V.I.R.A.L - Chapter 281

“So, you’re finally awake, I see.” Alice came to her senses, still feeling dizzy as she tried to remember what happened. As her vision slowly came back to her, she saw Bargaining standing idly by waiting. Snapping to, she leapt from her spot, distancing from the man almost falling over in the meantime. “I wouldn’t advise moving so suddenly. Your wounds are still healing.”

Taking another step, Alice fell to her knees, staring down, noticing the back of her ankles had been slashed, although she couldn’t feel the pain. “How?”

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Bargaining smirks walking over. “I’m blocking out the pain for you. It’s only a precaution, so you don’t try and flee. Those pesky portals are a nightmare to deal with. Do you remember what happened?”

Alice looked back, dazed, realising where she had just come from. “Are the others safe?”

“I kept my word. Your friends are safe enough, for now. However, in their state, if we were to attack again, they’d never stand a chance.” Bargaining stated sitting on a broken-down staircase tapping the floor. “I just want to talk.”

“Talk… Where are we?”

“You mean you don’t recognise this place? Why Alice, you’re home.”

Those words left her shook as she looked around the ruined temple lost to time. The cobblestone floors were chipped, with moss growing over them. The walls had caved in and crumbled away with time. She could tell by one look this place had been abandoned for hundreds of years. “This. This is Fairy-Tale?”

“What’s left of it. I must admit this also came as quite a surprise. For hundreds of years, I’ve been living down there, completing my mission. It never once came to mind the people who gave me such a task would be dead.”

“So is everyone….”

“Gone? From what I’ve gathered. The judgement of the Ten is nowhere to be found, although I’m sure One is still alive and kicking somewhere. He’s a hard son of a bitch to kill. This is what happens when a civilization gets too cocky. They believed they were the dominant race, that they were better than everyone else. In the end, we were always the first to fall, not by the humans or the Garden. But by ourselves.” He admits throwing small clumps of rock away. “Back before joining the Garden, I was fully devoted to destroying them. Like the rest of us, that was our purpose—the reason we were allowed to exist. We Judgement of the Ten believed our Salvation lied with the Garden’s destruction. But once I discovered there was no one to hold me accountable for my actions, I quickly let go of that burden once and for all.”

“Could Alton do the same?”

“Ten? Man, I couldn’t tell you there. All of this was his idea in the first place. Once we banished the Garden from the human world, One wanted to leave it there. He wanted us for the first time to live in peace. The solution was a temporary one but one he believed we needed. I think he just wanted to have a taste of peace and freedom for once in his life. Alton was very much different; he wasn’t happy leaving the deed half done. A few others saw it the same way, but Alton was far different. He had a grudge against the Garden, one not even I’m sure of. But he wouldn’t rest until he did so. One was displeased by this ridding of his memories and banishing him. How ironic the son of a bitch would end up in the Garden?”

“Fairy-Tale banished him?”

“I know, right. Sounds crazy to believe. The judgement of the Ten’s mightiest warrior. He was one of the key reasons we won the first war against the Garden what felt like a lifetime ago. I didn’t stick around too long after. Eve was getting sicker by the day, and the others wouldn’t help. Alton and I marked out a plan to free her, and that 500-year-old plan is still playing out to this very day.”

Alice leaned against the wall looking to buy as much time as possible to develop some kind of plan. “Why did you bring me here then?”

Bargaining stood up, patting himself down. “I suppose I wanted to show you the truth. The truth about who the real enemy is. You see, the Garden doesn’t care about your world. It has no quale with you lot. You’re all just in the way in their crusade to destroy Fairy-Tale. Once they find out this place is long gone, they’ll stop their pointless war. Hell, they might even help you rebuild. The real enemy in this entire situation is you.”

“Me?”

“Well, not you, in particular; I’m talking about your kind. The judgement of the Ten. More specifically, Alton Brantley.”

“Alton is my friend; he would never be my enemy.”

“Is that so?” Bargaining scoffed at pacing back and forth, keeping Alice on edge. “Wasn’t Scarlett your friend at one point? She quickly became your enemy with just the flip of a switch. Come to think of it, weren’t you their enemy at one point. Your father’s little toy soldier, you were quite ready to kill your so-called friends at one point. Your point is flawed. Your logic down the drain. You may be friends with Alton, but when there’s nothing left of him, what then?”

“Alton isn’t like that. He’s been through hell and back and sacrificed nearly everything to protect his friends.”

“Then that’s exactly why he will fall. Everyone he worked for. Everything he sacrificed I showed him in a short few minutes, all of that was for nothing. We took everything from him. He’s probably already working to destroy us once and for all. Alton Brantley is already gone.”

“You’re wrong about him. Alton is strong; he’ll overcome whatever opponent and win. Ten has no chance against him.”

Bargaining shook his head in disapproval. “You really think highly of that boy. Well, I suppose Eve did as well. He very much cared about her like Alton does for you. It’s a never-ending cycle the past repeats itself over again.”

“If he’s the enemy, why did you let him live?”

“It’s all a part of the plan. It’s the only way to save my little sister.”

Alice stared on, feeling Eve’s pull. “You want Eve back. That’s the reason I was born. My father signed a contract with you to save your sister, right?”

“Has she been talking to you then?”

“We made our own deal.”

“I see, that’s just like her. Eve was a sweet girl who always cared for others. During the first Garden war, she wouldn’t fight. Instead, she’d help the children trapped between the fighting and protect them. Humans, the Garden, it didn’t matter who they were. Her act of kindness soon backfired on her as she was cursed. Cursed with the stage, no one should have received. She took on the stage of Salvation.”

“How?”

“I still wonder that to this day. The only way to achieve Salvation is to take on all the stages. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Once all five are yours, and you are worthy, Salvation’s Calling will forever be in hand. If you had this, it’s all over.”

“What do you mean it’s all over?”

“Salvation’s Calling. You could change the world to your own will. You could make it that the war never happened. Or even that the Garden never existed. You’d be a God.”

“And if Alton is the bad guy you claim him to be, you trust him with that power?”

“Of course not. However, the only way to save Eve is to have the Stage taken from her. Alton is that key. Once he rounds up enough of the stages, I’ll take them all from him and free you. Do you understand what now is at stake?”

“I do.”

Pleased by the results, Bargaining closed his eyes smiling. “Good, your wound should be healed now.”

Alice felt the back of her ankle startled to find the wound completely healed. “Huh?”

“I brought you here to keep you safe. Let Alton have his war. Let him tear all his enemies apart one by one. And then when the time comes, I step in and finish the deed and then we can finally be together again, Eve.” Bargaining exclaimed, turning to find Alice holding her bow towards him. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

“I understand you’re a total nutjob! Like hell, I would abandon my friends to fight to the death so you can swoop in and kill Alton!”

“None of that matters in the slightest. With Salvation’s Calling at my grasp, I could rewrite it all. You could be reborn with Alton by your side. You could be together and happy. Isn’t that what you want? Defying me will only cause you pain and misery. But if you simply just stand by and let destiny take its place, you will be rewarded. Everyone is a winner.”

“I’ll never join you.”

Bargaining sighed, scratching the back of his neck, grumbling. “I guess you are at that age where you become more rebellious, eh? It seems I’ll have to remind you just who’s in charge here.” Holding his hand out, a golden door opened and Bargaining pulled a rusty silver sword drained with blood. “This is the first time we’ve gotten into a fight, right Eve? As your older brother, I need to set an example, so I apologise for this, but I’m not holding back. I will take Salvation’s Calling, and no one can stop me!”