Markus

The mind-exploding pain inside me after Blathnaid has been announced the new Queen of Evanity made me wander off, far away from the high-end city. Just to keep the city safe in case I lost control of separate consciousness. I feel the Wrath wouldn't, but just to be sure.

I fly away from Ourdera, getting away from the blue light rays. I want to feel the darkness as soon as possible. Its intensity hurts my eyes. The coolness of the night is present. Verantuvia's Protectors shield the planet from becoming a barren wasteland.

Feeling as if I am far away from the star, I land in a place with hot springs and geysers. The remnants of Jerusai's once land are still present. Is it a memorial? No people are touring it as a national park. The hot park is left off to steam in peace. The heat inside me flares up, telling me that the closest magma source is only miles below. Verantuvia is not safe from supervolcanoes either. Forgison told me that super eruptions happen, but mostly in history.

I step into a massive lake that is boiling away. I place my hands in hot fluids from the lake to wash my face. Heavy exhales fume out as I ponder about the night. That's what I needed.

I would never have thought that I would care about people again. It was only Harry and Alicia and that was years ago. Harry might be dead by now and Alicia is dead. Thinking about my mom and step-father, I don't agree why I am still calling him that, runs my blood cold. God, only focusing on it makes my throat go dry and the starving feeling never goes away. If I stayed in the house and never listened to my grandpa, none of this would've happened. There is a positive chance that I could've been dead.

I just never understand why my mother hated me so much. If she hates me, she could've abandoned me out on the streets or killed me. My skin sizzles as my blood now crisps my skin into a black diamond. It's been decades and I have never gotten over it. Elliot treated me like another sex outlet. The alcohol and heroin in the mix have escalated it further. It stained my soul and not even a savior from the Heavens would clean out.

If I had never listened to grandpa, I wouldn't have killed many people. I should've stopped myself the moment my grandpa was still insisting after he exploded from the books' power. I wouldn't lose control. What did I have to be so dumb? My humanity will be spared from two beings inside my head, fighting to slaughter and overpower. They never cared about Alicia. I pity her because her mother treated her unfairly too. She was on a different level, but still. I could've just graduated and ran off with her, to start a new life. I would be her brother raising her. I don't know how to raise a kid, but I ought to be better than my mother.

Again, why am I blaming grandpa? It's all my fault for listening to him. After being bullied and abused at home, I was so damn feeble and weak. So desperate that I desired a way out. It was my choice to take his word and pick the Dark Angel's ritual. Only those that did care about me were Naomi and Blath. Naomi is somewhere and Blath is gonna be Queen soon. I can't win. I guess my punishment isn't finished. Pissing off a parent only lasts days to months. Pissing off the law will take months to a lifetime. Pissing off a God is going to last forever.

A long exasperated exhale escapes my lips as I battle buried thoughts of pulling a trigger. There was no gun in the house and when I did try to end it all; it never worked. It always failed worse than I did in high school. I gave up. I look up to see the aurora skies. Ourdera's rays on the night sky are still dazzling around. As much as it's inspiring, I don't feel it. This world doesn't entertain me. I was brought into this world with torture and will end up alone. Again.

In the trees, I see a haze outline of a white figure lying still in the grass. I didn't notice it all at first. It also never acknowledged my presence. My wings rip out my back as if it's urging me to fly. I resist, but it persists. Nothing wants to take control, yet something is trying to tell me to go there and check it out. Who is on the other side of the lake that is worthy of my heed?

I fly to the other side of the lake. The figure's features become clear as a closed road. Alien red markings on its white skin. Many swords stabbed into every area of the body as if it had been in a rough battle. Dry and fresh blood oozing out of its mouth. The face is in a black bird masquerade. It has dark horns with blue edges. Its hair is ridiculously long, spreading past its thighs. The creature's chest rises and falls quietly. It's amazing how this creature is still alive after many swords impaling its body. By the looks of it, it must've been battling on the same day.

Forgison did tell me everyone behaves so peacefully during the Blue Star Festival. Is it a lie? False hope about no violence?

A merciless slice across the throat, bleeding profusely. I examine and find a bloody knife in its palm, lying flat as if the being is dead. The being must've been attempting suicide or the murderer tried to make it look like a suicide. I am no Sherlock Holmes, so I will not investigate if this poor victim has a killer.

This brings more questions about Verantuvia. Do they hide things, such as suicide to make it appear happy? Violence is mentioned, but never suicide. If this planet is happy at this time, why did this creature decide to end its own life? It pains me to see that it fails as much as I am, but it tries so damn hard.

"From my world, a way to die is," I began while grabbing a sword that was paling its guts before pulling it out, "Make sure you bleed out."

The being flinches and shoots awake, groaning in pain. It has fearsome green eyes acting like black hole acceleration disks. Its eyes tiredly gaze at me, only to be surprised.

"Markus?" It asks with a shocked expression, "You're alive?"

The voice is so recognizable to me. "...Nao," I returned, baffled, "What the hell?!"

Naomi doesn't answer back.

"Naomi, why?" I ask. My bewilderedness turns into frustration. If it wasn't her, I would've been calmer. I wouldn't even care.

No answer.

I look at the sword on her chest and pull it out. She yells out loud in pain. Blood gushes out before regenerating, closing the wound.

"Stop!" She raspily begs,

"No," I shake my head before pulling another one out. This time, in her leg.

"That's why I left them there..." She croaks.

"Tell me why!" I demand before I rip the other one in her other leg. She stops quietly, only quietly crying.

"You would laugh at me!"

"I won't," I promise, "I am more pissed to know why my niece has decided to take her own life. Naomi, I have been down this road before. You know me better than anyone else!"

"For years I've been with you, you always disagree and make it difficult. Now you show that you care?!" She screams at me, "Where was that?!"

With that, I gesture my hands, telekinetically pulling the last swords in her. She gasps before lying back on the ground, defeated.

"Make another sword, I dare you," I threaten.

She tips her head back with a defeated and stubborn moan.

"Sit up," I order.

She ignores me.

"Don't test me, young lady."

She finally listens.

"Good. Now tell me, what's been bothering you? Why aren't you partying with your friends at the Ourdera? Why did you do that? Son of a gun, I might argue with you, Naomi, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Why can I visit? I can't even control myself!" She retorts, "I might kill everybody!"

"What happened?"

"I've hurt Bracus's soldiers in a training battle," she confesses, "Bracus wanted me to use my damn powers, instead of wielding a sword. I was comfortable with it."

"Knowing you, you were pretty good with your powers," I state, "By the looks of it, you're on a new level, I assume. It went over your limits."

"I tore up the planet, turned a lake into an electrical pie and the soldiers fell in. I ran...Never looked back."

I shrug, "I guess we aren't so different after all. What happened to me made me kill-"

"But you weren't aware!" She snaps at me with tears in her eyes, "Something else was in control. I was aware and accidentally killed someone because I panicked as if they were going to kill me."

I sigh, "At least, you know what you did wrong... I didn't know what was wrong after decades of being in a state... of ignorance, worrying if I was ever gonna wake in a world... and regain." The thoughts come back as I reflect. Tears are about to come out too. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?" Naomi asks.

"For putting you through this," I state, "It was my fault for taking this path... I hurt your mother and ruined her life... You were born to defeat me as your worst you ever face... I'm so sorry for putting you in this mess!"

She goes, "I was never born to defeat you, Markus, I never knew you existed. I only knew mom was a religious freak from trauma. She hid the truth from us." Her voice begins to go into a semi-weeping state, "G.G. Terri told me the truth. The next thing I knew, you showed up."

There are many ways in which all of our lives will be dictated by choices. Perhaps, grandpa realized he messed up. He could've stopped me himself, even though I was stronger than him. I guess he needed a helping hand. He kept it within the family. If he killed me on his own before I got to my sister, I would've been forgotten. That is what my Wrath wanted. It wanted non-witnesses to believe I was the hysteria and doubt victims of what they had gone through. It was very messed up. Sure I wanted karma to smite those who hurt me, but not take it on everyone else.

Tell me who did you kill?

I saved your life, to save us.

You are not a saint. Tell me now.

Why go against me, Markus? You would've died without me.

You did more than what you stated. Why are you still in my head?

Anger is natural, Markus.

There is a line between anger and bloodlust wrath on innocent civilians. You were caused by a spell. You're not natural. You're artificial.

You know you need me, Markus. That is why I am still here.

I don't know if I need you. I know you want to control me! Share with me your memories! Now!

Wrath refuses to answer me. I try to glimpse back. My life as I age is remembered smoothly. When it came during the events of the ritual, everything trembled. It might have been me trembling along with it to correlate with its own instability. Everything turned red when I turned. Everything became so fragmented like a blood rage that wanted to hide what I had done.

I remember looking in the bathroom mirror. The time I didn't realize what I had done was screwed up before it skimmed to me being saved by Harry, saying I owe him one. I was trying to enjoy the party even with the party for a bit. I wanted to leave my house. The next thing I saw was his hands and legs all bandaged up. He yelled at me and begged me why would I do this before I was pushed by Wrath again. I do wish that Wrath didn't do it. He made things worse for seniors inside Dyland Woods High School. Whatever he did, he forced Harry to be my friend. He shouldn't have, but Harry was a good kid to vent to. It took advantage of that too.

By the time I noticed Wrath was too much to handle, it betrayed me. I fought it. I failed. My failure joined my failures in many things in my life. A failure to punish me. I recall my first encounter with Naomi. I was tired, in pain, and breathless. I didn't know who she was. I didn't know that she was talking about my past. I thought she talked too much.

"I am not afraid of you anymore," Alicia whispered to me while she stabbed me. I was semi-there. Wrath was weakening. I felt my spine being severed and piercing pain blew out. I am not going to mention how the Dark Angel's punishment was to me. Screw that. He eased most of it. I'm clueless as to why he did so. Was it best to kill me?

"Soon we will recover from the witch's regime," my sister read to me from the book with her daughter snickering behind me. Oh my God, how old was I?! Four?! Jeez, I thought, What the hell was she doing? It felt weird, but good. It was one of the only things Naomi and I didn't argue about. Why do I have to be such a burden?

'Markus?" Naomi's voice calls out to me. It's a lifeguard saving me from a pool of haunting memories and thoughts, only to figure out I am in an emotional toil in the present.

"I'm sorry." I sob.

Naomi crawls to me and hugs me. We both cry together like a family in mourning and in great loss. "You were not," she tells me, "I'm sorry too. She is forgiven. I will never forgive myself. We cry a little bit longer until we finally run out of tears to cry. Geysers suddenly become more active than normal. They are crying with us.

"Go back to training," I urge her, "I will be going there too. Focus, Naomi, you're stronger than this. We will pull through."

" I don't have enough strength to face Netedinark."

"It will arrive soon."

Naomi is a strong girl. She can overcome anything. She overcame me as a bad guy. She helped with Ivelisse's possession. Now she needs to face another jackass in a war. She's not alone.

"There you are!"

We all spin around to see Blathnaid behind us with Bracus, Aelen, and Ivelisse in tail.

"You got to stop running off, Markus," Bracus calmly scolds me with his eyes on Naomi. His voice turns menacing, "And I see you found her."

"Not what I predicted but, not bad, nonetheless," I shrug.

"And you, Naomi, are in a heap of trouble," he sneers. A wolf growl is mixed within his voice.

Naomi cowers in fear. She whines behind me. She doesn't want to see Bracus, nor her friends at all. She is in a dilemma of running away again or taking the punishment.

"Don't even think you're going out unscathed because you killed my people! They were brothers, sisters, fathers, daughters, sons, and mothers too!"

"It was an accident," she squeaks out. She looks much worse.

"I am still debating whether to cut off the deal with you to go back home."

She pales.

"Hey," I tell him off, "She's remorseful. A temporary punishment will do and not cut off her chance to go home."

What are you? An American prison? I finish in my head.

"Watch it," Bracus snaps at me, "Stay out of this."

"Are you a Morphan of bad sight?" I gesture to Naomi, "She looks unwell."

"I said watch it."

"I saw her with many damn swords in her body! She was trying to end her own life because of guilt! I just found her in that state! You shouldn't see her as a monster. It was also your call to force Naomi to use her abilities, instead of a goddamn sword."

He growls and we teleport back to Evanity, on his floor. I look at Naomi and she is in chains. He glares at me heavily. I stare emotionless at him, not afraid of him.

"Get back to your floor," he commands, "We will leave by tomorrow morning."

He shoots daggers at Naomi and barks, "And don't even dare think about escaping, otherwise, you won't be coming home... Ever!"