The Monsters They Made

Ignacio paused, turning to find Koharu sitting back down on the log. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, legs crossed as she stared at her lap.

He walked over and sat on the log beside her wincing as agony coursed through his torso.

They sat in silence for a moment, a couple of fireflies lifting from the pink and purple blossoms that sprawled between the grass around them. Pink, purple and green particles all floated into the air, like the ground was ignited in the array of colours.

“I’m sorry about Ezequiel and Beltran,” he said, clasping his hands together.

She nodded. “Ezequiel was like my father, Ace.”

He placed a hand on the back of hers, and she glanced up at him with those big green eyes.

“I know,” he said. “And I hate myself for it.”

She shook her head. “If it wasn’t for Kiyomi, he’d still be alive.”

“And if I hadn’t shown up at your door-”

She sighed, turning and cupping a hand over his mouth. “It’s not about you, Ace,” she said, her fingers sliding off his lips. “We chose to help you. It was Kiyomi who-”

She pulled away from him, covering her mouth with both hands.

He frowned. “Is my breath that bad?”

“No, Ace, I touched you!” she said.

“Oh, right. I can use your Aspect now,” he said chuckling. “I’ll be fine, I just won’t use it.”

“You sure?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I enjoyed it,” he said, smiling at her.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I forgot what I was saying.”

“Kiyomi,” he said, nodding. “Yeah. Just make sure you get to have the final blow that ends her.”

A silence settled between them. And Koharu leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around hers, and they watched the surreal city of roots before them.

“Koharu,” he whispered. “I’m…”

Not waking up in the real world again, am I?

But he held his tongue. She’d been through enough. They both had. If he was a talking corpse, she could realize that later, once they’d had a taste of victory. If she hadn’t realized it already. He smiled.

What are the chances we’re both keeping the same information from each other? He thought.

Both suffering in silence to save the other person. Both knowing what the other person knew, but terrified to say it in case they were wrong. In the hopes that they were wrong, about all of it.

She turned her head to look at him. “You’re what?”

He swallowed. “I’m glad I found you.”

She smiled, rubbing her head into his chest. “I’m glad you found me, too.”

“I know we haven’t known each other long,” he said, his jaw tensing. “But without you and Ezequiel, I would’ve had to sit back and let Cypher Corp do whatever they want with my little sister.”

“And without Cypher Corp, none of us would be here,” she said, staring up at him. “It's ironic, isn’t it? The machines they made are being used by the monsters they made to bring them down.”

Ignacio smirked, brushing the back of her neck with his fingertips. “People have a tendency to create the things that destroy them, don’t they?”

“Only people who create out of malice,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah. Whether they realize it or not.”

They fell silent again.

“Ace,” Koharu said. “Please don’t use more than two Aspects when we go back for her.”

His lips compressed as he squeezed her shoulder. “I won’t.”

He knew he would. But what was the point in telling the truth?

Assuming she doesn’t already know it, he thought.

Either way, every person needed their lies. Whether it was in the Ethergeist or outside. He just chose when to lay people in them.

Kiyomi lifted her dress as she sat on the stone floor, crossing her legs. The Sentinel’s booming footsteps swaying the tower, her hands glowing red as she held them out.

A man stood across from her, a dark red hood and cloak shrouding his body as he stared between the battlements of the tower.

“Your work has yielded disappointing results, Kiyomi,” the Drakin said.

She lowered her head, jaws tensing. “Their resilience was unexpected. As was their willingness to help Koharu and Ignacio escape.”

“They killed Warwick,” he said, his voice rumbling. “And Thorren.”

“My apologies, great Drakin, but I was not expecting them to have so little to offer in terms of strength and competence.”

The Drakin chuckled. “And I was not expecting you to have so little in terms of explanation and result.”

Kiyomi took a deep breath. Something inside of her wanted to leap forward and cleave his head off his shoulders. But he was too fast. And with all the reinforcements now surrounding them from the Sanctum, even if she pulled it off, she would’ve been dead in a matter of seconds.

Her eyes moved up, counting the five Seraphs that now flew in an arch above the Sentinel. Their various wings beat in unison, two with feathered wings, two with bats, one with the wings of a Dragonfly.

“Silence, Kiyomi?” the Drakin asked. “Really? This close to greatness, and you’re sulking?”

She swallowed, her throat straining. “I am sorry, great Drakin.”

He turned around, the hollow black eyes of his mask settling on her. Her eyes flickered to Ezequiel’s severed head, its hair clutched in the Drakin’s gloved hand. “You’re sorry, Kiyomi?”

She lowered her chin. “I make no excuses for my failure to deliver,” she said. “If given the opportunity, I will step down from my current rank and earn my way back to it.”

The Drakin’s green mask glittered in the sunlight as he lifted his head. It was more like a helmet. Designed after the head of an adult Venomkin Dragon.

“My dear, dear Kiyomi,” he said, his voice low. Almost soothing. “You know that we don’t punish the loyal in the Cypher Corporation.”

Kiyomi frowned. “But I cost you the lives of two loyal followers.”

He lowered his head, his robe swaying as he walked towards her. He crouched, brushing a strand of hair from her face, the metal claws on his glove tickling her cheek.

“You underestimated them, yes,” he growled. “But you weren’t the ones who killed them, were you?”

She found herself shaking her head. Like a child. She stiffened her neck, looking into those hollow black eyes.

“No, I wasn’t,” she said.

He stood up, lowering his hand to her. She took it, her hair sweeping back as she rose to her feet.

“As soon as we arrive at the Imperium Citadel,” he said, cupping her chin in his hand. “You will lead a strike force to the Genesys Headquarters, and exterminate them.”

She frowned. “Drakin, shouldn’t we do that now?”

He lowered his hand from her face. “Do you want the opportunity to redeem yourself, or not, Kiyomi?”

You idiot, Kiyomi, just take it.

She nodded. “Yes, great Drakin. I will not fail you a second time.”

He placed his claws to her throat, goosebumps studding across her skin. He tilted his head to the side, hood swaying.

“I know you won’t,” he whispered. “Because we all worship the same, don’t we? The Cypher God only asks for us to do our best in all things for him.”

A shudder ran down her spine. And who decided what was your best?