Chapter 21 - Black Lotus

One Year Ago

Former Ghoul Underground

Liam took harsh breaths going on his knees holding his chest, Ghost against Rath took a toll on him.

"Things like that shouldn't weaken you" he heard a voice, Liam rose his head, a man stood in front of him, the woman walked toward him.

"You haven't reached the full length of your powers" he adds.

"Who are you?" Liam asked puzzled.

"My name is Rory Lake and this is my twin sister Iris," Rory said.

"We are from the Black Lotus and we are here for you," Iris said. Liam's eyes traveled back and forth. 'The black lotus'. Liam thought puzzled.

***

A few Minutes Later

Outside

Liam watches Riley with sad eyes, she was sound asleep after the impact on her head, she has lost a lot today, she lost her whole family all in one day, and she was suffering the same pain like he was. He knew how it felt, there was only one thing he could do to make her forget the pain and ease it for her.

Riley slowly opened her eyes, her head resting on a wall she gasped as the memories flood in she looks around the agents was retreating in a distance.

The building burnt to ruins but the fire was still on. Liam stood in front, watching the building.

"No," Riley said in tears, she cried remembering her father's death, others were gone too, everything was gone.

"What would your father want after all this" Liam began.

Her teary eyes drifted to him, he turned to her.

"He would want you to put all this behind and live a normal life" he adds. Riley blinked.

"What do you mean Liam," Riley said slowly standing to her feet.

It took some minutes of silence.

"Am leaving Riley" Liam said.

Riley's eyes slowly widen, everything was slow around them like time stopped.

Liam walked towards her, everything went slow as he walked past her.

Riley was stiff, her chest was in pain as she turned.

"Liam!" He halts.

She didn't know what to say or do, it was all too confusing.

"I will make everything right. Everyone's death will not be in vain. I promise" those were his words as he walked away.

"Liam!" Riley said but he didn't turn he kept walking further and further away from her.

His body screamed at him to turn back but he didn't, this was the right thing to do, he was sure she wanted it too. He left.

***

"Wow, that was sad to watch," Iris said tilting her head to the side. Liam looked away.

"You should have brought her with us you know," Rory said folding his arms.

"I don't want her to be part of this anymore, she has been through enough" Liam said sternly. 'I did the right thing'. Liam thought he kept telling himself that.

An SUV pulled up in front of them, the door open.

"Get in," Rory said.

"Where are you taking me?" Liam demanded.

"We are not just taking you, Liam, we are offering you a better choice, to create a better world," Rory said.

"A world for what?" Liam asked puzzled.

"A world where humans and ghouls can live as one" Iris said.

***

Section Eleven

Black Lotus Mansion

The SUV drove through the gates, the mansion was a long distance away from the city, and it was in a forest covered with trees.

The compound was wide looking like a civilization of its` own.

Liam stared at the sight in wonder, he didn't know a place like this existed.

The SUV stopped.

"Welcome Liam, to the Black Lotus," Iris said as she leads him to the door. There was a symbol of a lotus there, Liam blinked as the doors slide open.

Inside looked like it was an agency, people walking to and fro, some showing ghoul eyes, Liam knew without a doubt that everyone here was a ghoul. There were stares at him, seeing the new face, Liam just ignored them.

Rory and iris lead Liam upstairs to a private office, the door slide open, a view of a wide office came in, at the edge wall computers were lined with different footage of New York City, this amazed Liam of how they kept surveillance of everything.

"Uncle," Rory said.

This caught Liam's attention, finally noticing a man in a wheelchair in front of the wall computer. The man chair turned to face them at just a press of a button.

"Hello Liam," Jarvis said a smile against his lips. Liam blinked.

"It's an honor to meet the black ghoul" he adds amused.

"You're not a ghoul" Liam sensed, this surprised Rory and Iris of how he knew.

"Your powers must be growing," Jarvis said.

But Liam wasn't bothered about that.

"You're human and yet you harbor ghouls, why?" Liam demands, if he was gonna join this organization, he sure as hell wanna know everything.

"Rory, Iris" Jarvis motioned to them, they nodded leaving, shutting the door behind.

Jarvis's wheelchair slide to where Liam was.

"Am sure you have a lot of questions, why we brought you in and why you're the black ghoul, am sure you have a lot in your mind as of now, you have lost so much, I understand" Jarvis said stern.

"You seem to know a lot about me," Liam said.

"Yes as a matter of fact I do, I know everything ever since my brother fell for a ghoul, I had to step up and think of a solution to make humans and ghouls coexist," Jarvis said.

"That's impossible" Liam scoffed.

"No it's not, cause your ancestor Lucas Carter and his wife Vanessa Carter was the founder of the black lotus, they fought for a way for ghouls and humans to coexist as one and that will surely happen now that we have you," Jarvis said certain.

Liam broke in a burst of dark laughter that didn't reach his heart.

"You can't be serious, am the last person you want, what's inside me is a demon I want to tame but it seems like it's eating me up inside and I don't know why, why the fuck am a ghoul and why my sister has to die because of me or why I have to abandon a friend or why I have to run away from the world. And now you tell am a hope to a world that's already at the brink of tearing itself apart" Liam hissed as his eyes changed, his body vibrated.

He froze when he saw this, Liam stared at his vibrating hand it was a fading of his and Ghost's hand in shadow.

"You have always been the black ghoul right from the start, Liam, your father sealed your ghoul genes with the serums he created, he upgraded it, and then Jenna was born for the sole purpose of wielding half of your ghoul genes so that you won't be devoured by your Claw," Jarvis said as the wall computer brought out a file.

"What?" Liam said shocked at the sudden discovery.

His ghoul's eyes drifted to the file. He trembled as he walked closer to it like he would break down anything minute. His eyes watered with tears as he realized the truth.

"We hacked the secret database of your father's research and found out. That's why I ordered for you to be brought in so that you can see for yourself" Jarvis said as his wheelchair turned to face Liam.

"I don't understand," Liam said in tears.

"I thought he was destroying the ghoul genes. Then why?" he broke.

"Why did he improve it? And made me the monster I am. And risk Jenna's life" he cried.

"You are not a monster Liam," Jarvis said.

"LOOK AT ME!" Liam shouts facing Jarvis.

His body still vibrating. Jarvis swallowed hard.

"Here" Liam pointed to a screen.

"Even after his fucking research, after everything, after Jenna's death, am still gonna be devoured by the monster inside me" Liam hissed as his ghoul eyes beamed.

The vibration of dark shadow becoming more and more constant.

"Calm down Liam" Jarvis began.

"Yes, you will still be devoured by Ghost despite everything. But you are not a child anymore when Ghost first manifested. We can prevent it now, let me help you Liam" Jarvis said with pleading eyes.

Liam looked away. He held his head in pain.

"You are our hope, Liam. The hope for your species" he adds. Liam turned at the sound of that.

"Together we can save all ghouls, together we can make the world a place where both species can coexist as one" Jarvis said.

"To stop all these killings, no one will ever have to lose a family again, no will ever have to die a painful death like Jenna" he adds.

Liam's body vibrations lessen.

"Join me, Liam, join us, join the black lotus and lead it into a new age, an age of ghouls and humans, together we will stop the agents".

The moment he said that the door slide open, Iris and Rory walked in, two others followed behind. Liam froze when he saw the two, his vibrations stopped instantly.

"Sean, Evan" Liam said in shock.

"How?".

"The black lotus saved us Liam, the remaining survivors, they brought them in," Sean said.

"Paige?" Liam said hoping to see her.

"She's gone Liam, killed by the agents," Sean said sternly.

"Sean," Liam said worriedly.

"I might be here but I don't support this coexistence you guys are talking about, the humans took Paige away from me, I won't live side by side with them, I will help you Liam but not for peace," Sean said stern as he walked away.

"He hasn't been the same" Evan said worried as he faced Liam. He swallowed hard.

"If we don't do something Liam, ghouls will be filled with nothing but the hatred that will tear them apart," Jarvis said.

"The choice is yours Liam" he adds.

"He isn't ready uncle," Iris said, their eyes landed on her.

"If you want to achieve peace then you must master Ghost before you get devoured" she added.

Liam gulps hard.

"What must I do," Liam said determinedly.

***

One Week Later

"Is this necessary?" Liam said as Sean connected wires with of white pieces cotton on the tip of Liam's forehead at both sides.

"The black lotus has amazing equipment, this particular one will help you make contact with Ghost within your mind, then the rest is up to you," Sean said.

"One wrong move and you will be consumed from the Inside out" he adds seriously.

Liam looked away.

"I have to do this" Liam said.

"Am only helping you out Liam, but am not supporting your role to achieve this fantasy peace, humans will always hunt ghouls, that's the reality" Sean said.

"It was the agent's Sean, not humans. Not all humans are bad, I was human once, I know that" Liam said.

Sean just gave him a weak smile, he just shakes his head going through some more wires.

"Why did you leave Riley, you should have brought her with you," Sean said.

Liam stiffens at his question.

"She has never had a normal life before, she has always been kept in the dark, and I wanted her to have something different for a change," Liam said.

'I did the right thing'. He thought with shaky eyes.

"I thought you never liked Riley not to talk more of knowing how she feels or what she wants," Sean said. Liam smiled.

"Some feelings change I guess," Liam said, Sean nodded.

"I hope you're right," Sean said walking out the room, the door slide close. Liam's eyes gazed upon the white room.

"Okay, Liam we are starting" Iris's voice sounded from the speakers.

"Begin".

Liam took a deep breath, as the light went on, the machine above him made his body levitate, the gravity turned him slightly, like he was lying, Liam felt his body light in the air, he felt like he was on the water, the wires on his head powered, Liam growled as the current pass through to his brain, he felt light-headed as he eyes closed and darkness found him.

At the other end of the room, Sean's hands went through the computers. A warning came up.

"Something is wrong," Sean said seeing his brain function.

"What? What's wrong" Iris said in haste.

Sean brought up the picture of Liam's brain.

"His brain is supposed to be functioning but it's like he's--".

"Brain dead" Evan finished for him.

"This means Liam won't be able to wake up again" he adds as his body trembled, they froze.

"I don't know how long," Sean said rubbing his forehead.

"Liam is gone?" Iris said as her eyes drift to the room, where Liam was levitating stiff.