A Wanderer's Lies

Chapter 9: The Tower [2]

"Yes, it is. I'm surprised it took you this long even after seeing the Sercumvator." Fetoh replied with a smile.

'I have no idea what that is.' Isaac thought as he sighed.

"I'm assuming we'll have to travel to the top of the Tower to get the best view possible of the city." Isaac asked, inspecting the inside of the elevator as he ran his fingers through it.

"Yes, in fact…" As Fetoh spoke, the view they had been observing of the floors passing had suddenly turned dark.

"Are we at the top?"

"Almost."

The faint light of the elevator was all they had to illuminate the surroundings and it worsened as they passed all the floors.

Despite this, Isaac didn't mind. He'd been living in darkness all this time; he'd practically adapted to it.

However, he wouldn't have to endure this for long as the elevator slowed down, soon coming to a stop.

Walking out, Isaac watched his step, looking around the once again messy area.

The room seemed to be some sort of dome, evident by the floor which would curve upward into the wall, then again curving into the ceiling.

The room was littered with a few sheets of paper, while some still stayed organised on the wall, showing the anatomy of the human body, and syringes, while Isaac could spot a familiar black box on an intact purple table.

Additionally, Isaac found himself staring at the countless potted plants in the area.

Plants he'd never seen before.

And despite the tower being abandoned, they still looked fresh and healthy.

They varied from sizes, some being taller than Isaac, while some he could fit in the palm of his hand.

He looked toward one of the plants that reached to his chin in height, resembling what he knew to be a mushroom, only this fashioned sharp green spikes on its head and an unsettling blood red colour.

Meanwhile, he could only describe another plant to be similar to a certain carnivore that typically assaulted a short Italian plumber.

Looking away, Isaac's eyes practically sparkled as he ran toward the walls.

Instead of stone, the surroundings walls were made from see through glass, allowing one to look down at the entire city.

Pressing his hands against the glass, Isaac looked out, seeing the countless white buildings and mist-shrouded paths between them.

Despite not being able to see the paths, Isaac could determine where they lead using the buildings.

Looking to the horizon, Isaac could barely see where the buildings and mist stopped, seemingly disappearing.

"I found it. It's not too far, if we leave now we can make…" Darting his head back, rambling in excitement, Isaac witnessed Fetoh standing over the purple table, faced away from him.

"There was once a Doctor who worked in this very hospital. From a young age, the Doctor was trained to be an elite warrior, like every other child of her age. Despite being gifted and showered with praises from their superiors, the Doctor was unhappy." Fetoh began to speak while standing before the purple table.

Isaac was confused, however, didn't interrupt.

"They, unlike their peers and most of the people around them, knew the beauty and value of human life, yet they were forced to take it."

"They hated this. It went against everything they felt to be right. Therefore, they decided to leave that part of their life and become a Doctor, not without any trouble."

"The Doctor was lucky they'd gained strong ties with important people who were able to help her change her life."

"At first, the city despised the Doctor. A skilled warrior abandoning their duty was a disgrace to say the least."

"However, the Doctor was soon able to prove her worth by helping countless individuals. In a short time, they became known as the greatest Doctor in Aionthos, maybe even the world."

"They became so successful they built this tower as a hospital in the middle of the city, so anyone in need could always find where they could get help." Fetoh stared at Isaac.

'Is that the end? The Doctor lives happily ever after?'

"For a long time, the Doctor knew peace, doing what they loved. And they were good at it."

"However, living in a nation who strived for nothing but power and still held a deep grudge against the Doctor for insulting their pride, it wasn't long till trouble found the Doctor."

"One day, the Doctor cultivated and discovered a rare species of herb. One which would change the world."

"Able to cure a thousand diseases, the Doctor soon named this the Aroze." Isaac heard this, gripping his pockets and feeling the warm sensation humming from the Aroze.

"However, the Doctor also discovered a dark secret that came with the Aroze. While it was first discovered as a miracle herb, the Doctor soon noticed, after countless experiments, the herb's favorability toward blood."

"When coming into contact with blood, the herb would absorb it at an extreme rate, instantly changing its form."

"Where it was once a herb used to cure diseases, it would become a drug used to amplify strength and speed by tenfold when ingested. We called it the Sanguine."

"That doesn't sound too bad." Isaac voiced his opinion.

"You didn't let me finished. Upon ingesting the Sanguine, one would experience an immense boost in their vitality and raw power, however, with this strength came the loss of one's sanity."

"Yes, the Sanguine could make you strong, however, it'd also make you a vicious animal, losing all sense of your humanity."

"The more blood that was used to create the Sanguine, the more strength one would gain, but the side-effects would also worsen."

"The strength would soon wear off, while the sanity returned, however, test subjects were noted to suffer from long term mental stress."

'Do they not have a name for PTSD?'

"Because of this, the Doctor couldn't allow for the Aroze to be used this way. They found it to be unethical and inhumane."

"However, they were opposed by the entire nation. A nation who would do anything to increase their military power."

"Because of the Doctor's status and power, they were somewhat able to oppose the nation and somewhat win. But, it wouldn't last long."

"On one fateful night, the Doctor died on this very table due to heart complications. It was said they suffered from an incurable heart condition after they left the military. They kept it a secret as not to make others worry."

Isaac walked toward the table and quickly noticed a large dusty piece of paper weighed down by two small rocks.

The piece of parchment deferred from the rest in the room.

It had a yellow hue and was noticeably thicker and of higher quality than the others.

Once again, the writing was in the same language as the one in Isaac's hideout. One which he was still no closer to understanding.

"I have a feeling that this isn't the end of the story." Isaac mumbled.

"You'd be correct. Contrary to what everyone believed, the Doctor was not Ill, instead, was killed by an assassin."

"The Doctor, born in a nation who had completely opposite ideals to them would never last long, however, before the Doctor died, it was revealed the assassin wasn't sent by the nation she opposed, but instead by one she'd only known by name, far away from them."

'All that trouble to let another nation potentially make leaps and bounds in power? For what reason?'

"The Doctor didn't care about why or who. Instead, their final thought could only be simplified to one word."

"Scum. All humans cared about was the destruction of their own kind." Fetoh's voice slowly lowered as her smile faded to a frown of disdain.

"Why was it that the Doctor was the one to suffer after seeking nothing but the peaceful smile of her people?"

"Why was there always an obstacle to stand in their way? An obstacle that would always lead back to the selfish and bloodthirsty humans." It wasn't long until Fetoh was roaring, her heavy words dripping with contempt.

It was like the weight of an elephant had been dropped onto Isaac's shoulders.

He struggled to stand, his breath quivering as the air became thicker than usual. The surroundings became colourless as Fetoh's hair started to elevate.

'What is this?!' Thought a sweaty Isaac, trying his best to keep his composure while gritting his teeth.

"Humans! The very species she sought to help! It was inconceivable! She didn't know who to be mad at, the humans or the gods who created such filth!"

"It was then she realised this world deserved no empathy or kindness!" Isaac widened his eyes, hearing her words.

'She?'

"The people she devoted her life to didn't deserve her miracles! She… I would take it all back!" With a scream, the weight on Isaac increased again while he lost all ability to breath.

Dropping to his knees, he mustered all his strength to yell at the top of his lungs.

"It was you!"

The air returned to normal as Isaac could feel his body relax.

Hyperventilating and wiping the sweat off his face, he looked up, staring toward Fetoh as he got up, seeing the innocent smile had returned to her face.

While she still faced the piece of paper on the table, he spoke.

"It was you. You were the Doctor." A moment of silence passed as Fetoh continued soon after.

"You see, the Doctor had all these emotions running rampant inside of her. It was like an undying flame that roared with power even after her death."

"All of a sudden, a rush of power took over the Doctor. At death, she vowed she'd never let her creation be used to harm. Simultaneously, as punishment, she wouldn't let it be used for good either. After all, they didn't deserve it."

"The Doctor took over the city." Isaac's eyes diverted from Fetoh for a second as a thought arised.

"The Cranium. They belong to you."

"That's wrong. The Cranium doesn't belong to anyone. They only live to protect and guard the Doctor's creation."

"The Aroze. So that no one can ever lay their gaze upon it again, let alone use it." Hearing this, Isaac gulped.

"So what are you? You say you died, yet here you are." Isaac sweated.

"Think of me as a version of the Cranium. I live for the same purpose, only I'm a little more…advanced." She smiled, slowly turning her head to Isaac as he flinched a little, knowing what was coming next.

"And that is the reason why you won't be leaving this room alive, Isaac."

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