Epiphany Of The Weak 63 Hope Domitius - Extra Chapter

Year 2033, March

21:00 P.M

Sabbatsberg Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

_._

_._

"It's done."

"Oh . . ."

Doctor Oz skimmed through the papers in his hands and smiled. "Only a week has pa.s.sed, but you bounced off quick in that span of time. Young people. What can I say?"

He told something to the nurse next to him and she left the room. The doctor did not seem to be too happy about my development as he scanned my data.

He scratched his head before putting his papers away.

"It's odd, indeed. Who would've thought Sir Bart has become more . . . s.a.d.i.s.tic. He needs to get himself treated, I'm sure," said Doctor Oz. "I'm just glad you're doing fine, Mr. Domitius. It won't be long before you'll be discharged."

I subtly nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

"Just doing my job. Anyway, when Ava visits you again, I'm sure she would be happy."

He took the doc.u.ments resting on a small table and walked out of the room. I was alone there, looking at the patients far down outside of the hospital.

It seemed like a few of them were discharged. The people around them I a.s.sumed to be their family members expressed their happiness bluntly. The patients also shared their loved ones' emotions.

I, for one, envied them.

"Ava . . ." I whispered. "Can I even see her again after this?"

She told me during her visit the day before, that the Great Corporate United would launch an invasion attempt at Neo Africa. I was worried about what would happen to her, but somehow, I had a feeling it was okay to trust her.

She had grown a lot since the incident at Mansel Island. Ava was quite cheerful to the point where I did not need to pry so much about her well-being.

She was amazing.

Unlike me.

Having succ.u.mbed to Bart's 'experimentations', I lost my will along the way. Compared to Ava, I was a joke.

"And that hasn't changed over the past years. I'm still relying on her one way or another," I said to myself.

'What was I thinking?' I thought.

I could not be helped since those circ.u.mstances were out of my hands.

"Huh. Guess I'm still useless."

I laid back on the bed with that thought in mind, repeating it over and over.

Granted, I was not much of an important person anyway. If I died, it would not matter.

"Time to sleep," I muttered.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, I sensed a presence in the room. I turned my head towards it and a person in a hooded black jacket came into view.

'When did she opened the door?' I thought.

I immediately a.s.sumed that person is a she since her body build was fairly thin. Her height was about 165 cm, which is common for young girls to have.

'W-Who are you?" I said.

My back jerked up and I winced from the pain. The lingering effect of Bart's torture was still there and I hated it.

"Perhaps you're the one most suitable for this. At least, from our own research," said the girl.

"What?!"

"Never mind. You're Hope Domitius, right?" she asked.

". . . No." I replied.

'I don't think I can trust her. She has an ominous aura going on," I thought.

"It's fine if you don't admit it. But . . . I have a message for you."

"A message?"

"Yes. The C.U right now is on the brink of collapse. Just a little nudge is all that is needed for that event to happen."

I shook my head. "How does it relate to me--"

"And you can contribute to that, Hope."

"Contribute?" I repeated.

I was sure that the girl was joking. An ordinary person like me could not possibly get involved in that. I did not have anything to offer to that cause.

"You're freaking me out here. I'll call the nurse--"

"Stay put. That is if you don't want to die," said the girl.

She manifested a blade and swung it over my head. A few strands of yellow hair fell onto my lap.

"Is that . . . Aegis?" I muttered.

"Precisely. As you can see, I'm an Aegis User. So you know what would happen if you make any noise," she threatened.

I nodded as the girl pointed that grey blade at my neck.

"W-What do you want from me?" I finally asked.

"It's simple, actually. I want you to come with me."

"To where?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

I stared at her hood, trying to discern her hidden ident.i.ty but it was to no avail.

"What is it for me?" I prompted.

"Are you really in the position to ask for anything?" she countered.

"Apparently not . . . but you know what? You can just kill me. I don't mind dying right now. I have been a burden to someone all these years. So, go ahead and kill me."

The girl tilted her head and sighed. "If you die, what would happen to that special someone? You just gonna leave that person?"

I flinched from her words.

When I thought about it, she was right.

Ava would suffer again, and I definitely did not want that.

The girl stepped closer to me while maintaining the aim of her blade. "I can convince you."

"Do you really need to?"

"I suppose not. But, it would make my job easier."

She pulled out something from her pocket and I looked at it.

For a minute, I thought it was . . .

"It's what you think it is. As I said, you're suitable. And a rebel group in Mongolia needs your help," she stated.

"Mongolia? You're from there?" I asked.

"Precisely," she answered. "With this thing in my hand, you can be useful. To that someone, and to everyone else."

"Useful, huh? You make it sound like it's that easy," I retorted.

"It is. I may not know what kind of a person you are and how you usually act, but you reek of low self-esteem. I'm sure anyone could see that."

I clicked my tongue. "Thanks, I guess? For reminding how useless--"

"You're seriously putting yourself in that category. That's a no-no. Your mindset needs to change, Hope Domitius. How can you expect a good result if you yourself don't take any action?"

"Well . . ."

I had to admit it, but that girl saw through me. I blamed myself if something did not go according to plan.

And that part of me needed to go away.

"So, are you in for this? You can help to change the country, Hope Domitius. There will be no more oppression over the citizens. Fear will not conquer them anymore. You want that too, right? A happy place and life for that special someone."

My mouth opened wide as if a sudden realization had hit me.

I should not think about what I was doing right then, but what I could do for the future.

The future that Ava wanted.

Where she no longer had to fight.

Where she could live a normal life like any kid her age.

The future that I dreamed to be impossible in reality.

I could make it happen.

For Ava.

"So?" asked the girl.

I clenched my fists and looked at her. "I'm in."

"Great. That wasn't as hard as I thought. Evgeny wouldn't be too hard on me after this."

I stood up and grabbed a blank paper on top of a wooden table. My hand scrambled for a pen in the drawer and I yanked it out.

"Before that, can I write a letter? It's for her," I said.

"Huh, a lover, I see. Don't let me bother you," she replied.

With that, I quickly wrote what I wanted to say to Ava.

But it was not enough.

Deep inside me, I wanted to wait for her and asked her to join.

"Can I ask her to join me?" I asked.

"No. I came here for you only. There will be no one else," she said.

"Okay. That's a b.u.mmer I guess."

I folded the letter and hid it under my pillow.

"You know, how can I trust you? You didn't even tell me your name," I said.

"You're asking that now?" she said in a high tone. "You don't have to trust me. But I'm sure there's no one in this world who would come for you like this. I thought that thing I showed you is a good enough evidence?"

I shrugged. "It's fine. For you to offer me that thing means you're genuine in what you said. And I don't think you're lying either. I'm an ordinary person, so someone actually telling me I can make a difference is fair enough."

"Then--"

"You haven't told me your name," I said.

Her aura suddenly gotten more intense and I s.h.i.+vered from it.

"Freya," she said. "That's my name . . . and don't you dare ask me about my full name."

"No, no, it's okay."

Freya opened the window and gestured for me to jump from there.

"What? No!" I said. "This is the fourth floor!"

"So? There's someone down there who will catch you. There's nothing to be worried about."

". . . Alright. But--"

She jumped from the window and I poked my head out of it. There's a man down there who caught her and motioned for me to do the same.

I gulped. "Well, if I'm dead then so be it."

My arm pushed me from the ledge and I freefell. Freya's friend swiftly grabbed me in the waist and heaved myself up and down before letting me go.

"How was it? Did he want to do it?" asked the man with his hooded jacket.

'What's with them and the hoods?' I thought.

"It went smoothly. Let's go before we grab unneeded attention," said Freya.

She sprinted to the gate along with her friend.

"I think we already grabbed enough attention just from them wearing those things," I said.

My feet shuffled slowly to the gate where they were waiting.

When I reached there, I looked at the hospital one more time. reminiscing the memories of Ava's visits for the past week.

"Goodbye, Ava," I said to myself. "I'm sure you don't want to forget me even if I said so. For the first time, I'm actually doing something that could make you happy. In the state I am now, I will only get in your way. When I come back, I'll be sure to be a parent you're proud of."