Am i bleeding...? I can't tell.
The pendulum swings, back, then forth. Back, then forth.
I look up at the guy, i'm not... fearful for my life. I know i'll die though.
But what did he mean by saying "im one of them" huh...
Whatever... i dont understand this tomfoolery.
First that girl...
Then this guy...
Then even me.
What evem are we? I controlled that rat... and then i molded the earth into a damn hammer... whatever...
Hey... why's he just... standing there? Why is he not finishing me off.
Is it me or has the smoke stopped moving too?
"Man, man, man! What a day this has been!"
A voice from behind me exclaims.
"W-who's there?"
I ask.
A dude with sunglasses and a trenchcoat emerges from behind a tree, holding onto something, but im unsure of what.
"Hey Elena, you can come out. This dude's a newbie."
He says, a companion of his dropping down from atop the tree, a woman that seems to be in her mid 30's, though she's dressed like a damn 12 year old boy.
"Do not call me by my first name Mr Jack."
She tells him.
"Come on Elena! Drop the formalities."
He tells her.
"I uh... what the hell is going on?"
I ask them.
"Oh calm down buddy, you're not in harms way anymore."
He tells me, he seems reassuring.
"But... this one right here... he's in trouble."
Elena says, pointing to Dan.
"We are from the Soncept assocation, and this little guy has broken many violations."
Jack says.
"W-whats a Soncept?"
I ask him, maybe he knows more about this girl.
"Dont joke around here kid. We dont have time for newgens like you."
Elena tells me.
"I-im serious! I dont know anything about this! I randomly got these powers!"
I desperately try to explain her.
"Hah, kid sounds serious."
Jack teases.
Elena looks me over closely, ruffling my hair.
"This blue.. i've seen this before. The seasonal Soncept."
She says cryptically.
"Seasonal Soncept? I thought all four were controlled by the same person."
Jack tells her, then looks at me.
"Hmm... there's a chance the previous seasonal Soncept died and this kid inherited autumn."
He says.
"No, no, Whoever this "seasonal Soncept" is, i think i've met her..."
I tell them, pausing for a second.
"She said something about... giving me two, halving her burden or whatever the hell she said."
Elena audibly grunts.
"That rat... dont tell me she..."
"You dont have to say it. She definitely did."
Jack says.
I look at them confused.
"Listen kid, we'll explain everything to ya, but first... we gotta take care of this guy."
Jack says, looking back at Dan.
"Now i'm just being silly here... is time frozen right now for us?"
I ask.
"Uh-huh. I've currently paused it because we got a report of a rogue Soncept."
Elena says.
"You can pause time?"
I ask skeptically.
"Yeah kid, you're looking at the time Sonceptes herself. Im kind of a big deal you know."
She says, weirdly more egotistical than before.
"Enough blabbing, im taking care of this guy."
Jack says, approaching Dan.
"Dan Ford Blakes, for the crime of using your power against innocent people, the council of Soncepts seeks to execute you."
He says, then he takes a step back.
In a low, serene tone, he whispers.
"From the trenches i return to sin against sinners, shatter before me."
He says, grabbing Dan's head, causing it to explode in a million fucking pieces, holy shit.
"You... just killed him. Just like that."
I tell him.
I look down at Dan's lifeless body, which Elena swiftly grabs and makes dissapear into thin air.
"...Alright kid. I think it's time someone sat you down."
Jack says to me.
Elana unfreezes time, the world around us returning back to normal. I'm really guessing here that they are all gonna think Dan just... ran off. That's not the truth though.
"Do we really have to teach a newgen? This aint my job Jack."
Elena says annoyed.
"We are paid by comission, not the hour. Might aswell waste time."
He tells her.
"...Fine."
She says.
Jack and Elena take Apo to a nearby park for a walk.
"This should have been explained to you since when you got your powers... but seeing that you received them... untraditionally, you weren't."
Jack tells me.
"Soncepts are people with supernatural abilities... and ones power usually derives with the concept that power is related."
Elena explains.
"For example, as the Sonceptes of time, my power scales with how deadly the passage of time is."
She says.
"I'm the Soncept of sin."
Jack says.
"So... you receive these powers... how?"
I ask them.
"Soncept powers choose their wielders. Usually someone who is very unafraid of that concept."
Jack says.
"I had zero fear of sin, and now i have powers that come directly from how deadly it is."
He adds.
"However... you kid... you got them differently."
He tells me.
"The Sonceptes of the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter split her powers with you."
Elena says.
Sonceptes of the four seasons... must be talking about the girl in my head.
"Hehe! Thats me!"
The bitch in my head says. Shut up.
"Is that bad?"
I ask them.
"It's frowned upon. But honestly, if she was able to give you some of her powers, then you probably would still have become a Soncept after she died."
Jack tells me.
"But why did she split her powers with me?"
I ask.
"Er... there could be many reasons. Having multiple Soncepts is difficult on one's Psyche. She could have been looking for someone compatible to ease the burden she was experiencing."
He explains.
"Lets not forget one thing... the Soncept of the four seasons... shouldn't even exist."
Elena says, causing Jack to frown.
"Shouldn't exist?"
I question.
"Think about it kid. What's deadly about the 4 seasons? Where's the fear."
She asks me.
"There isn't... isn't any."
I respond to her.
"That's right, so how come a Soncept exists about them? None of us know."
She says.
"Dont fuck with the kid ellie... give him the full details since you wanna go that far."
Jack says, looking irritated.
Elena steps back, looking suprised.
"The Sonceptes of the four seasons... she's been alive for a couple... centuries."
She adds.
"Centuries..."
I repeat slowly.
"It only adds to how unnatural she is. And truthfully, we never expected anybody to get those powers for themselves."
Jack says.
"To put it simply kid, that ol' witch probably wants something from you."
Jack adds.
"Does she have a name?"
I ask.
"Eh... they keep changing what we refer to her as... but i think its something along the lines of... Tempada."
Jack says.
Hey dickhead, is that your name?
"Sure is!"
The girl in my head says excitedly.
"Yeah... sounds about right."
I tell Jack.
"You probably shouldn't tell people about this, kid. I bet there'll be plenty of weird dudes itching to run expirements on you."
Elena says.
Yeah... she's probably right...
But... i have a feeling you're gonna keep annoying me.
...
You told me im just like you... what did that mean? That i was compatible for you to curse?
You can't just ignore me when you dont wanna answer!
"I'm just like you."
"I dont understand relationships."
"We both have a messed up sense of loyalty."
Why wont you show yourself?
"I'm not gonna face you yet."
Why?
"Because... i'm not sure. I'm afraid."
"Am i really not gonna find love?
"Real friends?"
"None of that? Those are the questions i keep asking myself."
"I look around at other people. They have people they can call lovers, best friends. They are loyal like dogs and attached to the hip."
"Am i jealous? I can't tell."
What the hell are you blabbering about woman? Just get out of my head.
"It doesn't hurt to be self aware, Apo."
"You feel the same way i do."
"You walk, and you walk, its a mindless cycle."
"The seasons change, you remain the same."
Let me ask you a question. How are you talking to me right now?
"You speak to yourself when you think. Normally an innocent habit. Unfortunately, im taking advantage of our link."
Thats assuring.
"You probably havent realized it, but you're doing the same thing to me right now, speaking directly to my head."
I can't with this bullshit anymore, man.
"Dont sound so gloomy, i'm not that annoying... am i?"
A little. Nah. A lot...
How long are you gonna keep annoying me for anyway?
"Well... i can't really unsplit my powers. Doesn't work like that."
"My thought process is just... if two people who dont understand relationships seek to understand eachother... then maybe we can both find what it means to care."
You're oddly optimistic.
If you're really like me, you wouldn't be saying that.
"Quit lying to yourself."
"You seek it as much as i."
"I have the guts to admit it."
...
"You're not a heartless monster..."
"Remember back then? You tried saving me didnt you?
"Be honest to yourself..."
"You really did wanna save me. But you didn't know why. So you pretended that you were acting irrationally or on instinct."
...
Fine, since you wanna play guessing games...
You called for Jack and Elena to come and rescue me, didn't you?
"Bingo!"