Into The World

#24 - The Final Game

The old lady sighs, eyes still fixated on the owner, "I'm Kimberly Park, the head of the infamous Xenos gang." She leans forward, revealing a small gizmo in her right hand, "And I've proved it." She grins when the she sees the owner crinkle her forehead, stepping back when the rogue shapeshifter steps forward.

Anthony grits his teeth when his wristband doesn't respond. How is this happening? "Ms. Banks," Kimberly says, placing her interlaced hands over her raised right knee. "Do you remember us?" The physician lifts his head. What is she doing? He flits his gaze to his daughter who steps forward.

The head grins, "You do know."

I saved Jason? The novice shapeshifter says, watching the visuals of the screen that emanates from the outsider's band. She takes her locket and opens it, glancing at its right image. He's the key. She flits her gaze to the left, clearing her arid throat. I'm the guardian. She slams her eyes shut when a gazillion muffled voices enter her mind.

She is the most talented eximia....

....CATCH HER...

...you can never get away from me...

....Good girl....

....you USELESS BRAT!

Eliza collapses to the floor, clenching her jaws as flashes of fuzzy, grim places zap across her mind. She coughs, a violent itch crawling on every inch of her trembling body. She shakes her head, "This is not true."

 Another muffled voice enters, along with a warm hand over her shoulder. Don't worry...you're safe with us. Eliza stops coughing. You'll be protected and loved here. The relieving voice strengthens in her as she feels herself being lifted.

She removes her hands from her ringing ears when the warmth embraces her. You're not alone. Eliza buries her face in the woolly fabric, letting out a deep breath as she sobs.

Tom holds on to his niece as she cries, rubbing her back, "I've got you." Tears roll down his cheeks as he comforts her, "It's going to be alright."

Eliza lifts her head, her face red and swollen by the sudden outburst. She wipes her tears with the sleeve of her white coat, blinking to see the blurry figure before her. Her shivering comes to a stop when her accustomed gaze falls on her uncle's serene eyes.

"What happened before I was adopted?" she asks, leaning back from him. Tom sniffs, wiping away his fresh tears, "You were...you were an orphan." Eliza snickers, rubbing her forehead.

 "You were born with an ability that nobody could explain, even now." Tom glances at his reflection in the distant mirror. His niece turns around, wide-eyed by the elderly lady seated behind her, her coral eyes brimming with tears as she speaks. "You can see everyone in their natural forms."

The novice shapeshifter flits her gaze back to her uncle. "Now, if anyone else would be here, they would see me as Octavia Fletcher," he says. He leans forward, "Whereas you can see me as Tom Banks." He grins, "You can hear my voice, not the person I have shapeshifted to."

Eliza glances at his extended hands, a pearl embedded on each finger. "You were the second person to be born with this unique ability," the shapeshifter says, resting on the front end of the outsider's bed. His niece looks up, "The first person...was it General H?"

Tom nods, "That's how he could take down most of the Xenoxians in his path." He sags his head, "Until an eximium challenged him." His niece comes closer, holding his hands. "I don't know how you ended up there, but you were part of the Xenos gang as an eximium." He lifts his head, "The Eximia were an elite task force, that were trained to be lethal assassins."