Chapter Five: Shattered Walls

  Nikolai stalked through the corridor, fists clenched. He swiped his Omni-link across the screen and shoved the door open, slamming it hard against the wall.

  “Angry, Nikolai?” Elias’s voice echoed from behind him.

  Nikolai froze, every muscle taut.

  “What’s it to ya?” Nikolai asked, his voice wavering despite his effort to remain steady.

  “Not so polite, are we, Nikolai?” Elias smirked. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? Oh—right. You never had one.”

  Nikolai’s eye twitched violently—a hairline fracture in the “Iron Mask.” He could feel the heat of Elias’s breath, a sickeningly calm contrast to the storm in his own chest. Elias moved closer, looming over him.

  “Not even replying. How disrespectful.”

  Nikolai looked over his shoulder, his glare burning into Elias’s.

  “You’re a little firecracker, aren’t you, Nikolai?” Elias said. His finger hooked under Nikolai’s chin, the visceral contact feeling like a burn. He forced Nikolai’s head back, making him look up into eyes that held no warmth, only clinical curiosity. “That fire in your eyes won’t get you anywhere.”

  “Get your hands off me,” Nikolai murmured. The words were shards of ice, but Elias only smiled—the way a scientist might smile at a test subject that finally showed a sign of life.

  “But, Nikolai, let me make one thing clear—I’m not your enemy. Everything I do is for your own sake,” Elias whispered, his voice smooth and terrifyingly paternal. It was a lie so heavy it felt like it was crushing the air out of the room.

  Stop messing with my head, you bastard! Nikolai bit the inside of his cheek, fists clenched tight.

  “Rest, Nikolai,” Elias dropped his chin and headed for the door. “And try not to be late tomorrow.” He didn’t look back as the door shut with a soft click.

  ***

  Nikolai slammed his fist against the bathroom wall, jaw clenched. Water struck the floor in a steady rhythm, heat curling around his feet. His hair clung to his face as the water from the shower-head ran through his dark locks, which appeared like spilled ink.

  ‘You never had one.’ Elias’s words echoed in his mind—a sharp, agonizing reminder.

  Nikolai ran a hand through his damp hair. How dare he, he thought, his grip tightening.

  P-please…take care of my baby…d-don’t—a woman’s voice surfaced, breaking through his thoughts. He squeezed his eyes shut, memories flashing too fast to grasp—almost dizzying.

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  A baby’s loud crying. A woman with the same black hair as his, pleading desperately as men of metal tore the child from her arms.

  “Please…please,” she sobbed. “Don’t hurt him.” tears streaked her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees.

  “He’s a clever child; he has high cognitive potential. He could become useful,” the machines said among each other.

  The woman sobbed helplessly, blood trickling down her lip. One machine pointed a C-beam at her. “Any last words?”

  “P-please..take care…of my baby…d-don’t—“

  The trigger fired.

  The baby screamed. Tears poured down his face, wetting his cheeks as he reached for the woman.

  “Silence the child.”

  A cold serum spread through his veins. Everything went dark.

  Nikolai’s muscles went stiff at the memory. A single tear rolled down his cheek before he could stop it. He buried his head into his hands, the hot water mocking the coldness in his bones. No. I had a mother, he thought, the words a silent scream against his palms. The “Iron Mask” didn't just crack—it disintegrated. His shoulders shook violently, his breath hitching in ragged, uneven sobs that were swallowed by the roar of the shower.

  ***

  Nikolai collapsed on the side of the bed, head bowed, dressed in a white hoodie and breathable linen ash-gray trousers. Water droplets hit the floor in a steady rhythm as they slid from his damp locks. The white bed sheets scrunched beneath his tightening grip.

  I can’t do this anymore. That bastard took everyone’s trust from me. Nikolai’s fingers dug into the fabric, his knuckles whitening. He inhaled deeply through his nose, attempting to steady his breath.

  Tears stung the corners of his eyes as his gaze locked on the camera in the corner. His eyes, gray as storm clouds, narrowed. His pulse was loud in his ears. His hands trembled as he gripped his black glasses, lifting them from the nightstand. With his palms damp with sweat, his instincts screamed as his heart pounded painfully against his ribcage.

  He finally let his rage slip.

  The sound of shattering glass followed, the noise echoing in his quiet bedchamber. The camera light flickered—then went dark. All that remained was shattered glass atop the wardrobe.

  His eyes widened slightly, almost surprised by his own fury, yet now they seemed to breathe easier, as if a weight had lifted for a moment. “You took everything. I won’t let you take my sanity,” he murmured.

  I had everything to lose. Now I have nothing left. Why can’t they just believe me? I’ve known them ever since we were transported to that damn facility—yet they trust a stranger over me?

  Nikolai’s fists clenched tighter. He glanced up at the broken camera once again. His face went ashen, realization hitting him like a slap. What would happen to him now? Would he be punished for breaking the surveillance?

  Nikolai swallowed hard, his head bowed with dread.

  A knock on the door.