Book 2: Chapter 13 (1/2)

It was the feeling of warmth that first got to me. A glowing feeling permeating my body, like the radiant heat of a ceramic heater or the incessant baking of the sun on a hot afternoon. It didn’t feel alarming or scary. It felt nice. As my consciousness began to return, my eyes fluttered open. There was a white light in my vision. Although it wasn’t bright, it seemed to overwhelm everything else. All I could do is look at the light, which shone a small distance down near my chest.

The light seemed to sputter a moment, and then went out. It was both grand and measly at the same time, its decay into nonexistence being as inconsequential as its presence a moment earlier felt monumental. Black dots floated across my vision, and slowly, ever so slowly, they began to coalesce into the face of a person that I happened to recognize. I breathed out a gasp.

“Dia…”

Dia looked down at me. I appeared to be lying in a bed, and Dia was now kneeling beside it. More than kneeling, her body was holding mine, and she looked like she was using me to keep herself from collapsing to the floor. She was panting small breaths and looked quite tired. My mind still felt a bit fluttery, and I started to look around the room, trying to get my bearing straight. How did I get here? Why am I here?

The answers to those questions were answered a moment later when my eyes fell onto a man lying on the nearby couch. That man was none other than Damien. With the sight of his ugly face, all of my memories came flooding back in.

“They drugged us!” I sat up in a rush, my energy seemed to return quite fully.

Dia smiled lightly up at me. “Yes… they tried.”

My eyes shot back to Damien again now that my mind was working a little better. However, I quickly realized that Damien was no threat. It looked like he had been hit with something, as he had a lump in the back of his head. I could see the back of his head because he was face first on the couch, his head only turned enough that I could see his gaping maw with drool leaking out of it. This was a guy who had drugged me and dragged me into this room to rape me. No, I guess it was the Seniors who were playing that game. This guy was only guilty of taking advantage of the situation.

My fists started to tighten. Worst, I fell right into their trap. I prided myself on my memories and being different from other guys, yet I was completely had by a bunch of children. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, the anger surging through me. Right now, Lyra, Mako, Rebecca, and most importantly Madison were all in horrible danger. Was Aiko among them as well? I didn’t know, but it was safer to assume that she was.

“These boys have gone too far.” Those words came from my mouth, but they quivered with unrestrained rage.

Dia nodded lethargically. “I too am surprised by this. I’ve never heard of men resorting to a drug to knock women unconscious. The very idea is unnerving.”

I nodded slowly, my eyes lost in thought. Of course, this world didn’t really have rape drugs. Rather, in a world where almost every woman was willing and no man ever wanted for sex, the need for rape drugs wasn’t needed. Even when rape occurred, the man could just press the woman down and if he got her pregnant, the law would often look the other way. However, the sheer scale of this stunt pulled by the Seniors was complete unprecedented. I would have never seen this coming. Or perhaps, I was only telling myself that to forgive my lapse of judgement.

“Dia? How did you avoid it? I thought you were under the drug. Are you still-“ I reached out, touching Dia’s shoulder gently.

“My virginity is fine… I practice my magic a lot. My mother taught me purification magic. Everything I eat and drink I purify before-hand so that no one can poison me.” Dia explained, her expression without the tiniest hint of humor.

“S-seriously?” I said. “That’s really paranoi- ahem… smart.”

Dia nodded, accepting my compliment while ignoring the first part. Well, it’s not like I could really call Dia paranoid considering the current situation. Had she not developed this magical habit from her mother, then she likely would be raped right now. As for me, who knows what would have happened. I had been so centered on Madison’s safety, thinking about what he’d have done with me while I was asleep only now sent shivers down my spine. Although, thinking that, I only had more questions for Dia.

“That white light… that was purification?”

Dia nodded again. “It’s harder to cast it on a contaminated person versus a contaminated drink. However, I didn’t know how much longer you’d be out.”

“How long have I been out?”

“He only brought us into the room about five minutes ago. He planned to enjoy both of us. It was when he was placing you on the bed that I hit him with the back of my shoe.” She pointed to a second bed, which made this room a double.

I closed my eyes and opened them again. Only five minutes. That seemed like a short period of time, but also an impossibly long period of time. Madison could have already been violated, or is currently been violated. I really didn’t have any time to waste anymore. However, despite the urgency I felt, I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question.

“You could have left me behind and ran off. Why did you help?” I asked.

Dia looked away for a moment as if she was contemplating what an appropriate answer should be. It wasn’t until I started growing antsy that she turned back and answered.

“You seem… different than the other girls. The way you stood up for your foreigner friend. The way you hold yourself. I find it… refreshing. Had you been raped, I feel that I might have some regrets. That is why I decided to protect you. I meant it when I said you should come work for me. I find your company… interesting.”

I moved forward, reaching out and grabbing Dia’s shoulders. She allowed me to do so to my own surprise. Although, right now, I was still a girl like her. Luckily, she had knocked Damien out before he started undressing me. Either way, I no longer cared about maintaining my female appearance. This was no longer a simple sabotage mission. I was now on search and rescue.

“The other girls…”

“There’s nothing we can do.” Dia straightened, pulling from my arms and looking away. “I can get you out. If a boy appears, the both of us might be able to handle him, but any more girls and the chances of getting caught are too high. I won’t have the magic to purify another. You’re it.”

“I have to try,” I said my voice containing no hesitation.

For me, there was no question I would go looking for Madison. Fleeing this place wasn’t even a thought. It was me against almost twenty other boys. I immediately stood up, looking around the room to find something I could use as a weapon. I finally noticed that the chairs were metal, and the legs seemed to be screwed on. I quickly unscrewed a chair leg, giving me a single light metal stick in my hands. It was all I had, but it’d have to be enough.

“No…” Dia grabbed my arm just as I started heading for the door exit.

“Dia…”

“I won’t let you risk yourself,” Dia said her grip tightening. “You will leave with me. I will keep you safe.”

“I won’t… I’m going…”

Dia’s eyes flashed and her expression turned wild for a moment. “No one has ever told me no when I ordered something before. I’m not asking. You can hate me now, but I won’t let another girl risk her life and virginity like this. You’re coming with me.”

Dia immediately started trying to pull me the opposite direction towards a balcony door. Perhaps she planned to climb out the window rather than try to brave the halls. However, she quickly found that I didn’t budge an inch. She turned back to me, even more, shocked when I looked down at her defiantly. Dia was a rich girl used to power, so it must have been rare that she felt so powerless.

“If you’re worried about a girl, then you don’t need to worry about me at all,” I said, my voice only holding a tinge of the frustration that I felt.

“What? Why?” Dia demanded, her eyes, showing some inner frustration.

I reached up to my hair and pulled. There was a slight resistance, but quickly the wig left my head. Dia’s eyes widened and she took a step back. I pulled off my shirt and quickly discarded the bra. I was now standing in the room wearing nothing by a skirt. I wanted to run to a bathroom and wash my face, but time wouldn’t allow that now.

“Madison is my sister,” I explained simply. “That’s why I came here. What these boys decided to do… it’s wrong. I’m going to stop it, no matter what.”

Dia shook her head in disbelief, her mouth opened in the most expression I’d seen on her this night. “Yo-you’re a boy.”

“Hate me if you want.” I shrugged, turning away. “I’m going to try to save those girls.”

I immediately headed out the door, not giving Dia another glance.

“The fire alarm!” Her voice caused me to stop for a moment, only halfway looking back. “There is a fire alarm tab at the end of the hall. If you pull it, it’ll turn on the sprinklers in the main room. This place isn’t to code. The alarms call the fire authority but they don’t make an alarm sound anymore. It won’t interrupt the VIP rooms, but turning the sprinklers on may interrupt the Senior party downstairs.”

I nodded, “Thanks.”

I stepped out into the hall and closed the door. Although I still had makeup on, it would be very unlikely I’d be mistaken for a woman any longer. However, I still felt some anxiety as I stepped out into the hallway. Dia didn’t follow me out, so I assumed she still planned to try her alternative route. I was pretty convinced she could take care of herself. Instead, I needed to focus on Madison. There was no time to worry about anyone else.

Rather than run to the alarm, I had some concerns that triggering that event might cause some delays in Madison’s rescue. If the police arrived before I could find Madison’s room, for example, I could lose the chance to stop it. I started cautiously trying out the doors. Regrettably, they were as Damien had suggested, each one of them had locked. The only thing that calmed me was that the lock didn’t appear to be automatic. The person themselves needed to lock the door. Thus, I was looking through them, desperately hoping to find someone who didn’t lock the door.

Three doors later, the doorknob turned with a click and I let out a tiny ray of hope. When I opened it more and saw it wasn’t empty, I nearly jumped for joy. Then, I saw the scene that was going on. There was a woman on the bed, unconscious. On top of her was a man who looked much older than she was. He had a very perverted look on his face and his hands were pushed out and groping her chest lewdly. When my eyes focused on her face, I realized the woman was Lyra.

Although I had no particular feelings for Lyra, we did have a sort of strange relationship. I had eaten her pussy once and while I hadn’t perused a relationship with her, I had at least thought about it. She was a little strange and perverted, other boys called her cold, but even she didn’t deserve to be manhandled in this way.

I didn’t hesitate as I stormed across the room. The guy I only noticed I had entered within the door clicked shut louder than I had opened it. He looked back at me with a surprised look, but before he could even raise a hand, I brought up the bar and slammed it on the back of his head. It made a ding sound as he fell off of Lyra and crumbled to the side. The hit wasn’t as strong as I was hoping it was. I could hear the guy panting and grunting on the other side of the bed. I rant to Lyra quickly, slapping her cheeks.

“Lyra, wake up… Lyra!” I tried shaking her.

However, Lyra seemed completely out of it. Her pert red lips were slightly open and her breast heaved in a very erotic way, especially after her shirt was opened and her bra was exposed. I immediately grabbed her shirt and started buttoning it back up.

“Clyburn…” her lips voiced as I fixed her clothing to something more presentable.

“Yes!” I responded, thinking for a second she might have grown conscious to no avail. “I’m Clyburn. Quickly wake up before they hurt you.”

“Clyburn!” The man I had knocked off of Lyra was standing up, rubbing the back of his head angrily. “You? You’re Clyburn.”

“What If I am? What’s it to you?” I scowled right back at the other man.

“Gehehehe… Clyburn…” Lyra reached out and grabbed my hand, rubbing her cheek against it in a strangely familiar way.

Her eyes were still closed and she was drooling slightly on my hand. The man’s expression darkened even more at the sight, his face twisting into an unpleasant scowl.

“Yes… I recognize you now behind that makeup.” The man stood up. “Now, if you well, get your hands off my sister.”

“Sister?” I burst out in disbelief.

The man straightened his clothing, a neutral button-up shirt, and grey slacks, before giving a distasteful sniff. “I am Aaron, her brother. Once I heard about this event, I naturally came myself to protect my sister.”

My guard lightened a bit, feeling somewhat relieved to find someone who had a situation similar to mine. However, the situation I had found him was not one that looked normal. I couldn’t help but remain somewhat doubtful. Was it hypocritical that I looked at this brother of Lyra with doubt when I pursued my own sister in the same manner? Perhaps. However, I didn’t feel a sense of a comradery from this man, just unease.

Plus, even if I didn’t have my instincts, the way Aaron looked at me made me uneasy. There was an edge to his eyes that seemed to suggest he hated me. While it was true, our first interaction as me hitting him across the head, it still didn’t explain to me why he would hold such hostility.

“I came to free Lyra as well,” I responded. “As a fellow classmate, perhaps it is best if you allow me to take her? You wouldn’t want your name sullied with the events going on down below, right?”

Aaron paused for a second, but then his expression turned into a glower. “You don’t have the right to touch my sister, get your hands off her immediately.”

“And who has that right? You?”

“Yes.” Aaron took a few step forwards, causing me to adjust myself uncomfortable. “She is my sister and my woman. Naturally, her body belongs to me.”

I could only blink in surprise at his blatant admittance. I had thought that I was a shameless incestuous brother in this world, but this guy took it to another level. In some ways, it was almost enviable how honest he was with himself. However, the more I tried to excuse his actions, the more the scene of him on top of Lyra’s unconscious body played in my mind, the less I wanted to leave him alone with Lyra. For all intent and purposes, Lyra and I were nothing, and yet I couldn’t help but feel like I needed to protect her. Perhaps that was just a flaw of mine.

“I won’t let you touch her!” I shot back.