I Am The Truth II

Chapter XXXIV: Back to the Present

"For six months, I lived in the shadows," Ria said. "I somehow found my way into Oakendale, and there I stayed, surviving on the wealth I had ironically inherited from my father."

Ria exhaled, raising her hand in front of her. Supporium particles began to form, but she wasn't doing anything.

"The Supporium that Indicumon had," Ria continued. "Allows me to create worlds out of reflective surfaces, but it works best with still-water. With this Song, I found a murky puddle of sewage water deep within an alley of Oakendale, and it was there that I hid myself for several months, coming out only to get the bare essentials. I used the very same Song during your case to conceal myself in Oakendale, Biggerton, and wherever else you went. This and the Mobilium made me virtually untraceable, my only trail being the victims I claimed, both before and during the case."

Val only continued to listen as Ria went silent for a moment.

"It was lonely," Ria said softly. "Maybe the Aggressium was there, but talking to the psychotic version of yourself only serves to make you go mad. And I was nearly there... until I met Senn."

Ria had unconsciously clasped her hands, imagining that she was holding Senn's instead. Val saw Ria look somewhat elated, though she knew immediately it would come crashing down.

"I have never seen anyone like him," Ria continued, chuckling. "He was... he was someone alright. No family, no money, no enemies... just someone with a simple life and the biggest heart I have ever seen. And from the moment he met me... Senn worked above and beyond to get me to open up once more. In that process, we learned everything about each other. By the end of another two years, he knew all about my past, and he knew how unstable I was. But rather than rejecting me... he promised to help me, to protect me in a way."

Ria pointed at the Aggressium Prime.

"Because of him, I cast the Aggressium Prime away in the city of Hailstone, believing that I would be free at last," Ria said. "The war came three years afterwards, and I ended up fighting for something much more than my life. I fought for a hope that I would return and get to see him... and you. And Uncle Galadar, Uncle Hadion, and whoever else that slowly started to appear in this foreign world."

All the past memories of which Ria spoke surfaced in Val's mind, playing in chronological order as per the narration. But this time, it was like Val experienced it all from a different perspective altogether. Both of them had gone through something in their lives, and only now was it becoming clear that neither had properly grasped the situation of the other. Shame welled up inside Val, and she gripped the Sendaris' hand firmly.

"But then..." Ria said, an expression of pain returning once again. "Politics collided with my world. The train crash happened... and I was soon cast into the dark realm of my nemesis self once again. The cycle of grief and rage happened all over again, and whatever momentary freedom I had felt was gone once more. The nightmares returned, combining my village past with my time with Senn; The Aggressium Prime had a cruel sense of humour, if you will, for it made sure that I would never forget. Like the first time, I began to isolate myself, even confining myself voluntarily in a mental ward for months as I grieved over the loss of someone I had fallen in love with."

Ria frowned, anger rising in her voice. Her hand had once again slipped under her shirt, gripping her bosom firmly as she had always done when her emotions began to spiral uncontrollably.

"But this time, I had learned something,"  She said slowly. "Revenge is a dangerous game after all, and I decided to play this slow. Thus, instead of letting my mind break apart further, I began to build my plan, considering every card I had to play. You, the friends I had made from the war, the rising CPRU candidates, and most of all in a twisted show of irony... the Aggressium Prime."