Soren's hold on Cyrus tightened as 'matron Nell' got closer. He glowered at 'her.' 'She' stopped just a few feet away from them.
"Soren, let me go." Cyrus struggled in Soren's arms as he tried to get free.
But Soren's arms only tightened around Cyrus protectively.
"He is dangerous," Soren scolded lightly, "don't move."
"He?" Cyrus looked back at 'Matron Nell.' 'She' had been standing there looking over at Cyrus and Soren.
To Cyrus's horror, 'her' stern yet gentle face began to change. Replaced by the face of a man. The nun clothes fell off of 'her' body instead white pristine outfit was underneath it. He took the veil off, tossing it aside as if it was just a dirty rag. White hair cascaded down his back.
"Elias…?
Cyrus managed to get out of Soren's hold, "you!"
Elias smirked, "I see," he looked down at Cyrus as if he was just a dog, "you have found out about the cave as well~" his voice was almost seductive.
Cyrus stood up from the ground. He was shorter than Elias and he also hated that fact. But it's not what he should be worried about.
"Why are you here?! Did you do this to Soren?! How could you?!"
Cyrus had a shitton of questions that he wondered if those will ever be answered.
Elias smirked, "oh darling," his voice was deep and soft, "I needed subjects for my experiments."
"What?" Cyrus couldn't believe this. But the answer, the truth was right in front of him on a silver platter. Soren looks injured and the perpetrator himself is confessing.
"I discovered this orphanage by my good friend Elric." He grinned, "he was the reason I had done this great experiment."
Cyrus felt like he couldn't breathe. The same Elias who had given them the cure was the one who orchestrated it. "What the fuck do you even mean?!" He spat out angrily, "why- why?!"
"Why?" Elias repeated.
"What was even your goal, you sick fuck?!" Cyrus yelled. Soren just quietly sat slumped on the rock on his back. He wanted to intervene and comfort him but he didn't.
"Because I felt like a fucking God!" His smirk turned into a grin.
"What…?" Cyrus's left hand flickered in flames. A green earthy vine spiraled in his right arm. He felt a rage that he, himself won't be able to contain.
"A God?" Soren was also astonished.
"Yes, a God." Elias grinned, "I present you with the sickness and then you and your blue eyed prince," he briefly glanced at Soren on the ground, "come to me." His grin widened, "and I then present you with the cure~"
Cyrus felt sick to his stomach, "when did you dress up as the Matron? Fuck that! How did you even get her face?! What kind of sorcery is this?!" He shouted. His voice echoed, his throat hurts.
"He is a shape-shifter…" Soren answered instead of Elias, "he had killed the matron and taken her appearance." Soren sounded really tired.
Cyrus eyes widened as his eyes snapped towards Soren then back at Elias, "what…? When…?"
"When she had sent you both to find something weed~" Elias's voice sounded like poison in Cyrus's ear.
Medicinal herbs.
So it had been days. Cyrus's legs felt weak as the flames flickered more violently and the vine on his right arm tightened as if responding to his anger.
He lunged, he couldn't hold himself back anymore. The fire ball conjured on his left arm and vine shot out from his right.
Soren's eyes widened. But he believed in Cyrus. He hoped Cyrus would be able to defeat Elias. That fragile hope shattered as Elias grabbed Cyrus's vine, pulled him closer and placed his palm on his chest roughly.
Cyrus's eyes widened as the flame disappeared. The vine retracted back into Cyrus's skin as if it was afraid of what might happen. Cyrus couldn't feel his body anymore. He limped. Elias held him by the collar.
"Cyrus!!!" Soren shouted, "what did you do to him???" He felt tears prick his eyes.
"Nothing~" Elias said in his velvety-soft voice, "I put a spell on him." He said as every second of Elias's words made Soren's skin crawl, "it's temporary paralysis."
"What?" Soren wanted to reach out. To hold Cyrus. To keep him safe. To take him away from danger. But he is chained to a fucking rock abd powerless.
"He can feel things. But he cannot speak and cannot move- well except for his eyelids…" his grin turned into a sneer, "so basically a prisoner in his own body"
Soren's eyes widened. "No…"
Elias put Cyrus on the ground roughly, "that means…" he traced a finger on Cyrus's jaw mockingly, "whatever I do to him~ he will feel it but he cannot scream but I can see it in his expressions.~"
"No no no." Soren begged, "please don't hurt him."
"Hurt him?" Elias mockingly tilted his head, "no~" he said in that same tone that made Cyrus sick, "I'm going to do a little experiment."
Soren's eyes widened, "no no no please!" He pleaded, he felt tears threatening to fall, "don't hurt him. You have me for that, please don't hurt him."
Elias ignored him, "I wonder~" he trails his fingers on Cyrus's chest, "what are you hiding underneath that fabric~"
Cyrus's eyes widened. He can't talk. He can't protest. He only blinked rapidly as if it would make Elias disappear.
Soren gasped, "no… no… you mean…" Soren pushed forward, the chains clinked and rattled. "Please no no no. You can't touch him like that. You creep."
Elias's jaw clenched at that, "creep?" He grabbed Cyrus by the collar of his shirt and tossed him in front of Soren. Cyrus felt everything but he couldn't scream.
"Cy!" Soren wanted to reach Cyrus. But he fell right out of his reach.
Cyrus looked at Soren and some of his tears spilled. He also wanted to reach out to Soren. But his muscles feel locked. He can't use either of the two powers he has. Not nature nor fire.
But before both of them could think Elias grabbed Cyrus roughly again, "I'm anything but a creep. I'AM A FUCKING GOD!!!!!"
Cyrus swallowed his fears. He inhaled. His lungs felt like they belonged to someone else.
Elias gripped Cyrus's shirt, "I will see how you break when I break him in front of you!" He sneered, "this will be an experiment to see how a soul could break!" he ripped open Cyrus's shirt. Earning a gasp from Soren.
"NO!!!" Soren reached out. His chest heaved as water, deep powerful water soared from his finger-tips. The sleeve of his shirt ripped. His hair grew longer. His once white Irises turned black right as water pressure came out of his tips like a broken dam. His chains broke.
Elias was pushed off of Cyrus. His back hit the cave wall. As the water pressure dug through his chest and into his lungs. He didn't get a minute to scream as water mixed with blood dripped on the ground.
Soren gasped as the water became less and less and then no water came out anymore, Soren breathed heavily. His chest painfully heaving with each breath. He feels lightheaded. He watched as Elias' body slumped backwards. His white hair is now covered with water and blood. There is a hole where his heart should be. Soren stumbled towards Elias's body.
He is dead…
"You are not a God…" his chest heaved, even talking was painful, "you are the lowest thing that even hell wouldn't accept." He spat on Elias's face.
He sighs. He stumbled towards Cyrus. Some of Soren's water had also gotten on him. But he will be fine. Soren kneeled and lied down beside Cyrus.
"Sunshine…"
Tears dripped from Cyrus's eyes. Soren's appearance has changed. But he couldn't tell him.
"Why don't you ever listen to me?" He gently wiped off Cyrus's tears with his fingers, "I told you to run away… forget it…" he ran his fingers on Cyrus's lower lip.
He settled Cyrus in a more comfortable position, "It's okay now," Soren soothed him, "he won't hurt you anymore…" Soren's voice trailed off as he lost consciousness.