Dreamer

28.

"Now, back to business. Hmm...I feel a lot better now, the ache was starting to become bothersome." I inform Articus, not that it is any of his concern as he lays on the floor, almost paralysed by the Arken flower.

I guess people do underestimate silent things.

"Please...give me the antidote." Articus speaks up, making me chuckle in surprise at his words.

"Oh wow, this is new. The Demon king pleading with me. I never thought I would see this day." I chuckle out loud. "Unfortunately Articus, I have taken it all." I lie knowing the antidote in the ring, is enough for two people and I haven't at all taken it all.

"No. I know it remains, you lie, you didn't take it all, because you do not want to kill me, you can't, because deep down Atheena, you are still that weak, naive girl from the human world." Articus speaks, readjusting his position as he now faces me.

His words bite me, and I feel the anger building up in me deep down.

"You do not know a thing about me!" I let my emotions loose, glaring at Articus. 

"Yes, that's it, let those emotions out. Seems you have been keeping them in for too long." Articus mocks me, before he chuckles lastly. "No matter how you hide Atheena, you would always be that girl whom everyone sees weak and a burden to." Articus adds, exceptionally getting on my nerves, nevertheless, I know better than to succumb to his tricks.

After all, who holds the upper hand now.

"Well, that naive girl now has you laying to your feet." I respond to Articus, as this time he remains silent. "Though, yes, you're right, I do not intend on killing you, at least not yet, but, you shouldn't think its because I can't, let's just say I still have use for you, before discarding you. I do have ways which I want you to perish." I add.

"I can see this is all my fault, I  guess I really did underestimate you, and  loosed my guard on you because I believe you were something useful, now I know very well, why your own mother especially, didn't want anything to do with you." My gaze remains focused on Articus, hearing his harsh words to me.

"Funny of you to say, cause you're the main reason why I'm this way." I tell Articus with evidence of hurt in my eyes. "Anyways, that's in the past now,  and that is the least of my concerns." I mask away every emotion in me with a smirk on my lips, because little do they know, that the weak Atheena of before is no longer present.

"When? When did... you plan on these? How did you deceive me?" Articus asks, with every word he speaks I see the struggle it takes him to speak.

"Finally! Finally, you're asking the question I've been waiting for. How did I plan all these?" I speak to Articus with excitement present in my voice. "Well I'm going to explain it to you from the very beginning." My tone sifting to become solemn.

"It all began on that very day I woke up at the holy world. You said, when I wake, my body will surge with power, as what I cherished most has been taken away from me, and it did come true, as when I woke, I felt like an entirely different person.

My fingers trickled with electricity, my body surged with fire and my thinking becoming intensified. 

I knew, if I had shown any sign that indeed my powers were at its peak, you would never leave me alone, and the bellator luminis would fear me or may keep me locked up somewhere, knowing you would come for me, thereby I would be a prisoner in either situation.

I knew if I had spoken out, no one would have value for me but for the power I hold, and any where I am, I will always be used just for that. 

At that point where I laid on the bed, a thought came to my head, a plan devised in my head and I knew the only way to gain my freedom and take away this mark which you have imprinted on me or be anyone's chosen, is to act smart.

It did seem like a never ending plan, but if it is going to gain me my freedom, I am ready to wait, whatever year it is to gain it. So, I devised the plan. With your mark on my chest, I knew you would always find me, you would always know where I am, so I let you come, making you think that I was in a desperate situation and needed saving. I let you think you are my savior all to lead to these.

I let you come, by playing the weak card, by letting you believe that I needed you to save me, by letting you believe that when you save me, I would see you differently, warm up to you and eventually see the bellator luminis as my enemy, but in this case, you all are my enemy, and I will destroy each and every one of you, one by one." I explain to Articus,while he stares at me in horror.

"Even when you said you wanted to kill the warlock, that was a deception also?" Articus asks.

"Oh no, that isn't. I do want octavius to suffer, but I won't kill him, rather I would make him be put in the same situation he put me in, as I begged for him to save my grandmother, but he stayed still and watched you kill her." I respond truthfully.

"I knew going after octavius was my best shot, because who better than him who watched as my grandmother was slaughtered, and I knew that if I did, it would cause a ruckus, as I knew octavius would never want to kill me, so I played the ball in my own hands, giving you time to arrive there.

Everything I did, I made sure I looked weak, of course, that what you all prey on, especially you, Articus." I explain. " When indeed, I was now successfully in your world, that was when the main plan began, as I was scared shitless everyday if you were going to find out about my schemes." I chuckle lightly.

"You tell me everything that happened was all an act, is that true Atheena?" Articus asks me, as his gaze stays raw on me, and I see the hurt In his eyes.

Maybe its all due to the Arken flower striping him of his powers, but the gaze Articus has almost make me feel like a monster, yet, I'm not going to let him do that to me, as he did worse to me, when he stripped me of my life and made me a freak to everyone around me.

"Yes Articus, yes, everything was all an act! Okay, let's say at some point I did think your actions may be genuine to me, but I knew better, I knew better than to believe any of it, because all you wanted was just the power. You didn't give a s**t about me!" I speak letting my emotions run wild at Articus.

"You believe all I did was false to you?" Articus asks me gazing at me in disappointment. "Is that what you think of me? A deceitful person?" He questions me again, as though the effects of the Arken flower is not slowing moving to his neck. 

When I do not respond, Articus takes his answer before shaking his head negatively. "I trusted you. I wanted you to bow to no man, that's what I wanted for you, not to use you or destroy you like any of the other clans plan on doing to you." Articus tells me.

"That is left for me to decide, and with what I have been through, everyone of you are all the same." I reply to him  sincerely.

"Tell me..." Articus begins to speak, but gets cut off by a sudden hard cough coming from his oesophagus. I almost pity him, seeing him struggle just to survive a little longer to get the antidote. "I do know that with all what your schemes, you definitely are not alone, and from what I presume, a Demon helped you out. Tell me who it is, at least I deserve to know my traitor." Articus finally speaks.

"Relax Articus, you haven't heard the full story, don't be in a hurry." I inform him calmly, yet, my voice menacing, before I reveal how I schemed my plan.

"With me in your world, at first I thought of discarding the plan, because of how scared I was, and what you would do to me if you did catch me, especially when you went in my head and I did the same, which was why when ever I was in your head, I always played the scared card of getting terrified by your memories, so you won't have to pressurize me or push further to find out clues." I reveal to him.

It was hard, it was extremely hard, as I had to train myself by hiding my thoughts and memories from you, especially when I found out about being a doppelganger of your daughter. At that instant, I wanted to give it all up and just succumb to you, but then, I found Malcolm." I chuckle lowly seeing the stare in Articus face.

"That's a lie, Malcolm would never...he would never side with you, even if he is ever going to betray me." Articus proves falsely, while I only chuckle at how naive he sounds.

"Would he?" I chuckle at his believe. "Maybe not willingly, he won't, until I was able to get into his head, and turn his loyalty to me, and who best than Malcolm who had dangerous plans of how he was going to eradicate me." I inform Articus.

"You turned his loyalty to you?" Articus asks in surprise.

"Surprised right?" I chuckle loudly, before taking my gaze solemn at him. "You have no idea, no idea Articus, as of how much my power runs now. I now possess the power that you have been so long reaching for, and with that, I would use to it to see to all of your destruction." My gaze hard and solemn.

"You think you have seen hell Articus, wait till I'm done with everyone of you and you all would realize the creature it is you have awoke."