63 Episode 10-Disaster of Lasers (2)

George Machen clutched his throat and stomach. As the Marine walked towards the apartment building he had previously attacked, he felt a burning sensation rise through his esophagus. What was this? Poison? Some viral attack? No, it wasn't that.

"Hurkeghh!!"

It was vomit. George Machen expelled the contents of his stomach until tears of pain emerged from the corners of his eyes - there was enough to fog his glasses. Using his shaking fingers to wipe the condensation away, George placed his glasses on his face again. He wished he didn't. When he looked at the decimated school, he saw the myriad of corpses littering the ground and the smoke rising from the explosive fires Ethan Nakamura created.

"Hurkegh!!"

George Machen vomited again. He did it so much that there was nothing left. Within his mind's eye, he saw corpses with holes in their head, he saw his dying trainees in his military camp, and he saw-

(Jael!!)

-the cranium of his best friend exploding while a knife was lodged into their heart.

"Hurkegh!! Gweghaah!!"

(Breathe, George. Don't imagine it. Don't imagine that moment.)

"Jael!?"

George opened his eyes again, but they were blurring from the next flood of tears. He saw blurry figures of people in the distance. He could barely make it out, but George saw a kindly, dark-skinned man with a shaved head, wearing army fatigues. They were unharmed - they were even smiling.

(Don't imagine that moment, George.)

Happier moments flooded into the forefront of this shaken Marine. He was back home, and the Jael he saw was smiling benevolently. When he happened his eyes again, he still saw Jael, but with his lost family. The family he hoped to visit again in this ruined world. If souls truly existed, as Ethan Nakamura said... if the souls of his family were in front of him, what did it mean? What did it mean that they were here now, looking at him?

(It means they're dead.)

The probable, hard truth settled into George Machen's chest until it filled him. He felt as if cold hard steel was depositing into his soul.

(Even if we are dead,) Jael said, (it doesn't mean we wouldn't be proud of you.)

George wiped his eyes. No matter how much he did, they still stood there. He saw his proud father, his caring, understanding mother, and his lovable sister, a person who always supported him. George even saw Jael's parents, but his best friend, who stood at the very front, was the most prominent. The person who always had his back.

(You may feel as if you're a monster, George. You had to do horrible things to achieve a greater goal.)

This apparition of Jael was right. Soldiers were nothing but legal, government killers. Perhaps soldiers were more, but in the eyes of their people and their government, that's all they were. Soldiers were nothing but knives whose purpose was to cut away at the opposition. George felt this and resented himself for it. But the final sentence of this apparition finally said something that woke him up.

(Even though you committed terrible things, George... we're not disappointed in you. So, please, don't be disappointed in yourself.)

The next time George blinked, the familiar figures of his past were gone. George was now in the scathing present.

(I-I have to get up. I have to follow orders.)

He wasn't formally admitted into Ethan's kingdom yet. As a Wanderer, he had no affiliations, so he wasn't in any faction when Ethan Nakamura rose to power. He was still a free man. Yet, why did he follow orders? It was due to this: Ethan Nakamura was his superior officer.

As George Machen walked up the stairs of the building, he reflected on his life after the Fall. It was a blur. For some reason, he had memories of ordering food online and having it appear in front of him as if conjured by magic. Soon, though, he remembered he couldn't buy anymore. George remembered starving for days, but after a certain point, he felt nothing. He was a detached mind to a decaying body. It wasn't until a young boy saved him.

Why did he follow Ethan Nakamura, a child? Why would he defer to him for advice? They claimed they were a prophet, a person who saw the future, but still, why? George was the adult in the situation, so why didn't he take charge? Why did the trained Marine let Ethan take the lead? All George knew was this: Ethan had a reassuring gravitas. The young boy was a person who knew what he was doing. A person with a plan and a goal, valuable things in a world led astray. George decided to follow that person.

With such thoughts in his head, George placed a respirator on his face. He remembered some [Hypnos Dust] was still circulating in the apartment. Opening the door of the flat, he scanned the surroundings. His eyes flicked to the hardwood floor. He saw streaks of white powder spread out as if someone swept it.

George upholstered his gun. Someone was awake. They might've tried to use the [Hypnos Dust] against him. The young Marine was mindful of the closets and checked every single one. He slowly crept into the living room and saw that dust swept from the table.

-!Creak!-

Snapping his head to one side, he saw the bedroom door opening and a young man emerging from it. Within their hands was a handheld broom and a small dustpan, with traces of the dust. It was the young man named Elijah, and right behind him were his Confederate comrades. Every single one had a thin layer of sleep-dust coated on their faces, making sure that when they woke up, they would fall asleep again.

With nothing but pure instinct, George aimed his gun at the kid's chest and barked, "Drop everything your holding!! Put your hands up in the air, above your head!! Don't try that "Diehard" garbage! NOW!!"

Elijah immediately complied and thrust his arms above his head.

"Get on your knees!!"

Elijah dropped himself onto the floor.

(Should I tie him up again?)

"Wait!! I'm under the orders of the new King! I'm not allowed to hurt anyone! Please!!"

[Incarnation "George Machen" is activating their "Eyes of Truth" attribute!]

"Say it again."

"I'm under the orders of the new King! I'm not allowed to hurt anyone! I think we were all ordered to disengage from combat!!"

George saw wisps of gold emerge from the young man's mouth. It was true.

"Do you have any weapons on you?"

"No."

"Is there anything in your pockets?"

"A few things."

"Take them out. Don't try anything."

Elijah emptied the contents of his clothing. There were a few trinkets, such as a pair of keys, some old, crinkled photos, and a few bullets.

"That's all I have."

George confirmed the truth of this statement. He relaxed, sighed out, walked to the living room table, and sat down. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Unsure of what to do, Elijah sat across from George.

"You're the abolitionists, right? The people who fought against this group? The minute I woke up, I saw that there was a new King!"

As Elijah talked, he grew more excited. Hope danced on his features, and tears of joy streamed from his eyes.

"Finally, thank god, we can finally release those people. Watching day after day... watching them worked almost to death..."

Elijah's tone was heavy with sorrow. So, he was one of the young men Rupert Williams mentioned, the ones who didn't want to follow their current authority. He cried, anticipating the impending change, but his look of hopefulness was replaced with panic. After coming to a realization, he asked a question with a noticeable tremble in his voice.

"Your King... he will release the slaves, right? He'll change things, right?"

Elijah's question was followed with a brief pause. George answered-

"Don't worry, Ethan is a good per-"

(-!CRACK!-)

-but couldn't finish his sentence. Memories echoed within George's mind - they were the audio, images, the very memories that made him sick in the first place.

("Surprise, motherfucker.")

(-!CRACK!-)

("You slanty-eyed Jap bast-!!")

(-!THWACK!-)

("Please, don't kill me...")

("Sayonara, kichigai. Jigoku ni iku.")

George earned the Japanese Communication skill. So, when he heard Ethan say that to the King, his mind auto-translated the sentence.

("Goodbye, retard. Go to hell.")

(-!Kkssshhhh!-)

"Hurg!!"

"Are you okay?!"

George breathed in and out.

"I... just feel sick."

"Is it the flare zombie virus?"

"N-no. I just... saw some things."

"Do you want water? We also have some pills that can help."

"Is it poisoned?"

"No."

George confirmed the statement again.

"Yes, I would like some."

After Elijah retrieved a bottle of water and a packet of pills for George, he tentatively asked his next question.

"W-what did your King do?"

George shut his eyes again. He saw Ethan wrapping a rope so tight around a man's neck, it cracked. He saw Ethan mercilessly thrust a sword into a man's throat, even though they begged for their life.

(I-isn't that what Mathew did?)

George remembered talking to Ethan about Mathew McFarland. One of Ethan's arguing points was this: Mathew McFarland killed a man who pleaded to live. Ethan told George that the man had a wife, but McFarland still killed him. If they did the same thing in slightly different circumstances... were they any different?

(Don't think about it.)

"It doesn't matter. Yes... Ethan is a good person."

George kept looking for distant memories. He tried to remember the first time he met Ethan and the kind smile they had. The good-naturedness, the will to help him - George tried to remember everything Ethan did. The traumatized soldier wouldn't be here if it weren't for his younger comrade, and he wouldn't have recuperated in the first place. If he didn't receive help, this young Marine might've died in some ditch in the wilderness.

George clenched his eyelids harder and harder, trying to focus on the young boy. It felt.. weird. It felt like a wall was blocking him. George opened his eyes but... found himself somewhere else.

George was in an infinite void.

***

George wandered. He looked behind him and saw a tunnel. It was peculiar, but George was in an out-of-body experience. He saw himself closing his eyes across from Elijah and the youth slowly opening his mouth. It seemed time slowed in this place.

(Where am I?)

George had no voice; he only had thoughts. Why was he here? What was this place? How was he here? As if to answer his questions, he heard a young voice speaking out within this dark place, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

[The world had fallen. It was crazy, but it happened. I didn't know when it did, but it must've been at 3:AM. The witching hour.

Where was I? I was sleeping, peacefully as I could, within the dark sheets of my bed.]

(Ethan!?!)

George swore he heard Ethan's voice. He ran through this dark space until he saw a golden trail floating through this void. At the end of it was a young boy with short black hair. They wore a black rain jacket and had their back turned to George. Currently, they walked silently towards something. The Marine stared and felt memories flooding in.

He remembered being fed, being cleaned, receiving new clothes, and he remembered a young man claiming to be a prophet. He remembered the scarring Illusionary Prison and the person who saved him from it. He remembered the weird quote they said - "They will die because this 'ocean' exists, right? Then I will destroy this 'ocean'."

(Ethan!)

George ran, or thought he did, as fast as he could. He still couldn't catch up, though. Clamoring for moments, he finally saw Ethan Nakamura's final destination. It was a giant wall with a massive hole bored into it. It was nothing less of a cave. For some reason, George felt panic when he saw Ethan walk into it.

(Ethan!! Don't go there!! Don't leave!!)

As if allowing him to take significant strides, the void pushed George towards the cave but eventually stopped him - as if taunting him. As the Marine watched helplessly, he swore he heard a different voice. It sounded... feminine. He heard it as Ethan silently walked deeper into the tunnel.

("■■■■■, you need to have street smarts. You just can't make up for it by being aggressive.")

George heard a name he hadn't heard before. He heard Ethan's voice, responding with an annoyed and irritated reply.

("I do have street smarts, mom.")

("Do you, though? You're a good-natured kid, ■■■■■, so you need to learn these things to protect yourself. People take advantage of others who are too nice.")

("I'm not good-natured.")

("Yes, you are, don't lie. You were so sweet when you were younger. You can't make up for street smarts by masking it with anger.")

(Yes!! He's a good person!!)

George Machen desperately shouted. He agreed with the woman's voice. Ethan Nakamura wasn't evil. He was a magnanimous person.

(Ethan saved me!! What type of evil person would do that?!)

George pushed past the invisible barrier and was at the edge of the cave. He saw the golden light of Ethan Nakamura creeping farther in, growing dimmer. Golden light. Within the parameters of George's attribute, it showed the benevolence of a person. What did it mean for it to grow faint?

(No, don't lose that!! Don't lose what makes you good!! Don't lose what makes you human!! Ethan!!)

George was about to enter the cave, but he was stopped again. The invisible barrier was back. He pounded on it, but soon, he saw something emerge from the shadows. It held a sword. The blade wasn't red, though. It was a sword crafted from rock, darker than obsidian, darker than the void itself. The weapon appeared as if it would eat anything it pierced, anything it cut. Words, symbols, and text danced on this object. He looked at it's wielder. George whimpered from dread.

(E-Ethan...?)

It couldn't be Ethan, but it sounded like them. They were hidden within the darkness, but they had a similar stature.

(You cannot reach this place.)

As this person spoke, pieces of stone flew in front of George and stopped before reaching him. These fragments slowly built a tangible, seeable wall.

(His path is arduous. He can tread it, but you cannot.)

More fragments built themselves until George, a six-foot-tall male, had to stand on his toes. He desperately peaked over and saw this person. He activated his attribute and gasped. This person... was completely red and black. This aura... it only belonged to the most malicious people. He's seen it before. Ethan appeared like it from time to time.

George tried to look past this person and saw his savior. They grew dimmer. They were a brilliant, warm flame dying out. As they faded, the red aura of the person closer to George grew vibrant. It even grew so large that it almost lashed out of the cave - like a blazing inferno. Before it did, the final fragment fell into place, protecting George and the inhabitants in there. As it occurred, he heard the final words of that malevolent Ethan.

(He will collect the Fragments. He will make the key.)

George wept from what he heard next.

(Then he will lock himself away in his most ancient dreams.)

And so, the recently healed Marine sat there, crumbled in defeat. Thus, he was barred from a place he could never reach.

(Why!? Why can't I reach that place!?! Who are you to say that?!)

[Wh at...]

George Machen looked throughout the void and angrily shouted, "What are you?! Of course, I'm looking for you! Show yourself!"

[My go d... ho w... you mu st be thi nking of hi m so mu ch....]

(I've heard you this entire goddamn time, yapping away!!! I couldn't hear everything, but I heard enough!! You can't take him away from this world! From his mother, from me, you can't do that!!)

[I ca n.]

(Why?! Why can you?!)

[Be cause... I wa s to ld to pro te ct him. N ot you. I sh ould st op nar ra ting. Yo u ' ve se en too mu ch.]

(NO! Show me!!)

After seeing a glimpse of something he shouldn't, George Machen was sucked away from this void and into the tunnel of the present. As it occurred, he shouted angrily.

(NO! NO! STOP!)

He was helpless, though. This was a realm he wasn't destined to control. He wasn't the god of this world.

(Who are they!? Who's the god!?)

They pleaded with the voice as their consciousness returned to their mortal body. Deciding to excite this narration, the disembodied speaker spoke one more time in their first coherent sentence.

[It's a surprise.]

Thus, George Machen was banished.

***

"Sir, are you okay?!"

"What?"

George was gaining consciousness.

"You seemed to have blacked out for a second!"

"I did?" George asked.

"Yes."

"I think... I'm exhausted."

George Machen rubbed his head.

(My head hurts. Did I have a bad dream in a short amount of time?)

"I think I might've had a nightmare or something."

"Do you... remember it?"

George tried to grasp the wisps of his subconscious experience, but couldn't.

"No, I don't think so. For now, let's wait for Ethan to come. He should be here soon."

***

-[Ethan, do you need to buy some medicine? You're panting a lot.]

I was currently walking up the stairs while using Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. As I did, I felt George's thoughts. He was distressed. I saw images of myself killing the Confederate soldiers. Damnit, I must've traumatized him. He also had a thought comparing me to Mathew McFarland. I couldn't blame him. I called Mathew evil for committing crimes, but then I did the same. I was truly a hypocrite, like all humans. Everyone was a hypocrite in their manner, and the people who deny it only proved themselves wrong.

-[No, I'm okay. It's just an old man's angina acting up again.]

-[Physically, you're only fifteen. You're too young for that. Here, let me open the Dokkaebi shop. There are some heart medicine and vitamin supplements for you. I've noticed you haven't eaten anything since you were attacked by Rupert and his squad.]

I looked at the contents of the bag. It seemed like the medicine could help me in the short term.

-[Okay. Thanks.]

I bought everything, composed myself, and opened the door of this flat. I sensed the presence of someone else in there. I was the new King, so I had to appear confident. I held my back straight, flicked on the radio, told George I was here, opened the door, and stepped inside.

"Your Majesty!!"

I saw a young man a few years above my age, but way younger than George. His back was erect, and he saluted me.

"Private Johnson, reporting for duties, sir!"

"At ease."

My military training slipped in. I walked towards the table, and Elijah grabbed a seat for me.

"Here, sir."

"Thank you."

"It's my duty, sir."

"You seem accustomed to me already. Why?"

"May I speak freely, sir?"

"You may. Also, please sit."

Elijah sat down and looked at me.

"I was hoping for new leadership! What I had to partake in was wrong. Please... change what's happening..."

"Do not worry, Elijah, I have no intention of keeping the ethnic people you imprisoned as slaves anymore."

A bright look painted this man's face.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Please, inform me of the people who work in your facility. First," I placed a damaged rifle on the table, "tell me about the producers of your firearms."

"The leading engineer is Eddie Fran and his Production Division. They supply the soldiers with weapons and necessary supplies. He's also the one who made the Agrigite Gin."

"Agrigite Gin?"

"Yes, it's a machine that efficiently plucks the Agrigite petals from the flowers."

"I see."

I had an inkling of who the Constellation sponsor of "Eddie Fran" was.

"Tell me about the troops."

"We have nearly one hundred, sir. Well, had. Some people are civilians that can't fight."

"I assume that they're all Caucasian?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Old and young, are there?"

"Yes."

"What about others? The ethnic old and young?"

"They... they kept the children to raise as slaves. They sent the frail and old out of the base to die or... or-"

"Tell me."

Tears streamed from Elijah's face.

"They used the old as entertainment. They would pit them against flare zombies. The old only had one knife to defend themselves." Elijah said between growing sobs. "If the elderly could kill one flare zombie and survive, then they would be made into slaves."

"I see. How many survived?"

"Only a quarter. All that were bit... were killed."

"Besides the King, who else ruled with him?"

"General Rupert, sir. But he's MIA."

"He's not. I defeated him. He's safe and sound with some men in a Macy Mall not far from here. We'll go and retrieve them."

"Really?!"

"Yes."

"Was there any other deputy?"

"Yes. Steven's wife."

I paused. I smiled under my helmet.

"A... wife, you say?"

Elijah shivered from this change of atmosphere. Even if he couldn't see it, he must've sensed my interest perking up at the mention of a spouse.

"Y-yes, sir. She also has a son named Rubin."

"What is her name?"

"Allison, sir."

"Hahahaha."

I cackled under my helm. George and Elijah grew visibly paler, in the cold night air.

"You young men stay here."

I rose from my seat.

"I shall pay the Carson family a visit."

I turned around and walked towards the door, but George shot out from his chair and grabbed my arm.

"Please, Ethan. Don't. Don't do what I think you'll do. You're better than this. Please, you killed her husband. Spare her at least."

"George, do you know who I am?"

"You're Ethan Nakamura, a good person."

"Yes, I am Ethan Nakamura. That last part? Hm, I don't know about that. But I also have other names."

I turned around and saw the scared Elijah. Through my vocoded voice, I spoke my nicknames.

"I am the King of Chaos and Revenge. I am also the Lord of Anger. Elijah, you shall refer to me as "your Lordship" besides from "sir."

"Yes, your lordship!"

"Excellent."

I gently removed George's grasp from my arm.

"George, would you like to join my group?"

I sent an invite with the flag. If he accepted, it meant he would condone what I would do next.

"Will I still be a general?"

It was a strange question to ask because George didn't care about positions of power. He was focusing on something else. I answered simply.

"Yes."

"Will I have the power to persuade you from doing things you shouldn't?"

Bingo.

"Perhaps."

George closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He deliberated but came to a decision. Soon, a message prompt appeared in front of me.

[Incarnation "George Machen" has accepted your summoning!]

I appointed him as a general.

"Thank you, George. Don't worry. We'll change the world bit by bit."

I resumed my trek to the door.

"First, we'll start by incurring righteous wrath against the unworthy."

I opened the apartment portal.

"I'm going to visit my new kingdom. When I come back..."

I looked at Herald, who was floating in the hallway, hidden from George's sight.

"When I come back, we'll have an important conversation. All three of us."

I closed the door, signifying the solitude of my declaration. Elijah probably assumed he was the third person, but he wasn't. It would be Herald.

-[I really hope George can forgive you, Herald. Working together is the only way we can win.]

-[I hope so too.]

With such ideas dancing within my train of thought, I returned to Northwest School. I activated the flag and ordered every citizen to head to the common area.

"It's time to incur my wrath on a Karen and her spoiled son."