Arlo's Birthday!

Part 25: Not as it seems?

John lay in his bed, thinking about how everything went wrong. 

The hierarchy... if that bullshi_ didn't exist...

If I didn't exist...

John hated himself. The reason his life was dead was because of himself. He revealed himself. He was careless. He was...

He was a monster. 

Monster.

His phone started to ring. He turned to look at who it was. 

Seraphina?

His fingers trembled as he reached for the accept button. 

I... I should accept it. Right?

He clicked accept. And took a deep breath. 

John: Hello... Seraphina? 

Seraphina: Hi John. Long time no talk, right?

John: Yeah! Why did you call me though? 

Seraphina: Well... 

Seraphina realized she couldn't just say," I met your long time friend Claire, and I realized you're a monster but I want to change you so that we can be friends again". 

John: Arlo spilled it to me. You just want to cut off all ties with me? 

Seraphina: John, what do you mean? 

John: You know... you know I'm a monster. You know that I'm a fuc_ing monster. If you want to stop talking to me... that's fine. 

Seraphina wanted to sob. She had felt like that in the beginning, but now seeing how broken John was, she didn't want to do such a thing. 

Seraphina: John... I don't want to sever ties with you. 

John: W-what? You don't?

Seraphina: No one deserves to be deserted. We... we can start over. We can be friends. 

John dropped his phone. He started to cry, out of relief, because Seraphina didn't betray him.

Maybe there was hope left for him after all. 

(Sorry if this was so sudden lol, I want to get to some acTION)

***************

Claire stepped into her office again. She was just an intern here. The company was called, "Aspire Rehabilitation Center". It was still quite small, but she had joined the company because they told her they were trying to keep rampant high tiers down. She thought it was a good idea, because she remembered John. 

But every single one that had come into her care didn't seem deranged, or as badly as John. They told her that she was crazy joining EMBER, and they told her that they weren't rampaging high tiers. Claire knew what EMBER was, the crazy group that went around killing people. She never joined EMBER. 

Volcan on the intercom: Everyone, please go to your stations. 

Claire stood to go to the next room that contained the red haired boy, named Bike or whatever. She would need to check again. He looked so much like John other than the red hair that he gave her chills. But their abilities were different, so there was no way they were the same person. 

Claire stepped into the room, the boy on the bed. 

Claire: Hello. I'm here to check on you. 

Blyke: You don't need to. Just let me go. Right now. 

Claire: You've been labeled as mild. I can take you outside if you'd like, but we have to wait till you finish your course.  

Blyke suddenly got up, and faced her. 

Blyke: Who the hell told you I was crazy and trying to kill people? 

Claire: Please calm down. You're not right in your mind right now. 

Blyke gripped Claire's shoulder with his one unshackled hand. 

Blyke: You, are literally teaming with EMBER right now. Did you fuc_____ know that?

Claire gently took his hand off of her shoulder, and sat down in a nearby stool. 

Claire: How do you know I'm in EMBER?

Blyke: Are you trying to trick me right now? Even though you know everything?

Claire shook her head. 

Claire: I don't know the truth. But I've been feeling something's a bit fishy here. 

Blyke: ...really?

Claire nodded. 

Claire: You remind me of someone I met a long time ago...

Blyke: What? How?

Claire: You look like him. Very similar. Also, he would have been the person who would have needed to come under my care... although I was the one that ruined him. I have to admit that. I should have foreseen what was to come. 

Blyke: You ruined someone?

Claire: Pretty much. I helped him develop his ability so much. But he was brutal. He defeated the entire school. 

Blyke: Oh... that sounds like someone I know. Coincidence.

Claire: What's his name?

Blyke: Oh... John. 

Claire's eyes widened. 

Claire: J-John? John Doe?

Blyke nodded. Then he saw her panicked expression. 

Blyke: We... we're not talking about the same person are we?

Claire: Oh my gosh, he's like that in your school too? I thought he would have learned something at the least... he's a monster, you know that? 

Blyke: He was brutal... but he would be pent up. He acted like a cripple in the beginning, and I think he just couldn't bear it anymore. I can't blame him, seeing how horribly low tiers are treated. 

Claire: He went rampant in my school. I tried to change him but it didn't work! Did... did his influence rub off onto you?

Blyke: I've been telling you, I'm not a rampant teenager. I'm trying to stop EMBER from killing everyone!

Claire: You should keep that to the authorities - 

Blyke: Haven't you seen? They're not doing anything. If they were trying, the should have caught EMBER by now, seeing how many high tiers are in this group of authorities. 

A bell rang, which signaled that meals were to be brought to the subjects. Claire stood to go and get Blyke's meal. 

Blyke: Claire, maybe you actually don't know that these people are EMBER. But now you do, so don't go around trusting Volcan. 

Claire nodded reluctantly. She was defiantly under the assumption that something was wrong, but she couldn't believe Volcan was EMBER...

Or was she?