Groaning at the sore pulse throbbing through my body, I force my eyes open. I don't know what happened, but judging by how I'm feeling and the complete silence around me, I'll say not good.

My very dull heart is kicked into beating faster as I look up. Dark, very dark in here. And it smells awful. If death was a real person, then this is what I imagine he smells like. A mixture of hopelessness and depression.

I send twitches all throughout my body, just to make sure everything's okay. That's when my semi alert brain notices where my arms are right now. Chained above me to some wall. Great.

Taking a deep breath, I still try to get up. Maybe I can get a better look, despite how freakin' dark it is in here, and figure out how to get out. That doesn't happen when chains rattle, chains binding my feet together. Even better. Now I'm chained to forever sit slumped against this wall.

What in the Nether has happened?

Air rushes through my lungs, my head snapping around in the pitch black room. Eyes wide but unable to see anything as I wish I could see my friends. My focus sharp on my ears just in case I can hear any of their breathing.

"G-guys? Anyone else awake?"

Nothing. The only noise is my own heartbeat and slight pants, if the chains aren't rattling anyway. My friends aren't here. I'm alone and chained and trapped. Who knows what could have happened to them.

If they're even alive that is.

Scowling at the air, I wish I could hit something. Kick, punch, anything really. I have no idea where my friends are right now, but I can't let myself believe they're gone. The last thing I remember is joking with them in the portal hallway before everything black. That's not the way the Order ends, it can't be.

Tears threaten to slip as my heart rapidly increases speed. They could be hurt, tortured, mind controlled, anything and I'm sitting here helpless! Even if I could get out of these chains I have no clue where they are. Only that they're also being held captive by these guys.

A piston door opens, my body jolting at the unexpected noise. The chains rattling as my eyes force shut, the daggers of light piercing my eyes. I mentally curse though when the doors shut again, relieving my eyes but my chance to see who enter has completely gone up in smoke.

"Sorry about the chains." My heart shivers at this man's voice, a voice I can't pinpoint with all the echoes in here. Making him seem everywhere at once. "I've heard you are quite difficult to keep down."

"You've heard right." A flash of relief goes through me when my voice didn't crack in the shear fear I feel right now. "And I swear to you that these chains won't keep me down forever."

The man laughs, a devilish laugh that makes me cringe, but his booming deep voice really just makes me tremble. "I know, in fact, I plan on letting you out of them. How else will your body be... useful?"

I couldn't help it, I flinch back at the word. Useful, he said it so much like P.A.M.A., like I'm some tool to be used and thrown out.

"You're not the first creepy dude I've taken down, you're living on borrowed time now buddy!"

"Aren't we all living on borrowed time? Every second that goes by won't come back, no human can live forever." A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead, all gut instincts are screaming at me that I want to be very far away from this man right now.

"But, depending on your behavior, I can cut the seconds your friends have so that they die tomorrow. Don't you want to extend their time?"

I thrash against the chains, fury blasting through my veins and driving out any fear. "Don't you dare hurt any of my friends!"

"I plan on helping your friends, just like how I'm going to help you. And after that, you'll help me make the world a safer place."

Snarling, I pull harder. "It doesn't sound like we get a choice in this matter. Because, y'know, the whole kidnapping thing kinda makes me NOT want to help you."

The fight vanishes as I hear his feet pound onto the concrete, getting closer... and closer as my heart explodes in my chest. Every cell in my body shaking in the need to escape, to not let this man anywhere near me.

A hand grabs my chin, fingers digging into neck. My head is forced left to right and I wish I could see this man so I can glare at him. Instead, I put my saliva glands to use.

He jerks my chin up and when he pulls it back down, I spit at him. Smirking as I hear it smack against his face. That's what happens when you treat me like some trophy to be inspected.

His laugh echoes off of the walls, louder than ever as he backs away. The smirk falls right off and I fight the feeling of terror, he's probably under a potion of night vision. He doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing me afraid.

"Perfect! Just perfect! You don't know how to give up! Perfect!"

A hopeless twinge crawls into my stomach, that's not the right reaction. He's suppose to be mad that I won't give up. I wanted him to think that even chained he can't get to me. Clearly, my plan didn't work.

"Let me guess, you weren't even thinking of sending some message not to mess with your friends! That was just your instinct." The temperature somehow drops despite my furious heartbeat, my eyes widening. "Yes! It is! You really are my most prized subject!"

"I-I am not a subject of yours. And neither are any of my friends!" Okay, not going to lie. Getting really worried over here. He's definitely under a night vision potion, so he knows he's getting to me too.

"Of course not! You're a subject of progress! Evolution! Change!" Footsteps fade from me, and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be relieved or not. It is really hard when his deep voice always echoes so loudly around me. "But for safety reasons, I'll have to keep you under tight lock and key. Even more so after the experiment."

The door opens, the bright light digging into me again, before it seals off after he walks through it. The word experiment echoing in the room and in my head. Over and over again, pushing in a knife of fear deeper and deeper. Until my whole body trembles uncontrollably. No control. I have no control over it.

Just like how I have no control over any of this. No control what happens to me. No control what happens to my friends. I'm at the mercy of this guy. And I'm guessing his 'experiment' won't be granting me any mercy.

Sobbing, my head hangs over my lap, my arms still trapped above me. Tears slipping out of my eyes and onto my legs. Every sob sounding like ten as they echo back at me. Growing louder and louder as I sob more and more.

I hope no one's been in one of his experiments yet, I hope they're alright. I hope that we can escape before anything bad happens. I hope there's some conspiracy against his insanity and he'll be overthrown by his own men.

Those aren't hopes though, they're just dreams. Since I can't do anything to even try to achieve them. I can't learn anything new in here. I can't even move. And I don't even know enough to figure anything out. Except everything's being run by some insane dude that I need to avoid.

My eyelids begin to droop, and I fight against it. But then I sigh, and let my heart wallow in depression as it slows down. There's no reason for me to stay awake. None at all. At least this way I'll be able to get back some strength. Maybe get my head together enough to learn something new.

The darkness in this room seeps into me and I lean my head against the concrete. I might not be the most comfortable, but it's better than back pain by slouching all night. Or day. Or whatever time it is right now. I don't even know the time of day.

As I suck in my last waking breath, I wish with all my heart that my friends to be okay. But as I breathe out, doubt strikes my heart.

****

Oof, this one's pretty short. I promise it'll get longer, but just hang on until then, it'll come.

And as you can see, two perspectives! Yay! I'll actually be able to do it this time around as I've built my plot around both Lukas and Jesse both taking quite critical actions separate from each other. And plus that means more torture, yay!

(Admittedly, Lukas will get more chapters than Jesse for awhile, a really long while, but then it'll tilt more towards Jesse.)

So yepperoni, that all I have for you today. In five more days I'll have more! See you then!