Page 26 of Pet: Genesis

My hand twitches as the desire to snatch it from him surges over me. He knows I won’t, though. This is another test.

“I like to think of myself as a fair being. I want you to use this time to learn about what could be and what will be. I want you to comprehend where you stand on the spectrum ofmysociety.”

He glances at me, taking in my reaction with glee. He then closes the locket, tucking it away in his pocket.

“Come. There is much to see.”

The tour of this place is hell. I walk closely behind Remus, keeping my head down, but I don’t miss the screams—the screams of pain, torture, and begging for death. The Leviathan have created a system to sort out humans imprisoned and find a proper place forthem in society. Whether it’s as a slave, a servant, physical labor, or sexual pleasure, some of the rooms have been created for obedience training, while others have been created to beat the will to live out of us. It’s terrifying. And it’s the fate that awaited me had Remus not taken a peculiar liking to me.

Remus walks slowly in front of me, making sure to stop at each glass and make me watch the horror that unfolds. It’s a stark contrast to the landscape that lies beyond the torture, providing a beautiful backdrop to hide what’s happening in the interior of this facility. It’s like the rest of this society, beautiful at first glance, but when you look at the lives taken to establish it, it becomes sickening. And Remus wants me to see what could easily become of me if I don’t play my cards right.

When we reach the end of another hall, Remus asks Yura another question in English. He’s doing it on purpose.

“How many shipments are incoming per day?” he asks.

“We currently have thirty per day, each carrying a load of fifty to one hundred humans,” she answers quickly. I note that even she seems intimidated by Remus’s judgment.

“Show me,” Remus quips.

The woman quickly leads us through more winding halls until we finally arrive to where they receive new shipments of humans. At this point in the tour, my footsteps begin to falter. And Remus takes notice. My eyes widen as I take in the massive ship that hovers close to the bridge, the dock opening to reveal hundreds of humans that have been torn from their lives. They’re bloody, dirty, and scared. There are children among them, and even some people whohave reached their elder years. I watch in horror as the Leviathan corral them out of the ship, holding a rod that sends an electrical crack through the air. Some even grab them, pushing them for not moving fast enough.

Tears brim my eyes as mothers scream for their children who are ripped from their arms.

“Pet.”

The sound of Remus’s voice pulls me from my gaping. I tear my gaze away from the scene before me, looking at the irritation on his face. Not an ounce of remorse. Not even a shred of pity. I open my mouth, unable to form a sentence. What can I say? What can I do? I am weak myself. I force my legs to move, bowing my head in shame as I make my way behind him, ignoring the cries and screams. Even when we leave the loading bay, I can still hear the echo of their cries in my head. The sound feels like it’s been burned into my skull.

I don’t know how much more of this I can take, but I know Remus is set on making me appreciate my position when it comes to belonging to him. Remus finally stops, his attention completely drawn to the scene unfolding in the next room.

“What’s this?” he asks.

I feel a sinking in my stomach as I take in the display beyond the glass that Remus is so fond of at this moment. There’s a group of slaves all standing in a circle. A Leviathan stands above them, speaking, and I see the fear in all of their eyes as they stare at the ground.

“This is group,” Yura chuckles as she stands beside Remus.

“Come, Pet. Take a look,” Remus says in amusement.

I will my feet to move, standing in front of the glass. The Leviathan in the room points to a man and a woman, pulling them out of the circle. Their faces visibly pale after the command is relayed to them, and when they don’t immediately obey, the Leviathan activates the chips installed at the back of their necks. They collapse, their bodies convulsing in pain in front of us with technology we know nothing about.

This isn’t training. It’s instilling fear. Pure, unfiltered fear.

I release an audible gasp as the Leviathan in the room snatches the man by his hair, tossing him to his knees, and begins pressing the sharp edge of her heel into his back. I watch in horror as she continues to press, breaking the skin and digging her heel into his flesh with ease. I turn my gaze away, squeezing my eyes shut. I can’t watch. This isn’t training. It’s abuse. No one moves to help him. No one would dare be on the receiving end of the Leviathan wrath.

Remus finally notices my terror and speaks to Yura in his native tongue. The glass suddenly shifts, becoming clouded where we can no longer observe the atrocities happening beyond. Yura bows before leaving the room, and Remus slowly begins to follow.

“Come, Pet.”

I make a move to follow Remus, my eyes catching a familiar human as we pass by another group behind the glass. I recognize her instantly. Her brown hair is pulled into a low bun, and her gray eyes are filled with terror deeper than the one I saw in the blight.

It’s Margot.

My feet move of their own accord, desperation fueling my foolish act. I forcefully hit my hands against the glass, ignoring the pain vibrating over my palms as I call to her.

“Margot!” I scream her name, hoping she can hear me.

I repeatedly beat against the glass with my fists, tears streaming down my face as I take her in. She looks awful, her body littered with bruises. All the rage and will I had stuffed deep down comes crashing back to the surface, and I immediately switch to using my elbow to try and break the glass separating me from the person I thought was dead.

“Margot! Margo—”

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