Chapter XVI: Siblings
In which a betrayal is felt...
In that instant, Barsch's heart stopped. Time froze. Colour drained away. All at once, the universe ground to a halt. Barsch stood and stared at the stranger standing in the doorway. It was impossible. It wasn't real. It was a dream... no, a nightmare. Because the man standing before him did not exist... he could not exist.
And yet, there he was.
With hair as white as snow, and skin a shade lighter, he was an anomaly. But it was not his unusual hair colour or skin tone that Barsch was staring at. His eyes, his pupils, were blood-red. Staring into them was like staring into hell, and in this case, hell was staring back. In stark contrast to his devilish eyes, the man was wearing a white podsuit, with bands of gold arcing randomly across the tough fabric. He looked like an angel, in his white and gold clothes, so much so that for an instant, Barsch forgot about his crimson eyes.
When Alza had been ALZA00971, and not Alza, she had possessed similar eyes, eyes which spoke of a boundless power hidden just below the surface. But, as opposed to Alza's power, which had only ever been used to help, his looked as if they were only capable of harm. The small smile on his face did not belong there, and it was clear that the expression was fraudulent. It was as if he had read a book on how to smile, and had skipped the most important parts. It did not reach his eyes, which, in hindsight, was a good thing, as anything associated with those terrible eyes was bound to become corrupted.
“Greetings,” he said, and the universe began to move again. Instinctively, Barsch reached for Lanista, only to grab empty air. He had been foolish to give up his weapon, even if it was trying to destroy him. And right then, with Alza despondent, Kingston depressed, and Maloch confused, Barsch desperately wished he still had a weapon.
The man's smile quickly faded once he stepped into the room. He surveyed the four occupants with a quizzical look. “My, my, why is everyone so glum?”
It soon became obvious that this man possessed not a shred of delicacy, as any normal human would have sensed that something was amiss and acted accordingly. With great effort, Barsch managed to tear his eyes away from the stranger, and turned his gaze towards Alza. She was still sitting at the computer, but her expression had changed. The stranger's entrance had seemingly snapped her out of her despondent state, and she now looked at him with a mixture of fear and surprise.
“Ah! I'm so sorry, here I am, spewing trivialities, when I haven't even introduced myself.”
The stranger took a step back, and, while looking directly into Alza's eyes, proclaimed, “I am KAIN00972, although you may call be Kain. It is so good to finally see you again, sister.”
It did not seem possible, but Alza became even more confused. “Sister?” she said, rather weakly.
Kain stood up and, while still looking only at Alza, said, “Yes. We are genetic siblings, created by Father in order to carry out his will. You were the First, and I was the Second. Our Father has summoned us, will you answer his call? Of course, your... attendants... may accompany us.”
Spectre, who had been forgotten in the stranger's arrival, made its presence known. It quickly dashed between Kain and Alza, turning black and growing larger. It was clear what it's message was: “Do not go near her!”
Kain regarded it with a curious glance, before stepping forward and pushing it out of the way. For a long moment, Barsch stared at Kain, who had just moved an intangible, multi-coloured being with the same amount of effort used in opening a door. Even Spectre seemed shocked by his blasé attitude, and forgot to resist. The ball of black light tumbled out of the way like a discarded toy, growing fainter with every second. By the time it had reached the wall, it was barely there.
“How curious,” said Kain, in a dull, lifeless voice. Turning back to Alza, he once more asked, “Now, sister, will you come with me?”
Barsch tried to step forward, he tried to protest, he even tried to muster up the courage to attack Kain, but his wits had abandoned him at about the same time Kain had pushed aside Spectre like it was nothing. Something deep within him knew that Kain was not someone he could beat. It was almost primal, how his traitorous brain had constructed a food chain, with Kain reigning supreme, beyond the reach of mere mortals.
Alza, for the first time since the video ended, spoke, “Yes, I will go with you.” Barsch was shocked, but Kingston merely nodded, as if he had known what she was going to say.
A small part of Alza was still fighting, trying to tell her that this was the man that she had been warned off, and that Ion was counting on her to protect Barsch from him. But that part was minuscule in comparison to the overwhelming desire to go with Kain, and find out once and for all, from her father, what her purpose was.
With a triumphant smile on his face, Kain reached forward, past the frozen boy and the guilt-ridden old man, to grasp his sister's arm. Almost effortlessly, he pulled her to her feet, before marching her to the door. Barsch, Kingston and Maloch followed dutifully, aware that this was not the time to launch a rescue attempt. Barsch knew that he was powerless against this godlike man now, but his father had taught him to never give up, and that everyone had a weakness. He would find Kain's, and then he would strike. He did not know what the repercussions would be, but it felt right, in his heart.
Awakening Page 225