Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

 

            “This is ridiculous! You expect me to believe they all just coincidently happened to run away at such a convenient time on mere impulse?” yelled Judas.

            Solius nodded glumly as he stared at the floor. It was apparent now that he had made a mistake by not listening to Dustin. He wasn’t helping anybody by getting caught, if anything he made it worse. But even in capture, even if he wouldn’t admit it to himself, he still had sentiments for his family. He protected Dustin and lied saying they went after Adam along with Eve, and that Adam went chasing after their mother. He wasn’t sure how much good that would do, but he assumed Adam would be doing anything but, so if they chased after mother, Lilith would be safe. Unlike them, mother could live in this world, so he figured she’d have an easier time avoiding punishment.

            Solius was trapped but his saving grace would be his intelligence and observatory skills. Since young his keenness stood out above the other kids. To most, it probably went by overlooked since Solius was very introverted and generally kept things to himself, but by the age of five he was already aware of the distinct differences between them. He could tell whenever mother was lying to hide the truth from them. By the time the others started wondering why there were clear distinctions between mother and Judas, Adam and Eve, and Solius and Lilith, Solius already figured out they weren’t all related. When Dustin arrived, he picked up on the fact that whatever was in the outside world didn’t like whatever him, Lilith, Adam, and Eve were. He accepted the fact that mother was keeping them safe from something, which is why he never fought it. He never questioned anything that might separate them in any form of distinction publicly because he knew it would destroy the little order they had. The only thing he strongly stood by and stated was that Lilith was his only real sister.

            Even in question of their origin, there was no question that him and Lilith were related. The similarities between them were undeniable. For whatever reason, the known fact that him and Lilith shared something deeper than the others made him protective. Even if he did not necessarily dislike the others, the pedestal in which he held Lilith often made it seem so. But even if he didn’t show it, he still had loyalty towards his family, unlike Judas.

            Judas was the older brother they all questioned whether he was actually related to them. For starters, he resembled mother, granted they believed mother to be their real mother, but he just had a distant air about him. None of them had any idea how babies were born, not even Solius. The only explanation they ever received was love. But none of them could help question why Judas didn’t look like them. Also the age gap threw them all off. Even though being ages apart was perfectly understandable, Judas looked about seventeen and rarely spent time with them, which led to a certain emotional distance they could never quite connect with. He never came across as a protective brother like Dustin did either. Whenever they were around him they just felt like a nuisance to him. Solius picked up on it further and was well aware that Judas just didn’t like them in general. Which is why this betrayal came to no surprise. Mother’s latest addition to the family was probably just the last straw for Judas.

            The homunculus officer entered the living room where Judas held Solius prisoner. “We just got in touch with Gem. She’s being questioned right now,” he informed.

            “I hope you haven’t forgotten your guarantee,” reminded Judas.

            The homunculus looked at Solius observantly. “The deal was three humans, two messiahs, and a classified experiment. We have one human who got left behind. If we don’t get our hands on the other ones, our precious Gem better come up with a good story to tell the Rooks.” Left behind? No, I’m the only one to blame for being stuck here.

            “We’ll find them, they couldn’t have gotten far. They’re just kids,” said Judas.

            “So what can you tell us about the two messiahs? Any idea how their Faiths work?” asked the officer.

            “Neither one has used it. No need to. Not yet anyways,” answered Judas.

            The homunculus looked at Solius again. “Who beat the s**t out of this kid?”

            Judas gave Solius and intrigued look. “You know, I was so caught up in everything going on I didn’t even notice. Who did beat you up Solius? Your face looks ruined.”

            Solius’s entire left side of his face was swelled up like a balloon, his left eye a purplish ball. Dry blood from his nose covered part of his mouth. Even Solius himself had forgotten about the beating in the heat of all that was happening. What would he tell them though? The truth? That Adam started to glow and became exponentially stronger. That might make things worse, and the worse things got for Adam, the worse things became for Lilith.

            “I got in a fight with Adam when he tried to take Lilith away…” Solius mumbled.

            Judas gazed at him unconvinced. “Adam isn’t that much bigger than you. But I guess he is a messiah. He has talents you’ll never understand. Powers you’ll never have. Isn’t that right?”

            “What do I know? Until earlier I didn’t even know what a messiah was,” Solius countered. He saw what Judas was trying to do. Demean him so that Solius would blurt out anything he was keeping from him in a spontaneous rage.

            “And Dustin just watched?”

            That was the checkmate question. Dustin was distinctly bigger than both Solius and Adam. If he were to step in a fight with either it was obvious who the winner would be. For kids who spent their whole days in a basement, where else would he have been? Judas knew well if anything ever broke up between Dustin would be there to stop it.

            “He said he heard the baby crying so he went up to check on it. You know Adam enough to know he can’t resist an opportunity like that to try to leave.” Solius successfully lied.

            Judas grunted and gave up. Solius sighed in relief. Somehow he felt he saved things from getting worse.

            A ring suddenly started beeping from the helmet of the homunculus officer. He touched a button on the side of his ears and spoke, “Carbon here, what’s the status?” Solius and Judas both looked at him with anticipation. Any information on anyone was something. Solius personally wished it was little to no information though. The more information they had, the worst things got for his family. “Copy, capture the target using whatever means necessary,” Carbon responded. Carbon clicked the same button and looked at Judas. “Looks like we’re in luck. They found the blue hair messiah with a human girl.”

            Solius’s heart froze. They found Lilith…

 

 

            Adam looked directly at the two homunculi before him, Lilith idly at his back shielding herself behind his body. The two homunculi were significantly larger than young Adam. Despite Adam’s arrogance, he knew there was no winning a fight against two grownups. Each homunculus had a stick in their hands releasing currents towards the upper half of it. Beside their waist they also had what looked like guns. Judas often told scary stories about the outside world where people were killed with weapons that could hit someone from the distance. Adam wondered why their pursuers were resulting to using sticks instead of the gun though. Wouldn’t it be easier to kill them from a distance?

            “Don’t do anything reckless, kid. Come with us and no one will get hurt,” one of the homunculi said.

            “How do I know you’re not lying?” asked Adam.

            “Not like you got much of a choice.”

            The two homunculi slowly crept their way closer to Adam and Lilith while Adam slowly backed away from them. Both were patiently waiting for the other to do something. Adam had no intention of initiating something he couldn’t win; the stakes were too high this time around. He was hoping they’d just give up and turn away and let them leave but he knew that was nothing short of a dream. He felt regret at the sight of his pursuers. Just what the hell did I get myself into?

            Something suddenly caught Adam’s attention. Passed the two homunculi, behind a tree, a wave of luscious pink hair creeping behind a tree. Eve! The thought filled Adam with joy. If Eve was here than perhaps Judas and mother weren’t too far away either. But something was off. He looked into Lilith’s eyes and saw nothing but helpless fear inside them. Is she alone?

            The homunculi drew closer and closer. He felt Lilith’s death grip on his back and thought of Solius, who he’d beat up just to take Lilith with him. Now he was wishing he’d left her behind so he only had to worry about himself. If they had to run she wouldn’t be able to keep up with him. If it came to that, they’d both be caught unless he abandoned her.

            “Come over here you little f**k!” One of the homunculi took a big step towards Adam causing Adam to flinch and stumble falling on top of Lilith.

            The homunculus started coming for a grab when suddenly a rock hit him in the head. Then another one. Both pursuers turned around and looked directly at Eve who had another rock ready in hand. Adam tackled the homunculus in front of him down, grabbed Lilith’s hand, and darted deeper into the forest. The homunculus quickly regained his balance and shouted to his partner, “You go after the pink one! I got these two!”

            Adam ran relentlessly with Lilith dragging behind. Lilith kept stumbling and almost tripping unable to keep up with Adam. The homunculus was trailing closely behind. Lilith suddenly tripped which in turn caused Adam to fall as well. Adam quickly got back on his feet but the homunculus was already at his heel. The homunculus kicked Lilith across the stomach putting her on her back beside Adam in tears. Adam watched in horror as the homunculus drew closer to him, frozen in fear. Am I going to die?

            The homunculus raised his weapon and smacked Adam across the face sending an immense shock of pain. Adam’s muscles felt numb and restrained as he struggled to get back up on his knees. Before he could even look at his pursuer again he felt another heavy blow, this time across his ribs, flipping him over on his back. The homunculus stood over him with a crooked grin on his face. Slowly, his enemy raised his weapon as Adam shielded his face instinctively. Adam closed his eyes in fear of what was to come. Am I going to die?

            Adam started to feel the crystal in his pocket start to shake again. It felt as if the crystal itself was being drawn into him and becoming one with him. It was just like with Dustin and Solius, his body started becoming stronger and a surge of energy started flowing through him. He opened his eyes to find the homunculus with his mouth wide open in fear stepping away from him. Adam stood up vibrantly as his blue hair and eyes glowed.

            “Holy s**t! F**k bringing you back alive!” yelled the homunculus

            The homunculus reached for his side and drew his gun. Adam moved quicker than he could think and rushed towards the homunculus. Adam punched him in the stomach, making him kneel, then the face, slamming him into the ground, then he leaped over him and just as he was about to unleash a fury upon him, the lining on the homunculus’s exoskeleton started to glow vibrantly and he launched Adam against a tree with a kick.

            “And here I thought you actually knew how to use your Faith for a second. What you’re doing is elementary. I can do that too. But why waste my life on a piece of s**t like you.”

            The homunculus stopped glowing and aimed a gun at Adam. Adam stood back up, still in his trance, and fearlessly launched himself at the homunculus again. Without hesitation, the homunculus pressed the trigger on his gun and shot Adam in the shoulder sending him to a sudden halt. If Adam thought he ever knew pain before, all that was overwritten with the current agony bursting from his left shoulder. Adam screeched in excruciating pain as blood oozed out of his shoulder. The sound of Adam’s yell echoed throughout the forest. His hair and eyes becoming ever more vibrant until eventually his whole body started to glow.

            The homunculus started to shiver and dropped his gun in fear and started running but quickly tripped over a rock. Lilith looked at Adam with overwhelming joy as he scared away their pursuer but her joy came too soon. Adam radiated more by the second and strong winds started gusting from his body. Suddenly Lilith’s smile became a terrified expression as Adam uncontrollably started convulsing. A bright blue light emanated from Adam in form of a sphere covering a twenty feet radius. The light sent Lilith and the homunculus soaring through the forest until they both slammed against something solid.

            After the light diminished Adam stood on both his legs steady, right hand over his wounded shoulder, in utter disbelief and confusion. He could no longer think right, everything he’d done was a mistake. He was an idiot not to listen to mother or Judas or Dustin. The outside world wasn’t a paradise like he hoped for. Everything he’d been told was true. There was only misery and pain to be had. But it was too late to turn back to the simple peaceful life in the basement. He only had one option left. Run. Run until no one could chase him anymore. So he ran. He ran without looking back, or stopping to think about everything he was leaving behind. The family he had was no more. The life he had was no more. From now on he would be alone. 

 

 

            Eve kept hiding under a bush. Somehow she managed to escape her pursuer’s sight for long enough to confuse him but he was still close enough for her to be unable to relax. He cautiously walked along the forest looking in every direction, quiet as a mouse, in search of her. She could hear his footsteps so she knew he was within ten feet away. Eve held her breath and refrained from making any sudden movements. The same could not be said for her heart though. She could feel it beat her chest uncontrollably. How did I end up in this situation?

            When she saw the homunculi arrive at the house she knew it wasn’t safe anymore. She fled deeper into the forest in hopes of warning Adam and Lilith in case they changed their mind but unfortunately the homunculi quickly ran into the forest, passing her, and reaching her brother and sister before her. Even though she knew she would regret it, knowing the homunculi were one step closer to her brother and sister only strengthened her resolve to find them. Throwing the rock was as reckless as it got, but it was all she could think of before they beat those she loved senseless.

            The steps drew closer in her direction and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of discovery. Suddenly, from the direction in which they came from, a loud screech of pain echoed through the forest. It was the most horrible sound Eve had ever heard in her life and all she could think was, ‘Adam and Lilith!’

            The sound was high pitched but not to the extent that Eve thought it could be Lilith if she felt such a pain. The person screaming was most definitely Adam. The footsteps near her quickly turned from her direction and into the direction of the scream. Eve heard the homunculus yell as he ran, “You’re not supposed to kill em you f*****g idiot!”

            She peeked her head out of the bush and watched as her pursuer ran back towards the way she came. She was safe but now Adam and Lilith were in more danger than ever. She stood up ready to chase after the homunculus but something stopped her. A bright blue light in the distance with Adam’s warmth, expanded. What’s going on?

            The light reminded Eve of how Adam glowed when he beat up Dustin and Solius. What’s happening to Adam? Why is he changing? Is it because he’s a messiah? Will the same start happening to me? I don’t understand anything…mother I’m scared.

            Whatever the light was, it seemed it made Adam stronger. Maybe it was the crystals. If the crystals were giving power to Adam than maybe he had what it took to take care of himself and Lilith. At this point, Eve would only get in the way. The smartest thing to do right now was finding a safe place to hide. Going back to the house was out of the question. That only option was going deeper into the forest.

            Eve turned and started running. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she knew she wasn’t doing anyone good by getting in their way. The best thing she could do for her family was be safe until mother came and found them all. But what if mother didn’t find them all? What if she was killed instead? They had overheard Judas say something along those lines. If mother died, where would the rest of them go? It was already clear the outside world would not accept them with open arms.

            Eve walked for what felt like hours. Her legs were giving out on her but she still didn’t feel safe. She had to find sanctuary somewhere. The woods were unpleasant. The tall grass and annoying pestering bugs were starting to become extremely unbearable. She didn’t get the vibe she was being followed, but she didn’t get the vibe she was getting anywhere either. She wondered what the rest of her family was doing. Did Adam and Lilith manage to get away safely? Were Dustin and Solius safe in the house? Where was mother? And what was Judas doing during all of this?

            As Eve forced herself to keep walking she saw a glimmer of what could be something that wasn’t trees. In the distance, the silhouette of some weird architecture was visible. Looking at it gave Eve hope and gave her one last burst of energy to push herself. As she cleared thought the trees she finally reached it. An ancient cathedral, half destroyed, half covered in moss and vines, stood before her. Mother had told her about these places and shown her pictures of a place in old civilizations where they worshipped deities. She had told her that before the rise of science, it was these deities that held all the answers. Perhaps Eve could find her answers here too, and pray like in old times. What more could she do? A weak young girl hated by the world she’d never had a chance to live in. Somewhere deep in her heart though she knew that no matter how much praying or hoping she did, the life she once knew was already over. What happened to us? Just this morning we were all so happy…

Author's Note

Predictions?

Reviews

[Eternal Dreamer]

Loving this book! Can't wait for you to post more chapters. Already I'm picking favorites and the people I can't stand which is a sign of a good story. Personally so far I like Solius the best. He's more cynical than the others which is my cup of tea. Adam in the other hand is just selfish and naive. Granted he's a kid. Really looking forward to how they will all grow up.