FIVE

~Kezi

I’ve never been so mortified in my life. 

Sitting all around me, in some kind of compact arena, are hundreds of people. Each of them stare at me, no words said. The lights around me are low, but a spotlight hangs directly on me, being close to blinding me. And all I wear in a thin paper dress, which leaves my legs and arms bare. 

The piercing sound of a microphone assaults my ears. “The newest addition to Alden’s experiment, subject #062”

The light almost seems to get brighter. I notice people glance down, faces blank as they write down something on an unknown surface. The voice coming from speakers above me sounds rather animated and excited. What have I been dragged into? 

“This ones a fighter. Alden has put in a personal search for her after his own warriors failed to capture her after a year,” they say. 

Where are they getting this information for? It was longer than a year, however, these people don’t need to know that. Whatever is happening, it sounds like the are selling me off to whoever in this crowd is a willing bidder. Sermon didn’t explain this to me earlier when she briefed me. At least the shock of this all has stolen the effects of pill away from me. 

I need to escape. 

“Oh! This is quite a shock,” the announcer says. I was just about to make a dash into the darkness, hoping to find an exit, but I stop in my tracks. “It seems someone has put an overwhelming private bid in.”

I was right. This is an auction, and I’m the prize on the table. I need to get out of here right now. Looking around, there’s nothing but darkness in front of me, before the audience in the seats above me. With nothing to lose, I stumble into the darkness. Immediately, however, someone grabs my arms, wrestling me back into the spotlight. 

“It doesn’t seem as though we have anymore interested bidders. Subject #062 is sold!”

All of a sudden, in arms are grabbed again, and I’m dragged away. Before I can scream in protest, hoping some sympathetic civilian would help me, a cloth is shoved into my mouth, and another is tied around my eyes. Still weak from the pill, I can’t help but be completely useless in defending myself. 

I’m dragged mercilessly through many more doors again. What happens now? Am I sold and now I’m leaving this place? They could be taking me back to the room I was originally in, but something feels off. My bare feet notice the touch of plush carpet underneath me when we finally stop, and I’m let go. 

Someone pulls the cloth from my eyes, and I pull the other fabric out of my mouth, tossing it to the ground. 

I’m in a small office room. The two men who had taken me here had backed off to stand by the door, leaving me standing there. A sturdy mahogany desk stands in front of me, and on the other side of it, a man, with his feet propped on the surface. 

An immortal. 

I’ve learnt how to decider an immortal from a mortal. It’s rather easy, to be honest. Because an immortal is the most foreign looking person you will ever see. And the man staring back at me, eyes as blank as a slate, is an immortal. I would bet my own life on it. 

His smile is feline. I’m unsure if that’s malice in his expression, or amusement. As normal as his eyes may seem, they reflect something strange and unknown. Something I’m too scared to investigate. His hair is dark, aside from the strange roots which grow golden, before fading into ebony at the ends. But nothing is more terrifying as his expression. 

He casts his eyes down at the paper he holds in his hand. “Kezziah, is it?”

I’ve learnt that a hole can be dug from words alone. I should keep my mouth shut. Especially when an immortal is around. Last time I spoke to one, I ended up with a permanent brand upon my skin. 

“Come on now, we should really get to know each other,” he exclaims, raising an eyebrow at me. He’s taunting me. “Because I own you now.”

My expression doesn’t change. I don’t allow it to. That would be foolish. As much as panic rises up inside me, I allow myself to come off unfazed. I even shrug my shoulders at him. By the way his smile slightly falters, me doesn’t seem to like that very much. 

“I’m Cian. You’ve surely heard of me before. I’m famous in your little mortal world. For all the wrong reasons, though,” he says delightedly. I frown. As far as I know, I’ve never heard of him. 

I can keep the bite out of my words. “You can’t be too famous if I don’t know you.”

“But you do. See, I’m a Sin, and I know you’ve heard of those,” he tells me. He clearly takes pride in bragging about his tier as an immortal. 

I have heard of the Seven Sins and the Seven Virtues, but he doesn’t need to know that. They are in plenty of textbooks from school, when we were taught about the reign of the immortals. The man sitting in front of me has seen many millions of years pass. No matter what I could say, he has the upper hand simply by existing. 

“I don’t know what’s going on, and your small talk really isn’t that amusing, I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. 

“I bought you. You belong to me. No one else wanted you because you look weak. You’re small and pathetic. I, however, had my last subject die. And you just happened to be there,” he tells me, his eyes gazing over the paper in his hand. “It does interest me that you managed to escape Alden for such a period of time. Maybe you’ll survive here.”

“You’re not explaining this very well,” I say flatly. 

I’m trying not to panic with every word he’s saying. At this point, im almost too confused to worry. His words make no sense to me. 

“You’re here to have that mark removed from the skin. Although it’s proven that not many survive the treatment. A lot of us here put our bets on who’s most likely to survive. Last time, I lost. Let’s hope you don’t let me down,” he explains, finally putting the paper down. 

My stomach drops. I knew it. I knew there had to be people who are going through this, that haven’t made it. The whole day is missing from my mind...I could have died just then. And here are these people, an immortal included, are betting on who’s going to survive. I want to throw up on this plush floor. I’m a pawn in a game much larger than me. And I’m stumped on what to do. 

“Don’t look so down. I like to win,” he says pointedly, adjusting the lapels of his very lavish red jacket. Gears in my mind shift. He’s Greed. Why else would he seem so adamant? “And I have a way to keep you around.”

My eyes narrow. “How so?”

He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small plastic packet. He places it on the surface of the desk. Pills. Three little golden ones to match the roots of his hair. I shy away. 

“I’m not taking any more pills,” I tell him securely. No way. 

“You see, these can remove the worst effects of any pill Alden’s little slaves give you. There’s no way with one of these in your system that you would be hurt, or killed by them,” he explains to me, drawing the plastic around temptingly across the desk with his fingers. 

I’m still not convinced, still skeptical after all I’ve been through. “If these work so well, what happened to your last subject, huh?”

“She decided she didn’t want to take one. Her fault. She deserved what came to her,” Cian says dismissively. 

That hurts as well. I’ve been presented with something that might keep me sane until I can find a way to escape. However, it belongs to an immortal, who could be in this to kill me. But the pill I took today, or yesterday - my time perception is still messed up - has proven to me that I could surely die from this. Especially if it’s everyday. 

“Remember, you still belong to me whether you take this pill or not. If you don’t, you’ll die,” Cian tells me. “And remember, I like winning.”

Without thinking, I snatch the pills. My action is joined by Cian’s triumphant smile. 

“I’m glad you have some brains in your head, unlike the last time,” he says, standing from his seat. He’s much taller than me, and insanely more intimidating. He walks closer, standing in front of me. I flinch, as he draws his hand, caressing my cheek gently. 

“Welcome to this world Kezziah,” he says gently. “You belong to me now.”