Chapter 22: The Search VI

Höðr, anglicized as Hoder, Hodur, or Hod. The name of a blind Norse god of darkness and winter, famous for the story where the god of trickster Loki had made him aimed a fig made out of mistletoe at his brother, Baldr. Some of you might recognize this, but stories such as this are nothing but myths, born from the people’s delusion. However, it might have been because they had witness an existence outside their comprehension that they had mistaken it for a god.

            Now, the one who bears the name of that god is the spirit standing in front of me. Because my legs are hanging about two feet from the ground, I am now facing him on the same eye level as him. The summoning spell had almost dried out my mana, and sadly, I don’t want to waste my mana more than I already have.

            Ah, although I said named spirits could attack you, Hod is a womanizer so he would definitely wouldn’t hurt me…… physically that is.

            Well, first thing first, I’m not in a comfortable position, but I guess I should introduce myself. “Spirit Hod, my name is Claudia Robertson and I wish to borrow your strength!”

            No need to state the obvious, it’s been a long time since someone had summon me so I will especially grant you my appearance.

            His arrogance still knows no bounds, has it? Explaining the situation will take some time, and time isn’t on my side right now, that’s why to get his absolute cooperation, I’m willing to step on my small pride.

            Now—what kind of offering you could possibly have to please me.

            His eyes remain closed, yet he leaned his body closer as if to take a good look at me. When he was in a good amount of distance from me, I spit directly to his eye. His expression stayed neutral, but he was obviously shock and unintentionally cut off his mana from the spell that binds me, letting me kiss the ground.

            You wretched little g—

            The voice in my head was strong enough to make anyone a headache; I cut him off with a loudest voice a seven year old could muster, “Listen ginger head! I made the all the effort to summon you, and I don’t want to waste more of my time with your bull**** you arrogant prick!” I bet Hod would have widened his eye if he could. Is that your attitude when asking for power from being such as myself? He said that but with his shoulder trembling, he held his face, failing to hide the edge of his lips were twitching upward

………. He’s enjoying it is he?

 “For you to not have recognized my reincarnated self, is your devotion for me you always flaunt only to that extent of my death? Pathetic pig!” Hod knit his eyebrows at my words.

You—could it be you—

“It’s been a long time Hod, I don’t have much time, so right here, right now, pledge your loyalty and follow me!” I said with a smirk. I extended my hand to him, and just as I hope, Hod kneeled in one knee, and held my hand. You might think making a contract revolves something along the line of exchanging blood, but a spirit’s body is only but a vessel, they don’t have a blood. All you need for a contract is an oath said by the spirit and linking his and my mana together.

 I pledge with my name, Hod to serve my new master, her name is Claudia Roberston and will forever serve until the contract turns void on her words or death.

 He had a dignified voice echoed in my mind, but he was breathing heavily with a blushed face while blatantly showing off his perverted smile. 

 He really sets on my nerve.  
              Master, in what way am I able to serve you?

Since he’s enthusiastic, that’s good. “Hod, I have but one thing I want you to do.”

You only need to name it and I shall follow without question.

 It was weird, hearing his voice and his words washed me over with nostalgia and made me sincerely thought that I’m glad he’s by my side.

It doesn’t change the fact he’s annoying though.

 “Listen well; what I need you to do is….”

#

At a downtown area, a certain hospital namely called Dr. Yuhan Private Hospital, a not soo small, not soo big hospital. You would think most hospital buildings are white in color, yet only this hospital color stayed brown. Because it used to be an old building no one used for a long time, after someone bought it and make a complete makeover to turn it into a hospital. That’s also why, even though the hospital had been running for 18 years, there are still parts in this building unknown to them.

Three floors down beneath the hospital, many rooms without being laid for more than a decade. Without being noticed, the floor’s wall had mostly corroded, the halls were infested with rats and spiders hanging from the ceiling. When one walks through this floor, you could see dust flying across the air.

  In such a place, a girl started to wake from smelling the unfamiliar air around her. She remembered she was attacked by a horrible dream and was sure she would wake up in her room, possibly toppled to the floor. However, the first thing she saw instead was a face. A man’s face, possibly Asian, he had slit eyes and wore a thin smile, his face was smooth like porcelain yet his hair was white, unmatched with his young features.

The girl would have scream, but she was too afraid to even do that, so the least she could do was swallowed her own saliva. She masked her expression with her calm demeanor, but unable the loud thump noise from her chest, beating heatedly. “You’re already awake I see” the man said softly. His voice had cold sweat swept through her back, the same voice she remembered that day.

She tried moving her hand, but couldn’t. She was sitting on a metal chair with no restraint placed on her body but other than turning her head slightly, her body wouldn’t move as she wished. Was I drugged?

She looked around, trying to figure where she was. There were numerous monitor surrounding her, one side with a night vision, overlooking the empty halls. The other side, showing graphs and much numerical value she couldn’t understand. She cocked her head, and felt a metal ring placed on her head. The ring lighted for a moment and jolted her head, she could only gasped without being able to let out a scream.

  “Amazing, I’ve met many children and this is the first time seeing such reaction, your potential is extraordinary.”

 She could care less about her potential, she wanted to cry but a pride inside of her wouldn’t let her. This man had kidnapped many children, some that were her friends. She couldn’t held back her wet eyes but she glared at him menacingly. “Hoo~ that’s a good expression, many had wailed and resist fruitlessly when they wake up, but for you to be calm in this situation, should I say…as expected of you.”

  “Ah, what should I do? Looking at this numbers, I really want to have your power, but then the professor might get angry with me if I don’t give him a good living specimen. Aaa~ but this is such a good power, I really want it!”

 His tone was just like that of a child, what is he talking about? thought Beth. Then one of the red light at the edge of one of the surveillance monitors was blinking. The Asian man’s expression turned serious, he turned toward it and had the whole monitor change into one big footage.

There was a person, a small child at that walking through the empty hallway. It was 3 A.M and one wouldn’t think you would find a child walking alone in a deserted place. The two of them were surprised, but Beth almost choked when the child turned toward the camera, revealing her face.

CLAUDIA!!!! What—what is she doing here?

 Claudia kept staring at the camera, as if she knew who was watching her. She then lifted her hand and pull of a finger that a seven year old child wouldn’t normally pull off. Beth wanted to yell out where the sweet and calm little sister had learned such gesture, the man switched the monitor back to its normal footage of the numerous hallways and stood from his chair. Afraid of seeing his expression, she let him pull off the ring on her head and dragged her toward a room cell.

 There, along with her, eight other children, boys and girls all around the same age as her were sitting with their back on the wall. One of them approached Beth who was laying on the floor and offered her a hand. Beth wanted to take it, but her body still wouldn’t listen to her. “Oh, is the drug still affecting you?” said the boy. He then shoulder her arm lifting her to a place she could rest, one other came and help him.

“I’m sure you still have a hard time talking so let me explain the situation, we don’t where we are or why we’re here. From what we know, we are the lucky ones to be kept alive. You've heard of the kidnapping series right? I don’t what exactly happened with the other kids, but probably they had their brains taken out. I know because I saw a glimpse of one room with shelf full of jars with brains inside of them. Creepy right? Anyway, it seemed we are treated as specimen, this is only my guess but that guy who dragged you here is only a lackey, his job probably involves with kidnapping and taking out brains while also keeping the alive one as well for his employer then disposing part he didn’t need. I don’t know what his employer wants for us, but maybe something along the line as those B-rated movies about crazy mad scientist. Oh, it seemed we couldn’t use our power here, likely because of another drug used on us.”

Beth blinked a few times in amazement and surprise, “Why are you so calm?” she didn’t realize her voice was back, though it still horse, and voiced out her thought. The boy scratched his head, not sure how to say. “Actually, I’ve been wondering that myself, not just me but the others too. I do feel scared and wanted to wail many times, but then I thought nothing would change with that so I just accept things.”

“Isn’t because we’re espers?” a girl beside interrupted, “I heard our brain are special not only because we could use abilities, but because our way of thinking is different. Rather than being overwhelmed by emotion, we could think through most situation logically. I’ve been here for about two months and other than the first day, I haven’t cried once. I don’t feel despair or gone mad and just accept the situation.”

 Surely like she said, Beth didn’t feel much despair, she was sad and scared and wanted to cry for her mother. However instead, she accepted it, just like the others. Beth felt that fact frustrates her; she didn’t want to accept in and just give up. Even without powers, we have nine esper here, isn’t there some way we could escape?

Rather than accepting things, she would rather struggle to the end. She tried thinking of the things that could motivate her; her mother special pancake, the new movie of her favorite actor she and her friends planned to watch, her dad lame jokes, her warm loving sisters…………wait, sister?

“CLAUDIA!”

 Beth suddenly jumped, but soon her leg became rigid and once again fell to the floor. She dragged her body toward the door, without minding the words of concern around her. I don’t know why she’s here, but she’s in danger, I have to help her! Screw my brain; I won’t accept her needs like how I accept my fate.

It didn’t matter if she was drugged, she tried to muster all her strength and concentrate on the door. She felt something was interfering her brain, causing a massive headache. She didn’t care at all. She withstood the pain and slowly but surely, the door began to crack.

 All the other kids stood up when they realize this, but when the boy who dragged her saw the nosebleed, he insisted her on stopping. However, she couldn’t stop now, the Asian man told her she was special, then she was going to believe his words and made him rue the day he had lay on her.

She screamed while pouring out the last strength she had and the door broke while being sent flying. The other kids were dumbfounded, “Claudy…I’m comin—” before she could say anything else, once again she fell to the ground and stayed unconscious.

 “Hey Felix, what should we do now?” said one of the children.

The boy named Felix who tried to stop Claudia before, went to her and examined her breathing, he then softly tried to put her on his back. “Obviously, getting out of here!”  he declared. The other kids wasn’t sure it was a good idea, not knowing where they were and how they were getting out of here, but Felix wasn’t finished.

 “Look, I know even after the door’s open, the chance of getting out is small but it's not zero. Here we have one girl, who withstood the pain after getting drug and create a one in a million chance for us here. I’m not going to waste this chance, so those who still held hope in them, don’t just stick your butt on the ground and try fighting for ourselves!”

 Nice speech kid

  A sudden voice in their voice surprised all of them, without their notice, a man came upon them from the shadows. While the other kids started cowering in fear, only Felix stood his ground and glared at him, not giving up on hope.

Woah there, you might think I’m here to put you back to your cell, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you out.

The dim light in the hall illuminate his features. He was a tall man, with red hair tied on his back, his eyes was closed and he was wearing a black leather jacket, black pants and black boots. The man crouched to meet their eye level even though he himself couldn’t see, but Felix felt that this man was staring toward the depth of his soul. “Why should we believe you?” he tried asking. He felt his legs tremble but he won’t let himself cower.

My task is to get you out of here, you might think I’m lying or maybe trying to use you, but you only have two choices, one is staying here or two getting out of here with me. You don’t need to do something as believing me, if our interests cross, you only need to use me to get yourselves out how’s that?

 Felix ponders. Surely if he uses this man, he could let him and the others out, something he had stop trying for the past month. There was a slight breathing brushing his ear and he looked toward the girl sleeping on his back. “Fine, let us out!”

“Felix!”

“Hey, don’t just decide that on your own!”

  There were few who complained, but before they could reach a decision. The man smiled, the shadow beneath his feet stretched across the floor and second later, they all fall toward the darkness.

Mission accomplished Hod pronounced, Ah, I wonder if master would abuse me as a reward…I’m looking forward to it.

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This chapter is longer than I would have thought, oh well,  I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter, The Confrontation! (Finally, I can change the tittle).

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