The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER TWENTY- NINE - A CRY FOR HELP

“You won’t be able to change anything.”

Kiro held Lucas’s hand tight. A bit too tight for comfort. There was only one reason why he would utter such a statement; he was aware of Kiro’s reincarnation. The other members of the two teams halted their movement. Their confused looks said it all. They had no idea what was going on between the two. “What did you just say?” Kiro asked. There was clear anger in his tone.

Theodore was quick to come between them. He was still all smiles. It was a show of complete lack of hostility. “I don’t know what happened, but Lucas says weird things all the time. And then he doesn’t even remember saying them or why he could have said them,” Theodore said.

Lucas looked just as clueless as the others. “I’m sorry, did I say something strange? It happens like that sometimes,” Lucas said. Kiro was visibly shaken and Karenia had a fair idea of what it was about. She held Kiro’s hands in hers and pulled him closer.

“No worries. We understand. We get it with this one sometimes too.” She tried to ease up the tension in the air with a good laugh, but it only helped to make things even more awkward. “And we’ll be on our way,” she said as a last ditch effort to save what remained of her dignity.

But Victor just had to pull them back. “Have you tried to figure out what could be the cause? Or maybe even record what he says, then maybe try to make sense of it. Maybe he---” It only took Karenia’s murderous stare to remind him not to speak too much. Besides, they had only just met them and they were live on the feed. This wasn’t a good time to be talking about Kiro’s reincarnation. “I’ve said too much.”

“No, it’s fine. We totally understand.” As they walked away, the increasing distance between Kiro and Lucas spurred a memory in Kiro’s head. Lucas was walking away, just like he was now. Only that this time, it was different. It hurt to see him leave. The tears on his face and the ruin of their surroundings. And Aaron! Aaron was beside him. They both watched Lucas leave. Of course. Lucas was present at the time of his death. And he was aware of his reincarnation as well. Either it was subconsciously, or he was feigning ignorance, but that was the only reason he could have uttered that statement. He was saying the same thing Aaron had been saying all along. He wasn’t going to change anything if he didn’t get rid of Victor. But it wasn’t his fault. Not even close. So why and how would killing Victor solve anything?

Lucas turned back one last time. And the words he uttered struck an even stronger blow this time. “Keep her safe this time okay?” And he left. Kiro was dumbfounded. Somehow again, only Kiro heard what he said, even though they all saw his lips moving. Kiro fell on his knees when they were out of sight. He looked completely broken.

“What did he say? And how is he able to prevent us from hearing him?” Karenia asked but was met with deafening silence.

“One question at a time genius,” Victor goaded. He picked Kiro up. He was heavier than he remembered. “Are you okay?” he asked. Kiro simply nodded his head.

“He was there.”

“Where?”

“The time of my death. My reincarnation. It’s somewhere in his head but he can’t pull it out. I think for some reason; we don’t have access to some memories. Maybe they affect things too greatly or amnesia is a side effect. Of varying degrees maybe.”

Karenia took a deep breath. She looked at how helpless they both looked. They had almost forgotten Azulon was with them. She walked slowly towards him and hugged him. It was longer than she planned, but she felt at peace. And she could feel him calming down as well. “We already have a goal presently. We don’t need distractions. When we are done, we’ll figure out the rest together. As a team,” she said while still in his embrace. She held on to Victor’s hand, who was behind Kiro and squeezed it tightly.

It only took a few more seconds to turn the beautiful moment into an awkward one. And Victor opening his mouth of course. “You can let go now,” he said.

Karenia hesitantly left Kiro’s embrace. Her face flushed a little, but she turned away quickly before they could take notice. “Let’s go. I think we’ve stayed here long enough,” she said.

***

Jovak and his team were rounding up their preparations. It was finally time to leave. The battle that would place him far above every other Riser and give him the power and respect he desired. He wanted to save everyone. He had to. But deep inside, he knew that what he wanted to save was no one but himself. The power, the respect, the allies, they were all just protection. To safeguard what his mask hid. To everyone else, he was a psychopath, an emphatic leader and extremely dangerous. And maybe he was. But Isaac never saw him that way. He could always tell when Jovak was truly in despair. When he needed reassurance that he could go through with his insane plans. It wasn’t going to be easy. He was aware. But he had to do it. No one else could.

You would wonder, why not assist Kiro when they seem to have similar goals. That might have been Jovak’s goal at a time, but Kiro’s apparent selfishness to protect only himself and his friend’s disgusted him. And the Ascient, even the beast prodigy. They were all so powerful, yet they were determined from staying away from everyone else. They only were concerned about their own safety. What a waste of power. If not for the trouble that it would attract, Jovak would have sought to take their powers for himself, but all he wanted to do was prove a point. That those with power have a responsibility to act. And those who refuse to act should be punished. For if their power could not avail mankind, then it shall not avail them either. It sounded selfish, but it was of the sake of humanity. So that others would see and learn. So that others would take the initiative and join his cause. He was doing it for mankind. But Isaac saw through all that. The thick wall that prevented everyone else from seeing that it was nothing more than a cry for help.