V.I.R.A.L

Chapter 157: Two Steps from Hell

"We are what will come. We are what will always occur. You may fight it, run from it, delay it. But like death, we are inevitable. You feel denial. Anger swells. You wish to bargain. You fall into the abyss of depression. And finally, you accept us with open arms. We are this world's salvation, and we are here. Come find us, we will be waiting."

It was just like Zinnia imagined it. The titan was the spitting image of her dream she had been haunted by for the past two months. She stared up at the colossal tree the bark pure black and the leaves a dead purple. Just standing in its presence was enough to drive anyone over the edge. Zinnia felt this the unnerving torment just staring at it. The growing unnatural whispers of nothing and the feeling of pure temptation. It had been drawing her closer and closer. Taunting, no, begging her to step inside. Zinnia stopped feeling a hand on her shoulder. She turned, finding herself almost under the tree entirely. "Don't let it get in your head, Zinnia," Emil whispered.

Zinnia stepped back pushing the feeling of despair all the way down out of sight. "The visions I've had. It's been of this. This titan, this place. Everything has been leading to this very moment."

"Is that what he's been telling you?" Scarlett said in a foreboding tone staring up at the tree. "We shouldn't be here. None of this is natural. The tree should be destroyed."

"No! No." Zinnia blurred out, releasing what she just said even shocked her. "I mean. Shouldn't we at least find out for ourselves just what's inside?"

"You're crazy to want that." Goro scoffed. "I'll tell you what's in there. Nothing but pain."

Zinnia turned to her destination, shaking her head. "We are always two steps behind the Garden. It has taken us by surprise each and every time. How do we hope to overcome our enemy if we don't know a thing about it? The Garden would want us here if it went out of its way to bring us all here surely that must be for a reason?!"

"Yeah. I know the reason. To kill us all!" Gale laughed off. "Listen to yourself, Zinnia. The Garden used and manipulated countless people. Percy died because of it. Monty and Jinx lost their mind to this threat, and it almost took you too. No matter what it says, it only seeks our destruction."

"Then let me go. Alone, I need to know. I need to know what it wants. Why it is doing all of this, why he wants me to…" Zinnia whispered sparking with purple light. "Don't stop me."

"I will not allow you to." Everyone glanced up, seeing the CEO Morto jumping down, standing in front of the hollow opening in the titan. "Stand back. Now!"

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"You survived the crash?" Emil questioned surprised.

"That I did. No one will dare step foot inside the titan unless specially ordered by myself. Do you understand?"

Zinnia bit her lip in anger, shaking her head. "No. I need to know the truth. The truth about the Children of the Garden, about Bargaining. About me."

Zinnia stepped forward only to stop falling to her knees, losing the will to move. She began wheezing for air choking. "Submit Trost." Zinnia gave up gasping for air as Morto stared at the tree. "400 years ago, tools of the Garden like this appeared all around the globe. They lay waste to all other nations. But in their desperate last stand, the four legendary heroes stood against the five stages of grief and managed to seal them away once and for all. Your parents did that Trost. Don't undo their work."

"What do you mean?"

Morto turned around, walking through the snow still in her heels somehow. "Well, for the good news in all of this. The Garden hasn't returned."

"Excuse me?" Scarlett questioned.

"It's dead. The titan that is probably remained here from the war 400 years ago. A grim reminder of the damage caused. How we never discovered this matter is beyond me."

"That would explain the Moss. They were decaying echoes. Echoes of the Garden."

Morto holds her hand towards the titan eyes closed. "And now in its last dying breath, it calls to us. Beckoning us to come closer to learn of its secrets and accept its gift. A mere trick obviously. One to draw us into the trap of breaking the seal. We being here is no accident."

"Then we leave no? If the Garden isn't back, then we have no need to remain here. Simply destroy the titan and go home." Goro demands.

"It's not that simple." Morto insists.

"Why not?" Blossom whispers holding her head. "If we destroy it… The whispers will stop."

"Whispers? I don't hear any whispers." Emil says.

"Of course, you wouldn't," Morto adds. "The whispers are only heard by those who have been made puppets of the Garden. That goes for Blossom and Zinnia respectively."

Zinnia stared at Morto coldly. "If destroying the titan isn't the plan. What are we doing here?"

"Well, that's when things get more complicated. We do not know the whereabouts or situation of the others. It appears we have a traitor in the ranks. Alice Hawthorne is potently still out there. Until we know more information, we will continue with the task. That being discovering what the Garden is keeping from us."

"But didn't you just say we were not allowed to go in there?"

"That I did Montague. However, we didn't come completely unprepared for this moment. Corina are you ready?"

A small spider bot came crawling through the snow as Corina appeared as the virtual hologram streamer she was known as. "The finishing touches are completed Morto Mam. Ready to venture into the titan."

"So, this was what the mission was really about. It wasn't to stop the Garden from invading, it was to explore the husk and learn its secrets." Scarlett snapped. "You tricked us."

"Now, now miss Syndicate do not be so hasty. I can ensure you we were never certain about the plan. We had our hunch about the truth but still wanted to be sure. Besides, it worked out in our favour. If we had just gone alone, the Child of the Garden would have surely killed us all."

Scarlett snarled at the comment turning away as Morto nodded. Corina turned to the tree smirking. "Infiltrating the titan now."

"Remind me why we are sending the AI into the unknown?" Gale questioned.

"You don't listen to a thing I say, do you? See her as the ace in the sleeve. Not sure if something is a death trap or a mission too risky? Send in the fake."

Corina stood in front of the entrance as she waited for a short while. Once her connection was linked with V.I.R.A.L, she pressed inside. At the foot of the gateway to seemly hell something happened. "Something isn't right… I feel a pull. Something is reaching out… Wait, what's going on?!" Everyone watched in horror as Corina began glitching out losing connection. The hologram faded as a girl was ripped from the fabric of existence in pyjamas and slippers. She was held in the air, unable to move, talk or cry out in pain. Vines began trickling down from the tree holding the girl up as she became lifeless slouched over.

"What the hell just happened… Where's Corina?" Zinnia whispered.

Emil was shellshocked gulping finding the courage to speak. "That is Corina, the person behind the persona."

"Not possible… She's back in Rhinefield… We had her held up in the HQ in maximum security." Morto grunted.

One last vine ripped into the back of her neck as Corina was being used as a puppet on strings. "We've been most expecting you. Welcome."

The voice was distorted as if dozens of people were trying to talk through one person. Blossom held her head falling to one knee panting. "It's them. The Garden is talking through Corina…"

"We humbly apologise for taking the young girl's life. We are not strong enough to communicate with you… Long have we waited for your arrival Children of man. The preparations are complete our resurrection can now begin."

"What makes you think we want to bring you back in the first place?!" Gale spits.

"There is no need for hatred." The Garden taunts. "Violence, hate, revenge. We need not for these primitive emotions. Only with the Garden can you unlock your true purpose. Only through us can you find your salvation. Fate has brought you here to us, and we accept you all with open arms. We are not your enemy; we only want to live together in harmony. We seek no bloodshed, nor do we want war. We only want to be free of our shackles cast among us 2000 years ago by the Architects out of blind jealously and fear of us."

"The Architects?"

"Did you honestly think we were the only ones? Long ago, we all lived together. The Architects, The Garden and humanity. It was a Golden age. However, the Architects feared us, feared we might one day overthrow them. So, they banished us to the world we occupy today. All we wish is to return to that way of life. You will help us, no? Both of our worlds are dying. Neither of us can go on much longer. Accept us back into your lives. Accept us. The Garden is humanity's true Salvation. We will be waiting."

Corina was released as her dead body fell to the floor. Zinnia ran over, checking her only to realise the truth. Staring down at the innocent girl who looked no older than herself, she whispered cruelly. "Send me in. Let me take care of this."

"Zinnia?!" Gale gasped.

Zinnia turned to Morto determined now more than ever. "If we don't do anything, the Garden will continue to take lives. Manipulate the masses until they succeed. Allow me to raid this abomination and poison the Garden at its heart."

"Very well."

"What?" Scarlett roared. "You cannot be serious. You send her down there, and the Garden will get what it wants. This is madness."

"Send anyone else, and they will share the same fate as Corina. I need to do this myself. I won't let this Garden control me any longer."

"I'll go too," Blossom stated. "The Garden has stolen everything from me. I'm not here for the truth of my past, I don't want it. I'm just here to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."

Morto accepted, and although Goro seemed conflicted, he allowed it as well. The two pawns of the Garden stood at the entrance covered in vines and leaves. With their presences known the gateway opened up deep into the tree. The whispers grow louder now with understandable words. "The Garden grows forever…"

Zinnia turned to her allies, giving them a reinsuring smile. "I promise you guys… I won't let this monster take me. I'll put an end to this once and for all."

The two entered the tree as it closed back on itself. Scarlett fell to the floor in frustration throwing snow. "Damn it… I don't have any faith in something under the control of a stage of Grief."

"Gemini isn't under the control of them any longer." Goro snapped.

"I wasn't talking about her…"

"Zinnia?! She can't be. I don't believe it."