Chapter 27

The Capital of Harrelson

Present. Sunday 6/5/119

Back in the present, Michelle had just woken up and reunited with Ethan. Chris is in the room as well, having just met her for the first time. She has yet to notice Melissa (Ms. Till) tied up in the corner.

“Ethan, I’ll return what you asked me earlier. What are you doing here? As strange as it is for me to be here, it’s even stranger for you, is it not?”

“Hmm?” accidentally escaped Ethan’s mouth as she said something which caught him off guard. “It’s strange for me? Are you referring to what happened before? How do you know about that?”

“Give me a little credit,” she told him with a wry smile. “Seriously, what’s going on? Why are you here? I thought after you were sold here, you escaped not a few months later. At least, that’s what I heard from some of my contacts, but when I looked for you afterwards, you had disappeared.”

“I see. The reason for that is …” but as he was about to explain that he was off the map training in the Yeti Mountains for three years, Chris suddenly cut him off with a question.

“He was … sold?” Chris asked with a distinctly serious expression not usually found on his face.

“What? Yes, he …” Michelle began to answer, but when she realised that Chris had no idea as to what they were talking about, she turned to Ethan. “Oh … he doesn’t know, I see. Should I tell him or should you?”

“I ...

Ethan, reluctant to reveal information of his past, nodded his head for Michelle to tell him. She noticed his hesitance regarding the matter and thought that his trust issues hadn’t fully disappeared.

“When I last saw him, he was being taken by some pretty powerful kidnappers. It’s only after a year or so did I find out that he was auctioned and sold to this Territory as a slave.”

“Slaves?” Chris mutters upon hearing this. “What? But, I thought slavery was outlawed by the Empire,” he says, turning to Ethan with a genuinely shocked look. “Ethan, is that true?”

“Sorry to disappoint you Chris, but I told you the world was as good as you thought. Slavery is normal here.”

“But I haven’t seen any slaves since we got here!”

“Yes, you have. What do you think those people in the mines and wheat fields were?”

“Eh? But you said that they were …”

“I never confirmed anything. All I said was that if they wanted, there are enough citizens in the city to fill those fields. However, instead, the slaves do the work.”

The energy is Chris’s body seemed to disapate as he thought of how normal the sight of slavery looked. From afar, they appeared like ordinary field workers, a position which was quite normal for the teenagers of Abrhar to have as a summer job.

He seemed to have been experiencing shock stemming from the fact that his ideal world and reality were so different. He knew bad shit happened, and he knew not every place was as nice, peaceful and advanced as his hometown. However, he drew a line at casually abusing humans like tools.

“S-so you were a slave as well? Those scars … that are all over your body, did you get them from being whipped?”

“Some of them,” Ethan answered.

“I-I’m sorry. I knew you were scared of this place … but I didn’t know that was the reason. I thought you were just being a coward.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not scared,” he says unconvincingly. “I wouldn’t take back those experiences either. They molded me into the person I am today.”

“Still … sorry.” He couldn’t stop feeling guilty and was compelled to apologize once more.

“So … are you going to answer my earlier question? What are you doing here?”

Ethan’s face flinched, as if he were slightly hesitant to tell her. This did not slip by her keen business-woman perception. Knowing something to be up, her face frowned into what can only be described as the ‘mother look.’

“You're hesitant to tell me. Why?”

Chris looked at her and then at Ethan, wondering what their odd stare down to be about. This made Ethan nervous, thinking Chris would blurt out the answer to her question. That was something he adamantly didn’t want. What came out of Chris’s mouth was always unpredictable.

“Does it have something to do with why you were tied up?” she asked.

He sighed and nodded his head. “Yes. That was a part of our plan.”

“And what is this plan?”

“The plan is revenge.”

She wasn’t surprised. In fact, she had thought that to be the case, considering Ethan’s personality. He wasn’t someone who forgot a grudge.

“Oh … so that’s why you were nervous,” she said while sighing. “You were afraid I would stop you.”

“Not afraid,” he stated. “You couldn’t stop me if you tried, but yes. I was concerned that you would.”

“Well, normally I would, but honestly I don’t feel like I have that right anymore. You’ve grown up without me and I can imagine that if I were to impede too much on you now, it would push you away. I don’t want that. I just got you back, after all.”

“Thank you, Michelle.”

Her gaze suddenly sharpened. “If I can’t stop you, I should at least lend a hand. Will you let me?”

He nodded again. “Do as you wish.”

“Alright, that makes me feel a lot better. So … what do I need to do?”

He took the time to explain to her the plan he and Chris devised. After Chris turns Ethan over to Harrelson for the bounty, he’ll stash the money in their bags and exit the city limits. Meanwhile, Ethan will take his revenge against Harrelson and meet Chris outside the city once he’s done.

“That’s the entire plan. It’s quite simple really.”

“You're pretty greedy, aren’t you. Wanting both the bounty money and revenge.”

“Says the woman in more business deals then she can keep up with. How much are you worth right now, seriously?”

“I-I don’t know anymore,” she stammered while answering, her face slightly red from embarrassment. Her success did not stem from any sort of greed. Rather, she’s just a work-aholic and has a strange need to keep herself busy. A trait which she got from her father and one which people had poked fun at her for in the past.

“I see. Anyways, you can help, but the plan doesn’t involve you.”

But that’s when Chris spoke up. “Hey, Ethan. I know this might be kinda selfish of me, but … if you're going to do what you want, can I do the same?”

Ethan frowned. “What did you have in mind?”

“I … uh … want to free the slaves.”

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly, but he half expected Chris to request this, considering the kids reaction to hearing about them earlier.

“I guess it’s possibly they won’t be freed even after I kill Harrelson,” he muttered to himself before answering Chris. “You can do what you want. After all, I’m not in charge of you or anything. We’re merely travel partners. For us to have different goals is expected, especially since our personalities are polar opposites.”

Chris’s face brightened and his lips curled into an innocent smile. Jumping his fist into the air, he yelled, “Let’s go!” Ethan began envisioning all of the slaves storming the Harrelson mansion after they were freed and the pandemonium that will ensue afterwards.

This Territory will collapse. Someone could’ve taken his place afterwards, but that wouldn’t solve the problems this place has. If I want to be true to my goals, this is the best action to take. But, I have some reservations about Chris acting independently.

“Hey, Michelle, do you mind helping him with that. I don’t trust him not to get himself captured.”

“H-hey. I’m not that incompetent,” Chris fired back, but his defense fell on deaf ears.

“Sure, but Ethan, can you really do this on your own?” she asked after agreeing to his request. “You were always strong but … will you be alright?”

“Of course. I’ve been training constantly for the past three years. I’m even stronger than Chris here.”

“That’s … wow. Ugh, your immense improvement makes me feel ashamed of the training I’ve been doing. To think our strength’s were once equal. Still, regardless of how strong you are now, be careful.”

“Right.”

Since the plan only involves the two of them, they asked Michelle to wait near the city gates so she can meet up with Chris after he turns over Ethan. She, of course, agreed, and with that, the plan was back on track.

As Ethan began retying himself with the rope, Michelle suddenly jumped in surprise. He followed her line of sight to Melissa bound to a chair with her mouth gagged and immediately understood why she had been startled. Apparently, Melissa had sat quietly this entire time, intently listening to their conversations. In all honesty, Ethan and Chris had both forgotten about her.

“Um … Ethan … do you mind telling me why there is a random woman tied to a chair?”

“Out of necessity.”

Everyone, including Melissa, furrowed their eyebrows at this vague but matter-of-fact answer. Michelle began contemplating scenarios where such a thing is necessary, but she couldn’t think of any. In fact, doing so was vastly out of character for Ethan to begin with. Normally, if the need to silence someone arose, he would just knock them out or kill them.

To this absurd answer, Michelle was silent while she was, as just stated, in deep thought. Melissa, on the other hand, immediately began yelling inaudible words through her gag with a viscous tone.

Ethan turned to her and once again released the gag around her mouth. Michelle was quite surprised by this, not knowing he was a Geinta Master. He explained it to her later.

“You need something?” he asked in a cold tone.

“Necessity?! I tried to tell you earlier but you just gagged me! I wasn’t going to sell you out to Harrelson. The reason I backed away from you was because I was just startled to randomly find you in a dark alley. I mean, from what I was told, you escaped a long time ago with the help of a guard.”

“That’s correct. Was he killed?”

“The guard? Yeah, I’m pretty sure. The few more times I was put in the box, he wasn’t stationed there anymore. He might’ve been transferred to a different position, but …”

“That’s highly unlikely.”

“Right.”

He began thinking about how firmly she stood by her conclusion that the guard, whom both her and Ethan respected, had been killed. Her present self was in stark contrast with the naive girl he met three years ago, who would have tried to argue against the possibility of his death.

“Ethan, how do you know her?” This time, it was Michelle who was asking, but judging by the expression of Chris’s face, he was wondering the same. Ethan had already explained to him about her connection to Harrelson, but not his personal connection to her.

“She was a slave that spent a lot of time in lock up with me.”

“Oh,” both Michelle and Chris exclaim.

“That makes me sound so disobedient like you!” Melissa yelled at him. “I was just clumsy!”

“And how did such a clumsy girl work her way up to a position where she can dress like this.” He lightly grabbed the collar of her expensive-looking work shirt. “You must have endeavored quite a bit. How much did you kiss his ass to get to where you are?”

His blunt sounding question struck a chord within her, causing her face to scowl back at him. “You have no idea how hard it was just to earn this position. How much I suffered just to end up the errand girl of a scumbag like him.”

“Au contraire, I have a pretty solid idea as to what you had to go through but I can tell you dying to tell me so … go on.”

Her face twitched in frustration at his ill-mannered, know-it-all attitude, but she repressed the urge to voice a complaint.

“After you left, guess who took your place? I did. I looked like a young version of his wife and apparently he ended up fancying me quite a bit.”

Ethan’s eyes widened a bit, having not expected that answer. He thought that Harrelson prefered young boys, so her answer was to the contrary of his assumption.

“So you became his new victim.”

“Yeah, but the only problem was, you were his favorite. He had some sick fucking obsession with. And when you disappeared, guess who he took his frustration out on?”

“You.”

“Right. I was treated like dirt, beaten and broken almost every night. I endured so much that I actually went through an Awakening, but they quickly put a Gio collar on me so it didn’t make a difference. Only after a year of suffering like that did he calm down. Since I was the first to survive his … treatment, he promoted me, saying he wanted a pretty face around. I thought I was finally done with being assaulted every night, but still, every once in a while, he’ll want his ‘Melissa fix’ and he’ll call upon me.”

“I see,” he said flatly. “You probably resent me for leaving.”

She stared back at him. A flash of rage sprouted in her eye as she thought of the past, but it quickly dissipated.

“No … I did, but I don't care anymore. After all, you always said you’d do anything to escape.”

He nodded his head to her statement. Just then, as he did so, she shifted in her body within the chair, exposing something on her collar bone which caught his eye.

Ethan suddenly leaned in, causing her to flinch slightly as he moved his hand toward her neck. However, he stopped short, realising she was uncomfortable.

“Relax,” he told her as he gently moved her shirt collar to the side in order to see her shoulder. There, he found a large scar extending from her collar bone to her shoulder blade. Chris and Michelle, who had been quietly watching their interaction take place, grimmanced at the sight of it.

“That must have hurt.”

“Save it,” she snapped back. “I know you have no sympathy. I mean, you have more scars than I do.”

“But I assume you have numerous all over your body as well.”

She nodded her head in confirmation. In fact, she had once counted over thirty scars like that one on her body. Although she couldn’t remember receiving half of them, the amount did not surprise her in the slightest. Still, she was sure that Ethan had more, which she was correct.

Chris watched her nod her head ‘yes’ and grew angry as a result. Not angry at her, but at what she and Ethan were made to experience. Enslavement, an evil which no one should have to suffer through. He suppressed his urge to jump off the balcony and go rescue the slaves immediately. He told himself that, even if he were to wait until after he turned Ethan over, the slaves would still be there.

Michelle, like Chris, stayed silent as she watched this play out in front of her. Of course, she wanted to try and comfort the two, but since she had little knowledge as to the suffering they experienced, she thought it best to hold her piece.

“Ok, I can tell you won’t sell us out, given what you’ve said. Though, I can’t completely trust you, but if you do end up crossing me, I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

“Like I said, I won’t!”

“Fine. I’ll choose to take your word for it.”

When he had shifted her shirt collar to the side, her slave collar made of Giovantine had been exposed. It was smaller and even more compact than what Ethan wore, possibly because her Geinta strength is negligible in comparison to what his was.

Without hesitation, Ethan gripped the collar around her neck and easily shattered it with his bare hand. The pieces of the collar fell off her neck and onto the ground. Before she even realised what he was doing, her collar was off. With a face filled with shock and disbelief, she felt her neck, checking to make sure that she was not mistaken.

It wasn’t there. This isn’t a dream. She held a piece of the collar in her hand to ensure that, but quickly through it to the ground, not wanting to hold it a second longer.

“You just …” she tried to say something, but was cut off by a burning sensation all over her body.

Her Awakened strength, which she was never allowed to use or even get used to, came flooding back to her. She gasped as energy welled up inside her. After a moment, it quickly subsided.

Still in disbelief, Ethan released the Geinta bands bounding her to the chair, allowing her to stand. She did so while continuing to massage her now collar-free neck, and after a while, she finally accepted that it was real.

She couldn’t contain her emotions and tears quickly filled her eyes. They streamed down her cheeks as she looked at Ethan, someone whom she was mad at not a few minutes ago, with eternal gratitude.

Noticing that, he wanted to say it was no big deal, but before he could, she wrapped her arms around her neck and began lightly sobbing into his shoulder. She was taller than he was so she couldn’t cry into his chest, but it didn’t matter at the time.

Being the emotionally distant person he was, he hadn't the slightest clue how to handle such a thing. Turning his head towards Michelle, he gave her a pleading look of “please help me, I don’t know what to do.” However, she just smiled back at him, leaving him to grumble as he patted her back , waiting for her to calm down.

He could hear her quietly whispering ‘thank you’ while embracing him.

***

Eventually, she calmed down and allowed the three to continue their plans. They asked what she would do, but she didn’t have an answer to that. Wanted to see her family, whom she hadn’t seen since her capture, was a vague goal and not a concrete plan of action. While she began contemplating her next move, Ethan told her to use the chaos which they were about to unleash to escape.

They stepped out of her penthouse after saying goodbye. In the hallways, Ethan began retying himself so that Chris could carry him again. This is when Chris asked Michelle a question which he had been curious about since their battle.

“Hey, how come you're so good at fighting if you're missing an eye? Doesn’t that like … throw off your depth perception or something?”

Michelle turned to look at him, as she had been silently laughing at Ethan struggling to tie himself up. She raised her eyebrow as a slight smile formed on her lips.

“Huh, you're the first person to ever ask about my eye in such a blunt way. To answer your question, I don’t fight with one eye. I fight with two.”

“Huh?”

Both Ethan and Chris frowned confusedly at this answer. Only, the former didn’t vocalize his confusion like Chris did. They began racking their brains to figure how what she said was possible.

After a quick moment, Ethan was the first to reach an answer.

“Using your ability, you replicate your right eye in your left socket.”

“Exactly.”

Chris tilted his head to the side, staring bewildered at her eyepatch. “Eh? But how can you see through your eyepatch? I never saw you remove it during our fight.”

She took her eyepatch off and showed them the other side. To their surprise, the patch was see-through on only the wearer’s side. Meaning that, upon gaining a second eye temporarily, she could see through her patch without any problems.

The reason she doesn’t replicate a second eye constantly is because it requires Geinta to do so. If she were to do so, she would exhaust all of her energy before half the day was over, which would inevitably cause her an extreme amount of fatigue. Such a thing is just not acceptable for a work-aholic like her, who actively wished for more hours in a day.

After showing off the patch some more to Chris, who had become oddly fascinated by it, she turned her head to see that Ethan had finished retying himself.

“Chris. Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” he said in a strong tone, acting like he wasn’t just gushing over a piece of transparent cloth. “Let’s do this.”

And thus, the three of them exited the building and began executing the plan.