Chapter 45: Illusion
Jaegar felt disoriented, unsure of what had just transpired. He asked Angelina, "What happened?"
Angelina had expected his question, knowing that he had lost control and tapped into a vast well of power.
She replied calmly, "Look at the mess you made. That's how much power resides in you." Jaegar looked around at the aftermath of his unleashed power, feeling both intrigued and overwhelmed.
His attention turned to the rune on his stomach, and he realized it was still there. Angelina explained, "I had put it back there again. At that time, I didn't fully understand what I was dealing with, but now I do." Jaegar, unsure of what to do, remained silent and glanced down at the rune. "I will not remove it," he declared firmly.
However, Angelina was resolute. She waited for Jaegar to awaken, knowing that removing the seal and learning to control his powers were crucial for his safety and the safety of others. "We will try it again," she said, "but this time, I will help you. You have to learn to control your little deviant self."
Jaegar couldn't comprehend her words entirely. Deviant? Me? he wondered. Yet, his curiosity about his powers grew, and he found himself willing to listen to Angelina once more. She instructed him to sit up and close his eyes, assuring him that he should not resist but embrace his power.
As Jaegar followed her guidance, the seal on his abdomen broke once again. This time, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar place—his previous home. Shocked and bewildered, he stood in awe, realizing that he was witnessing the house he used to live in.
In the bewildering and surreal experience, Jaegar found himself standing at the door. It was a place of memories that held only pain for him. As he stepped into the familiar surroundings, his mother warmly greeted him with a smile that he hadn't seen in years.
"Mom! In this house, didn't I die?" he thought.
Confusion gripped his mind; he questioned the reality before him, unsure if it was all a dream or if the world he went into was a dream.
She led him to the table, serving him.
He sat there, staring at his mother. He had actually forgotten that she could smile too. It has been a long time since she has talked, and even longer since she smiled at him. He just sat there, forgetting everything as he listened to her. She talked about her day and her work and asked him about his day.
Engulfed by the perplexing moment, his father and sister also appeared, speaking to him with love and care. It felt surreal to have their attention and affection, as they seemed distant and disconnected in his past life. He just sat there listening to them, forgetting for a second that this was all an illusion.
'Yes, this has to be an illusion. My parents were never happy with me, they wouldn't smile like that. They said that they regretted giving birth to me. I can never forget those words,not in a million years. Yes, this is definitely a dream I must be having right now."
His mother asked, "Are you all right?"
He stared at her in disbelief. Tears flowed out of his eyes. He wasn't even aware of it. He wiped them, but they didn't stop coming out.
"Why can't I stop crying?"
"Are you all right, son?" she asked him again.
He stared at her and understood why he was crying. "yes,"
"But you should have asked me when I needed it the most."
Then his father said, "We are always here for you, son."
Hearing his father's voice made him angry. All those scoldings and beatings surfaced in his mind. He yelled at his father. Then his father's figure changed back to how it used to be.
He started scolding him, and his mother joined him.
Jaegar stopped crying and leaned back. He said, "Yes, that's how you should be. You people should never change because of me."
This dissonance further convinced Jaegar that this must be an elaborate dream.
Was it an illusion?
His inner turmoil grew, and he stood up, declaring his doubts aloud, "It has to be a dream!" But the genuine concern in his family's eyes made his heart ache. In an attempt to escape the confusion, he fled the house and found himself on the streets. There, his former girlfriend appeared, as if out of thin air, and treated him as if they were still together.
Jaegar's unease deepened as she brushed off their breakup as if it never had happened. He couldn't comprehend the chaos unfolding around him and the conflicting memories of his past and present. The experience became overwhelming, and he yelled, trying to dispel the illusions that plagued him.
Finally, he found himself in a dark void, surrounded by the images of friends and family members. The pain in his head intensified, and he couldn't bear the conflicting emotions. In a burst of frustration, he screamed again, commanding the illusions to leave.
He'd never seen something like it before. It was so vivid and long that it could not be compared to a dream or illusion.
He clearly remembered that he was Angelina and they were doing something.
The conversation he'd had with Angelina…
She said not to fight it but to embrace it.
In the midst of this turmoil, Jaegar's mind struggled to regain clarity. He understood that these illusions were not real. Someone or something was playing with his mind.
He yelled, standing in the void, "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?"
"COME OUT."