A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 95: Stronger Than Pain

"Woah, what do you mean you are Number Ten? And what's a Pisces?!" asks Six with astonishment, darting up from the co-pilots chair in Lexa's ship.

Once we got out of the cave, we regrouped with Adam and Six who said they found what we're looking for. A book of sorts. That has a thick cover and nearly 200 pages. Titled Spells and Charms. Adam figures it is exactly what I need.

I hope so.

"That's what my Cêpan told me," Agatha says. "I am the tenth child and I am a Pisces, meaning my body was born invincible. Kristina said I was supposed to get to the airfield to board the ship with the rest of you, but..."

It's then that I remember what Henri said: there were supposed to be ten of you, but as you know, only nine made it off.

"But you didn't make it," John finishes sadly. "They caught up to you, didn't they?"

Agatha turns her gaze down; nods.

"We were inside the LDA," she tells. "All I remember is Kristina dragging me along the halls before the ground collapsed and we fell. It was the last time I saw her..."

She trails off. I can see she is trying her best to hold back tears. So I step forward.

I approach her and put a hand on her shoulder. When she finally looks up at me, I pull her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," I whisper into her ear. "I'm sorry about everything that happened to you."

She says nothing; only squeezes me tighter in response.

"Thank you," she breathes. "It's been a while since I hugged anyone."

That breaks my heart. And so I hold on stronger, hardly realizing that my breath is held.

When we finally split, I show her my wrists and the green scars coating them. "This is what Setrákus Ra did to me during my time in captivity. It happened a while ago, and yet, they haven't even faded," I say, my eyes downcast, rubbing the scars as if they still hurt.

"I lost my Cêpan too," Six adds. "We were captured shortly after Two was killed. It was my fault. I insisted that we respond to a blog post that she posted. And although Katarina scrubbed everything leading to our location after, they still managed to get a bead on us."

John stays silent, thinking of Henri. I offer a slight smile in his direction.

"I killed my own father ten days ago," Adam chimes in out of nowhere. The moment Agatha saw Adam, of course, she tried to kill him. With no weapons other than her fists. She only managed a single punch to his left cheek before Six could stop her. There's still a bruise leftover that Adam refused to get healed. I assume he's telling us this now to convince her further of his loyalty to the Loric. "I took his own sword and stabbed him through the back. I feel no remorse from doing it. I don't feel sympathy for him; he was always a terrible father to me. He watched my brother push me down a ravine; threatened to kill me himself." He shakes his head. "Everyone keeps expecting me to break down. Even you John, I see it. You all think I've broken to the point of unrepair." John looks to Adam as if he is going to object, but he doesn't. "But I am just fine. I am as functional as I have ever been," Adam continues. "And I am ready to do more than kill my father if it means this war between my people and yours can be over."

When it is clear that Adam is finished, no one says anything for a moment.

Until Agatha is the first to respond; "So what?" she starts meekly, gradually gaining steam. "You were willing to kill the people closest to you. My people died on Lorien because of you. My Cêpan died because of you! Is that how you plan to help us mog? By getting close to us and stabbing us in the backs?"

Her tone is critical. It's clear Adam's speech did little to convince her of his loyalty. Though before he can respond, Lexa gets her chance.

"I believe what he's trying to say – what they're all trying to say – is that we've all gone through some hardship. We've all gone through pain and we've all been hurt by the mogs. Even Adam. Even Pixie," she explains, gesturing to the bunny at my feet. "Though what's important is that we become stronger than the pain. That we learn from it. And instead of choosing the revenge pathway that is destined to crumble and fall, we choose the pathway that is strong enough to hold us and others."

I can tell that Lexa means this to all of us, not just to Agatha.

None of us react. All of us pondering her words.

I don't know if I'll ever be stronger than the pain I felt in West Virginia. Even though I destroyed the Anubis, I was still connected to the Entity. Thinking back to what I've been through in that cave and all the hurt he's caused, I don't know if I'll ever live up to the strength Pittacus Lore said I will achieve.

A heavy silence ensues.

Until Agatha begins again quietly and modestly, "I understand. I understand that all of you have faced struggle like I have. And I'm sorry, mog, for shaming you because of it. That was, a bold move, that I couldn't have done."

Adam nods but says nothing, simply accepting the apology.

"So, a Pisces?" John asks, facing Agatha then turning to Lexa. "Do you know what that is?"

Lexa lowers her head ever so slightly, pressing a few buttons on the ship's dashboard before spinning her chair around to face us.

"Pisces is an effect Lorien bestows onto a Loric when they are born," she explains. "It is an extremely rare ability that is only developable in Garde, preventing any damage being made onto their body."

"And what does that mean exactly?" asks Six.

"It means I can't be hurt," Agatha clarifies. "Does anyone have a weapon I can use?"

No one responds, only staring or giving arched eyebrows in Agatha's direction. Until John complies, pulling out his Loric dagger from his sheath on his waist. "Here," he says, handing it to her by the blade. "Be careful with it. It's sharp."

Agatha only gives a single firm nod. Though what she does next surprises us all.

She cuts herself. Brings the dagger close to her wrist and slices up her forearm.

My eyes widen, same as everyone.

Although instead of blood dripping out like we expect, nothing happens. Nothing but a faint pink glow to her white skin.

A deep cut enough to draw blood rather appearing to be an unknown capability.

"Agatha?" I ask, speechless in seeing the blade rest at the top of the cut. "Are you-"

"Hurt?" she finishes. "No. It only tingles and feels warm. They can't hurt me," she says, and it's clear she is referring to the mogs and thinking about what she experienced in the cave. "All those years. All those failed attempts to break what my body only did for its sake in survival. It meant nothing."

I fear to ask but feel the need to anyway, carefully, "What did happen to you in there?"

Six gives me a look. Closely resembling a 'what-the-hell-are-you-thinking' stare. And I immediately regret asking.

"Agatha, you don't need to tell us," Six says, nearly in apology for my seemingly careless words. "We can imagine-"

"No," Agatha interrupts. "This is nice. I haven't had anyone to talk to in so long. I haven't felt this kind of connection with anyone like me for years. I'll tell you whatever I can."