Chapter 35: Breaking the Chains

One of humanity’s greatest survival instincts was self-rationalization. I told myself that picking one of them out would at least free them from these glass prisons. It was a logical conclusion, one I could justify as the righteous choice. But logic didn’t do much to soothe the gnawing unease in my gut.

A stray thought crossed my mind... kill Royal, set them all free, and never look back. The urge was strong, almost intoxicating in its appeal, but I suppressed it. This wasn’t just Royal’s game; this entire operation had an organization backing it, and dismantling it wouldn’t be as simple as taking out one man.

“Butler,” I asked, keeping my tone neutral, “how do you ensure their loyalty?”

“The treatment has been impeccable,” Butler replied, his voice carrying the calm detachment of someone reciting a script. “There is no need to fear that they will suddenly disobey you. But you are right to be cautious. Each of these prisoners is equipped with special biochips that act as countermeasures.”

I frowned. “So, they’re brainwashed capes, surgically implanted with biochips to keep them in line.” My eyes swept over the glass cages. “There are over a dozen capes here… not exactly a lot to choose from. Most of these capes are criminals, aren’t they? I recognize a few faces.”

Butler cleared his throat, a faint sign of irritation breaking through his otherwise composed demeanor. “Capes don’t exactly grow on trees, Mr. Eclipse.”

“I want someone like Loyal,” I said, testing his reaction.

Butler’s brow furrowed slightly. “Excuse me?”

“The kind of cape raised and ‘treated’ since childhood. Someone completely conditioned, someone loyal to a fault. Like Loyal.”

Butler hesitated for a moment, then inclined his head. “We do have one, but… she is a defect.”

That piqued my curiosity. “How?”

“She has… a split personality,” he admitted, his tone carefully measured.

Butler walked ahead of me, stopping in front of a particular cage. Inside, the scene was like something out of a fairy tale. A young woman with snow-white hair and porcelain skin lay peacefully on a stone platform, her figure draped in a gown that shimmered like moonlight. The setting was absurdly theatrical, complete with soft, ambient lighting that cast a dreamlike glow over the entire cage.

I raised an eyebrow. “So what? She only wakes up with a prince’s kiss?”

“No,” Butler replied without a hint of amusement. “This lass is an Empath-4 and Telepath-2. She has a split personality. Every eight hours, she switches to a violent and rebellious personality. However, most of the time, she is a docile woman.”

I stared at the girl. Her chest rose and fell steadily, her expression serene in sleep. An Empath-4 and Telepath-2… that was no small combination of power, even with the apparent drawback.

“And how do you keep her under control during the violent phases?” I asked.

“She is sedated during those intervals,” Butler explained. “The biochip regulates her vitals and can deliver incapacitating shocks if necessary. We also limit her exposure to stimuli that might trigger heightened aggression.”

“So, you keep her drugged half the time,” I said, my voice laced with disdain.

Butler didn’t flinch. “It is a necessary precaution.”

I crossed my arms, weighing the situation. She sounded like a liability, but also like someone who might be valuable if I could manage her instability. More importantly, she was likely my safest option if Royal was testing me. Picking her would show I wasn’t afraid of a challenge, but it would also give me an excuse to keep her under constant supervision... and if it came to it, I have an excuse ready at hand to kill her anytime I wanted.

“I’ll take her,” I said finally.

"I see that you like a little aggression," Butler inclined his head. “A wise choice, Mr. Eclipse. I shall make the arrangements.”

Hmmm...

What the hell was I getting myself into?

No point in asking. I've decided.

I stared at the woman, unable to look away. There was something magnetic about her, something that tugged at the edges of my mind. At first, I thought it was her appearance... the ethereal quality of her silver hair, her delicate features, the way she seemed so utterly out of place in this grim, twisted setting.

But then I felt it. A series of psychic tendrils brushed against the edges of my thoughts, probing gently but insistently. They weren’t hostile, more like tentative whispers seeking permission. I hesitated for a moment before letting them in, curiosity getting the better of me.

Her eyes opened slowly, a soft, luminescent silver that caught the dim light and reflected it like a mirror. She turned her head toward me, her movements deliberate and unhurried. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, and then I heard her voice... not with my ears, but directly in my mind.

“Please… take me away from this place…”

Her words were raw and trembling, a desperate plea that hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart wrenched at the sheer weight of her anguish, the kind of pain that couldn’t be faked or manufactured.

Butler stepped in front of the glass pane and began entering a series of codes into a hidden panel. With a soft hiss, the glass doors slid open. The woman stepped out of her cage, her movements slow and deliberate, as though every step required an immense amount of effort.

She stopped a few feet in front of me, her head tilted slightly as if studying me. “What is your name?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended.

She hesitated, then said, “Please give me one.”

That stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t know why, but her request made my stomach twist uncomfortably. I shook my head. “I don’t want to.”

She blinked, clearly surprised by my response. “Why not?”

“Because,” I said, taking a step back, “a name is something you should choose for yourself. At least, that is what it means to be a cape... It’s not something someone else gets to decide for you. Well, unless I’m your parent, of course.”

Her expression softened, and for a moment, the tears stopped. She tilted her head again, this time in quiet contemplation. “Then… what should I call you?”

“Eclipse,” I said, the word slipping out automatically.

Her lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. “Thank you, Eclipse.”

Butler cleared his throat, breaking the moment. “She is now in your care, Mr. Eclipse. I trust you will find her satisfactory.”

I nodded absently, still focused on the woman in front of me. She seemed so fragile, so utterly breakable, and yet there was a spark of something beneath her quiet demeanor.

“Let’s go,” I said, gesturing for her to follow me.

She took a step forward, then hesitated. “Will… you protect me?”

The question caught me off guard. I didn’t answer right away, not because I didn’t know what to say, but because the weight of her trust felt like a chain tightening around my neck. Finally, I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

It wasn’t a promise, but it was the truth. For now, that would have to be enough.

I didn’t waste a second. With a flick of my wrist, one of the intangible cards hidden under my sleeve shimmered into existence. It sliced through the air silently, its edge finding its mark with surgical precision. The butler didn’t even have time to react before his body collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. His spine was severed, leaving him a breathing, blinking vegetable on the cold floor.

I crouched down, my eyes meeting his blank stare, and whispered, “Nothing personal.”

Turning to the silver-haired woman, I said, “Camouflage his thoughts. Make it so no other telepath can discover what I just did.”

Her eyes widened, clearly shaken. “Y-yes… but why are we doing this?”

I stood up, dusting my hands off like I’d just taken out the trash. “Because Royal pisses me off too much. I’m tired of this cloak-and-dagger shit. And...” I paused, my jaw tightening as the next words forced their way out. “He messed with my brain. I am going to kill him for it...”

Her gaze softened, but I could feel the waves of fear and confusion radiating from her.

“Your empathic abilities,” I continued, pointing at her, “they undid whatever Royal did to me. If it had been ‘me’ all along, I wouldn’t have accepted his job request back then. I wouldn’t have dared to confront three capes and six SRC troopers on my own.”

My voice rose, the anger bubbling to the surface. “I’m pissed. Real pissed.”

She flinched at the venom in my tone but nodded. “I’ll… do it. But what happens next?”

I didn’t have an answer to that, not yet. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, plans, and contingencies, all swirling around the central fact that I couldn’t keep playing Royal’s game.

I crouched down again, checking the butler’s pockets for anything useful. A keycard, a small communicator, and a vial of something I didn’t recognize... all of it went into my utility belt. “We’re leaving,” I said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow.

She hesitated, her hands clenching into fists. “If you’re going against Royal… do you even have a plan?”

“Not yet,” I admitted, glancing over my shoulder. “But one thing’s for sure... I’m not going to keep dancing to his tune.”

The woman... Silver, as I decided to call her for now... nodded and fell in step behind me.

“By the way,” I said as we walked, “I don’t care how docile you usually are. If you have a rebellious side, let her out. I’m going to need someone who’s willing to fight.”

Her lips quirked into a faint smile. “Careful what you wish for, Eclipse.”

I couldn’t help but grin. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something better. Or worse. Either way, I wasn’t looking back. I stopped mid-step and turned to Silver, my eyes narrowing. “Does Royal know about your existence? Can he detect you?”

Silver hesitated, her fingers clutching the hem of her gown. “I don’t think he does,” she said, her voice trembling. “The… ‘treatment’ they put me through… I resisted with everything I had. It hurt so much I thought I’d break completely. That’s when it happened... I split my personality.”

Her eyes met mine, a glint of defiance shining through the fear. “I kept a part of myself hidden, pretending to be obedient. I’ve had years of practice keeping him out. So, no... I don’t think he can detect me.”

I studied her, trying to gauge the truth in her words. If she was lying, she was doing an excellent job of it.

“Good,” I said finally, my voice cold and deliberate. “Because we only have one shot at this.”

Silver’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

I clenched my fists, the weight of my resolve settling over me like a shroud. “I’m going to kill Royal. And anyone who gets in my way is going to meet the same fate.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, I thought she might try to stop me. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice a whisper. “You’re serious about this?”

“Dead serious.”

She exhaled shakily, her shoulders straightening. “Then I’ll help you. I don’t know how much I can do, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“That’s the spirit,” I nodded, the ghost of a smirk tugging at my lips. "Let's go drag the king out of his throne. It's time for a revolution."