The Child's Redemption by Daniel Lehman & João Gabriel Garin

Author:Daniel Lehman & João Gabriel Garin [Lehman, Daniel & Garin, João Gabriel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Optimal in Captivity

Optimal.

Had it been a day? A thousand years? There was no knowing. Not in this pit of despair. They didn’t keep her chained anymore, just tossed in a cell with Kinra. The first day they had unchained her, they had tried to escape, only to have their spells unwoven as they were cast. It was infuriating—but enlightening. She knew now, they had unwoven them because they were prepared. The secret was in catching them off guard.

And so she sat, for time undefined, listening to the steady hum of the weave. She had come to terms with the innocent souls they were making her eat, they were under the impression that she liked them. That they could train her. Tame her. She played her part, emulating the image of euphoric stupor while she hid her anger and rage. And every day, every chance she got, she’d cast a simple light spell.

That light served a variety of purposes. First, and most importantly, she used it to show Kinra that she still had light inside her, that their conditioning was not working. Second, it made the guards familiar with her casting, so that when the time came to escape, she could catch them off guard. She just had to perfect the way the strands would hum, and find a way to hide her way out in that light spell. She flexed her fingers, looking at the little ball of light as she thought of the third reason: hope. Hope that she would see the day again, hope that she’d be able to do more good in the world, and make up for all her mistakes. She was tired of being Optimal, and needed reinvention.

“Thinking about her again?” Kinra asked weakly. He had been chained to the wall since their break out attempt, with special manacles that locked him in place. Thanks to Optimal bringing him to life, he now knew hunger as well, and had yet to be fed. He would have died of starvation long ago, if not for Gabrielle’s enchantments that kept reassembling his organs as they failed. And so he hung from his chains, a shell of his former self.

Optimal sighed, floating over to him and wiping his brow. “Indeed. She is the best of me. She’d already have a way out.”

Kinra let out a sickly chuckle. “She’s not a god, you know. Just a child, same as you. She makes mistakes, same as you. She blames herself eternally, same as you.”

“There is a difference,” Optimal replied. “She blames herself for accidental consequences of good actions. I blame myself for willingly and knowingly using the souls of the innocent to fuel myself.”

Kinra shifted uncomfortably, giving an accidental rattle of the chains he hung from. “I guess that is different, when you word it like that. Still, don’t give up on yourself. I haven’t.”

She scoffed. “Sentiment will not get us free.” She paused for a moment, opening her hand to cast another ball of light. The derision in her voice faded away as she stared into it, feeling hopeful.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.