Na'eem followed behind the masked soldiers, his hands bound in tight coiled metal. They hadn't spared Yuxi; she trailed weakly behind Na'eem. He looked back at her every now and again, making sure she was okay. He didn't know why he did it.

  He hadn't fought back. This was the second time he hadn't tried. His mind was faltering, there wasn't any reason he could come up with to explain why he'd given in. But he supposed it was too late for him to fight back.

  They hadn't stripped him nor Yuxi for anything. The soldiers marched in dead silence. It was a dangerous silence.

  When they stopped, Na'eem shook. The military compound ahead of them was large, larger than most that Na'eem had been at before. Helicopters flew in the air like birds and missiles launched from time to time.

  They were let into the compound and walked into a more discreet section. Na'eem flexed his wrists against the binding, the metal was rubbing into his skin. This was wrong. He was a soldier.

  The metal doors slammed behind them, leaving a sickening warm draft behind.

  'Throw them in,' said Isaak, his former platoon leader, looking at Na'eem with scorn. The prisons were empty but reeked of their previous victims. Yuxi entered placidly; it was almost as if she took the blame whole-heartedly.

  Again, Na'eem didn't have the words to say anything. He wanted to, but still he kept quiet.

  'You made an interesting dash,' Isaak mocked, 'It was a bit pointless though, don't you think?'

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Na'eem shrugged.

  'You know, of all the inhumans, you always were the most rebellious.' Isaak said, walking out of the room, 'Or maybe the most scared.'

  Na'eem gritted his teeth. He looked to Yuxi for some kind of answer but she was staring blankly out into the distance. She'd been like this ever since he'd asked her to run away with him again. Like there was something holding her back.

  'Yuxi' he whispered.

  No response.

  'Yuxi' a little louder this time

  Dead silence.

  Then she said, 'I don't know.'

  'Hm?' Na'eem couldn't make out her face in the dark, she looked away from him. She didn't answer.

  Na'eem sighed and lay his back against the concrete wall. There had to be something, anything that he was missing.

  Then a realisation dawned on him. He wasn't expected to stay here. The lax security, the snide remarks, they'd left him to his own devices because they knew he wouldn't stay still. And he was going to prove them right.

  First, the air became thinner. An invisible flame began to grow in the corner of the room, drawing as much oxygen as Na'eem could.

  Yuxi looked up at him, processing slowly what was happening, 'Na'eem, don't...'

  Second, the metal wire snapped as he pressed the edge of his knife against it.

  She collapsed loudly, still breathing softly. He could hear her wheezing.

  Finally, Na'eem slowly moved the translucent flame, the metal bars melted with little struggle. He highly doubted they were metal.

  Na'eem walked over to Yuxi's cell, slinging her over his shoulder. He should leave her but he couldn't bring himself to. He cared too much, for a soldier. And still, he couldn't bear to be alone.

  He unlatched the metal doors and walked out into the broad daylight.

  'Don't you think that's a little too obvious, even for you?' laughed a familiar soft voice.

  Na'eem frowned.

  Yuxi was beside him, mumbling in her sleep. But she was also standing in front of him, a hand on her hip and a sinister look in her eyes.

  'How about you drop that defective copy and finish what you were made for?'