Chapter 22: Family is but a Lie

Two weeks after she woke up for the first time, she can officially walk again-not far, but walking, nonetheless. She can even walk to the bathroom by herself now. She was a lot more free, being able to do things herself and asking that witch who proclaimed to be her "mother" for help.

The doctors were incredibly impressed by her speedy recovery. After all, she was in a coma for a month, and now she's alive and kicking like it never happened. A doctor was having a talk with Aine's mother outside of Aine's room.

"Ms. Loi, can I have a word with you?" asked the doctor.

"Of course, doctor," answered her mother.

"Aine has made an amazing recovery; however, as you probably have noticed, she got hit with the worst case scenario," said the doctor.

"You stated that there was little likelihood that the brain injury would cause amnesia," a furious Ms. Loi retorted.

"Low, but not impossible and it happened," said the doctor.

Ms. Loi was both angry and saddened. Just when she thought she could've gotten her daughter back, she comes back with no recollection of her past and calls her a witch.

"The amnesia doesn't explain the fact that her entire personality seems to have changed," said Ms. Loi.

"Her amnesia is retrograde, so it probably could've happened," answered the doctor, equally confused.

"Retrograde or Antrograde, something happened to her. I can feel it; this is not Aine. My Aine wouldn't yap about fucking Deimos," answered Ms. Loi, absolutely ticked off.

"Deimos, as in the satellite of Mars? How would she know that?"

Back in the room, Aine was watching the television while prancing around the room. A show that she has been watching consistently these last few days was a TV show about a Michelin-starred chef going to failing restaurants and trying to fix them. The chef in question was named Cordon Hamsley and has a very particular way with words.

"Shut the fuck up, you cumrag. I'm trying to help you here, you fucking slut; do the world a bloody favor and learn how to fucking boil an egg," shouted the chef in anger from the television. Entertainment at its finest; nothing like a very well-articulated British man with anger issues crucifying dumb cooks with his words alone.

As the program ended and changed to the news, that same familiar face popped up again in the news. Juan, the priest, was on the news again for one of his good deeds. This time he was on-site in an orphanage and doing a service there.

"Today, our beloved priest, Juan, is at an orphanage spreading the hope of God. This is the third orphanage he's visiting in his two-day junket," said the news reporter. The news continued to praise the priest for his deeds, almost sickening how much he's being praised.

Aine, again, felt like she'd seen him before. Aine began trying to recall where she had seen that face. While recalling, Abaddon and Daegal's faces flashed before her, reminding her of their deaths. Aine felt angry at Deimos-how dare he kill them? How dare he violate her?

And that's where it clicked. Aine quickly looked at Juan through the screen. "Deimos!" she shouted. Ms. Loi and the doctor looked at her from outside the room.

"Juan is Deimos! That Bastard!" she continued to shout angrily. "He's been using his good deeds to make it seem he's a nice guy. Then, that means that this place is no illusion; this is another world that he's trying to conquer!"

"And he's slowly brainwashing everyone here, starting with the kids," concluded Aine. "Why else would he be visiting orphanages? He's making them his slaves."

Aine came to the only conclusion that made sense to her. Ms. Loi entered the room to a deranged Aine. Ms. Loi looked so confused. Aine noticed Ms. Loi enter the room and came up to her.

"Sorry that I threw insults your way; I was wrong," apologized Aine. Ms. Loi was even more confused now. In her perspective, Aine just changed her personality again.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Ms. Loi.

"Yes, I am," answered Aine with a straight face.

"Do you remember anything?" asked Ms. Loi, skeptically.

"I remember a lot of things, like when I got exiled in a mountain range because I almost got sent to jail," answered Aine.

"Not the memory I want," said Ms. Loi.

Aine now seems to think that Deimos is attempting to take over this innocent world, rather than that this world is an illusion that he created. Aine wanted to tell Ms. Loi about Deimos, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't understand.

"Anyways, if we're on good terms now, we can leave the hospital next week," said Ms. Loi.

"What is a hospital?" asked Aine.

"That is the building you're in," answered Ms. Loi.

Aine will be admitted out of the hospital in a week's time; until then, Aine needs to figure out how she can stop Deimos from taking over this world. Because it seems like she's the only one who knows what's going on. However, Aine also noticed that it would seem that magic just doesn't work in this world.

The week passed swiftly as Aine tried to find a way to stop Deimos. Aine learned that Deimos is beloved as Juan in this world, which will make slandering him not an option. She also noticed that he spends his time in a "church." She felt like she had heard that term before.

The "church" seems to always be filled with people every Sunday. Aine imagines that the people attending the church are Deimos' slaves, which he's already been able to accumulate thus far.

As selfless as Aine's actions seem to be, Aine was in fact only lying to herself. She didn't want to save this world; she couldn't care less about it. She wanted to go back to that sunless world and meet again with Abaddon and Daegal. They may be dead, but Aine is clinging to the hope that once she defeats Deimos, he might be able to bring them back to life and return home.

She also wanted to take revenge on Deimos. Not only did he kill all of Aine's closest friends, he also raped her in front of the ball attendants, shaming her. Aine didn't want to be scared anymore; she was going to get her revenge. It seems Aine's emotions have prevented her from making a sound plan of attack.

Now admitted out of the hospital, she gets into the passenger seat of something known as a 'car' and rides it to her "home." Down the busy streets of a dystopian-looking city for Aine. There were no huts, no guilds and no horses; there were only cars and glass buildings that were so tall they challenged the heavens.

Upon leaving the congregation of towers, they entered a place with a smaller population. The area lay on the outskirts of the city and had a lot more smaller buildings than the ones that dominated the sky.

As Aine passed through the suburbia, the car she was riding stopped in front of a certain house. The house looked absolutely alien to Aine, it had an entirely white exterior with a brown slanted roof. The two-story house had nice windows all over it and even a place where a car could be stored inside.

Aine got down from the car. The entire house was walled off with beautiful fences from the outside. In front of the house was a tiny front yard with flower beds that grew against the fencing. The grass was trim and green, looking well-maintained.

"This is your home," said Ms. Loi.

"I-I see..." said Aine as she continued to look around.

Aine eventually entered the house. With white walls and ceramic floors, the interior looked spotless. With high ceilings and a balcony from the second story looking down on the first, an open-air kitchen that oversaw the backyard, and a spacious living room with the TV Aine had seen thus far,.

"Aine, this is yours," said Ms. Loi as she handed an item that looked like a slab of glass.

"W-What is this?" asked Aine.

"You don't remember this either, huh?" said Ms. Loi in a depressed tone. "This is a phone and it was yours."

Aine took the slab of glass called a 'phone' and it turned on when she accidentally touched the screen.

"Woah, it's like a mini TV," said Aine, amazed.

The phone wallpaper revealed a picture of Aine hugging a puppy. Aine stared at the wallpaper, confused.

"This is not me," said Aine.

"But it is; that is you," answered Ms. Loi.

"This... This is a trick!" shouted Aine as she smashed the phone into the ground.

Ms. Loi looked absolutely baffled. Aine looked at Ms. Loi with a sense of distrust. Ms. Loi didn't even know how to react; she wanted to be angry to be able to correct her, but should she really be correcting an amnesiac? All of Ms. Loi stood there, getting more and more saddened by the second.

"You're working with Deimos, aren't you?" asked Aine while pointing straight at Ms. Loi.

"I don't even know who Deimos is," answered Ms. Loi.

"Liar! You're trying to brainwash me, aren't you? You're trying to make me forget about Daegal and Abaddon and everyone else in that world," shouted Aine as her stance began to look more and more aggressive.

"Aine, please. That's not true," said Ms. Loi as she tried to comfort her. Ms. Loi tried to hug her, but the maddened Aine shoved her hands away and kicked Ms. Loi in the stomach. Aine stumbled a bit as her motoric abilities have not fully recovered yet.

Ms. Loi stumbled backwards as a result of the kick and crash-landed on the couch. Aine tried her best to run out of the house; however, she fell right after she went through the front door.

She got back up quickly as Ms. Loi called for her from behind. Aine paid no attention to Ms. Loi's cries and tried to vault the fence. She failed to vault it; she went over it but fell down in the process.

Ms. Loi quickly caught up to Aine. Ms. Loi pleaded with her not to do anything too drastic. As the sun began to set, Aine's father just happened to finish work and was heading home. He saw all of this unfold.

Mr. Loi saw his wife trying to calm Aine, who was trying to run away. He rushed out of his car, not even parking it correctly, and tried to defuse the situation.

This, however, only made Aine more panicked. She couldn't run properly and looked to be being cornered by two people. They were trying to help her, but to her, it only looked like she was going to lose to one of Deimos' minions.

With Ms. Loi clinging on to her from behind and her less than optimal legs, Aine knew she wasn't going to be able to get away at this rate. She swiftly began to scream for help; although she didn't know much about this world, she knew that at least her screaming would divert some attention. Which worked, some residents began walking out of their houses to see what seemed to be, out of context, two adults harassing a teenager.

The tides shifted against the Loi family and in Aine's favor. Now, the neighborhood was witnessing all this unfold. Aine used this opportunity well; she only had one goal at this point, to get the fuck away.

"Help! They're trying to kill me," cried Aine. The neighbors reacted predictably, with some coming closer to try and defuse the situation. Some pulled out their phones and began recording this incident.

Mr. and Ms. Loi can't reason with Aine anymore. When the police called, all three of them were taken in for some questioning. Aine thought this was it; she could finally escape right here, right now. Looking at the way the police acted, Aine thought that they must be the equivalent of the guards.

They were taken to the police station, where Aine's parents were taken in for questioning. Mr. and Ms. Loi then told the officers everything about Aine's condition.

"So, she had a coma and got amnesia in the process?" asked the female officer.

"Yes, ma'am. She's been like this since she woke up a few weeks ago," answered Ms. Loi.

"Well, it doesn't seem like y'all are a lying bunch. But, if you'd excuse me, I'm going to check in with the hospital you said she was admitted to," said the female officer.

"Of course, officer," answered Mr. Loi.

Aine was in the police station lobby while her parents were temporarily detained. Aine sat on a chair in the lobby. She looked around the lobby and began devising a plan. She almost fell for Deimos' trick; she really let her guard down with her so-called "parents."

She stared blankly at the TV in the police station lobby as she thought up a plan. Something crossed her mind, Deimos is disguising himself as a priest here. Priests work in a church, which fills up with new victims every Sunday. She jumped out of her chair and quickly looked around; there was a person behind the counter.

"Excuse me, but what day is today?" Aine asked politely.

"It's Friday, darling," the female receptionist answered sweetly.

With what Aine has learned thus far about how the calendar works, Sunday is the day after tomorrow. There lied Aine's window of opportunity to strike back at Deimos. Aine needs to find a way into that church. Unfortunately, she didn't know enough about this world to think of a proper plan of attack.

Hours have passed, and night has fallen. A policewoman came back to the interogation room where Mr. and Ms. Loi are being held.

"Alright, I've confirmed with the hospital. You're free to go," said the policewoman.

"Thank you, officer," said Mr. Loi.

"Just keep her under control, or else I'll still have to charge you with public nuisance," said the policewoman.

"Alright, officer," answered Ms. Loi.

Mr. and Ms. Loi walked towards Aine, who was in the lobby. Mr. Loi let out a long sigh and said, "Let's go home."

"But why aren't you locked up?" shouted Aine as she got up from her seat, ready to fight again.

"We didn't commit any crimes," answered Mr. Loi.

"You tried to kill me!" retorted Aine.

"We did no such thing," said Mr. Loi.

Ms. Loi, at this point, only had her palms on her face as she shook her head. She knows that she has to somehow convince Aine to go home; however, the situation has grown out of her control. While Mr. Loi really wanted to just get mad and drag Aine into her room, however, what good will that do?

This was not what Aine was expecting; what can she do at this point? This outcome was less than favorable for her. In the last few weeks in this world, she pretty much concluded that she was bound to them. She had no escape.

"Aine, please, just cooperate with us," pleaded Ms. Loi.

"Fine! I surrender," said Aine, who had no other options.

Aine knew that this world also ran on money, like that sunless world. She had no money, she truly had no other option than to just surrender. It's better to have a roof over her head for the night than to live out on the streets.

And so, Aine followed the Loi family back to their home. She entered the home with a lot more vigilance, ready to retaliate anytime they try to do anything funny.

"Aine, you can go up to your room. We'll get your dinner," said Mr. Loi.

"Your room is upstairs. Here, let me show you," said Ms. Loi.

Ms. Loi took Aine upstairs and pointed at a door. Aine walked through the door and closed it behind her.

"There's a light switch on the wall left of the door," said Ms. Loi from behind the door. Aine looked around to find a little button next to the door. She clicked it, and the room proceeded to light up like the sky.

She looked around the room. There was a tall cupboard with dresses and clothes inside; a single bed with plain white bedsheets, a pillow and a blanket; a table with a lot of books and stationary on top of it; and a window over the table that looked out to the suburbia.

Twenty minutes passed, and someone was knocking on Aine's door. It was Ms. Loi, bringing Aine her dinner. Immediately, Aine suspected something from the dinner.

"There's no way this isn't poison," Aine said as she looked at the beautifully cooked steak and fries. It smelt amazing though, it could still very well still be poisonous.

Aine was famished however, and the steak had an enticing aroma, an aroma that warmed the heart and calmed the mind. She was weak-minded and caved. She proceeded to take a bite from the steak and have some fries. It tasted as good as it smelled.

She demolished her plate, leaving not even the crumbs. With the end of the day drawing near and nothing else to do, she decided to look around her room some more.

On the table were books, and she began reading one of them. The book she was reading, in reality, was a highschool textbook about chemistry. It talked about all sorts of subjects that Aine knew nothing about. From pH, to Redoks, to Electrolysis. It all looked like gibberish to Aine.

Eventually, her eyelids grew heavy. With nothing else to do, she changed to a more comfortable outfit that she found from thrashing her wardrobe and headed to bed. Not before locking her window and door to make sure no one sneaks in.