Chapter 133: Ruined
Chapter 133: Ruined
Ash had been through a lot recently. His family was hurt, most refusing to talk to him, Tim was dead, his baby was dead, and Andrew, one of his most trusted, had betrayed him, joining Courtez instead. The craziness wasn’t done there. One the day Tim was killed, people all around the world had lost their abilities to die. After death, they strangely roused again.
Ash deemed his life ruined.
Noah had been with Ash for three days so far, given that both Rosa and Dianne were still at the hospital. Ash peered at Noah. Noah sat down in a strange way on the bench. He sat down like a lazy king, smirking softly. He had been acting strange since yesterday.
Noah, wearing a black eyepatch and a long sleeve shirt, peered into the sky. “How are you feeling this cold morning, uncle Ash?”
Ash peered up at the sky as well. But weren’t actually looking at the sky at all. The hexagonal shapes were packed closely together, taking the form of a translucent dome. Ash missed the sky. “I am much better,” he said, his tired eyes kept to slits.
“You sure don’t look much better to me,” remarked Noah, still not looking at him. “In fact, you look sick; … not a bit better at all.”
“Really? I thought I hid it well enough. I guess you’re the only one who’s better today. You seemed better yesterday as well. Why so happy?”
Noah glanced at him. “Who said I was happy? This is the new world, is happiness even possible? I’m just feeling a bit mischievous today; is all.” His tone was much different from Noah’s ordinary tone. It was as if his words were nothing but sarcasm. But oddly, it was clear that they were genuine and truthful.
“Mischievous?” Ash asked, looking at him. “How so?”
Noah folded his arms. “Mischievousness helps calms the nerves. With all that anger built up within, at some point you’d explode. So it’s best that you find little ways in which such anger can be expelled. Be it scratching your rival’s car or even beating up a bunch of bullies.”
Ash frowned. “I use to … ki- beat people up to calm myself down. But currently, I’m too weak for anything like that. I don’t think I can even lift my own bat anymore.”
“It’s all in your mind, uncle,” Noah said, keeping an arrogant look to his face. “All you have to do is shove your emotions aside; and then you’ll be swinging like the old days. But that can be a pretty hard thing to pull off. Once you’ve locked away your emotions, an emptiness takes over. This void will consume you whole, because you don’t feel anything and you begin to question your purpose … your humanity. Until eventually, the stoicism makes you lazy and uncaring to the point where you’re weak on the feet again. It’s the emotions that hold us back, Uncle Ash.”
Ash took everything in, and then he turned to Noah. “I forgot just how wide you are, little Noah. But I have a question: what are you feeling right now? What’s the state of your emotions. You were so sad two days ago. What caused this confidence. This isn’t like the Noah I know.”
Noah away from Ash, and looked up at sky again. “Oh,” he said, “it’s simple,” his smile fell, “it’s pretentious. It’s all a lie. Who knows? My existence too could be a lie. Basically, I’m doing something really, really bad. I’m substiting what I feel for any preferred emotion or feeling. I figured,” he looked down at the floor, “it would help liven the place. Kill our depressions.”
Ash deflated, his muscles no longer tensed. His grip to his bat had subsided. “I … I understand. It’s so stupid of me to think you were someone else,” Ash felt a burning in his eyes, trying to hold back tears again. “I’m really sorry, Noah. Your uncle’s a bad man. How could I not see through the mask you were just wearing?”
“It’s okay, uncle. It’s all good. You can’t blame yourself for everything. Part of it is my fault. The really, really bad thing: it’s actually horrible, could maybe even make the mental matters worse. So I thank you for opening my eyes. Well,” he said, shrugging, ” eye.”
Ash looked at him, slowly smiling. “Y’know, I want to be just like you, Noah.”
“What makes you say that?” Noah glanced at him.
“You’re so innocent. No blood on your hands. Plus, you’re so smart at your age, and you can cope with things so easily. The smallest thing is always on my mind,” he said, frowning. “I don’t ever stop thinking and thinking and thinking. I never forget my mistakes because I believe remembering them is a means of becoming experienced and knowledgeable and strong. I don’t want to make those mistakes again.”
Noah’s bangs covered his eyes as he leaned over. “Mistakes like ever being friends with such a user like Jin and the others, and joining the mafia, and being so weak and emotional?”
“Yes,” Ash said, “I couldn’t even see through your mask. That layer you were hiding your true feelings with—” suddenly, Ash’s heart throbbed aggressively, “wait … what was the first thing you said?”
“Joining the mafia?” Noah’s bangs covered his upper face, casting nothing but shadow. His back was bent forward, and his forearms were on his lap. The air around him, cold …
The cold tinged Ash’s skin, causing goosebumps. “No, before that. Repeat what you said before that,” he clutched his hand to his bat, squeezing it tightly.
“Being friends with such a loser like Jin,” he said, “Jin the one who used all his friends, and continues to use them up until this very day. They’re like his lap rats, experimental subjects …”
Ash’s eyes widened. “You weren’t wearing a mask …”
“Provided that,” Noah said, “I don’t need one anymore. I want the world to see the face of their new God.”
Ash continued, “You’re wearing a disguise. Just who are you? I felt it. I just knew you couldn’t be Noah. The air was too … strange. Reveal yourself,” Ash pointed the bat at Noah.
“Well,” Noah cracked his neck, “If you insist …” Suddenly, he smirked. His eye that was shrouded by the dark shade of his bangs had started to glow. A blinding green that had caused Ash to squint. Dark mist had conjured up out of nowhere and had started spiraling Noah. Gusts of powerful winds blew aggressively, his hair hovering and dancing. His body began to twist and bend and falter. His entire body distorted.
And then, he slowly took the form of an ominous young man. This young man was pulchritudinous—beautiful in every way. Beautiful but dark. His eyes had stopped glowing, the storm vanishing.
He slowly turned to Ash, and tilted his head, smiling. “Hey Ash ..” he glared, “been a while.”