We all sat around a wooden table, the only one cleared of weapons.
I was surprised things hadn't escalated to an out-of-hand situation back there. Instead of fighting each other and starting up a ruckus, Eli talked about 'what happened after he left.' It went pretty smoothly. Something like:
"You know everyone has changed a lot since you left."
"And?"
"I just wanted to tell you. We don't do that kind of stuff anymore."
"Ah."
Eli didn't say anything else after that. It seemed like Jay didn't want to involve himself with those past memories any longer. I was a bit relieved since I didn't want to have any drama disturbing my plan. Though, I felt a sense of pity, well- not exactly, it was more so sympathy. Poor guy. It looks like his life wasn't easy back then… And the apocalypse definitely isn't much help with the current situation.
When Eli understood I was an 'infected', he became a lot friendlier and would even hold my shoulder as a sort of buddy-buddy gesture. He also didn't inquire any further information and asked me to politely follow him. Usually, Jay would've had to stay here, but since he was already with me he was able to join us.
"So, what's your deal?" Asked Eli, the blond haired boy.
Why would I tell him what I wanted to tell the boss? Like, mind your own business, man. I had the right to meet with him.
It was most likely for security purposes, so I didn't think much of it.
I explained my idea; that in exchange for letting the 'prisoners' escape, we would agree to have an alliance with the boss and the 'higher ups' and help them survive in this world. I knew it was a lot to ask, but as an 'infected' I could prove to be useful in certain events and Jay was athletically inclined. I also mentioned Lilianne and Sasha, though I didn't talk about her current mental state. I presumed that perhaps, he would consider her a burden and refuse my proposition.
While I was talking, Eli stared at me with interest. He seemed quite focused on my speech. Perhaps he was moved? It felt as if he was totally psyched for my idea and was eager to accept my offer. When I stopped speaking, he smiled and gave a nod of acknowledgement.
"Alright, that seems like a great deal." He stood up and continued with the conversation,"I'll go have a talk with the boss and see what happens. I'll try to set something up so you can meet him."
He left for the back area of the shop while Jay and I remained, awaiting for his return.
Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into an hour. What was going on? Had this simply been a plan to fool us into waiting for nothing? Or perhaps were they waiting for the right time to get rid of us? Would we actually meet the boss?
I nervously looked at Jay. I could see his leg shaking and his fingers tapping against the table rapidly. Considering his movements, he probably shared the same thoughts. Although, he seemed much more on edge than me. It had been around a month since we last left and he didn't know if Lilianne was safe or not. Additionally, the meeting with Eli probably wasn't a pleasant surprise, even if I didn't know what happened between them two. I was compelled to ask, but the timing wasn't quite right, as it might be another sensitive topic for him. With that in mind, I held my tongue. I didn't want to cause him to be more distressed than he already was.
Finally, after nearly two hours, Eli came back.
"What took you so long?" Jay demanded, frustration lacing the edge of his voice.
"My bad, my bad. He's kinda old, alright? Give the man a break. Also- he's like… kinda hard of hearing so I had to explain it to him like 500 times. He's kinda senile, y'know. He's like a breath away from death."
I knew it. It was just some crazy old man hungry for power that took over this place. I was, to an extent, relieved. I nodded in response to Eli.
"What did he say?"
The blond-haired boy plastered a bright grin and shot a thumbs up enthusiastically.
"He agreed to meet with you, and only you. SO! What that means is that you can go visit him, but Jay stays here. Surely, you understand, right?"
I nodded. Obviously, it must've been because I was an 'infected' and my companion wasn't.
I followed Eli into the backstore. At that time, I was overridden with confidence. I was positive everything would go according to plan. However, once we arrived in the cramped office, anxiousness began prickling at my skin and a sinking feeling of concern suffocated me. The room lacked any sort of light, everything in sight was covered in pitch-black darkness. I couldn't see anything in front of me and I had a gut-feeling that something was off. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I brushed the discomfort off, an attempt to cover the oddness of it all. I acted as if I didn't feel anything weird.
"So are we here?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"...yes."
I don't know why, but Eli's answer was a little late. Something was most definitely amiss.
And then I heard it. In the quietness of the office, I could hear a faint breath. It was irregular, weak and slow, but I could still hear it. It was right in front of me.
"Is there something else in the room with us?"
"It's just us and the boss."
"What?"
It had been the boss who was making those noises? I mean yeah, he is old, but I didn't expect him to be struggling to this extent. The breaths were inhumanely shallow. I swallowed. A sudden wave of sickness overcame me and a part of me– something on my face was throbbing.
It was my eye which was still covered in bandages. It seemed as if it was reacting to the person- was it a person? -in front of me, like it was trying to catch sight of it.
Without realizing, I had subconsciously removed the bandages. I blinked a few times in disbelief. This wasn't something I could've ever anticipated.
Even without a hint of illumination within the room, my left eye could see. In a clear image, I could visualize the deformed figure before me. It was a repulsive sight. The old man still retained his human visage, but the rest of his body was disproportionate and his skin was glowing. Just like a Brillante.
My heart dropped to a pit in my stomach and I staggered back, nearly tripping over my own feet.
"What- what is going on??" I urged, my voice shaken with shock.
Eli looked at me with a serious expression.
"This is what happens to the 'infected' after a prolonged period of time."
…Huh? What was that supposed to mean..? I thought being an 'infected' wasn't supposed to affect me in such a way. I hadn't expected the side-effects to be so severe.
Wait. Let's not jump to conclusions. The man in front of me is clearly extremely old and frail from such circumstances. Perhaps it's simply too much for his body to handle. Surviving the changes in his DNA was already a miracle in itself. Since I'm still young and well- I consider myself to have great endurance, it's possible I won't end up with the same fate as him… Hopefully. I'm not too sure anymore.
Eli took a few steps towards me. He seemed to be able to see in the dark too, for some unknown reason. Perhaps I'll ask him about it later.
"He used to be my grandfather. He had always held the belief that 'youngsters' shouldn't be politicians or hold any status like so. When the world fell into shambles, and became this wasteland of a place, he lost his mind to greed. He was unfortunately attacked by a Brillante, but luckily survived. As time passed and he succumbed to his age, the infection took over him." He paused for a minute before proceeding with his talk. "Now, as you can see, he doesn't have much humanity left. Soon he'll be nothing but a shell of his former self, a vessel controlled by a parasite."
I glanced over to him, and then his grandfather. It struck me as a somewhat- bittersweet and tragic tale, even if I wasn't sure why I felt that way. I was feeling a sort of disdain mixed with compassion for his grandpa. But it wasn't really disdain I felt though. I disagreed with his mindset, but still according to my personal opinion, no one deserves to lose their humanity in such a degrading way.
Then, Eli began in an apologetic anxious tone, starting off with a stutter.
"O-only an 'infected' can kill another 'infected'..." He took a pause to regain his composure, "If you know what I mean…" He stared at the ground, his hands slightly trembling.
Oh.
+
Lilianne suddenly woke up with an uneasy feeling. Something was coming, and it was most likely not good. She knew it. Since she was young, she could feel the danger in advance. It was a sort of intuition she had.
She looked around her, but couldn't see much as it was the middle of the night. Then she woke up Sasha with a panicked expression. They were in danger.
When the young woman woke up, Lilianne didn't waste time and only told her;
"We need to leave. Now."
Sasha didn't ask anything and immediately got up. She could smell a Brillante.
The mere thought of seeing one frightened her, and she felt sick to her stomach. The dead bodies of her family flashed before her mind and she could recall the blood-curdling screams of her brothers. It ripped her heart apart to hear such pitiful cries once again. In an instant, she didn't feel sad anymore. Anger took over her and she knew exactly what she had to do now.
She would take revenge for her family by killing the Brillante.