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Tower of Hell: Caged and Confused, Book 1, Chapter 125
🕑 Added 2022-12-13 20:51:59 +0000 UTCLater that night, Jonas found himself on the front terrace of the Glatorius mansion, which nearly wrapped the entire building. A beautiful and auspicious blood-red moon shone upon the brightly-lit property. For most people, light brought feelings of security; however, Jonas was so used to shadow that he felt exposed and uncomfortable because he stood out from the darkness. He couldn't see any property belonging to the neighbors because of giant crimson hedges surrounding the mansion. The architects had also erected a massive metal fence on the Glatorius side of the shrubbery.
Jonas had a dull and gloomy look in his eye as he swirled an icy drink in one hand and flicked a cigarette in the other. The ashes blew away with the gentle breeze, and he brought the smoke to his mouth and sucked on the paper filter until his lungs were burning with a tickle of pain and pleasure.
With intrusive thoughts running rampant in his mind, Jonas had spent the last thirty minutes smoking and drinking while staring up at the fake moon in the seemingly-endless night sky. He could see the flickering lights of stars and galaxies, and he wondered what would happen if someone tried to take a spaceship to visit them. Would the person crash into a ceiling? Jonas assumed they would infinitely travel in place, never able to go anywhere but back to Hell. There was no universe beyond those stars because the night sky was an illusion. Jonas knew it was a colorful cage meant to bring feelings of familiarity to those who had come from Earth.
He thought about Mr. Ken's advice about his and Yuki's relationship. They had begun as friends, and Jonas knew staying as friends was a desirable conclusion. However, a bitter part of himself would miss the time shared and long for the intimacy and emotional tenderness they frequently had in the Hurts gang. Yuki was a strong and independent woman, and Jonas knew she wouldn't lose sight of her goal to follow him on a hopeless quest to find his brother. He sipped his drink and wondered if he would want her to follow, even if she wanted to. At first, Jonas would've said yes to himself; however, he found his heart longed for solitude, freedom, and the excitement of the unknown that awaited him.
"I don't love her," he whispered aloud, and the words materialized into truth. He didn't love Yuki; he wasn't committed to her, nor did he wish to spend the rest of eternity with her. It was a painful truth that tugged at his drunken heart, but he wasn't the kind of person that lied to himself.
Jonas exhaled another breath of smoke and knew that in no time at all, he would be alone and traveling the world without his friends or companions. Perhaps his journey wouldn't allow him to have love or friendship, and maybe his mission was one for a lone wolf.
Everyone else had already gone to sleep, and the servants on the night shift were quiet as mice as they scurried around: cleaning, securing, preparing, and whatever other chores they had.
Jonas took out his hellphone, opened up his text messages, and saw the message left by Old Louie. Jonas was indecisive about associating with the old quack, but no one else could answer his Sinner-related questions. His finger hovered over the call symbol and hesitated. What other source of information did he have besides what he learned from Phillip and Amberlee? His thumb pressed down on the touchscreen, and he put the phone to his ear. It rang for a time, and Jonas was unsure that Old Louie would answer.
"Why the fuck are you calling me at this hour?" The phone connected, and Old Louie's familiar raspy voice shouted through the speaker. "Goddammit, dumbass disciple. Call me back at a better time."
"Old bastard," Jonas felt his temper rising. "You told me to fucking call you. What could you possibly be doing that's so goddamn important? You have some explaining to do."
"Yes, I do," said Old Louie. "I need to explain these balls to your mouth. Hah!" The old monk cackled into the speaker, and Jonas was dangerously close to hanging up the phone. "Relax, little punk. You did a decent job against the beast. I'm impressed and should give my congratulations on escaping the Hurts gang. I should also give my condolences for your losses," Old Louie didn't sound very sorry, and his tone was emotionally triggering for Jonas' drunken state.
"How'd you know about the M—" Old Louie cut off Jonas before he could say anymore.
"Don't say the name, idiot. The government likes to watch the phones. This call is probably safe, but don't be wantonly saying things better spoken about in person. You never know who's listening in."
"Fine," Jonas rolled his eyes and bit his lip out of frustration. "Let's meet up and talk. I want to know why you sold me into slavery. I want to know more about that person we won't speak of, and I want to know more about the Sin Assessment."
"Want me to blow you too?" Old Louie sniggered. "Why should I tell you anything?"
"Because I'm your disciple, and you're my master. If that doesn't matter, then because you fucking owe me for everything you put me through."
"Didn't I tell you?" There was a pause after Old Louie asked his cryptic question.
"Tell me what?" Jonas was dangerously close to throwing his phone.
"That my training will be the harshest thing you ever went through, so much so that it will probably make you hate me? Does that ring a bell?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Congratulations, stupid disciple. Part one of your training is over," Jonas felt his stomach somersault.
"You're lying. Brow told me you sold me to him to pay off your gambling debt."
"Completely true," Old Louie's voice became much more pleasant. "After Wolf cracked your melon, I spoke to that Sin Shadow and revealed my plan. He agreed we needed a harsh environment for practice because while Hellite brats get training from real Sinners, you needed a crash course in brutality, the terrible human nature, and the inconvenient truths of Hell."
"My training? Pride knew?" Jonas felt like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over him. "You sold me to Brow as part of my training?"
"Don't get so uppity," Old Louie could hear the accusation contained in Jonas' voice. "You fucking agreed to it, remember? I told you the training would be harsh, and you agreed to my conditions. All the bullshit you went through is on you for not thinking through your actions. I did my part, didn't I?" Old Louie had a way of making Jonas feel like an idiot. "I agreed to train you, and now you're a talented Sinner, and you're almost ready for the big test. You're welcome."
"You want me to thank you?" Jonas was speechless, and his hand hurt from clutching the phone so hard: he was surprised it hadn't broken yet. "I watched my friends die. Did you say you were watching me the entire time? Why didn't you step in when the creature showed up? You could have saved us."
"I'll be honest," Old Louie suddenly sounded embarrassed. "Sure, I could keep tabs on you from a distance, but you were down there for almost two years. I used one of my Original Sin abilities to keep tabs on your body: Patient Checkup. It lets me feel when my previous patients have taken a lot of damage or are near death. The day of your big break-out, I was taking a nap, and I woke up just after the beast had ripped out your heart, so I noticed it way too late. I might be an asshole, but I wouldn't have had you face such a vicious creature as part of your training. That's something I wouldn't wish on anyone," Jonas heard sympathy in the old man's voice for the first time. "I didn't want your friends to die, and you probably won't believe me, but you'll have more friends die on your journey to find your brother. If you don't like it, don't make friends."
"I don't understand," Jonas was at a loss for words. He felt betrayed, confused, and upset.
"You do understand," said Old Louie. "You're in denial of the truth. Be confident and snap out of it. Who cares what's real or unreal? You've got your Pride, and it's the only thing you need to be sure of because your Sin will never lie to you. Think about everything that happened to you down in the Hurts gang and everything you learned. You're a Sinner because you embraced your powers and subjected your will to others. Talent is great, but you'll have to play the Game of Hell if you want those Sin Scars. Jonas, you were more than ready to use your powers despite your innocent nature. You used those powers to find Drake, protect your friends, harm your enemies, and escape the Hurts gang for your freedom. Do you understand?"
Jonas was silent for a long awkward minute. He knew right away that Old Louie was correct about everything, but there was a bit of a disconnect between the old Jonas, who didn't want to be a Hellite or hurt others, and the new Jonas, who was willing to get his hands dirty for his mission and his Pride.
"Did you just call it the Game of Hell?" Jonas used humor to buy time for his two selves to reconnect.
"It's the truth. Hell is a game where the players play, and the spectators can only watch in horror. Which one are you?"
"A player, obviously," Jonas knew where Old Louie was leading the conversation.
"You played the game when you accepted your Sin Scars, and when you killed Wolf, there was no turning back. You're now a piece on the chessboard, but don't fret because it's much better than being a spectator."
"Who're the spectators?" Jonas furrowed his brow.
"They wear prison scrubs, go to work, and have no idea about the world of Hellites and Sinners. They end up in cages, as prostitutes, or in ditches. They don't even know they're spectating a game."
"That makes sense," Jonas nodded, and he felt like a student again, down in Little Wrath City, drinking and listening to his master teach him about Sinning. "So, what's the game? Why do we play, and when is it over?"
"It's never over. In the end, eternity and reincarnation are your only choices. Would you rather work a nine-to-five and stay home every day because you're afraid of the world, or would you rather be wealthy, powerful, and could go anywhere you want? Jonas, do you want to be a Commoner?"
"No," Jonas replied.
"Don't you see? You were born to be a Sinner. However, do you think your soft-ass Earth mentality would allow you the privilege of being talented and extraordinary? No, I needed to break you down into your four most important components: your Sin of Pride, Hellite bloodline, willpower, and physical talents. I put those ingredients into a boiling pot of hate, death, slavery, torture, and rape, and I watched as someone great stepped out of the pan and into the fire."
"I didn't strip myself of the person I used to be," Jonas argued. He understood Old Louie's point, and he even understood the reasoning behind the training. However, Jonas knew that his old self was still inside.
"Your old self didn't need to be stripped away. The old Jonas needed Hell to repeatedly beat him until he accepted that he was wrong about good and evil. The old version of you now understands that good and evil only exist when we wish them on others."
"There's no divine punishment for being evil, right? It's up to you whether you want to treat others before they treat you first?"
"Exactly. We, the Sinners, decide good and evil. God isn't going to punish you for being a bad boy. The only person who'll punish you is yourself and someone who wants revenge."
"I understand that now," Jonas re-lit his cigarette, which extinguished from being forgotten. "It's just me, my Sin, and my will."
"Are you still mad that I sold you to the Hurts gang?" Old Louie had a slightly provocative tone to his voice.
"Yes, fuck you. However, I think I'll get over it," Jonas smirked, and he could tell Old Louie was doing the same. "So, you made me go through Hell because I needed to be ready for what's to come?"
"Little punk, you're not ready for what's to come. The training you experienced was only part one and won't prepare you for the Sin Assessment, Sin City, or the Hell Challenge. You still need part two."
"Part one won't prepare me for anything?" Jonas was wondering if Old Louie had hit his head. How could he not be ready for at least the Sin Assessment with everything he had learned?
"Part one was about being no longer caged and confused. Well, are you?" Old Louie was blunt and to the point. "Are you stuck in a cage and ignorant of the truths of Hell?"
"I'm not," Jonas was more firm about that than any other topic they had covered. "I'm not that person anymore."
"That's good because part two of your training begins in a few days. Bury your friends tomorrow, lick your wounds, and say your goodbyes. We need to move soon if you want to make this year's Sin Assessment. It's taking place in June, so we only have three months to get you a ticket for the S.S. Sinner and prepare you to face the little monsters on that ship."
"That soon?" Jonas' heart skipped a beat, and he felt bewildered. "I can't believe it's March. I swear my birthday just passed."
"Eternity flies when you're stuck in a cage in the sewers of Hell. There are slaves in Little Wrath City who haven't realized that decades have passed since gangs enslaved them."
"So, what is the Sin Assessment exactly? How do I get a ticket?"
"One thing at a time. I'll explain more once you've finished your business and can meet me."
"When and where?" Jonas' confidence was improving, and his Sin Scars gently hummed with a red light. "Old bastard, name the time and place, and I'll be there."
"That's a great spirit, no student of mine will be a raging pussy. Meet me at Dark Fly Auctions on March thirteenth at eight o'clock in the evening."
"Dark Fly Auctions?" Jonas wondered what scheme Old Louie was planning. "Why would we go back there?"
"Idiot. You have unfinished business with that auction house, don't you? Revenge is a dish best served cold, and part two of your training starts with you getting vengeance against the pieces of shit who beat and enslaved a teenage boy. Don't be late, little punk," and the call was disconnected before Jonas could ask anything else.
Jonas tried calling back, but after two unsuccessful attempts, he gave up. Then, his hellphone rang with a notification, and a message from his calendar app came up.
'Old Louie wants to meet you at Dark Fly Auctions, March thirteenth, at eight pm. Do you accept it?' Jonas clicked the accept button, and it finalized their meeting. He downed his alcohol, extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, and went back through the terrace doors and into the dimly lit entrance hall. When Jonas reached his bedroom, he stripped his clothes off and fell into bed.
That night Jonas had a dreamless sleep and awoke just before noon. He yawned, leaped out of bed, and went straight for the shower to clean off the smell of sweat, tobacco, and alcohol.
When he finished showering, he noticed a black suit hanging from the back of his bedroom door, and a note told him it was for a funeral service. He didn't put it on; he dressed casually and headed for the kitchen to greet the rest of his companions and hosts.
"Jonas!" Simon shouted while wearing an eager smile. "Did you see the size of these pancakes?" The servants had covered the table with trays of breakfast foods: bacon, sausage, ham, home fries, cereals, eggs, pancakes, waffles, and toast.
"I've had them. I made it through two before I tapped out. How did everyone sleep?" Jonas knew they didn't sleep well because nearly everyone was awake and at the table, excluding Theo.
"The bed was awesome," said Johnson. "However, I still feel like I have to sleep on high alert. It's like one of those gangsters is going to come in the room and start beating me with his metal baton," and the rest nodded in agreement.
"I slept okay," Yuki spoke softly. "I'm just so used to my old bed and the sewer smell that it was hard for me to adjust."
"That's reasonable," said Phillip Glatorius, who had a bit of pancake dangling from his mouth. "I'm glad you're awake, Jonas. I was waiting to discuss the events of the day. First, I managed to secure a small funeral for your two friends. I sent their bodies to the funeral house, and they are preparing them as we speak. The service will take place in a few hours, after which the limo will bring us back to my home."
"Thank you, Phillip," Jonas smiled at him while cutting into a big fluffy pancake. "That's amazing. I won't ever be able to repay you."
"No worries. It's the least I can do for all of you. I said I had a business opportunity I wanted to discuss, so I'll give you the rundown now. We can speak about the rest tomorrow," Jonas' companions lifted their heads and listened with great attention because they knew that conversation could be life-changing for them. "As most of you know, I run a security empire: Presidential Protection Services. We don't protect presidents, but we offer just as good as the Secret Service for the right price. Unfortunately, most of my staff are regular people who've gone through our training regiment, but only the captain of my services has any ability as a Sinner."
"Is it hard getting Sinners to work for you?" Jonas asked.
"Very much so," said Phillip. "They know that with a bit of knowledge, they can get as many benefits on their own. Fortunately, I have Toby. Although he isn't the most talented, he has been a strong and loyal employee, and I've rewarded him greatly. I'm saying all this to you because I want to hire you for my security company. I'm not just talking about wealth. I can offer anything you want."
"How about a place to start a business?" Asked Yuki.
"Easy. I have real estate all over Sun City. Whatever kind of business you want, I can give you the funds to start and run it," Yuki fell into contemplation.
"Are you able to help us find our families?" Pete crossed his arms and wore a skeptical expression.
"It's difficult but not impossible. There are methods people use to search for their loved ones, and I'll use any contact I have available and any resource I possess to help reunite you with them."
"What about the good stuff?" Johnson asked. "Money, clothing, a house, a car?"
"All of that comes with the job. You'll keep most of your income, and I'll provide company resources. We have apartments, cars, weapons, and anything else you'll need to start a life here in Sun City."
"So, how does it work?" Ralph looked skeptical. "We're not getting all this for free."
"No sir, you're not. You'll each be in charge of a security team who will follow you on jobs. I'll link you and your team with a client, you'll go and fulfill your duties, and I'll take thirty percent commission while you keep the rest. That's it. You will be responsible for representing Presidential Protection Services while fulfilling the agreement with the client."
"What kind of things will we have to do?" Simon looked eager to start. "I want to find my wife and build a safe life, so our daughter can come and live with us when she leaves the fifth floor."
"Protecting people, businesses, assets, etcetera. You'll have to be able to fight, be observant, and have a decent problem-solving ability. Feel free to decline jobs when offered, but the clients I recommend are always VIPs and elites, so they give excellent pay to protect their interests."
"I have a suggestion for you," Jonas didn't like the idea of them splitting up.
"What's that?" Asked Phillip.
"You should create two teams. Simon, Johnson, and Theo will be one, while Ralph, Pete, and Bannji will form the other."
"What about Miss Yuki?" Phillip tilted his head.
"She works alone, always," Jonas smiled at her. "She's stubborn as an ox but strong enough to take on most people in Sun City," and his words made her smirk.
"I'm stubborn as an ox?" She shook her head. "If I'm an ox, you're the whole damn barn," the ice between them had started to melt, and the rest of their companion's laughter helped.
"We can keep your friends in three teams if that makes you feel more comfortable," Phillip was willing to agree to most terms as long as it meant he got to employ six Sinners. "I'll even offer you benefits, Jonas. As a finder fee for bringing me such a good opportunity."
"I still owe you fifty thousand stones or something," Jonas shook his head. "This is just me paying you back. You don't owe me anything. How could you owe me after doing so much?"
"A few thousand stones, a warm bed, and some food is nothing compared to having a half dozen Sinners working for me. Before you leave on your journey, I'll take care of you. No arguing," Phillip saw that Jonas was going to disagree and put an end to it. "Anyway, we can discuss this tomorrow after you've mourned the loss of your friends. I just wanted to present the idea while Jonas was still with us and could offer you his advice."
"Thanks, Phillip," Jonas looked over at his friends. "I'll talk to them and give you your answer tomorrow." Though, by the look in their eyes, Jonas could tell they had already mentally accepted the job offer.
"Until that time," said Phillip. "Let's eat, and then we can dress and leave for the funeral."
The day wasn't as dreary as Jonas had expected. His companions weren't in good moods but weren't depressed either. It seemed most of them had seen enough bloodshed to the point that the deaths of their companions weren't enough to shake them for too long. It wasn't that they didn't love Ahmed or Jaden, but they were a group of hardened warriors who had each experienced a lot of loss in their two lifetimes.
Jonas had mixed feelings. He was still sad about his friends, but he avoided thinking about them because the intrusive thoughts in his brain preferred to visualize their blood-stained and mangled corpses. Ahmed's gaunt stare and Jaden's slit throat would flicker nonconsensually in his mind's eye and make him anxious and uncomfortable. It was less stressful for him to try and keep his mind on other things.
A few hours later, Jonas and his companions were dressed in black and stepping out of the limousine into the hot red sunlight of Hell. He'd never been to a funeral before, nor did he know how sad he should act or how the service would proceed.
They arrived at Bright Family funeral services, an old cobblestone manor with a large and beautiful garden. The director greeted them at the door and was a very gentle soul with a soft voice that made Jonas feel weak and sleepy.
"Phillip, thank you for coming. Please, join us inside," he wasn't an old man, but he sure acted like one. "I'm George, the director of this funeral home. I'm so sorry for your loss. Ahmed and Jaden have been well cared for, and you can see them whenever you're ready," George shook hands with each of them, and they returned the greeting. He led them inside the cobblestone manor, which the owners had decorated beautifully with marble floors and historical architecture blended with modern conveniences.
"I didn't see a cemetery in the garden?" Jonas asked. "Where are we burying them?"
"You must be from Earth," George smiled gently. "Here in Hell, we don't bury our dead in standard cemeteries. Instead, we put their bodies in coffins, and we lay those coffins in underground crypts."
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