The Sanctuary Side-Story (11/17)

Nova and I walked out of her home, and instead of even making it three steps away from her deck, we were stopped by a group of six civilians. One of them being Dustin.

"Mind telling us where you're going? You've been effectively missing for over five months now, and you just plan on leaving like that? You've been a terrible leader in that time, and now you're going to leave?!" Dustin shouted out.

His personality definitely flipped.

"It was only those five months ago when you people idolized me like I was your God, and now, you want to get lippy with me outside of my home? You should step aside before things get bloody." Nova said to them.

"Nova, we can handle this without the threats. Look, guys, we're sorry, but with the looming threat of Genesis, she can't just leave her home without protection. And, it just so happens that our guards are selfish pieces of shit who don't care about their jobs, so you can't blame her for standing inside." I replied to the group, but they didn't like that answer.

Dustin clicked his tongue in irritation and stood close to my face.

"She trained those damn guards! There's nothing they can do that she can't do better! What good will it do if those dogs follow her around?" Dustin asked me.

"Nova can't fight a million enemies alone, that's why we have the guard in the first place. If Nova was an all-powerful being, don't you think that she wouldn't have established the guards in the first place? She was only ever trying to help you guys, and yet, you praise her strength so much that you hate her for it." I nipped back at Dustin with a fierce comeback, but he didn't acknowledge it. He received a piece of paper on a clipboard and handed it to Nova with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"While you were busy holing up in that home of yours, the city you built decided to strike back. Nova, as all of these signatures say, we all want you out of our home. Permanently." Dustin laid out his request and Nova stood, staring at the piece of paper, taking it, and throwing it to the side.

"Sure, not a problem. Does that mean that I'm an enemy of this city?" She asked Dustin.

I tightly grabbed her shoulder and shook my head. I knew what she planned to do if Dustin called her an enemy.

"We should talk about this later, and take some more time to consider. Nova has done too much for us, she deserves a break." I clarified for everybody, however, they weren't satisfied with my request, and claimed that it was worthless.

"Don't touch me, Kire. Tell me, Dustin, am I an enemy of the city?" She asked again.

I stood as a bystander as I watched the gears in Dustin's head move. Unfortunately, they came to a stop as Dustin confirmed her statement, and received a blow to the right side of his head from Nova's staff.

"Wrong answer. Do you want to kick me out of the city I built? Fine, but the second you decide to look at me as if I'm an enemy, is the second you lose everything you once built." She said.

"Wait! Nova, not now!" I yelled out again. She retaliated by hitting me in the leg with her staff, which cramped it and caused me to fall to the ground.

"Each and every single one of you. You praise my strength and intelligence and you have done that since I woke up on this stupid Isle. Then, the second I disappear, you make it collapse on its head and blame me for it. So be it, Dustin, if you want to blame me for the collapse of this pathetic city, then don't blame me when I destroy it even more." Nova said.

Without delay, Nova had completely forgotten about Genesis and ran over to a group of small homes further down the path. Simply smacking the logs on the side of the house that held it together, she cracked them down the middle and caused several roofs to cave in and slide off the same supports.

"Nova! Stop it! You'll hurt somebody!" I screamed out to her, but she just ignored me, moving from the house, and destroying more in her path.

"You know what, Kire? I'm glad I can trust you because at least I won't beat you within an inch of your life once I find you." Nova said.

She extended the staff with strands in her hands and walked over to Dustin and the group of five he was standing around.

She quickly slammed the staff into their sides, their heads, and their legs, forcing every single one to fall to the ground in pain.

However, she didn't stop there.

I was afraid of her if I'm being honest. I was worried about my life more than theirs. Nova hit them in the head once and caved in their skulls. The short muscle spasms underneath their bodies spoke of an untimely fate... Nova had killed the group of six.

Then, the bells started to ring. The guards I thought had all abandoned their jobs in wake of Nova's coverage of the city's defenses had all started to gather within the center of the city. It was a full-on uprising against Nova... and she didn't even look fazed by it. She was standing with dull eyes and a vicious stare.

"Go ahead, do your worst. There's not enough of you to weaken me." Nova said.

What was with this change in her personality?!

Nova seemed to be at least a little sane before she walked outside, but after she did, she was completely unhinged.

I understand to an extent. These people used to support her blindly, and now that they're all turning on her, it can be irritating, but the old Nova would talk this out, and she wouldn't have mercilessly killed people who truly didn't do anything to her.

She wouldn't listen to reason... she was toning us all out.

I was inclined to go back to my home and tell Inora to take Ra and run. Right now, Nova isn't in the right headspace to preserve lives... she still looks to be violent.

Nova turned her head away from the crowd and looked at me.

"Inora and Ra, huh?" She asked me, after reading my mind.