Bye Arsène

Chapter 6

I had to keep a cool head. I couldn't take every stranger's word that appeared in front of me. However if it was really true then I had been used. I was starting to ask myself serious questions about this institution and I found myself stupid for not doing it sooner. If I really had been used then in this reality I had been lied to and I had to do something about it.

This power was none others than mine. I had to be the only one who could decide what to do with it. I was not against advice but deciding behind my back was unacceptable.Even though they didn't have bad intentions I didn't know what they were going to do with my magic that had been stored for all this time. They should have told me if they had nothing to hide from me.

But above all I should have asked. My whole world had fallen apart. I didn't know how this new universe worked, but after getting used to the situation I still should have asked myself questions. I refused to remain passive any longer. I intended to take my life in my hands.

The stranger was gone. I opened the window to sneak into the room and walked in front of the huge machine to see it more closely. Once at it's height I studied it from all angles. I followed all the threads with my eyes and paid attention to all the details. I watched the machine for so long that I would have been able to rebuild it myself. I wondered what would happen if I removed the bracelet. I had thought about it many times over the past few months but never dared to try because of fear of not being able to control my powers. But at that precise moment I felt unstoppable. I knew I was strong and I believed in myself.

I can do it. After all maybe even they were lying to me when they told me that I was not ready to use my powers yet. I decided to stop thinking and let myself be guided by my feelings. I was trying to figure out how to remove the bracelet and took a while to get there. This bracelet was stronger than any other jewelry. However, I ended up forcing the mechanism and the very second I removed the bracelet from my wrist an alarm went off from the machine.

In a few minutes several people arrived in the room blocking my exit but not daring to approach me. I was concentrating with all my soul to control this flow of wind through my veins and this time there was no cyclone or explosion. However, the task was not so easy either and most of the machines began to emit various noises. The people who had come running took this as a warning and even took a step back. They must have known exactly who I was, but I had never seen them. Now that I thought about it apart from Arsène, Monsieur L and the lady from the infirmary, I didn't know anyone from this institution.

Usually I made friends quickly and chatted with everyone, but this time I didn't realize that I had been isolated from others. Speaking of the wolf, Arsène ended up arriving in Monsieur L's side. I could not help looking at Arsène with eyes filled with disappointment. I recovered quickly, however, and looked away, clenching my fist. I was going to stop running away from the answers to my questions and I was going to take charge of my life. I couldn't back down and if Arsène was one of them then he was also a potential enemy. I didn't want to imagine that he could have betrayed me but I had to prepare for any eventuality. Betraying was, after all, a big word. I was certainly attached to him, I couldn't blame him for lying to me from the start. I could only blame myself for trusting him. He was a member of the institute. So if he used me it was because I let him do it.

I turned to Monsieur L. And decided to do as if I was completely certain of the information I had to see how he would react.

"I know what this machine is for. You have stored my magic in it since the day I put this bracelet on. With all of this energy you could make an overpowered weapon that you will use for purposes that I do not know yet. But they can't be good. You've been using me from the start. "

Monsieur L smiled at me sadly. It wasn't a really sad smile. More like a robot trying to express sadness.

"It's true. I hope you don't blame us. In life we often have to push some people down in order to be able to go up.

-Oh I don't blame you but your vision of the world disgusts me to the highest point. I was the one who was stupid enough to trust you. But I assure you that I will not let anyone use me again. Never again. And especially not you. You don't have the right to use my powers. They are mine and mine alone. "

Arsène wanted to come towards me but with a gust of wind I sent him back to his place as well as all those who would have liked to imitate him. I would have preferred to ignore Arsène until the end, but I couldn't let him come near me. He didn't mean anything to me now and I wanted him to feel it. I had been calm until then but little by little the anger or rather the determination rose in me. I felt it was all true but now I had confirmation and it was different. There was a clear line between feeling and realizing and I had fallen on the other side. There was something reassuring about being sure of what was going on. Now I could move on. I had to.

With this anger rising in me I felt my powers also arouse. Feeling them in my body I finally realized how powerful I was. Just as the stranger had said I was scary. Seeing the expression of satisfaction and self-confidence I wore, Monsieur L tried to reason with me:

"You need us Atalante. If you stop everything now we'll pretend nothing happened and we'll let you live freely just as before.

-You're going to erase my memory. Like you did with my friends.

-Don't play the victim. We know you left them their memories. But don't worry we fixed this error. Thanks to Arsène "

I did not deign look at him. I pretended to be hurt. I actually knew they were going to find the lock. I was just hoping it would serve as a decoy so they wouldn't notice the memories I had added to their minds. Indeed I had injected them all my memories of the first attack and I had the impression that they had not realized it at the institute.

"Can you at least tell me what you plan to do with this machine?"

No answer was given to me assuring that it did not concern me but that it was for a necessary cause. I was not reassured and decided that the machine had to be destroyed. As I walked towards the wire directly connected to the storage Arsène shouted at me to stop but I didn't. Monsieur L therefore took over:

"We harvested 98 percent of your powers for months. Taking in such a large amount of energy at once is suicide. You're not going to get out of it alive."

Arsène screamed my name but I didn't know him. Everyone disappeared around me as I made my decision. I knew what I had to do and it didn't matter what the outcome was. I didn't hear Arsène rush in my direction, desperately trying to stop me from carrying out my plan. He was too far away anyway. I pulled on the tube leading directly to the tank and planted my hand in it, concentrating on absorbing everything. My head tilted back and all my muscles tensed. I even had the impression that my heart opened. In a second I had absorbed everything and after that there was only the pain. The pain was bad. Very bad. But I wasn't screaming, my jaw being too tight for that.

I didn't feel the blood in my mouth and didn't realize that I had collapsed on the ground shaking. Suddenly I was freed and found myself greeted by darkness. Maybe I was dead now, maybe that was why my life passed before my eyes. I didn't care. I didn't regret anything. Well almost. I had lived a very good life. Rather exemplary before discovering my powers. I had been surrounded by loving people and had good grades without difficulty. I had rarely been sad and had nothing to reproach to myself.

And yet now that I was in the dark I had seen nothing in all this life. All I had seen was this past year. This year when I had fewer opportunities to go to class and where I saw my friends less often. A year where the evenings had turned into fights and training. All I had seen was Arsène. Him and him again. I had seen him scream at me, I had seen him smile, I had seen him be curious and silent. I had seen him lie to me and betray me and I didn't want to see him anymore. I didn't want it to be my last sight before it was gone forever. But as I was telling myself this a light came to illuminate the darkness and I suddenly felt heavy. I was no longer floating and was being pulled up unceremoniously. I decided to leave Arsène in this place and bid him farewell before opening my eyes.