I did not expect to see a human burning alive today.
The smell of flesh burning, the screams filling the air, the way nobody cared.
Other people were stepped on. They were walking on them. The sound of bones breaking, cracking under the weight of others is ringing in my ears.
My vision is blurry.
I tried to help, but someone is pushing me away.
"Run. If they catch you, you're dead."
That is right.
I started this.
This is all my fault. I need to run.
I can't breathe.
I didn't mean this. I didn't-
I arrived here about a week ago.
The last thing I remember is Emiliano punching me in the face. Hard.
I woke up in a cell. Why was I in prison?
"Hi"
A red-haired omega greeted me. He had his petals around the eyes visible - a daisy. A weed.
His frame was light. Lighter than it should be. He was starved.
"Hi", I greeted him back."Where am I?"
"You're in Galileo's Giardino, East Wing."
"You gotta be more specific than that."
"Emiliano. He is the one keeping us here."
"Kidnapped?"
"Sold. Some sold by others, some sold ourselves to provide some money for our families."
"Guess you're the latter?"
He gave a small, bitter laugh. "Weeds like me don't have much to lose.Poor. No access to education. No change for a better life. And you know how poor alphas are. Heck, bet even the rich ones are the same. They just take and take until you're spent. I got pregnant. Not by my will, but I guess you know when you're a weed you don't exactly have a choice over your own body. I had to do it. My baby was adopted by a good family. One that could protect her. So she didn't ended up like me if she would inherit my secondary gender."
My God.
The frail omega wiped his tears. He took a deep breath as to control the tide of sadness and grief that was about to wash over him.
"Not a lot of people would adopt the sprout of a weed. Emiliano arranged that. He even gave me a week in a hotel, protected and money assured, with my baby before I ended up here."
"How could you be grateful for that?", I snapped.
I immediately regret it.
He just smiled.
"I know it's fuck up. I've seen what he does to us. My cellmate before you was injected constantly with something that was making his skin peel and fall. Like literal petals. It's the kind of shit that haunts you at night"
He stopped, as if trying to chase the image away.
His face had that look soldiers wore in warzones—
the kind of detachment that comes when trauma becomes too real to hold.
Hah.
Where is he now?
I can't see.
The smoke is choking the hall. My eyes sting. My lungs burn.
Screams echo against the concrete.
"Emiliano likes him!" someone yells. "He'll have mercy on us if we catch him!"
They're chasing me.
If they catch me, it's over.
A hand grabs my arm—
I panic.
Then I see him. The redhead.
"Shhh."
He pulls me into a cell. We crouch behind the bunks.
The smoke cloaks us.
I hear the mob run past.
He leans in. Whispering—
"We aren't safe here. We need to get to the kitchen. It has a back door. Maybe we can break it open."
He looks me up and down.
"You look sturdy."
I swallow.
"How can we make it there?"
remember.
We used to walk to the kitchen together.
They didn't let him eat.
I'd share mine.
Sometimes I gave it all to him.
After all, I'd gained weight from all the takeout Emiliano kept sending. I could stand a little hunger.
"I shouldn't be eating," he once whispered. "It was part of the deal—to comply with whatever Emiliano decided for me."
"So you wanna starve to death just so Emiliano doesn't wet his panties?"
He giggled.
I smiled.
"Don't worry. It's not like he'll take your kid back from that family just because you ate some eggs. I doubt he even sees us as people."
"He visits. Sometimes. Checks on us. Makes sure the research is going smoothly."
"You're with me now," I heard myself say. "Emiliano can't afford to get rid of me. I don't know why, but he can't. If I just play along—just once—he might give me what I ask for. Maybe even free you."
His eyes lit up—then dimmed just as fast.
"Don't say that so casually," he warned. His tone was off. Scared.
"You could get yourself killed for that. Or worse. Omegas here… some of them can do what alphas do now. And it's not pretty."
Who knew he'd be right?
Because now the prison is in flames.
We're running. On top of crisped bodies.
Ash clings to our slippers.
Smoke sears our lungs.
Our hearts beat inside our throats.
We reached the kitchen.
We are crawling to be able to breathe.
I think someone is strangling another person.
We walk past. We lock the door behind us.
I see the redhead pull a knife out. I tried the door.
It's locked.
Fuck.
I hear him panicking. He's crying. Loud.
Loud enough to attract the attention of others.
They start banging on the door.
"Please shut up. We'll get out. We'll be fine. Hey, hey! Look at me!"
He is out of it.
He points the tip of the knife to his chest.
No, don't!
I snatched the knife out of his hands. He tries to cling to the blade.
It's cutting deep in both our hands. I managed to get away.
Our blood mix.
I rip my shirt. I bandanged him.
The wound is deep.
Fuck
It's all my fault
"Luther?"
"I am here"
"I feel strange. Something's wrong."
"We're getting poisoned on the smoke. It's fine. Hey. Hey! Stay with me please! I'll get us out! Yeah, yeah! Emiliano wouldn't let me die. He wouldn't…"
"My name is Lior."
"What!"
"My name is Lior. You never asked for my name."
"Lior. Yes, of course. Stay with me, Lior."
"Luther, if you ever get out, could you check on my baby? Reach her and tell her I loved her. What I did for her."
"You'll tell her yourself. I'll get your baby back. I'll give you a house, a job. Just hold on a little longer. I can save you. Please, Lior, please!"
I feel tears rolling down my eyes. A knot in my stomach. Unbearable pain. Something is indeed wrong.
I hold on tight to Lior. He's not talking anymore.
I began to pray.
I've never done it before. I was always my own destiny master.
And yet now I was praying.
Not to God though.
To Emiliano.