The Seed of Hope

Chapter 16: Revelations

Kate walked back into their building, exhaustion colonizing her eyes, dark circles dyed the delicate skin under them. She tucked her hair behind her ear as the cotton pad in her inner arm let its presence known. The feeling of dread took over her chest as she walked inside. Kate made her way into the kitchen where Ivee was trying her hardest to make breakfast for the group. Naoko laughed as she tried to help her put out a fire on some eggs, Rai scrolled on his phone and Logan sat on the table, changing his bandages in front of a small mirror.
-"Logan, no bloody bands on the table!"- Ivee scolded.

For a moment, Kate found true happiness and peace within this chaotic scene. All her friends were together, without stress or fighting. But then, her mind clouded with black clouds of sadness and anger. Kate had her revenge on Empusa, but her body was still damaged. Kate was broken, no amount of bullying or wounds could compare to being assaulted in the way Kate was.

Ivee noticed her sister standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
-"Kate! How are you? How did the tests go?"-
Kate sighed.
-"Uhh...Well..."- Kate rubbed her arm, hesitating to speak. Her throat was all knots, and her eyes darkened as if reliving what had happened to her.
-"Scratches...and strange fluids..."- Kate's voice cracked. She didn't want to keep talking, but everyone was worried about her and they deserved to know. -"...But overall okay..."-
Logan turned to Kate and his eyes reflected a slight sadness.

Rai stood up from the chair and walked over to Kate and hugged her.
-"I'm sorry I wasn't there..."-
Kate remained silent and hugged him back with one arm.
-"I need some air..."-
Kate walked back into the hallway and out the courtyard doors.
If her sanity was crumbling already, now is almost non-existent.
Kate's lifeless eyes stared at the ground as she felt her body give up.
Her throat tightened as she began to cry. Every muscle in her body shook at the amount of stress and despair that overtook them. For a moment, Kate wanted to die, end it all, and let some other seeds take over. Every wail and every wheezing was begging anyone that heard her come and take her away, permanently. Kate felt used, and violated and no one helped her in her time of need. She then thought, if someone else suffered just like this because she failed at her duty, she would never forgive herself. No one deserves to go through such a soul-wrenching experience. Tears fell from her eyes as she desperately tried to forget.
Kate was a good person, yes, sometimes her thoughts were contradictory but in all reality, she would go through everything she just went through all over again just so another person won't have to. Kate mentally cursed Elohim cursed the so-called Celestians that put her through this and did not do anything to help her.

Suddenly, a gentle bright light shined above Kate.
Kate scoffed and buried her face in her arms as she sat, hugging her knees to her chin.

-"What do you want?"- Kate asked, annoyed and angry.
Yenziel stood next to her, looking down at her, sadness in his eyes.
-"I wanted to check up on you. How are you?"- Yenziel's voice was soft, almost as if walking on eggshells to avoid any pushback from Kate, only to receive a scoff and the cold shoulder.
-"You don't get to ask me that..."-
Yenziel sighed. -"I'm sorry."-
-"You don't get to be sorry either!!"- Kate snapped her head to look at Yenziel, her eyes red from all the crying.
-"You know what everyone thinks of me now!!?"- Kate stood up abruptly.
-"They saw me go into the clinic and I heard the voices, voices saying many things, about me not following God's stupid law of Maidenhood. They called me a whore!!!"- Kate cried out loudly.

All Yenziel could do was listen, he couldn't find the right words to say.
-"That is salt in the wound! I was raped, Yenziel...raped!!"- Kate quickly approached Yenziel, inches away from him.
-"This demon disguised herself as--"- Kate paused. -"...and she had her way with me...like a plaything!! I never asked for this...I never asked for--"- Kate choked. The tall man looked down at Kate, frowning in sadness and regret.
-"From now on, I will do what I must, but not for the so-called God you worship, but for me, and for the ones I love. That's it!"-
Yenziel didn't react.

-"Take me to see Elohim!"- Kate shouted.
-"What!?"- Yenziel asked, surprised and confused at her request.
-"I want to talk to him...now that I know that fucking prayers don't work."- Kate was angry, and rightfully so. She began to believe that this popular and well-respected god wasn't a god at all, but a man with a power-hungry ego and a firm hand.
-"I can't do that...not like this."- Yenziel sighed.

-"I need to let him know that all the seeds died because of him and no one else's. At least Bassilisk has a motive and guess what?... It makes sense!"-

-"Stop...stop!"- Yenziel raised his hand, attempting to halt Kate's rage and rant.

-"Even Bassilisk hates him, with good reason."- Kate continued.

-"That's enough..."- Yenziel whispered.

-"Let's not forget to mention you! You are letting him control you, naming you a God, his equal, and yet, you are still beneath him. You have forgotten to think for yourself and even forget to do the right thing."-

-"I know..."- Yenziel whispered.
-"Why didn't you help me when I needed you the most!? Why!!? You have abandoned me twice now! I can't trust any of you anymore!"-

Yenziel stood silent, listening to Kate's angry words.

-"Why didn't you help me!!? Why!? Why!?"- Kate punched Yenziel's abdomen. The tall man could only watch as Kate cried and pressed her face against his body.

Yenziel's face twitched with frustration and sadness for Kate.
-"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."- He said wrapping his arms and wings around Kate.
-"The only thing that I ever wanted to do was help you...but..."-

-"Don't hug me!"- Kate slapped his arms away. -"I saw you leaving me behind when Malphas was attacking me!!"-
-"God took me away from you!"- Yenziel raised his voice as thunder rumbled the columns around them.
-"God Elohim pulled me away and said that I shouldn't intervene in your calling..."-
Kate looked up at him, shocked.
-"As much as I wanted to be there for you...fighting alongside you, he wouldn't approve of it."- Yenziel clenched his jaw. -"I promised myself, and to God, that As soon as One of the Seven Fallen appeared to take you down, I would assist. The Seven Fallen were once all-powerful Celestians, and they have claimed so many lives both human and Celestians alike. I would have not allowed you to face them on your own, ever!"-

Kate tried wrapping her mind around the fact that God left her for dead. Just like everybody before her. Not only that, Yenziel knew about the Seven Fallen and that they promised to help her when the time was right.

-"Does he know you're here?"- Kate asked softly. Yenziel shrugged.

-"Please take me to him! I need to speak to him!"- Kate begged. -"I almost died and got assaulted in the line of duty, this so-called duty he forced on me! He will hear me out!"-

-"I understand, Katerina. But you agreed to your calling when you knighted for God."- Yenziel said.
-"I don't care!!"- Kate snapped back as she tightly closed her fist. -"Please, the least he could do is hear me out and comfort me, or he kills me..."-
Yenziel sighed and looked at the ground.

-"Kate!"- Rai's voice shimmed from behind. Kate turned to him.
-"I felt a rumble, are you--"- Rai's eyes widened at Yenziel, and his six great wings wrapped around Kate. Rai took a deep breath. -"Sir..."- he nodded at the tall armored man.
-"Call me Yenziel..."-
-"Uh...right...Yenziel."- Rai cleared his throat and focused on Kate.
-"Are you okay?"- Rai asked, Kate, tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded.
-"I'm fine, I was just venting."- Kate turned back to Yenziel.

-"Are you gonna take me or not?