Exiting the room, I was bombarded with the combined stench of blood, rotting flesh, vomit, urine, and many other nasty odors I couldn’t even recognize. The massive corridors were lined with hospital beds carrying wounded civilians and soldiers, left unattended due to shortages of dical staff.
I finally realized why they moved to that cozy office.
"Follow ," Pala said in a dry tone and walked forward.
I didn’t say a word. I just took in the view and the stench. This was the reality of worlds that can’t protect themselves from the rifts.
This experience wasn’t exclusive to humans. If the orcs failed to protect themselves from the Louisiana Limitless team, their side would have been the one in this condition.
"This is war. There is no right or wrong. Just winners and losers," I muttered under my breath before moving forward.
I followed Pala to the edge of the corridor, and we took a sharp turn left.
It was worse here.
So patients had to lie on the ground. So were held by their loved ones who wailed loudly. The white walls were stained with blood, vomit, and things better left unnad. I had to watch my step to avoid stepping on sothing that looked like it ca out of soone’s gut.
Flanking both sides of the corridor were doors where dical staff operated on wounded civilians and soldiers. The cries of pain echoed off the walls, making it painfully clear why the room I ca from had to be soundproof.
The overhead lights flickered. A buzzing sound filled the hallway, competing with the occasional beep from failing machines and the low hum of sorrow.
No one seed to notice us. They were lost in their pain and grief to pay attention to the perfectly fine Limitless student and professional who walked by.
Pala looked straight ahead and seed unfazed, like she was used to the sight. Her steps didn’t slow. Her face didn’t twitch.
We continued until we got to the edge of the corridor where the elevator was located. But before Pala could touch it, a familiar bell rang, and the doors slid open.
A man in his early fifties carried an unconscious boy on his back. I didn’t notice any major injury on the child, but his face was purple and bloated. His lips and eyelids had a deep green shade, and his breathing was shallow.
He was close to death.
"HELP MY BOY!" the man scread and brushed past us like we didn’t exist.
My gaze followed his frantic figure as he ran from door to door, banging on them while screaming those words.
"Aren’t you coming?"
Pala’s voice stole my attention. I shifted my gaze to her, peering deep into her eyes.
No, those eyes weren’t cold. They were dead.
I just nodded and stepped in.
The elevator took us to the ground floor. We walked into the receptionist’s office, where a young lady in corporate attire sat behind a counter, with dark circles under her eyes.
She glanced at us once and simply looked away like we didn’t matter. This was the first ti I’d seen people so indifferent in the presence of a Limitless. Only the soldiers manned at the entrance had the decency to salute us as we exited the building.
Even then, their salutes looked forced. One didn’t even bother.
The cheers and praises we once received were replaced with indifference and a tinge of resentnt.
"They cheer us when we win. And they hate us when we lose," Pala finally spoke up. "We are tools. If we cannot serve our purpose, we are discarded. This is the reality behind the glamorous Limitless life."
I listened in silence, but I didn’t fail to notice a tinge of resentnt in Pala’s voice.
Pala looked over her shoulder, probably disturbed by my silence. She must have wanted a response, but I had none to give because I understood life better than anyone.
Unconditional love doesn’t exist in this world—be it man, woman, child, or animal. Everyone has a role to play, and once you stop playing that role, it’s only natural for you to be abandoned.
A barren queen will be abandoned for one who can bear a child for a king.
A husband who cannot provide and protect his family will be abandoned for the one who can.
An unruly child who fails to et his family’s expectations and only invites trouble will not receive a warm welco from his family upon his return.
A dog who fails to protect its master at his greatest hour of need will be discarded for one capable of doing its job.
In this world, Limitless were superior to humans. They were a threat to the average human, but humans condone their existence simply because they are the only ones that can protect them from the rifts.
So what happens when these Limitless fail to protect powerless humans?
If they cannot serve their purpose, why should they be celebrated?
"The governnt views us as a threat, don’t they?" I asked in a calm tone, but my question only made Pala frown.
Bigotry, racism, classism.
All these were a part of human nature. If humans can resent another human for a different skin color, why wouldn’t they find Limitless threatening?
I looked towards the empty sky, and my eyes narrowed. There were no clouds or stars—just a full moon.
The academic system that leads to the death of most Limitless was created by the governnt, which was made up of powerless humans.
If the Limitless number rises, what stops superpowered humans like us from deciding we don’t want to listen to the governnt anymore?
With enough numbers and skill, we can easily topple nations. So they make Limitless scarce and replace quantity with quality.
Why?
Because no matter how powerful a Limitless is, he or she is still one person. Sward by the world, they will eventually fall.
The academy was not created to nurture Limitless, but to keep our population in check—and what was even more disgusting was that they were using Limitless professionals like Pala to lead younger Limitless like to our deaths.
They were using us to kill our kind.
"They reduce our numbers so we can never be a threat," I continued, with a tinge of certainty in my voice. "Ascendants are our replacent. Aren’t they?"
Buzz!
This ti Pala turned around, her brows knitted tightly, but she was looking past . I glanced over my shoulder and rembered there were soldiers not too far away.
"Follow ." She said and walked away without waiting for my response.
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