Chapter 39.2

"You're lying!"

Jason rubbed his dizzy head, unsure of what was happening. He couldn't recall what he was doing before hearing Alina's voice.

Oh, right, He thought. I was shopping with Alle.

He turned to look at Alina who was beside him, a pout on her face. She was around ten years old, her cheeks round with baby fat and her eyes gleamed with innocence that her older self lacked. She continued speaking while Jason grinned.

"You're lying again. There's no way you know how to cook," Alina said. Did he think she was still so gullible as to fall for his lies?

"All right," Jason replied amusedly. "Then why don't I cook today's meal. What do you think, Meredith?"

Jason turned to look at Meredith, the head maid of the Sages. Shopping was not part of her job and she usually didn't leave the mansion, but Madam Sage asked her to accompany the two. Jason had a feeling it was because of Aarav's visit today; it seems like Alina's father had a thing for Meredith.

Flirting around while he's got a lovely wife at home. Tsk, tsk. Guy's an idiot and she deserves better, Jason thought as he thought of Madam Sage. Ah well, not my problem. As long as he doesn't touch Katelyn, I couldn't care less.

"If the young master wishes to do so, then I have no objections," Meredith answered perfunctorily as Jason was lost in his thoughts.

"See? Even Meredith has confidence in me," Jason said smugly while Alina stuck her tongue out. "Now, let's get everything in the list first, then we'll check out their ice cream section."

"Yay! Ice cream!" Alina cheered, completely motivated to shopping.

After some time, the three managed to gather everything and were waiting at the cashier, who was listening to a radio channel while helping the customers.

The radio host was talking to callers, giving them advice about their situation. "And here's our next caller. Hello there! What can I help you with?"

"I … my family abandoned me when I was a child," a voice that was very young said. He spoke slowly, as though he was having a hard time breathing. "I was so young, I didn't remember their faces or anything. And for years, I … I was forced to become something else. I did terrible things because I was ordered to."

The young speaker paused before continuing. "No, that's not entirely true. I relished in my wrongdoings … using it to satisfy that emptiness deep down inside me. I enjoyed killing."

Jason froze, unable to move as he listened to the speaker: he recognized that voice, but he couldn't believe that he was hearing it.

"Then I lost all my friends and the emptiness became bigger," the young boy said as the radio host listened without interrupting. "It was like there was a gaping hole in my chest … but I met someone. She was a fairy."

Jason swallowed his saliva as he listened with rapt attention.

"And things got better," the voice was lighter, was though a heavy burden was released from the speaker's chest. "But at the same time, it got stronger. The need, the need to know what happened to my parents. And soon, I got a lead after following a few … clues.

"So I traveled to where they were staying. And I met her. My mother," Jason closed his eyes as the speaker continued, trying to hide the burning tears that were trying to come out. "She was so … graceful. She looked just like how I imagined. But I couldn't take that step to meet her. What would I say? 'Hey, Miss, I think I'm your son.'

"I couldn't reveal myself to her, but I didn't want to leave without knowing. Especially when I saw how she was treated, and how she treated everyone," the voice paused as though he wanted it to sink into the crowd. "So I did the next best thing. I pretended to be a waiter at a restaurant she frequented and met her. She had a nice chat with me, but you know what? She didn't recognize me.

"There wasn't a hint of recognition in her eyes, not even a hint. And she told me, as she left, 'Your mother would be proud.' My mother …" the voice was no longer emotional, it was cold and detached. "I realized then that I was better off being a tool. That there was no way to be a boy."

The radio was silent for a while before the host sighed.

"I'm sorry," the host said. "I don't know what to say to you. But even if I did know, it wouldn't help. Would it, Jason?"

The caller, who stopped speaking, sounded exactly like the young version of Jason ...

"Jason? Jason!" Jason roused himself and turned to Alina who was looking at him with worry while repeatedly calling his name.

"Sorry," Jason said. He turned to the cashier who was staring at him with bemusement. "I kinda got distracted by the radio."

"Uh, sir? What radio?" while not saying anything, the cashier stared at Jason as though he was a lunatic.

"Right," Jason said quietly before proceeding to checkout. The cashier shook his head while Jason had his head lowered.

"I'd say, Jason," the cashier spoke and Jason froze before slowly looking up. "What exactly are you doing?"

When Jason looked up, the old cashier was no longer there. Instead, a young boy with black hair and dark chocolate eyes stared back at him with a small smile. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood from a gunshot wound that he had on the chest, yet he appeared nonchalant, as though he wasn't injured.

"Jackie," Jason whispered, a look of pain flitting through his eyes. The boy in front of him was a good friend, one who died in Budapest on a train while saving Jason.

"Hey Jay," Jackie said. "Or should I call you Jason? Or maybe Fenrir? Man, you really took that last one too seriously. Anyways, what's up?"

Jason opened his mouth but no words came out. He took a deep breath and covered his mouth with his hand before it traveled down to his chin.

"Cat got your tongue, eh? Well, of course, you'd be surprised, seeing me here," Jackie said with a small chuckle. "We're in your dreams, Jaybird."

"What're -" Jason asked when Jackie interrupted him.

"I came to ask what you're doing Jason," Jackie said quietly, the smile fading from his face. "The others wanted to come too, but they're still upset that you killed us."

"I didn't - " Jason's voice broke and he had to breathe and calm himself down. "I didn't know, I swear."

"And yet I warned you," Jackie said quietly. "I warned you something was wrong even before we left for Budapest. I warned you … just like how I'm warning you now."

Jason shook his head, bemused and unable to understand Jackie's meaning when the latter gestured at the area behind him. Slowly Jason turned around and the scene had changed; he didn't notice before but now he saw the bodies lying on the ground. Everyone he knew, everyone was there, their corpses lying silently on the ground. Alina, Emily, Katelyn, Elizabeth, Silvia, Michelle, Raphael, even his students, they were all dead.

"Jason …" Alina whispered and Jason, with tears in his eyes, ran to her.

"Alle. Alle … no," Jason kneeled next to her and lifted her head in his arms while applying pressure to the gaping wound in her stomach.

"Why … why did you …?" Alina asked through gasping breaths. "You ruined my life. Why did you ... kill my dad, corrupt my mother ... and kill Katelyn? They were my family."

"Alle …" Jason choked as tears flowed out from his eyes.

"What was I to you? Just a replacement for your sister? Why did you even help me when I'm nothing to you?" Alina looked at him with disappointment and hate, even as the life in her eyes faded away. Jason cradled her in his arms even as he heard a voice from behind him.

"You ruin everything near you, Jason," Jackie said quietly while standing behind Jason. "Everything you touch, everything, ends up broken … or damaged."

"No … no," Jason shook his head and tried ignoring what Jackie was saying. He didn't want to believe that was true.

"This isn't the life for you Jason," Jackie said. "You know what I'm saying is true."

"No …"

"And this? This is where your current life will lead you."

"NO!" [1]

[1] This is Jason remembering a memory that slowly turned into a nightmare. The scene of him shopping with Alina and hearing a radio which was just a delusion was a memory, it really happened. It only turned into a nightmare when Jackie appeared.