The Final Countdown

The Final Countdown
Jarox's POV…

I didn't sleep much that night. I remained inside my room, sitting on the edge of my bed and staring at the door. There was nothing I could do. The guards outside made sure of that. Every attempt to leave had failed, and now I knew my father had trackers buried somewhere inside me and Trix. There was no point trying another escape without understanding what I was dealing with.

Morning eventually came. I was already awake when the door suddenly slid open. Feran stood on the other side. He stepped inside. The door closed behind him. I rose immediately.

"How did you know where I went?"

He stared at me. "You still haven't figured that out? I didn’t think you were that slow, prince Jarox. I put trackers inside you and your sister."

My jaw tightened. "When? When did you do this?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

He ignored that.

"What have you done with everyone else?"

Feran's expression hardened. "Them? You’re worried about those insignificant vermins? You should be more concerned about yourself."

I stepped toward him. "What happened to Gary? What happened to Gatrina and the others?"

He shook his head. "You've become a traitor to your own species. Have you forgotten what that Killer has cost our family? And here you are standing up for him. Protecting a weapon that will destroy this world, just as Morjan was destroyed. And you're willing to sacrifice everyone you love for it."

I caught the meaning immediately. "What happened? What are you talking about?"

Feran looked at me. "The child nearly killed your sister."

I froze. "What?"

"Your sister." He turned toward the door. "Come."

I followed him. We walked through the palace corridors until we reached the healing wing. Feran stopped before a large observation window. I looked through it. And my heart stopped. Trix was lying on a medical bed. Her body was covered in stitches and bandages. Machines surrounded her. Tubes ran into her arms and up her nose. A monitor tracked every movement of her heart. She was sedated. Barely alive. I stared at her. 

"No." I moved closer to the glass. "What happened to her?"

"Abigail."

I couldn't believe it. "That's impossible."

"Is it?"

I looked at him. "Abigail adores Trix. She would never hurt her like this."

Feran chuckled, “Well, I guess the child’s feelings for Trix changed after your sister tried to kill her.”

I looked back at Trix. My sister had survived wars. Battles. Experiments. The Keepers. She had survived everything. And now she was hanging onto life by a thread.

"What's going to be done to the child now?"

Feran folded his arms. "There are two options."

I waited.

"We allow her to become her own weapon. Or we take what she has and create a weapon of our own."

My expression hardened. "You want to use her."

"Of course."

Feran looked at me.

"There is another option."

He raised an eyebrow. "Destroy her, like Trix tried to do. Incinerate her until there’s nothing left. Burn everything. Her body. Her cells. Everything. Leave nothing behind."

I looked through the glass at Trix. "She should never have been created."

Feran's expression changed. He looked almost disappointed. "You still don't understand."

"I understand perfectly."

"No. You think like a frightened child who’s afraid of weilding real power." He stepped closer. "An emperor cannot think like that. And until you're willing to do whatever is necessary for the good of this empire, you will never be worthy of ruling it."

I said nothing. Feran turned toward the guards. "Take him back."

Two guards approached. I resisted them at first, but there was no point. They grabbed my arms. I looked back at my father. He didn't even look at me. The guards dragged me away.

And once again, I was powerless to change anything.

.

.

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Gary's POV…

The next morning felt endless. I was still suspended inside the holding chamber. The chains remained wrapped around me, electricity running through them every few seconds. Scientists had been coming and going for hours. They took blood. They cut pieces from my body. They tested everything they could find. And every time they did, they caused more pain.

I had endured torture before. But this was different. There was no interrogation. No purpose I could understand. They simply wanted to know what made me different.

I kept looking around the chamber. I spotted nothing. No weakness. No opening. No opportunity. I needed someone from outside. That was the only way I was getting out. Eventually, the scientists stopped coming.

For the first time in hours, there was silence. I closed my eyes. Then the door opened. One of the scientists entered. He walked toward me holding a data tablet.

"I always believed there was something unusual about you."

I looked at him.

"Your combat ability. Your resilience. Your ability to survive things that should kill an ordinary human."

He looked down at his tablet. "But after extensive testing, we've discovered something disappointing. You're ordinary. Your genes are completely normal."

He walked around me. "No enhanced physiology. No abnormal mutations. Nothing particularly valuable."

He stopped in front of me. "You're just a human male. Your only remarkable characteristic is your tolerance for pain and your fighting abilities as well."

He shrugged. "And unfortunately, that isn't enough to justify further testing."

I already knew what that meant. The scientist smiled. "Your death has been moved forward."

The chains suddenly erupted with electricity. My body jerked. Pain tore through me. I gritted my teeth. Another shock. I screamed. Then everything stopped. I could barely keep my head up. The chains released. My body dropped toward the floor. I landed hard.

Before I could recover, the scientists removed the chains and replaced them with heavy restraints around my wrists. The door opened again. Two armed guards entered. They grabbed me. I struggled weakly. "Where are you taking me?"

The scientist didn't answer. He simply looked at the guards. "Take him to the executioners' block."

"Outside the palace.” The scientist smiled. "Let everyone see what happens to those who oppose the empire."

The guards dragged me toward the door. I looked back one last time. There was no escape. Not this time. The doors opened. And they pulled me out toward my execution.