Chapter 13: Betrayal

Maita's eyelids were so heavy that it took what felt like hours to open them, and they only stayed for a moment, taking in nothing but a palette of dark blues before shutting closed again. She continued her struggle in desperation, fully aware something was very wrong.

Finally, by keeping her glance upwards, she managed to lift her eyelids and found her dark bedroom spinning wildly in greeting around her. The pale blond endeavored to lift herself into a seated position, but even with her powerful will by her side, the pull of gravity glued her weak body to the spot. Even her head wouldn't lift from the mattress, despite how she tried with all her might.

“She's finally come to,” started a disembodied voice, “the second great leader of OmSaEe. Om Aita.” It was gentlemanly and sweet, but she didn't recognize it. “Who-,” she panted near unintelligibly, unable to finish her question because her tongue felt heavy as lead.

The room began to slow to a steady crawl and the blond forcefully propped up her torso with her aching arms. She turned her head to take in the face of the man who was addressing her, but the room once again spun out of control and she fell to the floor with a thud.

“W-what, what did you do to me?” she slurred thickly, her face resting against the stone, saliva threatening to escape her gasping mouth. The man sighed, nearly sounding bored with her company. “Unfortunately my colleague deemed you a threat and had you neutralized temporarily, but he's since been disciplined for it. Sorry about that. They're all so overprotective of me,” he nonchalantly expatiated without really explaining what she wanted to understand.

Maita blinked several times in quick succession, forcing herself to her knees. She looked up to see the blurred form of a man cloaked in shadow, dressed in formal white robes. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

“How could I not know your name? Don't you recognize me? I am the first leader, the reason for all of this, Om Sai.”

A laugh of disbelief burst from her mouth, but she quickly subdued it. “You can't mean the Om Sai! He was twice the man you are, you coward! He would never have let me come to harm.”

The mysterious man remained quiet, bowing his head deeper into the dark.

“How dare you even claim to have the same name as him! His death was your fault! You Gorgonin officials disgust me! He's dead because of you!”

“You still believe that? After all this time? You think I died? Don't tell me there was not even a doubt in your mind, a niggling feeling that the facts simply didn't add up.”

“Don't pretend to be my father! He was a great man!” With a new found strength born of anger, she forced herself to her feet and threw a punch, hitting nothing but air and falling, only to be caught in the despicable man's arms. He addressed her in nearly a whisper, their faces so close that she could feel his breath, “there was an explosion, but no body to rest your thoughts. That's because I am alive, my daughter.”

She stared up at his intimidating form in aggravated bemusement, her eyes scanning up at his obscured face, searching for comforting familiarity but only finding a cold, distant lack of sentiment. “Even if you are Om Sai, don't you dare call me your daughter,” she hissed as she pushed him away, opting instead to lean against her dresser.

His eyes betrayed a hint of injury at her statement and he placed her down on the bed in a seated position, then turned his back to her. “Of course. Forgive my presumptuousness.”

She deflected his hurt and rejected his apology, simply moving on. “Yes, I confess I've had my suspicions. He should have been found beside mother as he would never have left her side, and yet no body has ever been recovered. The Gorgonin government even went so far as to delete him from history. They destroyed any bits of his likeness they could find, and even though I've tried so hard, I can no longer recall his face. Why do that? Why go to such lengths to destroy him?”

The figure who claimed to be her father shook his head. “Because, the Gorgonin government wasn't trying to destroy me; it was trying to protect me.”

The lady fought back a wave of overwhelming feelings. “Why? Why would they ever protect their greatest foe? Wouldn't they have been better off without him?,” she asked, nearly failing to sound collected.

The man cleared his throat, “listen, whether you believe me or not, I'm unfortunately not here for social reasons. I've risked everything and come out of hiding for a very important reason,” he paused momentarily, “to save you from yourself.”

She scoffed in disdainful disgust. “To save me? From myself?!” She couldn't stop the angry tears from flowing out of her, nor could she control the wavering of her voice, but she no longer cared. “How dare you!! You haven't been here and then you just come barging into my room, my life and declare such a thing!? Even if you are my father, even if you happen to be the man this organization once idolized, you're only a stranger to us now! You have no idea what we've been through, what you put us through!”

“I accept that fact. It's only fair you think so little of me now. However, I ask that you put your feelings aside, just for a moment. There's a very dangerous man loose and the Gorgonin government seems to think you've knowingly harbored him. That makes you and everyone in OmSaEe a criminal. Do you understand that?”

“You'd like that, wouldn't you, to arrest us all and finally be done with us,” Maita uttered as she wiped at her face.

“Actually, no. I came here to stop that from happening,” he corrected, “his collar reads 'resident 485'. It's imperative he be retrieved, otherwise they'll have you arrested, so please help me find him. Exonerate OmSaEe of any possible wrongs.”

“I'd love to help, but I've no idea where he is,” she sardonically sibilated.

Om Sai's voice grew weary. “Don't pretend with me, Om Aita. I may be a stranger to you, but you are no stranger to me. Why are you trying to protect him?”

She gritted her teeth, her hands balling into fists in her lap. The drug was starting to wear off, but she didn't dare stand, worried that would send the room spiraling out of control again. “I actually don't know where he is, and even if I were protecting him, he's a nice man, unlike you, wrongfully imprisoned like countless others.”

Om Sai tutted, shaking his head in disappointment. “He may seem like a nice man to you, but you know nothing about him. You should really read his files. A 'rogue scientist incapable of creating for the greater good, a madman'. All of Etronin is in danger as long as he walks free.”

“All of Etronin? Don't you mean the Gorgonin aristocracy's self serving goals? Because last I checked, Etronin has been in danger as long as they've been walking free. They don't seem to care much about our safety,” she retorted.

Suddenly Om Sai began to shout out in frustration, “don't let him fool you Maita! He really is a horrible man! He's the one responsible for the explosion that blew up your mother! I cannot let him go free!”

Maita's expression blanked for a few moments and then she tugged on her long, pale blond hair as if to force herself out of her shock. She stood up shakily, fighting another wave of emotions that threatened to drown her. “No, he didn't kill mom. He couldn't have killed mom! It was an accident!”

Om Sai turned his back to her as he hugged himself. “That's only the official story. I'm sorry. This is all my fault.” Maita took a step toward him, “I don't understand,” she faltered, trembling.

The mysterious figure grew quiet, and spoke with much lament, “he was a secret member of SaEe long ago, when I was a younger, foolish and trusting man. He infiltrated us and destroyed everything we'd worked so hard to accomplish. He's responsible for the explosion that killed my love, your mother, but I'm responsible for his being trusted in the first place.”

Maita held her hand to her heart, her breath quickening. “Pen? He would never-”

She was interrupted by a sudden outburst, “how would you know that? Think! He's a stranger! You've only just met him! And here I am, your own father trying to prove your innocence in all of this, but you just refuse! I came out of hiding for your sake!” he ranted in vexation.

“If you're really my father, then tell me why you would just leave me! Why you'd let me think you were dead all of this time!” she snapped in return.

His voice returned to a softer monotone. “I'm sorry. I had no choice until now. But that's all in the past. Please, come with me. Leave this horrible place behind you.”

Maita looked down, wiping at a renegade tear streaming down her cheek. There was a long moment of silence.

He waited, standing patiently.

Author's Note

Does it feel like Maita has a difficult choice to make? What do you think of the character introduced in this chapter?