". . . ."
I was in complete shock. My mouth was left open without uttering a single word.
"The lead scientist's name is Adam Paradias. He's my father, the one who put Lily in all of these horrible, never-ending nightmares."
*?!*
"But I thought your father sold you to this place?"
". . . To be completely honest, that wasn't exactly a lie either."
"What do you mean?"
"I was tasked to befriend Lily to push her Faith power to the absolute limit, making her stronger. And as you can see, it worked wonderfully! She became the 4th Strongest Believer in the world."
". . . Then why are you here?"
". . ."
Michelle closes her eyes. She puts both of her hands on the center of her chest. Her hand glows, and an orb of light emerges from her chest. She offers me the orb of light.
"Lunehart-san, there's something you have to see."
"This is. . ."
"The truth."
The orb of light floats towards me, and it enters my chest. And so, I've gained a new set of memories that belong to Michelle.
.
.
.
"I'm home!!"
*!*
"PAPA!!!"
"Mi-chan!"
My name is Michelle Paradias. When I was little, my dad used to work on weekdays without even returning home. He only came home on Saturday and then stayed until Sunday.
I was an only child. My mother was the one who took care of me 90% of the time while my dad provided for the family. Even though I spent the most time with her, I couldn't even remember her. When I was old enough to start remembering faces, my mother died in a car accident.
This was the time my dad changed one hundred eighty degrees. He used to be so gentle and caring, but after Mom was gone, he became gloomy and depressed. Since there was no one at home to take care of me, my dad took me to his workplace. Turns out he's working inside a facility that researches Faith powers.
I was told that he was the lead scientist of a certain big project that would make a massive breakthrough in the world regarding Faith powers. Obviously, I have no idea what any of these meant.
About two years later, I became seven years old. I was asked by my dad if I wanted to help with his work. I was so glad by his request that I said yes without hesitation. I also asked for a reward once I'm done with this assignment. I asked him to go to Paris with me. I read in a book back at home with my mom that this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. My mom always wanted to go here with my dad, but they never got the chance to. She said that now that I was born, she wished to go as a family. My mom's dream became my own, and I really wanted to go there someday. My dad nods his head, and I am thrilled by his answer.
Soon after, my father gave me a paper with the details of the work that I should be doing. It said in the paper that I have to befriend someone who was created by the facility.
Huh? Created? That is weird. As I read the paper further, it explained that she doesn't have parents at all. I feel pity for this. . . person? Does this even count as a person? As I keep reading, I finally find out that this is a she. A little girl the same age as me.
Wow. I didn't expect my first friend in life would be. . . this. . . uuh thing? Person? Human? Lab experiment? I honestly don't know how to describe her.
My father later gave me a set of clothes to blend in with all the other children inside the facility. It was just a set of a green hospital gown and a green ribbon. I didn't ask any further questions and wore them immediately. Then my father directs me towards a certain room on the basement floor.
"What's inside, Dad?"
"The subject. Are you ready to do your job, Mi-chan?"
"I've studied all about making friends on the internet. I think I'm gonna be fine! But there's still a part of me that is scared."
"Then that means you're ready. Every human being experiences that exact same feeling whenever they are trying to do something new in life, even me!"
"Eh? Is that so? Alright then! I'm ready!"
"Alright, I'm gonna leave you from now on! I'll monitor everything from the cameras in the room."
"Okay!"
And so, I entered the room where the subject is located.
Inside, I found someone who was just sleeping in the bed. She's wearing a black hospital gown, unlike every other child.
"Hmm, well, I guess I've gotta wait until she wakes up."
"Ah! I can use this time to come up with a story as to why I am here! This is perfect!! YOSH! I'll make my dad proud! I'll do my job properly and make my dad happy!! And then after all of these, I am going to Paris with him! YAHAHAHAHA!!"
.
.
.
6 hours later. . .
*!*
"(OH MY GOODNESS!! SHE FINALLY WAKES UP!! ALRIGHT! TIME TO PUT ON MY GAME FACE!!! 3! 2! 1!)"
". . .Where am I?"
"Oh, my goodness, you're finally awake!"
.
.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
.
One month later. . .
"(Hmm, how much longer should I play house like this with her? I wanted to go to Paris as soon as possible. . .)"
". . . ."
"(Although, it's. . . kinda fun playing with her. . . this rock-paper-scissors is so silly. . . yet I feel happy. . . But her slap hurts, though! That's for sure. . .)"
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
Experiment #496!
Experiment #496!
You have been summoned to undergo your daily experiment!
Please come to the experiment room as usual!
Be quick on your feet!
". . . ."
"I have to go. . ."
"Okay. . . I'll wait for you!"
"Don't forget, I'm still waiting for the name that you said you'll come up with! It's been an entire month already!"
"Of course! I've been thinking hard about that every day, you know!"
"Is that so? Then I'll look forward to it."
. . . . .
"(She left. . .)"
"(Hmm, maybe I should see my dad and ask him for name suggestions. I can't think of anything decent. . .)"
After the subject left, I left the room and went to my dad's room.
"Dad! How much longer should I do this?"
". . . ."
"Uuh, Dad?"
"Hmm, yes, this is good! It's so chaotic, but THIS WILL WORK!! We can boost her Faith power this way!! HAHAHAHHA!!"
". . . dad?"
"AH! Mi-chan! You're here? How long have you been here?"
"About a few seconds ago. . ."
"So, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the subject?"
"Dad! Didn't you hear the announcement?"
"Huh? OH! Yeah, yeah! I was the one who scheduled that. How could I forget? Hahahah!"
"Dad, you're acting weird."
"Hahahahha, it's okay! I am not crazy or anything! It's just there's so much to do, and I'm just excited about it!"
"(Wow, he really loves this job, huh?)"
"So, how much longer should I do this job? Come to think of it, I have never asked you about it."
"About that. . ."
*?*
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"There has been a change of plan!"
"Oh? What should I do now?"
"Nothing! You're going to have to do nothing!"
“Huh?"
My father led me into a room. Inside, the room looked like an operating room. There is so much surgical equipment on the desk.
"Dad, what are we doing here?"
"So, Mi-chan. You like helping me, right?"
"Hm? Yeah, of course! Hehehe!"
"Then, you would do anything for your daddy?"
"Of course! You are the best daddy in the world!!"
"That is good to hear! Now I want you to endure this for a bit!!"
"Hm?"
When I turned my head around, I saw my own father holding a surgical knife backwards with its tip pointing towards me.
*STAB*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
My father stabbed me in my left eye using a knife.
"Please endure it, Mi-chan!! This is necessary for my work here!! Here, lie yourself in the surgery bed!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
I am holding my left eye with both of my hands as I scream my lungs out, and my throat is starting to hurt.
What happened?
Why would my father just suddenly hurt me?
I don't understand.
I never even disappoint or disobey him.
I wanted to help him with his work.
Why would he treat me like this?
I don't understand.
"HAHAHAHHAA!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! I CAN'T HOLD MYSELF BACK!!! THE THOUGHT OF EXPERIMENT #496 GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER BECAUSE OF ME IS TOO MUCH!!! HAHHAHAHAHA!!"
. . . .
What is he saying?
My dad tended to my wound that he himself caused. Why would he even do this. . .
"Alright!! Now, go back to that room and wait for her!!"
". . . ."
"Ah, the pain makes you weak, huh? Alright, I'll walk you there!!"
". . . ."
My dad proceeded to help me walk back towards the room from before.
. . . .
And then everything happened exactly the way it did. I gave the subject the name "Lily" from a book I read when I was little. She seems happy about it, so I did a good job there.
. . . .
I can't believe that she was to be the one who took me to Paris, the city of my dreams.
I had so much fun in Paris that I even considered her to be an actual friend of mine. . .
She even healed my eye wound, the one my father gave to me. . .
. . . .
Yeah, what am I saying? She's just an experimental lab result. She's not a human being like me.
. . . .
And then we were chased by pursuers from the facility. Lily protected me flawlessly from our pursuers, so we got away from them so easily.
But then a man approaches us and somehow teleports us back to a room that has the same vibes and designs as the facility.
"Dad?"
"It's been a while, Mi-chan!"
My father was there. He smiled at me. At first, I was happy, but his smile felt off.
"Mi-chan, I know it's sudden, but you have to endure this!"
"W-What is it, Dad?"
"(I am so scared. He said similar words before when she stabbed my eye.)"
And so, my father tied me to a chair. And then Lily was teleported here as well by that same man, and she was standing outside of a glass wall in front of me.
And then. . .
It happened again. . .
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
My own dad stabbed me again in the same exact eye with a similar surgical knife.
Why. . .
Why is my father doing this to me?
What changed him this drastically?
And then I saw Lily get angry on my behalf.
Please stop.
Don't make me throw up!
Your feelings disgust me!!
I am not your friend!
I don't care about you anymore!
I was just pretending!!
Never have I ever thought of you as a friend!
You are nothing but a lab experiment!
Our very beings are completely different!!
. . . .
Then I was injected with poison by my father. . .
From then on, my existence was put on hold.
I was drifting between life and death.
I couldn't even move my body anymore.
. . .
Why didn't I just die?
What's the point of living like this?
Why is my father obsessing over that lab experiment?
He keeps obsessing over Faith Powers. . .
He keeps obsessing about his work. . .
Lily-chan. . .
You sure took my father away from me just because of your Faith power.
Just because you were a Believer!
MY DAD THREW ME AWAY BECAUSE OF YOU!!!
I hate you!
I HATE YOU!!!!
I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!
. . . .
So, now I'm gonna drift like this for the rest of my life?
I can't even tell what's happening outside my body. . .
This is so boring. . .
Can someone please just kill me?
. . . .
.
.
.
After what felt like a few years just staying conscious inside my own mind, I suddenly see everything that happened to Lily. . .
Huh?
What is this?
Why can I see her?
What are they making her do?
Lily-chan?! Why is a man that big beating her up?
Ah. . .
She killed him. . .
That's good; survivability is important after all. What else would---!!
For. . . me?
She kills. . . for me. . .?
Lily-chan. . .
Wait. . .
Why is she fighting that man?
Don't! Lily-chan! You're no match for her!!
LILY-CHAN!!
WHY IS HE TORTURING HER? STOP IT!! SHE'S A KID LIKE ME!! WHY IS AN ADULT TORTURING HER??
No. . .
. . . .
Lily-chan. . .
She was forced to kill. . .
She was tortured. . .
She was supposed to win a losing battle. . .
I don't know how, but I saw them all. . .
. . .
Why. . .
Why are you doing this?
Lily-chan. . .
I never even considered you properly as my friend. . .
Why are you going this far just for me?
. . . .
Ah. . .
Lily-chan wanted to ditch me. . .
Please do that. . .
I can't stand looking at you being tortured anymore. . .
It's hurtful. . .
It's painful. . .
My heart breaks every time I see you screaming in pain. . .
My heart aches every time I see your expression in pain. . .
Just go, Lily-chan. . .
It's. . .??
She. . .
Apologized? To me?
She grovels on the floor?
She. . . felt shame about even thinking about leaving me?
She's crying. . .?
She's. . . crying. . .for me?
Stop. . .
Stop it, Lily-chan. . .
At this point, just save yourself. . .
I can no longer be saved. . .
I can no longer---!!
She kept going. . .
She has tears in her eyes. . .
I felt the pain in her heart. . .
What is this?
Why can I even feel this?
What caused this? Or maybe, who caused this?
. . .
Lily-chan. . .
The torture never stops. . .
Her nightmare still continues. . .
. . .
Ah, what am I saying?
I don't care about her at all. . .
It's because of her that my father loses interest in me. . .
Why should I care about her?
That man can torture her for all I care. . .
I don't. . . care. . .
She's. . .
That's right!
She's not even a human being in the first place!
I don't care if some lab experiment is being tortured right in front of me. . .
It's just an experiment at the end of the day. . .
I don't care. . .
I don't. . .
. . .
Nope. . .
Don't care. . .
Whatever you do to her. . .
I do not. . .
care. . .
even. . .
the slight. . .
. . .
*sobs sobs*
STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!
*sobs sobs*
PLEASE STOP HURTING MY FRIEEEEEEEEEEEEND!!!!!
*sobs sobs*
STOP HURTING HER!! I'M BEGGING YOU!! PLEASEEE, DON'T HURT HEEEEEEEEEERRR!!!
*sobs sobs*
LILY-CHAAAAANNN!!!
PLEASE JUST LEAVE!!!!
SAVE YOURSELF!!!
LILY-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!
STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!
PLEASE STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPP!!!!!
