Chapter 38: Awaken

Deep within the void, where the sky is nothing but darkness, now fills with an ever present turquoise light, stretching out like a large dome.

Two individuals are seen standing within the lonely void. Alecia, and Eva.

"Why am I here again?" Alecia asked, her eyes soften.

"What happened?"

"Wow, have you forgotten already?" Eva said,

"You and your memories have issues."

"Answer my question," Alecia demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"Why am I here?"

Eva lets out a sigh, looking around the turquoise void, and back at her.

"You're dying, Alecia." She said, her tone, calm and collected. Urging Alecia to widen her eyes.

"Well...your body has shut down, and your mind is all that is left."

Alecia downcasts her eyes for a moment, only for her to frown.

"Raine," she mutters her name, her tone cold, and bitter.

"She really did a number on you, didn't she," Eva said, chuckling.

"You got really sloppy back there." Eva slowly lowers herself, black, tangling roots sprouts forth from the ground, only for her to take a seat as they form a chair.

Looking down at Eva with an eyebrow raised, she turns her attention elsewhere.

"I need to get out of here," she said, pinching her own arm.

"Come on... Wake up!" She grits her teeth, pinching herself harder, only to lower her arms with a sigh, her gaze drawn to the floor. She turns to Eva, who's still seated on the black chair.

Folding her legs, Eva leans her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Alecia..." She said, her lips twist into a smile.

"I already told yo-"

"I'm not dead!" Alecia snapped, now glaring down at her.

"Soon I'll wake up, and be rid of you forever."

Eva bursts out laughing, her white-plated hand covering her mouth. Her eyes dart up at Alecia.

"Yes, keep telling yourself that," she said, lowering her hand, and starts rocking on the chair with her one foot, the back legs of it supporting her as she does.

"I find it wonderful to see you're willing to live, it's rather interesting how much your mind has changed," Eva continued.

"Unlike before." She averts her eyes.

After a moment of glaring down at Eva, her face softens.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Unlike before?" She mimicked Eva's words.

"Awe..." Eva tilts her head with a smile. She stops rocking, only for the legs of the chair to slam down.

"...don't act foolish... You know exactly what I mean." Her eyes narrow at her with a smirk, holding the edges of her chair, she leans her cheek on her own shoulder.

With her face softening, Alecia averts her gaze.

"No..." She said, her voice quiteined.

"...I don't."

Starting to chuckle, Eva hangs her head down, her shoulders bopping up, and down.

"You can't lie to me, Alecia," she said, raising her chin to look up at her.

Gritting her teeth, she glares down at Eva.

"Get out of my head!" She snapped, turning away, and walks.

"Hey!" Eva called out to her, watching her walk away.

"You're the one who brought me here in the first place!"

Continuing to walk away, Alecia looks over her shoulder at Eva, watching her smile, urging her to look ahead once more. Just then, her legs are knocked forward, within a moment, she gasps, watching herself fall back into a chair.

Looking around herself, wide-eyed, her hands resting on the arms of the chair, she sits up, only for her wrists, and ankles to be tied down.

Looking at each of the binds, gritting her teeth, hands close into fists, she twists, and wiggles herself, the chair creeking from every movement she makes.

"Let go of me!" She screamed out.

After a moment of her vain attempt at breaking herself free, she stares down at her lap, with nothing but a blank look in her eyes. Raising her chin, she turns her gaze over her shoulder once more, Eva is nowhere in sight. A turquoise glow begins to emit from the side of her face, urging her to look ahead, just then, she jolts up, with a gasp. She leans back, now looking eye to eye with Eva, watching as the woman is no longer on her feet, but hovering above the ground, vertically.

Letting out a chuckle, Eva straightens herself while in the air, her hands behind her back, with her whole body glowing a turquoise hue.

"Please let me go." Alecia asked, looking down at her hands,

From a smile, Eva's lips pinch together, pupils igniting, her eyes narrowing as she stares down at Alecia.

"No," said she, her tone, calm and collected.

"You must learn to calm yourself for once."

Looking down at her, she sees Alecia's face beginning to soften.

"I only want us to talk," Eva continued, slightly lowering herself.

"The thought of me hurting you has never crossed my mind."

Letting out a huff, Eva turns her head, eyes still locked on Alecia.

"Besides," she said once more, lowering her chin.

"What more could I do, when you're already at the brink of death?"

Widening her eyes at such words, it serves as a reminder, of the reality of her state. Such a thought fills her mind with a cold rush of dread. Alecia lowers her head, eyes now staring at the black floor beneath her feet.

Eva's face softens, her eyes giving off a gentle expression.

"If you die... I die," she said, tilting her head slightly.

"Now we don't want that now, do we?"

"No..." Alecia answered, closing her eyes.

"...we don't."

With that answer, Eva smiles gently.

"That's what I want to hear," she said, slowly lowering herself to the floor, urging Alecia to look at her.

Staring at Alecia for a moment, she averts her gaze, lips pouted, Eva's eyes dart back at her.

"So." She continues, her eyes narrow, fingers move to her lips.

"I have a few things I want to say to you." Her hand closes into a fist.

"First, get me off of this chair," Alecia said, twisting her incased wrists.

"Fine," Eva said, lowering her arm with a sigh. Just then, the roots untangles, setting Alecia's ankles, and wrists free.

"There, happy." She scoffed.

Alecia stands up from the chair, now rubbing her wrist, her gaze drawn to Eva.

"Alright," she said, with a calm tone in her voice.

"What is it?" She asked, lowering her hands to her side.

Eva smiles, her eyes train to the void surrounding them, only to look at Alecia.

"You see...this place," she said, walking a few steps, her gaze drawn to the turquoise horizon.

"I've been here since the time you have put me here-"

"I didn't put you anywhere," Alecia said, glaring at her, taking a few steps towards Eva.

"How could I have known you to still be sentient?"

A painful look etches on Alecia's face.

"You're like some parasite..." She continued.

"...a parasite that's feeding off my mind." She huffs, shaking her head, eyes averted.

Eva raises her eyebrow, a stunned smile on her face.

"Wow Alecia, that was uncalled for," She said, glaring at her.

"You must know that I am not a parasite." She folds her arms.

"Besides." Eva continued, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm the least of your worries at the moment, especially since you already let that virus in your body. Yet... You have the oudacity to insult me."

Looking at Eva, her eyes soften, guilt begining to show.

"What other foolish things are you going to do next?" Eva asked.

"Are you going to let other things in your body?

Alecia widens her eyes with a gasp, her mouth still slightly open

"What the...?" She simply said, and huffs, averting her gaze with a frown.

"...eww Eva."

"What?" Eva asked, raising her shoulders slightly, arms still crossed. Just then, she widens her eyes as well.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry."

Eva lowers her head, her hand covering her eyes, only to let out a chuckle.

"That came out wrong, didn't it?" Eva said, she pulls her hand away to look at Alecia, only to receive a slight nod from her.

"This is..." Eva has her finger tips near her lips.

"...this got awkward didn't it?"

"Umm..." Alecia averts her eyes, cheeks now flushed.

"...I suppose you can say that."

They both stand in silence for a moment, with only the earey sound is heard from the void that surounds them.

Clearing her throat, Eva averts her eyes for a moment, and back at Alecia.

"Anyway," she said, frowning.

"I've been in this darkness since the first time you obsorbed my essence."

Turning her gaze to the never ending horizon, Eva watches black bows sprouting from the ground, and fade away into flowing strings.

"When you're here long enough, you get bored." She continued.

"I even know where the next pattern would emerge, as well as its frequency." She chuckles.

Eva looks at Alecia once more.

"Interestingly," she said, smiling.

"I then learned to access your memories."

Alecia widens her eyes, only to narrow them.

"My memories?" She said,

"Haven't you heard of privacy?"

"Hey now?" Eva said, resting her hand on her hip.

"What would you have done if you were stuck in this daserted place?"

Twisting her lips into a smile, Alecia chuckles slightly.

"You've got a point," she said, and lets out a sigh.

"I felt the same boredom at times, when I was a priestess."

Eva's eyes widen with a smile.

"Oh yes," she said, chuckling.

"So now you're not a priestess, is that what you're saying?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

Her eyes blink a few times, her gaze drawn to the black floor.

"I suppose not," Alecia said.

"Never really saw myself as one, even though I had that title."

Averting her eyes, Eva's lips twist into a smirk, only for her to look at her.

"I want to show you something," she said, turning away.

Alecia looks up at Eva, and slowly steps towards her.

"Show me what?" She said, now standing behind her.

"Just watch," Eva said, raising one of her hands in the air. Her eyes close. After a moment, a large image zooms in, and hovers above her. Opening her eyes, she looks up at the image with a smile.

"Recognize this, Alecia?" She looks over her shoulder at her.

Squinting her eyes, Alecia continues to stare at it, now watching a few individuals dressed in white hoods.

"It's one of my memories," her eyes soften.

"Well?" Eva simply said, a cheerful tone coming from her voice.

"Which memory?" The image starts moving as a video.

Letting out a sigh, she smiles gently.

"It was when I was spending time with the friends I made at the temple," Alecia said, still watching them eat, drink, and laugh.

As if it can't be helped, her smile goes wider, only for her to let out a chuckle.

"This was when they decided to throw a celebration for my birthday," she said, still watching the video, just then, their faces blur out, and the image starts distorting itself into unrecognizable shapes, urging Alecia's smile to fade.

"What's happening?" She asked, taking a few steps forward, only to stand beside Eva, her gaze still fixed at the distorted image.

Looking at her for a moment, Eva's gaze sweeps to the image once more.

"This shouldn't be a surprise to you," she said, raising her hand, and closes it into a fist. Just then, the image fades away into black strings.

"Have you ever tried to remember a whole memory from start to finish?" She asked, still looking up, her fingertips under her chin.

"Trying to recall every moment of a memory is impossible." Eva continued. Raising her hand, she waved it across, bringing another image, now watching as it slowly forms itself.

"I had a hard time going through your memories because of it."

Looking up at the new image once more, Alecia takes a few steps back, holding her hand over her arm.

"Oh," she simply said with a quiet tone in her voice. Her lips slightly now parted, only for her to lower her gaze with a sigh.

"What happened to them?" Eva asked, turning to Alecia, urging her to look up at her.

"Those friends of yours at the temple."

Eva folds her arms, her head tilting slightly.

"I hardly ever see them in your memories." She added.

Alecia lowers her hands by her side, and looks directly at her.

"They were there when I first arrived at that the temple," she said, averting her gaze.

"That woman you saw, has been at the temple a few months before I arrived. She was a priestess as well, but she just did it for the fun of it, she never really believed Angielica was a goddess. Now as for-"

"She must have had nothing better to do," Eva said, urging Alecia to look at her.

"I would at least did something more productive, or enjoyable at least."

"That's the thing about her," Alecia said, her lips twist into a smirk, her eyes averted.

"She just went with the flow."

Looking at the floor with a blank stare, Alecia lets out a sigh.

"As for the other." She continued.

"His father raised him to be a priest."

Alecia looks up at her.

"His father past away a month after I arrived," she lets out another sigh, tightening the grip on her arm.

"After a while, every day he would slowly lose focus on the priesthood. He never wanted to talk about his father after his death."

"What happened to your friends?" Eva asked, almost ignoring anything Alecia has just said.

"I asked you this already."

"Well..." Alecia said, turning away, taking a few steps with her gaze drawn to the floor.

"The high priest; the elder as I called him." She stands still, her eyes still drawn to the floor, only for her to look at Eva.

"He soon saw their lack of focus, and noticed their activities with me as a waste." Alecia said once more, only to face Eva.

"He confronted them, an argument emerged, and so both of them just quit the priesthood."

Letting out a sigh, she lowers her hand from her arm.

"That was what I found out after they left," Alecia said.

"Before, I've always assumed they left for a break, but I was mistaken. Two others arrived to be priests shortly after. We never got along, and I just kept to myself from there on, up until the point I was kicked out as well."

"What about you?" Eva simply asked.

"What about me?" Alecia looks at her, a puzzled expressions on her face.

"Do you do believe Angelica existed?" Eva asked, looking at her attentively.

"I, umm..." Alecia said, averting her eyes for a moment.

"I mainly became a prestiess as a means to cope."

She looks at Eva.

"I would probably say that she did exist, but people have exaggerated who, and what she stood for." Alecia looks ahead once more.

"There's even an old portrait of her in my sister's room."

Turning her gaze to Eva, her eyes narrow.

"I believe she was a normal person," she said, looking ahead once more.

"Just like everyone else."

"That's a shame," Eva said, tilting her head slightly, only to face the new image.

"Let's check out another memory."

Alecia looks up at the image above Eva, and just then, the image shows a video of her sitting at a table with an elderly man, his face unshaven, and his gray hair, fairly short. Another is with her, a young man. His brown hair barely reached over his ears. He takes a few bites from his meal, only to look up at Alecia with a calm smile, and continues eating his meal.

Taking a few steps back, Eva chuckles.

"And that's Virgil isn't it?" She said, looking at Alecia beside her, only to look at the video once more.

"I remember him. He has a bit of an attitude, doesn't he?"

A smile forms on Alecia's face.

"He had his moments, that's just how he was." She said, still staring at clip.

"Who is that though?" Eva asked, pointing at the older man.

Shifting her gaze to him, Alecia smiles once more.

"That is Doctor: Wallace Godwin," she said, her smile fades, yet joy is still seen through her eyes.

"He is Virgil's grandfather. He helped me back when I had anmesia. The first human to show kindness to me at the time."

Leaning forward with her hands behind her back, Eva snaps Alecia's attention from the video, onto her.

"You miss them, don't you?" Eva asked with a smile.

Letting out a sigh, she looks up at the video, only for it to start distorting itself as well.

"I do," she said, averting her eyes from the screen.

"They made me feel welcome," her eyes narrow, only for her to start frowning.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked, straighting up.

"Even after everything," Alecia said, looking at Eva.

"I never felt welcomed by my own sister," she stairs at Eva, as if waiting for an answer.

"Hmm..." Eva turns her gaze to the void, only to look at her once more.

"I have an idea." She said, she closing her hand into a fist, causing the image to fade into black strings, only for her to wave her hand, having another image to zoom above them.

"What?" Alecia said, folding her arms.

"Just watch, Alecia,"

With that, she turns her gaze to the image.

For a moment, she stands and stares. Now seeing the image light up, as it starts to show a video of a woman seated on her bed. The woman is clothed in a dark green dress, where only her ankles are seen, her black hair waving down her shoulder. The one side of the image is pitchblack.

Alecia's face softens with a smile, her folded arms loosening.

"Mother..." She said, with a quiet tone in her voice.

Moving strands of her hair around her ear, Eva's lips twist into a smile.

"She looks beautiful," she said, looking at Alecia for a moment, and back at the image.

"With a heart of gold to match," Alecia said, letting out a sigh.

"I can't tell you how much I miss her."

Tilting her head slightly, Alecia narrows her eyes.

"Why cant I see the other half of the image?" She asked.

"This is your memory, Alecia," she answered.

"It's seen from your point of view."

Eva tilts her head as well.

"Maybe you're up to no good," she said.

"Perhaps peeking from some doorway?"

The woman looks their way, and smiles.

"Nosy Alecia," she said, tilting her head with a playful look in her eyes. The black half of the image shifts more to the other side.

"Hey now, did you forget? Come say good morning!"

The black shifts away from the image, only to show a young black haired girl, sitting beside her mother, with a dress that matches her own. The young girl is silent as she glares at the image.

"Do you see how Ruth's looking at me?" Alecia said, her eyes widens, and her lips part.

"I don't remember her looking at me like that."

The image moves closer to her mother, and her sister. The view of it moves from Ruth, to her mother, catching her gentle smile.

"Listen, Alecia," her mother said, looking into the image.

"Don't worry about last night, alright? It was just an accident."

With her mother's face covering most of the image, Alecia watches in silence, her eyes giving off a gentle stare, as she continues to gaze into her mother's eyes

"What is she talking about, Alecia?" Eva asked, only for Alecia to ignore her.

"So what if it's broken?" Her mother said once more, with a compassionate look in her eyes.

"It's all in the past, there's nothing we can do to change that. Possessions are finite, but a mother's love for her children, is forever. Don't ever forget that, alright?"

"Okay, mother." Alecia said, as a child's voice is heard saying the same thing. Just then, the image distorts as well.

"No!" She steps towards it, and reaches her hand out to the image, only to grab nothing but air, now watching as black strings seep through her fingers. Her bottom eyelids start to glisten as she stares at the palm of her hand in silence.

"I'm sorry, Alecia." Eva said, looking at her with a calm gaze.

"And also, the way Ruth looked at you... It's not how a sister should be."

"You're sorry?" Alecia looks over her shoulder with a glare.

"Keep your sorry. I don't need your pity." Those words urges Eva to frown.

She looks ahead of herself.

"It's not like you feel empathy anyway."

Alecia starts walking.

Gritting her teeth, Eva unfolds her arm, and closes her hands into fists.

"Now, just wait minute!" She said, following her from behind.

"Every time you've come here, you have done nothing but insult me, while I was trying, to be kind to you!"

"You tied me to a chair, how's that kind?" Alecia said, walking faster.

"I did it because you were being difficult," Eva said, trying to catch up to her, fists still closed.

"The same thing you're being now!"

"Just leave me alone, Eva!" Alecia starts jogging away, urging her pursuer to stop.

"Fine, be that way!" Eva said, her hands slightly gestured out.

"You've got only minutes left to live. I can help you, but if you don't want to wake up before that time, then it's on you!"

With that, Alecia stops running, her eyes, wide.

"What do you mean?" She said, slightly turning her head, still not showing her face to her.

"How can you help me?" She asked, turning to face Eva, only to see her standing a few inches away.

Slightly tilting her head, Eva smiles.

"I could wake you up from this hell. I could save your life." She said, and with that Alecia raises her chin slightly, her eyes frown.

"With my help, you can finally defeat Raine."

"How?" Alecia asked, her eyes narrow, only for her to fold her arms.

"You don't have a body, or anything."

"Just trust me," Eva said, taking a step closer to her, her eyes staring directly into hers.

"I can give you more power, that will far asceed Raine's. It will show her what you're truly capable of."

Alecia averts her eyes for a moment, now staring into the turquoise horizon. Her gaze darts back at Eva.

"Similar to you?" Alecia asked.

"Like how you did on earth?"

Letting out a chuckle, Eva gives her a nod.

"Exactly," she said.

"It will be amazing, Alecia. You will know how Incredible it is."

Turning her head slightly, her gaze still locked on Eva, she starts frowning.

"What's the catch?" She asked.

"There's always a catch."

"Well..." Eva said, looking at the floor for a moment, and back at her.

"No I don't think there would be."

"Then how do I know I can trust you with this?" Alecia said, raising her chin slightly.

"You don't," Eva said, tilting her head with a frown.

"The only thing you lose is your life, if you don't accept my help that is."

Alecia stares at her for a moment, only to hold her own arm with a downcast look.

"Fine," she said, closing her eyes, only to look up at her.

"I accept."

At those words, Eva's lips crack into a grin.

"Good choice," she said, only for her smile to fade.

"Now..."

She takes another step towards her, causing Alecia to step back.

"Don't worry," Eva said, with a frown.

"Trust me." She takes another step closer.

Eva slowly raises her hand, now gently placing it on Alecia's cheek.

"Umm..." Alecia's eyes train to her hand.

"What are you doing?"

Eva's lips twist into a smile, her thumb begining to stroke her cheek.

"Just keep still," Eva said, slowly moving closer to her.

"Be calm, stay quiet."

As if in a trance, she struggles to break her eye contact from Eva. Watching her turquoise eyes coming near, only for them to close. Just then, she feels the warmth of Eva's lips pressing against hers.

With Alecia's eyes feeling heavy, they close. Just then, her whole body starts to illuminate with a blue glow, as Eva's body lights up with the color of red.

After a moment, their bodies start glowing brighter, with the darkness knowing its place. The glow around them changes into a turquoise glow. Their bodies get engulfed in a bright light, only them them to merge into a turquoise sphere.

The sphere continues to hover above the ground, only for it to shoot into the sky of the void with a trail of energy flowing out from it. It starts twirling, and twisting as it ascends high above the ground. The sphere enters, and flies through a turquoise tunnel with streaks of light passing by.

Everything darkens, nothing but silence. No void, no horizon, just the never ending blackness. Large black rods are seen moving away, until others are seen beside each other. Between the two sets is a large white trench, with scales along the floors of it. Further away, it seems to be a closed eye, and after a moment, and further away, another eye is seen, strands of white hair is seen just above them, until Alecia's face is seen.

Alecia lay on the cold metal floor within her own pool of blood, facing the ceiling, her chest is still, eyes closed, skin pale, and lips purple.

Everything around her is silent, no wind, nothing to disturb her peaceful state.

Her eyes open, her pupils constrict, as it starts glowing. Her skin, and lips slowly fill with color. With a loud gasp, her chest jerks up, and rests.

Just then her eyes widen, the blue glow of her pupils start swirling, only for them to slowly transition into a turquoise hue.

Transparent, turquoise flames steadily flow out from under her as the darkness flee, only for her body to slowly lift from the floor, her blood stained hair, hanging back as it slowly flows from the flames, only for her to stand straight.

The turquoise energy slowly emits from her body, as the flames themselves constantly being pulled back. It seems as if it wants to free itself, but can't.

At the corner of the prison, Aven is seen standing in front of Raine, glaring at her as he does, cuts, and bruises, visible on his face. His eyes widen, his gaze turns to Alecia, urging Raine to do the same.

"Al-Alecia?" Aven said, his mouth half-open.

With a shadow over Alecia's glowing eyes, her lips twist into a grin. She starts giggling uncontrollably, her voice slowly goes louder as it echoes throughout the prison, her shoulders bopping up and down with each chuckle.

After a moment, she stops. Raising her hand, she stares at her palm, still with a grin.

"Oh," she said, letting another giggle.

"This... is going to be so enjoyable," she slowly trains her eyes to Raine. Just then, her eyes narrow, and her turquoise pupils glow brighter.