60 CHAPTER 59

THE REGENT

Vanessa led him through the lobby, whose emptiness was a twin to the room he had been sleeping in. The rigidity of the wall shimmered like a scale, with foundation, looking as though it was carved out from the bedrock of mother earth. The floor was neat and sparkling, almost as if they were punished. It was obvious, intense sweeping and scrubbing kept it the way it was.

Jeff and Vanessa walked abreast silently, and from the corner of his eyes, Jeff could see the calm posture on Vanessa's shoulders. The comfort she found with the stone walls was admirable. Her being herself made the problems of the outside world abstract, almost as if they don't exist.

"How long have you stayed here?" Jeff dared to ask.

"Forever, I think. As long as I can remember. I was born here, nurtured and raised with the stones." She waved her hands, "This has always been my home."

"So, you've never been outside?"

The girl shrugged, "There is nothing out there, not for a gold anyway."

"What do you mean?" Jeff paused in his wake.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard." The girl turned to face him, "Oh, I see. You haven't." She chuckled and continued walking.

"Heard what?" Jeff asked, following behind.

"they are harvesting the gold lineage. This is the safest place for me. For us."

"Wait, you mean you are from a…gold." Jeff nearly screamed as the realization weaved his mind with knowledge. So she was from the gold lineage?

"There are others here too?" he swallowed down the enthusiasm when the girl nodded. He had only seen a gold once, long ago in the Heroes city.

The walked through the valley of silence again, until they got to a point where the torrents of white lights were scuttling out from a door at the right. The light tongued outwards, adding to the splendor of the lobby.

"What are they doing?" Jeff paused as he watched two men in a white coat. Each of them was standing on either side of a bed, hunching over a body.

The person lying on the bed wore an electric helmet, facing the ceiling, with eyes closed.

The helmet he wore held different wires which were connected to a huge machine, with an ammeter screen attached to its body, just at the apex. Numerous buttons lined it too, beeping with different colors. The spikes on either side of the machine branched into a smaller network, into insulated tubes that were connected to the cover of a cylinder. The greenish content in the cylinder was boiling, contrasting with the brilliant splendor of the room.

The two men who Jeff guessed might be Candanians—from the bluish color of their eyes—were trying to converse with the person on the bed, whose words were coming out like a gibberish undertone. Each time he talks or shakes his head, the ammeter changed its reading.

"DM9-experiment," Vanessa said and continued on without pausing.

Jeff ran after her. "What is DM9-experiment?"

Vanessa did not answer his question. Her calmness seemed to have dropped and was now replaced with this inexplicable anger that sent a chill down Jeff's spine.

He could feel every ounce of anger pouring out from the girl. It was as if he was part of her as if they were connected. Jeff couldn't explain what was happening; he couldn't tell why he felt the girl's anger and sadness.

He was confused as to the new revelation of himself, but he tried to find warmth by wrapping his arms on his exposed arms.

They walked into a wooden crate, with two metal gates caging it in all four angles. The crate started lifting from the ground and Jeff at that instant, understood the two chains that held the crate from the outside at both ends.

An elevator.

The wheeling sounds of the crate replaced the awkward silence and when Jeff thought Vanessa would not answer his question, she said.

"They say the world of dreams was destroyed at the birth of Anadan, but nobody knows what or who or how it had been destroyed."

"So DM9-experiment is a way to find out?" Jeff asked. The images of the electric cap were suddenly flashing in his mind's eye.

"Yes, they believe that if they could trigger the brain cell, they could see what had happened, find a way to fix it. 300 experiment so far, 300 failed experiments, yet they won't stop."

Jeff was boiling in range despite himself. He could feel his body radiating energy that was powerful enough to move a land Tripler. His body was heating and heart racing faster, making him sweat.

This new burst of anger that threatens to overwhelm his soul was not his, they were Vanessa's. He was surprised to see the aura swerving around her like a suspending cobweb, like a line spectrum producing floating colors. She was angry and her anger was reflecting in him, making him feel it too.

"I know you are angry," Jeff said, trying to contain the anger reflecting in him. It was all happening like a mystery, but he was not surprised.

"Please," he continued, not letting the anger of the girl cloud him. "Vanessa, I want you to calm down. From the look of it, the DM9-experiment is not too intense."

Vanessa chuckled as if he had said something funny.

"Except, of the 300 experiments conducted so far." She said in a bitter tone, "none of the candidates survived. They all died two or three days after the 'not' too intense experiment."

Jeff could see tears trickling down her eyes and her anger aura swerving more rapidly like a wave. He was surprised at how much anger the girl could contain without it destroying her.

"I tried talking to dad about it, but he would not have it. He believes that because the experimented subjects are outlaws, their place in the world was over. He forgot that life in itself is a precious gem. Even the mighty in their grave, seek after its goodness."

Jeff placed a hand on her shoulder trying to assure her that it will be okay, even though he didn't believe so himself. It worked. Vanessa's anger aura seemed to merge with his and both started ebbing away.

Jeff was short of words.

Vanessa walked closer to him, and placed her head on his shoulder, just as the last trend of her anger aura turned into a thin air.

He held her calmly, trying to make meaning of the anger aura he alone had seen.

"Please stop crying," Jeff consoled "look now, you just soaked my expensive shirt with tears," He joked, hoping to bring light back on the girl's face.

For the first time he saw the color of her eyes, they were yellow, almost gold. The strength in them left Jeff hanging in another puzzle. Why were the golds hunted?

He wouldn't dare to ask.

"Sorry," Vanessa smiled and wiped her eyes. She pulled apart from him and stepped backward, realizing how close they had been.

The whining of the crate ceased and the gate slide upwards, with a noise that vibrated the elevator.

Vanessa took the lead again, but no sooner had they left the elevator, did the surrounding changed into a brightened atmosphere.

The light of the sun was rich, pouring its gold radiance with pride. People spread out in all direction, tending their work with a happiness that was rare. There were gardens and laborers working on them. Some of the gardeners—ranging from women to children—lifted their heads as Jeff and Vanessa, made it through the grass without pausing.

They walked deeper, but this time, into a cave that was brightened with white light.

It was a small hall, almost filled with men and older boys. They all wore the same cloth identical to that of Vanessa and Lex. Some of the people were pale and skinny, almost as if they lack proper nutrition.

Vanessa and Jeff made it through the choirs of eyes that shot them unreadable looks. Jeff felt as if melting in his cloth.

If gaze could kill…

They stopped when the crowd had engulfed them and made them stand before three elderly men—one of which was Mr. William.

These men wore the same patch cloth as the rest of the people, but one among them wore a black cape over his. He appeared to be the oldest. The crease lining his jaw gave him away.

"On behalf of my people" The older man spoke, the deepness in his voice contrasted to his wizened, weak nature. "We welcome Jeffred Peters to our family. Together we are the new beginning" The elderly man smiled and clapped his hands on Jeff's shoulders.

"I am the regent and the leader here. I say feel at home." He whispered with an odd ascent.

Jeff nodded his head not sure what to say. He only stared at the man's face, tracing the lines and the folds but not actually meeting his eyes

"We have planned so much, sacrificed so much to make sure we bring you into this family, and now you are here, I think we should celebrate." The man shouted, stressing the last statement.

He brought out a silver cup from somewhere and waited for everyone in the room to bring out theirs. Some boys were pouring urine colored wine into every silver cup visible.

"To victory." the man shouted, holding out his cup in the air

"To victory. To peace. To the regent." The people roar and chattered merrily.

Jeff frowned and raked his rough hair irritatingly. This was not what he expected. Even though a little part of him was telling him to join the celebration of an unknown victory, he knew he doesn't belong here, he needed to go. Only God knows how many days have passed, how long it had been. He needed to go back to his friends. He needs to find Ema.

I will deliver Raz's message now and that would be it.

Jeff made gestures with his hands, begging the regent to calm the people, he'd had enough.

The noise drowned almost in unison, as the regent collected an empty cup and rammed it against his.

"I think the blaze has something to say." the regent said and nodded to Jeff.

"I don't think we should be celebrating." Jeff began, slowly turning to meet the ocean of eyes that stared at him. Vanessa was nowhere to be found.

"I came here bearing a message, Raz and his friends said I should warn you. King Zack storms Candanian city." Jeff didn't know what to expect, but the crowd seemed unaffected by the news.

"Thank you for the heads up Blaze, now can we continue with the celebration or do you have something else in your mind?" The Regent asked.

"Yes, I do," Jeff said. He still staring at the crowd, not making any eye contact. "Words can't express how grateful I am for your hospitality, but I don't think I can stay here anymore. My friend was capture and I need to find her. Please regent" He turned back to the old man "I must find my friend."

The older man smiled warmly and nodded his head.

"Okay, you've come a long way. I wish we could part ways in a politer manner. Anyway, seems you've made up your mind. Well, the door is open for you anytime, should you decide to come back." he said and the crowd tore a gap for Jeff to pass through.

"Thank you," Jeff said, he certainly did not understand what the older man meant by parting ways in a polite manner.

Jeff made to walk through the crowd but was obstructed by a skinny pale boy, whose hair was dark and untidy.

"What?" Jeff asked and turned back to the regent with questions and confusion. Something went around his neck and clipped with a beep. Jeff held it and turned back to the skinny boy who stared back at him with a smirk.

"You don't understand do you?" Jeff heard the Regent asked. He broke his gaze with the skinny boy and turned to meet the bluish color of the Regent.

"King Zack is looking for you and do you know the number of lives that would be lost? Do you know what he will do if he finds you? Well, the same thing he did to your mother. He will kill you."

"No, I don't believe you, Zack would not touch my mother," Jeff said. He held the metallic ring in his neck trying to pull it open, but it was a wasted effort.

"Believe what you want," The regent said "Don't struggle with the rim, it is only there to keep your powers at bay.

"You can't do this; you can't keep me here," Jeff shouted with renewed strength

"Oh, yes I will. You are in safe hands now. This time, you won't run off and be captured just like your father" The Regent clicked his fingers and some boys dragged the struggling Jeff out of the room.

"No, please, let me go," Jeff screamed, but nobody was paying attention.