Sold?

Nora, Ayaan and I sat in our room playing UNO. Nora and I had finally finished our indoor training so now we had more free time unless we had to accompany Ben or Caesar anywhere.

Nora nudged her elbow on my arm. I looked at her and she looked at Ayaan. He seemed a bit down.

"What's wrong Ayaan?" I asked.

He put down his cards and got his notepad to write on, 'I think Maria won't get any better.'

"Why do you think that?" Nora got closer to him, her hair had gotten longer but then again mine had too. I should get them cut.

'Arius won't allow me to see her. He keeps saying I can't'

"Why? What's Arius doing with her anyway?" I placed down my cards as well.

'Experiments.'

Nora and I spared each other a glance.

Experiments?

She is on the fourth floor. I wonder if she is the lady I saw on the wheelchair that day.

"You know, Arius is too hard to understand." Nora said as she hugged Ayaan gently, "He smiles all the time but no one can tell what's behind it." She looked at me and I nodded, "He's heartless, people say."

I raised my eyebrows at her, "Heartless?"

"He didn't even shed a single tear when his father died." She shook her head in disappointment, "I mean, that was his last family."

I sighed, "He doesn't really seem to be bothered by anything..."

Not even crying when you lose your family? Richard may be our worst nightmare but to Arius he was a father.

I wonder why? I don't think he's completely heartless...

Nora stroked on Ayaan's head who was busy with his own thoughts and barely paid any attention to our whisperings.

Someone knocked on the door, alerting us.

I stood up and went to open it.

A tan skinned, wavy hair lady stood there smiling even though it seemed like she was a bit worn out, "Hello there." I noticed her injured arm but she covered it with her sleeve immediately.

I heard someone run behind me.

Ayaan crossed me like sonic and hugged the lady.

It crossed my mind at that time that she must be Maria and seeing her confirmed my suspicion for something more, that she was the lady I saw that day.

Me and Nora talked with her as we played a new game of UNO While Ayaan and Maria used sign language to talk to each other.

I smiled as I watched them.

They seemed close.

After a few games Nora and I left the pair of siblings alone to enjoy their time.

I really wanted to ask Maria what they were doing to her, I mean 'experiment' really doesn't sound like a good word.

And then there was that injury on her arm too.

But I guess there's always a next time. The pair met after so long I should let them be.

Besides, She seemed like a good person anyway, I'm sure it'll be easy to talk to her.

***

In the middle of the night when I was going back to the room after getting some water from the kitchen I saw Ayaan.

The place was dim but I noticed his anxious expression, as he ran up the stairs to the forth floor.

Did something happen?

I decided to follow him just in case.

The lights were dimmer on the floor but my eyes adjusted as I walked through the corridors.

An agonizing scream froze me in my path.

What's this?

The sound of hoarse sobs made my feet move on their own. I had to only take two turns to see Ayaan run out of a lit room with his eyes brimming with tears, groans leaving his mouth. Although the voices were distorted and hoarse he was still crying for help.

Right behind him was Arius, a bloodied sword in his hands along with splatter of blood on his clothes. He grabbed Ayaan by the neck and slammed his little frame next to the wall. His feet dangling in the air.

"If you don't stop crying I'm going to sew that mouth shut." His whispering voice contained a lot of anger. Clearly he was annoyed at something but I couldn't bear to see him hurt Ayaan like that especially when he was crying so bitterly and helplessly.

I jumped into action, pushing Arius away I brought Ayaan into my embrace as he fell on the floor.

"How cruel can you be?!! He's a little kid!" I yelled at him.

Arius looked at me in anger, "He's not a kid." He gritted his teeth.

His gaze traveled from me to Ayaan, then he sighed, "Fine." He walked past us, "Have it your way."

He left and I looked at Ayaan. His tears wouldn't stop flowing as he looked back at me in agony.

"Ma-" He tried speaking, his voice was too damaged yet he tried again, "Ma-l"

The hoarseness of his voice, his tear brimmed eyes and the effort he was putting in to speak was making me sad, I felt so bad.

"Ia" He pointed at the door he had just run out of.

"Maria?"

I was confused. Did something happen to her?

I stood up and began walking towards the door. Ayaan didn't stop me or tried saying anything else, he just slumped against the wall and continued crying with his hands clasped together over his chest.

Before I reached the door I saw Caesar, standing at the other end of the corridor, he spared me a glance and then went away.

Only when I had reached the door, I realized there was a pool of blood seeping all the way out of the door frame.

My gaze followed the trail of blood and my breath got caught in my throat when I saw where it came from.

On the floor lay a dead body. Not just of anyone, but of Maria.

Arius hadn't just killed her.

He had murdered her mercilessly.

I felt my legs go weak and I dropped to the ground.

He had neatly sliced her head off her body.

It made me feel dizzy, the sight of her head staring at me separately while the rest of her injured body lay on the floor facing the other direction.

Fear was making my head blank.

Not being able to stand up properly I just crawled my way back to Ayaan, took him in my embrace and let him cry all he wanted