Oblivion - Kingdom Come

Chapter 12: Sinn Ryder

The dense, tropical air wrapped around Sinn like a heavy cloak as she regained consciousness, the lingering fog of the portal slowly dissipating. She found herself in a lush part of the forest, starkly different from where she last saw Riley. The darkness of the night enveloped her, the temperature a mild 72 degrees, offering small comfort in her solitude. Pain surged through her as she grunted, feeling the ground for her bearings while sitting up.

"Ethan?! Riley?! What happened to you guys? Damn it! All of us got separated, it seems. I gotta get back to them somehow," Sinn spoke to the void.

With each step she took, the foggy ghost town she passed through seemed to press in on her, the eerie silence starkly contrasting with the life she knew. The fog brought an onslaught of memories, images of her father's experiments on her and others when she was just a child in his lab. Its power was not just in the mist but in the mind, forcing those who entered to confront their deepest fears, to be broken by them, or to break through and grow.

"What the hell was that? My head is killing me...What..?! I don't know what's going on..." Sinn muttered, confusion and pain lacing her words as the fog played its cruel tricks, restoring her vision randomly, a harsh reminder of what she had lost years ago.

"Why am I able to see? I lost my sight years ago, and what's with this place? I do not understand. It just... doesn't seem right," Sinn pondered her thoughts, a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief.

Then, a voice, chillingly familiar, cut through the fog. "Hello, daughter! You know your daddy loves you, right?" Dr. Ryder's voice, younger than Sinn remembered, reached her ears.

"No! No, no, no! You aren't real! There's something wrong with my head... You're younger!" Sinn protested, denial in her voice. "I am real Sinn! Please come back to us. Sinn, your mom and I miss you terribly," Dr. Ryder persisted, his voice a haunting echo of a past long gone.

"Mom...?" Sinn's voice trembled, her heart racing as she saw her mother, believed to be dead for over a decade. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her already unstable vision as she stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet.

"Mommy...? He killed you... He killed you; you're supposed to be dead!" Sinn cried out, the pain of the past colliding with the illusion before her. "Your mother is still alive. Isn't that right, Brian?" Dr. Ryder continued his voice, a siren's call in the disorienting fog.

"Brian?! You... no, you're dead too... How are you here...my head is hurting me," Sinn spoke, her voice breaking as she turned around to see a child laughing amid the foggy road. Hello!" the child, about six years old, greeted cheerfully. "Are you one of them? One of these...visions?" Sinn questioned her voice a mix of suspicion and weariness.

"No, silly, I'm Elizabeth. I'm a member of the European team! Oh my gosh, you're so gorgeous!" Elizabeth replied, her smile bright as she approached Sinn."What are you doing here? You're only a child; you shouldn't be here. I thought those that fought had to be over 18," Sinn stated, her voice laced with concern.

"Nope! Our country allows anyone wanting to join, so I did! I'm six years old! But I'm strong, so I'm here!" Elizabeth giggled her innocence, a stark contrast to the darkness around them. Elizabeth grabbed Sinn's hand, pulling her further into the town, away from the disturbing illusions the fog conjured.

"I can protect you from the fog, but you must trust me, okay?" Elizabeth offered, her voice soft yet insistent."Trust you? You're the enemy. Why would I trust you?" Sinn countered, her instincts on high alert.

Elizabeth's hair obscured her face, but her purple, empty eyes shone through the tiny spaces between her strands."If I wanted to, I could kill you right now... That's why," Elizabeth replied, her voice carrying an edge that belied her youthful appearance.