Through the crowded streets of the Evolutionary Capital, Azazel and Katie walked.
Their eyes were red with tears, cheeks stained with fluid, they strutted down the open road with disregard for any driving cars. The normal citizen wouldn't watch their bodies if this were a usual occurrence… but something called out to them.
Something inexplicable, likely originating from the beyond. The plentiful eyes of the masses peeking from their apartment windows, stopping in their walking tracks against the sidewalk, and even at the bus stop all watched the moving bodies of the Detective with his daughter.
While continuing to walk down the road, Katie turned her head. The Evolutionary citizens followed them both, intending to reach the same destination the relatives aimed toward.
"What's wrong with them?" She looked up at her father and asked.
"They're the same race as us, remember? They don't know it but they sense it: their savior is gone."
Katie lowered her head, consistently silent until her closed mouth unleashed a hum. The sunset lingering in the distance descended, lessening its radiance as it dropped behind the mountains. By the time the moon had already risen, the glistening stars barely shone on her face once she entered the Tower's front doors. Maybe it was the same as it'd always been—maybe Katie was delusional, as that moment of decapitation played repeatedly in her head.
'There's something inside of me that's uncontrollable. Despite what I'd witnessed and however many times I remember its gruesomeness, I can't escape this unexplainable sensation.'
She hadn't even noticed her dad's hand pushing open the door to the staircase. Looking up to the abundance of steps, a flickering light consistently brightened and dimmed her features. Then, her head lowered, watching as Azazel walked up the steps. Soon, she followed—subconsciously continuing walking while those thoughts returned, as loud as her voice.
'I wonder what Ace and June are gonna say.' Katie then snickered, 'Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't care at all. It's not like August was dad of the year or something.' she thought, smiling.
"We're here," her father announced.
By the time she realized she'd stopped walking, they'd already reached the top of the stairs. She froze upon processing his words.
"A-already?" She nervously asked.
"Unfortunately," he replied, hand on the meeting room's doorknob.
"Does that mean I have to tell my cousins… about August?" She asked, this time sweaty instead of teary.
"Of course not. There's absolutely no way I'd let you take the blame for such a thing," Azazel said, turning the knob.
She had little time to prepare herself and yet she still did: as much as she could without frustratedly crying. Taking procedural breaths, rapidly inhaling and quickly exhaling, she started jogging in place. Seconds away from opening the door, Azazel glanced over his shoulder and took one last look at his daughter's face. Surprisingly, he saw her jogging in place and panting to ready herself. Despite the grim situation, she waved to her dad immediately and then went right back to idly jogging.
"Yup, you're related to Ace, alright," muttered Azazel.
After that final whisper, the doorknob was turned and the meeting room's familiar insides were revealed once more. Upon realizing who stood between the doorframe, the scattered members of Riot swarmed the father and daughter. Ace, June, Kima—all faces she adored so purely, aggressively pleading for that question's single answer.
"Did Alex win?"
August's decapitation replayed at her mind's forefront. Turning her head, attempting to forget the memory, she held her mouth as chunks of hurl poked out her cheeks. Ace's eyes immediately widened. The curious trio of his sister and girlfriend looked to the redhead before stepping away.
"I'm sorry, Katie. Are you okay?" Ace asked.
Swallowing the puke via one big gulp, she held onto a nearby wall. Following her nodding head, she cleared her throat. Then, her mouth opened; parted lips hissing out her retort.
"Mhm. I'm fine. Alex is too but…" she paused and then inhaled heavily, to June's surprise. "He's injured. August kinda did a number on him."
Excluding Katie, the three turned to Alex, having been placed upon the table in the center; currently being healed by Hana. Once enough of his bloody, disfigured features finally regenerated, they looked back to Katie.
"And what about dad? Did Alex manage to beat him using the strategy we planned?" June wondered aloud excitedly.
Katie stepped forward. "No!" she suddenly yelled.
Her friends weren't the only ones surprised by her loud reaction. From all around the room, the prying eyes of her older comrades targeted her.
'They're all… looking at me…'
It replayed once again. That unforgettable scenery she witnessed so powerlessly. Her head shaking, her hands moved like snakes, slithering up her body and skin before tugging at her hair. Fingers tightening around her throat, she choked. At first, Ace was frozen. Then, he jolted forward and removed her hand from her neck.
"Katie! Wh-what're you doing?! Why're you trying to hurt yourself?!" Ace questioned her limp body in his arms.
Katie choked up while staring at her redheaded cousin. Instead of hyperventilating continually, she finally found the courage to speak the truth, "August… August is—"
"I killed him. Like we planned, August was slaughtered and the worst-case scenario was effectively avoided," Azazel finished.
While the Evolutionary brass remained quiet and somber, Kima stepped back. It was almost like she'd expected Ace and June to lunge forward. Having stolen Katie from the ginger, the black-haired girls rested against a wall and awaited the chaos.
"I apologize to you two, but I will explain to you now. I know it seemed like I was cooperating with Riot, but it was necessary if we wanted our plan to succeed over yours—" Azazel walked toward the siblings while explaining, fully expecting a punch to the jaw.
Then, his expectations shattered. Neither of them dared to punch or slap the Detective. Instead, their arms snuck around his frame and embraced his anatomy. The hug was tight and warm; the siblings were comfortable enough to nestle their faces into Karlo's neck.
"W-why're you hugging me?" asked Azazel, reluctantly embracing them back.
He looked at Katie and Kima. Kima shrugged her shoulders with a clueless expression painted over her beauty. Katie, irregularly immobile, leaned against Kim's shoulder; cheek squishing against the lady's body.
Ace and June stepped back, the younger of the two wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Why?" Azazel's voice cracked as he asked.
Preparing to explain, Ace raised his finger. Just before he could, the sobs entering the air stopped. Azazel abruptly felt his legs wobble and collapsed to his knees, sunken into the ground. Tears coursed down his cheeks, dreading the weary circumstances surrounding his brother's murder.
"Why…?" He moaned.
At the sound of her father's cries, Katie awoke and jumped to his side.
Rubbing his back, she softly asked, "What's wrong, dad?"
Throwing his hands from his face, Azazel cried into the ceiling: "GODDAMMIT!!"
His unexpected yell sent Natalia and June to cover their ears. Jefferson, standing beside Smith, wearily anticipated what followed. Meanwhile, Hana, her hands on Alex's skull healing his injuries… felt a tear escape her eye. Kima, detaching her back from the wall, stepped forward, curiously to the detective's elaboration.
"Everything that's happened is… so unforgivable! We've done horrible things for the sake of an unattainable dream we falsely parade as 'freedom'! If the price to pay for that freedom, to end the hatred beyond the Island and the Capital is this end then—"
"I understand where you're coming from but there's no discussing this. You knew my father better than anyone, I live by his words every day. Even still, after everything that's happened and thanks to the situation we're in right now, I can't cry. Maybe it's because I didn't live with him long enough or something unexplainable…" Ace wondered after interrupting his uncle.
"August's selfless inconsideration killed him. He instilled ignorant hope within the masses, hoping to inspire them with spectacles and dazzlement. In his hubris, he lied to their faces and promised them a future of survival. The Evolutionary Capital would be reconstructed under the rule of the Requiem Reaper and be rebuilt under the New Requiem Empire. That's what they hoped. The only reason we were able to go outside the walls is that it's what the citizens voted for. We've done unforgivable things but there's nothing we can do about it now. This word is cruel. Right and wrong are mixed in between—no one knows what to do anymore,"
Katie mindlessly rumbled as her eyes shone: her face to the floor. Azazel looked to his daughter with curious eyes, noticing her abrupt pause. Then, her mouth opened once more, ignoring the aberrant silence.
"But we do. After everything that's happened, I still want to believe… that what's right is believing in myself."
Katie's head raised. That hopeful sparkle glistening inside her pupil sent Azazel's pupils quivering. Just one look at her face and he could see it. The very same thing that pushed the generations forward up until this moment, including himself. And so, the detective stood up, his child helping with a hand on his back.
Eyes moving from his daughter beside him, he examined the familiar faces of the children before him, including the likes of his niece and nephew. In all of their eyes, they held that same ignorant hope, even after everything they'd been through. After the time he took to analyze their faces, his head fell in tandem with a tiny sneer.
At the sound of his brief laugh, their eyebrows collectively raised.
"Some time ago, before any of us existed, the world thrived. Under Emperor Rivera's reign, the Requiem Empire stood elite; at the top of the world. Somehow, I knew him longer than both his sons. And because of that, I knew him as well as his daughters, his brother, his sister. Or maybe… maybe I knew him even better. He was the type of person to sacrifice a world for his loved one's survival. Not because it was what he wanted, but because he thought it was what he should've done. His duty. Alex broke that chain. He wants to live despite everything terrible that's occurred, whether it was because of Ben or not. But August didn't. He only perpetuated it. I think, before he died, he realized that to some extent. That's why when he did perish, he did it with a smile. He was finally happy. After a lifetime of oppression, death, and destruction, he was finally free."
Azazel looked to Ace and June. Katie stepped away, watching her father step closer to his niece and nephew.
"I could never support what you wish for. Despite the threat of Retly, I don't wish for the entire world to perish. Genocide is wrong. There are no buts. We will fight alongside one another if they attack, but if you resort to that plan again and we find out about it… you'll be exiled from the Evolutionary Capital for good." Azazel turned to Katie, "That goes for all of you." he said.
Just as the consequences started sinking in for them, a masculine voice intruded upon their conversation.
"I'd like to see you try," said Alex, his arm draped over Hana's nape.
"So," Azazel turned around, "you're still alive."
"Yeah. Thanks for your concern but I can't die yet. Not until the future's secured. That moment of truth will inevitably occur, whether you like it or not. After all, I saw it, three years ago. The shadow of the Tower will loom over the horizon and obliterate everything hateful unfortunately existing in this damned putrid world.
That's… Death."
To Be Continued.