Blinding Light (BLS Book 1)

Nolan

Something didn’t sound right. Phase two was supposed to work perfectly. We’ve done everything we could.

So why wasn’t it working?

I frown as Indra and Sira continue to try to figure out a solution.

Their bickering is giving me a goddamn headache!

She is perfectly awake but unmoving. And the sister is there also. We’ve put her to sleep to analyze why there was no reaction to any of the simulations that we’ve tried. It’s supposed to be working. I start pacing involuntarily.

“Are you alright, son?”

“No,” I answer truthfully. “I’m just worried. What if this phase doesn’t work, and we’re all doomed?”

“Yeah, I get it. We’re all running out of time. But we are still relatively safer in this facility rather than outside,” he replies. Every time I bring up this topic, Father seemed to be calmer than anyone else about this.

“And I’m sure Indra will figure this out. Make sure you don’t leave out anything you’ve discovered.”

I nod in response.

“Telepathic breach,” someone says. My ears perk up at that.

“I had nothing to do with this,” Asher merely replies. I glance at him, and I know he’s not lying. I’ve been with him long enough to know when he’s telling the truth. But he’s hiding something, this is the only time I wish I had his powers—my focus leaves him.

As long as he tells the truth about having nothing to do with messing up the phase, whatever he’s hiding can wait till later.

“Are you hiding something, Asher?” Indra asks.

Read my mind.

“No,” he says, face emotionless, shaking his head. Now, I knew that was a lie.

The way his hands are now stuffed into his pants pockets, and I can see the fabric moving. He’s playing with the fabric, something he always does when he’s lying. He swallows—he is hiding something, but I believe that it’s a personal business that has nothing to do with this current problem.

So what was the problem?

Telepathic breach…

Wait. One other person has that ability. I ruffle my hair, mentally facepalming for not thinking of this earlier.

One other person in this facility has this ability. He’s the reason Asher has his power—from analyzing his DNA.

Evren.

My brain rewinds to that encounter with him and the sister. But the only thing I’ve gotten is his rejection of my deal. It’s not helpful that now Sira is blaming Asher for interfering with the process. Which was probable at first, but for the sake of everyone’s lives and the crises, he wouldn’t dare. I know that he wouldn’t. He may be hiding something, but he wouldn’t do something like this.

I’m pacing around, and by the time I figured out where I was, I’ve already left the room and entered the security one. There are security cameras everywhere except in the host’s room. Her room needs privacy, and only members of the APT know access to this room.

The security room is filled with monitors. The screen Projects the whole facility. I can see Father in the room with Indra, Sira, and Asher. They’re still arguing and trying to figure out what to do. Asher’s in the corner, playing with something in his pocket. My gaze leaves that screen and travels to another one—the history records.

“Open this one,” I say to the guard sitting lazily in his rolling chair in front of all the monitors. He nods immediately, despite the tiredness in his eyes—the tape of the interrogation rewinds.

“You people are disgusting creatures, and you don’t deserve to be on this Earth.”

Evren’s words ring out throughout the security room. I can’t believe he would even say that. We give him an incredible offer. We offer not to hurt his sister, not to do anything, of course, unless it’s necessary. But it’s useless; he’s too stubborn to accept the deal. I don’t understand, his hatred for me could be throughout all of eternity, but it really could’ve ended differently.

I play the tape over and over again. With no conclusions, I pause it in frustration.

Cursing under my breath, I glance at the guards—they both have terror radiating off their bodies. I know that they know of my ability transplant, but they do not need to heed such terrified expressions, we are on the same side for God’s sake.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing Mr. Quinn.”

“Fine!” I throw my hands up, not frustrated with them but about the Project. “Leave me,” I command. Soon, I’m left alone in the room. I scratch my head and resume the tape.

“I will not admit my role.”

…

Wait…

I retract it and play it again to make sure I’ve heard it correctly.

Screw you, Evren. You were just toying with me—you helped after all.

I just gotta find—bingo.

The history files access host. Some files are hidden to the common eye, so one will not find them unless they know where to look.

Usually, recordings have pictures that are automatically uploaded once they’ve been looked at. The screens are programmed to keep the most important file and get rid of the others. But this particular one doesn’t have a picture. Instead, it’s a gray screen, much like an enlarged pixel.

Dated July 2340.

I click play.

***

The tape shows the room of captivity. I can make out Raven’s figure as she comes in. It’s night, the video isn’t clear, but the voices are. Evren sleeps in shackles on the ground; we’re not cruel enough to leave him standing all night—he needs his strengths for our benefit.

How did she even get out of the secret door? Isn’t he not supposed to know about this? My thoughts are interrupted when Raven speaks.

“Evren, nous ne peut pas la garder souffrir comme ça. Et je ne peux plus continuer à les combattre.”

“Je ne peux pas communiquer avec elle, Raven,” he growls in frustration, his shackles rattling.

Damn, even though I did learn French, I can’t mentally translate fast enough for these people.

Good for me, there’s a button installed to the program for translation. So I click it.

“I know! But I also know that you’ll be able to. Someway,” Raven exclaims, her eyes then glow a faint green.

“Wait, Evren! I got it!” She holds his bruised hands.

“What?”

“I just need to sneak into the Project room. Help me write a letter.”

“What are you talking about?” He asks, frowning.

She smiles, “All we need to do is temporally break the telepathic barrier and communicate one thing to her. Then, she can figure out the rest.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“It’s easy, really. Tomorrow at noon, they’re going to put me in her head again to experiment. I already know that this time they’re going to erase my memory, and it’s going to work.” A pained expression displays on her face, and she drops his hands.

“What? No. I can’t let you do this,” he says while he picks her hands back up. “I’ve already lost one sister. I’m not losing another.”

“Oh, Evren,” she frowns, and her eyes emit a brighter light. “There’s no other way.”

Even as she says this, the pained expression never leaves her eyes.

“What are you hiding from me, Raven?”

She looks at him with a pained expression, “Just one thing. But I better keep it to myself, it’s for your own good.”

“If no harm comes to you or Mila, I will help,” he says.

“Oh, thank you, brother.” She hugs him tightly, avoiding his gaze. Evren returns the gesture with a smile. His dimples show on the camera even in the dark setting.

Just like Mila’s. I shake that thought away. Remember, no attachments.

“Why does it have to be like this?” Evren asks as Raven scribbles down on paper.

“It’s the only way,” she replies, “She has suffered enough,” she sighs, her eyes never leaving the parchment.

I don’t even know how they managed to get the parchment and pen, but they did. The camera blacks out for exactly thirty seconds before coming back on, then Raven has a parchment and pen in hand, already starting to scribble.

“It’s going to work, Evren, don’t worry.”

“I don’t worry for her, but for you,” he replies and she doesn’t answer.

A while later, he says, so quietly I almost don’t hear him. “Tell her about me.”

Raven glances up at him with an emotion that I couldn’t decipher, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he says, this time more confident.

When they’re done writing, Raven hugs Evren again, “I’m sorry brother. I’m sorry I never got to know you. I—”

“Shhhh. Shhhh. It’s okay,” he rubs her long hair.

“Forgive me, and I love you.” She hugs him one last time.

“I love you too,” he whispers in her hair.

“I know I’ve never really gotten to know you that well, Brother.”

“That’s not your fault,” he grits his teeth. “It’s theirs.”

“I know,” she looks up at him. “And this is why that we need to do this. We’re stuck in the real world, we know what’s going on. But Mila doesn’t. She didn’t know for twelve years, Evren!”

“I know. But don’t you think trauma will be worse?” He asks, sighing.

“No. I don’t believe so. It’s time that she knew the truth about herself. Just like how you’ve broken the barrier and told me the truth. She’s smart, she’ll know how to get herself out of this mess.”

“So you’re saying that we’re not smart enough to get ourselves out of this mess?” He asks, sarcastic.

“You idiot,” she pushes him in the chest and smiles, “You know that’s that what I meant.”

“I know,” he smiles alongside her.

“I wish certain times were not like this.”

“Me too.”

“It’s almost sunrise. I have to depart,” she says, a sad smile lingering on her face. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye? Why does it sound like you’re never returning?”

“Remember Evren. Tomorrow when they come to get me, you must carry out your best act. It must be believable. You need to have him get me out of my room,” she doesn’t say anything else and runs.

“Wait!” He shouts and tries to take off after her. But it’s almost morning, and his shackles begin to rise, pulling him up.

“No…ugh. Curse these things. Curse them to hell,” he mutters.

“Wait! Raven!” He shouts desperately as she returns to her secret room. He inhales sharply and lets out a trembling breath. “No. No. What have I let her agree herself to? No, have mercy.”

The tape ends.

Want more chapters quicker? This book is available on amazon! Just click on the SUPPORT ME button on my profile!

Like ❃ Comment ❃ Share

Thanks, with lots of smiles

☆•Yiona•☆