Tarragon

Chapter Twenty-One: Aftershocks

-The King of the New Order of the World

-June 1st, 2024

Defretsimant walked into the cave, where I sat.

"Can't you make this place any larger? I can barely fit in here." he grumbled, ducking his head into the entrance.

"Don't worry, I will have that fixed." I told him, snarling at him beneath my mask.

"So, I heard about Tykranaea's failure recently. Is that what this is all about?" he asked me, crouching down.

"Yes, in a way. She died because she was disloyal. She did not give her all to our cause. You remember the machine I installed in your skull?"

He looked uncomfortable, but nodded.

"That machine slowly dispenses a substance called Olka. It comes from the aptly named Olka flower that grows in the Western Spatial Defiance Zone," I explained, "The substance allows for differing levels of control over the victims whenever it is used. I have kept it low, for both you and Tykranaea, but now..." I stood up, "I think it is time I take control of this situation."

"You don't mean-" Defretsimant realized, taken aback by what I was suggesting.

"Yes. Your will will be perfectly aligned with mine." I smile, behind the mask. Defretsimant stumbled back. His face was contorted with fear, and betrayal.

"You can't! We made a deal!" he shouted.

I laughed, "Do you actually think I care about deals?" I asked, fishing for the remote in my pocket.

I pulled the device's remote from my pocket, and clicked the button. In an instant, his pupils dilated, and then shrunk to a pinpoint, before returning to their regular size, tinted with orange.

He thrashed around for just a few seconds, trying to fight the Olka, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"T-1, at your service." he spoke in a monotonous voice. The first Titan under my command. The Desert Lord, Defretsimant.

-Mantis

I opened up my group chat with my friends, and began typing.

I don't know if it's just me, but everything feels like it's collapsing. I thought.

"Everything's going great with researching into that device we found in the Ice Titan's skull," I typed.

Net's been talking to me less and less, and it feels like I'm getting more distant with everyone else.

"I'm closer than ever with my friends (other than you guys) and Fern's been doing great work with research. They already know a lot about this Olka stuff, which we found in the device, and are making leaps and bounds of research into it."

I feel so guilty about everything that happened with Tykranaea, even now that she's dead, and even with my therapy.

"I'm feeling a lot better about everything that happened with Tykranaea, especially now that she's dead. Therapy's been helping a lot, too."

Apparently I haven't improved on anything mental health-wise, and I've only been getting worse.

"My mental health issues are starting to fade, and I'm definitely feeling a lot happier, because of it."

I've stagnated my magic, and motivation is dead. I feel useless.

"I'm constantly getting better and better with my magic, and I feel like if I push came to shove, I could fight the King one on one."