THE BROKEN BOND

CHAPTER 7-MADE IN MY IMAGE

*KARIN'S POV & IZEN'S POV*

            As Cloud, Josiah, and Karin walked up the back staircase Karin felt a sense of dread overcome her.  She immediately stopped and began to cry.  Cloud and Josiah assured her nothing was the matter and helped her up the last few steps.  Cloud approached the door and tried to open it.  To their great misfortune, it was locked.

           "Don't tell me we came all this way just to be outmatched by a doorknob!" Josiah shouted.

                  When all hope seemed lost, the door unlocked from the other side and opened.   A tall, burly man stood in the door way.  He stroked his lengthy grey beard as he thought of what to do with the three.  Without saying a word he began to close the door but was stopped by another man.  This man was much thinner and shorter.  He appeared to be much younger as he moved his blonde bangs out of his eyes.  Karin couldn't believe it, he was Colress!

           "Colress," she shouted despite the fact he was but 2 feet away," Is that you?  It's me Karin!"

            The door was closing but came to an abrupt stop, and reopened.  Colress's eyes widened and he knelt down and embraced Karin," I missed you so much."

                Colress asked the boys to wait in the lobby and Colress, the burly man, as Karin thought of him, and Karin herself stepped into the elevator.  As the three were being raised higher and higher in elevation, the feeling of dread Karin felt also elevated at an even faster rate.  Something was wrong.  When looking at Colress, she could feel a darkness growing within him.  She couldn't see it, but she knew he was a different man.

                  The elevator came to a stop at the 212th floor.  As the doors opened, Karin saw a boy sitting in a leather chair.  She couldn't believe her eyes, it was Izen!  Karin ran to Izen and embraced him in her arms," Oh my lord, I was so worried about you!  I thought you hadn't made it."

             "I'm hear now, so don't worry.  I'm sorry I caused you such worry.  Nothing else matters, we're back together now," Izen embraced Karin and whispered into her ear," Keep your distance, Colress is hiding something; he's different.  There is malice within his heart."

                    Karin's eyes widened.  So he felt it to, she thought to herself.   She knew something was wrong, and so did he.  Colress walked in and revealed his colleague to be Master Thomas, the second of the three co-founders of the Trinity.  Ashe, the third and final co-founder of the Trinity, walked in behind the two.  He wore a long, silk cloak and he walked on two bionic legs. 

      "Izen, Karin, it's been too long.  Go on have a seat, I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Colress explained as he sat down across from the two," Karin, how about you go first."

          Karin thought of what she wanted to ask and then she remembered Maria," What happened to Maria?  Is she okay, did she receive medical treatment?"

             Colress took in a deep breath before answering," Sadly, we didn't make it in time and she died.  Her last wish was for me to make something of myself.  I saw a people divided, I saw starvation, poverty, and destruction.  I also saw a chance to step in and change things.  Now here I am, 10 years later, leader of a nation I wasn't born to.  It's amazing, it really is."

              Colress looked over to Izen as if to indicate it was his turn.  Izen had one question in mind, but was nervous to ask.  After swallowing his pride and anxiety, he stood up and gathered the courage to ask," Is Tora my brother?"

          *TORA'S POV*

        As Tora approached the Trinity secretary's desk, he pulled out his blade.  On his way hear, he heard about the war that was being waged while passing buy a coffee shop one afternoon.   He stopped to ask about the war, telling the men he was a newcomer.  They told him about the complexities of it all and about how some suspected Colress of being their leader.  It was only a rumor, however, Tora thought he'd look into it.

            Before the woman had time to call security, the blade already been driven through her heart.  Tora took the nametag and proceeded up the tower's many floors.  Once he hit he 34th floor he stopped the elevator and began walking down the hall.  No one seemed to be around.  Apparently there was meeting on the basement level and all members, the secretary included, were to show up. 

               Tora approached the door labeled 'Top Secret' and flashed the card across the scanner.  The door unlocked and he entered the room.  As he walked through the dark room, he clicked on a flashlight he bought in town.  He approached a file cabinet and looked trough files till' he reached file 5,'MAVERICK'.  He knew it, Colress was NOT who he said he was.

    *KARIN, IZEN, and TORA'S POV*

             "Yes," Colress replied," Tora is your brother.  I know I should have told you but-"

                 Colress was immediately interrupted by banging on the door.  Before he could even rise to open it, it was kicked down.  There Tora was, bearing a scornful face and holding the Maverick files.  Tora marched up to Colress and delivered a blow to his face, sending him flying into the wall.

          "What strength?" Izen thought aloud.

               Karin stood up, infuriated by Tora's behavior," What's your problem?  Don't you know who you're punching; that's Colress!"

           Colress stood up, chuckling as he did so.  Colress wiped the blood from his mouth as a small flame began to flicker over his palm," So, you found them."

              Thomas and Ashe stood to defend Colress, when they noticed the files in Tora's hands.  They immediately turned to Colress with looks of anger upon their faces.

             "Ya know, I first awoke on a beach south of here.  Two men approached me with blades and tried to bring me to the one called Overlord.  He was also known as Lord Colress.  They were higher ups in the Maverick forces.  of course, I knew nothing about these mavericks until I stopped to catch a bite in a small town called Sierra.  I learned about a war between Legion forces and these Mavericks," Colress began to laugh maniacally as Tora continued to explain his actions," The Mavericks had the upper hand.  They knew every step Legion took.  Rumors spread that they had an inside source.  Colress, that inside source, according to these files, is you."

          Thomas, Izen, Ashe, and Karin all stood in shock at what they had heard.  Colress, however, was not amused. The flame above his palm began to flare up as his anger did also.  Colress stood up, and stared into Izen's eyes.  Izen's eyes widened as he saw Tora and Karin being set ablaze by Colress.  He watched as his friends burnt to death and turned to ash.

              Izen snapped back to reality and looke up to see Tora and Karin standing in front of him.  Thomas realized what had happened," Don't look into his eyes.  He is an evil man.  He can wake your worst fears become reality.  He traps you in a hypnotic state and manipulates your thoughts and sight.  He is truly diabolical."

              "Oh Thomas," Colress whined in a creepy and maniacal tone," You wound me so.  I thought we were buddies.  Now, here you are, talking down to me.  I have powers beyond your imagining!  There are people in this world born with abilities beyond human comprehension.  I'll educate you.  I was born on an island far off from civilization.  I couldn't control my powers, one day, I became so angry, I burnt my whole house and family to the ground.  My childhood friend and love of my life, Maria, helped me learn to control my powers by helping me control my anger.  Tora, I knew from the moment you took down the tiger, you were born with physical properties unknown to human beings at the time.  Izen, however, was the weak one," Colress turned to Izen," but if one thing is for certain, you were made in MY image."