Remington arrived in the infirmary finding Lux sitting on the hospital bed looking very bemused. Remington hurried over looking very worried.

  “Lux, are you okay?” Remington asked quickly.

  “My head hurts.” Lux said seriously.

  “Oh gosh, I know, I'm sorry I tried to protect you, but Lucius is fast. Even with my own talents he has been able to outmatch me, plus I really don't want any confrontation!” Remington said near a panic.

  “Ugh chill Remington, I appreciate your effort either way. I didn't expect anyone to protect me at all. Can I have a cigarette now?” Lux said with a sigh.

  “Uh, yeah. Sure.” Remington said, sounding very downhearted.

  “Before you leave, may I speak with you for a brief moment, Remington?” Zexich piped up from the door to his office.

  “Sure, Zex.” Remington said unhappily. Lux gave him a desperate look. “I know, Lux, this won't take long I promise.” Remington said.

  “Ugh, just hurry up already.” Lux said impatiently. Remington nodded and got up to follow Zexich into his office. Zexich sat down at the desk and returned to typing.

  “I have started Lux on the medications he was on while living at the halfway house. He has to take several different medications, some during the morning, and some during the evening, most desirably as part of a bedtime routine, as one of the evening pills will help him sleep. Since he has been on these medications before I expect he will adjust to them faster than usual since he has only missed approximately a week's worth of doses. I wanted to inform you since you have become somewhat of a medical proxy for him. You can expect he will begin to behave differently. His symptoms from both conditions should subside. I just want you to keep an eye on him and if you notice any suicidal behavior please alert me at once. Stopping as well as restarting these medications can cause mood swings occasionally, hence the need to recreate him previously.” Zexich explained as he typed. “Do you have any questions?”

  “Well just…what sort of medication does he take?” Remington asked curiously.

  “He takes a mood stabilizer to help with his bipolar symptoms, he takes an antipsychotic to help with his schizophrenia and his bipolar symptoms especially his psychosis, an SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for anxiety and depression, as well as an Atypical antipsychotic to further help with his anxiety and psychosis. These are all very serious medications but I have looked them over and I believe it is a decent mix of medicine that should improve upon all of his issues. As I said please observe his behavior and report to me any improvements and especially any negative side effects.” Zexich explained.

  “I will.” Remington said meekly.

  “That is all Remington. Thank you for your attention.” Zexich said with a mild smile. Remington nodded but paused as if deciding something. “Did you have another question Remington?”

  “Well….Sigil said I should talk to you about my own issues. I'm not sure why, but maybe I should if he thinks it's a good idea.” Remington said solemnly.

  “You are more than welcome to come to me for this. When would you like to talk?” Zexich asked politely.

  “Maybe later today or tomorrow. I would still like to go to the briefing and keep Lux going on his new schedule.” Remington said.

  “I will look forward to it whenever you are ready.” Zexich said mildly. He smiled at Remington again.

  “Thanks, Zex.” Remington said then he stood up and left the office to find Lux. He was on the hospital bed now looking rather bored but pulled his attention quickly to Remington.

  “Smoke break time??” He asked quickly, looking eager.

  “Yes, Lux.” Remington said, looking amused at his response.

  “Great, I am dying for a cigarette!” Lux got off the bed quickly and followed Remington through a portal to his bedroom where he quickly sat at the desk and lit a cigarette. He looked calm now and content. Remington sat on the bed and watched him very keenly, not only because Zexich requested that he keep an eye on Lux, but because he genuinely felt attachment now.

  “Lux?” Remington wanted acknowledgement. He waited patiently but surprisingly Lux shifted to look at him.

  “Hm?” He hummed as he smoked his cigarette.

  “Uh, well….how are you feeling?” He stammered, since he really didn't have anything specific he wanted to say.

  “My head hurts, and I feel a bit focused.” Lux answered. Remington wasn't sure what he meant by this.

  “Focused on what?” Remington asked.

  “On…. everything?” Lux questioned his own response. “It's hard to explain. Everything is quiet, your voice grabs my attention easily now. I can hear you breathing. Before, if I thought about something I needed to do, like go to the gym, the steps to doing this were scary and impossible, and lost in a sea of redirection, and fear. It's like there was a huge road block preventing me from starting whatever task was next, unless of course what I wanted to do was something my mania demanded of me, like fold 100 paper airplanes, then that would be the only thing I could focus on even if it were a life or death situation. Now when I think about a task, like going to the briefing, it's easier, not so terrifying, there's no roadblock getting in the way. Of course I feel strange otherwise. My arms feel heavy. I feel calm, and I have a lack of motivation to do anything. I kinda wanna just sit here all day and do nothing, but I can't. I still want to talk to Ava. I still want to practice being social, and I still want to go wherever you go.” Lux said seriously. The last sentence made Remington blush.

  “Oh, well so it's an improvement already?” Remington asked.

  “I suppose.” Lux shrugged. He continued to smoke his cigarette.

  “So do you still hear the voices?” Remington asked.

  “Sort of.” Lux said. “At their worst they are loud, angry and terrifying and it's easy to understand what they are saying. When they're better it's like they are whispering so softly that I can't understand what they are saying, and sometimes they are completely gone. I usually use a number scale. 10 being so loud and distracting that I cannot hear the world around me and I become terrified. Zero being gone completely. Right now I would say they are at about a four. I can hear them, and I can understand them if I purposely focus on them, but the world around me is louder and clearer to me than the voices. Usually about now I would be a solid 7 to where the world is difficult to focus on because the voices are louder and easy to understand, but I can focus hard enough to hear the world around me over the sound of the voices, and still manage to get through the day, but I would be exhausted and overwhelmed after a while. Right now they are telling me how horrible I am for poisoning myself. I am sure they are lying because Zexich was very patient as I checked each pill. I wouldn't want to be poisoned again.” Lux said mildly.

  “Again?” Remington questioned.

  “Yeah, my mom tried to kill me several times, but specifically when I was five, she tried to poison me by putting something in my food. She took me to the ER and told everyone it was an accident. They had to pump my stomach and detox me. I was in the hospital for a couple of days. Then when I was seven she tried to poison me with medication. She told everyone she was trying to kill the demon inside me. I don't think it worked. After that they put her in a hospital.” Lux explained. He didn't seem very upset at the story. Remington was trying not to seem horrified. He thought back to the moment Lux had worried if the food he was eating was poisoned. It seemed like a ridiculous thing to worry about. Even though Remington had indulged the concern to help Lux feel more comfortable eating the food, he still chalked it up to a pointless delusional idea. Now he knew it was anything but pointless. He must have been living with the fear everyday of his life that someone would try and poison him again, even if his food was definitely safe, the fear he felt was very real.

  “Where is she now?” Remington asked.

  “Hm? Oh, they let her out of the hospital after a few months of trying to get her symptoms under control. She did alright for a while, she got an apartment, and a job, and she petitioned to regain custody of me, but they denied the request and set another court date. Before the court date she ended up missing work and getting fired, then a few days later they found her dead in her car. She shut herself in the garage and exhausted all of the oxygen. She wrote a note saying she had to suffocate the demon inside her.” Lux explained, still very blank to the tragic story. “She said I had the same demon inside of me. She told me she could see it staring at her while I slept. He had red glowing eyes and he was waiting for the right moment to slip into and control my body.” Lux said, looking unamused. He was finished with his cigarette now smashing it into the ashtray. Remington looked struck for a long moment, then overwhelmed.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Remington, she was insane. It was just her intolerance to being a mother. She just wanted me dead.” Lux said mildly.

  “……but that's awful.” Remington said looking pained.

  “I guess so.” Lux sighed. “After that I went to live with my aunt and uncle. They knew her situation so when I started to exhibit the same behaviors they became uncomfortable taking care of me. I was just a freak to them, just like she was. If they saw me acting strange I would get in a lot of trouble. They would demand that I 'shut it off' or stop immediately. They would tell me to stay in my room. I couldn't come out unless I stopped acting weird. So I guess that's why I am so comfortable sitting in a small bedroom. First at their house getting shut in my bedroom for days, then jail, then prison, now here. The most freedom I've ever felt was when Vezaias made me his friend and expected me to go everywhere that he did. But whatever you know?” Lux seemed to be rambling now. This was the most Remington had heard him talk about himself since he arrived. “I think they were glad when I went to jail, so they didn't have to deal with my issues anymore, they just passed me off to the legal system to deal with. They never came to visit me in jail, or send me any money to help me get things that I needed while I was locked up, hell I haven't heard from them even after I got out. Remember I told you why would I want to be around people that I make uncomfortable? The only one who really made any effort to keep in contact with me was my sister, but I haven't heard from her in months either.” Lux sighed. He became quiet now.

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” Remington asked meekly.

  “Hmm, I'm not sure. You asked, I guess. Before it was difficult to have a conversation like this. I was far too manic, but now I can focus on what I'm saying, and you wanted to know. Why? Am I being inappropriate?” Lux said looking odd.

  “No, it's not that. I just didn't know very much about you before. Just that you were friends with Vezaias, and about your two conditions. It was a bit overwhelming, but I'm glad you told me.” Remington said very meekly. Lux was quiet again for a moment.

  “I don't know anything about you either.” Lux said softly as he stared a hole in the desk.

  “Well maybe later, I will tell you about my life. Sound good?” Remington said with a meek smile.

  “Sure.” Lux said returning the smile. He then looked distracted. “Yeah?” Lux paused. “Better I guess.” He paused again. “I'm listening.” He said softly. Remington watched him carefully as if he were listening to external dialogue. “I don't want to be a prisoner anymore.” Lux looked irritated. “Fine. I don't have a choice though, right?” Lux said solemnly. “I guess a slave is better than being dead. What are your instructions?” Lux continued looking serious.

  Remington pulled out a chair for Lux to sit in. His anxiety had shot up despite the mellowing effects of the medication he had taken so he was very tense as he sat waiting for the briefing to start. Remington could tell he was growing increasingly anxious as they waited, and especially when Lucius showed up with Ava beside him putting an arm firmly around his shoulders and looking very smug and threateningly at both Remington and Lux. The tension was thick as the briefing started but Sigil was sure to move the meeting along quickly. He eventually got to Remington's instructions.

  “Next, I have returned your clearance.” Sigil said. “We have decided that you are putting forth the effort to fix what has happened, you returned Maxwell to us, just as promised. You are now allowed your privileges back. You will still remain under surveillance but the restrictions on your keycard have been lifted. If we sense anything suspicious, we will not hesitate to revoke these privileges and conduct a thorough investigation that you must cooperate with.” Sigil explained.

  “Oh…um….thanks?” Remington said nervously.

  “Next we are aware of one last victim Vezaias has trapped. What do you plan to do about this?” Sigil asked.

  “Well, I am not sure. I don't know very much about him. I don't know where to look for him, or how I would free him. I had help to release Maxwell and Ziona. I think I might need Ava to help me this time, as he would know more about Vincent than I do.” Remington said solemnly. “That is if he is willing to help.” Remington said meekly, glancing very cautiously up at Ava.

  “I will help you Remi,” Ava said in his upbeat soprano voice.

  “Very well, this is your assignment until it concludes. Please keep us informed of your progress.” Sigil said firmly.

  “Yessir.” Remington said with a nod. “Is it alright if Lux goes with me? I am working on regulating his schedule to match mine.” Remington requested.

  “I will allow it.” Sigil said. “Everyone is dismissed.”

  Ava trotted over to talk to Remington about the mission to save Vincent. He smiled cautiously at both Remington and Lux as he approached.

  “When would you like to go on this mission, Remi?” He asked meekly.

  “Probably after breakfast, just meet us at Lux's bedroom afterwards.” Remington said. It was about an hour before breakfast would be ready. Remington went back to the bedroom with Lux to let him take another smoke break. He was instantly calmer once he was back in the bedroom smoking his cigarette. He looked very aloof now and distracted. Remington assumed it was the accumulation of stress and starting a new schedule that he wasn't used too. He didn't bother Lux now, and let him have some peace and quiet and didn't expect him to socialize before they went to breakfast, because soon they would be in the middle of a very stressful social situation during mealtime. Remington remembered the first time he had sat at the table for a meal after his first day here at the base and how terrifying it was to try and eat with nearly every member around him. He wondered how Lux would handle it. Soon they were on their way and Remington picked his usual spot while Lux sat next to him looking very distressed now that they were out of the bedroom and at the table where most of the members were already there waiting. Lux began to fidget as time ticked away, and soon he looked very distracted.

  “Are you alright Lux?” Remington whispered to him. He seemed to be completely ignoring Remington. Remington watched him carefully. Soon the food was being set out for everyone to eat and this only made things worse for Lux. He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw not wanting to look at the food. Remington knew the situation was getting worse.

  “Lux, it's okay we can go back to your room if you want.” Remington whispered to him.

  “Because starving to death would be a much better option than overcoming my fear.” Lux mumbled back. “Eventually it will be an emergency.”

  “Did your number go up?” Remington asked softly. Lux only nodded softly.

  “The food is poisonous. True or false.” Lux whispered.

  “False Lux. Nobody wants to poison you.” Remington said, rubbing his back and trying to sooth him.

  “I would much rather he bleed to death than see him die of poisoning.” Lucius's malicious voice interjected. Lux seemed to crumble at this notion.

  “Shut up Lucius! You are making things worse!” Remington snapped at him. Lucius only looked more smug.

  “Mission successful.” He mused as he took polite bites of his food.

  “Is everything alright Lux? Are you struggling?” Zexich intercepted. Lux didn't answer and only tightened his jaw harder.

  “The stress is making his anxiety flare up. I think the voices are getting louder and angrier.” Remington said delicately.

  “Goodness, might you need a bit of help? Sigil can take the edge off if you would like.” Zexich said, trying to be extra sincere. Lux still did not answer but began to sink more.

  “The food is safe. The food won't poison me.” Lux said firmly. He began to cover his ears now. “Shut up! I think you are lying!” Lux shouted as he crumbled more. “IT'S NOT POISON! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!!” He was now screaming and pushing his chair out to stand and leave the table. Remington jumped up to help him, but he was unsure of how to do this.

  “Lux, it's okay, the food is safe and you don't have to eat it if you don't want to!” Remington said as reassuringly as possible.

  “They won't shut up! Tell them to shut up! I think they just want me to starve to death!!!” Lux paced back and forth. By now the whole room was focused on the outburst. Lux sank to his knees and plugged his ears tightly and now crying hysterically. Remington tried to soothe him by rubbing his back but there seemed to be a static shock when he touched Lux's back. It burned then seemed to painfully numb his skin. Remington retracted rubbing his palm to alleviate the pain. Sigil was now at his side draining the anxiety and fear away from him. He calmed instantly and fell into a very blank stare, while slowly lowering his arms to the floor.

  “You were losing control of your emotions. I simply extracted them leaving you completely blank, and I will release you from the hold now, and your emotions will begin to flow like normal. If you become overwhelmed again I can help you stay calm if you need me too.” Sigil said softly before releasing Lux's emotions and Lux sat calmly breathing heavily as his emotions began to flow again.

  “Lux! It's okay! If you need to leave and go back to your bedroom we can.” Remington was now in front of him holding his shoulders to help direct his attention. Lux shook his head.

  “I'm hungry.” He choked out. “I have to try harder.” He sniffled and wiped his face.

  “Okay. I'm right here with you. If you want I can taste your food to prove it isn't poisoned.” Remington said seriously. Lux nodded meekly and swallowed back the fear that was creeping back up on him. Remington helped him to the table and gathered a plate of food. This meal was a ham, egg, and cheese scramble with toast and a banana nut protein muffin.

  “Do you like eggs Lux?” Remington asked, trying to sound as upbeat as possible. Lux looked frightened but nodded softly. Remington took a fork and scooped a large bite of the eggs. He chewed and swallowed and smiled at Lux.

  “Nope, definitely not poisonous. It's delicious. I never used to eat eggs. I thought they were disgusting, but when I came here and tried them again, I realized I loved them. I used to be a very picky eater. I hardly ate anything at all. The only thing I would eat was ramen.” Remington talked calmly and slid the plate slowly to Lux.

  “Why?” Lux asked as he looked scared of the plate coming towards him.

  “Meals were always very stressful when I was younger.” Remington said.

  “Are you okay?” Lux asked him meekly.

  “Yup, I feel fine. I'm going to eat more okay?” Remington said as he filled his own plate and began to eat. Lux watched him carefully and soon his fear began to ease. He picked up his fork and carefully poked at the eggs and after another apprehensive moment he lifted a bite to his mouth and began to eat.