Merva had been locked up for several days in a place where she saw no sky or sunlight.
They watched her closely like she was under a microscope, placing her in several different machines that took most of her energy everyday.
Minerva zoned out all the sounds of beeping systems, automated voices and the researchers, her eyes trained on Merva who had been bundled into the glass cage for their experiments once again.
She watched the hands of the researchers on the glass cage surface, pressing buttons that she had tried to understand but could not.
Merva grimaced, her already sickly looking complexion becoming worse.
Tears gathered in her eyes, but she was not one to cry.
She hated this feeling of helplessness, but there was nothing she could do about it. Merva had already told her not to destroy this place.
She knew Merva was right. Any accident in this place that had her broken out would mean their suspicion was true.
They were already aware that her power was unlocked now, but if she followed Merva's plan then Merva would be free to practice.
But at what cost?
She waited patiently, until the chief researcher pressed a button that beeped, and then walked away.
The bolts on the glass cage released, the restraints on Merva's hands and feet also opening up.
Two of the assistants walked in and helped her out, Minerva following them behind as they led her back to the tiny room where she normally stayed when she was free of them.
They dumped her on the hard bed and left, but Minerva caught her and lay her down gently.
'I told you that it would be best if I destroyed it all, but you insist on enduring all this.' Minerva lamented, staying besides Merva.
'You don't know how to bear pain, and yet you let them keep hurting you. What if something goes wrong?' Minerva swore in her mind that she would pay them back once Merva was out safely.
But first she had to survive and get out of here.
Merva barely heard all that Minerva thought, or said. Her mind drifting away and then returning back.
'I want to be able to endure pain like you so that I would become strong.' Merva said in her head, and rested her body on Minerva. Inside the bubble she felt stronger and at peace, her unhealthy complexion becoming better.
'You don't have to feel pain to become stronger.' Minerva said quietly. She knew it was a lie, pain made one stronger.
But she did not want that for her sister.
Merva was quiet and still, her breathing evened out as her chest rose and fell in rhythm.
Minerva pushed aside her resentment and anger. She wanted all her attention on her sister.
"Minerva." She heard Merva call out quietly.
'Yes.' She replied, her body leaning in so that she could hear her clearly.
"After that day of the explosion when I wanted to find father and mother but it failed, and Serine came and saved us."
'Yes.' Minerva responded quietly. She knew what Merva wanted to ask, but she did not think Merva was ready for the answer.
"You told me not to worry, you said you would find them. You have been going into the abyss, then why haven't you found them yet?"
They were both lost in their own bubble, that neither of them fully realized that Merva had been speaking out all this time, and not saying them in her mind.
*** ***
This library was largest in all of Volataire, the inside of it spacious and properly lit.
It was the library for students that were regarded as VVIP, the most influential students of all.
Zeus was all alone inside, going through parchments on war and its strategies.
His finger trailed through the paper as he studied them. "They were branded The Eclipsial Wars." He repeated quietly, his brows scrunched up in confusion. 'Have I ever read of this before?' He thought to himself, and read it again, then he shook his head.
He had never been taught about, or even heard of it before. He was sure.
He pushed back his chair and stood up, walking isle after isle, browsing through the shelves to find anything related to it.
His senses heightened, his ears picking up on the noise from far off.
He tried to ignore it and keep going through the shelves, but it persisted.
The walls of the library were sound proof, enough to block out the sound of a large crash, but his senses kept playing with him.
He abandoned what he was doing and headed to the exit, passing through rows of book shelves before he got to it.
"What is going on?" He asked before he was fully out the door.
The security guard looked at him and slightly bowed. "Sir this lady insists on going in even though the system does not recognize her finger print."
Zeus turned to the lady and found Serine standing there.
"I came looking for you." She stated, freeing her ankle from the guards grip. "You do recognize me, right?"
"Yes I do." He answered, wondering why she was looking for him. They were not friends, and neither were they acquired with each other.
The guard left her alone and moved away.
"How may I help you?" He asked as soon as the guard was some distances away from them.
"Its about Merva. Don't you know that she was taken away by the DCSA?" She asked angrily, refusing to let him speak. "And it was your father who ordered the whole thing. I can't believe she likes someone as useless as you." Her eyes looked like a storm was brewing within.
She would have pinned him against the wall with her eyes if she could.
"And you have not gotten her out..."
"Hold on." He cut her off, his voice raised. Zeus was shocked and offended all at once. "I had no idea that she was missing..." But even he was cut off by her.
"You had no idea?" Serine scoffed, the edge of her lips tilting sarcastically. "You mean you did not notice her absence all this time? And you are supposed to be her closest friend? I can't believe you are the heir to Olympus." She jeered.
"Merva really lucked out with someone like you."
"What do you mean by that?" He asked trying hard to control himself, but his jaw kept ticking.
"I mean everything I said. What are you going to do? Don't think because you are bigger and taller that you can beat me. It won't end well." She said and turned to leave.
She took three steps forward and stopped, turning to him, her face calm.
"When you get her out, tell her I informed you about her whereabouts..." She paused. "And that I am sorry I left without saying goodbye." She finished softly and then left.
Zeus looked back into the library and then at Serine's receding figure.
He wiped his face with his palm, his brain registering everything she had just said.
He had thought Merva was avoiding him.
He sighed heavily, wondering why he had been so blind as to not notice.
'I have to go get her now.' He thought and then vanished.
Zeus walked into the facility building invisibly, appearing once he was past the security systems.
The alarms were blaring, informing the resident researchers and security personnel that there was an intruder.
Zeus walked past the security who were pointing their weapons at him. He did not feel like explaining, and held up his right hand for all to see his signet ring on his finger.
Some researchers tried to stop him. "My lord." The chief researcher spoke, trying to get Zeus to acknowledge his presence.
"You cannot go in there. We are conducting a very important research by the order of your father."
Zeus snorted, trying hard not to punch him in the face.
He pushed him aside, and turned to one of the researchers on the side. "Where is she?"
The lady pointed out the way, and he walked quickly, hurrying up.
He disappeared into the room, and the door burst open seconds later.
He walked out with the limp body of an unconscious Merva in his arms.
He was furious.
'What had they done to her?'
The chief researcher came towards him. He did not look bothered about the state she was in.
"We are using her to conduct an important experiment, so please can you return her back?"
Zeus shifted Merva in his arms, and used force to punch the man into a wall.
He walked up to the man and used his power to get the man's name tag.
"Alden Fresher." He said out loud, his lips curling. "I will make sure to remember your name." He said.
"Is your father aware that you are..." Alden began as he struggled up, but Zeus had already vanished.
Minerva took advantage of the situation and beat up everyone in the building, dusting her hands off when she was done.
She smiled satisfactorily.
'No one had seen her, so Zeus would take the blame.'
This was his punishment for coming so late.