The Purge

Forgiveness can get you places, I guess. But sometimes you need to light a fire.”

Dorothy Must Die; Danielle Paige

A friend cannot be considered a friend until he or she is tested in three occasions: in time of need, behind your back, and after death.

I’ve been purged by my own rage. Fygun’s death was a match that lighted a fire within me. He was an innocent who died because of my human mistakes. Addonexus are supposed to be smart but our human part is what makes us weak.

I’ve realized that I had become a hypocrite, ordering my soldiers to set aside their feelings when it was my actions that drove Conleth into murder. I didn’t think of the consequences after. Love’s blinding. It’s the strongest emotion a person could feel but it can also be deceiving. It can influence you and then break you. All things beautiful are dangerous. If this is what it is like to love, then I don’t want any part of it. It’s painful.

I marched to my room, dreading the second thoughts of my heart of going back to Con. But the deathly presence of danger lurking nearby had distracted me. The cold end of the gun touched the back of my head. I was able to reverse the attack when my adversary fired his gun. Two others followed upon hearing the gun shot. One of them fired at me, but I was fast enough to avoid it. I reached him and I broke his neck. I took his gun and I shot his companion dead.

They haven’t even given me time to lament for Fygun.

In my fury, I stormed Colonel Black’s office. I slaughtered his men who stood in my way. All I see is anger. All I want is blood on my hands. All I can think of is death.

It surprised them that I can be mean. They didn’t expect me to be brutal. They didn’t know I can kill without mercy. It overwhelmed me to see the life go out of their eyes. I didn’t care about those they will abandon for life. I didn’t care about their feelings. They didn’t even care about mine from the very beginning.

Colonel Black stood as white as snow in his office. His eyes were wide and wild as they followed me enter his territory. I was glad to see the terrified look on his face. He crossed the room to me. At that point, I only want to see him suffer.

“Kneel.” I ordered and his knees buckled and obeyed to my command. A smile broke out of my lips. Agatha came rushing in his office but I stopped her mid run and I blocked every motion in her body. She stood like a perfect statue in the doorway.

“What are you doing?” alarm made his voice quiver.

“I see you can’t wait for the Dark Hour to kill me.” I snapped. “So I’m set to engage, Colonel.”

“Let go of me.” the more he struggled to break free, the more it made me bolder. It awakened the devil in me. Oh the countless ways I want him to suffer. If only he wasn’t so megalomaniac. If he didn’t thirst so much of our blood, things would have been different. Everyone I love might still be alive.

I smirked at him. “Not just yet. I want you to pay for what you have done to us.” I sent electric waves into his body and he writhed in pain. “I should have done this a long time ago.”

“I am not responsible for his death.” He said through gritted teeth. I sent another wave of pain in his body.

“But you are to some. You killed my kind!”

His eyes thinned into slits. “Your kind deserved to be dead. It is because of you that the aliens invaded earth. It was always you from the very beginning. We were just up to the bargain.” He sneered at me. “It wasn’t humans that destroyed the world, it was you. Your kind killed the world! So don’t make yourself so clean because deep inside you know you’re just like them. You are one of them. Monster.” He spit at my feet.

I forced him up his feet and I plunged him on the wall. I choked him until there was enough air to sustain him.

“Remember, you made me who I am. You dressed me up and trained me not knowing you’re building the very thing that will destroy you. You didn’t raise a lamb for the slaughter; instead you’ve raised a snake.”

He chuckled like a lunatic. “Still a lamb to me. Don’t forget the people you love, Bri.”

His eyes traveled to Agatha. I moved Agatha towards me like moving a chess piece. I let her go and she let out a gasp of air.

“Bri, you’re a good person. Don’t do this.” She said. Tears snaked down her cheeks. “I’ve raised you to be good. You’re better than this.”

I sneered at her. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Agatha.” Her eyes went wide as the realization of what’s gonna happen to her reaches her. I raised her body up in the air and with one simple flick of my hand, I broke her neck. I let her body fall to ground like a marionette. Right now I don’t need people who will be used against me. I will destroy them anyway. To love me is signing a contract to die.

There were only two people who were kind to me. And I killed them both with my own hands.

Shock broke into Colonel Black’s face. He looked back at me as if he’s trying to know how to put me back into the picture. I was an unsolved puzzle.

“You killed her.” he said in a daze.

“I know right.” I snorted. “I. Killed. Her.” I tested it on my lips mockingly. “Isn’t that what we do best? Hurting people. We’re gonna die one day. I sent Agatha a little earlier. She’s the pawn you’re gonna use against me. So, I ditched her off the chessboard. Shall we resume the game?”

He stared daggers at me and I caught them all with an iron wall.

“We’re not done yet, Tyranica.”

“Oh no, Colonel. We have only just begun. Just the tip of the ice burg.”

I let him go for a moment and he sucked all the air in his lungs all at once. It’s funny how you can bend everything at your own will. You can play better. You can hurt better.

“My comrades are gonna die in the Purge-the sad, tragic truth. My brother’s better off dead anyway. So what are you gonna do? You failed.” I taunted him as he tried to regain his footing. “There’s no one left you can use against me. You can no longer control me.”

He laughed mockingly at me. “There’s one. There’s still one.”

My heart pounded but I already knew the answer before he even spoke of it.

“Conleth Argent.” He chuckled.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What about him?”

“Oh don’t be so obsolete, darling girl. We both know what you feel about him.”

I forced pain into his veins. His body shook from it and he writhed on the ground.

“You are too obvious.” He laughed.

I forced blood to pop out of his mouth and he vomited it like spoiled food.

“I will never love a murderer. Kill him in the Purge. I don’t care. He doesn’t matter to me. You don’t scare me anymore.”

He guffawed. I flicked my hand and he vomited his second round of blood.

“If you hate me so much, then why prolong the agony? Kill me now!” he shouted.

I scoffed. “I’m a silly little girl. I still want to play. You don’t deserve a fast death. I wanna see you die slowly in sorrow and in pain.”

He chuckled. “You hate me because I hurt people. Why don’t you look in the mirror? You might surprise yourself that we have the same reflection.” He glowered up at me. “Murderer.”

I plunged his head down to his own vomit of blood.

“You wanted me to be just like you.” I gripped hard on his hair. “Ruthless. Unforgiving. You don’t want a hero. You don’t want a weapon. You wanted a monster.” I spit on his face. “So I’m giving you one.”

I let him go and I head for the door. My hands ached to finish him. But my body was shaking so hard from the anger that was consuming me. I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t contain myself.

“You think defeating me is going to be easy? You’re gonna regret not killing me!” he shouted back at me.

“I won’t.” I said as I paused at the door. “This is going to be a battle of wits than chances. I know exactly what I’m in for. You’ve trained me well, mad man.”

I balled my fists to control the tremor in my body. “And by the way,” I looked back at him from my shoulder. “I’d like to request the immediate release of Conleth Argent from my army. There’s no room for a coward in my team.”

“You will never survive the Purge! The Dark Hour is coming. You will be dead!” he shouted.

I smirked at him. “You are messing with the wrong species, colonel. But you can hope for the best. Now watch me win.”

I am Bri Tyranica. I never lose.

Alea Iacta Est

375. The Black Number. Every living thing in this world knows what it means.

75. The Salvation Number. Sanctified. Holy.

Numbers were thought in school like pre-algebra and trigonometry. But for some reason, 375 and 75 were significant to the lives of mankind. Numbers of death and life. Numbers of chaos and restoration. Numbers that were left unsolved until now.

But I knew the solution. I solved it. You don’t have to be a genius to get it. It’s basic rocket science if you’ve anticipated it. It’d be as easy as chewing a gum if you were paying attention.

375. Years of war against the aliens.

75. Years of waiting for Addonexus to be born again.

15. Years to wait when the Barriers weaken and the Gates open.

Sum them up together and you get 465. It’s the number of hours left before the clock stops. The Dark Hour is coming.

19. Days before the Gates open. The Purge will begin.

The commotion behind the wall snapped me out of my reverie. I placed the abacus down on my desk and I pressed my hand on the wall.

The surge of her power was overwhelming me. The force. Her stigma. It was so powerful. If I could smell it, the fragrance would have thrilled me. If I could own it, I would be unstoppable.

I waited for her to leave. I can be patient. All things come to those who wait.

I entered the room to find it in a morbid state. Blood and death combined, done by a single girl. The useless Colonel Black groans on the floor. He was a fool to taunt her like that. But the scheme had worked just like I’ve planned. She snapped.

All in good time.

I crouched at the Colonel’s pathetic form.

“Funny how humans can still be rag dolls. Useless and disappointing.” I sneered at him. “It’s not a wonder why aliens can outsmart you. Humans are just too gullible. You’re very easy to play with.”

He grunted as he tried to sit up. His face was stained with drying blood.

“We need her. We can’t let her go. Not just now.”

I snickered. “You think I don’t know that? She’s more valuable than you.”

“So, what do you plan to do now? We don’t have anyone against her.” he said like the worthless fool that he is.

“We play the game.” I told him. I point at the door. “A girl like that will play long and hard because she has nothing to lose. We’ll just have to find another situation to break her.”

“The Dark Hour is coming.”

I smirked down at him as I stand. “And so shall we play.”

The die has been cast.