(Hello, my friends! Be prepared for a massive plot twist in this chapter that ties in both stories!)
The Myth of Crystaelius:
Chapter Thirteen: Mutation of Purity II
"So, um, where are we headed?" Enrique asked Virginia as she sat across from him. "I… No, just go to the nearest town," she replied. He nodded and scratched his nose.
"Oh my… That's hard to believe," Todd stated upon hearing Aaron's description of the events. The swordsman shrugged. "Well, there's no use in dwelling on it; what's done is done."
Todd sighed and leaned back in his seat as Guile approached them. He did not look at them but rather concentrated on the window.
"I have to apologize," he said. Aaron glanced at him. "Apologize for what? If you're referring to this current incident, it's too late; an apology won't save the human race."
He nodded. "I wasn't talking about that; I meant it to be for you two." Aaron closed his eyes. "It's too late to be saying sorry to me, but I don't know about Todd."
Guile frowned and looked to the floor. "That's a shame; I hoped we could start on a clean slate. I may not be that old man anymore, but I thought we could be, perhaps, friends."
Aaron stood up and sighed. "Perhaps." He then fell back into his chair and leaned back. The other man cleared his throat. "Now, Todd, I have to tell you something important; something that has been bothering me since I saw you at the Emerald Palace."
The boy fidgeted slightly and stood up. "All right, go on, please." Guile looked into his eyes and sighed once more. "Do you know what you really are; what your true essence is?" Todd scratched his head. "What are you talking about? I'm just me."
Guile looked away and crossed his arms. "You are not a human, Todd, but you are a demon."
There was a long silence within Lombardia. Everyone had heard the statement. The boy shook his head and glanced around. "T-That's impossible! I can't be a demon! Look at me, I'm just as human, a human!"
Guile cleared his throat. "I know it is hard to believe, but it's the truth; I was one of the ones who worked on the Ovius project."
Virginia jolted up. "The Ovius project! You worked on it?" she blurted out while Todd stared at the floor.
"Yes, my colleagues and I saw it as a revolutionary study; humans would evolve into higher beings."
"Evolve! You call transforming into a killing machine evolving! That beast was living inside of me for the longest time!"
"It wasn't meant for that!" He calmed down. "The Ovius chip would enhance a normal human's attributes and abilities; it worked with Darius, Zane, and William."
"They were used as test subjects?" Ileana was standing now, listening to it all. Guile nodded. "Yes, the chip was a stabilizer, and it succeeded with them. But you Todd, it mutated within you; it was unexpected."
Todd ground his teeth. "But why me? Why was I used!"
"Don't you think I objected?" the man responded. "My fellows were ecstatic with their results, and would do anything to progress their experiments. Your family had done nothing, and I was unaware they had caught you during that fire at your home. Unfortunately, though, your body reacted horribly to it, and you suffered memory loss. They studied you for five years, until your mind was fully merged with the chip. Only a demon could have caused a malfunction in the chip, as the rest were humans."
"Was there a Morgan Cascade involved with the project?" Virginia suddenly asked. Guile turned to her. "Morgan? Oh yes, he was a part of it. However, once he saw the results of experimenting with Todd, he was disgusted and abandoned us."
He sighed once more. "He was smart. One night, Todd transformed, and he ran rampant through our facilities. He killed my colleagues, but I escaped. I believe it was that same night that Yggdrassil, which was kept under the Council of Seven, malfunctioned."
"You, remember that?" Virginia asked. He nodded. "Yes, and I doubt any of them survived. I do know they had been working on a 'Filgaia Sample'. A small portion of an Onakasa gem was integrated into the sample, and I believe that sample is the Jet Enduro you know, while the real one passed away."
Aaron shrugged. "So, after that you spent the rest of your time, until now, involved with Crystaelius, and you took Zane, Darius, and William under your wing?"
"Correct."
Todd sat back into his seat. "Is that why I heard Haruko speaking to Jet that time in the cave?"
(The fight will be next chapter.)
