There was only one
answer.
Ciara slowly glanced
at the uncanny figure standing two meters across her right. The blurry outline
formed the shape of a boy.
Liam.
“Dammit!” Liam
roared. She heard another thump on the sand and the squeezing of bones. Liam
must be banging his fists on the sand, Ciara calculated. Liam shrieked, “Don’t look at me like that!”
Ciara felt the hairs at the back of her neck stood up.
“Li…am…” Chase croaked and Liam
paused. “Cal…m…dow…n…”
Is this
real? Is Eliza really dead?
Ciara touched
Eliza's arm. She froze. Eliza’s skin was dead cold. Internal bleeding…Ciara
shivered. No signs of fatal injuries, except for the blood clotting on the
stomach part…
Liam thrashed and
shrieked on the ground. Ciara snapped awake. I need to treat Chase first.
Ciara yank a round
bottle tip out from her pocket, and popped the cork open. Chase was still
alive, because Ciara could hear small pants coming from him. Ignoring Liam’s
screams, Ciara used her hand to scan Chase’s body injury. Her hand stopped when
she felt blood sticking underneath her fingers. The right stomach. So Eliza
stabbed him here.
Ciara could have
treated him, but since this wasn't her expertise, she dug out another square
bottle and placed it on the ground. One healing Swirl and one Pain Reliever
Swirl.
“C…ia…” Chase
gasped, but Ciara had already poured half of the Healing Swirl on her
hand, soothing the oil on Chase’s stomach. Then Ciara opened the Pain Reliever Swirl, and tipped the
bottle on his lips. Chase choked. “Cia…ra…”
“Don’t talk,” Ciara
bit her lip and lowered the empty Swirl
when Chase was done drinking.
“I know…” Chase
cleared his throat, “Ciara…you have to stop, Liam…” he continued, “He didn’t
mean…it…but please…you have to bring him back to himself…”
Without a word,
Ciara gently placed Chase's head on the sand and scrambled up to her feet.
Ciara couldn’t stand Liam’s behavior like this. But why now? How did he have
done it? What was the answer to all of this?
I didn’t
mean too…Don’t look at me like that! Argh! Why! Why...I just want to become a
normal person…you killed Eliza before, right...Internal bleeding…Liam’s voice echoed in her mind.
You’re a
monster! A murderer! Eliza
screamed in her mind.
If he’s
really a monster…we should be dead right now. Ciara thought.
Without thinking,
Ciara dashed forward and did something that she had never done before. She
lifted her fist, putting the pressure points on her knuckles, and threw a punch
at Liam. It hit Liam square in the jaw.
Pain exploded from
Ciara’s fist. She had never punched someone this strong before, and that caused
the unbearable pain in her knuckles to ache. Liam yelled and toppled on the
sand, groaning in pain.
Her punch had a
purpose. And that was to make Liam mad.
Liam is
getting up, slightly irritated, because of the growl in his throat…Ciara analyzed. Since Liam is
hot-headed, one punch can trigger his anger.
“Ciara…” Liam
gritted his teeth, hissing in pain. “Yo—”
This is
it. Ciara
thought. If Liam can kill Eliza without having to do anything, let’s see if
I will be affected.
Relying on her plan,
Ciara threw another punch using her left fist, and hit Liam’s chest. She heard
Liam gasp from the impact, and swung her right foot upward, hitting Liam's
chest.
My foot
must have hit Liam’s windpipe, because of the gurgling sounds from his throat. Ciara thought.
When Ciara knew that
Liam was unable to move, she lifted her knee up, and felt the point of her knee
smashing Liam’s chin. There was a loud thump, and a groan in front of
her. Ciara massaged her right hand and stood in front of the blurry figure
lying on the ground. Ciara felt sorry for him, but she wanted to test Liam’s
powers if it would work on her.
We’ve
been together for more than 2 months…Ciara thought. Is Liam really a
monster…a murderer?
“D-Damn…you…” Liam
gritted his teeth. Ciara’s heart sank. He just cursed at her. So this is
what happens if Liam gets mad...He doesn’t recognize anyone, but himself.
“Kill me, Liam,”
Ciara said bravely. What she did to attack Liam was her own plan. Ciara wanted
to get Liam mad, so she could feel the pain of dying. She wanted to see what
his powers were. Liam groaned, and Ciara heard the shuffling of clothes. He
must be getting up, Ciara thought. She screamed, “Come on! Kill me!”
“I-I can’t…” Liam
growled, and Ciara saw the outline of his body in an arc. What kind of
person is Liam? Ciara thought.
Please
try to understand him…I know that Liam is a hard nut to crack…but please save
him…You’re the only one who can stop him…
Liam roared, and
Ciara closed her eyes, gambling for her life. This is it…Liam…This is it…She
thought. Ciara heard the swift swish sounds coming from his bare feet. Liam
is lunging at me. Ciara thought. In 5 seconds, I’m going to be dead,
just like the snake…the deer…and Eliza…
Maybe
I’ll join my villagers…my family…and my sister…soon...
The wind was getting
stronger, and the sounds were becoming louder in front of her. Ciara’s heart
pounded in her chest. Liam is going to kill me—
The memories of Sore
Tower fast forward inside her head—Liam talking to her, Liam defending her,
Liam saving her at Sputter Palace, Liam fighting for her—I can’t believe
that I’m going to die in Liam’s hands...
Suddenly two arms
were wrapped around her body, gently pulling her face close to someone’s chest.
Ciara's eyes snapped open. Liam?
“Stupid!” Liam
shouted, and drops of water spattered across Ciara's face. Is he crying? Ciara
thought. Liam continued, “Why are you trying to make me mad, huh!?”
He
didn’t killed me…Ciara
wondered.
Slowly, Ciara
skimmed her hands on her stomach, searching for anything wet, but there was
none.
Pain smashed her
head. Ciara yelled and staggered back, while Liam’s arms squeezed tightly
across her back, pressing her head close to his mouth. He bumped his head on
my forehead, so that explains the pain, Ciara thought.
“You silly, silly
girl…” Liam breathed and planted a small kiss on her forehead, “That hurt, you
know.”
“I…” Ciara was
speechless. He didn’t kill me? How?
Ciara was testing
Liam’s powers. Surely, if Ciara could make him mad, she will be able to get
know of Liam's powers, just like what he did to Eliza...But it didn’t happened,
and her plan worked. She was still alive.
“Ciara…I don’t know
what happened to me…but…” Liam breathed and Ciara gently put a hand on his
chest, skimming her fingers across his chin. Two swollen parts on his jaw
and chin. Ciara thought. I attacked him…kicked him…and made him mad…but
nothing happened.
Liam continued,
“…you saved me…" Ciara froze. Liam laughed, "I know this is weird,
but when you attacked me a while ago, my power—anger just disappeared all of
the sudden."
Ciara raised her
eyebrow and Liam laughed at her expression. He laughed. Ciara couldn’t
believe that at a time like this, Liam was laughing?
Was Ciara dreaming?
What was wrong with her? It was like the world went upside down.
“Thanks for giving
me that, Ciara.” Liam chuckled, and then Ciara felt Liam’s mouth on her lips. He’s
kissing me again. Ciara thought. Liam broke the kiss, “but I’m sorry I
can’t tell you anything about my past. Let's just say, it's a dark secret I
don't want to share,” Liam untangled his hands around her. Dazzled, Ciara
watched Liam’s outline moving toward a figure on the sand. He’s walking
toward Chase.
“Liam…that you?” Chase
said, “You…alright? Ciara—”
“She saved me…” Liam
said in relief, “I don’t know what happened, but it’s like the curse died
down." Liam’s voice turned into a whisper, "You know what I'm talking
about, right Chase?”
Ciara didn’t bother
to listen to the Crude Brothers. They were still having their moment together
in the sand. Emotions exploded inside her. What was it? Guilt, shock, terror,
happiness, and fear? Ciara gulped. Even though everything went back to normal,
the question inside her mind still bothered her.
What is
Liam’s power anyway? Who is Liam and what is he?
While the Crude
Brothers were still talking about their secrets, Ciara glanced to her right
side, and blurrily saw an outline of a fallen figure lying on the sand. Eliza.
Ciara had quickly
forgotten about the Metric survivor, because of Liam’s frightening behavior.
Her stomach churned in disgust and regret. Slowly, Ciara staggered toward Eliza
and kneeled beside her, avoiding the blood spattered across the sand.
Tears spilled down
her eyes.
Liam killed Eliza…
Ciara gritted her
teeth and tightened her hands, ignoring the pain swelling on her right hand.
Unlike everyone, Ciara hadn't got a reason to kill Liam. Killing wasn’t in her
nature, and Liam had some kind of power that he couldn’t control.
“I’m sorry, Eliza…”
Ciara mumbled, “I can’t kill Liam for you, but I promise that I will try to
make this world a better place. And that is to stop those fission bombs before
everyone else gets killed.”
Ciara smudged her
forefinger with Eliza’s blood, and painted Eliza’s right cheek with the same
symbol that was on Ciara’s cheek.
A large circle with a dot in the middle. A
Metric warrior.
Then Ciara felt
Liam’s body beside her.
“Liam,” Ciara
muttered.
“Are you going to
avenge your friend someday?” Liam asked his voice low. And then Ciara heard
another figure behind her. Heavy breathing…only one beat of the leg…Chase, Ciara
thought.
“No,” Ciara finally
said.
Liam sighed, “Ciara,
I tried to kill you…” Liam took a sharp intake of breath, “I killed your best
friend…your childhood deer...and yet…”
“I understand you,
Liam,” Ciara said, and Liam flinched, “You’re not the bad guy around here. You
didn’t mean to get your hands tattered by blood. You didn’t mean to kill
them…You were just…different.”
A
monster…Ciara
thought. I don’t want to lose you, Liam.
Ciara felt Liam’s
thumb skimming on her swollen right hand. Liam breathed, “Thank you.”
“What should we do
about Eliza?” Chase interrupted them.
“Hey, you shouldn’t
be standing, you know,” Liam was back to his normal self.
“Besides, I should be the one taking care of
Eliza’s body,” Ciara heard Liam shuffled to his feet, and saw him bending down
over the figure on the sand, “Excuse me,” When Liam lifted up Eliza’s body, the
smell of blood grew stronger. Ciara threw up on the side, and felt Chase’s hand
soothing her back.
“Chase…you’re
still not healed yet,” Ciara coughed and noticed that Liam's figure was gone.
“I know…” Chase
whispered, “Thank you, Ciara…” Chase said, “Oh, look it’s already sunset.”
Ciara regretted that
she couldn’t appreciate the vast colors of the sky. Her vision was getting
darker, and she was having a hard time seeing the outlines of the Crude
Brothers in front of her. At this hour, there will be a high tide. She
could hear the swishing of the waves swallowing the sand/
“Where is Liam,”
Ciara asked Chase.
“He’s giving a
proper burial to Eliza,” Chase said gloomily, “Back at our village, when
someone dies we toss their body to the sea so the water can take them away.”
There is
a slight splash sound on the water…Ciara analyzed. Liam must have placed
Eliza’s body on the water. The scent of blood is fading away…because the water
washes the blood off Eliza. Eliza's body is floating away.
“Goodbye and I’m
sorry,” Liam said as the wind blew harder toward their direction.
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