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Blind Candidate: Chapter Twenty Five (End)


Your power can’t cease to amaze me, Leverie,” Virgo said vibrantly, “That Specialist really did a good job on you. Your meticulous eyes can’t seem to escape anyone, even from the backside."
Ciara’s heart hammered in her chest. This was the Empress who nearly killed her by extracting her memories away, and Leverie, her older, was assisting her to fulfill her plan.
“Thank you, Empress,” Leverie said, and Ciara spotted her outline proceeding to her right side, carrying a thin stick that made gritting and clinking sounds on the ground. A Sword. Leverie said dully, “I’m very flattered of your words. It’s an honor, Empress.”
Leverie knew we were eavesdropping from the other tunnel…Ciara thought. She's the one who brought us here…using her power.
“How lovely,” Virgo said, her shadow blocking Ciara’s view, “And you brought your little friends with you. Just as I planned.”
A solid object strike Ciara’s head, flinging her off the ground. Pain ruptured her skull, blood oozing the back of her head. There were clacking sounds that sounded like a gun on her right side. Leverie must have hit me with the butt of the gun. Ciara thought. She cast me at the corner of the room, so my team mates can’t protect me.
“It’s you, again.” Leverie said distastefully, expertly spinning the gun in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Ciara caught a glimpse of Leverie drawing an object that extending from her back. In a flash, the lengthy object was stabbed on the ground, between Ciara’s legs.
From what Ciara could observe, the object was 5 meters long. A long sword.
“See this, Ciara?” Leverie said, “This is the family sword our parents had been hiding.” Leverie said, “A weapon to kill people.”
Ciara shuddered, “What are you talking about? Mom and dad would never have a weapon like tha—”
Slap!
Ciara hit the ground, the side of her cheek throbbing from the powerful slap Leverie gave her. She was no match for Leverie. Not with her incredible speed.
“Leverie, that’s enough,” Virgo said sharply.
“As you wish, Empress,” Leverie retreated back.
“You!” Liam shouted at Virgo. There were involuntary noises that sounded like a thud, a click and a yell from two figures. “You know something about that Specialist!” Liam shouted. Liam is gripping Virgo’s collar. I can see a shadow from behind…Leverie is pointing the gun at Liam’s back.
“Tell me where he is right now!” Liam repeated. Virgo burst into a high-pitched laugh. Liam shouted louder, “Tell me!”
“Liam,” Chase groaned, staggering up. “Stop it.”
“I’ll kill you!” Liam yelled, “He’s alive, isn’t he?”
Virgo made a sinister laugh, “Liam Crude. If you think your anger can kill people, then why am I still alive? Do you ever wonder why I'm still in good shape?"
“Don’t make fun of me!” Liam furiously shouted, “I’ll seriously kill you! I’ll be the one to end your life, along with that sick bastard who turned me into this!”
Ciara tottered forward, with her hand clutching her stomach. Liam is completely fused in hatred…Ciara thought.  I need to stop him.
“Do you think I came here unarmed?" Virgo snorted in disgust, "Well, you thought wrong."
Snap!
A gust of wind blasted toward Ciara’s direction, and later, the wind died down, replaced by sounds of blades grinding against each other. The cause of the strong gust is the result of a high endless power. Ciara surmised. When two persons pressurize their vitality, the force sums a collision of sounds and wind pressures. Ciara looked up. Liam blocked Leverie’s attack with two blades.
“Don’t get in the way!” Liam shouted as Ciara heard another tching, whip, smack, and clash against Leverie’s attacks striding across the room.
“That would be my line, Liam Crude,” Leverie said delightfully, ‘It has been pleasure to fight you," Leverie continued, “After all, we are aberrations. We are immortals."
“Shut up!” Liam shouted, and another swish whip across him.
Leverie’s weapon makes hard, and metallic sounds…so she’s using the sword against Liam…Ciara listened closely. Liam’s weapon sounded heavy…like…a sickle.
They were weaponless from the start, so how did Liam get his sickle in the first place?
“Now then,” Virgo said, proceeding to where Macie and Chase were, “Let’s get into business, shall we?”
Ciara stumbled on the ground, squirming from her stomach injury. I need to help them…
“You must be Macie Angerson,” Virgo chuckled darkly, ignoring Chase, “I never thought I would meet the daughter of the brilliant Specialist Angerson. How lovely.”
Ciara froze. She could almost recall those deranged laughs when she was strapped in on the chair—the searing pain on her eyelids—and the intense pressure of her brain being crushed by electricity. Her stomach twisted in disgust.
 Just then, Liam had hit the ground beside her, his weapon out of reach.
 “Lia—” Chase began, but Virgo squeezed her hands on his throat, choking him to death.
Ciara gritted her teeth and banged the floor with her fists. Come on, Ciara. You need to get up. You need to move!
Useless blind girl. Voices reverberated around her head. You are weak. You are nothing, but a burden.
“Ugh!” Liam groaned, and out of the corner of Ciara’s eye, she saw Leverie lifting the sword up, ready to kill him. But there was another problem. Ciara glance to her left side. Chase was being choked to death.
 “A few years back, I made a choice to your brother,” Virgo said. Ciara spotted Macie rising to help Chase, but Macie stood motionless as if something was holding her back. Macie was making gurgling sounds, blood leaking down her mouth.
“Shut up, Virgo!” Liam shouted.
“I offered your brother a choice. If Liam takes my side, he will be able to live his life without fear—a life in the Epicenter,” Virgo said, “But he didn’t, because you’re disabled. Because your brother cut your own leg off. You took his future away. You took everything away from him!”
“I SAID SHUT U—”
A speck of light crossed Ciara's eye. She saw Leverie lifting her long sword up. Her heart stopped a beat. This time, there’s no escaping that attack. Ciara thought. In 4 seconds, Liam will be dead.
Smack!
There were two loud thuds crashing on the ground, blood splashing in the air. Macie must have knocked Virgo. Ciara thought. Swift racing taps crossed the room. That sound…Chase must be running.
Ciara pushed herself forward, but she knew she couldn’t make it. Liam was too far, and with her injury, she wouldn't be able to run without sacrificing her body first. 2 seconds before Leverie makes that swing. Ciara analyzed.
“CHASE!” Macie screamed.
“LIAM!” Ciara yelled.
Splash!
Everything came out unexpectedly too fast. Ciara just simply stared at the scene, her eyes widening in terror. A dark-haired figure had blocked the boy lying on the ground—as the blade slashed the dark-haired figure in an arc. Blood spattered across the air, spilling the ground red. The noise was too heavy. She heard the sound of metal pieces noisily pounding the ground, the ripping of clothes, and a loud thud on the ground. Wind blasted across her face, which meant Leverie’s attack was really powerful.
“CHASE!” Liam roared.
It couldn’t be. Ciara’s eyes widened.
“CHASE!” Liam shrieked, “CHASE!”
Chase couldn’t be dead…Ciara observed. He couldn’t be…Ciara thought. Chase’s replacement leg is destroyed into pieces…Ciara thought. No one can survive that massive blow...She had seen Leverie and Liam’s level of power when the wind blasted across her face. This was much powerful than the last one, and because of this, her friend was dead.
”CHASE!” Liam shrieked, bursting into tears. Ciara felt a horrible feeling inside her chest. Chase is dead, because of me…Ciara thought.
Virgo’s high-pitched laugh engulfed the room. She could hear something leaking from Leverie’s hand. Blood.
“How wonderful!” Virgo’s voice boomed. Tears streaked down Ciara’s cheek, almost tasting the salty tears on her lips. 
 “Liam…” Chase croaked, “D-don’t….cry.”
“Shut up, stupid!” Liam yelled, “I’m not crying...you can’t leave me...” Liam wept, “…What have I done…” Liam cried, “You shouldn’t have saved me!”
“Y-You’re my…brother…” Chase whispered, “B-Brothers…stay together…right?”
After a few seconds, Chase was quiet.
Liam shouted, “Chase! Chase!”
Chase is not dead. I can still hear Chase breathing lowly…Ciara sensed. But if we don’t give him a Healing Swirl soon, he won’t be able to make it.
“Empress,” Leverie said blandly, “What should I do about him?”
“Kill him,” Virgo ordered.
Leverie clicked the gun in place, “My pleasure.”
“No, you don’t!” Liam shouted. In a sudden flash, Liam was already in front of Ciara, throwing his hands around to shield her. Leverie suddenly stopped. What is Liam doing?
“Move, Liam Crude,” Leverie said harshly, “If you don’t, I’m going to kill you, along with the Blind Candidate."
“I know you won't," Liam yelled, “If you shoot me, your bullet will also kill Ciara.” Liam continued, "You still love her, and that's why you spared her life. She's your sibling! Your family!"
Leverie flinched from Liam’s words. A spark of hope fluttered Ciara’s chest. Leverie cares about me after all…
“It’s painful to see your siblings being killed, right?” Liam sniveled. “Do you know how it feels to see your precious family slaughtered in front of you?”
Leverie didn’t say a word, and Ciara could still see her sister pointing the gun at them. Liam shouted, “I won’t forgive you! I will never forgive you, you devil!”
“Ki…ll..me…”
Everyone turned their attention to the figure that interrupted them. Ciara recognized that shy voice. Macie is also dying…Ciara observed. Her breath is getting weak, and her teeth are clenching together.
Virgo laughed again, “You hear that Leverie? This girl is begging for death,” Virgo spoke to Macie, “I can perfectly remember your father back in the old days. He was an extremely insane guy with a comprehensive talent for dissecting the eyes of the insects."
Ciara shuddered at the thought.
“When your father discovered his liking in the Part, he had betrayed his own family to work as a Specialist." Virgo continued, “A very talented man, indeed. It was unfortunate that we lost him in the prison break out of Cager Territory.” 
“Macie, you traitor!” Liam growled, and Ciara could hear Liam’s fists shaking from anger, “You low-life traitor! How dare you—”
“But that is not all,” Virgo snubbed Liam, “Angerson was the best Specialist in Round. He dissected more than fifty humans in Part, and one of them was..."Virgo chuckled, “Ciara Plop.”
Ciara clenched her fists. 
My father was a surgeon. Macie’s voice echoed her thoughts. I want to help people someday. I wanted to become a doctor.
 “I-I’m sorry, Ciara…” Macie rasped, “I-I-I didn’t tell you…about it…because…I- I-I don’t want you to think of me…as my father…” Macie choked, “I-If I tell you about…you will hate…me…forever…” Macie continued, “I’m sorry…I’m sorr—”
Smack!
Macie collapsed on the ground. Ciara confusingly lowered her head, feeling the empty pit swarming inside her stomach.
I wanted to become your friend…
“She’s a traitor,” Liam hissed, “A traitor in our team.”
Ciara shook her head, “Liam…Macie will never do that…” Ciara said, “Daughter of that Specialist, or not. She's still my friend.”
“Are you nuts, Ciara!?” Liam protested, “How can you forgive her!?”
“Because people are different,” Ciara said, “Macie wanted to become a doctor so she could save many lives from the war. The opposite of her father,” Ciara continued, “Macie hid it from us, because she has a dream she wanted to fulfill. And I believe in her.”
“How charming.” Virgo said wickedly, and Ciara spotted Virgo getting up, “And since my plan is almost complete. Kill him, Leverie.”
Rapidly, Ciara felt herself being tossed on the side of the room, rolling on the ground, until a thunderous bam and a thud reverberated. Ciara’s heart sank cold in her chest.
“Liam!” Ciara screamed, but her voice was muffed—when a tight hand, begun to squeeze her throat just like what happened to Chase. What is going on!? Ciara thought.
“There’s no one to save you now, Blind Candidate.” Virgo hissed. Virgo’s squeezing my throat, Ciara thought. She tried to claw Virgo’s hands, but her energy was slowly disappearing. Her windpipe was being blocked, and Ciara could feel her fingers turning blue. Where is Liam? Ciara scanned her eyes around the area.
Nothing.
A small scent of fresh blood began to spread around the room, making Ciara’s stomach churn in disgust. The smell is too strong. Ciara thought. Where is Liam? Why can't I hear him?
No, it can’t be…Ciara recalled the noise earlier. Leverie must have shot Liam.... When Liam wasn't paying attention to his enemy, Leverie was the first one to throw me to the side, so she could finish Liam without mercy.
“Your friends are all dead,” Virgo chuckled, “And finally, I can finish you off without having anyone to disturb me now!”
Out of the corner of her eye, something flashed out Virgo’s pocket. A dagger.
Carefully, Ciara reached her hand to touch the dagger on Virgo's pocket, while the Empress' attention was focused on Ciara's beet face.
Let me repeat myself, Ciara,” Virgo said, “The Reins have set one million fission bombs across the lower states of Round. No one can disarm it. Not if there’s only 5 minute chance to do it. The only thing you can do is watch your precious friends die, and surrender yourself to me. Are you willing to accept my offer?”
 “I won’t…give myself to you…” Ciara smirked, “because this time, you are going to die!” Her fingers had successfully clasped the handle of the dagger, pulling it up to stab Virgo in the heart—when Leverie caught her wrist, stopping the tip of the blade from touching Virgo’s breast. Ciara tried to move her hand, but Leverie’s grip was like steel.
 “Good job, Leverie,” Virgo chuckled, “Even your sister has no mercy for you.” Virgo said, “You lose, Ciara.”
Everything came out fast. When Virgo released Ciara’s throat, she landed on a chair. Ciara’s senses kicked in. This is the mind chair... Ciara thought. I need to get out…now!
But it was already too late. Because of the pain on her stomach, Ciara wasn't able to move out, until her hands were already clamped tight on the armchairs. Ciara struggled frantically.
“What are you going to do!?” Ciara shouted, still struggling from the metal clamps. The wound on her stomach started to open, and it was soaking her stomach portion with blood. She whisked her head back and forth, but there was no one to save her now. Macie and Chase were still alive, and breathing, and Liam was…
“Why it’s simple.” Virgo snarled, “After those bombs explode, I’m going to recreate billions of fission bombs against the Vixens. For that, I’m going to extract all your memories until you are nothing, but a piece of mindless doll.” Virgo said. “To turn this world into a better place, I need the strongest people to complete my plan. That’s why the Cager Territory and the Sore Tower are created. The Cager Territory will soon be my army, and the Sore Tower will be placed under Kyra’s rule.” Virgo continued, “Kyra doesn’t understand my situation. I was pressured by my mother to become the sole leader for the future of the royal throne. That is my destiny. That’s what my mother wants to be,” Virgo continued, “On the day of the Official Selection, the Governors cheated our scores and crowned me as Empress, betraying Kyra. To crush our friendship, I threw Kyra and her brother to the Casts." Virgo said, “And exactly as predicted, the plan for the preparation of Epicenter and the Casts for the 16th war is finally happening."
“You will be the one to stop the war—the war I’m creating between our rivalry and friendship.” Virgo said, “The war that Kyra and I made a promise a long time ago.”
“That’s all?” Ciara shouted in disgust, “You’re creating this war just to determine your friendship!?” Ciara tightened her fists, “You’re planning to involve many innocent people in this fight, so you can determine who is the strongest of you two?"
Virgo seized Ciara’s hair, hauling her head up. Ciara gritted her teeth painfully. Virgo said darkly, “You know nothing about me. The real villain is Kyra, not me!”
When Virgo let go of Ciara’s hair, a helmet cupped her head. Ciara opened her eyes and heard beeping sounds and the sizzling of circuit inside the helmet.
Target reach. Blind Candidate Ciara Plop.
Searching for data. 15 results found. 100% complete.

Virgo burst into an ear-piercing shriek. “Goodbye, Blind Candidate. You lose.”
A searing pain throbbed inside Ciara’s head, as if it was splitting her mind in half. Ciara screamed, until the white light began to spread across her vision, filling everything with brightness.
z
The first thing that came into Ciara's mind was white. Where am I? She looked down, but there weren’t shadows forming around her feet. She started to walk around, and noticed her stomach injury was gone. In fact, there wasn't any pain at all.
Am I dead?
She looked around. Everything was so white and empty. And it seemed like she was the only person in it. Gingerly, she touched her forehead, trying to recall the past events in her mind. She remembered Virgo pushing her head on the Mind Chair. But was she dead?
Boom!
Ciara was thrown backward when a series of images begun to spin across the air. Her heart throbbed in her chest. What is this? Ciara thought. Why are there so many pictures in here? The colored images were moving inside their invisible frames. Where am I? Ciara touched her eyelids. She could perfectly see it. Her vision was clear again, as if the blindness disappeared from her eyes.
World search. Metric. Ciara. Friends. Family. Complete. 100% scan. 1,098, 756, 583. Images. 13, 456, 109, 410. 98 videos found.
x.x.x.x. Visualization. 14. 56 percent. Blindness. 10.96 %. X

She could pinpoint the image on the right, where Chase, Liam and Ciara were walking together at the forest. Her eyes widened. This was the first time she saw the Crude Brothers in real details.
Liam was awfully handsome. His hair was ginger; his eyes were the color of leaves. He simply looked charming, with a slightly troublesome face and a bad-boyish glance.
Then there was Chase. The Crude Brothers looked like twins—with the same ginger hair and green eyes, except for their height, and cheekbones. Chase looked very gentle and kind, while Liam looked like a naughty kid who had just stole an apple from the Epicenter.
And then, there was Ciara. Ciara couldn’t believe it. She could finally see her actual appearance. At that time, she still had long straight brown hair, and…pale gray eyes without any pupils. She looked perfectly healthy, except for her thin legs and arms.
Ciara gazed up and saw many moving pictures invading the white spaced air. Why am I seeing this? Ciara thought. These are all my memories…
She raised her hand to touch the images, but her hand just passed through them as if she was a ghost. There were so many faces and colors to begin with. It was like a colorful paradise.
Input. Epicenter_Empress: Virgo Victoria.

“Amazing!”
Ciara whisked her head, and saw a red-haired woman standing on her right side. The first thing that came in her mind was the crimson gown. There was only person who wore that was…Virgo.
“I see, so these are your memories,” Virgo said eagerly, beaming like a child. Her appearance made Ciara’s stomach tighten in fear. Blood. Red. Virgo exclaimed, "At last! I have finally entered your mind. Now I can extract your deepest thoughts and set this world in fire!"
Ciara wrinkled her nose. She's insane.
“Stop her, Ciara.”
Virus detected! Trojan horse. Leverie Plop!
Danger level 100%

Ciara turned around to see a familiar face standing beside her. Her eyes widened at the sight. Leverie.
Ciara immediately recognized her sister because of her familiar curly blond hair, but when she looked up to see her sister's face, she almost threw up. Her eyes, just like what Liam said, were the strangest ones she had ever seen.
It was purple, and the pupils were replaced by circular rings that extended up to her eyeballs. What happened to Leverie? Ciara said.
Her sister looked so different. A few years ago, Leverie looked like an angel, with a smiling face and beautiful doe-shaped eyes. Now she looked like a killing machine. A warrior.
Then, flashy green lights appeared in front of her.
Fission bomb_ Remaining Time:
00: 00: 00: 10

Ciara’s heart lurched in her chest. Only ten seconds left.
“You need to stop her, Ciara.” Leverie shouted. “Do you want to be gone forever? Do you want Virgo to take what is inside you?” Leverie shouted, “Do you want to leave your comrades behind!?”
Ciara flinched, ‘But why are you here? What are you doing inside my head?”
7 seconds.
“Listen to me, Ciara.” Leverie said, “I was born with power to infiltrate someone’s mind and hide their memories. But with the technology slightly increasing its potential, my powers can’t longer protect your memories from Virgo. Father and mother did not tell you this because if the Epicenter has found out about my power, they would kill you.” Leverie continued, “The reason why you failed to remember your memories is because I put a block on your mind. And I’m sorry about it.”
5 seconds…
“Why are you telling me this?” Ciara said.
“Because…” Leverie slowly walked toward her, and the next thing, she was already beside Ciara, leaning down to whisper in her ear.“…I’m not what you seemed to think.”
Crack.
Leverie stabbed the sword between the moving images, and soon, the wall began to have spider web cracks forming across the sword.
Alert! Fission bomb control corrupted!
00: 00: 00: 03

“No!” Virgo shouted, clawing her hands on the moving images. “What’s happening!? Why is it breaking!?” She screamed frantically, trying to catch the fallen images, but one by one, the images began to disappear in her hands. “NO! NO!”
Ciara turned around, and saw Leverie facing her, “The only thing that can disarm the bombs is to destroy your past memories. You won’t be remembering them for a while, but still you get to keep your present memories. Don’t you see, Ciara? Your memories are the source of power given to the bombs. If the source of their energy has been cut off, they wouldn’t regenerate anymore.”
Bomb deactivated. Code granted. System terminated. Memory shutting down in 3 s.

“I don’t want to lose you, Ciara.” Leverie whispered.
“Leverie,” Ciara started to cry, “Thank you,”
“Whatever you do, the old me is still inside your heart,” Leverie said, and slowly disappeared. “I’m waiting for you to save me.”
And then she was gone.
“I will…” Ciara smiled as the images exploded behind her.
z
It took Ciara some time to recover what happened, because by the time she woke up, Virgo had been blasted backward. The metal clamps broke free, releasing her hands, and destroying her helmet from the loud impact. Ciara heard Virgo crashing on the ground, and the sizzling of wires and smoke coming from the chair. Ciara blinked.
She was back to the real world. Slowly, she moved her hands to touch her stomach, feeling the blood soaking her clothes. I’m still alive…The images were blurry again. Nothing like the one in her white world. I’m blind again.
“No! My fission bombs. It can’t be…why…” Virgo shrieked, “Why didn’t my plan worked—”
Suddenly, Ciara heard someone grabbing Virgo’s throat, squeezing her neck. Ciara carefully leap out of the chair, and saw a dark-haired boy gripping Virgo up in the air. Her heart turned cold. Liam.
“I’m not done with you yet, Virgo!” Liam barked. Ciara noticed Liam was slightly limping when he stood up. Liam’s leg had been shot from earlier, Ciara thought. “I finally heard everything—starting from taking over the world, and your plan to start a war.” Liam roared, “This is the end for you! I won’t let you hurt anyone anymore now that the bombs have been deactivated!”
But after a few seconds, nothing happened. Liam can kill a person when he gets really mad…Ciara thought. So why…
Virgo laughed, her voice echoing across the room. Liam seemed to be confused, because his power wasn't working on Virgo. Why…Ciara thought. Liam accidentally killed the deer and Eliza so why won’t it work on Virgo?
Virgo didn’t stopped laughing, so Liam threw her off the ground to shut her up. Liam gritted his teeth, “Why aren’t you dead!? You are supposed to be bleeding by now!”
“You will never kill me in a million years, Liam Crude.” Virgo chuckled, “Because I too, have been conducted as a test subject by my own mother.”
“What?” Ciara and Liam uttered in astonishment.
Virgo continued to laugh. Ciara whirled around, checking if her sister was still there. But Leverie wasn't there. She disappeared. So Leverie did really save me. Ciara thought.
“When I was a child, I had been injected by a nullification substance to keep me immortal.” Virgo sneered, “All of your powers won't work on me. That’s why you can’t kill me. That’s why I’m still alive!” Virgo burst into a high pitch laughter, “You will never become normal again, Liam Crude. We are destined to become monsters. You and I are alike,” Virgo said, “There’s no turning back. There’s no Cure for us, Liam. Nothing.”
Ciara could see Liam’s hands shaking tremendously.
“We will continue to become the villains of this Society,” Virgo said, “The only thing that keeps us living is our hatred. The power to destroy—the power to kill…”
“No…’ Liam staggered back, “That can’t be true.”
“Face the reality, Liam Crude,” Virgo said, “It’s in your fate. There’s nothing you can do to change that.”
“No…” Liam clenched his teeth, “No!”
“Liam…” Ciara said, “We need to get out.” Ciara gazed at the two fallen figures on the ground. Chase and Macie can still make it if we leave now…Ciara thought. And since Leverie is gone, this is the perfect chance to escape. “Liam, Chase is still breathing. We can still save him.”
“Mark my words, Crude…” Virgo’s laugh died down, “You will never become normal again…Once you’ve made up your mind, come to me, so you can finally settle this with your Specialist.”
It took longer for Liam to decide which path to take. To obey Virgo, or to save his brother. Ciara wasn’t sure what he wasn’t going to do, but when she noticed that Liam was picking up the fallen figures, she knew they were going to escape.
“Ciara,” Liam said. He must be carrying Chase and Macie on his shoulders, Ciara thought. ‘Take my hand.” She could still hear the anger in his raspy tone.

With no time to waste, Ciara took Liam’s bloody hand and slammed their bodies against the window, escaping the White House.

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