Souls Below

Chapter Eighteen

Calian leant against the shelving opposite to where I stood in the office, face blank while staring at me. He had shut down unreasonably quick, face becoming like stone - and yet still so stupidly attractive. It was concerning how quickly he changed, almost devoid of emotion as if expecting the worst. We didn't have long, unsure of why Jerard had left and for how long meant our time was limited

"What did you want to talk about?" his voice broke the silence

"We're going back into the restricted sector" Calian jerked as if he had been zapped

"What!? Are you crazy!?" I wasn't expecting that reaction I felt myself jump "Whose stupid idea was that? The Lowers, wasn't it?" he growled, hitting the cabinet he was leaning against with his elbow "He is going to get you killed Mira" he added sourly

"I agree with Krane" he gave me an exasperated look

"Why would you want to go back in there?" he ran a hand down his face angrily "those...things in there could be anything! We don't know what they were, we didn't see them" I regarded Calian, taking in his appearance of darker skin, dark hair that curled at the ends, square jaw and rounded lips. I had started to skim over his appearance, almost seeing him as one of us.

But he wasn't , and I needed to remember that. Regardless on how I felt.

"What do you know about that district?" I crossed my arms over my chest. The look on his face changed from anger to surprise real quick

"What are you talking about?" I let out a sigh, leaning against the wall. Time to be a big girl

"I know you are here for more than just your missing friend" Calian frowned slightly

"If Krane went missing in an attack, and you had an opportunity four years later to find out what had happened, would you not take that chance?" I thought about the answer, on how I had searched relentlessly for my parents. I felt in my heart I was still searching

"I spent three years looking for my parents after the attack. Three years searching for people I didn't even remember" Calian c****d his head to the side. I know Krane warned me against trusting the Upper to much, but I felt like I had no other choice.

So I started talking, and the more I talked the more it felt like a weight lifted from my chest "I have no memory from earlier than four years. Jerard found me broken, bruised and bloody. I have no ID number, no papers, no identity for clues to who I am." in that instant I saw those walls between us break down, understanding on my reluctance to allow him in

"I didn't realise" he murmured. I nodded slowly, making a face at the admittance. I had spent so long making sure I never spoke about my secret, I never knew it would feel this good letting it spill to someone other than the same three people

"I know what desperation feels like Calian. Part of me would be lying if I said I'm not hopeful that I would find some kind of clue in that sealed off district" tears stung my eyes, emotions and memories threatening to drag me back under

'That attack took more than it should have, and I feel like I have been living as a ghost the past three years because of it. I need answers Calian, Jerard would rather shield me from the truth then help me understand it" Calian rubbed his face "help me to understand"

"In my city there were rumors circulating of a cure" I frowned, causing Calian to let out a deep sigh "That's going to take to long" he murmured, more to himself than me "Ok, I'll give you enough to understand, we can come back to the whole picture later" he eyed me "so no questions. Please" I gave a small nod

'We didn't always live in these cities. We once lived on the planet freely and in the open; no Uppers, no Lowers. Our ancestors messed up, and an event forced them to build what we live in today. The world outside our domed cities is now uninhabitable to humans. It's full of plants - the green - but it's toxic to all humans" my mind was buzzing with questions and curiosity, I opened my mouth to ask but closed it with a snap with a look from Calian "The rumor was that someone was working on a cure, one that would enable us to venture back out into the world."

"That doesn't sound so bad" I responded quietly.

"It wouldn't be, if the other half of the rumor didn't include experimenting on Lowers to get results" I felt the wind leave my lungs, shock stealing my words "I came here to find out if that was true, and to gather proof to put a stop to it"

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Calian lowered his eyes

"I was worried that if you had all the information you wanted, you wouldn't need me anymore" I felt my body soften, his resistance at revealing information made a little more sense "I thought, if I was no more use to you and Jerard, you would...leave. And that thought kind of scared me, oddly enough" I pushed away from the wall slightly, surprised at Calian's honesty

"I don't discard people that easily Calian" I tried to reason. Calian pushed away from the shelves, one hand held up as he waived off my explanation

"I didn't...I didn't mean it like that. I meant...what I wanted to mean..." he stumbled over his words before letting out another sigh "I like you, Mira" those quiet words rocketed through me; I hadn't expected that confession "I didn't want you to lose you, so I selfishly kept information to myself" I opened and closed my mouth a few times, unsure on what to say. This was not the direction I thought the conversation was going

"I...um..." I started, unsure on how to start that sentence; how did people normally talk about their feelings?

"It's...fine. I didn't expect you to feel the same. I just..." he mumbled, turning to lean against the desk "needed you to know" I stepped tentatively in his direction, wracking my brain for words

"I...don't know how I feel...about you" I admitted. Calian's hopeful eyes flicking to mine "what I mean is, I want to trust you. I want you to be my friend, but you need to tell us what you know. You need to help us find out what the Uppers are hiding" Calian nodded

"What do you need to know?"

"Do you have a P.I.P card?" I watched as his body tensed "I watched you swipe a card that wasn't the one I had. That one was in my bag. And that door wouldn't have closed on it's own" I could see he wasn't prepared for that confrontation

"You observe more than I gave you credit for" I shrugged

"You don't survive down here by being blind" after a few moments Calian strode over to pick up his jacket, rummaging around the pockets until he pulled out a black and gold card; it looked prettier than the one Krane stole from the guard. He strode over with it in his hand, a look of contemplating on his face

"If this turns out to be true, and I get proof of it, things are going to change drastically around here" I regarded him, taking in those words "something tells me there are going to be a few people slightly resistant to that"

"There are more people wanting a better life than those wanting to stay this way. People follow Jerard. They trust him, and he trusts me"

"Then, once this is all over, will you let me show you my world?" I jerked back slightly at that question

"What?" I whispered. Calian held out the card to me

"When we help save your people...will you let me show you my world? And my City?" I had daydreamed constantly about what it would be like above. Wondering how I could get my city, my people, up there. Of all the things I had day dreamed about, exploring the city and beyond had not been one of them.

~*~

My bag weighed heavily on my shoulders as Calian and I made our way towards the restricted sector. The city bustled around us in all its normality, the people oblivious to the secrets we were on our way to expose - it was almost surreal. My mind wondered to how Jerard would react when he came home to discover we were no longer there.

Would he panic? Assume I had left with Calian for the surface? Maybe I should have left a note? But what would it have said? 'hey Jerard, left to uncover secrets kept by the Uppers, might possibly die, don't wait up for me?

Calian was ahead of me, keeping distance between us as to not drawn attention, his hood drawn high around his head. Krane said he would meet us at the restricted sector door, I had sent a message before leaving home, noticing Calian's raised eyebrow when he spied the device - I quickly tucked it back into my bag.

We rounded a corner, now in the street that held the restricted sector door, the empty street seeming to stretch before us. I heard a shuffling from behind, I spun around only to see the street as empty as it was in front. The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end, body tingling with the sense we were being watched. Glancing up the street I saw Krane appear at the opposite end - even from here I could see the glare when noticing Calian.

I started to make my way up at a jog to catch up, my mind going blank as the guards stepped from the sidestreet, the piercing blue eyes of that commander gazing around in curiosity, looking between us. I watched as fear crossed Krane's face, starting forward, Calian turning in slow motion while the commander turned his head at their direction, body tensing as he recognised Calian's face.

"Halt!" he roared, those ice blue eyes turning to me, rage twisting his face in realization of who I was; the Lower that ran. Fear made my heart jump to my throat, adrenaline heightening my senses

"RUN!" I screamed. The guards turned to the two men, Krane skidding to a halt as Calian grabbed his arm, dragging him away reluctantly. I needed to give them a chance to hide, even as my own panic was causing my body to freeze. I prayed Krane listened, if we were caught now we were dead

'Oi! Slugs!" I yelled, satisfied with the enraged look that pretty boy commander gave me "you useless designer babies can't even catch one Lower!" I watched the commanders perfectly olive skin turned red with rage, stuttering as he ordered his guards for my capture. I turned and bolted up the street, pushing my legs as much as I could, their shouts following me.

Frustration and irritation caused my feet to stumble; why was I so unlucky? It was as if some powerful force was stopping us from finding out the truth. I burst out into the busy street, people looking at me strangely as I frantically pushed my way through the crowd, the harsh whistle from the guards close behind while shouting for me to stop.

I was right back where I had been a few weeks ago, everything seeming to continue down hill. I needed a place to hide, and quick, before they decided to use those weapons agi. The fear that accompanied the memory was enough to fuel my legs to pump faster, pushing people out of the way as I raced down the street, heading towards the more broken part of this district.

My plan was to utilize my size to crawl through one of the many holes in the broken buildings, somehow find an entrance to the tunnels below the city and hopefully make my way back to the restricted sector. But whatever higher power was watching my sad decline into madness thought it wasn't enough, my heart sinking as I turned a corner to a dead end.

I skidded to halt, quickly scrambling back the way I came, hoping to get back to another street before the guards caught up. That hope was also dashed against the pavement when that pretty designer baby entered the street, two guards holding their weapons in my direction while shouting for me to stop.

My heart pounded hard against my chest, fear and panic rising allow to try and pull me under. I held my hands in the air, eyes darting between the guards.

I was really screwed now.