After what had felt like—what I counted to be—nearly ten hours, the dust in the air surrounding me began to move once again.
Time had resumed its flow.
I was brought back to the moment in which Delfina had subjected me to Chronostasis: Time Prison, with both Vick and Rai still watching me at her side. They all looked at me, slightly uneasy, clearly expecting a change in my attitude. So I had to give it to them in order for this plan of mine to work.
"W-What just happened?!" I forced a tear from my eye. "I was stuck in purgatory for nearly ten hours!!"
Delfina smiled. "That was only ten seconds, Klyson. Would you like to experience that all over again?"
I tried to shake my head, but remembered that although time had resumed, I was still stuck in Vick's Polaroid frame. "No! Fuck no! Anything but that! That Fractal of yours is horrible! Literal torture!"
I could see Rai smiling to Vick, and I read his whispering mouth. "It worked, as always," he'd said.
They're this gullible? Or is Delfina's track record with Chronostasis: Time Prison so undefeatable that this is just expected?
"I have the ability to subject you to that as many more times as you deserve with absolutely no drawbacks. That is, unless, the time spent in solitude has swayed your interests."
"What do you mean?" I pleaded.
"Chrono's goal is bigger than what you currently strive for in Heathen's name. Ian is a fraud, and he only spreads truth according to what benefits him. Using the Null for him makes you a tool, Klyson. But if you use the Null for us, it makes you a savior, a key to freedom."
"Freedom…?"
"The Shattering. The emergence of MONA through the merging of realms of deities and humans, becoming alike. Do you see the gifts we've received from MONA's generosity? We have technology Melysia has developed that is centuries ahead of any other country. We have a supply of limitless energy that runs throughout our countless homes and cities. But most importantly of all, we have what defines us as Melysians, different from the rest, all unique in our own right—Fractals. I know it is something that you personally don't have, Klyson. But if we give humanity the right to bare witness to MONA once more, then you could even possibly attain something that exceeds Fractals, and all the other gifts we currently wear from Her. We would all receive our long-coming gifts."
I stared into Delfina's eyes as she monlogued, continuing to give off the impression that I was beginning to absorb her ideas. But all I could think about was how delusional this organization was, and how the pride in their beliefs must have been rooted so deeply that they couldn't even fathom the possible consequences that came with their goal.
They haven't even imagined the possibility that MONA wouldn't want any of that. They simply assume that She is generous and forgiving. And have they forgotten that the God Realm holds hundreds, or even thousands more of other gods that may be much more malificent than MONA?
Even with Ian's influence no longer plaguing my brain, any sane person could easily deduce that encountering gods with powers that mimic those of a god would not create a good impression. Gods are used to being worshipped and given-to. I could not imagine their reactions to seeing non-deities attempting to stand on a level equivalent to theirs.
It would not end in the gift-giving garden that Chrono seems so fixated on.
"Your Null, and another member's Fractal Reversal, are the two necessary keys to unlocking the heavens. Only by magnifying our realm's state of power from humans to near-gods by afflicting everyone with Fractal Activations can we create the opportunity for the Human Realm and God Realm to merge due to their likeness. Once the wall of reality breaches between our realms, we can finally find MONA once again. We can praise Her once again. We can worship Her once again. We can thank Her for everything She has provided us, and be grateful for the more that She will grant."
I was in such disagreance with everything Delfina said that I nearly let my act down, allowing my words to slip. "But what about—?"
"There are no buts, Klyson," she cut me off immediately. "Unless you'd like to sit with yourself for ten more hours? Maybe even hundreds of more hours?"
I snapped back into my fake persona, shaking my head with fear. "No! No… Anything but that, please…"
"Then you will oblige." She took a step towards me. "You were never even supposed to have the Null. So unless you use it for the right reasons, you can live a life paying for your sins in my Time Prison. Do you understand?"
I nodded, hesitantly. "Yes…"
"Don't be scared," she said. "As long as you follow my lead, your efforts will be met with gifts beyond generosity of this realm. I can assure you that."
"Okay…"
We stood there in silence for a moment, as a cold breeze passed through the city. I quietly whimpered to fill in the quietness.
Delfina suddenly turned to Vick. "Shut off Polaroid."
"Are you sure?"
"Does it look like he's going to try anything now?"
Vick shook his head. "No… you're right."
He turned off Polaroid in that moment, and my body finally loosened its stiffened state and I dropped to my knees. I felt an unbearable soreness throughout my limbs as if I had been holding myself up in that position for all of that time. But an erratic spore of energy spiked through my veins, igniting me to stand back up.
Flow State.
My instincts were ringing loudly, clearly because I was constantly in the face of danger being around these three—Rai, Vick, and Delfina.
I have to hold back, for now.
Although Flow State would not let me up, I couldn't tap into my senses just yet. Although the Null inside of me craved blood to be shed, I couldn't make my move just yet. I had to go along with this for now.
Their weaknesses will reveal themselves in time.
But then I remembered that I only had three days. I had to figure this out within three days, and as a result, become acclimated to the Null in these three days.
I've never had the power to change the tides in an instant, but with time, I can always come out on top. I'll use these three days wisely.
"Now that you've come to your senses, it's time we start immediately preparing you for your role." Delfina reached a hand out to me. I stared at the skin on her palm.
Blood.
This crave for red was so imminent in my mind unlike ever before. The idea that I had to shed blood in order to activate the Null incited this urge.
Her hand is right there. My knife is in my holster. With Flow State active, I could slash her hand before she could even activate her Fractal. I could erase her Fractal right now if I wanted to.
But I couldn't, just yet. Vick was watching me closely, and I could see his hands already pre-formed for Polaroid. Rai looked like he was ready to pounce towards me the moment anything happened, with his fingertips blacker than ever, primed to purge me.
Resist the urge, Klyson. You can shed even more blood in a single instant if you just wait.
I had to tame myself. My capabilities were overwhelming. But the potential to end Chrono was higher the closer I got to their core.
"Come with us," Delfina said. Her hand was still out.
I grabbed it and she pulled me along, with Rai and Vick following closely from behind. We were led to a back alleyway where a car was waiting. I was piled into the middle back seat, with Rai and Vick at both sides. Delfina sat in the front passenger seat next to the driver, who wore the same-colored robes that Rai and Vick wore.
"The bag," Delfina said.
Vick reached into the trunk space behind the back seats and grabbed a black mesh bag, putting it over my head. I couldn't see anything.
"We're going to the hideout, Klyson. You don't get to know where it is just yet."
"And don't try anything either," Rai said into my ear from my left. I felt the grip of both his hands on my arm, with one finger missing—his pinky raised. "I'm currently one finger tip away from purging you before you get to even meet MONA."
I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the Flow State senses that constantly pinged my instincts right now. I understood that I was in a lot of danger at that moment. The car suddenly jolted forwards, and we were driving off to our next location. For a while there was silence in the car, with only the car's engine and my muffled breathing taking the space. Suddenly, Delfina spoke up.
"I'm curious, Klyson. How much did Draz or Zion educate you on what Chrono's Null user has to do?"
The question brought memories back to my mind—the moment I was chained in that cold basement beneath the Waving Kitty, where Draz revealed his true nature. He told me what became my first impressions of Chrono.
"The Null user needs to go around Melysia, imposing Fractal Activations on HP Fractal users—the exact opposite of what I was doing for Heathen."
"Exactly. No more executions. Once he applies Reversal to your Null, we'll send you on your way to do our bidding."
Rai was still in my ear. "You weren't supposed to be the one to use the Null, you know? It was meant for Vex. He'd been preparing for a long time to use it, and you stole that away from him."
This guy's acting like I had a choice. I was also prepared for a long time to use it, without even realizing it.
"There isn't anything we can do about that anymore, Rai," Delfina said. "Klyson here has become our Null user now, and just because it's someone we weren't expecting, it doesn't change anything about what we're trying to accomplish."
My curiosity got the best of me. "Did you come from Heathen?" I asked.
Rai's grip on my arm tightened. "You don't get to talk unless you're asked to."
"It's okay," Delfina butt-in. "I'll entertain your questions, Klyson. It's only fair that you know what you're working for."
"Draz told me that the one who created Chrono actually came first from Heathen. So did you come from Heathen…?"
"No. I may lead Chrono, but everything I know that has built our foundation comes from my husband. He was the one who came from Heathen."
Husband?
"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but if he brought the beliefs that formed the basis of Chrono, then why isn't he the leader?"
"He was for a short while. But in his current state, he can no longer lead. He left it to me." Delfina chuckled lightly. "If you have any questions about his correlation with Heathen, you can ask him directly. You'll be meeting him soon."
"I will?"
"He is the one who harbors Reversal. He is the one who will apply Reversal to your Null."
The car suddenly came to a halt, and the engine turned off. Doors began opening, and soon I was pulled out of the car.
"We're here," Vick said. "Your new home."
They pulled me along with the mesh bag still over my head. With vision gone, I could only count on my other senses—primarily sense of touch, hearing, and smell.
It smells dusty, the air seems opaque. I can still hear the wind blowing by, but not as acutely as earlier. This area must be much more open and expanded. The ground I walk on is unsteady and crumbly. It sounds like gravel.
"This is all your fault too, Klyson," Rai said.
"My fault…?" I hadn't a clue what he was talking about.
"Ignore him," Delfina said. "We're almost at the entry point."
The gravel we walked-over began to decline. Something in the floor was then opened with a creaking noise.
Are we going underground?
"We're going to be climbing down a ladder, Klyson. Vick, make sure the bag doesn't come off his face until we're down there."
"Got it."
I was waiting for a while until it seemed it was my turn to go down the ladder.
"Watch your step," Vick said, as he guided me into what felt like a circular hole.
A sewer plate?
I carefully stepped down the ladder until I felt ground beneath me. My arm was immediately grasped when I arrived.
"You haven't left my suspicions yet, Klyson."
It was Rai, still keeping me at bay with Purgency. I heard Vick come down the ladder last before I was pulled further along into what I assumed was Chrono's secret hideout. The air was cold, and the floor we stepped on echoed back and forth. I assumed the following things: that I was underground, that the ground and walls were cemented, and that I was being led through wide corridors.
Left, right, right, left, right…
I kept track of and memorized the turns we took, even though I couldn't see anything. That way, wherever I ended up, if the worst came to be, I could backtrack my way out of here.
"Ma'am," I heard a new voice ahead of us say. "Is this…?"
"Heathen's current executioner," Delfina said, to who I assumed was another Chrono lackey. "He has the Null."
The other was shocked. "What? But what about Vex?"
"Is he through the door?"
There was a silent nod from the Chrono lackey.
"Then let us in."
I heard a door ahead of me creek open, and Rai and Vick pulled both my arms forward, leading me into the new room.
"Mom?" A new voice in the room said. "Who is this?"
The bag was finally pulled off of my head. At my sides were Rai and Vick, and ahead of me was Delfina standing next to a young man who looked to be just in his 20's. He wore robes similar in color to that of Delfina's, a bright maroon red. His black bangs were parted to the side, barely revealing his bright blue eyes.
"Vex, this is Klyson from Heathen. He has the Null."
'Vex'? Is this Chrono's Fractless?
He looked at me first with a blank stare, then all of a sudden, the emotional infrastructure of his face collapsed. His eyebrows furrowed, his forehead wrinkled, and his eyes widened.
"What do you mean he 'has the Null'?"
"We found him too late. Ian's already installed the Null inside of him."
Vex looked dumbfounded. "But what about me? What about my role in the Shattering?"
Delfina turned to him. "Your role now consists of teaching Klyson what you were originally supposed to do. The Null is no longer your responsibility."
Vex looked on the verge of collapsing, like his entire life's work had just been lost in an instant. And from what I could tell, it seemed like that was exactly what'd happened.
"I'm going to leave him here with you for now while I update your father on the situation. Rai and Vick will stay with you two to keep him in check. I've used Time Prison on him, but I'm not going to underestimate Heathen's Fractless Executioner."
Delfina walked out of the room and the door closed behind her. I was left in a room with Vex, Rai, and Vick. My arm was once again grasped tightly.
"You try anything and you're going to be purged immediately, Klyson," Rai said. "Null or not, I don't trust you one bit. I can read through your bullshit."
I gave him a discerning look but brushed off the intimidation. To my right, Vick still had his hands pre-formed for Polaroid.
These guys really are keeping me at bay from doing anything, which makes sense if my assumptions are right.
I tested my assumption. "Vex, are you Chrono's Fractless?"
He stared at the floor blankly, visibly in defeat. "Yeah…"
"You were supposed to have the Null?"
"Yeah…"
"Is Delfina your mom?"
Rai suddenly struck me in the arm. "You're asking too many questions, Klyson."
"I have to learn from him, don't I? After all, I'm the one to use the Null now—"
Smack—!
I was brutally slapped by Vex in the instant, who breathed heavily.
"Who the hell do you think you are to waltz into our place and take up my precious role?! Who the hell even are you!?"
I stared at the floor, tasting iron from the blood in my now-bruised lip. I didn't know what to reply to a teenager going through the motions.
"Is she being serious?" Vex asked Rai and Vick. "This guy is actually going to replace me? When I've been the one preparing for all of these years?"
"Apparently," Vick nodded hesitantly. "She seemed set-in-stone about it."
"I can't believe it… I can't! My own mom wouldn't just replace me like that! There's no way my dad would approve of this either! They've prepared me for this since I was born!"
Vex began thrashing his desk, throwing papers and items all over the place in a tantrum. He was clearly angry.
"I need to talk to my parents about this. There's no way this is happening! I'm supposed to be Chrono's savior!" Vex began to storm out of the room. "You two keep watch of this bastard while I'm gone!"
"Wait—!" Vick called out. But it was too late. Vex had slammed the door behind him. "I'm sure Delfina wanted them to get along…"
"Why would they?" Rai glared at me. "You think this blasphemous Fractless deserves any mercy?"
I looked around at the messy empty room as they discoursed.
It's just the three of us right now. Me, Rai, and Vick.
My heart began to beat quickly. Adrenaline was rushing throughout my veins. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. I felt this anxious excitement, like I was nervous for something new and fun.
I can't wipe off this disgusting craving.
I tried to remain calm, but the constant pings from Flow State didn't help.
I'm craving bloodshed.
I wanted to wait longer and probe for larger opportunities to fully break down Chrono in one fell swoop. But the conditions had aligned too perfectly for where I currently stood. It felt like an opening too good to pass up on, even if the potential was limited.
I could erase their Fractals right now. I could shed their blood right now. I could create history right now, in this moment.
"We'll wait here until either Vex or Delfina get back to us. For now, let's just keep watch of Klyson," Vick said.
Rai pulled me close to him. "This room is sound-proof by the way. So if you even try to mess around, I'll purge you and no one will know until they come in. Not even the guard right outside. You aren't safe in here, so don't try shit."
I realized one thing—that my only way out of here was a messy route if I chose to kickstart things right now. My logic held me back, hesitating. But it must have been the new, foreign weapon inside of me that fought back equivalently. The Null was like a devil on my shoulder.
Blood. Erase. Now.
I couldn't bear it anymore. For once in all this time, something overpowered my Flow State instincts. Something unexpectedly aggressive and ravenous. Something that had requirements that needed to be fulfilled as soon as possible.
What the fuck did you put inside of me, Ian?
I never expected the Null to incite these kinds of feelings. Unlike Flow State which left me in a calm and calculated state, the Null plagued my mind with impulse based on potential. And right now, the potential to erase two Fractals was at its highest.
I'm done waiting.
I reached for my holstered blade.
Flow State.