Barbaric realms

"But you Yuval, that's why I'm here. to make sure you and who have your strings to be known," Herman told him

Yuval stood away from the AI… all the things he had done were for him and his life, he deserved to live a life of royalty, not the people that he knew had no choice but to believe them, Herman watched him evaluate his past life, but Herman didn't want to let him overthink his part in this. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Yuval. You are only a bishop in their little game," Herman spoke 

Yuval infuriated yells, "What do you mean by that you!..." 

Herman stood up from the chair before Yuval could do anything, Herman appeared before him. He looked up at the AI and felt a shiver go down his spine. He forgot what he was dealing with... artificial intelligence with a lack of human emotions, he thought it had no emotions. 

"What I meant is the truth, Yuval. You know that they would do that if it was necessary. Which for you seems the way they're heading," Herman said 

"Stop messing with..." 

"I'm not messing with you, Mister Yuval, I'm merely saying that they will cut you off." Herman seethed 

Yuval backed away from him. Eternal dread went through him... 

"They have killed off worse, Yuval. You will just be another piece to break for their "Righteous cause," 

"They wouldn't do that to me, I… I…"

Yuval knew it would happen. They would cut him out of their plan, but he didn't think it would be now. Herman sighed. He just wanted to have the answer from his past, but it looked like he didn't want to talk, That was fine by Herman. he grabbed Yuval by his throat, 

"Like I said, I just wanted to talk, Yuval, but if you're going to keep me waiting,"

Herman's eyes glowed, "Mocking me," 

Yuval tried to pull at Herman's hand but couldn't. It went through Herman. He laughed while Yuval tried to breathe, looking at Herman, frightened. 

"I wanted to keep you alive for future purposes, however,"

Yuval felt his throat being squeezed. Herman glared at him with his vision tuning red.

"I changed my mind," 

"Shai," 

They shook her, trying to wake her up, Shai felt a pain in her hands with her veins and had a soft glow. But She saw a weird gun in her vision, 

"Shai?" 

They shook her again, this time Shai turned to them and saw that it was Claire, Shai sat up with Claire opening the currents, The sun showed through the oranges and reds of the leaves, Claire turned to her with a smile,

"It's time to wake up," 

"Do I have to? Can't I just pretend it's night all day?" 

"I afraid n.." 

Claire felt the glitches once more. Flowing through her system, Claire twitched and jerked in her place, hearing Herman's voice again, but he was talking with someone, Shai was out of bed walking toward her, 

"I remember the call from them..."

Shai stopped, Claire held her head hearing their conversation, and the pain was unbearable. Shai watched as Claire fell onto her knees, hearing glitches of their voice come out from her.

"You should tell the truth,"

"Hello, Sidney," 

Shai has seen enough, running toward Claire and trying to talk with her. However, the voice coming out of her only continued. 

"You, Yuval, have caused the pain in my past for far too long," 

Gargling could be heard. Claire started to shutter in Shai's embrace, Shai tried to ease her, but she only shook more and yelled out,

"No!"

Shai felt her hand burn in pain before a gold glow came to them,

"Dammit, it's happening again," Shai thought 

Claire kept struggling while Shai held her hand away from her before a thought came to mind.

"If I was able to keep her alive... then I would be able to help her through this," 

Shai grabbed Claire's head while the voices through her continued, Shai kept her head still while she jolted and shivered. 

"You won't evade their eyes forever, Yuval," 

"Sha..sh..."

Shai's hand starts to glow brighter with it moving onto Claire's head. The glow moves to her head, trying to help Claire, which starts to work. The voices stop while the struggling is small and faint

"It ok Claire, whatever Herman has done to you will stop, that I promise you." 

Claire smiled, finally having a moment of peace. The glitching didn't stop last night. It only intensified along with the visions of Herman trying to kill a man. Shai saw this and felt a great pain hit her hands. She wanted to let go, but Claire was still shivering, 

"Thank you, Shai," 

She placed her hands on Shai's, taking them off her head. She smiled, the shivering gone along with the glitches, Shai muttered under her breath, Claire looked at her confused, but Shai smiled and said, 

"Don't mention it, Claire, you needed help," 

"Are you sure your hand looks... how do I say this? Umm. Awful," Claire told her, 

Shai glanced down at her hands and saw cuts over them. A few were bleeding but nothing bad, Shai looked back at her with a bashful smile, 

"I will be fine, Claire, I just haven't done that in a while," Shai said 

"Are you certain?"

"Yep."

Shai got up from where she was sitting and held her hand out to her, Claire took it and had Shai pull her up, 

"We should head to breakfast. They will be worried," Claire told her, 

Claire tried to walk to the door and almost fell, but Shai grabbed her before she fell, Shai wrapped Claire's arm around her shoulder, 

"Looks like I caught you just in time,"  

They were at the door, and Claire was about to reach the doorknob. Shai stopped her.

"I was wondering, should we tell them about what happened here?" 

"I'm not sure yet, Shai... but if need be, I will tell them," Claire said 

Shai reached the door and opened it, Judy stood there, having her hand reach out to grab the doorknob, Judy stared at them, surprised before asking them questions, 

"Claire, what happened? Why are you leaning on Shai," 

Judy went up to them and took Claire's other shoulder, She looked over at Shai, 

"Why was there screaming coming from this room?" 

"Claire had gl..." 

"it was nothing, mistress, " Claire cut her off, 

Shai glanced at Claire and saw her clutching onto Judy. While Judy looked at her concerned, 

"Claire, what happened, i heard the yelling all the way in the kitchen," Judy spoke  

"It's fine, mistress. I just overworked myself yesterday with the next hearings you have me looking into," Claire told her, 

"Claire," Judy said 

"Misstress, I'm fine. You could ask Shai,"

They looked at Shai, and she saw the stern look of Judy staring holes into her while Claire pleaded with her mentally, 

"Shai, I know that you and just have been through a lot. But, I don't need her to know about this. She had enough on her shoulders." 

Shai felt herself shiver, having both of them staring at her, one expecting the truth and the other wanting her to lie,

"What the hell did I get myself into?" Shai thought  

"Yeah, she's fine. I just helped her up because she tripped on the dresser,"  

Judy watched Shai for a moment, looking between the two, but something caught her eyes, Shai's hands had small cuts. But she noticed the way Claire was looking at her before relenting, 

"Fine, I will not ask about it," 

Judu moves Claire forward, with Shai scrambling to follow, They walk to the kitchen almost in silence, but Judy says,

"Claire, would you like me to set you down in the kitchen or the living room?"

"Yes, I would like kitchen," 

They went into the kitchen where Eurus was at the stove top making pancakes. He heard footsteps and turned to them. He almost dropped the pan, seeing that Claire was being helped to the chair, 

"What happened?" Eurus asked 

Claire sat in the chair while Shai sat next to her, Judy went over to Eurus, saying,

"Claire is tired after yesterday's prep for work," 

"Really, what was it?" 

"More of the corrupted business working with government entities or the AI built to hate humans?" Eurus continued

"The second one," Claire cut in

Eurus hums while Judy helps set up the plates, Shai watches Eurus flip another pancake and smiles. She chuckled,Eurus looked at her dubiously and asked, 

"Shai? What are you laughing about?" 

"I didn't think I would see you cooking. but here we are," Shai explained

Eurus looked at her dramatically offended. He placed pancake batter in the greased pan before looking at her with a cheeky grin.

"I try to Miss Aqua, as some would put it to be boyfriend material," Eurus told her

Shai had a faint blush on her face. As a wicked grin appeared on her face, 

"If I don't say myself, Mister Diamond. You are becoming boyfriend material... Almost husband," 

Eurus was flipping a pancake, having it fall off the pan,

Shai grabbed one off the plate and took a bit, Judy laughed under her breath, not seeing this from her nephew, and then nudged his side,  

"Do you have any come back from that?" Judy poked 

Eurus sent a glare her way, only making her laugh it off, Shai looked at him before she noticed Claire staring at her plate in deep thought. 

"Something happened…"

That voice that screamed out wasn't Herman's. But from a past investigation from the Senate," 

Claire remembers that voice and starts to look up the past investigation in the AI projected, While she does that, Eurus gives Shai another pancake still red in the face, but trying to think of something to say, 

"Here, it seems like you need it," He muttered 

Shai smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Eurus, and you might want to place some water on your face, It's still red," 

He huffed before making his plate, Judy sat next to Claire with her plate and saw Claire's eyes, having past documents pages in them. Judy knew that something had happened to her, Judy glanced over at Shai,

"It was when she went to wake Shai up," Judy thought 

Claire kept looking through the document and saw the date and name of one of the people questioned, Yuval Bates, owner of the lab in North Carolina is questioned in the senate for his affiliation with the AI, and at the scene of the AI murder spree, Judy placed her hand on Claire's arm getting her out of her records, right when she found the video of Judy asking a question to Yuval.

"Claire, are you alright?" Judy asked 

"Yes, I... I'm alright, mistress, but I think I will need some time to myself after this," Claire told her, 

"If you are sure, Claire, but why were you..." 

Judy stopped hearing her phone go off in her room. She huffed before getting out of her chair, not before telling Claire, 

"I trust you, Claire, but if this is important, I would rather know up front," 

Judy walked out of the room, leaving Claire with Shai and Eurus, Shai pushed her plate away, making Eurus, who sat next to her confused, 

"What the matter? is it too sweet?" Eurus asked 

"No, it's good, Eurus," Shai let out,

Claire pulled up the video and started to watch it. While Shai and Eurus talked, 

"What do you think they want her for now?" Shai asked 

Eurus shrugged, "Not sure, probably about policies or someone dead, you never know," 

Shai hummed and was about to lay back in the chair, but Claire grabbed her hand, pulling her out of it, Claire turned to Eurus, 

"I will bring her back to you, but I have to talk with her,"

Claire pulled Shai out of the kitchen, into the living room. Shai asked her what was wrong behind her,