18. Violet

The vibrating walls, the sound of shifting molecules, the sensation of my skin pulling and pushing like the tide, everything swirled and merged until the familiar warmth and coziness of the farmhouse disappeared.

In its place, a frigid, metallic chill enveloped me.

My eyes darted around, struggling to process the abrupt shift from soft bed linens to hard, steel surfaces.

Ikmal.

And not just anywhere in Ikmal.

Ikhax's cell.

Blinking rapidly, a pang of fear raced through my heart, urging it to beat at an unsettling pace.

My fingertips grazed the cold metal floor beneath me.

No, this can't be happening.

I wished with all my might that what I saw before me was just a dark dream, a grotesque nightmare that I could simply wake up from.

I yearned for the touch of the sun, the chirping of alien birds, and the warmth of Kuana beside me in the farmhouse.

Speaking of Kuana, a quick glance confirmed that he was right beside me, albeit not in the loving, comforting way I remembered.

He was slumped in a chair, tubes attached to various parts of his body, pumping unknown fluids.

We were hooked up to IVs, making us look like experiments.

All the memories, the freedom, the farm, the hope of a family — was it all a mirage?

Ikhax, sitting in a chair located strategically between us, smiled his sickening smile.

His deep-set eyes, radiating a cruel pleasure, glinted as he watched our reactions. "Ah, welcome back to reality," he sneered, his voice echoing in the hollow metal chamber.

Kuana's face contorted with rage and confusion, but it was clear, even to him, what had happened.

Every memory, every touch, every conversation in the last few days was nothing but a fabrication.

The Fabrication.

A cruel game orchestrated by the very enemy we thought we'd escaped.

My heart felt heavy, crushed beneath the weight of Ikhax's deception.

Even the air seemed more oppressive than before, each breath pulling more effort than the last.

We'd been ensnared in Ikhax's elaborate illusion, making our escape, our joy, our love, seem all the more fragile and fleeting.

The pain of betrayal was raw, but what hurt even more was the vividness of those fake memories — the happiness that was never truly ours.

Ikhax leaned forward, his face coming into the light. "Did you really think escaping me would be that easy?" He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "You were in my Fabrication from the moment you came to my cell before your escape. Everything, right from that dusty planet to your cute little farm-life fantasy, was a construct of my design."

I tried to speak, to shout, to scream, but my throat felt parched and words escaped me.

Beside me, Kuana, ever the fighter, spat out:

"Why? What do you gain from playing with our minds?"

Ikhax leaned back, reveling in our distress. "Information, dear Kuana. Every reaction, every conversation you had within the Fabrication, gave me insight. And trust me, it's been most enlightening."

The room felt colder than before, the walls pressing in on us.

The weight of our fake reality was crushing.

How could something that felt so real, so right, be nothing more than a mirage?

Yet, as my mind reeled from the revelations, a defiant spark ignited within me.

If the memories were a construct, then so be it.

But the emotions, the love, the bond between Kuana and me — those were real.

Those could never be faked.

Ikhax could manipulate our memories, trap us in illusions, but he could never truly control our hearts.

Looking over at Kuana, I caught his gaze.

His eyes, filled with determination and promise, mirrored my own feelings.

* * *

My heart was beating so fiercely,I was afraid it would break through my chest.

The cold, sterile confines of Ikhax's cell felt like a noose tightening around my throat.

I wanted to close my eyes and be anywhere but there, but the need to confront the treacherous being before us propelled me forward.

"We had a deal!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the room.

The raw edge of betrayal sharpened each word.

Ikhax chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. "Ah, Violet, dear Violet. I thought you were being a bit too reticent. You see," he said, stretching out the words, "with my unique talent of weaving realities, I've learned to see right through people's deceit and omissions. I am the master of lies."

He looked drained, his usual imperiousness slightly dulled.

I realized that maintaining such an intricate Fabrication would've taken a toll on even him.

But the gleam in his eyes remained unwavering.

"Did you truly believe you could pull one over on me?" he continued. "I've been searching for the survivor of that blasted research facility for so long, and all along, he's been under my very nose. In Ikmal!"

Ikhax turned his attention to Kuana, his stare scrutinizing every inch of him. "I nearly let you two escape. Oh, what a blunder that would've been!" he mused with a smirk. "But then the whispers started. Stories from the pits about a fighter with violet lasers bursting from his eyes. That's when I knew."

I glanced at Kuana.

His posture was one of silent defiance, but I could see the turmoil in his eyes.

He had tried to protect us both from the truth of his past, but Ikhax's treacherous web had ensnared us regardless.

Ikhax leaned closer to me, his tone conspiratorial. "But you see, Violet, I've been tricked one too many times in my long existence. I needed solid confirmation. So, I thought, why not let the lovers reunite, feel the warmth of freedom, the hope of a fresh start? Oh, and it was so delightful watching the charade play out. Knowing that, given time, your dear Kuana would confide in you."

And Kuana had.

In the safety of what we believed was our haven, he had bared his soul, revealing the secrets he had so desperately wanted to shield me from.

But Ikhax's puppeteering had turned that haven of trust into a trap.

The realization was a gut punch.

We had been pawns in his twisted game, dancing to his whims.

All the joy, the dreams of our future, the candid moments — it was all just fodder for Ikhax's grand plan.

My throat felt parched as I spat out:

"So you got what you wanted. Now what?"

His smirk widened, and he leaned back, the very picture of satisfaction. "Ah, now that's where the real fun begins. With the knowledge I have now, and with dear Kuana here, the universe is about to experience a shift unlike any other."

A chill ran down my spine.

Whatever Ikhax was planning, it was bound to spell disaster, not just for Kuana and me, but for countless others too.

We couldn't let him succeed.

I met Kuana's gaze, trying to convey my determination, my unwillingness to give up.

He nodded slightly, his expression resolute.

We had faced the odds before, and we would do so again.

Together.

Ikhax's laughter filled the room, echoing off the metal walls, as if mocking our resolve.

But beneath that laugh was a note of anticipation, a hunger for what was to come.

And as the sound faded, a heavy silence settled.

A prelude to the imminent storm.

* * *

Kuana's anger was palpable,the air around him almost vibrating with tension.

As his eyes began to shimmer with a violet hue, a shade mirroring my namesake, I knew we were approaching a point of no return.

Those eyes held the power to change our fates.

Ikhax's reaction was swift, his voice dripping with a dangerous, calculated calm. "Ensure he doesn't turn that power on us."

In a coordinated rush, his men moved toward us.

Within moments, I felt Kuana's body pressed against mine, and before I could comprehend the situation, we were strapped together, face-to-face.

The fastenings were so tight that breathing became a conscious effort.

Kuana's eyes, mere inches from mine, glowed with that same ominous neon violet.

If he chose to open them fully, the burst of energy would be directly aimed at me.

In any other scenario, this close proximity would have been intimate, a testament to our love.

But now, it was a weapon, a cruel tactic.

Ikhax had turned our bond into a trap.

Yet, as I looked into Kuana's eyes, despite the danger they posed, I wasn't afraid for myself.

What terrified me was the thought of Kuana living with the guilt if anything were to happen.

The weight of that potential regret would shatter him.

"Kuana," I began softly, cupping his face in my hands as best as I could, given our restraints. "I need you to listen to me, my love."

His eyes, quivering with intensity, focused on me.

His breaths were coming out ragged, and I could see the battle he was waging internally, trying to harness the force within him.

"We're in this together," I whispered, my forehead pressed against his. "Right now, I need you to fight, not with your power, but with your heart, with your spirit. Do it for us."

Tears of frustration welled in the corner of his eyes, spilling down his cheeks.

I felt their warmth as they mixed with my own.

The knowledge that Ikhax had manipulated our love story, turning our dreams into a mirage, was a cut deeper than any blade.

But in that agonizing moment, bound together under the most dangerous circumstances, we found strength in each other.

Our shared pain, our shared hope was the glue that held us together.

Kuana's breath began to steady, the violent hue of his eyes dimming.

It was working.

"Stay with me," I murmured, my voice quaking, trying to drown out the malevolent laughter of Ikhax that surrounded us.

And as the minutes ticked by, the danger ebbed.

Kuana's eyes lost their violet sheen, returning to their familiar shade.

But the trauma of the moment, the vulnerability we felt, remained imprinted on us.

We had been pawns, but in this instance, we had turned the tables on Ikhax's cruel plan, albeit temporarily.

Ikhax, observing the scene unfold, frowned, clearly displeased.

The cocky confidence he exuded was replaced by a chilling determination. "Enough of this," he said, his voice filled with a finality that sent shivers down my spine.

His gaze, cold and unyielding, met mine. "We're leaving Ikmal. Now."

* * *

Ikhax's men,like spectres, surrounded Kuana and me, their touch as cold as the restraints that bound us.

The gloomy corridor of Ikmal echoed with our combined footsteps and the muffled sounds of the other prisoners.

It was strange, as we moved past them, how they seemed to diminish, blending with the shadows.

Their gazes, hollow and devoid of hope, slid away from us.

The atmosphere was thick with resignation.

We had shared stories, bartered for scraps, and listened to their dreams of freedom.

But now, at the very moment when unity could have been their strength, they turned their backs.

I felt a pang of sorrow for them.

This prison, with its torment and hopelessness, had broken their spirits, molding them into perfect captives.

Each step we took felt like a weight, dragging us further into the unknown.

I tried to make eye contact, hoping to find an ally or some semblance of understanding.

But their detachment was resolute.

Ikmal had done its job too well; no heroics, no last-minute rescues.

We were truly on our own.

The ship we were led to towered over us, casting a large and ominous shadow.

Unlike Selix's smaller craft, this vessel was a behemoth.

My mind raced as I recalled Selix, his kind eyes, and reassuring demeanor, and a twinge of pain struck me when I remembered that he, too, was a product of Ikhax's cruel Fabrication.

The cold, metallic interior of the cargo hold greeted us, its vastness swallowing us whole.

The emptiness felt eerie and surreal, much like our twisted journey.

As Ikhax's men tossed us unceremoniously into the center, I could feel Kuana's strained breaths against my neck.

We were left alone, surrounded by the oppressive silence, save for the distant hum of the ship's engines warming up.

Lying there, still bound to Kuana, the magnitude of our situation began to weigh on me.

We were leaving Ikmal, the dreaded prison that had haunted our nightmares, but our situation seemed far from improved.

In Ikhax's grip, who knew where we were being taken, or what horrors awaited us there?

Kuana's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, his words barely above a whisper. "Vi, we'll find a way out. Together."

A tear slipped from my eye, not out of fear, but from the sheer relief of hearing his voice and knowing he was with me.

We had faced so much together, and his unwavering strength always managed to lift my spirits.

As the ship roared to life, we clung to each other, finding solace in our shared warmth amidst the cold steel of the cargo hold.

The tremors under us signified our ascent, leaving the cursed planet behind.

My thoughts raced.

We were bound, powerless, and at Ikhax's mercy, but if there was one thing I had learned during our time together, it was the indomitable strength of our love and resolve.

This was just another chapter in our story, another challenge to overcome.

We had escaped the simulated world of dreams and illusions, and though we were trapped in a new reality, we were together.

Minutes turned to hours, and the initial jolt of our situation began to settle into a resigned determination.

We whispered plans and exchanged stories, trying to keep our spirits high and minds sharp.

Every so often, I'd glance at Kuana, finding solace in the depths of his eyes and drawing strength from his unwavering belief in us.

Time seemed to stretch, but eventually, the ship's hum became a steady drone, indicating we had reached cruising speed, moving away from the gravitational pull of Ikmal.

Lying on the cold floor of the cargo hold, my head resting against Kuana's, I could feel the rhythmic beats of his heart, a wry smile tugged at my lips.

Our escape from Ikmal, while not on our terms, was at least now a reality.

The irony was not lost on me.

We had wished for freedom from that wretched place, and in a twisted turn of events, we had gotten it.

Not in the way we'd envisioned perhaps, but freedom nonetheless.

And with that freedom came a sliver of hope, the hope that we would find our way back to each other and to a life filled with love and happiness.