stupid jerk! You lied to me!” Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she wouldn’t let them out in front of him.

“At least allow me to explain this situation to you, Rem.” Ronner blocked a kick aimed at his nose.

Remnya’s body began to feel the effects of her three days nightmare and realized her hits wouldn’t make a difference. She stopped, her fists clenched. She wanted to scream, run, and cry.

“You’re right to be mad,” he started. “But you need to understand I did all this for your own sake.”

Remnya scowled and fixed her eyes on the floor. Nothing would change what she went through.

“I needed you to unlock your hidden abilities, and the only way to achieve that was by pushing you to your limits.”

“You sold me to that disgusting old man!” She shot a glare at him. “I thought I was gonna die!”

“I was gonna stop him before he hurt you.” He shrugged. “Your body is intact, isn’t it?” His voice was calm and laid back, giving little importance to her horrible experience.

Remnya still couldn’t believe he was the same person she had trusted so much. Zeo’s words echoed in her mind, stinging her brain like sharp knives.

“You’re a piece of shit . . . “ she murmured, her eyes glistening with hot tears of hatred.

“That’s rude, Remnya.” His warm look changed. Now it was ice freezing her bones.

“Marcus never hurt Brisa. It was you, wasn’t it?” Remnya raised her voice as she buried her nails in her hands.

Ronner regarded her with a smirk and said nothing.

“Answer me!” Remnya seized his suit, yanking him toward her face. “For once, stop lying to me!”

He took a long moment to digest her question, and then his smile fell apart, revealing his true nature. His demeanor darkened as his eyes fixed on her, sending shivers down her spine.

“Yes, I did.” His voice was low and gelid like a glacial. “Your innocent mind would never comprehend the complexity of my love for Brisa. That’s why I lied to you. You’re too naive for this world, Remnya.”

“I blamed Marcus for it . . . when it was all you!” Remnya screamed as boiling tears trailed down her cheeks, burning her skin. She charged at him and landed a powerful punch on his face; all her sorrow and pain accumulated in a stone fist that crushed his jaw.

Ronner flinched away, slightly stunned by the unexpected force of her blow. Remnya panted, all her energy suddenly gone.

Ronner stifled a chuckle and turned to face her, his skin reddening. “What’s done is done, Remnya,” he said and pushed her away from him. It was a gentle thrust, but it sent Remnya flying backward like a rag doll.

She almost fell and hit her head against the wall, but Sagan caught her in the air. He helped her back to her feet and stared at Ronner with disbelief in his eyes.

Remnya froze, unable to believe how easily Ronner could hurt her if he wanted to. Her knees began shaking.

“Whether you are happy with it or not, I don’t care.” Ronner stood up and shook the dust off his suit. “We have a more important mission here.” Ronner smirked, his eyes penetrating Remnya’s body like lances.

“Your mission is to cooperate with us and provide me with your powerful Nephilim DNA.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I’d never help you with anything!” she shouted.

“I guess I wasn’t clear enough. I’m not asking you, it’s not a choice anymore, Rem.”

Remnya lowered her gaze and tightened her fists, wishing she could erupt into flames again to melt the cocky expression off his face. Remnya knew she had a powerful ability, yet she had no idea how to use it and was terrified to find out.

“Soon, you’ll realize I am your ally, not your enemy. If you cooperate with me, no one is gonna hurt you. You have my word.”

“What do you want from me?” she murmured, glancing at him.

“It’s simple. As for now, all I want are blood samples, and your cooperation with the tests we will perform to measure the true magnitude of your power. Your life won’t change for the most part. The only difference is that you’ll need to visit Sagan, and of course, keep this as a secret. Sounds pretty easy, right?”

Remnya curled her lips, her fists softening as resignation crushed her soul. “What if I refuse?”

“Your friend Zeo . . . “

“No!” Remnya shouted, glaring at him. “Do not dare!”

Ronner smirked. “Then, be a good girl and help me help you, and your friend will be alright.”

Remnya took a deep breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping through her eyelids, and swallowed her pride. “Alright . . . I’ll do it.”

“Excellent.” He beamed at her, his expression changing again. He almost resembled the man she used to trust. “I knew I could count on you.”

“But!” Remnya rushed to add. “I want to see Zeo! I won’t help you unless I know he’s alright!”

Ronner chuckled. “Of course! I’ll let you see him as soon as possible. Just be patient, okay?”

Remnya tightened her lips and bobbed her head slowly.

“Very well. Now, I have a surprise for you. Come with me, please.” Ronner started toward the lab door, which slid open, displaying an endless white passage.

Remnya glanced at Sagan, who had an unreadable expression on his face. “Comply with his demands, young lady. It’ll save you a lot of pain, trust me,” the doctor whispered in her ear and then bowed to her.

Remnya clenched her teeth and trotted to match Ronner’s pace.

They stepped into an elevator at the end of the passage. Remnya stood by his side with her arms folded and her lips quivering.

A mechanical buzz resounded in her ears as the steel floor went up.

Walking out on the surface, she realized the elevator had taken them back to the mansion, right into one of the restrooms. How come she had never seen it before? Remnya wondered, but then realized how the elevator’s doors disappeared behind a massive bookshelf.

“How is Magenta doing?” Remnya asked, following Ronner toward the second floor.

“She’s doing well,” he replied. “If you are good, I’ll take you to see her soon.”

The walk through the corridors was brief; Ronner stopped in front of a wide door. “Since your old room got burned to ashes, I found you a better one,” he said with a smile and opened the door. Remnya widened her eyes as she saw all her belongings carefully ordered in that massive room. “And, of course, I made sure to move everything here before you destroyed it.”

Remnya frowned and bolted into the room before Ronner could invite her. A warm relief filled her heart when she found Zeo and Marcus’ presents there. She rushed to grab her doll, which was sitting on her new nightstand; it still smelled like Zeo’s perfume.

“As you can see, I’m not as bad as you want to think.” Ronner winked at her.

Remnya scowled at him. “Is it true that Orena and Ellyn died?” she asked, squeezing her doll between her arms.

“Orena is as good as dead, yes. But Ellyn is alive, as far as I know.”

“I see . . . “ Remnya glanced at the moon stalking her from behind her new windows that covered half of her south wall.

“Any other question?”

“Where’s Marcus?”

“Marcus . . . “ Ronner took his time to chew her question and then smiled at her. “He’s left the city with his daughter.”

A weak smile drew across Remnya’s face. “I’m glad.”

“Well,” Ronner walked up to her and ruffled her hair with odd tenderness. “I’ll take my leave now. Enjoy your new room, Rem.” He beamed at her and started toward the door. He disappeared, but his presence lingered in every corner.

Remnya stood still, tears welling in her eyes as merciless silence hugged her with its gelid arms. She tightened her grasp on her doll and let out a muffled whimper, her whole body trembling.

In the end, no matter how strong she tried to be or how hard she tried to hold back her tears. Remnya understood she was still just a child.

Zeo . . . Marcus . . . Where are you?

I feel alone . . .

And I’m scared . . .

*°*°*