Rewind(Sequel to Nuked)

Chapter 10

Barren radioactive land,
A man admiring the view,
The lifting of a broken hand,
The curtain call: the cue.

Eyes of red,
As you come to,
A pounding head,
Who are you?

***

"I want to be with you, Duncan."She whispered, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

He nodded uncomfortably.

"I... I was so lonely. By myself... I thought I'd go insane."

"Kim, insanity isn't always a bad thing."

"Yes it is!!"She shouted, as Duncan flinched."It's the feeling of isolation when you have the whole world around you, taking everything for granted... Killing people. How can you say that is a good thing?!"

Silence followed her words. Duncan said nothing as she spoke.

"You've changed, Duncan."She looked at him coldly."It like you don't care about me, Billy, or quite honestly anyone else on this planet!"

"I care... Kim. I care a lot. You don't know what I've been through."

"You don't know what I've been through! The explosion, the regret in your eyes... And my heart. The world exploding, and me watching it... I survived on the very hope that you live, Duncan. Now look at what you've become!"

"..."Duncan looked down.

"I'm leaving."Kim announced.

Duncan's eyes widened."What?!"

"You heard me. I'm leaving."She got up, and walked out of the ethereal glass dome.

"KIM!!"Duncan shouted.

Lewis ran in, and exclaimed:"Oh shit."

"Lewis... I fucked up, didn't I?"Tears formed in Duncan's eyes.

Lewis couldn't do anything other than nod.

Sjin burst into the room, panicked and shouting."Duncan! Lewis! Our water source... It's gone!"

"W-What?! That was our only water supply!"Duncan exclaimed, horrified.

"What did you do Sjin?"Lewis provoked.

"I didn't do anything! It was just gone!"Sjin denied.

"Kim."Duncan said with a subtle look of sadness in his eyes.

"She must've stolen our water!"

The three looked towards the door and exchanged looks.

"...She can't have gone far."

They spread out, bringing the minimal food and drink along with them.

From the experience, all Duncan could remember was the pain. Suffering.

He tried to ignore his parched mouth as he wandered. How nostalgic. All of it. How Duncan could just never be able to do anything right. And... Yet, when he tried to fix things, he just messes it up further. If he could, Duncan would be crying. He just feels a bitter resentment of himself. His eyes lay on a frayed cloth a while away from where he was standing. He willed himself on, dragging his tired legs across the wastes. His eyes widened at what he saw. A poppet. A death protection poppet. It was indeed frayed, open, in fact. It was filled with little scrolls of paper. He opened one.

Duncan, I love you! I have for a while... You are so reckless, I need to protect you!

A small cross was marked in the corner. Duncan found himself sitting and reading all the paper, leaving a pile on the floor beside him. He unfurled the last scroll, and there was simply:

Duncan, I believe... I love you.

A small tick was in the corner, and Duncan shook.

"I'm so sorry, Kim!"He tucked his head on his knees and wailed. No one would hear him, no one would judge him. It was him, alone.

...again.

***

Everything was spiralling into chaos, Xephos knew that all too well. But... At least in the timeline, he hoped that everyone would have a happy ending. It was his fault, he thought. He changes everything to what it is now. And he knows that when the fog clears... He will be the only one left. Alone. Without anyone. Xephos then realised. He realised that his doting personality he had was refraining him. He needed to be someone different to ease the pain.

All the maps will be in my hands. I am the most supreme; the strongest. The one who will finally get the last laugh.