The Gaze of Fear

Chapter 20: The Transformation

     "Hey Conner!" Nicole waves to him as they leave the school, a crowd of students behind them.

     "Hey girllll~" He jokingly says with a feminine tone, getting a laugh from her.

     "Oh man, I hope you never change." She says as her laugh slows. "So! It's a blue and sunny day, a few small clouds, its one in the afternoon, and both of our families are out of town. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

     "Of course! Mario Kart-"

     "-Rainbow Six-"

     "-Cards Against Humanity-"

     "-Don't forget Halo!"

     "And Halo. We won't forget Halo Nicole." They both laugh, heading to her house.

     Conner's mind drifts as he watches her walk and talk, not paying attention. Why couldn't she feel that same as he does? They joke so often, they play games, they're all the other has, and yet she still doesn't confess. Albeit, he hasn't either but, really? Like he could ever confess to ANYBODY, let alone her. And its not like she doesn't know... right?

     "Right Conner?"

     "Huh? O-oh yeah, right". She walks to him and closes the space between them without warning. He backs up and bumps into the guardrail on the sidewalk. She looks into his eyes, her soft smile calming his now racing heart. "Hey. You need to look at me."

      "W-what?"

     "I said..." She puts her hand on his forehead. "Look at me." She pushes him over the guardrail, Conner flipping backwards.

     "AGH!" He sits quickly up, looking around. To his right is Ayana who he can feel smiling at him, slowly fading away from the corner of the room. A second later Caroline is in his face, panic in her eyes.

     "Lay down!" She pushes him back down and startles him. "And keep looking at me!"

     "W-what-"

     "Zip it, let me focus and look at me." He notices his sight is different, it's a weird mesh of the Fear that outlines everything and the Abyss that its all made of, along with some sort of distortion in everything. "This will hurt." She throws her hand down and hits his right, human side. Taking a moment to himself after he felt the impact, he suddenly sees her covered in some sort of... is that blood? He goes to ask her what happened but can't talk, the harder he tries the weaker he feels. "You need to trust me. Okay? I-"

     "Caroline! Focus, he doesn't need to trust you if he's dead!"

     "R-right, sorry!" Who's voice was that? It sounded familiar, but none of... Ayana? "I'm sorry..." She leaves his vision and he jerks up in pain, a sudden deep pinch going through his groin. Laying back down he gets flashbacks to when he first arrived. Caroline saved him and was his scribe, wasn't she? She took care of him even back then. He wasn't able to talk or even move, and she tried so hard to help. Then Widow-

     His head bounces as a second impact knocks him out momentarily, to him feeling like the blink of an eye. He notices even more chaos now, seeing Hidari, Caroline and Widow all above him now and all covered in sweat and blood, yelling and screaming orders to each other. He's pinned down by them, barely able to focus through his Osore, and now only, eye, his "vision" fading in and out. "How you holding up trooper?"

     "Ayana?"

     "The one and only."

     "What's happening... why is everyone so panicked?"

     "Well, I don't want to alarm you, but I will anyway. Your human half, it's no longer human. You're just about done transforming into-ah, I-I mean, uhm..."

     "Ayana. Enough secrets, please."

     "...Fine, you're transforming into His son."

     "Excuse me?"

     "I told you Conner, everything happens for a reason here in Stravinglad. Now that you have your memories back, or at least enough and also some of that lost personality, the transformation began."

     "This still makes no sense Ayana, I-"

     "Shhhh..." He feels a hand slowly stroke his back, calming him. "Its okay, it doesn't have to right now. They're helping you through this with my guidance, alright? Conner, we're almost there." Her guidance? What, they can see and hear her now?

     He doesn't respond. Even though he's now on the floor, the rubbing of his back keeps him grounded. "Ayana!"

     "I was talking to him, thank you very much!"

     "What?!"

     "Telepathy. A nice addition to being an Osore. Don't worry, I'll explain later."

     "Bitch I swear you're crazier than you used to be."

     "And you're smaller...

     "You fucking wanna go?!"

     "Girls!"

     He slips out of consciousness, Caroline near his ears and softly crying.

     What feels like a moment later, he sits up hyperventilating. Green fields with melting snow, a log cabin in front of him... he must be in his mind for The Guider again. "You've been hard to keep track of boy. After so many trials and errors, it looks like you're the one I've needed." The Guider stands to his side, looking over the soon-to-be meadow.

     Conner looks at himself in awe, fear outlines all of him now, even though he was human last time he was here. He's also completely covered in Abyss. But... "Don't worry son. It isn't as bad as it all seems, Nicole could be in Stravinglad too. But she's-"

     "Enough!" Leider stands and takes a moment, realizing how tall and built his Abyss is. His voice isn't some strange, deep sound anymore. It's smooth and booming, just like Him. The air around them seems to even move in and out, the Fear manipulating it. "What the hell did you do to me, and why the fuck did you mention her?"

     "Oh you kids." He chuckles to himself, standing from his writing desk in the cabin. "You know Conner, Osores are peaceful creatures. We just do what we need to in order to help creatures that can't help themselves. With you, you're the tool. You're the bridge that will allow us to save everyone."

     "If I hear one more fucking riddle I will-"

     "What? Yell at me? Make me regret ever living by threatening, fighting me and realizing you don't stand a chance? No. You will wait. Nicole and the rest of your friends will all wait. Until then, you will do as needed."

     Jumping to his feet he leans after The Guider but He urns, holding him in place with an outstretched arm. Conner feels cold suddenly before having his vision, which was normal, begin to return to the vision of an Osore. "I know you Conner Clips. I also know Nicole Narset. CC, NN. Isn't that funny?" The two Osores stare at each other before Conner goes limp as he was fighting to reach him, falling to his knees. The Guider walks to him and kneels down, a hand on his shoulder. "We're not evil Conner. We're martyrs, and now, you are too. Tell Nicole I said hello, would you? Next time you dream of her I mean." With that he gives in to the mental manipulation, falling forward unconscious.

     "...Conner... come on, Conner. Conner!"