The World I Knew Isn't The Same Anymore

Chapter 16 The Truth Will Set You Free

"So let me get this straight?" Ryder says through a yawn. The morning sunlight beaming through Chase's window is making his headache ten times worse. "You quit smoking, drinking and all that because of shit that this weird dude Sebastian said?"

Chase huffs out in annoyance of having to repeat his encounter with Sebastian twice now. Ethan has joined the brothers and is now just chuckling in the corner of Chase's room while stirring his cup of coffee.

"Bro," Chase starts pinching the bridge of his nose with his two fingers. His body is exhausted so he silently thanks God it's a Sunday and dedicated this day to purely just relax. "I've told you this multiple times now. I'm trying to elevate my abilities and the Sebastian dudes right - I can't do that if I'm constantly ruining my body," then he looks towards Ethan prompting him to add something.

"It makes sense," Ethan starts. "Despite how powerful he actually is already, all of us actually, engaging in substances all the time stunts growth. Just look at what some simple drug meditation did to Bree; her powers have been dormant her whole life and she barely just learned to control the most basic part of it. Not to mention she has almost no recollection of her childhood."

Ryder bops his head back and forth making sense of their words. He would never admit out loud, but they all do have a point. Ryder can sense his own speed and strength lowering since his high school years, and that's probably because he's doubled his usage since graduating from the academy, he's gotten too comfortable. "I understand that. Maybe we can all use a break."

Chase and Ethan look at each other in disbelief. Ryder has never been too bright, or empathetic to the point where he's agreed with their plans.

Ryder senses the shift in their features and quickly adds "I mean I'm not gonna go all cold turkey. But I don't think it's the worst idea to cut back," and then gives a half assed smirk. "Who else knows about this? And do you guys think there's actually gonna be some sort of war?"

"Just us, no one else," Chase answers. "At least for now until more things have been set in stone. And I don't know, Ethan and I think he's trapped somewhere and needs Bree to break him out or something."

"So in a sense the prophecy is kind of right. Bree's the beginning of a new world," Ryder adds.

"Not entirely," Ethan intervenes. "No one has actually seen or translated the full prophecy. The only thing we actually know is true is the reincarnations of Genevieve and Ethan Morgenstern. People just have rumored that them meeting is a sign of the new world. If anything it could go more in depth and reveal information no one knows yet, or completely disprove those rumors."

Ryder nods again, his pale green eyes turning with thought. "And you guys aren't telling Bree - or Izzy - at all? Don't you think Bree at least deserves to know? I mean this does have her smack in the middle."

"That's exactly why I don't wanna tell her... yet at least," Chase has a look of shame, anxiety, guilt and doubt written all over his face. He feels bad keeping something like this from her because Ryder is right, she is in the middle of it. "I don't know, I mean I feel like it's just gonna cause her some existential anxiety."

"The girl hasn't even grieved her dead friend or felt any sense of fear coming into this world," Ryder protests. "I doubt she has the emotional capabilities to feel 'existential anxiety.'"

Chase thinks that Ryder does have a point, and through Ethan's work they've figured out the medication drugs she was taking made a lot of emotions dormant. "I'll tell her soon, I promise. Just let me do it, okay?"

"You know lil bro, the truth will set you free," being his brother, he can sense the feeling of quilt playing on him. "But fine," Ryder agrees feeling the tension from his younger brother. "You think Francine knows anything about this, or if it might be a good idea to let her know?"