Katie shivered, her gaze lowering [https://img.wattpad.com/054ec7dcd53c4327257cb104d4033a6c7bbdadb0/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6d305176594948526a424e6e68673d3d2d3131383238363539392e313761373266356364363233353731613432363034313038343831392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Katie shivered, her gaze lowering. "No... my life is hell because I am worthless," she whispered through gritted teeth, her hands tugging at her own hair in frustration. "Spineless! A coward! A meaningless, good-for-nothing insect who can't even muster the strength to fight and protect herself..."
Her tears mingled with the waters of the lake as Jalaiya snickered, her touch grazing Katie's cheek. "Ah, I couldn't have put it better myself... You truly are worthless. A mere toy manipulated within your weak mother's little game," Jalaiya teased, floating around Katie.
Each time Katie tried to catch a glimpse of Jalaiya, she could only perceive the edges of her hands and feet. "Don't... don't call my mother that," Katie uttered, her voice quiet but resolute.
Chains erupted from the lake and rained down from the sky. They coiled around Katie's arms and legs, the chains lifting her. She squirmed and wriggled, but they dragged her further into the black fog. The mist dispersed before her, revealing Jalaiya, who locked her gaze with Katie's.
"Why flee from the truth? Your mother subjects you to nothing short of torture, a fight she herself has no intention of finishing. She birthed you and your sisters because she too, is too feeble to confront anyone. If you are a spineless coward, then surely it must have been inherited from someone."
Katie winced, her hands curling into fists as she averted her gaze. "Be quiet! That's not tr—"
"Gahahahaha, but it is, my dear. Just look at your worthless sisters. They would rather subject their own flesh and blood to torment every day than rise up against the devil herself. Your mother expects you to be her savior, yet she willingly aids in your suffering," Jalaiya leaned toward Katie, forcing their eyes to meet repeatedly.
Violent yellow eyes that met her emerald green, shaking her to the core. "The one who claims to be spineless is the only one brave enough to endure it. They would have crumbled after a single day of your torment. What do they truly know of hell? Why not grant them a taste? Surely the thought has crossed your mind?"
Katie gritted her teeth, forcing herself to maintain eye contact. The chains remained unyielding, no matter how she struggled. "No! I will never hurt them! Never!" Katie snapped, her glare unwavering.
Jalaiya's smile widened. "Oh my! I have never witnessed someone defend their tormentors so fiercely. Does suffering bring you pleasure? Is that why you endure it without uttering a single word of complaint?"
"Stop it!" Katie squeezed her eyes shut, her body writhing with discomfort.
Within the depths of her mind, violent images surged. Her eyes burst open, shifting between green and yellow, the rapid transformation accompanied by searing bolts of electricity coursing through her body.
She saw herself striking down her own family, mercilessly beating her sisters to a bloody pulp alongside her mother. She witnessed the annihilation of the colony, tearing it apart with ease, all in a bid to escape and forge her own life. Katie screamed, desperately attempting to halt the onslaught of these disturbing visions.
But every time she closed her eyes, even more horrifying scenes played out. She saw herself tearing them apart, rending them limb from limb, reducing their bodies to shattered remnants.
Each vision was drenched in blood, staining her soul, indelible marks that could never be washed clean. Beneath the horror, a sickening satisfaction lurked, a twisted retribution for the anguish she had endured until that very moment.
With a sudden surge of power, her arms jerked forward, breaking free from the chains that bound her. "NO!" Katie shrieked, her wings bursting forth.
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Cynthia's hands trembled as she knelt beside Katie's lifeless body, her heart pounding in her chest. Panic and desperation flooded her mind, and she fought against the rising sense of dread. Gently, Cynthia lifted Katie's face.
The stillness of Katie's body was a haunting sight, her lack of breathing making Cynthia's eyes water. Pressing against her chest repeatedly, she began the steps of CPR. Fuck... fuck... Katie, don't do this to me! Not now, not today! Please!
"What's happening? What do you think you're doing?" Lilith asked, entering the mansion.
The world around them seemed to crumble, the once vibrant grass and towering mansion dissolving into nothing more than fleeting golden dust. The remnants swirled and vanished into the vents, leaving Cynthia and Katie enveloped in an empty, metallic void.
"You have five seconds to respond," Lilith said, stepping toward her with closed fists.
"She isn't breathing, you heartless bitch! I'm amazed it's taken this long considering what she's been through," Cynthia snapped, continuing to blow air into her sister. "Come on! Wake up!"
I know you're not satisfied lying there... You've been beaten black and blue for years. Pain is an emotion that deserves to be shared, my dear Katie. Don't stay down like a dog. Rise. Rise and give them the devil they've been asking for, ahahahahahahaha. Jalaiya shrieked, her sadistic laughter echoed in Katie's mind.
"NOO!" Katie shrieked, throwing her hands out.
The piercing shriek that tore through the air shattered the silence, drawing Cynthia's attention. In that moment, Katie's wings erupted from her back with a forceful swat, sending Cynthia sprawling backward. Her eyes widened as she gazed upward.
Katie defied gravity, levitating several feet above them, her eyes shimmering with an otherworldly light. Sparks danced and chirped around her body.
Cynthia and Lilith braced themselves, the air in the room pulling them towards her. Katie's eyes locked with her mother's and a wild smile spread on her face.
"I'll teach you fear. Watch and learn," Jalaiya said gleefully.
Cynthia's gaze flickered between her sister and Lilith. Driven by a surge of adrenaline, Cynthia's instincts propelled her forward. She sprinted towards them.
In an instant, Katie's fingers neared Lilith's chest, but a searing pain jolted through Cynthia's shoulder as Katie's fingers stabbed into her flesh.
Cynthia grabbed Katie's wrist, refusing to let go. She grit her teeth. A scream escaped from her when Katie's hand twisted in her flesh. She pulled on Katie's arm, desperately trying to pry it out.
"Look what you made me do? I'm saving our bitch mother of all people-'' Cynthia's voice faltered, freezing under the glare Katie gave her.
The eyes of a killer. Eyes tainted with a sickly yellow hue locked onto Cynthia, their sharpness reminiscent of a predatory cat. Shards of Katie's cheeks splintered like a broken mirror. "That's only a taste of what I've experienced. Shall we-"
Her eyes flashed back to green as Katie shrieked. She snatched her hand back and clutched her head. "Stop! STOP!" she fell to her knees, scratching at her cheeks until they bled.
Cynthia, still kneeling, rose to her knees, her own anguish momentarily pushed aside by the sight before her. She clutched her shoulder, rising to her knees. Lilith was faster than her as she spun forward.
The butt of her pistol smacked Katie's forehead, sending her crashing into the ground. "Cynthia... take your sister to the med bay, now!" Lilith said, wiping blood off her face. "I will be there shortly!"
For once, Cynthia didn't argue. She pulled Katie around her good arm and carried her out of the room.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
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While Cynthia and the doctors tirelessly tended to Katie's injuries in the med bay, Katie found herself alone in the recesses of her mind, sprinting away from Jalaiya's whispers, from the world, and more than anything, herself.
Deep in the depths, Katie ran desperately on top of an endless lake, the splashing water accompanying each frantic step.
"Dear Katie... we are bound by fate. It doesn't matter how far you run. My soul is trapped inside your body, hehehe. Come now, don't be afraid," Jalaiya's voice teased from within the shadows.
"No! Leave me alone! You almost made me- you tried to make me..." Katie stumbled, crashing against the lake's surface. Her quivering lips and stinging eyes betrayed her inner anguish.
Clutching her chest, she fought to slow her rapid breathing. Shadows closed in around her, blocking any escape route, their yellow eyes all too familiar. "Come now... you know you wanted to," they hissed in unison.
She abused and played with you like her little toy. Why not do some playing of your own?
You were crying about being a spineless coward, weren't you? Why not let your greatest ancestor give you a little push?
Only the strong survive! The strong live. The weak die. You want a happy family? Don't make me laugh. The fairy tale you hope to achieve is nothing more than an impossible fantasy. You can't make a family when you never had one to begin with...
Katie whimpered and trembled. Nothing she did could stop the tears from flowing. "Why do I exist? God, why do I exist..."
She pushed through the shadows. She sprinted and sprinted. The cold laughter followed her no matter how far she went. Her eyes stung from crying so much, every cruel taunt like a knife stabbing her back.
Katie flinched as a hand grabbed her wrist. She struggled against it, sparks bursting from her. "No! Let go!"
"Stop struggling! Let me help you!" The voice was different. It was younger and deeper. It was a boy.
"No! I won't fall for your tricks! Let go!" Katie pushed forward, causing them to collapse.
She blinked. The boy groaned, gritting his teeth. Her hand flew and smacked him in the face. "Ow! What the-" his eyes flared open angrily, avoiding the other hit.
He grabbed her arms, shaking in their attempts to keep her from snatching away. "Are you crazy? Calm down! Stop it!" he said, her pressure pushing him against the icy cold lake.
She collapsed against his chest. At this point she didn't care if he was real or not. Katie cried hysterically, clutching his jacket. Bewildered, he couldn't push her off even if he tried. For what seemed like hours, he patiently waited for her to calm down.
She was like an inconsolable animal. Burrowing her head into the chest of a complete stranger. He could've pushed her away, thrown her aside like any normal boy would've. He was anything but normal... It wasn't until her sobs lessened to choked whimpers that he dared to speak.
"Hey. Can you at least tell me your name? This is really awkward," the boy asked, calmly rubbing her shoulder.
Gasping, Katie jumped to her feet. The fog was gone, spread out far enough to encircle a space. It was a row of dead and rotted flowers that could be seen in the distance with an old and worn archway.
"W-where am I?" Katie took a moment to look at the boy.
He appeared not much older than herself, with medium brown skin and curly black hair. His eyes, a dark, cool brown, held a depth of their own. His attire was mostly dark, from his jacket to his boots, contrasted with his white shirt and blue jeans.
"Hell if I know... This is where I always end up when I sleep," the boy responded, rising to his feet. He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Just... who are you anyway? How did you get in here?"
Katie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I just ran here."
"You ran? Through the fog?" the boy asked, eyes wide as he looked towards it. He trembled at the thought of it. "That sounds like a nightmare and a half..."
"It... it was," Katie muttered, lowering her gaze. "Good grief, how long have I been here? They must be worried sick..."
She turned to walk away when she froze. Jalaiya's words haunted her. "Then again, maybe not..."
The boy grimaced and looked back at the archway. Katie glanced at him. His eyes looked haunted. There was an emptiness about them. A loneliness. "My name i-is Katherine. My sisters call me Katie. Nice to meet you," she said, bowing to him.
Flinching, the boy raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to bow... I'm not royalty or anything. The name's Leon. Leon Blaze," Leon said, crossing his arms.
"You said you come here whenever you sleep?" Katie asked, walking toward the flowers. "How does that work? Are there others?"
Leon followed and furrowed his brow. "No. It's just me..." Clearing his throat, he asked, "If you don't mind, could you tell me what you were running away from?"
Her eyes lowered as she held her arm, grimacing. Noticing her hesitation, he sighed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
When he turned to walk away, she found herself grabbing his hand. "No, I don't mind! It's just... you might have a hard time believing it."
"Can't be any harder to believe that I'm having a conversation in my sleep... If I didn't know any better, I would think this was real," he responded, looking down at their hands.
Despite the cold, their palms were both incredibly warm. He muttered, "Could you even call this a dream? It doesn't seem like any I've ever heard of."
It was Katie's turn to ponder on it, letting go to rub her chin. "We could call it Ascension."
"Ascension?" He raised an eyebrow.
She nodded. "Not quite a dream, but not reality. We feel it like it is, but it only exists within our minds. ...That isn't stupid, is it?"
Leon shook his head. "Not at all. It's a lot cooler than anything I'd have thought up at least."
Katie winced at a sharp pain, clasping her head. Wake up, Katie! Please... She heard Cynthia's voice beg. It was like she was next to her ear, yet no one was there.
"Someone's trying to wake me up..." Katie said, holding herself. "Do you know how I can get out of here?"
Grimacing, Leon nodded. "You just go to sleep. That's normally how I wake up from this fantasy."
Katie rubbed her chin as she pondered on it. "How... strange." She glanced down at his hands. They clenched into fists as he slowly sat down. "Are you okay?"
"It's just... you're the first person I've ever seen in this place. The first person in years of waiting here for nothing. And now you have to leave..." Leon said, clutching his head. "It's so cold here. Why does this room exist?"
It was hard to place that feeling into words. Another soul in this world that shared that feeling of emptiness. That questioning of existence. In that way, this boy felt like home. The way that came so suddenly scared her... but she hoped it wouldn't fade.
"I'm not sure... but, to be honest, you're the first boy I've ever talked to. If it's alright, could I come back and speak to you again?" Katie asked, kneeling beside him. She smiled, and his eyes widened.
He gave a weak smile back and nodded. "I'd like that."
Lying beside him, she closed her eyes.
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She woke up with a start in her hospital bed. A cold, empty room full of cabinets and counters was all she awoke to. "Katie!" Cynthia cried, jumping out of her seat to pull her younger sister into a hug. She broke into tears, practically suffocating her. "It's all my fault! This happened because I'm a damn coward... Fuck it all!"
For the first time since she'd read that fantasy about happy families, Katie felt a smile form as she returned her sister's hug. "I... I always thought you hated me..."
Cynthia pulled away to meet her gaze. The only thing separating them was Cynthia's ponytail and the fact that she looked older. The same beautiful faces, the same green eyes. It was another first for Katie to love her own eyes. "I love you, Katie... I know I'm a horrible older sister," she croaked, her chest heaving.
Pulling her sister to her chest, Katie gently stroked Cynthia's hair as she bawled her eyes out. From the outer window, Lilith turned her back on them walking to her room. Isabella watched her mother before looking back at them, her eyes lowering in shame. A song erupted from Katie's lips, releasing the most beautiful melody they'd ever heard. So beautiful, it almost seemed cruel to their metal cold world. Isabella had to walk away before she joined Cynthia's breakdown.
—----------
Later that night.......
"Leon?"
Leon flinched, jumping to his feet. He looked out into the fog to see Katie slowly walk through it, rubbing her sleepy eyes. A flowy white hospital gown covered her, her tiny socks soaking from the lake she stood upon. She hiccupped as she hugged herself. "Is it... always so scary?" she asked, walking until she was right in front of him.
He nodded. "More or less. I wasn't expecting to see you again..."
Katie smiled again, and as their eyes met, he had to turn away. His face burned. It wasn't something he'd ever done before. "What's wrong? Am I disturbing you?"
He turned, eyes wide. "What? No, no! You're just so..." Saying the word beautiful almost felt like an insult, not even close to how amazing she looked. "Is it night time where you live? You're... you're a real person, right, Katie?"
Her eyes widened, pondering the question. Taking his hand in hers, he flinched. "W-what are you doing?" Leon asked, almost snatching his hand back instinctively.
Katie watched his reaction, and before she knew it she was giggling. It was a sound filled with such warmth, Leon couldn't help but smile. She clutched her stomach, laughing until it hurt. Her eyes filled with tears, and then her lips trembled.
Alarmed, he knelt and grasped her shoulders. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Leaning into him, she blinked back. "It's just... I don't think I've ever laughed before. I was afraid you would... you would..."
"What's wrong with laughing?" Leon asked, looking down at her.
Images of her daily training filled her head. Her mother's words of disappointment. Those cold eyes of disapproval. "I'm hopeless.... I always mess everything up," she whispered, grasping his collar.
Before he realized it, his hand was gently grasping her chin as he lifted her head. Her eyes widened as their gazes met. "What's wrong with being messy?" he asked calmly.
"Wait... what?" she raised an eyebrow.
A moment of silence passed them. They both broke into another fit of laughter. Leon's fingers accidentally brushed against her sides, making her giggle even more. Noticing, he attacked them, making her gasp. "What- what are you- gahahahah!" Leon tickled her and she wriggled and writhed, smiling until her cheeks hurt. But then her eyes glowed and sparks burst, throwing him off.
Katie jumped to her feet, frowning. "Leon! Are you-"
He looked up at her star struck. Smirking, he chuckled, wiping away a tear. "I can't remember the last time I ever laughed either..." he admitted, staring back at his reflection from the lake. "Are you really a real person?"
When he looked back up at her, her eyes stared into his. It was the first time he ever felt someone's gaze melt away the cold of this isolated abyss. Choking back a sob, she jumped into him, hugging him tighter than she's ever held anyone in her life. "Can I stay here forever?" she asked, laying against him.
He grinned, relaxing. "Of course you can."