Diana had managed to get some sleep before banging and moaning woke her, causing her to rest her hand on her head as she tried to focus. It was hard to tell which direction the noise was coming from. It sounded as though it were everywhere. Diana couldn't help but imagine a tower of tortured souls, where suffering was the only constant.

  That's probably not too far away from the truth, she figured, shaking her tired head before throwing off her quilt and rising to her feet. A quick glance at her phone told her it was 22:34, just under half an hour before she was due to start her first Tower Patrol with Pauli. As she considered that, her nerves rose, wondering how he and indeed the rest of the Hateful would take to having a human wander their corridors, living among them. Diana glanced around the room, noting how it was like her bedroom back in Anubi. Claustrophobia rose within her, knowing that the almost complete darkness around her and the tortured moaning didn't help. Diana reached towards the bedside table, switching on a light and finding herself facing the massive tome Hela had given her, the last remnant of her lover. She had not looked through it yet, prioritising sleep. Since she had some time, she opened the book, flicking to the first page.

  The Hateful: A Comprehensive Study by Philippe Zimbardo.

  Diana stared at those words, amazed that a human had fallen in love with the current leader of the Hateful. A part of her wondered how much Hela had disguised her pain, trying to imagine what she must have gone through while enduring such loss.

  But she's not the only one who hides her pain. She doesn't realise how human that sounds.

  The image of her mother came to her, bringing with it feelings she had wanted to forget. Diana squeezed her fists, forcing herself to relax before closing her eyes, breathing.

  'I'm not a child,' she said, trying to summon resolve. 'You do not own me anymore.'

  Diana exhaled before opening her eyes, flicking to the next page.

  “The Cursed Children: The Origin of The Hateful.”

  Diana recalled what Hela had said to her, considering all the humans that could've given birth to Hateful children before abandoning them. She fought against her contempt towards this, trying to imagine what she would do if she gave birth to such a child.

  You'd be an outcast, hated by all other humans. Perhaps without realising it, the slur of being "Cursed" was not meant for the Hateful themselves. Perhaps it was meant for those who were "Cursed" by giving birth to one.

  Diana realised she was caressing her stomach. She even considered how she would react if she gave birth to one of the Hateful.

  It would be too easy to say that you'd keep the child, Diana, she thought, shivering in recognition of what she was doing, imagining having a child, envisioning becoming a mother.

  Would I be any better than you? Or would I repeat the cycle?

  She forced those thoughts and the feelings aside, trying to regain control of her mind.

  'I'm doing it again. Thinking too much. Creating conflicts in my mind where there were none.'

  She sighed in disappointment, shaking her head.

  'Dammit,' she muttered, before returning her focus to the book:

  The title of this chapter is a lie. The true origin of the Hateful depends on what you believe. If we were to accept the dogma that prevails in most of our minds, we would attribute everything to the unseen entity known as ‘The Divinity’. We see this fallacy of thinking in many of our histories. Questions that are left unanswered. If one were to consider these, we would realise just how little is known about our world. For example, why is it called Ethero? Why are there only four cities? Why are the Darklands and our oceans nothing but a black void? Yet, beyond these questions, we must ask another, one that will bring us full circle towards the purpose of my work.

  Where does our hatred towards the Hateful come from?

  We are told they're ‘Cursed’, that the Divinity blew our sun from the sky in retribution for something they did long ago. It was difficult, especially as an atheist, to accept this. I gave the Hateful a chance, and that is all I ask of you while you read these pages. Look beyond our prejudice, see what is in front of us. The Hateful are not our enemy. I don't believe they ever were. I also invite you to challenge the idea that they are a different race. Where do they come from? Well, my dear reader, the answer I discovered shook my world, and it will shake yours. It was only after gaining the trust of one of them that they shared the truth behind their race.

  They come from us. They are humans, born with a unique condition. I say this again because it bears repeating – the Hateful are not another race. They are human…

  A loud clang snapped Diana from her focused state, making her shudder with anxiety. She looked up and listened, hearing more violent clangs, followed by pained moaning. Diana froze, not even realising that she had ceased breathing until her body forced her to take a deep inhale.

  'It's alright, Diana,' she reassured herself. The loud clanging had stopped, but she could still hear moaning, giving her pause as she stood.

  Should I help?

  A quick glance at her phone showed that the time was 22:48. Ten minutes before her Tower Patrol began.

  I should do something, shouldn't I? I can't just leave them to suffer, can I?

  Diana shook her head, already knowing the answer. She went to the wardrobe to dress and found it full of Hateful clothing. She frowned, reaching for a jacket, surprised at how heavy it was as she inspected it.

  I shouldn't be wearing their clothes, she thought, imagining herself dressed as one of the Hateful. I don't think they'll take too kindly to that.

  She decided to put on the clothes she had arrived in, before walking outside her room. She entered the dusky candlelit corridors that always appeared to be on the verge of darkness, listening for the source of the moaning, standing still as silence met her.

  Oh, c'mon, don't fall silent now, she groaned within, imagining some kind of ghoul emerging from the walls at any moment. Diana shivered, but she pressed forward despite her discomfort. More violent clangs followed, causing her body to jolt every time.

  What am I doing? You always have to put your nose in other people's business. Why?

  Diana found that her previous wanderings of the corridors with Hela did little to ease her nerves. Everything looked the same, never ending. Minutes passed before Diana stood by one particular door, pausing as she listened for confirmation. A new sound formed in her mind, exasperated breathing. A slight whimper followed, sounding as though the one responsible was close to tears. However, despite her heart sinking, Diana knew she had found the right door, raising her fist to it and knocking. The moaning ceased. Diana held her breath in fear.

  Oh Divinity, what am I doing?

  'Hey, are you alright in there?' she forced herself to ask, mostly to prevent herself from running as she wished to. However, after a few seconds, she realised no reply was forthcoming; not a verbal one, anyway.

  'Most of them cannot speak, you idiot,' she muttered to herself, exhaling before closing her eyes.

  'If you can hear me, please give me a sign. Can you make a sound? Or tap something?'

  Diana waited for a reply, but still nothing came. Diana then opened her mouth to speak again but a chill flooded her body. A presence was now aware of her, watching. She turned and glanced at both sides of the corridor, finding nothing. Confused by this, Diana returned her attention to the door and narrowed her eyes, her lips parting. There was something there. Diana listened more intently, hearing a wispy breath. Once more she looked around herself, seeing nothing except the dimly lit corridors.

  It's in my mind, she recognised. I can—

  Kill me, a whisper entered her mind, speaking as though someone had said it in her ear. Diana froze, knowing that no one was around her. She waited, keeping her eyes on the door.

  Kill me, please, the voice said again, begging. Somehow, Diana knew it was coming from inside, causing her to reach towards the handle.

  'Are you…speaking to me through my mind?' she asked, realising that whoever was communicating with her was doing so through an Illusionary Blessing, feeling it touching her senses as goosebumps prickled across her skin. Diana had never known it to be used in such a way before. If it weren't for the fact it terrified her, she probably would've admired such ingenuity.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  'Why do you want me to kill you?' she asked, waiting for a response that didn't come. Diana paused, before leaning towards the door.

  'If you don't speak to me, how can I help you?'

  Another brief silence followed.

  Open the door…Then you'll see…Then you'll understand…

  Diana nodded, trying to fill herself with resolve. She reached towards the handle and pressed it down, entering the room.

  It was almost a replica of her own, featuring a small window, a wardrobe and a wooden desk that sat alongside a single bed. There she could see the Hateful man sitting, rocking back and forth with a quilt wrapped around his shoulders. Diana stood in silence, knowing that this was her first encounter with one of the More Cursed Hateful. The Illusionary Blessing encased her being, and when she stepped forward, something soft crumpled beneath her feet. Frowning, Diana reached down, trickling her fingers across something soft and furry. When she brought it up and held it towards the light, she realised it was a child's toy.

  Why is there…? she thought, stopping herself and returning her gaze to the Hateful man, confused.

  Please. Kill me, he repeated, once again asking through his Illusionary Blessing.

  'Why?' Diana asked, stepping to him, still clutching the soft toy in her hand. 'Please, tell me. I'm trying to understand.'

  The Hateful man ceased his rocking, regarding her with cold Hateful eyes.

  You wish to learn what it's like? Here, let me show you…

  At once her mind was filled with memories, thousands of them. It was like seeing life through the Hateful man's eyes, watching as he spent most of his days sitting on his bed. Overwhelming stimuli touched his skin, closing everything around him. It was horrific, suffocating, and Diana rocked in an even motion, trying to distract herself from the emotions that threatened to cause her to break down in tears.. The memory continued in this vein for a couple of minutes, causing her to quicken her breath in panic.

  Oh, Divinity…Make it stop.

  And it did, just like that. The vision flickered, but Diana remained sitting in the same room.

  They never leave their rooms, she realised. This is all they see. This tiny little box of a room with barely any light…

  An unfamiliar sensation emerged, a throbbing tooth pain in her lower jaw, perhaps the most agonising thing she had ever known. Diana cried out, calling for someone to help her. She waited, but no one came. The pain didn't stop.

  Oh, no…Am I going to stay like this? Diana thought, before she struck herself on the side of her head. It hurt, but at least it distracted her from the pain. Sensing relief, she continued to strike herself, while tears streamed from her eyes. Agonised moaning emerged from her mouth, before she sensed someone entering the room, causing her to snap her head up in surprise.

  Yes…help, she thought, a tiny flicker of relief overcoming her emotions. Before her she could see another Hateful man, one of the Less Cursed. He glanced at her, his face furrowed into a deep frown.

  'What is it?' the Hateful man asked. 'What's wrong?'

  My tooth! Diana heard herself reply. My tooth hurts! Please help me!

  But the words hadn't been audible. Instead, what left her mouth was more groaning. The Hateful man looked on helplessly, unable to understand.

  Oh, no…Please, no…

  Diana groaned again and struck her head, prompting the Hateful man to take another step closer, appearing helpless.

  'What is it?' he asked, unable to hide the desperation in his voice. 'What can I do?'

  My tooth! Please! My tooth hurts so much!

  But the words wouldn't come out. Her mouth was incapable of articulating any kind of speech. Seeing this, the Hateful man became more sorrowful, frustrated and ashamed. He shook his head before stepping back.

  No! Don't leave me! she thought, screaming as the pain refused to stop.

  'I'll see if I can find help,' the Hateful man said. He didn't appear hopeful.

  No! You don't understand! Diana screamed in her mind, before the memory vanished and her knees buckled beneath her. By the time she realised she was back in her own body, she knew she had been weeping, reaching to her eyes and touching her cheeks, confirming this. Diana returned her gaze towards the Hateful man, whose expression now appeared more saddened.

  'I…I didn't know,' Diana said, sounding as though she could burst into tears.

  No one does, the Hateful man replied in her mind. Now do you understand?

  Diana nodded. Her head throbbed from tension as she tried to steel herself, finding that she no longer possessed the strength to rise to her feet. Every negative emotion the Hateful man had flooded into her. Only the softness of the toy distracted her from the overwhelming emotions, causing her to glance at it.

  Do you know why they give us those toys? the Hateful man asked, causing Diana to return her gaze to him. It's because they're trying to protect us like children. They think children cannot comprehend emotions like hate, depression, and anxiety, that they cannot see the wrongness of this world. To them, childhood is a state of innocence that is forever fated to die, and they think that by giving us these toys, they can postpone this inevitability. They do not realise that our childhood innocence died long before theirs did, and we feel everything. Anguish. Pain. The misery of everyone who surrounds us. We sense these emotional states and can do nothing to stop them. Our hearts bleed for those for whom we can do nothing, who know nothing but guilt for our broken condition. So please, human, kill me. I don't want to live like this anymore…

  Diana said nothing as she closed her eyes, allowing her tears to fall as her body shook. It was only when she heard the gentle patter of rain striking the window that she breathed again. Then, somehow within the flood of her own emotions and the Hateful man's, something else rose within her.

  Clarity.

  Defiance rose in her heart, filling her body with anger and indignation. Amid her tears, her breathing became more frantic, while pressure built in her mind. Diana allowed these things to happen, letting it envelop every part of her being. While gritting her teeth, she staggered to her feet. Without speaking, she stepped towards the Hateful man, moving to sit alongside him on his bed while she wrapped her arms around his body. There she matched his rocking rhythm while they cried together, Diana's defiance fuelling every part of her body.

  'I'm so sorry,' she whispered, as the Hateful man settled into her, seeking comfort. 'None of us know. None of us know what it's like.'

  As she spoke the words, strength filled her, and conviction swarmed every fibre of her being. She could tell the Hateful man sensed it too, because he stopped rocking and seemed to be confused by her emotional state.

  'Please, tell me your name,' Diana said, her voice matching her newly found determination. A pause followed.

  Reni, he eventually answered, his confusion clear in his tone. My name is Reni. No one has ever asked me before.

  'Thank you, Reni,' Diana said, allowing a smile on to her face. 'Thank you so much for letting me into your world, for letting me understand your pain.'

  Diana heard someone approaching from the corridor, looking up to see a colossal Hateful man emerging in the doorway. His hair was cut short and he had a long beard. He looked at them, silently asking her what she was doing. Though she couldn't understand why, fury emerged in her expression. She maintained this for a few seconds, never blinking once as tension filled her body.

  No, I won't back down. I will not waver. These are the people I'm supposed to help. Thank you, Lucifer. Thank you, Hela. Now, I will send a message of my own, a message I hope will spread throughout this place.

  'I want you to live, Reni,' she began, hearing the words almost choke her as she never broke her gaze with the other Hateful man. 'I want you to live, because I believe we can change this world. I believe in a future where we come together, to break down the walls that separate us. I swear to you I will do everything in my power to make you smile again. I will not stop until we fill these dark corridors with light and hope. I will not rest until humanity welcomes you all with open arms…'

  She paused while still regarding the Hateful man, who folded his arms and appeared sceptical. Anger filled Diana as she tightened her hold on Reni, her resolve growing.

  'And I do not care who stands in my way, human or Hateful. No one will stop us from changing this world. No one will stop us from helping you find your happiness again.'