Arc 83 - Rapture (Part 2)

Nazar and Laura appeared in a place they did not know. It was a city.

“Solace?”

- This is Warsaw, Poland. -

“What is he doing here?” Laura looked confused.

- I don’t know. But I have found him. He is just in that building. -

As Solace said that, a laser light was projected on an old building.

Nazar and Laura entered the building. It had many different apartments. But all of them were old.

- According to his energy signature, he is on the second floor. -

They walked upstairs.

- It is the second door to the right. -

Laura knocked on the door.

There was no response.

She knocked again.

There was no response again.

“Are you sure he is here?”

- Yes. -

She knocked again and someone opened the door.

An older looking Marco opened the door.

He had a blank expression on his face when he saw Laura but then he looked very serious when he saw Nazar.

“”

Laura did not know what to say. She was speechless.

“”

“”

“”

“I can help you,” Nazar said.

“Help me do what? Kill me?”

“I can find your family.”

“They are gone because of you,” Marco sounded angry.

Nazar took a deep breath.

“I don’t see how you are going to help. They are probably in another universe or timeline. I--”

“I will help you find them,” Nazar said slowly.

“You killed my parents. I am in this misery because of you.”

“I know. Let me make up for it.”

Marco laughed.

“Like how you made up for the death of my parents by paying my sister 1 million? And she accepted like a bitch.”

Nazar took another deep breath.

“I can see the anger in your eyes. Now, do it, kill me. You would have already done so if my sister was not around.”

“...”

“Do you know what happened to me? I ended up on Earth in 1999. I was sent to a place where it death and destruction everywhere. I had to get used to it. I had to kill to survive. So, I know the look in your eyes. It is pure anger and fear. So, do you want to kill me?”

“I… I don’t kill anymore.”

Marco laughed.

“Since when? Why did you kill before? Why did you kill my parents?”

“I… I was… uh… Look, I have no explanation--”

“Why don’t you tell him what you told me?” Laura said.

“Hm?” Marco looked at her. “So, you are defending him? Hahaha. You really are pathetic, just like mama and papa--bwefgh?!”

Laura punched Marco in the face.

“Don’t you ever say that. They wasted their lives for you and--”

“And what? They could not do anything--”

She punched him again.

However, Marco laughed.

“They were always failures. And we both knew it. I would have been the same if it was not for this murder. Something good came out of their death--bwefgh?!”

He was punched by Laura again.

“They were not… even if they were, they were still our parents. They--”

“Wasted their life on something they knew they could not achieve. They believed in a rumour about a fucking superhuman. And there he was. Came in and killed them.”

“I… I did not kill them,” Nazar said as he gritted his teeth. “I remember the face of every person I have murdered but your parents, they were not one of them. I--”

“Yeah, right. Like I can believe you.”

“Don’t. I am not expecting you to believe. I am not expecting her to believe me either. I am just telling you the truth. I have not killed your parents. And if you think I did, please do. I am not here for your forgiveness, I just want to help you. I want you to get those close to you back, that you lost because of me. If you don’t want my help… I will still help you.”

Marco looked at him in confusion.

“This happened to you because of me. So, I will find them for you. If you want it or not.” Nazar forced a smile on his face. “So, tell me how they look like, their names, date of births and then a copy of your DNA map, which will help Solace find them for you.”

Marco thought for a little while.

“Fine. My wife’s name is Lena. My son’s name is Alex.”

“Date of birth?”

“Lena was born on the 5th of October 1988. And my son was born on the 15th of March 2016.”

“Solace, copy his DNA map and figure out his son’s DNA from that. It should be a lot similar to his. And once you do, find them.”

Marco closed the door on them.

“Are you sure you can find them?”

“Solace will try and if does not find it, then I will when I am back at full power.”

“I see.”

- Should I teleport you out? -

“Just a second,” Laura said.

Nazar looked confused.

“Marco. Can you at least come back--”

“No!” He shouted from the closed door.

“Oookay...” Laura said slowly.

Nazar took another deep breath.

“Sorry.”

“Hm?”

“Maybe I should have stayed away after that day. Maybe I should have stayed away from your family, and it would have been fine.”

“But you did heal him, no?”

“I did. Maybe I should have left after that and never gotten you involved in anything. Your life would have been much better. I am sorry.”

“Shut up. It's too late for that now,” Laura said frantically. “Why do you look so pale?”

“What?” Nazar said as he blinked very fast.

“Your eyes are red. Your face has gone super pale. Your sweating as well.”

She touched his face.

“And your face really warm for some reason. Are you sick?”

- He has muscle ache, headache, and he is still shivering. And you feel much weaker than ever before. Even when you did not have your powers. And you can barely stand. -

“Fever?”

“N-N-Nah. I am… fine.”

- Master? -

“I… I have never been ill before. So, I am not sure if… if… um… is this really what a headache feels like?”

Nazar slowly massaged his head with one hand.

Solace teleported them out.

They appeared in the living of room of Nazar’s house.

Laura helped Nazar lie down on the sofa.

- Master, your vision is flickering. -

“What?”

- I don’t think its fever. I already healed him but he did not change. So, I don’t think you are ill. -

“I am confused,” Laura said.

“I said, I don’t get ill.”

“So, what is it?”

- Probably something to do with his mental condition. -

Laura got out and then returned after a minute with a bottle of water.

“Here.”

She handed him the water, but it fell from Nazar’s hand.

He looked confused.

“That… that never happened before.”

She picked up the bottle.

She then lifted his head a little and gave him water.

She then touched his forehead.

“Your body temperature is extremely high. So, when did you start feeling like this?”

“Since I woke up.”

- I am not sure how to explain this. I am searching on every database but I don’t see anything that resembles your…problem. You are not ill but you feel weak and have a headache. I am trying to heal but it does not work-- -

Solace paused.

- It can’t be, right? -

“What are you talking about?”

- Maybe the Nameless One has messed up with your body or my mainframe? -

“...”

“Damn it,” Nazar muttered. “Restart.”

- That’s… that is a bad idea. -

Nazar looked confused.

- If I restart now, the whole world could go into a short crisis. All forms of communications will be down and as I am also connected to all emergency services too, it could harm them too. -

“Why are you monitoring that?”

- Communication is the key to emergency services? -

“I see...”

“Do you want to go to a hospital?”

“That’s a terrible idea.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Just sleep for a few hours and I should be fine?”

Laura frowned.

“Not everything can be solved by sleep, you know?”

“I know. But it is the only thing I can trust.”

“Why?”

“If they see the difference in my blood, it will cause a ruckus. And not just that. My normal blood pressure, body temperature, and others are much different than normal. It could cause some commotion. And Solace cannot be really trusted when it comes to me.”

“I see.”

“Plus I don’t really like doctors and similar people.”

“Oh.”

There was a little silence.

“Do you want me to massage your head?”

“What?”

“Massage your head?”

Laura massaged his head a little.

“Like this.”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Okay. But get up first.”

“Okay?” Nazar sounded confused but he did as she said.

He got up a little and then Laura sat on the other side of the sofa.

Laura then placed Nazar’s head on her lap.

She then started massaging his head.

“Are you sure you should be doing this?”

“Hm?”

“I mean you finally found your brother after some time, so I think you should… maybe worried about him?”

“Besides trying to kill me and then running away with everything I ever had. Disrespecting our parents and all of that. I am not sure if he is the same as he used to be. I mean, he barely knows me, right? He only spent about a month normally with me.”

“Sorry.”

“Can you stop apologising?”

“But… um… do you wish that you had never met me?”

“...”

Laura thought for a while.

“I… I am kind of conflicted. So much bad came out of our meaning and a few good things too. Maybe more bad than good?”

“I think after this is done, you should definitely stay away from me. It's for your own good. Anyone who has ever been close to me has definitely regretted it. So, you still have time to go away before its too late.”

“...”

Nazar forced a smile.

“I am going to stay with you.”

Nazar was taken by surprise.

“I am not staying because I want to help you… but because I love you too. I am not sure when it happened but it has been for some time now. I know it seems like it came out of nowhere, but it didn’t.”

“Ah?”

“You see, ever since I saw die all those times, I kind of felt sorry for you and did not hate you. After feeling sorry for you, maybe I built a soft spot for you? And then you told me all that stuff so, maybe something ‘bloomed’ in my heart?”

She laughed slowly.

“I don’t know… after all, this happened, I kind of feel happy when I am around you. Maybe the same way you feel around me. I am not sure. These kind of things are new to me too.”

“Hm? With your looks, I thought you would have had a few boyfriends at the same time?”

“No, not really. I went to an all-girls school and spent most of my time looking after my brother.”

“All-girls school? What is that like?”

Laura chuckled.

“Just like a normal school but with all girls.”

“What is a normal school like?”

They both laughed.

However, Laura stopped laughing after a few seconds.

“Wait, your nose is bleeding!”

“What?”

"Stop getting so excited!"

"Gah! Th-that only happens in anime."

There were tissues on top of the table in front of them. Laura tried to grab it, but it was a little too far.

“Can you reach those tissues?”

“Yes.”

Nazar reached his hand and took the tissues. He then picked one up and tried to wipe the blood of his nose. However, it was a little too late. The blood was already on his shirt and some fell to the floor and sofa.

He got up a little and even more blood fell to the floor and the sofa. The sofa was made of leather, so it did not stick. But his shirt was now full of blood.

“Oh, shit,” Nazar said slowly. “Now, I will have to clean this-- what?”

Nazar was too weak to properly stand up. So, he fell to the sofa.

“My head is spinning?”

“Does your head still hurt?”

“Yes. God, I never had to deal with this kind of stuff. I hate this so much.”

“Welcome to being human.”

“I hate it. Humans are weak.”

They both laughed. And Nazar coughed blood.

“I think you need a new shirt.”

Nazar looked at his shirt.

“Yeah, I do. But I cannot really stand up. And my eyes are closing. So, I am just going to sleep for a few minutes.”

There was a little a silence.

“Your hands are so soft.”

“You like weird things, don’t you?”

Nazar coughed blood again.

(What the hell? Why am I coughing blood?)

“Do you want me to change your clothes?”

“No. A bit too early for that, don’t you think?”

“Haha. Anyway, if you want to sleep, then I should leave. It will be awkward being alone.”

“Okay. Then I will see you soon. And...”

“And?”

“I think you should think more about what I said. You know, about staying away from me, for your own good.”

Laura nodded.

She then kissed him on the forehead.

“Okay. And see you.”

She was then teleported out by Solace.

And after a few minutes, Nazar fell asleep.

Germany:

The Goddess of Knowledge was now in Germany.

She was standing in front of a destroyed facility. The facility was at the south of Germany.

“This was one of the facilities.”

Her eyes turned into energy.

“Hm? There--”

“”

She heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw an old man.

“”

“”

“”

The old man was struggling to breathe.

“”

“”

(Just go away, old man.) She thought.

As soon as she thought that, the man’s eyes turned white and he left like he was being controlled.

“What… damn it. There are traces of burnt records. That could be useful.”

She entered the facility and touched a burnt out piece of paper.

“There is nothing interesting here.”

She stood up and sighed.

“Onto the next one.”

She vanished into thin air.