Mark My Words

Chapter Thirteen

Hearing those words made Mark's blood run cold. He'd been hoping that Seth would be right and that the Council would help them, but it seemed even They had come to the same conclusion that Mark and Seth had.

That Mark's death was the only way out of this.

And Mark had a feeling that They wouldn't be reluctant to become the cause of it.

"I'm aware that this is the simplest solution," Seth said, the confidence he'd carried with him when they'd entered the room now completely gone. His tone was wavering ever so slightly, and his stance seemed tense and anxious. "But surely there must be another way."

"There would be another way," one of the beings said, a hint of resentment in Their words. "If you had managed to fix the problem you created. Or better yet, never have created it in the first place and done your job correctly. You dug your own grave. Or should I say, his grave."

Even though the creature stayed unmoving and had no eyes to indicate who it was referring to, Mark knew for certain that Their words were directed at him. They all did.

"Please, I beg of you," Seth's tone had gone from wavering to pleading as he realized he was fighting a hopeless battle. "I do not want this man to die. There are so many who would be gravely affected by his death, four of which stand in this very room. There must be a way to-"

"Why do you care whether he lives or dies?" One of them asked. Their voice wasn't supercilious or full of spite this time, just filled with genuine confusion, as if They honestly could not understand Seth's reasoning. "Why does his death and those "affected" by it mean anything to you? He is a human, nothing more, and he is only of value to Us if he is dead. The emotions of humans We do not know do not concern Us. His life is meaningless."

Hearing an extremely powerful being from another dimension say that he was better off dead and that his life was meaningless was starting to get to Mark. He knew that this whole ordeal was a product of a mistake he made, a mistake he felt guilty for, and Their words were only making him increasingly more aware from this. He could feel his guilt lapping at his mind's edge, threatening to spill over and flood his brain at any moment, ready to wash away everything and drown him.

"I've already explained my reasoning," Seth retorted. "You just cannot seem to understand it. Like I said, there are so many that would be impacted by his death, including those that stand before you. His life may not mean anything to You, but it does to so many others. So for their sakes, and for his, please help us."

"We have already explained Our reasoning as well," a being said, resentment and frustration present in Their words once more. "They all will move on from his death, and soon enough any one who ever knew his name will also be dead, leaving no trace that he ever existed. The permanent domination of our world and our species is not worth sparing the temporary and fleeting emotions of humans!"

"For once could You show some compassion!?" Seth yelled, his anger echoing off of the walls of the enormous room. Now it was his voice that was filled with resentment. "Some empathy! Show any kind of emotion at all! I know all of You have the ability to, but You willingly choose to supress it."

"Because it is weakness."

"And that is where you are wrong! Because the heart is brave enough to make the right decisions even when the brain is not! You all pride Yourselves in Your intellect when in reality You are all a bunch of fools, because You are too rooted in ignorance to see this. Then You blame me for the rogue's bitterness and his hatred for Us, saying that it's my fault for showing him compassion, when Your lack of empathy was what drove him to become a rogue in the first place! If You had treated him with any decency from the beginning instead of turning a blind eye, then there would be no need for Us to argue over how to destroy him."