Capítulo 21: Section 20: Friends Talk

-Aria side-

"This is my test to you all, whether you can survive without the help of the sinner behind me" the man continued talking to us.

"Is he crazy?" Joel frowned.

"I don't know," I sighed as I watched the silly president cry in the background.

"Please, release me! I'll do anything for you!" the president begged like a beggar.

"Ssh, no need to be so scared, you'll be freed soon" the masked man assured him.

I have a bad feeling about what he just said, that man is no ordinary man. He meticulously planned all of this chaos. He's a game master at this point, a man that plays with death. Those fallen cyanide victims are proof that he's able to kill anyone from the distance.

"But how did he do that?" my mind is in the middle of processing.

He said that if they died, that means they participated in something, Joel's cell already off for a while because of the battery. Mine is still good to go, the battery is also still a hundred percent. It was as if I was one of the participants he mentioned. Then again I need to investigate their cause of death to know what the perpetrator means.

"Alright, that's all for now citizens of Alpha City farewell" he bid his farewell. "May the Goddess of luck be on your side".

The screen on my cell phone turns normal, the LED screen on the streets turns black as well. His last words, I felt like I heard it a long time ago. My head spun around as I heard those last words.

"May the Goddess of luck be on your side".

"Hnggh" I hold onto my head, dizziness overtakes my sense of self.

"Aria? You're not well yet, you should rest" Joel patted my shoulder, worried.

I laid down on the comfortable bed, Joel rested the wet towel on my temple. A few minutes later he prepared me a chicken porridge, the smell was appetizing but my appetite was gone. Joel blows the hot spoonful of porridge and nudges me.

"Come on now, eat while it's hot" he smiled.

My cheeks flushed and I felt my face getting hotter as he closed the gap between us. His spoon was about to touch my lips. However, I turned my face away from him. Shyness took over my senses, I avoided Joel's gentle gaze.

"Aria, you need to eat," he sighed. "Otherwise you won't get better".

"I can eat by myself" I tried to stand up.

Unfortunately, fatigue took over my body as I fell on the comfy bed. Exhaustion drained my ability to think properly. I took the spoonful of delicious chicken porridge in my mouth. He's good, his cooking I mean. The warm sensation of the porridge gives me a nostalgic feeling. It's saltiness just right in the mouth.

"I want to ask you about something" Joel lowered his head, somewhat nervous.

"What is it?" I asked the timid man.

He bit his lips nervously as he glanced at me right into my eyes.

"Why did you kill Ellis?" he asked.

So that was the reason he's been nervous lately, his reactions are understandable. I just killed a civilian with no reason at all anyway. I explained it as short as possible to avoid any further drama.

"Cause she's beyond saving," I told him.

"What do you mean she's beyond saving!? She needs our help!" Joel frowned unhappily.

"A person who depends on others for their lives is unnecessary" I pointed out straightforwardly. "She's weak, just because her husband died. Just because her husband is gone, she wants to die too?".

I scoffed as I remember her pitiful excuses as a human being. She could breathe, she could survive, a weak person like her couldn't survive in that game mastermind games. She will be the first prey that will fall under his manipulation.

"That's no excuse to kill someone Aria," Joel insisted. "You're my friend, I want you to realize what you've just done".

A dull man with his noble reasons, how laughable indeed.

"She said that her value in life is gone because her husband is gone" I looked at Joel's bizarre expression. "So why did I kill her? Because she didn't value her own life, might as well kill her".

My mind is blank as I spoke those empty words nonchalantly, this seems to surprise the man who sat close to me. He massaged his forehead as if he's trying to comprehend what I'm saying.

"What? But still! It's not yours to decide!" Joel was inflamed with rage.

This discussion seems to have triggered the glasses man in front of me. What I did was terrible I know, I'm just shortening her suffering by letting her join her husband in heaven. At least I would probably be condemned in hell for eternity for killing an innocent civilian.

"Enough of this" Joel sighed. "You're sick, I shouldn't ask you about this when you're having a fever".

He inhales, then exhales, trying to calm his nerves it seems.

"Maybe you're delirious because of the fever, I'm going to think positive about it", he nudged me to open my mouth as he put another spoonful of porridge in my mouth.

"Sure, yeah" I replied casually with a blank expression.

The air between us was heavy, he refused to speak with me again as he fed me the delicious porridge. I stopped my gazes on him, for some reason I didn't feel like I wanted to talk about Ellis either. It seems guilt started to seep into my heart, I felt excruciating pain in my chest.

I liked Ellis, I do. However, I cannot let the pain she caused to be spread on my chest like a poison. Joel's speeches seemed to trigger my emotions to act, I shook my head deliberately to avoid the thoughts that my hands are soiled with Ellis' life. I took someone's life, just like that.

I only wanted to avoid the clouds in my head, the sadness, and grief of losing someone. I don't want to feel that kind of feeling again, and due to stress, I killed the person who caused that feeling. I am just a crazy person, huh?

"Hey, you and Ender" Joel suddenly spoke out of the blue.

"Hm?".

"Are you guys a couple or something?" he asked, somewhat curious.

"Not really, but I supposed we're used to being a couple" I answered bitterly.

There is it again, that excruciating pain on my chest, it's killing me inside.

"I see, you guys are similar," Joel added.

"Similar?" I tilted my head.

"Yeah, I don't know why," he remarked. "I just feel like both of you have this unique personality".

I laughed a little, there's no way both of us are similar in anyways. Ender is more brilliant than I am, and he's more genius than me.

"No, we're not alike" I replied.

"Say whatever you want Aria, he's attracted to you" he smirked.

I looked around the room, I thought for sure that Ender was here since Joel mentioned him. The disappointment was what I felt when I noticed that there's no trace of his belonging here.

"You're disappointed that he's not around?" Joel asked me.

"No" I pouted.

"Yep, you do," Joel sighed.

Joel stood up and rummaged his heavy laptop backpack for something, I'm not sure why he seemed rushed either.

"Here," Joel handed me an army colored military knife. "It's for you, from him".

My eyes sparkled as I felt the thick grip of the military knife on my hand, the sharpness is very adrenaline-inducing. It's a real deal military knife, not a prototype or a toy. The fine line on the knife, the sensation of the curve, the sharpness of the knife intrigues me.

"You like this kind of thing?" Joel asked.

"Yeah, I like playing war games for a reason you know" I grinned childishly, perhaps this startled the glasses man since he widened his eyes.

"Oh, what series?" he asked back.

"It's Call of War series, I like their second one better though" I smiled as I thought about the battlefield in-game.

"Huh, I was never keen on action games, but it's good?" he asked curiously.

"Yes it is, I like the weapons! The burst damage for Bullupup is so fascinating! Dragounov is-" I soon realized that I've been spouting nonsense about weapons. Joel listened to me intently, as if he's very curious about what I was about to say.

"Go on, Aria," he urged.

Not sure what happened to him, but we were finally able to have a decent conversation between friends for the first time. I was always shy approaching him, lately not so much. Perhaps because I've been spending my time with him, trying to survive. Joel's expression lightened a bit as he saw the happiness of my expression.

"You look normal when you're talking about weapons" he giggled.

I tilted my head, didn't understand what he said.

"Just like a normal girl when they fangirl about something" Joel grinned. "I find a new side of you".