Awakening

by Hayden Pearton

  *

  With the nanite-infused fluid draining away, Alza could finally open her eyes. The scene before her was so different from what it had been before, Alza had to double-check that she was still in the same place. The row of computers, formerly pristine and ordered, now lay in a broken heap in the corner of the room. The nanite-liquid had seeped into the floor tiles, dyeing everything a bright shade of purple.

  And then Alza's wandering eyes found Dr Emmerfield, her father, and she felt a pang of guilt. The force of the blast had thrown him across the room, towards the far wall. He was still there, sitting in a pool of still warm blood. Three large glass shards protruded from his chest, and it was from these wounds that the blood flowed. It was obvious to her that he would not be alive for much longer, and she briefly considered picking up a wayward shard and ending his suffering. But, even though he had been about to kill her, he had still been the one who had created her. Picking her way carefully among the glass, she made her way to him. Leaning down, she cupped his blood-soaked head in her hands.

  “Thank you for giving me life... thank you for giving me the chance to live... and thank you for letting me meet my friends. I am sorry that your dream could not be accomplished, but I hope that you will find peace in the next life.”

  The words came more easily than she had expected, but they did not feel shallow as a result. This man, whom she could barely remember, had still been her father. And even though his death meant that she was free, it did not bring her any joy.

  Once she had finished with her goodbye, she stood and walked towards the door. For now, she was safe, but Barsch and the others were still in danger. As she reached the exit, she took once last look at the ruined room. “My journey is not over yet,” she whispered, mostly to herself.

  With nothing more keeping her in the room, she took off at a run down the white corridor. As she ran, she tried to reach out to Barsch, relying on the mental link she had forged when they had first met. But nothing came through, which meant that either Barsch was unconscious, or worse. Trying to keep the hope in her heart from dying, she chose to firmly wish for the former.

  “Barsch! Where are you?” she called, hoping for an answer.

  Silence was her only answer. She could do nothing but run forward, down the seemingly endless corridor, towards her friends. She could feel Kain's mind, somewhere ahead of her, and she briefly debated steering clear of him. But somehow she knew, that if Barsch was still alive, he would be with the thing that called itself her brother. A heartbeat later, she saw something which made her blood run cold.

  Through an inexplicable hole in the wall ahead, she saw Barsch. He was facing something which she could not see, and, judging from his blood-stained clothes and the small pool of crimson around his feet, he was not doing well. However, he was still alive, and that was enough, for now.

  “KAIN!” she screamed, sending the thought towards her psychotic brother.

  Evidently, he received her message, for a split second later he sent a reply, “Sister?”

  As she neared the opening, more of the gruesome scenario was revealed to her. Kingston, lying against the wall, was clutching his chest in agony, as his lifeblood slowly seeped through his trembling fingers. Maloch fared little better, as a massive dent had appeared where his chest used to be, and his normally glowing eyes were quickly fading away. But worse of all was Barsch, who looked like a man who had been thrown into a tree shredder and then lit on fire. Somehow, he was staying upright, but it looked like that was the extent of his abilities.

  Facing them, with a cruel and triumphant smile distorting his handsome face, was Kain. Her brother, her better, and a man who could and would destroy them all if given the chance. Begging her body to go faster, she reached the hole and began to summon her powers. Even if she could not defeat him in battle, she could at least buy them enough time to escape. And then, when she was mere feet from reaching out and touching Barsch, Kain finally made his move.

  The madman's son and successor carefully put up his hand, with his palm facing towards Barsch's head. In an instant, the glow in his crimson eyes returned, and Alza felt the enormity of his power manifest. She had no idea what he would do, so she prepared for the worst. With her power finally activated, she set to work on creating a bubble of energy, similar to the one which had killed her father. With the construct firmly in mind, she threw it out into reality, willing it to form around Barsch. If she could make it in time... if she could just get there... she was so close... just one more second...

  “Goodbye,” Kain whispered, and everything ended.

  With a swift motion, Kain closed his hand. What came next was the most horrifying thing Alza had ever seen. Like a puppet whose strings have been cut, Barsch fell to the floor. He impacted the hard surface with a sickening splat, and lay still.

  As Barsch hit the ground, Alza felt her strength leave her. With nothing to support her, she slumped to the floor, coming to rest mere inches from Barsch. His eyes, while still open, were empty. What he saw now, was not something for the living to see.

  “No. NO! He can't be... HE CAN'T BE!”

  “He is.”

  With a trembling hand, Alza reached out and took hold of his wrist. It was still warm, and although it was covered in his blood, she could feel something, something that could not possibly exist: a pulse.

  “What did you do to him?” she asked, as streaks of warm liquid began to flow down her face. Her tears, her first tears, cut tiny grooves into her once-emotionless face, before falling to the dying boy below.

  Kain cackled and replied, “It's simple... I broke his mind.”

  “There is still hope. As long as he is alive, there is hope. I just need to remember, what I did back then.”

  “Give up, there is nothing you can do for him. I've broken his consciousness into a thousand pieces, and not even you can put it back together.”

  As Kain spoke, a stray thought stole over him. He had been so surprised to see his sister alive, he had not stopped to consider what her appearance meant. “Where is Father? What have you done to him?” His voice, which had only moments before been gleeful and exuberant, was now cold and harsh.

  Alza did not even look up from Barsch's blank face, “He's dead. I killed him.”

  The words sounded hollow, even to her, but it did not matter. At that moment, nothing mattered, except Barsch. The burning tears had clouded her vision, but she could still see his face... he could have been sleeping, but those sightless eyes said otherwise.

  From jubilee to cold and calculating, Kain now went into pure, unstoppable rage. His Father, the only thing that his life revolved around, was gone. And the one responsible, along with the one who had hurt him, was within his reach. He would destroy them both, and let their ashes serve as a parting gift to his beloved Creator.

  Taking a step towards his prodigal sister, he raised his hand, ready to end them both with a snap of his fingers. But, in a move that not even he could have anticipated, something got in his way. From the ether, a form appeared: a ball of golden light, big enough to swallow him whole. Spectre had come for them, when they needed it most. It spun around Kain, changing colour and shape as it distracted him from its most cherished companions.

  However, Alza was not paying attention to anything but Barsch. He was dying, and she was the only one who could save him. She reached inside herself, and dragged the slumbering power from its hiding place. For the first time, it gave no resistance. For the first time, it wanted exactly what she wanted: to save her first friend. Cupping his blood-soaked face in her hands, she leant down and whispered, “I will protect you, so please... come back to me...” Moments later, their lips touched, and everything faded to black...