Endless Cycles

[Chapter 17]

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Brandon felt as if he had been seeing everything wrong. Adam's face had been replaced with someone else's.

Ryan's.

"W-What...?" Brandon asked after what seemed to be hours of silence. Ryan smirked.

"Did ya miss me?" He said in a crazy tone.

"R-Ryan? How...?"

"I know right? It took AGES to figure out how to use the vision manipulation, and whether or not it worked on other people." He sighed. "Such hard work."

"What?! Vision manipulation?" Jordan asked.

"Yes. I used a special thing inside your food to make sure you saw me as Adam and not myself. Otherwise what would be the whole point of coming back?"

"But how are you ALIVE?" Tom asked. Ryan smiled.

"I used Gavin's body as a fake version of mine at my 'death'. Ant didn't really kill me of course, I faked my own death in hopes you would kill Ant."

"What?" Ian's voice asked. He came over and looked at Ryan. "You tried making everyone want to kill Ant!?" Ryan nodded.

"Not only that! I did so much more."

"Like...?" Asked Brandon. Ryan looked Brandon in the eye.

"I killed Gavin. He revealed himself as the mastermind, so I disposed of him." Ryan grinned. Brandon felt himself boil up in rage.

"So not only did you kill Ray, but you also killed Gavin?" He asked angrily. Ryan nodded. Brandon was about to beat Ryan when Ross and Smiffy let go of him. Ryan held up his hands and made them unconscious... Or at least Brandon hoped.

"W-What?! H-How did you do that?" Jordan stuttered.

"Oh haven't you seen the new library? It's stocked with books about dark magic." Ryan smirked. "Oh shoot, I almost forgot. He removed the bandage from his eye and revealed a robotic red one. "Like it? I made it myself." He smiled and tossed the bandages aside. He quickly snapped his fingers, and Adam's clothes had turned into something different. They weren't Ryan's original clothes either. It was a long black cloak with a white furry collar, a large black broken crown that sat atop Ryan's head and had red jewels on it, a red and white bowtie, and a black and white suit. He went up to Brandon and the others.

"Well? What do you think? It really brings out my eyes don'tcha think?" Ryan laughed crazily.

"How is any of this possible? Is this even part of the game rules?!" Tiffany exclaimed.

"See that's a funny story. I wasn't supposed to be in this game at all. I'm the mastermind who runs the entire game myself... The founder if you will. Unfortunately, some numbskull forgot to remove my name from one of the people that could be chosen, and here I am, standing before you today."

"Wait... So people who run the game can be chosen to be in the game?" Brandon asked. Ryan nodded.

"Of course! How else would it be fair?"

"Yes, because you having all the advantages of knowing the game is definitely 'fair'." Trott said sarcastically. Ryan shot Trott a glare before raising his hand. Trott's body lifted above the ground and Ryan looked at him.

"You've been a pain in my ass for a while here Trottimus, and I'm getting real tired of it. First you stab me in the eye, and now you ruin my dramatic explanation?" Ryan growled.

"R-Right... Sorry for ruining your image your heinous." Ryan rolled his eyes and threw Trott against a wall, making him cough out some blood.

"Say something to me one more time and I will fucking end you." Ryan snarled. Trott stayed silent, and for a moment, Brandon thought it would stay like that. Unfortunately, Trott had to get the last word in.

"Something." Ryan's red eye glared brightly, and Trott let out a scream of pain. Ryan made a fist, and Trott's heart stopped. He fell to the ground, and Brandon's eyes widened in fear.

"Now that the elephant in the room is taken care of..." Ryan sighed relieved.

"Wait... If you killed Gavin, then why make a hologram version of himself?" Brandon asked, curious. He didn't want to show Ryan that he was scared.

"I made Gavin 2.0 so I could manipulate him into convincing you that I was good. It worked, until little ol' Gavvy got a mind of his own and threatened to reveal me." Ryan explained.

"But why reveal yourself just now to us?"

"Well I had no choice. You forced me, and now I have to do what I planned on doing before."

"And what's that?" Ian asked. Ryan smirked.

"I have BIG plans for a few of you, especially you Brandon."

"Me? Why me?" Brandon asked.

"See I've had an interest in you since the beginning of my little game." Ryan smiled and stepped forward. "You're just what I need."

"Need for what?"

"Well, I'm making new rules to this game you all love so dearly. Lots of them too. I need a few people to ensure those rules stay in place."

"You want me to work for you? No way in hell." Brandon replied.

"Oh but don't you know? I've got something to sweeten the deal for you." Ryan said.

"And what might that be?"

"I can let everyone here out of this game, free and alive." It sounded almost too good to be true.

"But...?"

"You have to work for me, forever."

"Brandon don't do it." Ian said. "He's tricking you." Ryan turned to Ian.

"Oh? Am I know? What if I told you I can bring back your little 'friends' that died?" Ian's eyes widened and he looked at Ryan, shocked.

"What...? Can you really do that?" Ryan nodded.

"Ian, he's lying he can't actually do that!" Tiffany rolled her eyes.

"Oh can't I?" Ryan snapped his fingers, and Ant appeared, alive and healthy. Ian's eyes began to tear up and he took a step forward to Ant.

"That's not all I can do." Ryan snapped again, and Gavin and Ray appeared.

"So... What do you say Brandon? Your friends lives for your freedom?" Brandon looked at Gavin and Ray, and Brandon took a deep breath.

"Do you swear on your life that you will let everyone here go?" Brandon asked. Ryan nodded. "And will you bring back everyone that's died?"

"Well... Not everyone. I can bring back five people." Ryan said. Brandon sighed.

"It's a deal."