⑥
ｍｏｎｏ
...
"I will always protect you from now on."
What am I doing... This is no time for self-loathing. I may have failed to protect her earlier, but that doesn't mean I can't rescue her now!
Snapping back to my senses, I dash back to the room where the TV is and place my hands on the screen. I know where she has been brought, so that's where I plan to go. Unfortunately, I end up falling out to a different house, making a soft landing on a cushion.
I don't know if my power isn't that strong yet or if the thin man is interfering.
Still, I don't let that faze me. I advance further through houses and buildings, teleporting through televisions to the nearby ones. I progress through trials as I avoid the residents who are engrossed on the screens, getting enraged whenever they are interrupted from their viewing, which I use to my advantage. One time though, I get in trouble by being chased by a horde of them.
It's a close call.
Regardless, I steel my resolve. This is all to keep my promise to Six. And, I don't plan on breaking it ever. Whatever it takes.
As I pave my way closer to the tower, I see her inside the TV trying to get out. I yank her out only for the thin man to steal her back again. Afterward, the thin man pops out of the screen and starts to pursue me.
I lose him on the train by separating the railcar that I'm on although it ends up slamming against a solid wall, smashing me to the door behind me. The crash injured my side, but I tread on by following a shadow that looks like her.
In a sewer, I climb up the ladder and out of the manhole where it's pouring hard. In front of me, bordered by the curved buildings along the street, is the signal tower upending at the rear like a ruler of this place.
Before I can take a step, the lamp posts around me flickered with a booming high-frequency wave that goes on until the thin man materializes across me.
ᴳⁱᵛᵉ ⁱᵗ ᵘᵖ. ᴵᵗ'ˢ ⁿᵒᵗ ʷᵒʳᵗʰ ⁱᵗ, ᵇᵒʸ.
I stare at him flabbergasted. The voice within me has been him the whole time - deeper and mature-sounding than mine.
Becoming lost with hope, I descend to my knees. It's no use; there is no escaping him. I'm feeble, just a tiny being amongst this big world. I don't have a clue as to how I can use my power on him, so there's nothing left for me but to accept my fate.
I remove the paper bag off my head and toss it aside, letting it float away on a stream of water collected from the rain. Folding to the ground, I cover my face with my hands as I apologize in my mind to Six.
With heavy steps, the thin man deliberately walks towards me. I continue to sink, mourning, while I can only imagine what she's been going through right now. I know that she'll hate me, despise me even, and I'll accept that.
ˢʰᵉ ʷⁱˡˡ ᵇᵉᵗʳᵃʸ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃⁿʸʷᵃʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ˡᵉᵃᵛᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵖˡᵃᶜᵉ ᵃᵍᵃⁱⁿ.
Upon hearing him, I feel this tremendous energy surge within me hand in hand with my fury. I slowly rise up as I give him a sharp glare.
"What?" I growl.
No sooner than that, I blast him with spasms of frequencies that are severe enough for him to bounce back and cause every structure and space to wobble.
ˢʰᵉ ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵉᵃˢᵒⁿ ʷʰʸ ᴵ'ᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ˢᵗᵘᶜᵏ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵗᵒʷᵉʳ ᶠⁱᵛᵉ ᵗⁱᵐᵉˢ...
He rises up on his feet steadily.
...ᵀʰᵉ ˢᵃᵐᵉ ʷⁱˡˡ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿ ᵗᵒ ʸᵒᵘ ⁱᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ˢᵃᵛᵉ ʰᵉʳ.
That's not true!
Why would he say that? There's no way that happened. We've been through so much together, so I'm sure that she won't betray me. So, why does he - myself - say that she is the cause of my lifelong suffering in the previous timelines and it'll be the same in this one?
One thing's for sure though. I trust Six. No matter what my own grown-up self says, it will not change that. With that, I fire at him again, trying to destroy his every fiber. His body convulses as he tries to deflect my attack to no avail.
"You're lying! Six will not do that," I shout. All I want is to have her at my side and hold her hand once again.
He reaches towards me with difficulty, his face begging apprehensively as he jerks to one side.
ᴸⁱˢᵗᵉⁿ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉ. ᴵ'ᵐ ᵗʳʸⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵖʳᵒᵗᵉᶜᵗ ʸᵒᵘ.
I strengthen the sound waves rippling towards him until he gets thrown back. I touch my forehead after, overwhelmed with the dizziness from using my power too much. Not to mention, the pain in my ribs is not getting any better.
I give it my all this one more time, prolonging it and making it much stronger. When he tried to retaliate, both of us get hurled to the ground due to the force.
Looking at him right now, I somehow feel remorseful for putting him in that weakened state. I simply stare as he struggles to get up, gradually becoming transparent.
ʸᵒᵘ ʷⁱˡˡ ʳᵉᵍʳᵉᵗ ᵗʰⁱˢ.
Then he disintegrates into pixelated flecks. The sight leaves a bitter taste in my mouth since it is as if I just killed myself.
There's no time to mourn though. I stand up and spread my arms to the air, warping my surroundings and ending the downpour. The lights blink while the buildings coiled in my direction, producing crumbling noises.
In a snap, I arrive in front of the tower.
As if welcoming me, the large doors swing open. I see nothing but a magenta glow that flows out of the entrance. It gives off an eerie sensation telling me that only horrible things will come to me as soon as I step in.
Because of my adrenaline, I have forgotten the throbbing of my injury. With that, I rush my way inside, determined to get my friend back.
...
end of Part 6