Gol has more visitors. He's quite popular, it would seem.

Chapter 56: Too Late

It had surely been weeks by now, each day bringing with it another bout of pain and misery, and the Dark Sage couldn't help but despair anew with each morning that came, as the Dark Eco became less and less responsive to his call. Normally, he could feel it, a kind of energy, seeming nearly like a presence, even, that was always there. It was as vital to him as the blood it had long ago become a part of, but now, it was fading, diminishing with each passing day with no way for him to bring it back. As sure as he was that he was trapped here, it was. The Light Eco was killing him, of that he was certain, because each and every day it was used on him, it killed more of that substance within him, reducing him more and more to little else but a weak, old man that had lived long past a reasonable span of life. His body ached more as the days went by, his breathing becoming increasingly labored, as the one thing that kept him alive and strong for so long was being stolen from him, his life force literally being drained away, until he worried that all that would eventually be left of him would be a withered, old shell of a man. He would endure this much suffering only to die in the end anyway. That was surely what was going to happen, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

And so he had no other choice but to lay here and wait out however many days he had left in this miserable room, realizing that it was indeed possible to find a place where he would be even more alone than he had been back in the citadel. Here, he never even imagined Maia's voice, nor did he become fooled into thinking he saw her wandering about, only to disappear when he gave her a second look. His dear sister was so very far away. Being here or in the citadel made no difference as to his sister's fate, really, but she still felt so distant now that he could no longer visit her room or the other places she had once been. And when it became late and no one could see him, he could no longer prevent tears from slipping down his face as he thought of things that would never be returned to him and chances he would no longer get. While he had not been here long, it felt like a century. He had been imprisoned in the robot for far longer; his time there truly was centuries, but at least his dear sister was there with him, and there was a bit of hope, even if it was just a tiny amount, that they would escape one day and complete their conquest of the world. But, now, it was all over. But, why must this be his fate? To be trapped for three centuries, only to be allowed just one year of freedom, before he was trapped again. Why did it have to be this way?

And with his failure came what should have been the smallest relief, the knowledge that the woman was spared, after all, as Spargus was not destroyed in the end, and so one event he had feared had never come to pass. But, did it matter? Did it really? For all he knew, she had forgotten about him anyway. The boy had said she wanted him spared, but for all he knew, that could just be a lie. Here he was, in Spargus, and he had not seen her. That didn't necessarily mean anything, but he still hadn't, and he may never see her again. She may have just gone on with her life, and that was that, and he worried for nothing. He still had, as what he had worried over had never happened anyway, and perhaps being so against her demise had just been a waste of his time right from the start. For all he knew, she really was no different from anyone else, and he had been nothing but a fool to believe otherwise.

Maybe if he hadn't allowed himself to become so distracted by her while he completed his work, maybe he wouldn't have failed. Maybe he would have destroyed Spargus, and the boy and his rat would be dead, not to mention that blasted Light Sage, and none of this would be happening. He would be free right now, to decide on the next course of action, so that he could reach his goal and fulfill his dear sister's wishes. He might have succeeded. Perhaps the world really could've been his, and he really could have seen it transformed by Dark Eco, after all. If only she hadn't distracted him. If only he hadn't been such a fool. He should have listened to his sister's advice. He should've trusted her, and he didn't, and look what resulted from his poor judgment.

The Dark Sage groaned, straining against his bonds, but they were as tight as ever. He would never be free. If only he hadn't been so stupid, things would have gone differently. Things would've been better. It was his fault. It was all his fault. Maia might still be…alive, as well, if it weren't for his decisions. Yes, she very well could've been, but he was weak. Weak of mind, that he allowed what happened to her to happen, and frail of body, that he, once the most powerful person in the world, besides his dear sister, could be held here against his will as he was.

If Maia knew…he could only hope she didn't. But, if she knew, would she be disappointed in him? Was she? Was she disappointed that her brother was a failure? Whether she was or she wasn't, though, he didn't want to know. And why did he even have to think about this? Why couldn't he stop thinking about things that tortured him?

He tried once more, with a feeble effort, to tug on the straps that held him, but it was impossible to break free. Maybe before, he could have, but now, even without the medicine, his body was too weak. He really was an old man, like his sister had always said. She wasn't joking, because right now, he saw more than ever how old and pathetic he really was. He grew still and stared at the ceiling, a pale reflection up there as the moonlight hit the glass of one of the lamps, currently unlit. He was just a sick and feeble, old man. He was no Dark Eco Sage. He could no longer claim the honor of such a thing.

The only sound came from his own, strained breathing and the occasional footsteps of Wastelanders passing by out in the hallway and the muffled chatter as they exchanged words before going on their way. And while night time was a lonely time, the darkness somehow having the ability to make things even more so than during the day, the worst part of it was knowing it was his last reprieve before morning came again and the Light Eco treatments with it.

Yet another week had passed, as far as he could tell, at least, as he had largely lost track of the days even when he attempted to count each morning that came, and he continued to spend his time sleeping or waiting, his body racked with pain even when the Green Sage's daughter wasn't using her wretched Light Eco on him. The Dark Eco felt even more distant than ever, and what was left of it no longer responded to him at all when he tried to call upon it, in an effort to summon forth what was left of his power so he could teleport far away from here. No, there was no chance of him escaping, and the sedatives they continued to subject him to were no longer necessary. He told them he didn't need it, that he wasn't going anywhere, even if he wanted to, and he certainly did, but they simply left as if he had said nothing, not that he expected a different response, and then he was alone once again, as he usually was, with nothing but haunting thoughts to keep him company.

And just the other night, at least, he thought it was the other night, a woman came into the room, just another Wastelander, but this one didn't come in to check on the integrity of his restraints or to give him more of that medicine. She stood over him, her face a blur, but her voice told him everything. She accused him of killing her brother, when he had gone to the citadel with the other Wastelanders one night, and she expressed a strong desire, with some choice words mixed all throughout her frighteningly calm tirade, that he never set foot outside ever again, and if she ever did see his face outside this room or the prison cells, she'd personally see to it that that was the last thing he ever did. And he said nothing, just watched the blur of her face until she left, and that was that, and he blinked over what had just happened, wondering if it was, perhaps, some kind of hallucination brought about by the medication.

And now it was just another day, another miserable afternoon, and the Light Eco Sage had made a comment before the treatments began for the day that he didn't look quite the same, that the blue of his skin had toned down somewhat, which only set his heart hammering even harder in his chest than it already was, to have it confirmed to him that he was changing, just as he had worried over ever since he got here. All he could see of himself was his withered arm, though, even that was unclear, so he could hardly confirm or disprove what she said. He could only hope she was lying. But, he didn't think she was.

As he laid there, the only thing they ever allowed him to do in this awful place, the sound of footsteps met his ears, always the first sign that someone he really didn't want to see was here, no matter who it brought, and he groaned, rolling his head to the side to catch sight of his most recent visitor. All Gol could tell through his feeble eyesight was that this person was short. And green. He sighed and returned to facing the ceiling, though this certainly wouldn't be enough of a hint that he didn't want to speak, now would it?

"Gol. Long time no see."

"Samos. Either you're even more ancient than I am, or you've mastered time travel." He looked over at the other Sage, eyebrow raised. "I am leaning towards the latter."

"Oh, yes, I haven't yet thanked you for keeping the Rift Rider safe for me," the Green Sage said, stopping nearby. "That almost makes up for the fact that you and your sister recently tried to kill everyone. Almost."

Gol snarled, baring his teeth. "Have you just come here to taunt me, old fool?"

"Old fool? Gol, you've managed to become three centuries my elder, despite starting out younger than me." Samos shook his head. "And no, I'm not here for any other purpose but to talk. And I wanted to say, I truly am sorry about what happened to Maia. I know how close the two of—"

"Oh, please, spare me." The Dark Sage turned to face the ceiling again. "What do you know? You didn't just lose everything that mattered to you. You didn't just not only lose the person dearest to you, but were forced to see your life's work shattered before your very eyes." He sighed and closed his eyes, his voice growing quiet. "You didn't have your work mocked your entire life, either."

"I never said there was necessarily anything wrong with studying Dark Eco. Not in itself. What I did warn the two of you about was the fact that it would eventually corrupt your minds if you spent too much time around it, and I can see I was right."

"Not this again—"

"And there were other ways you could have studied it without being so foolhardy, but I didn't come here to lecture you!"

Gol returned his gaze to the other Sage, eyes half-lidded. "That's certainly a first."

Samos stared at him, looking none too amused, before pulling up a chair and sitting down. He was surprised the stunted, old thing could even climb into a chair when they shared the same height.

Once settled, the Green Sage cleared his throat. "So Gol," he began, "do you feel any different?"

Gol shrugged. "Once you showed up, I do know that my mood certainly took a turn for the worse."

Samos rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. If you want me to leave so badly, then you'll probably just want to answer my questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible so we can get this over with. Because I'm not leaving until I'm satisfied, and you know very well how impossible of a task that is."

The Dark Sage glared at him, and Samos simply raised his eyebrows, adding, "I can sit here all day."

Gol huffed, unable to look any longer at the irritating man before him, his attention turning back to the ceiling, a view that was much less interesting, but frankly, far less bothersome, as well. "I feel fine."

"I highly doubt that. You just spent weeks enduring Light Eco treatments after several centuries with Dark Eco in your body. I really think you're going to be feeling quite the opposite of 'fine'."

The Dark Sage's gaze shot back over to the other man. "Then, if you already know the answers to all of your questions, then why do you bother wasting my time?"

"I'm sorry, were you busy with something?" Samos asked, looking all about him in an exaggerated manner. "Because I certainly didn't mean to interrupt what is obviously very important work."

Gol snarled. "Okay, you want to know how I feel, I feel sick and miserable, but what does any of that manner? Because I'm being held here against my will and tortured, as far as I can tell, just for the sake of it. So, does that make you happy, Samos? Have I told you what you wanted to know?"

Samos adjusted his glasses. "You'll understand eventually. I assure you." And then his voice grew soft, as he added, "And Gol…"

Gol grunted.

"You're sick, even if you don't know it yet," the Green Sage continued. "And even if you don't like what's been happening, it wouldn't be right of me to let you go untreated. I still remember the way the two of you used to be, before you both just disappeared for a year. It's hard to believe you're even the same person, you've changed so much, but I remember the Gol from long ago, that only wished to help people, not harm them. If these treatments work and can change you back, it's well worth the effort. And once this is over, I think you'll agree. And if you don't, then you are free to be as angry at all of us as you want."

"Why did you tell her those things?"

"Hmm?"

"Kassra. Why did you try to make her think I was evil?"

"Kassra?... Oh, yes. And I didn't try to… Have you seen her lately?"

"What? Have you misplaced her?"

"I mean, has she visited you since you got here?"

Gol paused, thinking it over. "No." It seemed worrying over her had indeed been wasted effort, after all.

"She must not know you're here. I'll be sure to tell her next time I see her."

"Don't bother."

"Gol, I have no idea how the two of you met, but based on what I saw, she obviously cares about you. If she knew you were in here, she would have come to see you by now."

Gol said nothing, his attention directed back at the ceiling again. He heard the chair squeak as the Green Sage stood.

"I suppose if you don't want to talk anymore, I won't force you. Things will get better, though. I promise you." He heard the Sage's footsteps, before they stopped again. "As long as you're not too stubborn to allow it, that is." And then the footsteps continued, and eventually they faded away until he heard nothing more.

Kassra. She couldn't possibly care about him. Why would she? She hardly knew him. They had spent time together, yes, but not enough that she could ever have reason to see him as any more than a mere acquaintance, and no one thought twice about an acquaintance. Especially not when she had only seen the side of him…the side that… What was he saying? He was not about to agree with Samos. He had not been…no, he wasn't changing. The Light Eco hadn't changed him. He was not a bad person. He really wasn't.

So why did he believe that Kassra couldn't care about him, then?

She couldn't. She just couldn't.

Gol sighed, his mind turning to things he had been trying to ignore during his past few weeks here, but he blinked at the ceiling as he remembered what she had given him and how he had left those things behind at the citadel. The figurines…and the pearl. They were still there, on his dresser. He had failed to retrieve them. What a fool he was to have just left such things behind.

He frowned. But, he didn't know. He didn't know what was going to happen to him. Even though he had only put half a heart into his plans, he still believed he would succeed. But, why would he, when he was working towards something he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted? Why did he want such things anyway? Now that he thought about it, really thought about it, he couldn't say why transforming the world had mattered so much to him. Not when he had lost everything, just for something that didn't even come to pass. He had lost his dear sister and his health and his freedom, and he had risked killing that woman, as well. What a fool he had truly been, to fight so hard to lose all that he had left. Without realizing it, he had given up everything that ever mattered in his efforts to gain the world. Why had such a thing meant so much to him, and why couldn't he have thought of this before it had gone so far?

Gol closed his eyes, as he often did, to try and imagine things the way they used to be, before everything had gone so horribly wrong. He thought back to when it was just his dear sister and he planning their next moves, then farther back, to a year ago, when they had just reunited outside Kassra's old house, when there was still a chance to make different decisions, because they hadn't yet started this stupid war and made new enemies. And before that, long, long ago, before the Catacombs and the robot and even before they had turned off the Warp Gate in his lab to prevent any of the other Sages from interrupting their plans.

Before all of these things, his dear sister and he had lived in peace. Maybe it wasn't the peace he had wanted, when they had to put up with those that feared them for who they were, but it was certainly more peaceful than war and having that boy and his weasel and the armies of two different cities out to get them. They received a few threats back then by idiots that thought such things would actually work against the two of them, who thought empty words would actually cause them to leave town, but he never backed down, as the threats were never serious, as he knew the people making them only did so out of fear of something they didn't understand and who did not have the guts to follow through on what they said.

No, they did have peace back then, at least, as close to it as someone like him could expect. But, it wasn't good enough. His sister and he had wanted more, even though all it really did was make things worse. Why couldn't they have made different decisions? Why couldn't he go back and do everything all over again, and he could have not allowed people's words to get to him so. His sister and he would have died long ago, no doubt, but they wouldn't have spent three centuries trapped inside a Precursor robot head, only to start a war that resulted in one of them being murdered and him being strapped to a bed and tortured with a substance he once never even knew existed.

He could have indeed done things differently. But, he didn't. And no matter what anyone said, it was too late for him. The choices he had made, whether good or bad, had already been made and could never be undone.

I heard once that Samos had Gol and Maia, likely before they turned nutty, store the Rift Rider for him. Which would make sense, I guess, considering that at the end of the first game, they somehow have in their possession a vehicle that Keira built, which was likely once owned by Samos, that really should have no right being at their citadel unless the one that owned the machine gave it to them. Yeah. Anyway, please review.