[2023 Wattys Shortlist, 2023 Amby Awards winner, Featured 3 times in Wattpad Picks lists]
Kaleth has worked as an agent of Luxarx for years. What the average person might see as an exciting, dangerous job has become the routine, and the only thing...
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Kaleth hadn't expected Carcer to be as big as it was. He and Mel had been walking through its unending sterile, white corridors for over two hours, and so far, it only looked like they were just going deeper and not nearing an exit. They couldn't use Mel's bulletproof tactic when deciding where to go all the time when there were dozens of doors and corridors, so they chose at random. Kaleth hoped they were getting somewhere.
They had originally tried the main entrance, but that had been sealed off. What Relioth had said was true—large parts of the building had been closed off, most likely to stop Kaleth from freeing the Umbra. Not that he particularly wanted to, they were terrorists, after all. Kaleth was slowly losing hope that there was another way out of here, but he didn't dare say anything like that to Mel.
Kaleth could tell Mel was trying to pretend he was okay, but he clearly wasn't. Kaleth was afraid to bring it up, but whatever Relioth had done, it was affecting him. Mel was jumpy and his memory seemed to be spotty. For example, when Kaleth had asked him when and how he had gotten captured, Mel looked like he was about to answer, only to admit a second later that he couldn't remember. It was like he hadn't even noticed a gap in his memory until Kaleth had asked.
Mel had confirmed that everything Relioth had told Kaleth was true, which meant that Rayni and Kara had been right. Kaleth would have grudgingly accepted it, but he couldn't understand Relioth's motives. Why did he need Kaleth's help if he was so powerful?
"Why didn't you tell me that the entirety of Luxarx was being lied to?"
"I didn't know," Mel answered, but despite that, he still looked guilty. His lack of self-esteem was worrying. Kaleth hadn't noticed it from the texts Mel had sent him, but now, speaking to him directly, it was painfully obvious. "I'm sorry. I would have told you, of course, but you never asked."
That was because Kaleth had assumed Mel had known at least the basic facts. "Is it possible that Relioth has given every—what did you call us? Eternals?" Mel nodded. "Right. Is it possible he's given us fake memories?"
"He's certainly capable of it."
"Is that why you recognized Rayni, but she didn't recognize you?"
Mel flinched. "Oh, right, that happened...." Well, that reaction was concerning. "I-I guess so. I mean, I didn't think it was her at first. I know she wouldn't join Luxarx out of her free will, but if she doesn't remember being one of us, then..."
It wasn't just that Rayni didn't remember any of this, though. She had memories about a whole life she apparently hadn't lived. And this was most likely true for most of the Eternals in Luxarx. How could Relioth have been so thorough? Granted, he was apparently extremely old, but he must have had many other things to do.
"Oh! I think I know where we are," Mel blurted out, beaming at Kaleth, unaffected by the other's bemused expression. "This is Carcer. We should get to the original tunnels soon."
