Love Beyond the Ashes

Interrogating Astel

Reine pov: I dragged Astel into a secluded room that Mumei designed for torture and threw him towards the wall. I wasn't about to go easy on him, despite the fact that I may be his sister soon if I actually fall for Ollie.

"Astel, are you working for Temma still?" I asked. She rapidly shook his head.

For some odd reason, I felt as if he was telling the truth since Temma and him left off on bad terms. Although that doesn't mean anything, he still needed to get money somehow.

"Reine, please clear my name so I can leave." Astel pleaded, I glared at him angryly.

"You aren't going to get a fresh slate either you are going to rot or you will atone for your crimes you don't get to just walk Scott free" I said

"Look Reine, I am sorry!" Astel said I stepped on his chest, letting my heel dig into his chest.

"Shut up, you aren't in control..." I growled.
Astel walked into the room, Mumei put a collar around Astels' neck before giving me a button.

"Reine if you don't like the answer he gives you press that button and he'll be shocked with 20,000 volts of electricity" Mumei said, with a cute grin on her face.

I gave her a thumbs up. I wasn't planning on pressing it, but it was good to have the option to do so if I really wanted to.

I began to question him. However, he wouldn't tell me any useful information and he was clearly lying about everything he had said.

For some reason, Astel seemed to be saying things that only benefited him. He wanted to leave. I understood that, but we needed info on Temma for the sake of everyone and civilization. I was going to lessen Mumei's burden.

"Is Temma planning on going to war with the world?" I asked.

"No, why would he?" Astel said, clearly lying, I gently pushed the button down on my device, letting the collar shock him. He went stiff, so I asked the question again.

"Fine, yes, but he decided that the plan is dumb!" He yelled

I pressed the button down again, holding it this time, making it so he was continuously getting shocked. He was frothing from the mouth as the voltages shot through his body.

I let go of the button, watching as smoke rose from his body.

"Look, I don't want to kill you, so tell me the truth, Astel." I sighed.

"Okay, he is planning on declaring war, but is that what you wanted to hear!?" He yelled, shaking since he was shocked twice.

"How does he plan on doing this?" I asked.

"He's got the technology to clone himself from somewhere. He is going to make an army of himself!" Astel yelled

"Do you know who provided the technology for this feat?" I asked.

"No I don't; he wouldn't tell me about it," Astel said.

I trusted this. He seemed to not want to get shocked again, so he didn't tell a lie, at least not one that was obvious.

I really thought about taking the collar off, but as soon as I did, he would lie again. The reason why he was lying in the first place is because he thought I didn't have the guts to press the button and shock him.

"Don't kill him, Reine!" Ollie yelled. I knew she hated to see her brother get tortured, but she knew deep down that this had to be done.

Temma had to be stopped and had to pay for his crimes. Even if we could spare him like Oga wants, we can't afford to let him walk around freely.

This was for the sake of Mumei and all of
the victims that Temma has made suffer. I wanted to make sure he had hell to pay. I'm only okay with the idea of sparing him since Oga came up with it, but this was on a whim, so I was unsure if it was the right option.

I really wanted the best for everyone, and we would all live a better life without the imperials and Temma's reign of society.

Mumei tried her best not to get us involved in any of this, but no matter what she had done, she couldn't stop us from getting involved in some way. Life just doesn't work out the way we all want it to.

"Astel, what if I let you go, would you betray us?" I asked. He looked uncertain.

"I would have to. I can't betray Temma." Astel said

I looked back at Ollie, who was listening in on the conversation. I waved the button around, getting permission from her to press the button.

I held it down and he immediately started to scream. I wasn't planning on letting go of the button this time.

"Don't you play with me." Astel: "This is the fate of the world. Do you want to be ruled by someone like Temma? Are you so stupid that you'd follow him!" I asked, finally
releasing the button.

"H-he promised to bring Olivia back to life..." Astel coughed as he gasped for air.

"Look Astel, your little sister is dead. She will never not be a zombie." I said

"Shut up, Reine! You don't know what it's like to have your family get stripped away!" He yelled

I began to laugh before letting out a loud growl, pressing down the button as hard as I could until it got stuck.

"You separated me from my mother, you dick!" I screamed, watching his body spasm out. I knew I couldn't stop this now because the button was stuck, so I slammed the device on the ground, breaking it.

The electricity stopped and an Astel lay there broken. I walked over, taking the collar off. I saw the collar seared into his skin, charring it black.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes. You better be ready to talk then." I scowled, waking out of the room.

I didn't have time for this. I was now upset. Maybe I did blame him after all. But I was willing to forgive him if only he would tell the truth.

I walked up to Mumei and smiled. "This will all be over soon," I said, although I was truly hoping this was the case.