Chapter XXIV: Counterstrike (Pt.5)

 "Lisa..." Trik nudged me.

 "Oh? And who might you be talking to?" Verin inquired, coming into view from my left, but I was too enthralled with Viraa to mind it as much as I should have.

 As I have stated before, I do not expect you to understand my methods. However, never forget that Earth, its inhabitants, and my creations mean more to me than you know. My connection with them runs deeper than you can possibly understand.

 "What does that even mean?" I yelled, gripping my hair in frustration. "That doesn't answer anything!"

 Verin had gripped my chin in a flash of movement, forcing me to look at her.

 "I don't like being ignored," she said, peering into my eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be speaking with Viraa right now, would you?"

 I remained silent.

 Crap. Did I reveal that? No. I didn't mention a name...

 "I'll get it out of you later," she threatened, then grinned with amusement again. "For now, though..."

 Verin dropped me to the floor and increased the gravity around me until I was being forced to lie flat.

 "No more distractions; we're getting to the good part," she ordered, redirecting our attention to the screens where Trevor was preparing to decimate everyone back home. His entire body was glowing as if charging a ton of energy.

 My constant nightmare flashed in my mind as the bigger picture finally clicked. I realized he was the cause of the enormous explosion that would kill my parents.

 On the screen, several familiar faces, like Kaia's, twisted in fear as they frantically ran in an attempt to escape.

 Tears swelled up and then ran down my face uncontrollably as I watched helplessly. I could see my mom and dad holding each other, having accepted their fates. They were both speaking into something held in my dad's hand.

 "Nooo...please, someone save them." I prayed aloud.

 "There's still so much unsaid between us..." I heard my dad say, "But it looks like I won't get to explain things to you, sweetheart–not that it matters much anymore. Haha, a brilliant mind, and now I can't seem to find the words I want to say... Just know that your mother and I were always proud of you, and I hope you will persevere through this tragedy.

 "You're undoubtedly meant for great things," My mom chimed in. "Please don't let this lead you down the wrong path, Dear."

 Together, they spoke. "We lov–"

 Once the explosion happened, my mind went into shock, preventing me from being able to speak. I remember the weight of Verin's gravity lift from me, but I still couldn't muster the strength to move as she stepped into my line of sight, holding Trik.

 With a sick look of satisfaction, she ripped off his arms and anti-gravitational orb that allowed him to fly, then dropped him in front of me.

 "No! Wait, stop! I'll come with you willingly, just please don't...don't take him away from me..." I begged her.

 Using her power, she started applying so much pressure to Trik's body that it began to engrave itself into the concrete floor, sending cracks outward. Then, it began to creak and grind as sparks flew from several bursting points.

 "Don't look. Close your eyes," Trik advised me. He was half camouflaged in his human appearance, his voice broken and distorted yet full of pride and love as he peered at me empathetically–no fear of his own demise was reflected in his soft stare.

 "Do that, and I'll crush your feet," Verin snapped. "I want you to watch. Have this–these memories–etched into your mind."

 With another push of power, Trik's body quickly flattened as it was crushed even further. Still looking at me, he breathed his final words with a heart-wrenching smile.

 "I love you, sis." He said as his camouflage broke and the lights that animated his face flickered until they were dim. Lifeless.

 I thought about how I had no bodies to transfer Trik's consciousness to. He was gone. Forever. I felt more hot tears pour as my mind started to feel fuzzy as it whirled. My breath quickened, and my vision blurred as I mustered the strength to stand. I felt my teeth grating against each other so hard I thought they'd crack, and my fists were clenched so tightly I could feel warm blood as they started bleeding.

 Unwilling to process what had just happened, I let out a horrible wail as I ran my bloody hands through my hair. In that moment, I refused to accept the truth, but I knew intuitively who to blame for the aching in my chest–Verin.

 I reached into my pocket. Regardless of the consequences, I chose to swallow the remaining four JANUS tablets I had secretly kept from the others. My body was wracked with pain as it released a powerful burst of wild energy. Still, I remained conscious as I regained control of it.

 Verin raised an eyebrow, her apathetic expression shifting into a slightly shocked expression.

 This is...your body is becoming more klevonian....Is it due to the drugs reacting to my DNA? Is that why it affects you differently? Lisa, calm yourself, I think I ca—

 "Just leave me alone!" I yelled as I released all my power and lunged at Verin.

 Despite my powerup, I was nowhere near powerful enough to be a threat to Verin, though. She effortlessly sidestepped and swatted me away like a fly, not even having to resort to spirit enhancement or her abilities as she laughed at my anguish and futile efforts.

 When she was done mocking me, she lifted me with one hand and punched me in the back hard enough to break something, causing me to go limp. I couldn't move my body anymore.

 "Now," she said as she laid me on my back, climbed on top of me, and ripped off part of the top of my shirt, revealing my cleavage. "I said before that I want this day to be forever etched into your mind, but that's not all. I also want it inscribed into your body. A scar, if you will, to remind you what happens when you defy me. So..."

 Verin raised an index finger that morphed into a razor-sharp claw. Then she used that finger to carve something onto my chest. I howled in pain throughout the entire process until she stopped. I could feel my blood trickle over my collar and some into my armpits as I lay there. My body trembled as I breathed in a shaky breath, trying not to cry from the pain.

 Verin sat back with a sadistic look of pleasure as she observed her work. She touched her chest in the same place, running her fingers across her ascension mark, then leaned back in to whisper into my ear.

 "Now you'll never forget you belong to."

 Verin stood, clearly satisfied with herself. As I lay there in excruciating pain, the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Verin walking away toward the exit before turning back and saying, "Your precious Supreme Primordials will be next."

 In that instant, everything turned white before I blacked out.

-----

Fun fact: Created on October 28th, 3028, Trik was a sophisticated artificial intelligence system whose purpose was to aid Alissia in her journey to find the Primordials. He was fiercely loyal his sister, theatric, and slightly emotional. As he grew and experienced more, he secretly felt incomplete and found himself yearning to be the same as other living creatures. Shortly after finally confiding in Alissia, his mechanical life has come to an end, leaving a whole in Alissia's broken heart.

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