Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

After being explained everything by Dunkel, Jagger let out a slight smirk before rising up from his seat. Slowly, he placed before a massive window which overlooked the endless horizon of clouds in the sky. 

[Jagger] - "So this punk whose body I'm born into was a hero figure of some sort? "

[Dunkel] - "Indeed, my lord. His girlfriend, I presume, brought his dead body to us and we were able to rebuild his brain. "

[Jagger] - "With this kind of power in his hands, how foolish is he to not subjugate the world before him? "

Said Jagger as he looked at the crystals on his arm. 

[Dunkel] - "That's exactly my thought, my lord! "

[Jagger] - "Hmm, I think the Allied Forces are a perfect starting place for my own empire, don't you agree, loyal subject? "

Both Jack and Dunkel nodded their head in approval.

[Jagger] - "You've got a picture of that woman of his? I'm intrigued to see if she's valuable meat to me. "

Said Jagger as he turned toward Dunkel. 

Dunkel immediately fumbled around her possessions before pulling a holographic screen out of her bag. As soon as Jagger reached foward, he was presented with the picture of a beautiful blonde girl with a radiant smile. Suddenly, Jagger could feel the impact of a lightning strike within his soul as he was captivated by Kadyn's beauty. 

[Jagger] - "You told me that most of my memories are a disorderly arrangement of Mike's memories put together to form a coherent story. Despite that, we are two different people me and him. However, why do I feel genuine attraction for this woman? "

It was a twisted form of attraction. Unlike Mike, Jagger felt an itch as soon as he saw Kadyn. The more he looked at Kadyn's picture, the more he wanted to relieve the itch inside his soul. It's a twisted form of attraction because Jagger sees Kadyn as an object he needs in his life.

[Jagger] - "I think I want her. When I establish my empire, I want that woman to suck me as I'm sitting on my throne. "

Said Jagger with a maliceful smile on his face. 

[Dunkel] - "Of course, my lord! Do want her brought before you? "

[Jagger] - "Nah, I'll get her myself. This boy, Mike, has left with some pieces of useful information I can use. I don't want her to resist, I want her to willingly become my slave. "

Said Jagger as he walked toward the exit. 

[Dunkel] - "What are my duties then, my lord? 

[Jagger] - "Gather up some people loyal to me and prepare for a regime change. And as for you... "

Said Jagger as he turned his head toward Jack.

Jack trembled in fear as he kept his stare lowered toward the ground.

[Jagger] - "Send that woman out of duty, I want to play with her a little without being disturbed. "

Soon after, while Kadyn was chatting with her team under the relaxing weather, a courier suddenly showed up with a letter for her. 

[Kadyn] - "Oh, maybe it's our next assignment. "

Said Kadyn while slicing a perfect opening through the envelope without looking. 

[Senju] - "But CT is still in therapy. Shouldn't they wait until she had recovered before sending us out again? "

[Kadyn] - "It's not like we aren't capable fighters ourselves. Let her rest for now. "

Said Kadyn as she brought the letter to her face.

[McCree] - "Finally some action, I was lookin' to sharpen mah skills anyway. "

The more Kadyn read through the letter, the more confused she became. Upon seeing Kadyn's puzzled expression, CK leaned behind Kadyn and took a peek at the letter.

[CK] - "Comrade, what's wrong? Why make strange face? "

[Kadyn] - "They want me to take a few days off duty, forcefully. "

Said Kadyn as she lowered the letter with a surprised expression.

[McCree] - "Oh? Looks like they finally recognize ya contribution. "

[Senju] - "Kadyn-sama, you deserved it. Please take a few days off and let yourself rest properly after everything you have done for us. "

Said Senju in excitement.

[Kadyn] - "I don't have anything to do if I were to take a vacation. Besides, what about you guys? I can't just let you do all the work while I'm gone. "

[CK] - "Don't worry, comrade, we will handle ourselves. You go enjoy days off! "

[McCree] - "Yeah, it's better for you. It'll calm ya nerves down and be good for ya. "

Everyone acted extremely supportive around Kadyn and urged to her take the days off. In the end, she gave in to the pressure and agreed to take a few days off. After packing everything she needed inside her luggage, Kadyn made a detour to pay a visit to CT in the therapy wing of the military hospital. 

[Kadyn] - "Knock, knock? "

Said Kadyn as she peeked her head into CT's room. 

[Audrey] - "Oh, Kadyn! Come in, oh my God, I'm so glad to see you! "

The two friends quickly ran into their arms and held each other in a long hug. 

[Kadyn] - "How are you feeling? Is everything better now on your end? "

[Audrey] - "Don't worry about it, I'm not thinking about the noose anymore. Besides, good news, I met my special someone while I was here. "

A female nurse slowly approached CT.

[Audrey] - "I present to you my girlfriend, Rosa. We clicked while she was my assigned nurse. "

[Rosa] - "Nice to meet you. "

Said Rosa as she extended her hand. 

[Kadyn] - "Nice to meet you, I'm glad you two are happy together. I knew you would find your other half in no time. "

Said Kadyn as she shook her hand. 

[Audrey] - "Hey, Kadyn, again, I want to say thank you for what you have done for me. Truly, your selfless acts that day made me realize how amazing of a person you are. I understand now, you and Mike are eternal soulmates because you both are heroes. "

[Kadyn] - "Aww, I don't deserve such praise. I'm just trying my best to be a decent person. I like Mike for who he is as a person, not for his heroic acts. "

Said Kadyn as she pulled a bouquet of flowers from her bag. 

After placing the flowers into a vase by Audrey's bed, Kadyn grabbed her luggage in preparation for her departure. 

[Kadyn] - "Well, my good friend, I have to go now. Take care of yourself and I would love to fight again alongside you when I come back. "

Said Kadyn with a shiny smile on her face. 

[Audrey] - "I promise I'll be back in the action by the time you come back! See you then, sister! "

Upon hearing how Audrey referred to her as a sister, Kadyn showed a discreet frown at the memories it invoked before switching back to a smile. It was both comforting to know how close another person held you in their heart but also heartbreaking to remember what happened to her real sisters. 

During the first few days of her vacation, Kadyn visited a few places around America. However, no matter how breathtaking were the views or how fun were the attractions, there was simply not an ounce of excitement within Kadyn. Despite riding all the most intense rollercoasters inside the amusement park, Kadyn felt no excitement. Despite the laughter which filled the beach, Kadyn could simply not bring herself to smile. Despite seeing the most beautiful horizon with the most stunning sunshine, Kadyn felt cold and unimpressed. 

The first few days flew away like an unmemorable breeze. While the people gathered with their loved ones at the beach railing to observe the sunset, Kadyn stood alone. 

[Kadyn] - "If you were here, you would have said: "

[Mike and Kadyn] - "We made it, this is the life we dreamed so hard to reach. "

Although Kadyn heard Mike's voice at the same time as she spoke, she refused to turn toward the direction in which the voice came from. 

[Kadyn] - "I know you are not real. Either you become real and hold my hand or you stop teasing me like this. "

Said Kadyn as she leaned against the railing.

[Mike] - "I'm real, alright. All the moments we spent together in the past are real and I have also truly existed. You don't need a diary to remember me since I'm still with you at this moment. "

[Kadyn] - "A coat, a memory, a crystal and an illusion don't count as you. Maybe we should've run away instead. Look at me, do you regret leaving me like this? I certainly regret letting you fight Sniper instead of running away with me. "

Mike looked at Kadyn with a disappointed expression as she talked.

[Mike] - "Nope, I don't regret one bloody thing I did. You know I'd rather see you free than be trapped with me for the rest of your life while living in constant fear. "

Said Mike without an ounce of restrain.

[Kadyn] - "You are an absolute asshole for saying that in this situation, you know that? "

Said Kadyn in a frustrated tone.

Mike thought for a second before doubling down on his position.

[Mike] - "You are the one not using the opportunity I offered you. I can't just say what you want to hear and feed you more food for your depression. You are doing things I wasn't able to do with you and have all the possibilities opened to you for any of your dreams. You also have people who care about you. Regrets won't bring me back or move things forward. "

Kadyn began to sob uncontrollably. She knew in her mind that Mike was telling her the truth but she simply refused to acknowledge it. She now has friends, a future ahead of her and the ability to create her own path and walk it. If she allowed Mike to rest in peace from the start, Arthur would've never been born. 

[Kadyn] - "Then why are you still here? Why can't you disappear from my life and let me do what I actually want? "

Yelled Kadyn in anger before suddenly realizing that she was yelling at a random stranger.

Embarrassed, she quickly moved away to a more remote location with fewer people. After calming herself down, Kadyn breathed heavily before resuming her previous conversation. 

[Kadyn] - "I'm sorry I yelled at you. You are right, I'm going to try my best and live a new life. "

There was only silence as Kadyn stared at the last glimpse of the fading sunlight. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike? "

Suddenly, a young boy led his mother toward Kadyn where he pointed at her.

[boy] - "Mom, that's the crazy lady I told you about. She was talking to herself and answering herself as if she was possessed by a ghost. "

Whispered the boy to his mother. 

[mother] - "Steven, don't go pointing at strangers like that. Leave the crazy lady alone. "

Said the mother as she dragged her boy away.

At that moment, Kadyn understood that Mike never talked to her in the first place. It was a moment of self-reflection. It was a conversation born from her frustration and her self-awareness. She simply imagined Mike to be the one calling her out while every single word came from herself. If Mike was real, he would've never made her cry like that. However, his words are probably the only things she would ever listen to, thus why she imagined the conversation with herself that way. 

There was a smile of acceptance on Kadyn's face as she acknowledged her reality. 

[Kadyn] - "Sigh... You know, Mike, that sunset we saw earlier... Was truly amazing. While its beauty is the credit to a memorable day, it's also the opening to the stunning night sky. "

Said Kadyn with a smile as she savoured the last drop of sunlight. 

Although no one could see him or hear him, Mike was in fact beside Kadyn as she viewed the horizon. No one will know Mike ever stood there except for Kadyn. 

Meanwhile, afar in the crowd, Jagger eyed Kadyn with a pair of predatory eyes. There was a sinister smile on his face as he knew how vulnerable she was after reading through her diary.

[Jagger] - "Echoing Verdict: The Great Flood! "

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky began to grow thick before abruptly covering the city under a massive rain shower. Kadyn, alongside other people on the beach, quickly sought refuge under whatever cover they could find. After taking cover under the entrance of a seaside hotel, Kadyn breathed a sigh of relief before shaking the water off her coat. 

As the rain kept pouring, a figure suddenly appeared under the rain before approaching Kadyn. At first, she didn't pay much attention to it but when she finally noticed the shadow within the veil of rain, her eyes grew wide. 

[Jagger] - "Nice to meet you again, my dear Lemon. "

Said Jagger as he walked out of the rain.

Kadyn couldn't believe her eyes as Mike stood right before her. However, as Jagger approached her with his arms reached, Kadyn suddenly backed off in surprise. To confirm that she wasn't hallucinating, she grabbed a piece of chocolate from her pocket and threw it at Jagger. 

[Jagger] - "Now, now, I'm real. You don't need to worry about it. "

Said Jagger as he caught the chocolate. 

While Kadyn was frozen in shock, Jagger leaned in and took her in his arms. It was Mike visually. To the touch, Kadyn could feel that Mike's skin or body didn't present any disparity. Audibly, Mike's voice sounded exactly like how she remembered it. However, there was a part of her that rejected him for a reason she couldn't explain. Upon awakening from her shock, Kadyn abruptly pushed Jagger away from her. 

[Kadyn] - "It's you... Everything tells me that it's you but... My soul refuses to believe it. If you were truly Mike, I would instinctively leap into your arms but my body, my instincts, not a single piece of my person reacted to you. "

Internally, Jagger grunted with frustration but he forced himself to keep his friendly exterior. 

[Jagger] - "I'm slightly different from before but it's still me. The machine that rebuilt me didn't exactly do a perfect job but I still remember everything. You told me to call you Lemon on the night of the 12th of September 2072 when we fucked. I also promised to make you my wife one day after the start of Sniper's war against the world when he had that argument in the hospital where we treated Karson for his injuries. "

Upon hearing those accurate descriptions of her most intimate moments with Mike, a battle ensued inside Kadyn between her mind and soul. Mentally, she believed that man to be Mike but her body refused to budge no matter how hard she wanted to leap into that man's embrace. 

[Jagger] - "Come on, I know I hurt you by dying back then. I'm sorry. Can't things just go back to normal that we are together once again? "

Kadyn remembered all the unforgettable memories she shared with Mike. After losing him for so long, he is finally back before her once again, so why isn't she excited to see him? Has she become desensitized to emotion because of all the trauma? Slowly, Kadyn raised her hands toward Jagger while feeling as if something was her arms away. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike... I have been waiting for so long. I'm so glad to see you again! "

Said Kadyn while struggling to form a smile. 

While her mind wanted to go toward him, her feet refused to budge. Just as her instincts were finally forcing her to move backward, Jagger suddenly leaned in and hugged her. Upon feeling the warmth of Mike's breath on her neck, all resistance inside Kadyn finally gave up as she allowed her body to lean against him. 

[Jagger] - "Hey, let's go inside. I have so much to say to you. "

[Kadyn] - "I'll listen. Don't ever leave me again. "

While Kadyn was shedding tears of joy, Jagger was laughing maniacally in light of his easy victory. All he has to do now is to secure his prey now that she's in his grasp. 

To be continued...