"Are you for real?" Frederick howled with laughter. "That's what you want to know? After that terrible information dump, you still want to know more?" The Commander chuckled like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "What about us?" he repeated Karabell's words, struggling to get them out through his laughter. "You're the best, Captain! You never cease to amaze me! Didn't you say you would save everyone? Didn't you want to help your friends? Have you forgotten already? You're curious about your past at a time like this?"
A muscle twitched in Een's jaw. He was getting angrier by the second. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He felt like he was going to throw up. One question remained unanswered. Why? The Ringleader had told them everything. But why? Did the creature simply want to pass on its knowledge? Een lay down on his back and put his hands under his head. It was too strange, and he was too tired to think. But wasn't it alright to rest? They'd finally completed their mission. They'd saved the world. Karabell and Frederick had killed the Ringleader. Nothing else mattered.
"You don't bestow knowledge upon the survivors if you don't deem it necessary. You said that earlier. So, why did you do it this time? We did kill you, but I doubt you'll stay dead," Karabell said in a somewhat threatening tone. "You won't kill us, either. You would've done that already if you wanted to."
The fur covering the creature's torso was damp with sweat. Its breathing had become even heavier. The Ringleader clearly didn't have much time left.
"Half of what you said is right, Karabell Ress," it barely got the words out. "I won't kill you. I'm tired of fighting. I've always been. I'll die soon, but I won't be able to come back. We're not immortal, and I was already nearing the end of my life. I could feel it in my bones. Even if you wouldn't have slain me, I would've died sooner or later. I was done for anyway... I first noticed it a few years ago. I had just created another Superior. The arm I'd cut off wasn't growing back. My wound wasn't healing, either. I was eventually able to regrow my limb, but the process took a little over a year. You do understand what that means, right?"
"You're done for. You can't regenerate," Een replied in the Captain's stead. "So we won. Your murderous spree is over. That perfect world you longed for... It can no longer exist."
"But what exactly will happen next?" Frederick asked with a huff. "That's the truly important part."
"Those who've come from the past have always brought about change. And change always brings about even greater change. You are strange people, certainly capable of great things," the Ringleader explained in a heavy tone. "Two thousand years ago, some of the people living on this planet simply vanished from existence. Perhaps the universe itself was also trying to maintain that balance I spoke of earlier. One by one, those persons eventually returned to this world. Naturally, people treated them like lunatics. In their eyes, those strange persons they'd found sleeping in the middle of nowhere had simply lost their minds. But that wasn't the case. They didn't lack the knowledge I'd deprived the world of. They knew too much. Of course, the topic piqued my interest. Had those people really disappeared from this world? Why had that happened? And why were they coming back? I looked into the matter. The places where those strange persons had appeared. How many things they remembered regarding their old lives. Their age, profession, even blood type. The only pattern I could notice was that they'd all disappeared at the same time. Nothing less, nothing more. That, and the fact that those people were... special. Be it scientific research or combating the Aberrations, their skills were superior to everyone else's. You're no different, Karabell. You and Marno Ress went as far as to unite humans and Aberrations in order to save everyone. In order to win. Was I wrong? Were my methods flawed? It's too late to regret my foolishness. But there was no other way. We had to fight. As their leader, I couldn't give up. All they've ever wanted was to take their world back from us, those persons of the past..."
"And it looks like they've finally succeeded. As I've said before, you creatures are done for. We've won," Commander Sel chuckled. "So stop wasting out time, would you, beast?"
The Ringleader slumped to the ground as its strength left it. The Aberration pressed its hand to its chest, and its expression dulled.
"That might not necessarily be the case. Commander Frederick Sel, you still have much to learn. You're the one who'll decide the future of this world, Captain Karabell. I sincerely believe that. But the rest is up to you. That is your duty. Alice and Een... Please, continue to watch over him. You and everyone else. I'm talking to you too, Gullinkambi," the Ringleader replied. "The freedom you desired, this world... Fate is a bit more complicated than you think. Don't worry. The watches will guide you. So have... faith."
In the next moment, the forest was gone, and they were back in the cold cave. Karabell looked around, disoriented. Frederick's coat was still lying on the ground a few meters away. So it wasn't another memory, after all. The Ringleader was gone for good. Alice and Een got up, brushing the dust off their hands and clothes. Karabell got closer to the creature. It wasn't breathing. They'd killed it. But something felt off...
"Hey, I don't mean to be rude of anything, but why's that thing still here?" Een asked, pointing his finger at Gull.
The feathered Superior hadn't vanished. Moreover, it seemed just as confused as Een. Karabell had feared something like that might happen. They'd slain the Ringleader, yet Gull hadn't passed away. That could only mean one thing. It hadn't worked. Killing their leader wasn't enough to destroy the Aberrations. It had only been an assumption from the very beginning. The creatures attacking their friends were probably alive and well, too.
"Fine, I'll do it myself," Frederick said promptly. He was already walking towards the creature with his fists raised. "I figured taking out that big guy wouldn't be enough. It was too easy. So, we'll have to take care of those small fries one by one, huh? Not a bad idea, if you ask me."