Chapter 28: Premonition of Blood

After Clyde and Casca finished explaining everything, including the system that used whistling and the melody from their memories to Corie, a look of disbelief was clear on Corie’s face, she understood, but was still doubtful because she was obviously still influenced by her normal life inside the simulation, which lacked any of the things Clyde and Casca had just explained; she looked at her hands, her eyes narrowing, and then she stared at the holographic screen displaying her status.

"This... is hard to believe... so this system... is what allowed you to assume that terrifying form back then, Big Brother, and in the dream... I saw Brother Craig do it too," Corie said, looking at the holographic screen before her.

"Right. At first, I didn’t believe it either, but when the city was attacked and Big Brother transformed... I finally gave it a try... even though I was terrified at first," Casca added.

Corie went quiet for a moment, her face returning to a calm composure and no longer looking confused, which relieved Clyde and Casca as they watched her; but right after that, "whistle... whistle," Clyde and Casca gasped and turned in shock to see Corie whistling,

[Song Confirmed.]

[Combat Mode Activated.]

[Transformation process commencing.]

"Huh... aaaah... i... it’s hot... w... why is this happening!" Corie screamed, wrapping both arms around her own body.

"Thud,"

Corie tumbled off her chair onto the floor along with it, and Clyde and Casca stood up, rushing over to her,

"Gosh... why did you go ahead and activate it!" exclaimed Casca, who squatted beside Corie.

"I... I was... curious... aaaah... so hot... it’s so hot!" screamed Corie, squirming on the floor.

"Hang in there... and stay calm, don’t panic!" yelled Clyde, who squatted next to Casca, holding Corie down.

Suddenly, a bright light erupted, accompanied by an aura of blackish-red energy; "thump," Clyde and Casca were blasted backward. "Yaaaaaaah!" Corie screamed in pain as the light intensified, filling the entire room. Corie’s entire body shifted to a gray skin tone, and lizard-like scales sprouted all over her body, concentrating around her waist, thighs, and shoulders; her eyes enlarged into frog-like eyes pointing sideways, and then a slime-like fluid emerged, enveloping Corie’s body without obscuring the gray lizard scales all over her.

Her hair shrank and rounded into a helmet, while her face transformed into a mask that revealed only her large, eclipse-like frog eyes. The light vanished, though white steam continued to billow out; Clyde and Casca watched as Corie knelt on one knee with her head bowed, white steam venting from her joints as a sign that the transformation was complete. Clyde and Casca readied themselves, terrified that Corie might lose control. But suddenly, Corie stood up and turned to look at the two of them,

"Wow... this is... so cool!" Corie said cheerfully inside their heads.

"Huh?"

Clyde and Casca looked at each other in surprise, then watched as the transformed Corie examined her body, both of her hands, and down to her feet.

"Uh... Corie? Are you okay?" Clyde asked, taking a step forward and extending his hand.

"Of course I’m okay... Come on, transform, Big Brother! I want to try fighting you!" Corie replied playfully in their heads.

"Gah... are you serious?"

"Slap," Casca stepped forward and gave Corie’s helmet a hard smack from behind, making Corie clutch her head with both hands,

"Ouch... what was that for?" Corie asked.

"Change back quickly! It’s going to be bad if Mary sees you like this," Casca said in annoyance.

"How do I do that?" Corie asked, confused.

"You hear that melody playing in your head, right? Follow it by whistling... twice, just like when you transformed," Clyde answered.

"Oh... okay," Corie said.

Silence fell over the room; Corie remained unchanged, though she was visibly trying to do something as her posture grew restless. Clyde and Casca looked toward the door to Mary’s bedroom, hoping she wouldn’t walk out all of a sudden, before turning their eyes back to Corie.

"Um... Big Brother Clyde... Casca... I don’t have a mouth, I can’t whistle," Corie said.

"Geez... whistle in your head! Come on, hurry up before Mary comes out!" Casca retorted.

Casca immediately taught Corie how to do it; Corie kept trying, though she hadn’t succeeded yet, when suddenly, "thud," "blugh," a noise echoed behind the two of them.

"Too late," Clyde said.

Corie and Casca turned to look at Clyde, only to find him propping up Mary, who had apparently walked out, caught sight of Corie, and passed out, collapsing to the floor, what was more, Mary was still wrapped in a towel and hadn’t gotten dressed yet. Casca glared at Corie furiously,

"Grr... this is all your fault!" Casca said, poking her finger against Corie’s helmet until it pushed the helmet back.

"I’m sorry... let me try to concentrate again," Corie replied.

Corie went silent, and this time she remained completely still; it was obvious she was focusing intently on the melody repeating in her head, and slowly, she began reverting toward her original form until she finally fully returned to normal. Casca breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her twin sister back to her usual self. She then took Corie by the hand and led her over to the sofa where Clyde had laid Mary down. Seeing the twin girls approach, Clyde stood up.

"Please help dress Mary, I’ll step outside for a bit," Clyde said, his face flushing slightly red.

"Okay, okay. Come help me, Corie," Casca urged.

"Yeah... sorry, Big Brother," Corie replied.

The two ran into Mary’s bedroom to grab some clothes, while Clyde walked over to the apartment door, opened it, stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and leaned against it. His face was still quite red, as he had clearly seen something he shouldn’t have just now.

"Uh... that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a woman’s body... Back in the simulation... I saw Monica every day, and sometimes she’d even sleep in my bed whenever she felt like it... Monica," Clyde thought in his head.

His mind drifted back to his time inside the simulation; he was always with Monica, who came over to his house almost every day because both of his parents frequently traveled out of town or abroad for business. They spent their time watching movies, playing games, and studying together. Sometimes Tyler and Kate would join them to hang out and play at Clyde’s house, which was often empty, leaving him all alone. Recalling all of that, a faint smile formed on Clyde’s lips as a single tear escaped his eye.

Then he remembered the moment he had first woken up and seen Monica, his parents, Tyler, and Kate inside those capsules, which brought back his resolve to rescue them from the farm; however, a sudden realization hit him: if he were to free Monica, his parents, Tyler, and Kate, there was no guarantee that they would recognize him once they woke up, because everything they had experienced inside the simulation was just like his own. In fact, they might not even recognize one another. Clyde lowered his head for a moment, his hands tightening into fists,

"Someday... I will set you all free... I don’t care whether you recognize me or not, but you will live, and you will no longer be trapped in that pathetic state you’re in right now... Wait for me, Monica, Dad, Mom, Tyler, Kate... I promise I will rescue you," Clyde thought in his head.

Suddenly, his nostalgia was shattered as his premonition ability flared up without warning; he saw that in about two hours, soldiers would arrive at the apartment complex, surround the building, and capture him, Casca, and Corie using the melody. He saw them being brought to the military base before Daniel, Amara, and Irena; Julia and Ryker were also shown to be arrested, and what made Clyde’s chest tighten in agony was watching Mary get shot and killed for trying to defend them. After that, the vision receded, pulling him back to reality,

"This is bad... we have to leave... right now," Clyde said in his head.

Without a second thought, he rushed back inside to find that Casca and Corie had already finished dressing Mary. Clyde approached Mary and lifted her up, then turned to look at Casca and Corie,

"Grab your bags and Mary’s. There’s still time, we have to leave right now," Clyde said.

Casca and Corie understood what Clyde meant; they nodded, ran into the bedroom, and came back out with two backpacks slung over their shoulders. With that, Clyde carrying Mary, the group, along with Casca and Corie, left Mary’s apartment behind.