Be Afraid, Charlie

"Avie Asterio doesn't ring a bell at all. I know of Sky Asterio, Genesis Asterio, Illya Asterio, and that is all. Should I know of another?" I asked him.

I shut off my emotions, my brain, and everything humanely possible to trick Genesis.

"I'm really not getting anything from you. Tell me then, do you know of Quake's Defeat?" Genesis asked next, leaning back in his invisible chair.

"Quake's Defeat? Well, I did hear that Sky beat them. Weren't there six members in that group? And they all got beat by Sky? Damn, they're kind of weak, aren't they?" I asked Genesis with a slight smirk.

"Well, that's the thing, Charlie. I don't find it possible that happened. Quake was telling me that a girl named Avie took them out, but I secretly think their pride is keeping them from admitting that they aren't strong enough to fight Sky, as weak as he is," Genesis said, flipping his hand over and looking at his nails.

"I'll tell you what I know about that name... Avie... if you tell me why Sky is considered weak," I told Genesis. He refocused his eyes from his nails to my face.

"Why Sky is considered weak? I sealed away his powers in an A.I. I thought to be useless named Avie. It just so happens that Sky already turned Avie into a Vessel for himself, so when I sealed him, Avie got all of his power and quickly escaped out of my reach. Right now, she's a walking Nuclear Powerplant waiting to explode and kill us all. I want to reach her before that happens and stop her from wiping out The Earth," Genesis explained.

I figured his explanation was bullshit. I did understand that Avie's kick shattered the sound barrier, and windows, and even took cement off of buildings, but I could not understand how she could wipe out the Earth.

"Now, what do I know about Avie...? I know that I heard that name from Illya, but I don't know where she is. If you want to know anything else about Avie, I would have to say that Illya knows the rest. She's your sister, you can ask her, right?" I asked Genesis.

"Sure I can. Well, I've learned nothing of use here, so let's see how you fare," Genesis said, slapping the tops of his knees and standing back up.

"Before you leave... I have one last question for you... you know everything, you know what happened on the Isle, and you know what I was like in the past, yet you withhold that information in trading the information I currently have. You know, that means you don't know everything... it means you used to. Is that your greed, in knowing everything you possibly can? This world, and the people in it, specifically Sky... they're changing what you know so that makes you weaker. Did I nail that one on the head?" I asked.

For the first time, through all I've heard about Genesis, his cocky attitude, and his limitless knowledge. He frowned. He looked irritated, watching me with a hateful gaze.

"Because, if you knew everything, then you would know that what I said about Avie is bullshit. If you kill me, you will never find out anything about her, but I won't tell you anything anyway. That is what's making you mad, isn't it?" I asked him once more.

"I do know one thing about you and your lies, Charlie. You don't want to be buried, that's what I know. You wish to be cremated. It helps you feel at home, you know, since you were killed by being boiled alive by none other than Sky Asterio. Doesn't that information bother you?" Genesis asked. His back was now facing me as he looked at the door blocking the door frame.

"Why should it? I have no proof that happened, it's just words from a man as insecure as yourself. If I were you, I would try to tell myself anything that would cause insecurity. You won't weaken my resolve, even if you take me back in time to that experience and force me to feel everything. I know you Asterios are dangerous liars, but it just so happens that my best friend is one as well. He wouldn't lie to us, even if his life was on the line. But you would. You fit those criteria," I told Genesis, keeping the same distance behind me.

"Wow... I have to give it to you, Charlie. You really can hold your own in an argument. Okay... fine," Genesis mumbled.

His hair, from the roots on his head, started to shift in color to a very light blonde. He turned his head with bright blue eyes, even brighter than Sky's eyes, and looked at me over his shoulder.

"System Restore"

He mumbled.

As soon as he did, I felt myself lose consciousness inside of the room.

…

…

…

I woke up somewhere dark and lonely. Filled with black water and limitless skies, I looked up to see a memory playing in that darkened sky.

Somebody standing in a black cloak and with a demonic mask on the left side of their face turned over to what looked like an older version of me being strung up on a pole.

"Charlie, why did you betray me?" The man cloaked in black asked me.

"Betray you?! Is that what you want to call it?! You've ruined this world! I'm doing the right thing!" The older version of me screamed out.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are. Then, I'll be doing the right thing as well," The man said, closing his fist.

I looked up at the older version of me, struggling against some tightened-looking rope, and screaming as bubbling water underneath me slowly melted the skin off of my right leg.

I didn't feel anything as I screamed, not until about three seconds after that screaming started.

It was brutal.

The most intense pain I've ever felt. It felt like my skin was melting, and it was so hot, yet unending, that I would've rather plunged my own axe into my head.

I screamed in the endless lake of black water and fell to my knees, clutching my head while trying to process what it felt like to be burned alive. Understanding the pain only made it worse.

...

...

...

I woke up in that same position on the ground of the hut with Genesis within, screaming while grabbing onto my face.

I shot up and looked at my right leg... which I now understood was my prosthetic leg.

Then, I looked back at Genesis as his eyes were still shifting from that bright blue color to that blood-red. He smiled with a cocky tilt of his head.

"Be afraid, Charlie," He said, kicking the door down and walking out.