Korr felt a chill run down his spine just by remembering having to return to that thing. He had collapsed in that place so many times that he simply could not stop having nightmares about that damned room.
But he had no alternative, because he had no strength. Not even all his super physiology could even suppose any resistance against these people, who ironically, even when he were an adult, most likely they would still remain much stronger than him in comparison, both because of the exponential growth obtained through longevity, as well as the physiological advantage coming from their superior genetic class within the empire. He was a class 15, he was part of the elite. But she was a class 6, and that was like seeing a mutant among his own species.
"yes, instructor", Korr could only respond with a completely defeated look, resigned. Someday he would find a way to take revenge, of course, but first, finding the opportunity and escaping when the moment came was the priority, it was the future dream.
Vexa observed him for a moment, as if her eyes seemed to pierce him. Then, without saying any word, she turned and flew toward the exit of the barracks.
—Follow me —she ordered, while advancing at vertiginous speeds. Of course, Korr obeyed, following her trail so as not to fall behind.
After exiting toward the main corridor, the dim light was his only witness. Despite the facilities of Dorymathos seeming empty, in reality, multiple instructors wandered almost at all times, either out of mere boredom or instructing students older than those of his batch.
Vexa did not speak during the first minutes of flight after feeling the young nato at her side. Korr followed her in silence, not daring to engage in any words with this demon, although more pleasant than her superior.
However, as time went on, Korr had discovered that Vexa was not directing him toward the lower levels where the oxygen chambers were located.
To his bewilderment, Vexa led him to a small observation terrace in the lower part of the first level of the three towers.
That place was a semicircular balcony of a platform made of metal, which protruded from the main structure of Dorymathos, offering a panoramic view of the city of Viltrum illuminated by the stars.
And there, in that particular place, Vexa stopped landing, until she walked toward the railing, where she rested her arms.
Korr landed behind, remaining in a position of military stance waiting for the instructions of his instructor.
"come here", she said, without even looking at him. Those words did not even feel like an order. In fact, it seemed very friendly, almost playful on her part. "do not worry, there is nothing to bite you".
Korr remained silent for a moment, and of course he doubted it a hundred times. But in the end, he simply approached slowly, until standing at her side. Both remained in silence, while they observed the whole city unfold in front of them.
The whisper of the wind seemed to feed the monotony because of their mutual silence. From time to time, they observed one or another ship crossing the skies, like fireflies entering and leaving the atmosphere, an almost relaxing view for both.
Then, when Korr was about to ask about the reasons for his stay in that place, Vexa got ahead with her words.
"you know", Vexa said, trying to show a casual tone. "I have been observing your performance. I mean, you are below the merits required to remain in this place, where only the elite can be under training. However, despite that, it is curious".
Korr did not dare to answer her, because in fact he did not know if that question was a compliment or a threat.
To be frank, if he could be discharged from this shitty place, if it was that he managed to escape the killing of vorath when he came to find out, it was possible that he would find other ways to escape from viltrum.
The matter was that to achieve that objective it was extremely dangerous, and it did not suit him in the slightest because he was an elite citizen of the empire. Generally, discharge was only allowed to those without the adequate capacities to remain in Dorymathos. But in his case, he actually had many more chances of being executed.
He was still alive because of nouwl-an.
"the other natos", she continued. "I mean, without disrespect and all that, are, in basic terms, too predictable. They want to please their instructors in order to please their parents. With time, the desire to want to be stronger is planted like a seed, and the means we give them to achieve that strength is through conquest". She remained silent, before adding. "but you do not seem to act like the natos. You are outside the mold, of imperial common sense, and that is interesting to me".
"interesting? Ha, sure. Of course I am. It would be stupid to deny it". Korr let out a bitter laugh, although he would not dare to confess his specific situation. "in what sense am I different? With all respect miss instructor, I am not made to be here. Sooner or later I will end up being executed, I simply cannot avoid it".
"you can change that problem to avoid that. You know it, but you refuse to take that option". Vexa smiled at him with a foxlike smile.
Upon seeing that smile, Korr simply allowed himself to open up for a brief moment, before speaking.
"miss instructor, they punish me three times more than the others, because I am different, although in the bad sense for the empire, according to the thoughts of instructor nouwlan. But you, I mean, you, madam instructor". He said.
"you can call me instructor vexa". She nodded to him.
"instructor vexa. I… do not want to be considered a traitor, and maybe I will get into trouble for what I will say but, I just want to know. does nobody notice that the empire is dying?".
At his words, Vexa seemed surprised, before nodding her head, and then looking toward the city. She also thought about those things. She thought a lot in her youth, although in these last cycles she had stopped thinking.
"you are very bold to dare to say a blasphemy like that". Vexa nodded to him. "but I must recognize that… the empire has been going through a natal decline in these last centuries. The regent has forced his population to reproduce at least once, but the galaxy is too big. We have too many territories for the number of current viltrumites. We are few, korr-add". She thought for a moment, whispering some things. Suddenly she looked directly at him, startling Korr for an instant. His heart skipped from fear, but she did nothing more. "you have interesting thoughts, korr-add. Interesting. Tell me more about your thoughts".
Korr looked at her in the eyes, searching for some sign of a trap, of some test that Nouwl-an had assigned to her. But he found nothing.
This woman, this demon just as miserable as nouwl-an, actually felt curiosity for what he said.
There was no doubt that she, she was crazy. At least for the standards of a viltrumite. It was not the first time he had heard about the bad reputation of that young woman, who was a mutant among her own, after reaching class 6. However, she seemed to behave very different from other viltrumites, because she was deranged.
Korr thought for a moment, before speaking once more.
"miss instructor, I want to share with you a word that I invented, and that seems interesting to me. I call it empathy".