Chapter 231: Rise of a Hero Part 10 (1/2)

The city had started to freeze over once more like before. Alton was bare witnessing to his very own destruction standing at the helm staring blankly on. ”It's happening again… It's eight years ago all over again.”

Hannah burst down, slipping on the snow catching her footing. ”Hey! What the hell is going on here? Where did all this snow come from?”

Alton lowered his head in disgust, whispering. ”I'm sorry. I'm sorry, forgive me…”

”What are you blabbering on about?” Adam snapped, shaking Alton. ”Don't go breaking down on us now!”

”This is my doing. The other me…”

”What does that mean, the other you? What is going on?!” Hannah barked, lost.

Alton slowly sat down in the snow, sighing, just letting the situation pass him by. ”As I said before, I'm like you too, a Child of Garden who managed to escape its clutches. A man soon to be my father found me and took me in, treating me like his own. But he soon learned of the consequences of his actions, trying to make amends killing me. During such a battle, I lost control of my powers, freezing an entire city and beyond into a never-ending ice age. That same event is happening here and now, and soon everyone in this city will die…”

”You're kidding me,” Eve whispered. ”What sort of power is that?”

Adam held his chin, lost in thought. ”Is there any way to stop this?”

Shaking his head, Alton feels deeper into his burden, whimpering. ”I can't stop it. Not like this; it doesn't matter anymore. I have nothing more to lose.”

Hannah frowned, turning to the Berry siblings. ”Any ideas? You're a custom to these sorts of happenings.”

”While I wouldn't disagree with you there, I think this is a little out of our paygrade. We're going up against one of the five stages of grief Acceptance. If what I believe to be true, he made this world to break Alton to his very limits, and it seems he succeeded.”

Eve stood up, looking towards the blizzard. ”Well, I guess that's that. We've served our purpose, right?”

”Seems so,” Hannah stated. ”We should get going.”

Adam turned to Alton, shrugging his shoulders. ”He really had high hopes for you; he expected you to pull out one last ace in the hole. Guess even Acceptance can get things wrong sometimes.”

The three walked into the blizzard vanishing from sight, leaving Alton alone once more. Losing all feelings, Alton collapsed to the ground staring onwards, whimpering. ”This is how it ends, huh? What a fitting ending for someone like me. Nothing but the monster and tool of V.I.R.A.L…”

”We both know that's not true.” A voice echoed. Alton turned, not giving any sort of a response staring blankly at the source of the voice. ”The Alton I know never gives up no matter what.”

”You again… Another one of Acceptance's tricks to hinder in the fact more… Why can't you just leave me to die in peace, Zinnia?”

Zinnia sat down next to Alton rubbing her hands together. ”If that's what you truly want, I'll leave. But we both know that isn't the truth. It's been what three years almost? In three years, you've fallen apart and drowned in false judgement and lies.”

Shivering, Alton stared blankly forward past Zinnia whispering. ”Lies or not, it doesn't matter. I've lost everything again. My home, Sam, Team Rhapsody… You. No matter how hard I try, how hard I fight, the outcome is always the same. Really what's the point of trying if there's no chance of winning?”

Zinnia stood up, dragging Alton away, trying to stand him up. ”On your feet! I said, on your feet, Alton, I'm not letting this be the end. We fight until the bitter end. If your fate is to die here, then we shall do that together!”

Dragging Alton away, he dug his heels into the ground forcing Zinnia to a halt. ”Stop it… You're not real; you left me for this very reason. I'm self-centred, selfish, and a coward who puts overs in danger to survive. I'm just a parasite with nothing to show for it. I keep believing in such pep talks, but it's futile and useless.”