-So, here it is... the conclusion of the second part of the story and the beginning of the final part o_O
-This is the plot twist that made me write this story, sorry if it not as intelligent/surprising/good as you expected .
-I'm pretty content with it, actually, though I'm sure someone else could pull it off better^^
It was dark and cold, unbearable cold... Warren was running through the darkness, trying to get a hold of something, somebody, but this person seemed out of reach, always just out of reach...
He exhaled and saw his breath escaping into the air as steam, a single white beacon in this lifeless world.
Then his gaze shifted and he caught sight of a big object, gray, and blocky.
As he walked towards this thing, he realized that it was a stone, a big block of stone, that was standing upright, with dark carvings on its light surface.
There were entwined patterns around a single lettering, and Warren recognized it as a gravestone.
But who was buried here? The name seemed out of Warren's reach, just as the person that he had chased before, leaving him clueless and alone.
Then he felt something, a light touch, then pressure on his shoulder, as he turned he faced an older Layla who was smiling at him, a smile full of sympathy and honest grief.
Warren saw her moving her lips, but no words would reach him, as if there was a glass wall separating them, the only sound he heard was himself answering: "I know... thank you."
Again his gaze shifted towards the stone, examining it with desperation, looking for something, but only finding cold, emotionless stone.
A moment passed, then he suddenly looked up as snowflakes started falling down on them, soon the ground was as white as the steam emerging from his mouth, lightening the world up and sending a shiver through his body.
He cried.
Darkness, again, as he watched the city slowly sinking into a quicksand of destruction, that consumed every hope, every person, everything.
And there were Layla and Will, still sitting with him at the fire, shivering in the cold, why did they have to follow him?
And then, his eyes were hit by light, bright, unforgiving light, surrounded by people he blinked, not knowing what had happened.
Everybody was talking, everybody was busy, but no matter what Warren did, nobody would listen to him, he was alone in company.
Then, the people turned into shadows, and finally disappeared completely, leaving him in an empty space of white, no longer blinded, but still confused.
"So, here we are, finally at an end as it seems", he knew this voice, it was the one he was looking for, Niall, so Warren had finally found him.
"Make it stop", he demanded right away, not wanting to waste his time talking to these people.
Niall laughed: "Oh, I will stop, trust me, even if I didn't want to, because at this point I have no choice."
"What did you do in the first place?", Warren had cooled down a little, finally realizing that this boy, Niall, was standing right in front of him, Hair bound back in a ponytail, face pale with a smug look.
"What do you think?", Niall asked, still eyeing Warren closely, like he was actually afraid of the other.
Warren huffed: "I don't know, but I'm impressed you did it so quickly."
Niall arched a brow: "Quickly? How long do you think I touched your forehead?"
"A few seconds?", Warren replied hesitantly, not knowing what to expect.
Niall began walking towards him, careful not to invade his personal space: "Two minutes to be precise. Now, how long do you think it was since I did that? I know, you lost your track of time, but guess."
Warren thought about it: "Four weeks or something like that..."
Niall grinned: "You're right, of course it seemed longer to you due to your lack of sleep and everything, but it was exactly four weeks since then. What do you think I did with your head during those two minutes? Just guess."
Warren gave the boy a quick glare, then replied: "I don't know, but you caused those visions, those nightmares I had... I don't know why or..."
"You're wrong", Niall cut him short, "well actually you aren't, because your visions were a side effect of my interference, but you missed the point. What do you think about fate, Warren?"
Fate? Warren didn't know what to think about that, he didn't believe in fate, it was stupid to think that everyone was destined to become something, like a Superhero or a Villain, his father had a choice, just like he himself.
"Nothing much, just the normal I guess. Why do you ask, what does fate have to do with this?"
Niall dropped his smirk and regarded Warren with a serious look: "Everything. Now, let's assume that fate does exist, what could I have done with it that would cause all this?"
"Change it perhaps?", Warren pursued the thought, as he tried to figure out what Niall's point was.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare to interfere with fate, no, all I did was follow mine. My fate made me touch your forehead and use my ability on you... do you know what I mean? If not changing, what could I do?"
Warren grew tired of this conversation, so he said the next best thing that came to mind: "Show it to me?"
"Exactly", Niall grinned again, seemingly pleased with himself.
And Warren felt sick.
"You mean..."
Niall laughed.
"No..."
It was clear now, what had happened, what was happening right now.
"This is not real? None of it was? It was an illusion?", Warren stumbled and fell to the floor, sitting and staring at Niall like an idiot.
"Illusion?", the boy gazed at him critically, "No, if it was an illusion, then it would have been a thought, a picture, noise, feeling, smell or taste from me implanted in your brain. This did not come from me. It came from you. Every person has a fate, and this fate lies within oneself, now my ability is to bring out this fate and show it to other people. Just as I can see my own fate. This is the first ability one gains on the path to becoming god."
Becoming god...
"So the other two are working for you? So you can become their god?", Warren tried to understand, but he couldn't, didn't want to.
"I guess so", Niall seemed far away, thinking about something else, then suddenly turned his head towards Warren, "It is their fate after all, just as it is mine to become god."
Warren stood up again: "So you don't want it? Why don't you change your fate?"
"I couldn't do that", Niall chuckled.
Warren folded his arms: "I could."
Niall watched him, then he replied: "Actually you can't. Sure, you will not follow the fate I showed you, but that is also your fate. And since you can't see it, you can't know what it is."
"But how can it be my fate if I won't follow it?"
Niall shrugged: "It is not my place to know that. I will, when I become god, but before then, I don't know."
Warren buried his face in his hands: "look, why are you following your fate in the first place. If you can escape, why not do it?"
"Because I am too dependent to leave my path. I can't make that decision", Niall answered without emotion.
"So you're afraid?", Warren regarded the other with condescension.
Niall nodded: "I am indeed."
Warren cocked his head: "So, what happens next? Or is it our fate to end this conversation now?"
Niall looked at him with clouded eyes: "It is my fate to say you one thing. You will try to stop us."
"Why would I do that?", Warren already knew the answer, still, he wanted confirmation.
Niall began to walk away, while he said: "You remember those visions. These were splinters of possible futures that leaked because I can't control these powers fully. They showed you what the world will become if we succeed. You don't want that to happen, so you will try to stop us."
"But you already know how it is going to end", Warren remarked, "Why should I bother."
Niall paused for a moment: "Because you have something worth fighting for."
Warren gasped as the Commander removed Niall's thumb from his forehead, then he relaxed and sighed.
What was he supposed to do now?
"Do you want to come with us for the night?", Jetstream asked him, but Warren only smiled tiredly and replied.
"Thanks but I'd rather speak with Principal Powers. We'll work something out for me to stand on my own feet."
He couldn't involve Layla and Will in this, he had to do it alone.
Walking down the dirty alley, Warren felt that he had a tough time ahead of him.
BAM already writing on the next chapter, although I probably won't finish it before the day after tomorrow since I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow...