Vathemelia smiles, she pushes her cane gun against Zare’s forehead. The tip felt warm, indicating the shot made earlier and Zare showed no resistance nor fear against the thing pointed directly at his forehead.
“My patience is paying off, I believe something has clicked within your mind. State it, the reason for what dragged you into this hellish overture!” She exclaims in excitement as his answer could very much decide whether or not he lives or dies. While she gave a look of excitement Zare looked emotionless, he opened his mouth preparing to answer.
“Wait” Suddenly she lifts her cane to the air, pointing it at the sky then suddenly striking the ground with immense force. A loud low pitched thud was heard around them with Vathemelia frozen in place, her eyes closed, remaining in that position for a few more seconds before speaking.
“Okay, we are indeed alone. Speak your defense” Her eyes were still closed, she aimed the gun at Zare’s chest this time without looking.
He sat there in silence, thinking deeply about the things he’s committed and the reasonings for each kill. The small pause in the moment she did revealed that Zare was still in fear underneath all the bravado he put up just before speaking. Speaking with a tone of fear between his words, he rambled in his defense, Vathemelia’s smile waned.
“I did those things because I let the anger I had at the moment take over but when I took the step that I could still back out on I let my pride take over and stepped in deeper. From what I can see right now, I won’t die easy nor will I die peacefully. I don’t wanna talk about what happened before and I don’t wanna talk about how messy my past was but right now I wanna live a life of my own where I know that every single thing I’ve done is past me. To answer your question, it was satisfying to kill them but the regret I felt was equal. It felt like operating in a fog after I killed someone, like… Like I did something horribly wrong and I’m expecting judgment at any second but it never came. That’s how it felt whenever I killed someone” Zare looked down in shame, unable to look at his judgment and unable to come to terms with whatever drove him to do such things. Vathemelia then smiled at what he had to say, then pulling the cane gun away, she answered back her opinion.
“You… Hold onto your sanity so human-like it's astounding, I can’t wait to see how you sacrifice it off” She pauses for a moment, then her eyes shone purple. She inspected Zare then laughed at the sight of him then her eyes shone purple once more before she began talking again.
“You don’t really seem like much but from the look on your eyes… Yes… I cannot wait to see how you’ll deal with him” She smiles then points the cane gun to Zare again.
“Now, the final verdict!”
This is it. Zare was either going to make do or die from how this final question goes and he needs to give an answer that keeps him alive.
“Dearest Zare… Will you-” Vathemelia pauses, building suspense between the two. Zare breaks out in cold sweat, all his focus on what she has to say next.
This is it.
The balance breaker of his life.
The gateway and guardian to his inferno was Vathemelia’s judgment.
“-Kill again?” A sly smile formed once more on her face and Zare was in complete silence. Inside his mind the ground felt soft and he could feel himself sinking, then he fell. It felt as if he was falling into a dark bottomless pit. Zare felt his body go cold and numb at the thought of killing again. The idea of doing those things sparked a hidden sense of guilt within him, he began pondering what answer he needs to say to keep living.
“If I say no will she let me go because I’m not a threat?”
“She’s crazy, I think whatever answer we give her doesn't matter, we’re dead in the end”
“So should we try and fight back?”
Zare looks down at the point where her cane gun struck the ground and notices a deep indentation on the ground, but upon a second glance he notices that whatever she struck wasn’t just dirt but rock, she struck the rock breaking it.
“Nope, with her gun and with that show of strength, we can't hope to fight her let alone get away”
Zare was once again deep in thought. Everything around him was drowned out and all he could do was close his eyes trying to understand his own mind and how he worked as a person after all he’s done. He began to question himself.
“Why did I do those things?”
“I don’t know”
“Why did we keep going?”
“I don’t know”
“Why didn’t we try?”
“I don’t know”
“Why…?”
“I… don’t know”
“Why am I talking to myself?”
“...”
“Why am I talking to myself?”
“...”
“Why…?”
“I… don’t… know…”
Zare felt everything around him, he finally understood his life. Opening his eyes he questioned himself one more time, Did he kill those people out of pride like any other killer?
No, he killed those people because he dove too deep into the fire and his fragile mind deemed it being “too far gone” so with a glass of pride he did such atrocities one after another. He felt pathetic and at this moment, exchanges were made between the two that would give his true answer and emotion.
Zare’s face shifted into a face of pure hatred and anger but…
Vathemelia’s face shifted into a face of pure joy and pleasure.
“Earlier… what you said, all of it was a desperate cling to life was it not? You took me for someone who was crazy. Don’t get it wrong, you're right on that part…” Vathemelia lowers her cane gun onto the ground. Using it as a normal cane on her right hand she then uses her left hand to snap her fingers then continue talking.
“Once more then… When you killed him, did you enjoy it?” She looked into his eyes for an answer, her eyes giving off a soft purple glow and creating an uneasy aura around her. While Vathemelia looked as if she was a deity that loomed over a simple human, Zare was unbothered and focused looking back into her eyes with no emotion.
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Finally he spoke his true defense.
“At the moment of the kill I felt nothing but anger as I snuffed his life out… but immediately I felt a sense of regret… No, it wasn't regret I felt back then but it was my humanity and the sense of shame I was bound to feel from doing such a thing. I have already gone too far when it comes to losing my humanity-” Zare looks down in acceptance of his actions and his current state within the balance of life. He was a killer. He was a monster.
“I admit it. I’m a murderer. I killed them and I don’t plan to back out on it.” He finishes.
“Will you do it again?” Vathemelia smiles softly.
The world froze for them both. Zare was going down a path that was guided by Vathemelia, suddenly the world around them was in greater detail. The lush green trees, the deep blue seas, the red-orange glow of the sunset, and the warm color of life. People around the world are laughing and living life, the cozy glimmer of the sunset, and finally the beautiful glow of the moon.
“Yes or No?”
Zare looked up. He looked up at the light that embraced him.
He raised his head, not to embrace that light, but for something far more sinister. In this moment he was going to purge his humanity for the life he chose for himself. He raised his head for a reason that would send him into a path where redemption is only given through death.
He raised his head to stain that light.
“Yes.” Zare answered.
Vathemelia’s eyes glowed purple once more. Offering her left hand to help Zare up, she smiles warmly and replies to his reason.
“You passed. Your living life another day to take it” Zare reaches his hand out to meet hers and upon both hands touching he now feels the new sensation her hands brought. They were soft, smooth, and warm to the touch as if they belonged to a mother embracing their child, but he knew something was seriously off, she looked gentle and caring at this moment but he knew that deep down she was hiding something far worse than what he could be hiding.
Vathemelia deep down could not be truly trusted by Zare. Something is seriously off with her.
“I took a good look at you. You don’t look like much, however when I felt your hand just now I could feel it… The feeling of your soul is the same as theirs!” Vathemelia exclaims happily then continues further.
“They would definitely be happy to see you but… No, we can’t let you. That would be a very big problem if you were to meet them” She finishes.
“What?” Zare was simply confused as to what she had to say.
“Sorry dear, If you were talking then I can’t hear you!” She states loudly.
“Wha-” As he replies in confusion Vathemelia suddenly spins around pointing her cane gun at a lone tree. The lone tree looked like any other tree but had a slight discoloration in the center, nothing was inherently wrong with the tree except for that one minor detail which Zare paid no attention to but Vathemelia on the other hand was eyeing it down with all her focus. Suddenly she spoke.
“Too impatient, minus 10 points” She says to the lone tree as if someone was behind it. The base of the tree now has a more discolored silhouette, like a person was painted onto it.
“What are you-” Zare asks in confusion which was interrupted by a sudden voice from the tree.
“Shit… Well you know I can’t hold a color for too long let alone that awkward position!” The voice from the tree suddenly replied back. Zare tensed in fear while Vathemelia gave off a sigh of disappointment, then she spoke back out replying to the mysterious voice.
“Oh please, you were just standing there doing nothing but listening in on us” Gently, she lowered her cane gun using it as a normal cane once more. She spoke again, commanding the mysterious presence at the lone tree.
“Come on out, you're caught red handed. There’s no use trying to blend in anymore”
“What are you talking about blending-?” Zare tried speaking out until he noticed what Vathemelie was referring to.
Suddenly the discolored silhouette began squirming and cycling through different colors like a rainbow. After a few seconds the discolored spot on the tree stopped on a tannish color with their hands being a bright red, it was a person who changed their colors in order to blend in with the tree. Zare was shocked, what the hell is happening? What did he get himself into? Did that person just change their skin color like a chameleon?
“I guess so… Hello hello hello new guy!” The figure could now be seen clearly as they walked away from the tree and towards them instead. As they came closer, more and more details were made out about them. They were slightly shorter than Zare and looked to be younger than both of them, they wore a black hoodie with a black turtleneck peeking through the neck area and black jeans with black sandals. The figure smiled at them with a bright smile and what Zare found to be the most odd detail about them was their pupils, it was iridescent like the shiny colorful rainbows you would see on bubbles or the color of a bismuth with its shiny metallic colors.
Their hair was short, messy, and white, pure white to the point that it looked like it was dyed in instead of being naturally there. Then once more, their skin shifted colors now landing on a golden tan. Suddenly they spoke towards Zare in a cheery tone.
“Sorry dude, my hair can’t change colors like my skin can… I’m Kim by the way, very very very nice to meet you!” They reach their hand out for a handshake which Zare politely returned.
“I’m Zare” As he moves his hand in an up and down motion for a handshake, Kim moves their hand sideways which causes a circular motion instead.
Kim shows a goofy smile while Zare gives a look of pure confusion. Finally Kim breaks the awkward silence by introducing themselves further.
“SoIknowwhatyourthinkingaboutme,amIaboyoragirl?Theanswerisneitherandthat’sforyoutodecide!” They poke Zare’s nose then continue once more.
“Thismustbesoweirdforyou!Seeingsomeonelikemewhocanchangethecoloroftheirskinakintoachameleonmustbeprettyunnaturalhuh?” Using their left hand they poke their cheek while the other hand points to their attire.
“ThisismynormalskincolorsomyhairremianswhitebuthemomentIchangeskincolormyhairfollowsmyskinandthecolorblackIwear-” They suddenly lay one hand on Zare’s shoulders as if they were suddenly tired and trying to lean on something to level themselves. “Phew… wow talking is hard” They take a deep breath and continue. “ThecolorblackIwearallowsittochangecolorswithmewhenIstartchangingcolor” Suddenly they began biting their own fingers, seeming to be deep in thought just like that. Zare could not keep up with what they just said.
“Did I miss anything?” Kim asks both Zare and Vathemelia.
“Even if you did, I missed most of it” Zare replies back still mostly confused as to what he heard.
“Kim-kim, slow down and be gentle with him will you?” Vathemelia interrupts, laughing.
“R-right, sorry! It’s just nice meeting someone new after a while. It gets boring with Vathy over here” Kim nudges Zare’s arm and all he could do was return an embarrassed smile. Vathemelia however, suddenly looks up and frowns.
“Hm, I’m being called in. Listen Kim, you're going to have to finish my mission for me. I want you to show our newest member here the ropes, they have potential” Vathemelia gave Kim a serious look which they returned with a smile.
“I got it” Kim simply said as they smiled widely.
“Wait what? What are we doing? Show me the ropes? What’s going on here?” Zare asks in confusion.
“Sorry dear, I can’t explain to you all the details at the moment but just know that backing out now would mean death” Vathemelia hurriedly states as she begins to walk away in a rush.
“Once you two are done, head back to the house, understand?” Vathemelia shoots a serious glance at Kim which Kim replies with a heavy nod.
As Vathemelia disappears behind the trees Kim jumps in excitement and spins to Zare, smiling and giggling.
“OKOK! Are you ready, excited, or feeling romantical even?” Kim leans close to Zare looking intently at his neck.
“Huh? What the hell are we even doing?” Zare asks, backing away in the process.
“Well… We're gonna do our job!” Kim stretches their hand to the air, smiling still.
“Which is…?” Zare tilts his head in confusion.
“Are you playing coy with me?” Kim smiles excitedly, a glint of red could be seen on their eyes.
“Our job…” They lean in close to Zare putting one arm over his back.
“Our job…?” He asks back in confusion.
“Our job… is to kill people!” Kim grins widely.
“Kill… People?” Zare responds with a look of pure confusion and concern.
END OF CHAPTER 3