“Did you kill him?”

“... What?”

“I’m asking if you killed that man in the alley”

As they were driving home, Emi, sitting in the car seat next to Prime, suddenly asked an unexpected question, catching him off guard. Prime hadn’t anticipated her bringing up this topic, and now that the question was out there, he wasn’t sure how to respond. Should he lie or tell the truth? After all, in normal circumstances, wouldn’t it be strange for him to admit that he had killed her and her sister’s father? Even if it was clear that they didn’t seem to care much about it.

“Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”

“Shouldn’t I have asked?”

“No, I mean… I don’t know. How would you feel if I said yes? After all, he was still your father”

“He was never my father; you’re my father. I really don’t care about that fat idiot”

Prime noticed Emi puffing out her cheeks as she spoke, a clear sign that she was upset. Moreover, he was a bit surprised by her maturity; somehow, Emi seemed much more grown-up than he remembered. Or maybe she had always been this way.

Prime really didn’t know how to answer the question. He saw no reason to hide it from Emi, especially since she made it clear that she disliked that man. Besides, it was evident that she would have killed him if Prime hadn’t shown up.

“Whether I killed him or not, your symbiote woke up, right?”

Upon hearing Prime’s question, Emi smiled and nodded. She then extended her hand, and a vibrant, purple mass began to wrap around her arm, forming a claw. Prime was impressed by her skill in controlling it with such dexterity and the lack of fear she displayed.

Prime thought Emi would feel strange about it; at least, that’s how a normal person would probably react. He couldn’t be sure what it felt like, since, being a symbiotic being himself, he didn’t have that experience. However, according to what Sara told him, at least initially, it would be strange and a bit uncomfortable.

“Yes, yes, I’m finally like you and your sister. Want to see her?... Ouch! Okay, okay, I’ll let you talk to Daddy. Just stop shouting in my head!”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Prime looked at Emi with confusion, not understanding what she was saying, as it seemed she was talking to someone else, even though it was just the two of them in the car. He assumed she was addressing her symbiote, but their relationship seemed a bit peculiar.

Thinking about it, Prime looked back at Emi and was startled to see her suddenly faint and then come back to herself. However, her eyes now had a mysterious purple glow, and the environment around her seemed to have completely changed, as if she were a different person.

“Wait, you’re not Emi. Who are you?”

Of course, Prime knew who it was, but that wasn’t the question. As far as he remembered, a symbiote couldn’t fully control the host’s body, only partially. This didn’t apply to Prime, who could exercise full control over Sara’s body, although he rarely did. The issue was that the entity next to him had completely taken over Emi’s body.

“Father, we finally meet. I really wanted to talk to you”

“What did you do to Emi?”

“The way you’re ignoring me is just like I thought it would be. Father, you really are the best. As for Emi, she’s still here; I’m just using her senses to communicate through her”

Prime visibly relaxed upon hearing this. For a moment, he had truly feared that Emi might have been lost forever. Although he had created Emi’s and Annie’s symbiotes to protect them, making it impossible for this to happen, one could never be too sure.

“First of all, it was you who encouraged Emi to disappear after school, wasn’t it?”

“Why do you think that?”

"Emi wouldn’t do this without a reason. She’s a good girl, and I doubt she would keep her sister and Sara waiting for so long"

"That makes sense, it's a good logic. As you said, she really is obedient"

"It seems that’s not the case for you"

"Well, yes, I didn’t exactly inherit Emi’s personality. I think I inherited the personality she would have liked to have"

It was the first time Prime had heard about this. In fact, he had never thought about how the personalities of symbiotes were formed. All he knew was that they were born with their own personalities and thoughts, even though, technically, they were still immature like babies.

"By the way, what’s your name?"

"Me? By the Creator, my name is Agony"

Prime raised an eyebrow at her words. She referred to him as "Creator" but Prime didn’t remember giving her that name. In fact, it was the first time they had spoken, so it was impossible that he had chosen that name before.

"How could I have given you a name if this is the first time we’re talking?"

"My name came from the collective memory I share with the Creator, my father—that is, you. When I gained my consciousness, both my name and my purpose were already firmly established in me"

Prime was even more confused by her words. He was sure he hadn't done anything she mentioned. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility that it might have been him— or rather, his other half—who named her.

"If that works for you, I guess it’s okay. Now, bring Emi back and please, don’t lead her into an unknown path"

"This is our first meeting and this is how you address your daughter? Even so, you still manage to seem cool, just as I imagined. Dad, you really are the best, hehe"

Prime raised an eyebrow at the symbiote’s strange remarks. At this point, he was seriously worried if that symbiote could be a bad influence on Emi. In the end, only time would tell.