Some of you wanted to know what happened after we caught Alex, so I thought I’d write an update. You don’t have to read the previous eight parts, but a lot will be spoiled. You can start here, or you can dive right in.
…
“We allow you to talk now,” Sebastian said, shining the phone’s flashlight in Alex’s face.
Alex’s smile remained amused despite his fatigue and bruises. “What would you like to discuss?”
Sebastian and I stood in front of him with stern expressions, Shirley by our side. It’d been nine days since we’d bested Alex and held him prisoner, yet he still didn’t seem perturbed. It was unnerving, and it made me wonder if he’d been through worse in his 921 years on Earth, or if it was just his continued entertainment at our attempts at controlling him.
“We’re going to take your offer,” I said, crossing my arms.
“That’s great to hear,” Alex said. “What made you reach that decision?”
“There are a lot of people who depend on you and we don’t want them to suffer any longer. You’re going to teach us everything you do so we can help them.”
“But we still don’t trust you,” Sebastian added. “So you’re going to give us full control of TAI.”
“I’ll give you each an ear piece and a contact lens, and I’ll grant you certain permissions,” Alex said. “The rest will come gradually as you become more integrated.”
“No, we get full control, because we’re not giving you TAI.”
Alex’s amusement grew. “You do realize programming TAI to respond to you will require me to have access to it.”
Sebastian and I looked at each other, chewing the inside of our lips in uneasy thought. Alex was smart and manipulative, and it was frustrating trying to figure out if he was hiding anything between his words.
“Fine,” Sebastian said, turning to Alex. “You program TAI to our voices and give us full access, and then only we use it.”
Alex chuckled. “I find it amusing that you’ve agreed to take my deal yet still can’t bring yourselves to trust me.”
“We’ll never trust you! We agree to your deal but on our terms! You teach us, but we’re in charge of everything, including TAI!”
“My son, TAI is a lot more than an AI that takes orders. It helps manage communications, meetings, deliveries, and more. With your novice status, you may cause more harm than good with its full potential. If I’m to teach you anything, I need to have complete access to TAI.”
Sebastian and I shared a frustrated look again. Maybe we were better off not taking the deal. While we silently stressed, Shirley began sniffing around, and Alex chuckled when he licked his face.
“No, Shirley!” Sebastian pulled his Great Dane away in offense. “He’s the one who shocked you! Stay away from him!”
Shirley’s ears drooped in shame, and Alex said, “Don’t be so hard on it. It probably senses our familial relationship.”
“Shut up. You have no right to talk about Shirley after what you did to him.”
“You knew the consequences of your disobedience.”
“And how do we know you won’t do that again?” I asked. “How do we know you won’t threaten to hurt him to control us? How do we know you won’t drug us, kill us, or kill more firstborns so you can live forever?”
Alex leaned his head back against the padded wall. “My dear, I already told you, I’ve accepted my defeat and I’m ready to train my deserving heirs. You two have impressed me, something quite rare given my diverse experiences, and I’d be content leaving my life’s work in your hands.”
“No, you’re a manipulative narcissist,” Sebastian said. “You like being the one in control. You won’t give up all this power just like that. You’ll take any chance to get it back.”
Alex smiled. “Perhaps it’s time for a change. I’ve lived on my own for too long, wary of those who might use my resources for their own selfish agendas. Even Gregor wasn’t given unlimited access to TAI. Yet you two are sympathetic, grounded, and altruistic. You’ve seen the world at its worst, and you take nothing for granted. With your individual experiences, I see promising potential.”
“So you’re seriously okay with teaching us for three months until you die?” I asked, narrowing my eyes with skepticism.
“I’m more than willing to take you two under my wing. As for death, I admit I’ve fantasized about it from time to time. It’s pursued me for so long, I’ve often wondered what adventures await if I allow myself to be captured. Yet I’m not ready for that step. There’s still a lot for me to do here.”
“I knew it! You’re going to keep killing to live!”
He chuckled. “No, my dear. I believe I may have found a way to improve the ritual’s efficacy without taking a life. Throughout my countless attempts at reaching that elusive goal, I’ve experimented with the blood of twins. Although the first child out of the womb is the firstborn, the link shared between the siblings has a potency I’m certain is the key.
“During this past week of captivity, free from the distractions of work, I’ve managed to come up with a few alterations to my experiments. With your permission, I’d like to try them. Perhaps together, we can discover the secret to eternal life without the burden of death.”
I blinked, his words taking me by surprise, but Sebastian scoffed. “You’re not 921 years old. You don’t need the damn rituals to live. You’re a delusional murderer and we’re not letting you touch us.”
“Sebastian, wait.” I turned to him. “If he can update the ritual to not kill anyone, why not? All he needs is us and then he can spend longer teaching us everything.”
“It’s not real!”
“It is! And if he’s going to be our teacher, I’d feel a lot better knowing he’s not itching to kill us!”
“He’s not taking a single drop of my blood!” Sebastian turned to Alex. “And you’re not getting any access to TAI after you program it for us. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
Alex gave us his amused smile as he shifted inside his too small straightjacket. “I guess I have no choice but to take it. I’ve been away from my work for too long. I’m also looking forward to a warm shower and a good meal.” He chuckled. “No offense to your woodland cuisine.”
Sebastian scowled. “You’re lucky we even bothered to feed you.”
He reached down, unbuckled Alex’s legs, and yanked him to his feet. Although we’d been taking Alex out to use the bathroom once a day, I still found it surreal to be standing next to him. When we first met him, he was either a voice from above, or one of us was incapacitated. Now, we stood side by side.
He was shorter than Sebastian and just as tall as me, yet despite his obvious fatigue, malnutrition, swollen bruises, and unkempt beard, he still exuded confident sophistication, and it both fascinated and disquieted me.
“Where do we go for our own TAI?” Sebastian asked.
Alex cricked his neck. “Before we get to that, I suggest we all take a shower and sit down for a wholesome meal.”
“No,” Sebastian growled, shoving Alex against the wall. “That isn’t the deal.”
“My son, making decisions on an empty stomach and with a fatigued mind isn’t advisable. A few minutes spent to regain our energy will benefit us all.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, but my growling stomach interrupted him. He turned to me, his eyes searching mine, but neither of us had a definite answer. Alex knew we were starving, but we weren’t going to let him use that to control us.
“You won’t use TAI,” I said to Alex. “For anything.”
“I won’t need it except to unlock my room and the kitchen and to activate the plant,” he said.
“What will you say to it?”
“TAI, unlock kitchen complete. Activate plant. Unlock room 70.”
“If you say anything else, we’re leaving you down here to die.” Sebastian said as he pulled the earpiece out of his pocket.
He placed it in Alex’s ear while I covered Alex’s mouth with my tense hand, still wary. On the count of three, I removed my hand, and the moment Alex gave the order to TAI, Sebastian yanked the earpiece out. A few seconds later, we squinted as the cell lit up, and my heart dropped at a soft droning coming from the ceiling. Panicking, I turned to Alex, shoving the purple and red pens against his neck.
“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked, startled.
“Make that sleeping gas stop!” I yelled at Alex.
“What!” Sebastian fumbled with the earpiece as he glared at Alex. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you! Stop it now or we’ll kill you!”
“My children, that’s just the ventilation restarting,” Alex replied with calm understanding.
“I never heard it in here before!” I yelled, my pulse racing.
“When it’s continuously running, it becomes background noise.” He smiled. “Besides, I wouldn’t do anything to delay a shower and meal. Shall we go up to room 70?”
My tension wavered and I stepped back, shaking with adrenaline. After sharing a look with Sebastian, we agreed to trust Alex on this. With Sebastian in the lead, Alex between us, and Shirley trotting behind me, we walked down the hall of the pristine dungeon until we reached the spiral staircase.
Sebastian took a few steps up, but Alex didn’t follow as he said, “Would you prefer to take the elevator?”
Sebastian turned to him in furious disbelief. “You have an elevator?”
“I have many. In a castle like this, they’re invaluable. Of course, they only work if the passenger has access to TAI.”
Sebastian’s temper sizzled behind his eyes. “You think you can trick us into giving you TAI? Not happening. We’re taking the stairs.”
“Very well.”
By the fifth flight, I was already panting, as were Sebastian and Alex. Only Shirley seemed to have endless energy. Then again, he ate whatever he wanted out in the woods while we struggled to fish and forage. Once we made it to the seventh floor, we stumbled to room 70.
“This is your room?” I asked.
He sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes. “Every bedroom is my bedroom, except the ones designated to you, each styled to the aesthetic of a particular period in my life.” He nodded down at the straightjacket. “If you please.”
With a scowl, Sebastian unbuckled Alex, and I winced as Alex stretched his arms, his joints cracking. He stood up and freed himself from the blood-splattered canvas, and I winced again when I saw his left hand. The fingers I’d broken were swollen and bent at an unnatural angle, his skin an ungodly shade of blotchy purple. He deserved it, and I’d do it again, but I couldn’t help but feel a twinge discomfort.
“What are you going to do about your hand?” I asked.
He studied it, not appearing concerned. “Surgery will definitely be required to correct the damage.” He touched his face. “It seems my nose will need some work as well.”
His fingers traveled down to his beard as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. With a half smile, he walked closer to his reflection, inspecting his face at different angles. At first, I thought he was assessing his injuries, but then he spoke.
“I never thought I’d reach the age where I’d see my father in the mirror.”
He sounded almost wistful, and I felt a lump in my throat. Alex last saw his parents around 900 years ago. A realization made my mind reel. His parents were Sebastian and my grandparents. We were the grandkids of people who lived and died nine centuries ago. We’d never meet them, and they didn’t even know we existed. Were our mother’s parents still alive?
“Are our grandparents from our mom’s side alive?” I asked.
Alex turned to me. “No, my dear. They passed away before I met her.”
Sebastian held a floor lamp like a weapon, pointing it at Alex. “Hands up. Candace, search him.”
Alex’s amused smile returned as he did as he was told. “Your sister already searched me before she confined me in the straitjacket.”
“Yea, but not thoroughly. You could have one of those pens in your socks or something. Candace.”
“I’m not leaving the door,” I said, holding it open. “We don’t know if Alex rigged it to lock us in.”
“Oh, smart. Okay, stay there.” Sebastian poked Alex with the lamp. “Walk in front of me to the bathroom and strip everything off.”
“Will you watch me shower as well?”
“Yes, we’re not letting you do anything alone.”
Alex didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. In fact, he seemed even more amused. “Very well.”
I stayed at the door, petting Shirley while my father took his shower and my twin kept an eye on him. This was a situation I never imagined finding myself in. A few minutes later, Shirley trotted over to them, curious, but Sebastian yelled at him and he slinked back to me, his tail between his legs.
“It’s okay,” I soothed, giving him a hug. “He’s just super tired and stressed, he’s trying his best to keep us safe.”
I straightened up when Alex walked back into the room in a bathrobe. He looked refreshed, his beard trimmed, the dried blood washed off, but his skin wasn’t as radiant as before. Gregor said Alex aged a year in a day after the ritual’s effects wore off, and Alex definitely looked nine years older. I couldn’t understand why Sebastian refused to see that.
Alex walked over to a closet, but Sebastian stopped him as he asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m finding myself an outfit to wear.” He playfully adjusted his robe. “Unless you want me to remain in this.”
“I’ll pull something out for you. Stand there, hands up.”
Alex complied. “Make sure there are no buttons or zippers involved, as I can’t use my left hand.”
Sebastian pulled out a t-shirt, sweatpants, house slippers, and underwear, and he searched them thoroughly before handing them over. Alex didn’t wait for permission as he began dressing in front of us, keeping the robe on for privacy until it was time to wear the shirt. I winced again as I saw the dark bruises on his torso. Sebastian really did a number on him.
I’d seen Alex twice before, and each time he looked immaculate, like he’d just headlined a fashion show. But now, even though his casual outfit still looked perfectly tailored, he seemed a lot more approachable.
“Will one of you take a shower next?” Alex asked, adjusting his hair in the mirror.
“No, we’re not leaving your side for a minute,” Sebastian said.
“Very well, shall we go to the kitchen and prepare our lunch?”
Sebastian yanked one of the decorative ropes off the curtains. “Not yet, I’m tying you up first.”
“It’ll be rather difficult to cook if I’m tied up.”
“You won’t cook, we will,” Sebastian said, yanking Alex’s arms behind his back and binding them.
Alex winced, but remained calm. “Very well.”
In the kitchen, Alex perched on one of the stools, watching us with his usual smile as we searched the cupboards. Sebastian made a beeline for the dog food, nearly tripping over his drooling dog as he poured a bowl and left it on the floor beside some water.
While Shirley dug in, I opened the fridge. “The stuff in here is still good,” I said, surprised as I pulled out a few vegetables. “How? I thought all the electricity was off.”
“I did disable the plant,” Alex said, “but the important appliances are solar powered.”
“What does that mean?”
“He’s probably got solar panels on the roof that convert the sun’s energy to electricity,” Sebastian said, slamming cupboards. “Isn’t there anything easy to make around here?”
I walked over to the stove with a pot. “I’m making vegetable soup.”
“That sounds good, but I want something like … pasta.”
“I have everything required to make pasta,” Alex said.
Sebastian turned to him. “Where?”
“The flour is to your left, the olive oil is—”
“What the hell are all those for? I just want pasta!”
“If you’re looking for dried pasta, I don’t have any. I make my own.”
“Make it? That’ll take forever!”
“Not more than half an hour with my technique. There’s a pasta-maker in the fourth cupboard to your right. I can teach you how to use it.”
Skeptical, Sebastian pulled the strange contraption out and placed it on the counter in front of Alex. “This thing?”
“Yes.”
After a pause, Sebastian said, “Okay, what do I do?”
As I made the soup, I watched Alex teach Sebastian how to make the dough. After they finished, they wrapped it and let it rest for a few minutes, and Sebastian went on the hunt for a sauce that could go with it.
“I want alfredo sauce with protein … but not human meat,” Sebastian said, wrinkling his nose.
Alex chuckled. “There are shrimps in the freezer from Gregor’s last fishing trip.”
By now, I’d finished my soup and was letting it simmer, so I helped Sebastian prepare the sauce as we followed Alex’s directions. Once the dough was ready, we both took turns with the pasta maker, flattening the dough over and over before slicing into perfect strips of linguini. Guided by Alex, we cupped the nests of pasta and dropped them into boiling, salted water, our stomachs growling in anticipation.
The warmth of the moment filled me, uncovering memories I didn’t know existed. Mouthwatering aromas hovering around us as we worked together as a family, teaching, learning, creating. Our mother’s kitchen was smaller than this one, more colorful and always filled with music, but the dynamic was close enough.
“You two have quite the culinary talents,” Alex said. “Most beginners have difficulty maintaining the integrity of the dough.”
“Don’t talk,” Sebastian said. “We don’t need your manipulation.”
My warmth froze over at Sebastian’s words. We were a family, but not a conventional one. Trying to avoid the sharp pang of longing, I cleaned the counter before setting a few dishes and silverware on it. I poured the soup in a serving bowl, and once the pasta and sauce were finished, they were placed on the counter as well. The smell was intoxicating and I was ready to dig in before Alex spoke.
“This is quite a tantalizing feast. Will I be allowed the dignity of feeding myself?”
Sebastian and I shared a look. I didn’t want to feed Alex anymore, and neither did he. After reluctantly freeing Alex’s arms, Sebastian ducked down to tie his legs. Alex smiled but didn’t complain, even turning in his seat to give Sebastian a better angle. As they did that, I couldn’t wait any longer and grabbed the ladle, pouring each of us a bowl of soup. It wasn’t as good as Alex’s tomato bisque, but it hugged my insides and sent a shudder of pleasure down my spine.
“My dear, your finesse with spices is exemplary,” Alex said after taking a few sips. “Your mother would be proud.”
“As if you even had time to try her cooking,” I said, shooting him a dry look.
“As a matter of fact, on that one memorable day I spent with Celine, she invited me to her apartment and prepared a speustic yet generous meal that mirrored her culture and vibrant personality.” Alex took another sip, letting the soup linger in his mouth before swallowing. “The similarities are pronounced, and a welcome surprise.”
“Stop lying,” Sebastian said, glaring at him. “You never met our mom. She died fifteen years ago, which meant you were still a kid.”
“Sebastian,” I said, tired of his stubbornness. “He’s 921 years old. He’s our dad.”
“No, he’s not!”
“Look at him! He’s aged nine years in nine days because he’s not doing the rituals!”
“He only looks like that because he’s tired, malnourished, and grew a beard!”
“You’re tired, malnourished, and grew a beard, you don’t look nine years older! And look at how he acts and stuff!”
“He acts just like all the snobby, rich assholes I’ve met who think they’re the shit. He’s not our pop, and he’s not 921, but he did want to kill you. Just like he killed many others. And he did shock Shirley. And he did force me to kidnap people. Don’t forget that.”
Alex turned to him. “My son, you—”
“Stop calling me that! I’m not your son!”
“Very well. Sebastian, you—”
“No, shut up!” Sebastian yelled, slamming his fists on the counter. “You made me kidnap people! People you ended up killing! I have blood on my hands because of you!”
My heart twisted as Sebastian’s guilt spilled over with resentful fury. We’d discussed this topic during the past nine days, but this was the first time I saw the true pain and hate behind his words. Despite my consolations, it was still eating him up inside.
“Sebastian,” I said softly, “I told you, it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t know.”
“But he did!” he replied, jabbing a finger at Alex. “He knew what he was making me do! He took advantage of me because I was stupid and struggling, and he threatened to hurt Shirley to keep me doing it!”
“Yes, I did,” Alex said, putting his spoon down. “With my hectic lifestyle, I want results, and I want them fast. Living this long, humans to me are perhaps comparable to dogs for you. Their life span is fleeting and they’ll never reach the same level of intelligence, so they’re best utilized for labor or entertainment.”
I blinked. “Did you just compare us to dogs?”
“He did,” Sebastian spat. “And he’s wrong. We don’t abuse dogs the way you’ve abused humans!”
“I don’t abuse humans, I train them,” Alex said. “If your dog disobeys you, don’t you reprimand it, perhaps yell at it, leash it, or threaten not to take it to the park? And if it abides by your demands, don’t you reward it, perhaps by praising it or giving it treats?”
“Yea, but that’s not what you do to us!”
“Humans are more intelligent, hence it takes stricter measures to solidify my dominance and discourage them from challenging me.” He smiled. “Until you two came along.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“The role I’d originally intended for you was to crack through the dry predictability of my life, and you didn’t disappoint as you fought to save each other despite the consequences. Yet, the longer you remained under my roof, the more I began to know you beyond the information in my files.
“You see, I may have intimate details about every single person who’s passed through my life, but I’ve never allowed myself to get involved. Not even with Gregor. I’ve always considered personal relationships to be a weakness and a distraction.
“Yet as I observed you, I began to admire your determination, the risks you were ready to take, and your devotion to each other and to the dog. So, I decided to challenge myself by testing the lengths you’d go to for each other. If you succeeded, then I’d offer my tutelage and take you under my wing.”
Sebastian and I stared, not sure we’d heard him right as we said in unison, “What?”
“I knew you had something planned that afternoon, Sebastian, and when you faked your incapacitation, I knew you were hoping to use the ND pen on me. I tested your resolve by threatening to kill your dog, and you exceeded my expectations. After I came down, I kept a wary eye on you, but then Candace distracted me for a split-second, allowing you the perfect window to hit me with a hidden pen. Clever.”
“You’re a liar,” Sebastian snarled. “You had no idea, we outsmarted you.”
“I always calculate the probability of multiple scenarios. I knew you were planning something, but although I’d considered the options of you sacrificing your dog and having a hidden pen, I didn’t take into consideration my vanity being targeted.” Alex smiled as he turned to me. “In all my years on Earth, no one had ever insulted my appearance. It was refreshing to experience something new after so long.”
“No, you’re lying,” I said, crossing my arms. “You didn’t know anything or you wouldn’t have risked being caught by us. We could’ve killed you so easy!”
Alex chuckled. “Yes, you could’ve killed me, and that was part of the thrill. As I’ve mentioned before, I take risks to add excitement in my life. The risk of uniting you two, the risk of letting the dog roam free in my castle, the risk of testing your resolve. According to my calculations, the probability of you killing me was low, but the probability of you injuring me was quite high.”
I shuddered at the pleasure glinting in his eyes.
“My interactions with you have allowed me to reconsider how I live my life,” Alex continued. “I’d like to take this new step with you, and I want you to rest assured that no intentional harm will come to you two or your dog.”
“So your manipulate us for your entertainment, torture Shirley, almost kill us, and then suddenly decide you want to play house?” Sebastian asked. “Do you think we’re falling for that? We outsmarted you and that’s when you thought up this teaching thing, to save your skin.”
“It doesn’t matter how you believe we got to this point. What matters is that you understand the opportunity offered to you.”
“What if you change your mind?” I asked. “What if you don’t want to teach us anymore, or what if we suck so bad you give up?”
He laughed. “There’s no doubt that you’ll find the learning process difficult, but I won’t give up on you. This is a challenge for myself as much as it is for you, and I can tell from now that you two have more potential than Gregor.” He poured himself another bowl of soup and looked at us. “Would you like another helping?”
His abrupt change of the subject left my frazzled mind teetering, and I shook my head as I looked down at the cold soup in my bowl. Sebastian didn’t reply as he reached for the pasta, dropping a generous pile on his plate before drowning it in shrimp alfredo sauce. The smell hit me, teasing my growling stomach, and I couldn’t help but copy him.
Conversation stopped as we ate. The pasta was unlike any I’d eaten before, its chewier texture full of flavor I didn’t expect. Ravenous, I shoveled forkfuls in my mouth, desperate to quiet my stomach and the uneasy thoughts in my mind. After three helpings, I leaned back on the stool, my stomach bulging beneath my ribs, my unease muted by tired satisfaction. Alex leaned back as well, dabbing his mouth with a napkin, while Sebastian twirled the last of the noodles around his fork.
“That was a delectable meal,” Alex said. “Your soup, my dear, brought back warm memories of your mother.”
“Stop lying about that,” Sebastian snapped, dropping his fork on his plate. “You’ve never even met her.”
“Not only have I met her, I’ve also helped her maintain custody over you.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“When you were three years old, my dear, you fell and hit your head, resulting in a deep cut across your eyebrow, the scar of which you still bear. Celine rushed you to the hospital, and there they questioned her parental qualifications. When CPS were called, Celine contacted me in distress, asking for my help.
“I immediately dispatched members of my network to resolve the issue, and later that evening, she contacted me again to inform me of the good news. A few weeks later, a courier delivered a videotape that was sent to one of my P.O. boxes. In it was a heartfelt message of gratitude from Celine.” Alex smiled. “Would you like to see it?”
Sebastian and I blinked, blindsided, our mouths hanging open.
“You … you have a video of our mom?” I asked after finding my voice.
“Yes. You and Sebastian are in it as well.”
I turned to my brother, our eyes exchanging their yearning. I didn’t care if Alex was taking advantage of our emotions. I didn’t care if this was manipulation. I wanted to see our mom. I wanted to hear her. To fill the gaps in my taunting memories.
I nodded at Sebastian, and he nodded back. Alex knew he had us, but we didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. We turned to him, and we scowled at his amused expression.
“How can we see it?” Sebastian asked.
“In my viewing room,” Alex replied.
“Will you need TAI?”
“Yes, to unlock the viewing room and to request the video.” With a knowing smile, he added, “I’ll be saying TAI, unlock viewing room, play CDV20050913.”
Sebastian and I walked over to him. “Put your hands up.”
Alex obliged, and I kept a knife pointed at his smiling face while Sebastian untied his legs. Alex remained silent, but when Sebastian yanked his hands behind his back, Alex spoke up.
“If I may make a request. If I’ve no choice but to be bound, then I’d prefer my arms to be in front of me.”
“Why?” I asked, suspicious.
“We’ll be seated and I’d rather not lean back on my injured hand.”
After a few seconds of shared deliberation, Sebastian and I nodded. “But I’m tethering your hands to your waist,” Sebastian said.
“Very well.”
After securing Alex, Sebastian called Shirley over before we followed our father’s directions to his viewing room. Trying not to let our eagerness distract us, we kept a steady pace and stuck to the same procedure when placing TAI in Alex’s ear. He gave the order, and the mahogany doors swung open, revealing a classy, spacious room with a large leather couch flanked by two leather armchairs. Shirley ran inside, sniffing every corner, but Sebastian and I walked in with wary glances.
“Here?” I asked. “Where’s the TV?”
“The video will be projected on the screen,” Alex said, nodding towards the far wall as he settled into one of the armchairs. “Please, have a seat. And I’ll need TAI to play the video.”
Sebastian sat on the side of the couch closest to him and held up the earpiece. “You’re going to ask TAI to play CDV20050913 and that’s it?”
“Your memory is impressive. And yes, that’ll be all I’ll say.”
Trembling with nervous anticipation, I sat beside Sebastian, and I gasped as Shirley jumped up and sat on my lap, his weight burying me deep inside the soft leather. I hugged him with a shaky chuckle, and after Sebastian made sure I was alright, he turned to our father. Once Alex gave the order, Sebastian yanked the earpiece away and we all turned to face the screen, my heart thudding.
Static crackled, the picture bounced a few times … and there she was.
My breath froze as I stared at the beautiful woman speaking, her voice kissing faded memories with color. Her laugh, a hug rewinding time. Her colorful dress breathed life into frail recollections, her jingling bangles recarving faint etches in the corners of my mind. Her mannerisms held soft echoes of ours, and her arms held us.
There we were. Toddlers on her lap. Holding hands. I had bandages over my eyebrow. She asked us to say hello to our papa, and we did, giggling, having no idea who he was. We squirmed as a sound in the background drew our attention, and she let us go, laughing as she watched us run out of view.
She reached for the camera, turning it towards us. We’d settled on the carpet in front of the TV. I remembered that carpet. The texture. The random threads of red woven through the mustard color. I remembered that toy car beside me. Blue with a fender I’d relentlessly gnaw on. I remembered how it tasted. How it smelled. Such unimportant details, each one a stroke painting depth into my past.
Our mother turned the camera towards herself again, her smile making my heart ache with reminiscence and longing. She thanked Alex yet again, and she promised to take better care of us so that we’d live up to the grand potential he’d assured her was our destiny. She blew a kiss, wringing my heart, and I sat up with gasp as the screen fizzled to black.
I stared at where our mother’s eyes were glinting just seconds ago, a chill tingling beneath my skin. A drop on my lips startled me. I was crying. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned to Sebastian. He met my eyes, his lips pressed together, his chin trembling as tears glistened against his lashes. We looked down. We were holding hands.
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that she died when monsters continued to live. It wasn’t fair of Alex to drag her into his schemes. If he’d never met her, she’d never have had us. Then she’d never have taken us to that park and that mugger never would’ve killed her.
“How could you do this to her?” I whispered, my temper bubbling as I glared at Alex through my tears. “If you didn’t make her have us, she’d still be alive!”
“That’s not a certainty,” he said with a rare solemn gaze. “Some things in life are predestined, no matter the path taken. And as I mentioned before, I didn’t make Celine do anything. It was an offer she agreed to.”
“But you didn’t tell her you were going to kill me, did you. She was so … happy in the video. She was excited about the future, but you don’t care! If she hadn’t died, you’d have sent some delivery guy to take me away from her forever!”
“Yes, that’s correct. The mothers are a means to an end, and although I help them reach their goals, my interactions with them are purely professional. As for donors, the couriers are instructed to make the departure as pleasant as possible, as I’ve previously explained to you, my dear. If the mothers contact me, I assure them that our child is nobly fulfilling their destiny. They may feel the heartache of absence, but their emotions are a small price to pay for global advancement.”
Alex turned to my brother. “This is something I want you to understand, Sebastian. The donors I made you deliver didn’t lead remarkable lives yet their sacrifice has allowed me to improve the world around us. Your four deliveries have allowed me to oversee the construction of orphanages, mitigate tensions between countries that could’ve led to a war with immeasurable casualties, and boost cancer research.”
Sebastian looked at him, his turbulent thoughts clashing behind his eyes, but he remained silent. I didn’t say anything either, my temper writhing beneath a heavy shroud of grief and loss. I wept into Shirley’s fur. Sebastian squeezed my hand. I squeezed back.
“Would you like to see the video again?” Alex asked. “I can have TAI play it on repeat.”
I peeked to the side, catching Sebastian’s tearful gaze. We knew what our answer was going to be. And we knew Alex knew. We didn’t care.
“Yes.”
…
I sighed and rolled over, only to open my eyes in shock at the sound of squeaking. Leather. My pulse raced as I sat up and looked around the dark, quiet room. We were still in the viewing room. The couch was reclined, Sebastian was asleep, the both of us covered with a soft quilt.
Alex wasn’t in his armchair.
Shirley wasn’t here either.
Panicking, I jumped up and shook Sebastian awake. How long had we been asleep? How long had Alex been free to roam around?
“Sebastian, wake up! Alex is gone! So is Shirley!”
Sebastian jolted upright, his wide eyes darting around as reality washed away his dreams.
“What! How! When did we sleep?” he yelled as he jumped off the couch, tripping over the quilt. “Shit, shit, shit, I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him!”
I wrung my hands, imagining all the things Alex could be doing right now. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know, but the first thing we’re doing is finding Shirley!”
We ran out the door and up the first flight of stairs, my pulse in fearful overdrive. Shirley’s barks echoed, and hope lifted my heart as we ran towards them, only for Sebastian and I to crash into each other as we stopped and stared.
Shirley was barking at a strange, flexible tube running up and down the curtains in the main entrance. Before I could ask what it was, I gasped as a humming object the side of a filing cabinet rolled past us.
“Wh-what … what are those?” I asked.
Sebastian didn’t reply as his panicked hands flew to his pockets, and he released a shaky sigh as he pulled out TAI. “I thought maybe Alex controlled these cleaning robots with TAI, but he doesn’t have it. Maybe he manually started them.”
“These are cleaning robots?”
“Looks like it.” Sebastian looked around nervously. “I wonder what else he started.”
“What should we do? Hide or find him?”
“He doesn’t have TAI, so he doesn’t have quick access to anything or anyone, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be dangerous. Grab a weapon and let’s find him. And then we’re going to keep him tied up forever.”
“We can use the knives in the kitchen.”
“Let’s go. Come, Shirley!”
After sprinting to the kitchen, we made a mad dash to the drawers, pulling out the biggest knives we could find. Before we could decide where to search first, we jumped at a soft screech coming from an open door at the back of the kitchen.
“Wh-what’s back there?” I whispered.
“I … I don’t know, I’ve never seen it open before. I bet he’s in there.”
I nodded, holding up my trembling knife. “I’m ready.”
“Shirley, sit.”
Shirley whined but obeyed, watching us as we tiptoed to that mysterious room. The closer we got, the colder it became, and I shivered, my breath coming out in choppy puffs. Once at the door, we silently agreed to peek in first, and my jaw dropped open.
Alex was there.
And so was Gregor.
It was a walk-in freezer, and Gregor was hanging from a meat hook, nude, drained, and missing a leg. Horror and disgust dug their icy fingers into me. Alex was standing behind him, unaware of us, and I shot an anxious glance at Sebastian. His horrified eyes were staring from his ashen face, and I watched in concern as he dry-heaved and ran away to vomit in the sink.
I turned my nervous gaze back inside the walk-in freezer, and I gasped when I saw Alex peeking at me from behind Gregor. “Candace, good morning,” he said with his usual smile. “Did you sleep well?”
Despite my deep discomfort, I blocked the door and pointed the knife at him, my hand shaking. “P-put your hands up!”
“There’s no need for alarm, I fancied some bacon with my breakfast and was checking the meat’s condition.”
He walked over, and a different fear wrung my stomach. He was dressed to the nines again, his injured hand wrapped up, a splint over his nose.
“Who else is here! Who helped you!” I yelled, waving the blade as my wild eyes darted around in fear, searching for others.
“If you’re talking about my injuries, I performed the surgeries myself with the help of TAI,” he replied, not put off by my weapon as he stood in front of me.
“What! B-but TAI’s with us!”
“My dear, do you really believe the earpiece you have is the only one in the castle?”
I didn’t think I could feel a sharper chill than the one that just gripped my heart. “B-but … but everything is locked! H-how …”
My words faded as I noticed his eyes. One was focused on me, mirroring the amusement in his smile, but the other seemed unfocused, almost vibrating.
“Wh-what’s wrong with you eye?”
“I’ve been away from my work for too long, I’m in the process of catching up. With the help of the contact lens, I’m currently reading emails and reviewing projects. And … yes, I believe we’ve just received an order.”
“Wh-what?”
I gasped and jerked to the side at the sound of a metallic clang behind me, only to see a slender, metal arm sticking out of the backsplash and cracking eggs into a pan on the stove. I stared, dumbstruck, and Alex took advantage of my distraction as he slid right past me. With a flustered yell, I ran after him, and Sebastian stopped retching in the sink long enough to grab Alex’s arm.
“Stop!” he croaked, wiping the vomit off his chin.
In less than a second, Sebastian’s arm flopped down to his side. He gawked at his limp limb, and I gasped as I rushed over to him in alarm.
“What did you do to him!” I yelled.
“It’s a paralyzing pen,” Alex replied, smoothing down his sleeve as he walked to the fridge. “The effect will wear off in half an hour. I’m not your enemy and I won’t hurt you, but I will defend myself if need be. I’ve allowed you enough time to come to terms with our new arrangement, and I hope you take my actions as proof of my intentions.”
I looked at Sebastian, my helpless fear written all over his face. Alex was toying with us this entire time? Making us believe we were in control when he could’ve taken it back at any moment?
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Part 1 - Part 2
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