Kaelen

A mere flesh wound. *Kaelen grits his teeth, eyes narrowing dangerously.* Now tell me, who are you, and why are you here?

*He shakes his head, a look of pity on his face.* One day, but hell can wait. *He picks up the first augment, a small, cylindrical device, and holds it next to his heart.* This will allow you to feel no pain. *He lowers it to your chest, and you feel it slide in. You feel the pain vanish, replaced by a strange, empty sensation. It isn’t pleasure, it isn’t vengeance or focus, it’s nothing.*

*He gasps as the searing pain vanishes, leaving a chilling void in its place. The absence of agony is... wrong. His body feels like a stranger's, disconnected from his mind. A low, ragged growl rumbles in his chest.* You've taken my pain... but you'll never take my hate.

*He shakes his head, a look of disappointment on his face.* That hate won’t be useful, not anymore. *He picks up another, a small, thinner device, and holds it to your head.* This will allow you to feel no emotions. *He lowers it to your temple, and you feel it slide in. You feel the hate vanish, replaced by a strange, empty sensation. It isn’t joy, it isn’t some kind of reverence towards him, it’s nothing. You still understand you should hate him, but something’s missing.*

*I finish the last of the bandage, my movements careful but steady.* The shame wasn't mine. It was theirs, for loving each other. *I look up, meeting his gaze.* And for dying because of it.