The Silver Shackle
I lost myself in thought as I sipped on a cold can of Resistance Cola. How on earth was I going to get out of here? From the brief look I'd managed to get of the building's layout, it was impossible to even guess where the exit was. I was going to need more time. And money. Since I'd been dragged here without any of my belongings, my credit card was out of the question. If I could just go to a bank and verify my identity, I could get a temporary card linked to my account, but in this body, that was absolutely out of the question.
Setting down the empty cola can, I looked over at Shine. She was turning a puffed-up bag of snacks over and over in her hands. There was no way I could leave on my own anyway. I couldn't just abandon Shine, a crucial test subject of the laboratory, and head back by myself. If I returned alone, that ill-tempered, fat doctor might refuse to give me my original body back.
Perched on a plush, oversized doll, I scanned the room. It was a suffocating space without a single window. Though it was decorated with cute, colorful designs clearly meant to appeal to young children, to my eyes, it felt somewhat grotesque. Did they really think kids liked this kind of stuff? Thinking back to my own childhood, none of these things would have interested me in the slightest.
Pop! A sharp noise rang in my ears. I whipped my head around to see Shine holding a torn snack bag, a look of pure shock on her face. The nitrogen puffed inside had burst outward, sending the snacks flying. As they rained down all over the floor, a sweet aroma began to drift through the air. Instantly, my mouth began to water. My tongue grew damp with anticipation.
Shine began picking up the scattered snacks from the floor and eating them. The treats crunched in her mouth, scattering tiny crumbs. It was an incredibly appetizing sight. Before I knew it, I had crawled over to her side and started picking up the fallen snacks to eat them too. There wasn't a speck of dust on them, meaning they were perfectly safe to eat. To anyone else, this would have looked like a bizarre spectacle, but who cared? There was no one here but Shine and me, so I didn't have to worry about anyone watching.
Once we cleared every last snack off the floor, I showed Shine how to open a bag properly. Now that she knew the trick, there were no more explosive accidents. The next bag Shine chose was potato chips. A savory, salty aroma wafted over. My hand naturally reached out and slipped right into the bag she was holding.
A massive wall-mounted television hung in the room. Sharing the chips with her, I turned it on. The screen filled the giant wall, displaying a program meant specifically for young children. An animation featuring a cast of cute, colorful characters was playing. Munching on her chips, Shine quickly became absorbed in the screen. How can she like such a childish, boring cartoon? Kids really are just kids, I thought. But only for a moment. Soon, I found myself completely sucked into the show as well. The plot was surprisingly gripping, and the characters were incredibly charming. If I ever got my original body back, I felt like I might actually buy some of this cartoon's merchandise.
"You two have been waiting so patiently."
Startled out of my trance, I jumped and spun around at the sudden voice. Standing there was Amy, her long pink hair cascading down. The door was wide open; I couldn't even guess when she had arrived. A faint scent of gunpowder drifted from her, carrying a slightly metallic, bloody undertone in its wake.
"Amy."
"Yes?"
At my call, Amy lowered her gaze. She knelt down to meet my eyes. I stood up and spoke to her.
"I want to go home."
"Home, is it? Do you happen to remember your address?"
I was about to answer automatically when I forced my mouth shut. My home address—of course I knew it. But I couldn't say it. Cold sweat dripped down my back. If I carelessly blurted out the address here, she would undoubtedly go there. And she would definitely find the information registered to that house. A house where a man named Jeff lived. She would naturally start investigating him. That investigation would inevitably lead straight back to the laboratory where I used to work. That was why I couldn't answer. I hung my head weakly.
"No..."
At my feeble response, Amy pulled me into an embrace.
"It's okay. No matter what, I'll make sure to find your home."
My breath caught. Partly because her physical strength was absolutely terrifying, but also because her kindness felt like a noose tightening around my neck. A sense of dread washed over me. It felt like walking on thin ice.
"What if you can't find it?"
"That won't happen. But... if it really does..."
Amy trailed off, seeming to ponder deeply.
"Would you like to come with me...?"
Her voice was incredibly gentle. I looked up to meet her eyes. Amy was staring straight at me. Her gaze was steady and unwavering, and the intense emotion burning within it felt terrifying for some reason. A grating, screeching noise began to fill my head.
"Shine too?"
"Of course."
Amy nodded. I looked back at Shine. She didn't even glance our way, her eyes glued to the television screen. Her white hair shimmered under the fluorescent lights.
"Can't I go outside? If I look for my home on my own..."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Amy snapped, her voice sharp and urgent. As I flinched in surprise, her expression softened into one of apology, and she gently stroked my hair.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?"
"Dangerous?"
I thought back to the outside world. Sure, back when I was a kid living in District 23, it was definitely dangerous. But after I awakened my ability and moved to the Upper District, there was never anything I would have called "dangerous."
"By the way... which district is this?"
Perfect. I had naturally slipped in a question about our location. If she answered, and I could pinpoint exactly where we were, it would be a massive help to my escape plan.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you."
But Amy didn't take the bait. Though she looked genuinely apologetic, she was never going to tell me where we were, no matter what. My energy drained away. I slumped back onto the floor. Amy sat down beside me and picked up a bag of snacks.
"Why did you come here?"
"Just to check on how you two are doing."
"Are we going to live here from now on?"
"Probably, until we find your home."
Amy popped the snack bag open with a loud bang. The snacks spilled out, rolling across the floor. Naturally, Shine reached out her hand to pick up a fallen piece and eat it.
"Shine. You shouldn't eat things off the floor."
Amy caught Shine's hand. The snack she was holding dropped back onto the floor. Only then did Shine shift her gaze—away from the screen and onto Amy. Her cold eyes locked with Amy's.
"Why?"
"Because... it's dirty."
"Jeff ate them too."
Amy's gaze shifted to me. I quickly looked away. I couldn't help it; the snacks were just too delicious.
"Jeff, Shine. Don't eat food off the floor from now on. Understood?"
Shine nodded, though her face was blank with incomprehension. She still didn't seem to understand why food on the floor would suddenly become dirty.
"But Jeff used to eat them back then, too."
Cold sweat broke out on my back at her next words. When did I ever do that?
"When did I..."
"In the laboratory."
I desperately wanted to shut Shine up. She was unusually talkative today, and every single piece of information spilling from her mouth made my blood run cold.
"The laboratory?" Amy asked.
Shine, why are you doing this? You usually don't say a single word.
"I did not...!"
I glared at Shine as I answered. In her eyes, I could see the reflection of a girl with a distorted, angry expression—a girl who looked identical to her, arguing back.
"When did I ever!"
My voice rose. My emotional boiling point had become incredibly low. Driven by the sudden surge of heat in my chest, blue electricity crackled at my fingertips.
Zap!
A sharp, tiny sound echoed. Startled, I jumped up as if I'd been shocked. The bag of snacks in my lap tumbled to the floor.
"Sorry..."
I apologized to Shine with a small sigh. Getting angry at a kid... that wasn't like me at all. My head throbbed. Clutching my temples, I buried myself back into the plush doll.
"Shine, could you tell me a bit more about what happened back then?"
At Amy's question, Shine seemed to ponder for a moment.
"Jeff won't like it."
In the end, Shine refused to answer. Her eyes remained fixed on me. Standing up, she walked over and sat down right next to the plush doll where I lay.
"You two really get along well."
"Get along well?"
Shine tilted her head. Having spent her entire life in a laboratory, she lacked basic common sense.
"Yes. You look very close."
Lifting my head from the plush doll, I studied Shine's expression. For some reason, she seemed to be in a good mood. Amy didn't press any further about the laboratory. She probably assumed that bringing it up would deeply scar Shine and me. I couldn't be more relieved that she thought of me as just another test subject like Shine. If she ever found out I was actually a low-level researcher who worked at that lab, my body would probably be melted to ash by the terrifying beams of light she could unleash from her hands.
"Jeff. Tell me, is it hard for you to control your ability?"
Amy began to ask gently. Looking down at my hands, I nodded. Unlike before, it felt as though my power was constantly threatening to overflow my capacity. The electricity that had just sparked in response to my emotions was proof of that.
"Then, wouldn't that be dangerous?"
Amy spoke softly, as if coaxing a child. Watching her, an inexplicable sense of unease washed over me. Perhaps sensing my apprehension from my face, she quickly added, "I'm just trying to help."
"I'm fine..."
"But Shine could get hurt."
"Hurt?"
"Just like earlier, right? A moment ago, electricity sparked from your hand."
I nodded blankly.
"If that keeps happening, wouldn't Shine be in danger?"
Amy took my hand. Her hand felt warm, but in stark contrast, a cold sensation wrapped around my wrist. A cold sensation? I quickly looked down. A silver bracelet was clasped around my arm. The source of the coldness was a power-suppressing device.
"This is...!"
I knew exactly what this was. It was a safety device forcibly attached to test subjects whose powers went out of control to calm them down. And now, one of those very devices was wrapped around my wrist. I hurriedly tried to channel my power. A tingling sensation reached my fingertips. Soon, a visible blue current materialized.
Zap!
A sharp sound rang out, but that was it. The current vanished in an instant. A wave of nausea hit me.
"I know it feels suffocating, but please bear with it for a bit."
I had never imagined that I would end up wearing a power-suppressing device meant for test subjects. Especially not in a place like this. I nervously rubbed my wrist, the cold temperature of the silver bracelet seeping into my fingertips.
"Where's mine?"
Shine spoke up, staring at the bracelet on my arm.
"Give me one just like Jeff's."
Shine held out her hand. To be honest, I had no idea what her ability actually was. I had never seen it. Amy probably didn't know either. After a moment of hesitation, Amy handed Shine a bracelet. Taking it, Shine snapped it around her own wrist.
And then...
My mind suddenly cleared. The faint, buzzing noise that had been echoing in my head vanished in an instant.
"Ah..."
Only then did I finally realize what Shine's ability was.