Chapter Four – Reality
Part Two: Wraith
Looking at the paper given to me, I could not help but stare at the text, confounded by what I was seeing. While I stood entranced by the letter, Alice's face was crimson from embarrassment, looking away from me with her hands behind her back. After another moment or two passed, I managed to open my mouth to speak, words laced with insecurity as I addressed what was written on the letter.
"This… is a love letter." I said to Alice, asking to confirm something I already knew. Alice only nodded, still shy about the whole situation. However, she did respond back.
"Y-Yes. That's a love letter… from me…" She reassured me before looking down to the floor, as if to hide her blushing face from my glance. The moment I heard her words, I nearly died from bliss.
"Uh… Thank you. I will cherish this forever. And…" I said as I looked at the amber-haired girl, happiness radiating from me as I stepped closer to continue with what I had to say to her. Alice's face was still hidden by her hair as I finished what I had begun to say.
"And I would like you to know that I feel the same… Molly." I finished saying before my jaw dropped to the ground, realizing what I had said. Alice suddenly jerked her head up once I had finished speaking and stared at me with shock, before turning around and running away, her cries audible as she disappeared from my sight. I only stood there, unable to follow her, unable to do anything. The damage was dealt.
"Why did I say Molly? How could I do such a thing!" I shouted at myself finally after five minutes had passed, Alice's letter dropping to the floor due to me letting go of it subconsciously as I fell to my knees on the ground, confused as hell. Seeing the dropped letter by the corner of my eye, I reached out to grab it, took hold of it, and brought it in front of me, reading it once again.
'I cannot quench your thirst, because you who want the truth will not acknowledge it.
I cannot quench your thirst, because the truth you hope for doesn't exist.
Even so, I want to quench your thirst, because I am the one who left you in the desert.'
"What?" I yelled as I flipped the letter around to look for the original text that I had read first, only to discover that the only words on the piece of paper were the ones I had just read. Dropping the letter once again, I grabbed my head in frustration as I tried to make sense on what was happening. Suddenly, I felt two arms wrap themselves around my neck, pulling me from the ground so that I was standing once again. Stunned, I looked at the arms that were around my neck, and somehow I knew that they belonged to a woman. Blinking a few times, I began to turn my head to see who was the woman who had me in a backwards embrace, only to be met by bright light…
Opening my eyes, I quickly rose up from the tree trunk behind me, for a second forgetting where I was. Breathing heavily as sweat ran down my forehead, I looked around frantically. I was sitting in the same tree that overlooked an open field, which I had decided to be my post during my mission.
'It was all a dream…' I told myself in my mind as I stretched my arms and back, falling back onto the warm bark that belonged to the tree. Exhaling, I closed my eyes once again to regain some stability in my brain, but suddenly felt a weight fall onto my left shoulder. Snapping alert, I quickly turned my head to look at what had fallen onto my shoulder, only to be greeted by fire-like curly hair, which belonged the girl who was sleeping next to me. Hesitating, my eyes widened at the fact that the flame-haired girl had rested her head on me, and my hand shot up to cover my mouth before I could yell out in surprise. As if sensing my sudden gestures, the sleeping girl opened her eyes and raised her head from my shoulder as she rose up in a similar fashion as I had a few minutes ago, rubbing her eye while she did so. Still stunned, I only sat there as the girl turned back to look at me, her eyes still holding remnants of sleep as she yawned.
"What's for breakfast, Pervert?" she said, after her yawn, to me, blinking a few times to rid herself of the remnants of sleep.
Losing my shocked expression and adopting a scowl, I crossed my arms; giving her the same answer I had told her for the last five days.
"I am not a pervert. And if you want to eat, go catch something to cook, Molly."
Once I finished my sentence, Molly gave me the same response I had heard every time I told her to hunt for food.
"I am a lady, pervert. YOU go get food, or else I'll turn you into a mouse again." She threatened, which was met by my angry scowl as I began to climb down the tree, on my way to hunt for food. Again.
Reaching the ground, I began to walk into the field, a shout from Molly following me.
"Don't take too long like last time! I'm starving!"
[e.c] "Yeah, yeah. Be quiet." I muttered as I continued to walk among the flowing uncut grass of the field, which reached up to my shin. Honestly, if she weren't able to turn people into small objects, I would be the one back in the tree, relaxing. However, thanks to the fact that she ate all of the rations given to me in the first two days we were together, and that I was turned into a mouse for a day after yelling at her, I have lost all authority and was reduced into a servant. Remembering how it felt as a little rat, I felt a chill run down my spine, a desire to not go through that experience again arising in my mind as I stopped in my tracks and sat down on the grass, taking out a device from my pocket as I did so.
"This is Isotope 0913, reporting in. Can anybody copy?" I said into my Comtran after inputting a code, waiting for a response back. None came.
"I repeat; this is Isotope 0913, reporting in. Can anybody copy?" I said again to my device, once again being greeted with nothing but static. Two more times I tried, but the same thing happened; no one answered. Frustrated, I put away the Comtran, my expression sour. Since the day Molly appeared to me, HQ had not contacted me in any way, and every time I tried to communicate with them, I was given no answer but white noise. Rubbing the bridge of my nose as I took a deep breath, I began to think about the flame-haired girl, and then about my dream.
"Why did I say her name instead of Alice's? What was I thinking?" I said to myself quietly as the cold October wind flowed calmly over the field, creating waves in the grass. Observing the beautiful phenomenon, I continued to think about those words on the letter, and what they were supposed to mean.
"I cannot quench your thirst, because you who want the truth will not acknowledge it.
I cannot quench your thirst, because the truth you hope for doesn't exist.
Even so, I want to quench your thirst, because I am the one who left you in the desert."
Reciting the whole message, I closed my eyes, allowing for my mind to run rampart.
'What does this all mean? Is there something I am missing, something obvious? '…You who want the truth will not acknowledge it'. What is that truth that I desire? And the truth that I hope for but does not exist… what do I want to believe to be true? And… who was the woman who was hugging from behind? Was she the one 'who left me in the desert'?' I thought to myself before remembering something.
'Wait… I know this saying. I read it once, during training. We were learning about the human consciousness.' That seemed to me, at the time, a strange topic to learn. 'Who wrote it? Someone whose initials were FB... Frederica B-something… Anyways, why did I remember that? Why was that in my dream?' I continued debating in my mind for a while longer, before I heard a rustling near me. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw the head of a rabbit sticking out of the grass, looking around for something. Stock still, I muttered a small apology before a thin shadow spike appeared in front of the rabbit and impaled its neck, snapping the spine and killing it instantly. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and retrieved the dead critter, grateful that there was not that much blood this time.
"I can see why Molly doesn't want to hunt…" I said to myself before sitting down again, waiting for another rabbit or a bird to get near.
Morning came and went, and Noon did the same. Sitting at the base of the tree that served as my bed the last few nights, I looked at the setting sun, silently taking in the beauty that covered the dusk sky. Dark clouds had appeared over the field, but somehow avoided the horizon, where the lowering sun turned the sky a fading orange and red. Hearing something approaching me from the side, I quickly turned my head to see it, only to see Molly approaching, who flinched at my sudden movement.
"Um… mind if I join you?" She said to me in a careful tone. Relaxing back into the tree, I nodded, and looked out to the sky once again. Molly sat down next to me, and did the same.
"I still can't believe it. Who would've guessed that my Keywriter back home would intercept your mission briefing, huh Pervert? I honestly thought that I was chosen to do a special mission for Helli0n, you know? That explains why the pilot of the plane that got me here looked so confused when I told him." She announced out loud before looking at me to see my reaction, only to find that I was too occupied looking at the sunset. Getting irritated, she looked away and closed her eyes, raising her chin the same way she always does when she demands something.
"Anyways, my point is that I'm not supposed to be here. But since neither of us is able to contact base, I have had to wait until your mission has ended. So tell me, Pervert; when does your mission end? When can you get to go home?" Molly asked as she opened her right eye to look at me, a small frown evident on her face.
"Why are you in such a rush to get back home? Is it because you want to see someone?" I finally replied back, answering her question with another question, which seemed to only frustrate her more.
"Of course I want to see someone! The only person I can talk to here is you, Pervert! And you aren't exactly the best of company!" She yelled at me as she crossed her arms, closing her eyes once again.
"I would say the same for you. Tell me, the person you want to go back to see. Is it a man?" I asked Molly, puzzled as to why I wanted to know whom she wanted to go see, and why I was so interested if the person was a man. Molly, in response to my question, opened her eyes and looked at me with irritation, answering my question at the same time.
"You would ask, you pervert! But if you must ask, the person I want to see is not a guy. She's my little sister."
Detaching my glance from the sunset, I looked back at Molly, intrigued at what she said.
"Little sister? I thought we were all born in tubes. How can you have a sibling?" I asked, my right eyebrow rising afterwards with curiosity. Molly, in return, gave me a reply that seemed to have been used before countless times by the way she said it.
"They used some of the same DNA in both! Our eggs were donated from the same woman! That makes us siblings." Molly said, keeping her eyes on me and her arms crossed.
"I never thought that that would count… What's your little sister's name?" I inquired back, now captivated by this tale of an Isotope having a sibling.
"It does make us siblings! She's my little sister an- Wait, what did you say?" Molly shouted before catching herself, looking at me with puzzlement.
"I asked what your little sister's name was." I told her.
"Oh! Well, um… her name is Paulina…." Molly said hesitantly, which lead me to believe that she was used to arguing her case against other people about her having a sister.
"Paulina, huh? How is she like?" I asked the flame-haired girl, resting my head against the bark behind me as I did.
"Well, she is the cutest thing you will ever see! Though not as cute as me, of course… Wait, now that I think about it, she looks about your age. Anyways, she's an Isotope too, but she doesn't have to work as hard as others. I should introduce her to you once we get out of here. What base are you stationed at?" Molly asked me, a smile appearing on her face, replacing the frown that was there a few minutes ago, which had moved to my face when she asked where my base was. Looking away from her and to the ground in front of me, I sighed, giving her an answer.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't know where it is. I'm part of a group called the 0ccult Division. My existence… has been kept a secret from everyone. Because of that, I know no one outside of the group. There are other members, but I have not seen them for a long time. I have been alone for the last three years. Training alone, eating alone, being alone. One never gets used to it. After this mission, however, I will be introduced to the other Isotopes, but I doubt any of them will greet me with open arms. I am a shadow, after all. No one notices a shadow." I said to Molly, sadness lining every one of the words that left my mouth. For a minute, the flame-haired girl said nothing, and I thought that she was probably thinking how pathetic I was. But then, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and as I turned my head to look at it, I saw Molly looking at me, her mood as blue as mine.
"I don't know what to say to you being part of that secret group, but… I'll help you fit in. I can't imagine how bad you must've felt when you were alone, but I know that I would hate it if no one would talk to me. So I will help you out. I will make people notice this shadow next to me." Molly promised me, determination in her voice. My eyes wide with surprise and my face warm, I looked at the girl next to me, and could tell that my initial impression of her was false. A small smile playing on my lips, I nodded to the flame-haired girl, putting my hand over hers.
"Thank you. You know, I was wrong abou-." I began to say before I notice a dark spot appear on the bark of the tree right next to my head, which grew larger with the second. Looking back in front of me, I saw a giant boulder fly towards where Molly and I were sitting, approaching fast.
"Grab on!" I yelled at Molly, who had also seen the boulder approaching around the same time I had. Grabbing her shoulders, I threw myself into the enlarging shadow of the rock, pulling Molly in with me. As the two of us entered my shadow world, the boulder crashed into the spot we had only just left, causing the tree to tilt forward from the force of the impact.
As I opened my eyes, I looked at Molly, who was holding me in a death grip. It must've been frightening to her, entering a world of complete darkness. Most people could not endure such conditions. Looking up to where I knew the ceiling to my world was, I located the red sphere that we had come out from and proceeded towards the white sphere next to it, swimming through the water-like space that filled the area. As I pulled Molly and myself through the white sphere, a flash of color greeted me, which told me that I was back in the normal world. Looking around, I realized that I was in the shadow of the tree we were sitting in front of a few seconds ago, and as I moved my eyes to Molly to check up on her, I found her shivering, her hands gripping my sweater, her eyes wide from being in complete darkness. Opening my mouth to ask her if she was all right, I stopped myself from speaking once I heard a voice booming from the other side of the giant tree, shouting orders.
"Alright beasts! I want you to remove the rock I threw from there! I want to make sure I got the two!"
The voice was male, but there was something about it that made my skin crawl. Dragging Molly and myself closer to the tree, I looked around the tree to see who the person who had spoken was, careful not to be seen at the same time. However, what I saw made my blood run cold.
A dozen rotting corpses were approaching the tree. Halogens. Bringing my head back into the unseen part of the tree, I spoke to Molly, who had stopped shaking for the most part.
"Molly, stay here. There are Halogens on the other side of the tree. I will take care of them. Don't make a sound as I fight them, okay?" I said to her, detaching my sweater from her grasp as I stood up and leaned against the tree, coming up with a strategy. There were twelve Halogens, and one of me. Remembering my first battle against one of those undead creatures, I felt a chill go down my spine, but fought off that feeling of despair. I had underestimated that Halogen. I would not do so for these ones. Jumping out into my enemy's sight, I quickly conjured up two spikes, each impaling two Halogens to their shadows. The rest stopped in their tracks to registered what had happened, and before long they charged at me, moaning with their mouths open and drooling, backs to the setting sun. That was a mistake on their part. Concentrating, I summoned multiple spikes from the shadow of each Halogen, stabbing into them easily. However, they only were only halted from moving from their spots. Each one of the Halogens struggled against the spike that pinned them, slamming into the solidified shadows with their fists and legs. Clinching my teeth, I fought to keep the spikes erect, until I heard the same voice from before shout from behind the undead beasts.
"Stand down! I want him for myself!"
At the sound of the voice, all of the Halogens dropped their arms and stood in place, frozen. Blinking a few times, I allowed the shadow spikes to sink back into their darkness, which let the Halogens back away. It was then that I saw the source of the voice that commanded them. It was a muscular man, almost like a bodybuilder, who would have been bald… had the skin on his head not rotted away. Looking at his hands, I saw that some of his fingers were just bone, but there were pieces of pale flesh still on him. Taking a step back, I felt my breathing quickening, realizing who the person standing before me was.
He was one of the Originals, one of the first 459 Halogens.
"Ello, boy. It seems that you survived my rock. Good job there. Now, let me introduce me self. I'm called Helium. A pleasure to a-meet ya." The Original, or rather Helium, said to me with a grin on his face. Or was that just the natural formation of the skull underneath?
"The pleasure is all yours." I shot back as I conjured up another spike from Helium's shadow, aimed at his head. The Halogen Original only reached out, grabbed the spike, and quickly tore it in half. My eyes widening, I watched as the muscular man approached, clapping slowly as he did.
"Good job, boy. You know to aim for the head. I'm impressed. I even liked that snappy remark, too. But… I'm afraid that I must put you six feet under. You see; you are in my way. You understand, right?" Helium said to me as he continued to approach, the grin still on his rotting face. Fighting to stay calm, I concentrated my mind and commanded multiple spikes to erupt from the Original's shadow, all impaling him. Looking at the undead man, I suddenly felt a drop of water fall on my cheek. The dark clouds above were finally dropping the loads of rain they held. The sun had already disappeared, giving way to night. Ignoring the increasing number of raindrops falling down, I looked at the Halogen Original, who only continued to grin.
"Now, now. You made a missstaaaakeee… you didn't aim for me head!" Helium shouted as he slammed his fist into all of the shadow spikes, shattering each one. I didn't even have time to try to keep them solid. As the Halogen Original broke free, I only stood there, frozen, as the muscular man reached me, towering over me. Even if I had a copy of myself on my shoulders, he would still be taller.
"Too afraid to move? No worries. I'll just have to move you myself!" Helium shouted as he cocked his fist, crouching down to slam it into my stomach. After I took the hit, it seemed as if I was moving in slow motion. Floating away from the man's fist, I saw blood come out from my mouth, and I felt the ground come meet me as I slammed into it hard, rolling back so that I ended up face down in the now wet grass. As I laid there, I rose my head up to look at the man, the pain in me so overwhelming that I was numb all over, my vision coming in and out of focus as I fought to remain conscious. Looking at the Halogen Original as he approached to finish the job, I tried to raise myself up, only to fall back down, the strength inside me having left the moment the fist connected. Gritting my teeth, I looked up, and saw the bony grin of the man over my face.
"You Isotopes should have never been born into this world…" Helium said to me before raising his foot up, ready to smash my head in. My mind fleeting, I could only look at the foot, but not move away.
'No… This can't be it… I can't die here… was I just born to die pathetically?' I managed to ask myself before shutting my eyes, awaiting the blow that would end my short life. It's strange, though, when you know you are about to die. You find a certain peace inside yourself, as if you finally have learned to accept everything before you leave the world.
However, after a few seconds, I heard a scream from the man over me.
"THE HELL? YOU TURNED MY FOOT INTO A RAT!"
My eyes snapping open, I saw Molly, her fire-like curly hair wet and plastered onto her face, fear in her eyes but determination in her expression, standing a few feet away from Helium and me. Next to me was a dead rat, and next to that, an angry Halogen Original.
"Aiden! Stand up! You can't die yet! You still have a life to spend! Don't you want to meet other people? Don't you want to see the other members in your group? Don't you want me to help you? Stand up, Aiden!" Molly shouted to me, tears falling from her face, as she looked back at Helium, frightened out of her mind. Looking at her, I opened my mouth to respond, but only one word came out.
"M-Molly…"
"…I WILL KILL YOU!"
Feeling a sudden rush of wind past me, I saw Helium charge at Molly, still quick even without a foot, and slam his fist into Molly's chest. I only laid there, eyes wide, as time slowed again, as Molly flew back from the blow. Watching her body hit the ground, I was too shock to do anything. As I saw her unmoving body laying on the ground a yard away, tears fell from my eyes, as something in me snapped.
"MOLLY!"
Suddenly, the dark-haired boy stood up, all pains and agonies forgotten, a crazed look in his eyes as he glared at Helium, who was still angry at the flame-haired girl.
"What? You're up already? I should've have hit you hard- ugghhhh!"
Aiden didn't let Helium finish his sentence, having stopped it with a shadow spike right to the Halogen's jaw. Helium stood there stunned for a minute, before grabbing the spike and shattering it, the rain running down the hole made in the bottom of his chin as he yelled at the dark-haired boy.
"DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHI-!" Helium began to say before a barrage of spikes impaled into him, stopping him from talking once again. The grin on his face now out of place due to the furious look in his eyes, Helium grabbed one of the spikes.
"YOU THINK THIS LITTLE TWIG WILL STOP ME?" he screamed as he tightened his grip on it, attempting to break it. However, it remained solid.
"WHAT?" Helium exclaimed before looking back at the dark-haired boy, who only stood there, the same crazed look still present. Growling, Helium watched as the boy extended his left arm away from him, his hand open as if ready to catch something. Noticing that the boy's shadow was right under the same left arm, Helium's eyebrows, or what was left of his eyebrow, furrowed as he watched a spike arise from the shadow, heading directly into the hand of the dark-haired boy.
'What is he doing? Wait a minute, WHAT THE?' Helium thought to himself as he witnessed why Aiden was grabbing the spike, his eyes now wide at the scene before him.
There stood Aiden, his eyes crazed, a scythe from his shadow now in his hand.
Suddenly filled with fear, Helium looked back towards the Halogens he commanded, and shouted at them.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! ATTACK! ATTACK THE BOY!" Helium yelled before slamming his fist into the spikes that pinned him to the spot, trying to break free. The spikes held, and Aiden began to walk slowly towards the Halogen Original.
By then, the dozen Halogens reached the dark-haired boy, and charged at him, teeth and claws ready to rip the boy apart. However, Aiden lashed out with his scythe, and without even removing his eyes from Helium, managed to cut the first four Halogens right in half. As Helium watched, Aiden continued to swing his scythe, decapitating the other Halogens easily with his new weapon, their green blood splattering on the dark-haired boy, who only continued to walk. Not even a minute later, all twelve Halogens laid on the ground, their bodies unmoving. His mouth hanging open, Helium once again tried to smash through the spikes, but once again the spikes would not allow him to escape, not even when Aiden reached the Halogen Original and stood before him, scythe at hand.
"W-What… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?" Helium shouted at the boy, who only continued to stand in front of the Halogen, his black hair hanging down over his face. Lashing out with his fist, Helium tried to hit the boy himself, but found that he could not reach. Terror now blinding him, the Halogen Original continued to pound on his restraints, only to stop the instant he heard laughter. Looking from the spikes, Helium looked at the dark-haired boy, who had begun to laugh like a mad man right in front of him. After a minute of laughing, Aiden suddenly stopped, a grin now on his face.
"Do you remember what you told me? About my mistake?" Aiden said to Helium in an eerie, cold voice; one that which left Helium speechless and unable to answer out of terror.
"You don't remember? Oh, well. Then let me remind you." Aiden continued as he raised his scythe over his head, revealing his eyes as he did so, showing once again the crazed eyes. Helium only stared into those deranged grey eyes, his eyes wide and shaking from their glance.
"Do you remember now? YOU TOLD ME TO AIM FOR THE HEAD!" the dark-haired boy laughed as he brought the scythe down.
I woke up lying on the grass, the rain falling onto my face.
Sitting up, I was soon met with a wave of agony from my stomach, and I cried out, holding it as I did, my eyes shutting closed at the same time. Waiting for the pain to subside, I opened my eyes once again, and stood up, my body protesting as I did.
I was shocked to see what was around me.
There was a corpse everywhere around my immediate area, all Halogen bodies without heads. Stunned beyond belief, I took a step forward, only to have my foot hit something on the ground. Looking down, two yellow eyes stared up back at me, a grin on the rotting face of the Halogen who used to be called Helium. The minute I saw the head, I quickly turned away and vomited, the scene too cruelsome. Taking deep breaths, I ignored the smell of rotting flesh around me, trying to remember what had happened.
'I blacked out after Helium hit… MOLLY! Where is she?' I shouted to myself in my mind as I looked around for her, finding her in the same spot she had landed on after Helium punched her chest. Ignoring all protests my body made, I ran towards the flame-haired girl, stumbling a couple of times along the way.
"Molly! Molly, I'm here! Wake up!" I shouted to the girl after I reached her and knelt down next to her, checking her pulse. It was weak, but it was there.
"Damn it! I have to get to a hospital! But-!" I said to myself before I heard a ding from my pocket. Reaching into it, I pulled out my Comtran, its scene flashing. Clicking a button, the scene on my Comtran change, revealing a detailed map to the nearest city.
'How did… Never mind!' I told myself in my mind as I grabbed Molly once again, pulling her closer to me. Concentrating, I allowed myself to sink into my shadow once again, bringing the unconscious Molly with me.
As I walked down the empty streets of the city, I looked around for a hospital or a Helli0n base, balancing Molly on my back as I did. To anyone nearby, I would have just been a boy giving a girl a piggyback ride. However, if one looked closely, they would have seen green liquid straining the boy's sweater and that the girl was unconscious.
While I looked, I felt the arms around my neck tighten, telling me that Molly was awake.
"Molly! Can you hear me?" I said back to the flame-haired girl, not once stopping.
"…A-Aiden…?" a weak voice that resembled Molly's replied back, the movement of her mouth moving some of my wet hair.
"I'm here, Molly. We're going to get you help. Don't worry." I said to reassure her, but found that uncertainty had corrupted the words I spoke. Molly, probably having known it all along, hugged my neck tighter.
"…A-Aiden… I-I'm so sorry… I should have been more careful… now look at me… do you think that… that Halogen… had super strength…?" Molly said back to me as I slowed my pace, thinking about what she said.
"He probably did… Don't be sorry, Molly. You saved me. I will make sure you get the help you need." I told her before walking faster, determination on my exhausted face. Thankfully, Molly was light to carry.
"…Aiden… if I don't make it…" Molly began, only to be interrupted by me.
"Don't talk like that. You will make it. I promise."
"…But… in case I don't… please… please… tell Paulina… that I love her… that she is… a good little sister…"
"Molly! Please! You can her that yourself."
"…Tell her… not to blame herself… and… to be strong…"
"Please Molly! Hang on!"
"…And… Aiden… I'm… so sorry… for not… being able… to help you…please… forgive me… and… don't hate me…"
It was then that I stopped in my tracks, my head down, my wet hair hiding my crying eyes.
"Molly. I will never hate you. You were the first person I had met away from my cell. You were the person who made the last few days some of the happiest in my life. For that, I thank you. For that, I will not allowing you to die." I said to Molly, fighting my tears as I did. Behind me, I felt some drops of water fall on my back, even though it was no longer raining.
"…Thank you… Aiden… for… not leaving me… in the desert… Thank you…."
After Molly said those words, her body suddenly went limp, and I began to sob openly, not knowing that she was still breathing. After ten more minutes of searching, I found a Helli0n base, and placed Molly in front of the main entrance, placing my forehead on her's as if to say my last goodbye. Removing myself and taking a few steps away, I conjured up a shadow spike from Molly's shadow, breaking the main doors, which were made out of glass. Because of this action, the alarms on base went wild.
Taking one last look at Molly, I closed my eyes, and began to walk away, disappearing into the shadow of the night.
Disappearing back into the desert that Molly had left me in.
"As of this moment, Isotope 0913, you have been recognized as a member of the 0ccult Division. Rejoice, for all of your training has paid off." A voice said to Aiden, as he stood before a giant podium, similar to a judge's seat, where three people sat, each hidden by darkness. However, due to the dark-haired boy's sight, the Helli0n official were forced to blindfold him, since the identities of the three people there were to be kept a secret. The voice that had spoken to Aiden belongs to the person on to the right, and belonged to a man. Aiden did not show any emotion.
"Ah, it seems that they taught this boy well. Look, he doesn't even respond to us." A rather young female voice said to its companions from the left, stating an observation that was addressed by the person from the right again.
"You are right, but it is expected from the 0D. It just goes to show that they have done their job." The man's voice said, met by an approving mummer from the left side.
"Good to see that our funds are not being wasted. I mean-."
"May I speak?" Aiden asked out loud, interrupting the voice from the left. A silence following, Aiden waited until the voice from the right broke it, answering his question.
"Very well. You may, Isotope 0913." The voice said, curiosity lining every word spoken.
Clearing his throat, Aiden looked up to look at the Three, his blindfold preventing actually seeing them, and began to talk, his words and tone serious.
"While I was in the field for my final mission, I went with a certain Isotope. This certain Isotope was given the same mission as I was. Because I did not have the knowledge or means or right to go return her to a nearby base, I was forced to endure most of a week with her. However, during those days, I found to think of her as a comrade, and I was looking forward to spending more time with her. That did not happen. Approximately two days ago, we encountered a Halogen Original named Helium, who had superhuman strength, along with a dozen newborn Halogens. After we fought, I was dealt a blow and was about to be eliminated until the other Isotope with me managed to save me, though in doing so was also dealt a blow. After that, I blacked out. When I came to, I found that all of the hostiles present, including Helium, were exterminated. I ask, did the 0D or Helli0n have anything to do with that?" Aiden asked the Three, a hint of frown on his face after finishing. For some time, the Three were silent again, but then the voice from the left spoke out, giving Aiden another answer.
"Helli0n nor the 0ccult Division had any part in their extermination." She said, which made the frown on Aiden face grow.
"You can't be serious! How about the directions to the town! Only the 0ccult Division has my Comtran code! Don't tell me that you were just waiting for Molly to die! Don't give me a half-ass answer!" Aiden shouted at the Three, now angry for answers.
"You are talking out of line right now, Isotope 0913. We will not discuss this any further until after this ceremony." The voice from the right said to the dark-haired boy before speaking again, this time to the central. As he spoke, Aiden brought his head down in shame, his teeth clenched.
"Well, sir? Care to finish this off?"
Another long silence appeared once again, but this one was broken by the voice of an elder, which came from the central of the three.
"Isotope 0913. As a new member of the 0ccult Division, you must once again swear your loyalty to Helli0n. Will you live for, fight for, and die for, Helli0n, Isotope? Will you protect humanity, and eliminate any threats to its existence? Will you throw away anything and everything for Helli0n, from your name to your life? What say you, Isotope 0913?" The elderly voice said down to Aiden, who stood there, composed, before saying his answer, the frown still on his face, his voice laced with hostility.
"I will do everything I am expected to do and more."
"Very well then," the central voice said, taking a breath before continuing. "From this point on, Isotope 0913, you shall be known as a guardian of Helli0n and humanity.
For now on, you shall be known as… Wraith."
Hey, this is Jett. Thank you to everyone who actually read all the way through Chronicles of the Wraith to this point. I know, some of you must hate me for what happened to Molly, but let me explain something.
Back then, I wasn't the only one writing a backstory for my OC Aiden. Actually, the idea was from a friend of mine who was in the same RP (I was the one who made the RP and therefore came up with the universe known as Isotopes). While I was writing CotW, she was writing her own story, and after some chapters we decided to connect the two together, at least for a short while or so. Molly was actually a character she had thought up and had allowed me to use. When Aiden left Molly in front of the building, it was like I was handing her back. In my friend's story you can find out what happens to Molly.
My friend's story is called "Night and Silence", but it's submitted to (in case anyone wanted to find out more about Molly). Her username is possomperson.
Now, this chapter was the last one I wrote before starting Forgotten Harmony of Germane Errant. If there is anyone who would like to see a Chapter Five to this, just let me know.
So to end this chapter, thank you all for reading once again, and if you like my writing style, check out Forgotten Harmony of Germane Errant. Hopefully you'll like that story too.