《Imperfect power》chapter 16

Cassandra's POV:

Everything hurts...

Help me...

What are they doing?

What have we done wrong?

I was always a troublesome kid, but I definitely did not deserve to lose my family and entire city. The day started like any other and went perfectly. It was only during my playtime that I got terrified. As i looked through the window i saw a meteor was falling from the sky and hit an area far away. The impact was so strong that it blew away many buildings. It knocked me unconscious. Only when I woke up did I realize half of the building we were living in was gone. I was lying in the rubble of what was left of it. I couldn't find my parents at first, but once I did, I couldn't stop the tears. They were left without life within them. They were taken from me.

Screams from across the city rang through my ears. Shots were fired, and I heard explosions. The ground was shaking, and light emanated from the center. It was in that moment that I realized this whole destruction was caused by some individuals. Driven by rage, I headed towards the source. It was quite a distance from me, and before I reached the place, piles of bodies were lying around a group of five people. I saw one, the biggest of them, depart from the group and rush towards those who still lived, only to take their lives. I had nothing left in my blinded-by-rage mind. I ran at them, and just as quickly as I closed the distance, I fell down on the ground.

"A brave hero coming to take our lives. Aren't you too young, little girl? What stupid idea made you think a powerless girl can take us down?" A woman said; she looked like she was the leader there.

"Y-youuu... killed... my... f-family!" I shouted, my body barely able to move.

"Lucas, finish her off. She doesn't understand that her family is not the only one we've killed; we killed everyone around here. Girl, you're not the center of the world." she said and walked away, while a man she called Lucas walked towards me.

I glanced at him with hatred, and he froze in place, then fell to the ground. The others, confused, looked at him, then at me. I gave them the same bloodlustful glare, and as our eyes met, they too fell dead.

I realized it was my doing. I had used a superpower, one I never knew I had. I had killed someone, and that alone shook me from my surprise of having a power. Panic set in, and I ran away as quickly as possible. Why did everyone have to die? If those with powers are this strong, why won't they protect us instead?

No, wait, there are heroes. But why did they not show up when the whole city was reduced to rubble? I saw forces approaching from afar, powerful heroes ready to avenge people and take down evildoers. What's the point of that? I don't understand! They do not protect us at all. They only come when dozens, if not hundreds, of people have already suffered. They feel all-mighty, coming to clean up the mess instead of preventing it! I can't stand this injustice. I will show everyone, and I'll take down those who have failed me. But firstly, I must hide and figure out how to approach my new goal.

When I killed those people, it felt so strange, as if a whole different emotion surged within me, a wish for the death of someone. Taking a life seemed both easy and unbelievable, as if existence were as delicate as a dandelion waiting to be blown apart. I only had to tap into that peculiar feeling inside me, and my eyes started to perceive things, souls being forcibly expelled from people's bodies with my newfound might.

Years passed, and I finally found him—the last remaining member of the gang that had annihilated my city and killed my family: Victor Thorn. Prior to that, I managed to exact revenge on most of the heroes present when I ran away from the scene of the crime. However, tracking down Chloe Bennett, who lived much further away, would have posed a significant challenge.

I became aware that I had been tailed for a while. Individuals were after me, and they managed to find Victor before I did, engaging in a conversation with him. While my desire for revenge burned, I couldn't afford too many people instantly chasing me. I visited Victor, introducing myself to him. After a brief conversation, I learned that the one searching for me was Lauren Rousseau, another criminal not worth her life. I wondered about my connection with a criminal from Europe and how she ended up here. Tracing her records of moving from prison to prison and information about a possible escape was challenging. Instead, I focused on finding traces of her around the area. The investigation was a bit easier, and I located her. All I had to do was wait until she was alone for me to make my move.

An unexpected turn of events unfolded when she was accompanied by two others I didn't know about. Since she left the place they were in alone, leaving the other two for me to handle later, I had to strike.

"Lauren Rousseau, you have committed various crimes and were after my life. I will deliver punishment as well as grant you mercy by taking your life." I declared, endowing her with the knowledge that her demise was imminent, spoken with a measure of respect.

She couldn't even react before it was too late. I knew I had to keep my distance, as her power only worked at point-blank range, whereas I only needed a few feet of separation. That was sufficient to impose my will on her and end her life.

Then the other two emerged. I was prepared to take them down too. The man left the girl on the wheelchair behind and rushed, but not toward me. He ran to Lauren, who had fallen dead on the ground, that criminal. He shouted her name with teary eyes, but what happened next was beyond anything I could have expected. He leaned over her, and she opened her eyes by herself. A dead woman lived again. He stood up, and his expression shifted to one of hatred. I could see a reflection of my old self on his face, the same look I had when I lost my family. He just walked... walked my way, and I could barely back off.

I was certain only I could feel and see it—the overwhelming aura emanating from him. It was as if all the living in this world were connected to him, yet his domain was an empty dark void. My deadly glare didn't work on him. He was beyond anything that could be killed. He was death itself.

"I do not care who you are. I do not care whoever is whatever, but as long as my friends get hurt, I will not forgive." he spoke to me. That was it—the declaration of death.

I knew what was coming and couldn't do anything. I stood there in a nightmare, frozen in a black void with nothing around but him approaching. Death came for me. It was terrifying—I didn't want to die.

"I don't want to die! No!" I shouted, but nothing escaped my mouth.

Then, the realization hit me. I was already dead. The darkness overwhelmed me, and there was... nothing . . . l e f t . . .

Philip's POV:

I have killed a person. I swore I would never do this again, and yet...

"That's right, Lauren!"

"Lauren, how do you feel? Are you okay?" I rushed at her and asked.

"Did I just..." Her state was stable, but I'm still worried.

"I brought you back. Everything's fine." I reassured her.

"What about Cassandra?" she asked.

"I took her life. I couldn't stop myself." If the situation called for it, I'd do it again.

We're done with our problem and are free to rest.

I should probably call Eric to inform him about everything.

"I already know." I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Eric, you're here, and you look a little messy, but that's not the point. How did you know where we are?" I couldn't believe that he just happened to find us.

"I saw everything before it happened. I foresaw the future and knew you guys would ignore safety and just go out." he explained.

"But why? Why did you still let us go? You knew Lauren was going to get hurt." I pressed. I couldn't believe he'd let that happen.

"I did let that happen, knowing she'd die. I trusted you enough since I knew you'd bring her back to life. Also, I didn't trust myself enough to go with you. Any future proved that I'd do something horrible, and just foreseeing this was already a great pain for me. I'm not as merciful to grant someone instant death, that is why I trusted you, Philip." His words, they were honest. It is true that Eric would keep his anger going instead of killing Cassandra. I'm glad I was someone he could trust.

"Ren, I'm sorry." Eric knelt in front of Lauren.

"Sheesh... You look like a mess. What happened to you?" Lauren asked, seeming to notice his unusual appearance.

"Let's say I had to take on three opponents at once." he said. It was something hard to believe.

"For you to look like that, your opponents had to be really tough." Lauren chuckled.

"Yyyeeeahh... They were fierce and full of stamina." Eric stated, but something about it was off, and even Lauren sensed it.

"Wait... You went with Angie and Jade to another girl... That adds up to three girls and you... ERIC! YOU WENT TO HAVE SE-" Lauren shouted.

"Seeeensitive topics! To talk about!" he interrupted her.

"Well, I'm glad you're both good enough to have this kind of conversation. Let's just go home." I insisted. They were making a little scene, and there's a dead body still next to us.