Chapter 103: Bringing Back Melissa
"Mum, Dad, you called?" Mackenzie asked as she walked towards them
"Kenzie? Oh...yea. I did call you" Sloane said before looking at Josey "You too"
"Did something happen?" Mackenzie asked nervously, as she sat on the chair beside Nathan "You both look worried"
'Worried? With those faces?' the others wondered and Nathan gave Allen and the others a side glance
'That's the 'could you give us a moment' glance' Jerald thought as he was the first to leave. He pulled with him, Natasha and Cassandra, while Allen left by himself before shutting the door.
"Mum?" Mackenzie repeated
"Josey, how much about your creation do you know?" Sloane asked
"Not much" Josey said while taking a seat on the sofa "All I know is that I was created in a lab by Leon Michelle, some hundred years before you were born. And my sole purpose, is to separate your spirit seed from your body, if it ever goes out of control. Other than that and the fact I can only use my powers six times before I die, I don't know much"
"Did Leon tell you that?"
"Yeah. That's as much as he told me" Josey said
"Ah...[She fumbled with her fingers]...Josey, in your future, there is a possibility that mum and dad will have to kill you" Mackenzie said nervously and Josey's relaxed expression disappeared, while Nathan and Sloane stared at her in shock
"Why would you both have to kill me?" Josey asked
"I...[she groaned]. Josey, your body is connected to Leon's" Sloane said "At any moment in time, he can take over your body. With the way I currently have him cornered, he might use that as a last resort to stop us from attaining victory. Mr James actually sent me a letter informing me of this and also asking that I keep you away from strategy meetings"
"So, even after how much I tried to run away from being a weapon, the reality is that I can't escape" Josey said bitterly as she clenched her fists "I'm truly pathetic. I can't even fight alongside my cousin now"
"Apparently, that isn't where it ends" Nathan said "Inside of you is a large storage of magic power. If Leon so much as pleases, he will detonate you like a heavy artillery magic bomb" he said
"When are you going to confine me?" Josey asked
"I won't" Sloane said "I'll prevent death from being your only ending"
"Sloane...you're too kind for your own good" Josey said "If the time ever comes, Nathan, I hope that you end my life. I'd be much happier that way" she smiled and stood up to leave "Well then, excuse me" she bowed and left immediately after shutting the door
"You have...something devastating to tell me too. Don't you?" Mackenzie asked while looking at Sloane
"How did you know about Josey?" Sloane asked
"I had a premonition when I woke up this morning" Mackenzie said "In that premonition, you killed Josey and cried without end. When I tried to look into other futures...dad, grandpa, Christian, Alexa, Mary....each one of you had to kill Josey. The last premonition I looked into, she killed herself" she fidgeted with her hands "When you suddenly called the both of us, I could already tell it would probably be the reason as to what would cause that future"
"Kenzie..." Sloane said sadly and Mackenzie stretched over the table to hold Sloane's hand
"I'm all grown up. Whatever it is, I think I can handle it" Mackenzie said with a smile
"Your original family..." even though Mackenzie had put it like that, Sloane still couldn't bring herself to say a word
"Kenzie...your original family died while knowing they were going to die" Nathan said and Mackenzie stared at him while he took her other hand "Your original mother had predicted every member of your family's deaths. Except, you and Sloane's deaths weren't among them. Then, they did everything within their power to make sure that future remained unchanged because, if any of them were to still be alive during this time, everyone in the settlement would be dead. I know this is hard to-"
"Okay" Mackenzie said with a sigh "They gave me a chance to be surrounded by lots of people who love me. To me, my former family will forever be heroes. [She smiled] This is my current family and I plan on treasuring it to the best of my abilities"
"This girl..." Sloane started as she got up from her seat and walked around the table before pulling Mackenzie into a hug "...you're really something" she said as the door swung open
"Oops. Am I disturbing your family moment?" Priya asked as she walked into the office with Timothy
"Nope. I was just about leaving" Mackenzie said as Sloane pulled away from her
"Why don't you stay here?" Sloane asked "It's quite boring"
"You and dad are busy. I don't want to disturb" Mackenzie said as she got up from her seat "I will of course sleep in dad's room tomorrow" she said before running out of the study
"I've noticed she likes sleeping with you more than she does, me" Sloane said as she returned to her seat
"I try not to spoil her too much" Nathan said "Same with you"
"We're really sorry if we're disturbing you two" Timothy said as he shut the door to the study
"It's fine. Honestly" Nathan said
"So, what did you bring for me?" Sloane asked as Priya took a seat opposite her
"Nothing exactly. Just Zuri's file" Priya said as she dropped a file on the desk "I also came to ask when you plan on fixing Melissa"
"I'll do that as soon as I'm done here" Sloane said while clearing her desk, before taking a look at the file "How's Zuri's condition?"
"Her skin has finished regenerating. And she seems to be more comfortable...she even moved her fingers today" Priya said "Christian was glad"
"When do you think she'll wake up?" Sloane asked
"Unlike King Lucard, Zuri's wake up time can not easily be determined. She's only been in a coma for three days. And then, there's what she went through" Priya said "The fact that she even moved her fingers today, after all that pain, goes to show how much of a fighter she really is"
"The good thing about her recovery is, there have been no complications ever since she lost her powers" Timothy said
"Come to think of it, what happened to those who were being controlled?" Nathan asked
"The soldiers fighting that day had move those people to the hospital earlier this morning" Timothy said "They wanted to interrogate them, but each of the people being controlled were in critical condition"
"What happened?" Sloane asked surprised
"Their case was just like Zuri's" Priya said "It's a miracle you didn't have to take their powers. The level of corruption seemed to have been recent and only consumed one to two organs....each of which I had to replace today" she stretched her arms while rolling her eyes "My arms hurt a lot"
"How odd" Sloane said
"They had experimental scars" Timothy said "And the organs implanted in them, were all organs of lower ranked devils"
"What did you say?" Nathan asked
"They had the organs of devils implanted in them. Judging by how carefully placed it was, I can tell that these people were all used by my father, for his experiments. Leon Michelle really seems to be rewarding that bastard well" Timothy said with a saddened smile before he sighed "Those people were using their own magic to try and fight back the corruption. Thanks to all their efforts, they didn't end up as bad as Zuri. Even the vampires were lucky"
"But you still feel responsible" Priya said
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't" Timothy said and Sloane dropped the file before standing up
"I'll head to the hospital" Sloane said before snapping her fingers "Wait right here". Silver light swirled around her as she was instantly teleported.
******
Inside the hospital
Clark, Fernanda and Mary were just rounding up and preparing to leave when, the scent of flowers and sea breeze filled the air.
"You're here early" Fernanda said while handing some files to Mary. She didn't even need to turn around to know Sloane was there.
"Were you expecting me?" Sloane asked while some of the patients sat up to greet her "Don't bother. You're all not doing well. Please get some rest" the patients without second guessing it, went back to laying still
"When Priya and Tim left to make a report, we pretty much guessed you'll be here in a few minutes" Clark said "But to think you'd come immediately...wow"
"I'll be quick. I simply came to heal them, have them registered and leave" Sloane said "I'm still making preparations for our counterattack, so time is of the essence. Can you lead me there?"
"I'll take you" Fernanda said before turning to Clark "You guys can head back to the castle without me"
"Okay" Mary said, as she and Clark left through a portal
"This way" Fernanda said as she lead Sloane to the back room where critically injured patients were kept "Most of the people who were once here, were moved to the first area, after they opened their eyes. Other than Zuri and Demon General Melissa, the only other people in this area are the ones who were controlled during the war"
"I heard about their situation from Tim, 'They had organs from lower ranked devils implanted in them', is what he said" Sloane said
"That's correct" Fernanda said "The interesting thing about it is, the organs implanted into the patients' bodies. The organs were carefully placed and stitched" she paused and turned to look at Sloane "Tim's father made it seem like the organs were always there to begin with. Even the scars were barely noticeable, but Tim could tell his father's handwork from afar. Four hundred and fifteen lives could have been lost due to the control being broken"
'The devil working with Leon probably slipped in after Scott's birth and was building an army of lower and mid rank devils while controlling others' Sloane thought 'The implanted low ranking devil organs, were just an insurance for total control over those who don't wish to fight their allies. While the others who willing fought us, were those who were greedy for power, and couldn't stand my parents. I might have to think my plan over again'. She sighed loudly, "What a pain" she said
Fernanda chuckled at her words, "Who exactly would you like to meet?"
"I'll go to all of the rooms except Zuri's" Sloane said "You can take me to any room of your choosing...except Zuri's" as soon as she said that, Fernanda opened the room in front of them and they both walked in.
On the bed, was Melissa's body. The woman looked so peaceful while sound asleep with long tresses that reached her waist, her her hands on her chest. She looked a bit old due to all the wrinkles and her pale skin. Not much beauty compared to before Sloane's birth and a mating mark on her left wrist.
'Xavier must have left that' Sloane thought when she saw the mark "They hadn't even been married for a month when this happened to her" she mumbled
"Here's her soul" Fernanda said as she carried over a black cage with an eerie, floating blue orb, inside. "It was pure luck that the one who wanted to take over her body was carrying it around"
"In order for soul possession to be complete, the soul of the body being kept for possession, needs to be present"
"Why?"
"The invading soul needs a place to keep the original body's soul" Sloane said "In other words, the invading soul will need to possess a dead body at first. Then, with the help of the dead body, extract the soul of a living person and put in a cage. The invading soul will then possess the living body and move the original soul of the body, into the dead body it once possessed. Then, using the body that it invaded, the invading soul will kill the original soul which has been moved into the dead body"
"Then that means..." before Fernanda could even complete her sentence, Sloane nodded. "I see. Demon General Melissa is quite lucky"
"It isn't luck. One of her abilities, is to rewrite fate itself" Sloane said as she directed her hand at the cage and the bars, bent. The floating orb left the cage and came towards her, "With her powers, my plans to make things peaceful again...might just work out" she said as she walked towards Melissa
Sloane held the orb in one hand while in the other hand, a tiny silver light appeared on her index finger. She moved that finger above Melissa's chest and began to draw some patterns with utmost concentration.
'Two years in the Spirit King's library has made me quite familiar with any type of spirit magic. Including, soul returning' she thought as she continued to draw the pattern 'Once I make this curve, this is meant to light up' she finally made a curve on the pattern and it lit up, outing all of the other lights in the room.
The orb began to fade in the none existent wind and the patterns Sloane had drawn, turned teal. The patterns faded into Melissa's body and at a rapid pace, her skin began to regain its youthfulness and she opened her eyes. The other lights in the room came back on and like a fish out of water, Melissa gasped as she sat up.
Melissa was coughing as she struggled to breath. Fernanda hurriedly pour a glass of water for her, while Sloane rubbed Melissa's back. When Melissa stopped coughing, and her breathing became steady, Fernanda help her to drink the water
"Slowly. Please" Fernanda said and Melissa glanced at her as she drank it. "Your power is really something else, Sloane"
"You're only saying that because Nathan hasn't awakened his full power yet" Sloane said and Melissa brought her hand to push the glass of water away
"I'm sorry, but who are you people?" Melissa asked