Madness [ Claire Sequel ]

Chapter 21

Arika's POV

I woke up to hear Kira yelling at someone. I wasn't completely awake yet, so I didn't process most of what she said, but I sat up and heard, "especially you" and the front door slammed. I listened as Kira came up the stairs, sighed, and went back to her room. Where was she this early in the morning?

My curiosity got the better of me and I jumped out of bed, silently making my way downstairs, and to the front door. From the peep hole, I could see Kid and Black Star looking down at the porch. I sighed and opened the door, finding Soul on his knees, Kid and Black Star gazing at him with  sympathetic gazes.

"What's all this about, guys?" I asked, my voice slightly rough from sleep. Kid and Black Star looked up at me in shock, but Soul remained still and quiet.

Kid blinked in surprise, gaping at me. "You mean you didn't hear any of that?" Black Star asked, "You mean you weren't with Kira this morning?" I shook my head at them. "I didn't even know she left until just now. What happened?"

Black Star and Kid looked at each other, as if they weren't sure how to explain what just happened. Soul looked up at me slowly, his eyes mirroring his emotional pain. "She doesn't know me."

I felt an overwhelming urge to laugh. "That is absolute bullshit. She's been in a relationship with you for at least a month, and you two have been on and off for a while. Besides, she's pregnant with your child. Don't try and pull that with me. That's just crazy."

Soul shook his head. "No. I'm serious. She doesn't know who I am. She doesn't recognize me, or remember anything about me. She didn't even know my name!" He shouted, standing up. Kid and Black Star looked at him cautiously, as if he were a mad man.

I felt sorry for him. If he was telling the truth, then Kira had done something, and she'd done it on purpose. There was no way she could automatically forget Soul without some sort of help or potion.

Immediately, I had a grasp on what had happened. "Did she say where she'd been this morning? Or given some sort of hint?" Kid, Black Star, and Soul all took a moment to think.

"Well, she did say that she was at Stein's house, and didn't remember why she'd been there. What would that mean?" Kid finally said.

With a hand to my head, I sighed. I knew exactly what'd happened. "Christ. For a Reaper, you're really stupid." I said. Kid cringed, but I didn't apologize.

Would dad seriously do something like this though? Sure, he was a mad scientist with a curiosity and evil drive that could take down the entire world, but he was our dad. He should know better than to do something like this.

"Soul, did you do something that would make her want to forget you?" I asked, my hand still on my head. Soul flushed with embarrassment and rage, but didn't speak a word. "Soul Eater Evans! Did you do something!" I demanded.

He cringed and grunted. "Okay! Okay. When she told me I was pregnant with my baby, I may have asked her if she was sure it wasn't Trevor's..." He trailed off.

My vision tinted red. I grabbed him the collar of his shirt and threw him to the cobblestone street below. He landed on his back, and I listened as the air was knocked out of his lungs. He struggled to sit up as I stalked closer, my arm turning into a scythe. I could feel the Madness I kept caged fighting to get out, and I didn't try to stop it. Only when I felt arms grabbing me, pulling me back, and voices screaming for me to stop, did I compose myself and shake away the Madness that crawled down my skin in angry tendrils.

Soul, finally able to sit up and breathe, looked at me helplessly. "Arika, please, help me." He begged. I shook my head and scoffed. "You really want me to help you? Seriously? You're the biggest dick I've ever met! This may as well be the best thing that happened to her!" I pointed at Kid and Black Star. "I'd much rather one of them be the father of Kira's child!" I put my hand down, my anger seething. "You stay the hell away from her, understand me? The first time I see you near her, I'm going to slice your throat and give your blood to Maka." I spat.

I walked away, heading back inside, and slammed the door shut. Let him do this on his own! If Kira wanted him in her life anymore, she wouldn't have done it.

But I couldn't imagine the pain Soul was going through right now. Maybe I should've been easier on him? He was in love with her.

No! He was a jerk who made a big enough mistake to ruin both of their lives. Kira made the right decision to forget Soul.

But, even so, in the back of my mind, I knew something would go horribly wrong. 

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Stein's POV

I couldn't believe I let her do this. What kind of father was I, to tell her that this was okay? Well, to give myself some credit, I did tell her I thought this was wrong. Besides, there was a reverse potion in the safe. So all I had to do was pour it in her drink or her food or something and everything would be fine.

But I couldn't help but blame myself. I could've given her a potion that would do absolutely nothing, and make her think it'd done something. But then she'd be mad at me.

How selfish was I? Soul was the father of her baby, and here I was, letting that slip away from the both of them. I was horrible, but, of course I knew that.

Twisting my bolt, I headed to the back room to dissect the creature I held back there. I had to get my mind off of this, and that seemed the easiest way to do so.