Chapter 61: Change

Aayn covers his eye, protecting it from the flowing dust and ashes.

"Was my acting spot on? It was inspired by Adora, I give credit of the idea to the head," says Charlotte as the dust settles.

A large capsule lays on the ground, its bottom slightly buried.

Aayn chuckles, and Charlotte shifts her focus to the capsule.

Darkness seeps from her hair and neck, and slips into the capsule, filling its glass cover with darkness and concealing the body within.

Charlotte clicks her tongue.

"That lower than dirt piece of **** **** that should *** ** **** but not before I **** *** ** ***** *** **** *** ****** *** **** ****** *** ** *** **** ******** to **** *** *** ****** *** ***** *** *** **** ** **** I will **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* **** ******* him to the rest of . . ." she says as her existence spazzes out, as if glitching.

"He really made sure to make it difficult to get it back as much as he could," she continues, her voice still breaking out.

Hiss!

The glass cover opens.

Charlotte's head starts traveling towards her body, the darkness helping her as she re-attaches.

Aayn's left arm is still covered in darkness as he takes out a device with a small button.

Within a few seconds, she re-attaches back with her body perfectly.

"Finally!" she cracks her neck, making a satisfying sound and moves her left hand, gently stroking just under her belly button. A smile shines on her face in delight.

Her right hand emerges from the capsule, grabbing the edge and darkness flows over it, covering it fully. Her entire body is covered in darkness and a mist of black, with hints of white starts to hover around her. She rises from the capsule and stands straight with the help of the darkness.

The instant she does, Charlotte meets a sawed-off shotgun barrel right in front of her face.

Boom!

All the bullets are deflected or reflected off her face on contact, hitting Aayn's right hand and blowing it up, with some hitting his body and one hitting his leg.

He flinches back from the burst and his injured leg fails him as he falls to one knee, kneeling in front of Charlotte.

The pink flowers bloom around her as always and she looks at them momentarily before looking back at him.

"Aw, adorable! Here, let me give you a hand," she says, stepping down and kicking him with her bare foot right across the face, sending him falling back.

"That was a foot," mutters Aayn, laying on his back with a broken nose.

"Oops!" giggles Charlotte, and they both burst into hysterical laughter at the same time.

She kicks him around some more.

"Are you going to let them watch this time?" he continues to laugh as he asks.

She doesn't know what he is talking about, to her it is just the blabbers of a madman, so she keeps kicking.

Soon though, his laughter stops as well . . . for a reason only a me and he can get . . .

Getting bored of it, Charlotte stops, leaving him to heal. She tilts her head as she gets an idea, a single ray of darkness flows from her finger and covers his chest . . . helping him regenerate faster.

Another strand of darkness twists around his leg, grabbing him and raising him upside down, bringing them face to face.

"I am shackled, torn between confusion and excitement," confesses Aayn.

Smack!

She starts punching him and with every other hit, breaking out his teeth only for him to be healed back.

. . .

 "What do you mean?"

Smack!

"Well ─"

Smack!

"Your current form has inspired for an even greater piece of perfection. The dream is so strong I can almost taste the flavor!"

Woosh!

The instant he says that, he starts getting flung around and smashed repeatedly into the ground.

Teeth come off, bones break, and a swollen body is all that is left when the smashing stops.

Charlotte looks at him, face to face again after regenerating him to the point where he can talk again "And the confusion part?"

"How the heck are you controlling it? Did you also meet him? Did you gain his favor?"

". . . who is him?" she asks, intrigued.

Screech!

A screaming face emerges from the side of her shoulder.

"Behave!" she admonishes, retracting it under her command again.

She looks at Aayn, "Speak already, I want to know."

. . .

Aayn smiles, "He is the one who unlocked my full potential, made me realize true beauty, perfection, release! And this magnificent creature paved the path to him for me,"

"What did this servant do to you? What are you talking about?"

"Through it, I got to meet . . . The Author,"

"The Author?"

"That's all you will get for now . . . I'll need some time to . . . prepare . . . for perfection,"

"You will speak more, I might not be in control of my servant here much longer,"

He chuckles, "You will be fine, and are in perfect control. Fascinating, I can tell from your chains,"

Aayn catches the look of confusion on her face.

"So, aside from the child you carry, what else are you a slave to?" he asks, unable to determine where the chain go.

Charlotte glares at him and reaches for him slowly.

"Let us dance, paint, and eat together later. And this time, I'll make you perfect eternally! Till then,"

. . .

"Purchase," he says and vanishes before she can touch him and do what she has in mind.

A look of surprise and confusion covers her face.

He wasn't a player though, so how did he?

. . .

Charlotte glances at the darkness engulfing the cut off arm that is left behind.

Seems like he couldn't save this part.

She throws it in the capsule and locks it up.

I don't want to keep holding such a disgusting thing, I'll use it when I feel like the time is right.

She then looks down at her left arm and stabs it with her right.

Still nothing . . .

She looks at the flowers blooming around her as always and then her eyes move towards Neo's great sword. It is still burning, cursed with eternal flames.

"Everything . . ."

She then looks up at the sky at a very specific angle, glaring at something . . . someone . . .

. . .

He feels his heart sink in panic.

Beep!

The screen goes back, and he can no longer see Charlotte.

". . . shit," mutters Orbit.