LOCATION - BETRAYAL 1

|Location: Wasteland, center. |

-NUK-

I continued my search for Zero and Día inside the restricted forest. This specific part of the wasteland is a place that's much more dangerous than the ruins that we visited but as long as we maintained distance it would be safe. But now I'm searching for them in this very place.

"Just where did those two go?" I continued my search at a constant speed hoping that I'll find something that will help me find those two, who knows how many things that lurk in this part of the wasteland, I just hope that I'm wrong in this one.

[We need him Nuk.] I suddenly had a flash of memory of my sister back before she died.[You can't trust.] along with what my uncle said.

Why am I recalling these now? Fighting for my place here with my siblings was always my goal but now I'm having second thoughts because of what's happening right now, especially what that hypocrite said.

I can't believe how messy my mind is right now because of that brat.

"Ha–. I swear Zero if I found you, even if you're strong I'll smack you head." Despite my inclination towards my foul emotions I should still remain head level at times like this. I can't afford to make a mistake.

I continued to look for them in different areas I think they could have gone to but no matter where I go it only led me to a fruitless encounter, at this point I have no choice but to try and bet their luck that I won't find them there at least.

And the very location in my mind is where an accident took place many years ago where my mother lost her life saving me. "Please don't be at that place."

I immediately rushed towards the center of the wasteland where the humongous dead tree resides.

Leaping through boulders and sliding down the trees, I tried my best to be as fast as possible hoping I'll meet them on the way.

The darkness continued to engulf my way but thanks to my seismic abilities I could still see in the dark, though it's the bare minimum, but it helped me keep my pace. Using everything I've got I jumped from one tree to another. Using my abilities always consumed stamina but right now I could barely feel it being drained. "This regulator Hansel tinkered worked wonders, I can't believe my stamina is barely consumed when I use my ability."

Despite that positive moment, anxiety soon slapped me back into reality when I was already halfway to the center and I couldn't see any traces of Zero and Dia. my heart pounded so loudly that It echoed through my ears. And my hands trembled in fear thinking something already happened to any of them. The thought of seeing that thing again dragged a strong feeling of chill through my back.

No, no. I better not entertain such thought Dia might be okay, but what if something did happen. I don't even know what I can do if anything where to befall them.

I continued with haste.

After a while something finally got caught in front of my eyes, a ray of light that I never noticed before suddenly appeared and I was certain it was never there before.

My heart started to pound as loud as it could in response to my increasing uneasiness because of what I saw. I could only hope that this feeling could be wrong.

I finally arrived at the scene and it's the same as it was many years ago. Barren land, a huge crater, and a tree. However the only thing that is not right is this tree seems to be alive and healthy. If my memories serve me right, that tree was long dead and a god sits beside the tree and guarding it, but not only is the tree looks alive even the body of that god is nowhere to be seen.

Despite its majestic glow when I look at the tree It only gives me a sinister feel. I immediately rushed down into the crater and made my way towards the tree and what greeted me when I got there was something I never could have hoped for.

Dia was standing in front of Zero's body as it slowly merged into the tree. She turned around to my direction with a slight grin on her face, I immediately felt something was wrong right away. How her face looked at me with contempt and when her eyes changed from emerald to this bright golden color, I instinctively knew I needed to be wary.

"Look who showed up." Dia walked towards my direction and despite her being in front of me, she felt nothing like her usual self. I can't sense my hot tempered and lovely sister.

I felt uneasy with what's happening right in front of me, I took a step back as my sweat slid down from my cheeks. I swallowed by spit and made sure I stayed vigilant.

It wasn't that hard to think that she had something to do with Zero's situation right now. So it took a bit of courage from my part, but I tried to ask. "Dia what's going on? What did you do to Zero?"

Despite asking her that, I have my doubts.

"I'm offended brother!" Slamming her hand against her chest, her eyes looked at me with pity and her brows furrowed, she looked at me in disbelief. I was stunned by the sudden change in her attitude. But not even a second later her expression changed again. "I guess there's no point in acting."

Strange golden markings suddenly appeared and began crawling around her body, her pupils shrunk and the grin on her face only got wider. I could hear her giggling from where I stood.

Is this the Dia I knew? No something's not right, how can that thing be her. She would never act like this. Right! The tree must have done something to her. Or better yet something must be possessing her body right now, is it the? No that can't be.

There's a chance that the person in front of me is my sister, but I can't be sure just yet. There's still the possibility that something is possessing her or that might not be her.

"You, who are you!?" I said.

The thing in front of me started laughing at the top of its lungs. It dropped on its knees and started hitting the ground which created this loud metallic banging sound that echoes throughout the place. It went off for a while. But out of nowhere It stopped, looking towards my diffraction gave me a stare and using Dia's voice it said to me with the warmest expression. "Is it really hard to believe that I'm your sister?"

I clenched my chest when it said that and used Dia's face and voice. Right there at that moment I felt a sharp blade piercing my heart. "Dia would never do this kind of thing."

"Right, the Dia you know would never do such a horrendous thing." Its voice had countless fluctuations everytime it talked, only convincing me that it was not Dia. Then suddenly it closed its eyes and acted really pitiful. "But brother, what horrendous thing? Did I do something bad?"

That again using Dia's voice, everytime it does that I feel like it's mocking me.

"Stop doing that." I could feel my blood boiling out of anger towards that creature. "You! No you're not her! You are not my sister!"

I started manifesting an earthen knife using my seismic ability, hiding it behind my back. I'm slowly making my way towards that thing ready to strike with everything I've got the moment I see an opening.

"But brother, that's where you are wrong, you see. Argh! Ah! ough!" It suddenly acted in pain, then a spew of red blood came out from its mouth and I immediately knew that's my chance to strike. Without wasting a movement I rushed forwards with my blade aiming to its neck, ready to strike it down in one move. "Brother? What happened to me?"

I immediately freezed in shock, Dia's original face suddenly appeared out of that impostor, she looked at me with a painful expression. She suddenly fell flat on the ground and started coughing.

"Dia! Are you okay?" I rushed to her side and tried to assist her. Her body felt cold and her breathing seemed unstable. For a moment I was about to kill what I thought was an impersonator. My hand was shivering when holding DIa. The thought of killing my only sister by my own hands felt like a boulder had hit me. "We need to free Zero, I'm sure something is messing with our mind right now."

Now I'm certain something is possessing Dia, but what happened? Was there some kind of rejection? I don't know exactly but I'm sure this is connected to that tree, we must hurry and leave this place.

I carried Dia behind my back and made our way towards the tree where Zero is being slowly swallowed by it. I placed Dia down for a moment when I suddenly heard her groaning in pain.

"Ah! Brother my head." Dia said to me as she tried to pull me to her side.

"Don't worry Dia, when I get Zero out of here we will get somewhere far from this place. Everything here might turn us crazy." I said to her,

I immediately tried my best to pull Zero out of the trunk but it was gripping on him really tightly. I looked at his situation but I can't help wanting to hit this brat at this instance, I'm sure he's the reason why Dia is here, she must have followed him. Now we are in this mess and Zero looked like he was very comfortable sleeping in this trunk, looking at how peaceful his face is. I really have the urge to punch him.

I again felt that Dia tried to pull me to her side, I tried to ignore her but suddenly she strongly pulled me to her side that I couldn't even resist her.

Falling to the ground beside her, she looked at me. "But brother, I'm sane!"

"What?" before I could even react she suddenly punched me in the air and kicked me towards the ground.

"Sike!" she said before she started laughing frantically.

I roughly rolled around before my back hit the ground. "Ah! Ugh!"

I tried my best to stand up, I can feel that I broke a rib or two. But it was at this moment that I am certain that whatever this thing is, it is not Dia. The moves it did just now, the way it lifted me up effortlessly, and the strength of her kick is not something Dia will never be able to do.

This is only possible if you are an apostle or a strong sightseer.

"HAHAHAHA!!" That thing looked at me with its eyes and mouth grinding against each other as if it felt ecstasy from what it just did. "I can't believe you fell for that, stupid!"

I can't believe that I got fooled by that thing but atleast I won't feel any remorse if I manage to scratch that thing up. "Ugh! Now I'm certain y-you a-re not Di-Dia."

The kick made me realize that I would be helpless against it with the power it showed me just now, but I can't stop trying.

"Are you still on with how I'm not Dia this Dia that? How about I tell you a story just to convince you that I'm your sister then. How about that?"

Just what the hell is this saying? It's impossible for Dia to have this kind of ability. I was there when she was still a child, why does it continue to insist that it's my sister?

What am I thinking? I should focus on saving Zero and look for Dia. I hope she's somewhere safe at least.

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