Chapter Thirteen
Hiro felt hollow. His head hung to his chest and his arms were bound. He had no reason to move. No reason to care where he was. Sitting on the barge, listening to the motor running and the water sloshing against the sides. He was tied to the rails on deck by his throat and wrists. Above him the sky was black and the air cool with moisture. It was going to rain, and Hiro felt it before the clouds broke. The drops began slow, but then began to fall harder until they pounded the deck like hail. Hiro tilted back his head, letting the rain hit his skin and sear on the burns. The explosion had not damaged him. Somehow Soul had managed to save him from looking as terrible as Anna. Only a few burns touched his face and arms, but he wished he had received worse. The image of Soul’s corpse burned in his mind.
Hiro let out a cry of agony, dropped his head back to his chest with his fists clenched and chest heaving. He tightly shut his eyes, gritting his teeth as tears rolled down his face, mingling with the raindrops that dripped from his hair. His heart throbbed in a way he had never imagined possible. Human emotions... why had he wanted them? Apathy had been a blessing and Hiro let out a sob of grief. Had he never felt love for Soul the pain would not be so great.
The ocean tossed the ship and Hiro jerked sideways, hitting his head on the railing. He flinched and opened his eyes. For a split second he thought he had seen a pale white image of Soul sitting in front of him, but it vanished as soon as he laid eyes on it. Hiro gawked speechlessly, but then looked up when the door to the cabin opened and Anna stepped out. She had wrapped some white bandages around her torn face, but the machinery of her arms and neck were clear. She had changed into new clothes to hide the rest of the damage.
“We’re here,” she said, approaching Hiro and looking past him. Hiro turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the approaching horizon. The black clouds cut off to show a red glow on the horizon that reflected on the water. The island was an ominous black silhouette in the midst of scarlet water. Hiro swallowed hard. He finally returned home after countless years and the island was unwilling to welcome him. He couldn’t have expected less...
“And what are you planning to do to me?” Hiro asked, looking up at Anna.
“Kill you.” Anna’s reply was saturated with loathing. “Dismantle your body while your awake with all pain receptors fully active so you can feel every joint peeling off and every wire that’s cut.” She turned her scowling face to Hiro. “And then,” she said, lowering her voice to a hiss. “I’ll remove your crystal heart while you’re still screaming, and smash whatever precious object Symphony and Oratorio put into it. With the key Symphony thoughtlessly left behind I’m sure it will be easy.”
Hiro watched Anna emotionlessly then turned his gaze back to the island. “Sounds good,” he said.
Anna kicked him sharply in the side and Hiro lurched towards the impact. He kept his head down as Anna went back to the cabin and disappeared inside. When she was gone, Hiro lifted his eyes, glaring darkly at the cabin. If he were still able to become Crystal Crier then Anna would be lying on the deck in pieces.
“But I can’t,” whispered Hiro, turning his head away and looking sadly towards the approaching island. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m normal now.” He let his head hang, releasing a breath of defeat. Whatever came next he would take. For every pain he felt he would remember all he had done. Every life he had destroyed as Crystal Crier for the crazy woman who now held him captive. Everything around him was his own fault. If he hadn’t been weak and wanting to run away all the time he could have stopped Anna.
Hiro clenched his fists. If only he hadn’t let Enimito and Soul fix his heart. Crystal Crier would have killed Anna eventually. She was no match for him, but now he was gone.
“I never thought I would miss my worst enemy,” Hiro muttered under his breath. He shook his head and gazed at the sky as the rain died away. The clouds were thinning and the sun was setting to his right. The light was deep red and purple and Hiro felt the rays on his skin. He looked towards it.
“Well, Soul,” he whispered in a hoarse voice. “How would you encourage me in this position?” He laughed sadly, shaking his head.
He had never felt such hopelessness before.
The barge pulled into the harbor and instead of dropping a lifeboat to row to shore, Anna made Hiro swim while following close behind him. They stepped onto the sandy beach and Hiro pushed his soaked black hair out of his face. His gaze wandered over the wasteland that had once been a fertile paradise with lushes gardens and beautiful forests. He had destroyed it all by accident. His programming set to lay waste to the village if he ever returned. The memory of the destruction stung.
Hiro reluctantly moved forward when Anna kicked him in the back.
“No time for reminiscing,” she said as they walked. “The entrance to my lab isn’t too far so don’t bother asking for a rest.”
Hiro didn’t trouble himself with pointing out that he wouldn’t need rest any more than she would, but he thought better of it.
The ground on which they walked was musty with ancient ashes and charred tree remains lying everywhere. When Hiro looked deeper into the island he could see a collection of black sticks standing straight up from the ground. It was the remains of the village. Seeing it cut to Hiro’s heart and he looked away. A sharp prod in his back from Anna made him cringe and look ahead. He wondered where the entrance to the lab was. Anna wasn’t heading towards the village, but around towards the hills. The same hills Hiro remembered sitting on when he had finished begging for the day. Was it possible he had sat near the entrance all his life without even knowing it?
They reached the hills and Anna moved past Hiro, running to a pile of trees that were crossed on the hill. She began throwing them aside with inhuman strength and then uncovered a circle of perfectly green grass.
“It was better hidden before you blew up the island,” said Anna casting Hiro a jesting sneer before turning back to the patch of grass. She reached down and brushed her hand through it. Something under the ground clicked and rumbled. Hiro watched as a jagged line cut through the glass with a deep orange and red glow come from within. It was like the doorway to hell was opening. It creaked as the hidden door slid wide and then stopped. The glow filled the opening and surroundings in the ominous light. Anna looked at Hiro and nodded towards the pit.
Hiro approached, looking inside and finding a long steel tunnel with orange and red lights lining the ceiling and a staircase that led down into it. Hiro obediently entered the lab, walking down the stairs to the floor. He looked down the tunnel, finding many round doors lined it and at the far end there was a large glass window that looked into some kind of huge dome.
“Why wasn’t all this uncovered when I blew up the island?” Hiro wondered aloud as Anna made her way down the stairs. Behind her the door slid shut, squealing as if it hadn’t been oiled in decades.
“I plan ahead,” said Anna, passing Hiro and motioning for him to follow her. “I knew the power of the crystal so I could create my hidden lab appropriately before you were even born.”
Hiro frowned. “Why did you use me?” He asked. “I was the vegetable of Onsolaises.”
“It wasn’t my choice,” said Anna over her shoulder as they approached the window at the end of the long corridor. “At first I hid behind the scientists for years, making them believe our mission was for the good of the world. Syph actually thought you were being made to save the earth. Everyone believed that.” Anna cast Hiro an evil smirk. “The fools fell for it from the beginning and didn’t get wise until it was much too late.”
“So you’re main mission was... what?” Hiro asked this cautiously, not knowing what too many questions may bring.
“My mission,” said Anna as they came to the huge window and looked down into the gigantic dome beyond. “Was to reconstruct the world.”
Hiro caught his breath. Down inside the dome was a recreation of his village, complete with people. They went about their lives, the children
chasing each other and parents sitting outside on their porches chatting. It was a village of higher technology than the old Onsolaises. There were streetlights instead of night torches and porch lights too. Hiro stared, recognizing some of the faces. He knew they weren’t real, but there they were. The villagers he had slaughtered.
“Oh look,” said Anna, taping the glass towards the grassy hills. “There you are.”
Hiro whipped around to stare in shock at the scraggly young man in rags. The old Hiro sat gazing aimlessly ahead, his black hair a shaggy mess around his shoulders and his expression hollow.
“This isn’t right,” said Hiro, stepping away from the glass.
“I have another one of these under the city you lived in too,” said Anna as she gazed at the village with pride. “Actually, there are several of these fake villages going on beneath lands that you destroyed.”
“How did you get the scientists to go along with this?” Hiro whispered, feeling a little sick.
“I told you, they thought it was for the well-being of all mankind,” said Anna, looking back at Hiro. She appeared to be pleased with his reaction to the village. “They never knew about this place. Here was made for me and my own creations.” She motioned towards the dome. This is where I remade Soul and gave her memories that I hoped would make her hate you.” Anna looked down at the village with a scowl. “The girl somehow fought off her hatred for you. I don’t know how that happened.”
Hiro was alarmed. “You gave her fake memories?” He demanded.
“Yes, so she would think you had killed her parents,” replied Anna, casting Hiro a cold look. “She was supposed to loath you and stick with you until she had a chance to give you to me, but she fought with her programming and instead helped you.” Anna glared at her mechanical hands then clenched her fists. “I didn’t know she was capable of doing that, but then Oratorio did the same thing. Which was a shame. Shadow Eater was useful and entertaining.”
Hiro scowled, but then Anna turned to a door by the wall. She pushed her hand against and empty white panel. When she removed her hand a blue glow held its shape. It blinked once and a door slid open. Inside was another hallway that led around the dome, following the glass wall.
“Get going,” said Anna, nodding Hiro to the door. “Your final resting place is on the other side.”
Hiro swallowed hard and passed through the doorway. As he walked he watched his lonely mechanical self, sitting on the familiar hill. Hiro couldn’t help noticing how pathetic he looked compared to the man he had become. Why had he been chosen? Had he only been left on that hill someone else would have become Crystal Crier and he would be dead and gone from the explosion. Why did everything have to end now?
The walk was long and silent. The only sound Hiro heard were their footsteps. As they came to the other side Anna stopped them and placed her hand to the wall. Another door opened up to a long hallway of doors. She forced Hiro inside, making him walk to the end of the hall. There were no lights except small red blinking lights along the floor. Anna brought them to the very back of the room and set her hand to the wall. The large door opened and Hiro looked into the room. It was round and white with florescent lights lining the ceiling. There were shelves all along the wall, filled with odd tools and metal parts and in the center was a large chair with many straps.
“Is that my finally sitting place?” Hiro inquired bluntly.
Anna hit him over the head. “Sit down,” she told him sharply.
Hiro complied, rubbing his head with a glare. He sat in the uncomfortable chair and Anna strapped his ankles, legs, wrists, arms, torso and neck to the chair. Hiro was completely immobile and only able to gaze at the ceiling.
“Now sit here,” said Anna, going to the door. “I have some business to attend to.” The door slid shut behind her and the lights went out.
Hiro sat in the darkness, his expression hollow. He rolled his wrists, testing the straps, but the chair held him fast. There was no hope of escape.
“Guess this is it,” said Hiro, shutting his eyes. “End of the line...”
Someone sighed and Hiro’s eyes flew open. He looked to his right as far as he could. A white mist was near him, but it had a face; a familiar face with sad eyes.
“Soul!?” Hiro exclaimed in shock.
“Giving up wasn’t supposed to become your new thing, Hiro,” said Soul. Her voice sounded as if it were miles away and her mouth moved slowly as if the misty form couldn’t keep up with her.
“I can’t do anything to stop her,” said Hiro, staring at Soul as she became a little more solid, but still white and transparent. Her hair flowed as if she stood in the wind and she wore a beautiful dress. “I’m normal now.”
“Normal?” Soul shook his head, her empty white eyes narrowing sadly. “Your crystal heart is merely under your complete control now. You have to learn how to use it. It won’t work as it once has.”
“But I don’t have time to learn,” whispered Hiro in a strained voice. “I’ve accepted my end.”
“After I gave up my life so you would get this chance to take on Anna alone?” Soul retorted.
Hiro opened his mouth wordlessly and stared at Soul. Her hollow eyes met his. “Anna and her schemes can’t be stopped by just anyone, Hiro,” she told him gently. “You’re the last chance humanity has.”
Hiro swallowed hard. “How are you here?” He asked hoarsely.
Soul giggled and faded away. “I’m not,” she said, her voice shrinking as she vanished. “I’m a figment of your imagination.”
“Soul,” Hiro whispered when she was gone. He hadn’t noticed the string in his eyes and he blinked back the tears. He sharply shut his eyes, breathing hard and trying to focus. Up to that point he had been an idiot. Giving up the life Soul had wanted to protect. Sacrificing her life so he would face Anna in person. Yes, he had no reason to run, but he hadn’t bothered to remember Soul wanted him to protect the earth, to stop Anna and save the world from annihilation.
Hiro locked his gaze on the ceiling, his body tense. He heard the winding of gears inside his arms when he rolled his wrists and the clicking of his body when he breathed. Farther inside he heard his stable heartbeat. The heart Soul and Enimito had filled to stop him from expiring. Their sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.
In a burst of golden light the straps tore off the chair and the door blew open. The golden light overpowered the darkness, filling the hallway and blowing out all the small red lights along the floor. It reached into the dome, causing the mechanical people to look up at their sky and wonder at the golden like painted across the sky. It was the last thing they wondered before each one fell to the ground, their system crashing because of the overwhelming power inside the light. The ground began to rumble as the light grew.