Arthur was oblivious to the world for sometime as his focus kept him on a path of not noticing his surroundings, until today.
He stepped out onto the pavement and he felt it. A soothing warm embrace of the sun. The feeling of looking up and seeing a partly cloudy sky and a sun that feels just right. It was like his shed the darkness off and finally stepped out into the light. A simple 'Wow' while looking up and seeing the sun and in the horizon the tower, he understood something. The feeling of being hyper focused on a something that you miss the simplicity of life.
The cars, people walking past, strangers having a conversation and the expressions these people have. The world hasn't ended. 'I still have time to do something'.
He continues on with his walk feeling the atmosphere around him and embracing it. Happiness and joy of children and parents. Romance between couples and the warmth of family. The world looked bleak to him, he never fully grasped his surroundings but a simply change has converged his meaning in life. That stop to take in his environment proved to show him something special.
A headline on a newspaper saying 'Steps of Bravery' with a picture of Arthur carrying Sophie out of the rift and paramedics and other security personnel around. With the subheading stating 'A human who put humanity first' in bold letter next to it. Arthur wasn't identified as EVOLVED wouldn't release his name or any information.
While staring intently at the newspaper, he overhears a conversation that talks about him inadvertently at the café next door with people sitting outside.
"Did you see that guy carrying out that girl?" "Oh are you talking about bush hill park incident?" "Yeah him". They go back and forth. "I'm glad he is an EVO" "Humanity is gone and now only value matters." "Our worth is calculated by how much they can get from us". He lets out a big sigh from being serious from a moment and says "I'm glad..." "There is still some EVO out there that care about us".
Arthur hears all of this and the kindness breaks down another part of him, allowing him to question his reality. Laughter erupts and he looks over at them. "Let's celebrate tonight" he says as his friend agrees and cheers and joy branch out towards Arthur. Before he knows it, a soft smile appears on his face.
Several hours later as the day is drawing near...
Freya dissolves into her chair as the responsibility and the amount of work while being president is hurting her head and life. "Will I ever get to do anything again?". "I miss you" as she looks out over the horizon remembering her favourite river.
She stands up screaming, "WILL PAPER EVER RUN OUT?" in frustration. "No they won't" responds her secretary as she just walked in. An unamused look she gives her asking "What?". "Nothing just have good night" she says as she walks out with paperwork for her.
"Maybe i'll give it to her tomorrow" she mumbles to herself leaving the room. Freya falls down onto her chair looking out of the window. A bright orange ball encapsulates the sky, but it's beauty is one to relish in.
BZZZ BZZZ
Her phone buzzes, but it's on the desk and nobody is ringing. She remembers the other phone that has been silent for awhile. A missed call and a message saying "Rooftop". She looks around confused and then questions "Which rooftop?" and feels something from above her looking up.
She goes to the rooftop of the EVOLVED building and opens the door. There he is looking across the horizon. "Beauty made in your image goddess" he says. He monologues for a couple of minutes.
"My eyes of been opened recently to how beautiful life can be" "My world was bleak" "Continuous thoughts on how to take revenge while killing people and there was nothing more then that" "I didn't think about what comes after" "Before I came here, I saw how astounding the sky could look and it left me mesmerized" "Exactly how I saw you, beauty the mind couldn't comprehend existed."
He looks back at her with a tearful smile and her emotions exude. It's the first time she's seen his face, the person who course corrected her life and ascended her. He looks away and says "Do you remember this person?"
The sun has fully set and in the darkness below her feet, a dark shadowy hand appears holding a phone with a picture on it. She looks at the picture and remembers the person from the bush hill gate incident and looks back up at him.
"I spoke to him recently and found out something very interesting" "This isn't the first time he has sacrificed EVO's in rifts".
Arthur places his arm mid air and below it appears the very man they were both talking about. He appears tortured and devastated. He has his hand on his head while he is kneeling covered in wounds with his hands tied behind his back and a black patch on his mouth and eyes.
Freya is taken aback for a moment and he continues by saying "This man belongs to an organization that harass, plunder and sacrifices people" "They call themselves the grey hand and have this engraved onto themselves". He shows her a tattoo that they have to signify that they are apart of that organization.
Arthur grabs him by the neck and hangs him over the edge of the building. "Remember this" "I'll hunt every last one of you until there is all but one remaining". The man starts to visibly shake and fear for his life. "What did you do to her?". The black patch disappears off his face and he beings to stutter and panic before saying "I gave them all a Mana drainer" "I didn't me..."
Arthur doesn't let him finish his sentence and tosses him towards Freya. "Take him" he says while she looks at him shocked. She thought he was going to kill him, but decided against it. "He changed" she thinks to herself. She shackles Myst and looks at him while he looks away, she smiles and says "I'll help you with whatever you need".
"I've been a victim of this awful game for so long that i thought i had to become the predator to win". "When you have to become a monster to hunt predators, you've already lost your humanity".
Bang! Boom!
She watched the explosion as it looked like a red firework and soon after it turned into black rose. After watching it, she looks back down to Arthur and sees him on the edge looking at her. He falls backwards like he has accepted his death and falls with no worth or purpose. Freedom is the feeling he gives off and she looks at his face and sees it too screaming
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
She rushes towards him to look over the edge, but nothing.
"I'm sorry Freya, i had to do it" he says wipes a tear drop of his eye.