Chapter 200: Love and Fear (2/2)

Aldrich felt nauseous, and he put a hand to the side of his head This was not physical nausea It was purelyhis parents' death, when even a sh his body "We told you that when someone is down-," said his father "You always pick them up," nished his mother "We loved you because you were like us" "We loved you because you were kind" "We loved you becauseso o? "What did you do?" "What have you become?" "We can't love you now" "Monster"

Aldrich fell down to a knee as he started to breath heavy The Chrysalis looked at Aldrich orry, then tentatively at the red and blue screen She shi+vered, scared at the darkness that ickered around the edges of the screen

She gently slapped her cheeks to gain courage and stood in front of Aldrich, opposing the screen "Don't say s to him," said the Chrysalis

Aldrich did not hear her He was absorbed in thought In fear Like with Valera, he never feared ghting and putting his life on the line He was never scared of a bullet or eye beath

What he was afraid of, always, deep down, at the very depths of his being, was love

Fear that he could not love another

And fear that he did not deserve to be loved by the only people he had loved: his parents

He knew they would never have approved of what he had become But he had buried that fear because he kneould never see theain And yet, here they were

The fact that this caoodthat blade in his heart with a cruel hand "He-he ghts hard He gives up so s to him like that when he tries so hard," said the Chrysalis, visibly nervous but still standing as tall as she could for Aldrich

Those words reached Aldrich It iven up so iven up a happy life Love and laughter Even his humanity He had become a monster

But - "I know," said Aldrich He stood up, the nausea leaving him He faced the screen of red and blue with deterreen eyes "I know that I'm not what you wanted me to be I know that if you tere actually alive, if you saw me as I was, learned what I did, who I killed, who I tortured, you would be horried

I don't kno real this is, but I've also known deep within myself that you two, if you saw me as I was noould not be able to love me At least, not in the way you used to when I was a child

Whenwhen you were still with me" "How can we love you now? You've become a monster" "I know I've always known" Aldrich nodded "But I am my own monster I ht they were necessary

Were they the right choices?

You wouldn't think so Plenty of others wouldn't"

Aldrich's esh peeled o in chunks fro his inhuman skeleton "But who or what I am now is ht? Is it wrong? I soe the fact that it's the path that I chose, and because I chose it, I will see it through to the end"

Aldrich stared at the screen, his eyes glowing bright Hisin an aura around him In his mind, he remembered all the happiness he felt from his parents, all those sweet and warm memories

They owed into hiet hiuilt The blade in his heart twisted even further, but none of that stopped his next words "And the voices of happydead won't stop es instantly shutting o into darkness Then, the darkness of the screen expanded outwards, engulng the roo as the darkness sed them both up