“That’s all you have to do. And I know you will because you’re a good boy. You’re my good boy.”

You’ll be a good boy, right?

You’ll say you're sorry?

That genome is no good.

He’s lying.

He just wants to bring you back so you can face everything you’ve done at Vin-Sync.

He couldn’t even trust in his thoughts anymore. Was this him? Or was this the sweet seductive lies of the Witch?

“I took the time to learn about you.” She stated as she continued to make him feel uncomfortable by squeezing his cheeks.

“You enjoy solace and quiet time. You’re a kind-hearted person deep down under all of that bravado.”

She continued to speak… continued to fill his head with lies… except these weren’t lies.

“The person who meant the world to you was Se-”

“Don’t.”

His entire demeanor changed as she nearly brought up that forbidden world. Setsuna was something he held very close to his heart. He still isn't over her death. He didn’t want anyone to mention her name.

“I know. I also know…”

There he was… the genome from before. The one who called himself Oasis. Anthony Aaron. Despite all of his wounds. Despite the pain, he felt in his back and his face. He was still standing and carrying a broken tree branch. Despite having no energy at all.

“You don’t have the same amount of will as the other one. Even if you went against me, why fight a hopeless battle?”

“You want to know why?” His breathing was hysterical. It was loud and uncomfortable to hear.

Yet, despite all of the pain he was feeling. He still dared to stand up to someone who was deemed unbeatable.

“It’s because you’ll never know if it's hopeless or not until you try!” The boy muttered. “I’m not giving up until you kill me. I’ll never stop fighting for what I see as right!”

Abigail looked unamused by his words. It was pissing her off to no end. Hearing someone as bright as him. She just wanted to cast the largest shadow she could over him. She wanted to break his spirit.

He started to run… but he quickly lost his strength too. Instead, he limped. He took it one step at a time. Inching his way over to her. The demon laughed and to further humiliate him stood there with her back turned to Terios.

Kain watched as well… however instead of seeing this as a foolish endeavor. He saw it as motivation. Motivation to keep fighting for what he deemed was right. Motivation to obtain his desires.

Once Oasis was in range he raised his arms and swung the branch directly onto Abigail’s head. She didn’t move a muscle and didn’t react when the makeshift weapon landed against her.

Her defenses were so thick that the branch snapped in half. She then shook her head disappointed.

“Pathetic.” She mentioned before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against a nearby tree. She then started going on his body, landing a few strikes against his midsection.

The punches weren’t even hard. There was no extra force added to them. She wanted him to know this. The only thing added to them was a bit of her aura. That was all that was needed to tear him apart.

Each strike was like a crippling blow. Like a sledgehammer striking against the brick. Each strike had him cry out in pain. A mixture of blood and spit flew out of the genome’s mouth and the light in his eyes started to fade.

Eventually, he started to slide down against the tree until he landed on his butt, then he fell over onto his side, once again laying limp. For further disrespect, Abigail slammed her foot against the side of his face and began rubbing the dirt from her shoe onto him.

Seeing the mistreatment of this other genome angered him. It wasn’t that he cared for Oasis. He had just met the man and they had recently had a showdown. But, seeing him being treated the way he was reflected on how he had been treated by Abigail.

Along with this anger, there was determination. Determination to finally live out his major goal. The dream he had for a long time now. Freedom. It was this goal that was driving him in his fight against Abigail.

Taking his frustrations out on the Witch, his aura spread throughout the area. There wasn’t much, but he had managed to lift some of the matter surrounding them. This was not limited to chunks of dirt, rocks and stones, and tree branches.

Once they were under his aura’s touch he had full control over them. He molded them into small golf-sized spheres and was infusing them with more of his aura. Despite his weakened state, this was still an impressive feat.

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The Witch turned her focus to Kain and with a devious smile she giggled. She wasn’t afraid. She was more astonished by how powerful he was despite not knowing everything there is to about Either.

Everything he was doing now was by pure instincts alone. If he had more time to train then he would be a freak of nature. This was somebody she wanted to keep forever. She would help him grow and reach his full potential.

“You’re so amazing Terios. But, you do know this attack will not affect me right?” She said with a confident glare.

However, he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to listen to another word that she said. Instead, he allowed all of the spheres of the earth to collide with her. They all moved at rapid speeds, crashing directly into her frame.

It sounded like pellets from a BB hitting against something solid. Pieces of smoke and dirt flew everywhere from the force of the impact. Even so, Terios wasn’t sure that this attack would amount to anything.

After the smoke and debris cleared she took on a different approach. Her entire demeanor changed and her aura was sickening. It was truly demonic. The way she looked at him with disgust, but also rage.

Those red eyes of hers pierced through his soul. He knew that he was defenseless when it came to her. He didn’t even know everything she could do. The entire time she was playing around.

She zipped forward, dashing towards Kain as she swung her leg towards the genome. It was quick and it generated a strong breeze among the forest. He managed to react and guard against it by sacrificing his right arm.

His Either lingered for a bit, but the strength of the demon’s attack caused his arm to bend grotesquely. The impact sent him sliding across the ground and he barely was able to remain standing.

But, now that she was done playing around she continued her assault. She broke the distance between them in a single step and proceeded to deliver a deafening strike against his face. The sheer force of it was enough to bust his lip.

A few more strikes had him dangling back into a tree. This was the worst position he could be in as she delivered a stern kick. It was targeted at his stomach which caused him to gasp for air while his body was pressed up against the tree.

The brutalization didn’t stop there. She continued to deliver strikes to him. Punching him directly in the gut and then latching onto his throat with her insidious grip. She then lifted him slightly into the air before tossing him onto the ground.

As he tried to crawl away she stepped on his left ankle with enough force to break it. The poor bone snapped as easily as a twig breaking. This was followed by Terios hollering out in pain. Despite all of this he still attempted to crawl away from her.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. All you have to do is say you’re sorry.”

“...”

“You’re making me angry. Shall I break your other ankle?”

“... Fuck you.”

Hearing this seemed to trigger her. She hated defiant beings with a passion. She didn’t want to lose control on Terios. She grabbed the boy by his hair before violently tossing him into the air.

He was soaring through the sky, tossing and turning until he finally reached a stopping point. Once that was over gravity did its thing and he was hurdling back down. He was too exhausted to even catch his fall.

He landed roughly on the ground which had no soft spots for him. The concussive force was enough for blood to start dripping down his forehead and the sides of his head. Everything was stagnant for him.

All he could see was Abigail walking toward his defeated body. He was pretty much running on E.

Unlike Anthony, he didn’t have an undying will to fight. He was cynical by design. Things looked hopeless for him. He had nothing left in the tank and he was getting desperate. It didn’t help that she was stalking him.

“My poor baby.” She muttered, grabbing him by the fabric of his shirt with her hands. She pulled him close to her and stared directly into his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re everything I wanted. Everything I need. You’re special. You have the power I seek to destroy these goddamn demons.”

He was listening, but he wasn’t comprehending what she was saying. He was out of it. Everything was spinning for him and he was starting to slip in and out of consciousness.

“Why did you make me do these things to you? Are you a glutton for pain? A masochist!?”

“Nnnh…” He couldn’t respond.

“You’re all tuckered out. Ignore the other genome. You help me and I promise you’ll have so much power that Vin-Sync won’t ever confront you. I promise~.” She giggled before pulling Kain close.

A hug…

I can feel her arms around me.

She’s holding me gently…

Like a mother is supposed to endear their child.

I always wanted a mother… and a father…

I wanted a family. To be cherished.

I can’t tell anymore.

Are these things I want…?

Or is she in my head?

I can never tell whose thoughts are mine anymore.

So, I can’t trust them.

I can’t trust.

His hand weakly moved to hold the back of Abigail’s head. He rubbed it gently which pleasantly surprised the Witch. She figured she had won. Now that he was being affectionate to her, he would be putty in his hands.

This thought alone was enough for her face to contort with malice and wickedness. It was grotesque and haunting. Her red eyes beamed endlessly with the promise of despair and destruction that she would spread upon the lands.

This was her one major flaw. When she revealed her true nature for that brief second. Kain felt it. He felt the malice, the insidious rage that dwelled within her soul. Her sweet, candy-like words were laced with heroin.

Too much of it would make him addicted. But, now he was back to his senses. The hand that caressed the back of her head oh, so gently was now gripping at her pretty blonde strands. Once his grip was secured… he poured his Either out.

It flowed throughout his body and into the hand that gripped the Witch. It extended outwards and engulfed her head. With all of the energy that he had left, he was now banking it on this one final attack.

Blood… the life force of one’s existence. Everything bleeds human… animals… demons… and even…

That pretty red liquid was splattered all over the wall… the floor and the ceiling. It was a gruesome tragedy. So many have lost their lives.

Bodies littered the place, lifeless and pale. Devoid of their vital essence. Why exactly did this happen…? The only person who knew this was standing in the middle of the room covered in red.

There was no expression on his pale face. Instead, he merely stared off into the distance. It was calming…

Wait… something wasn’t right.

What’s going on? This isn’t right…!

. . .

. . .

. . .

The silence filled the room. Even the sound of the alarm had been blocked out. For once he could think clearly without any feelings getting in the way. This was true peace. This was true justice.

“Please… please…”

Why the fuck is this happening!?

I… I have control!

The voice was muffled to him. It was wet… gurgling on its blood. It was a female, but to him, it wasn’t even a human anymore. It was covered in red and that meant it was fair game for him.

“Please… I have a little boy at home. He’s… so innocent… so pure. He’s… my joy… my life. I’d do anything for him.”

…

…

…

She weakly reached into her lab coat… pulled out her cellular device and quickly started scrolling through pictures. She soon raised her arm, showing the phone screen to him. It was a picture of a woman… in human clothing with a husband and her son.

He looked no older than 6 and he was smiling in the picture… they were all smiling because they were all happy. She tried to reason with him, but it just made things worse. She went from being an NPC in his mind to an actual human being. Real flesh and blood. Then…

It continued to talk… trying to reason… trying to attack… trying to manipulate. It was all the same. Things would have been different before, but now…

“That little boy needs his mother… I know you’re a good person… deep do-”

CRACK!!

Her phone screen broke, shattered into tiny pieces, and not just that.

POP!

It was gruesome. Her head popped like a balloon being overinflated with air. Blood, brain, and grey matter sprayed everywhere further painting this room in that vicious red liquid. All life within her was erased and whatever child she had at home would be missing a mother.

How can this be…?

I don’t understand…

“Understand that you are a monster. You’re my monster.” Abigail’s voice echoed throughout Vin-Sync.