The Underground City

19:11

[CHE5TER]-...So wait, wait... You are willing to tell me that he used to be an Error just like I am??

[X4NDER]-No. He was an Original M born. His brother was an Error C born.

[CHE5TER]-Wait, but if he had a brother C born, why did he start the war in the first place??

[X4NDER]-I told you, he has suffered of insanity after his brother's death.

[CHE5TER]-But why did--

[X4NDER]- --CHE5TER, you should know better than I do what happens to someone from a code of more people that losses one of them. Since they were only two at code, the whole aftermaths were put on his shoulders. Many people have warned me about this... curse... during my lifetime. You can't even call it blessing on the way it affects those people... So as an Error yourself, what have you been told about your own existence?

In the Underground City, they have continued discussing about the subject brought by the boy, which of course got CHE5TER even more perplexed. All of this while also trying to avoid crowds and staying hidden, with the ruler wearing His crevaator clothes. But during the question of X4NDER, He begins to piece up the puzzle about the events of the past.

[CHE5TER]-...I've been told that it is a blessing this error of the code. That this is how a single soul has been separated into three bodies and created from these pieces three souls connected to each other. So that no matter what happens, there will always be someone there for you and you will be inseparable.

[X4NDER]-And what would happen if one of you three dies?

[CHE5TER]-I guess... that the other two will be living in sorrow for a time. I remember my brother telling me that when I have gotten my wounds, he was in constant distress and unable to sleep at nights until he knew that I will live. And even now he is always concerned about me and it feels a bit overprotective. But that would happen to anybody, wouldn't it?

[X4NDER]-Not really. Master once told me that once one of the parts of the error code dies, the others are cursed to live in total despair. Depending on how one of them dies and the mental stability of the others, the despair manifests differently and causes the left ones to live strong emotions. Some choose to end their lives, others develop some kind of insanity that they cannot get rid of. In best case scenario, they will just live in sorrow for the rest of their life. No matter if the error of the code was seen as brotherhood or friendship or relationship, the effects are the same.

[CHE5TER]-So those concerns that RY4N felt were just manifestations made by the "curse"...?

[X4NDER]-Yes, and I believe this is what Master 4RTHUR also lived. After his brother's death, his curse manifested into insanity which later led to him doing everything he has done. Truth to be told now, I don't remember ever seeing him at face after my master's death...

[CHE5TER]-And how did his brother die?

[X4NDER]-Well... 4RTHUR killed his own brother.

The confusion grew even more in the ruler's eyes. On one side, the boy describes General 4RTHUR as a simple being like everyone else which CHE5TER has never seen him as. 4RTHUR was always described as a merciless General who started a war with no reason given and now he seems as he was just affected by the curse and the war is at a possibility of being created by a mistake. But on the other hand, he killed his own brother?

[CHE5TER]-But... why would he do that? Didn't he know about the curse?

[X4NDER]-*sigh* I don't know why he did it. I just know that one day there was a big fight between him and Master LUCAS which later led to 4RTHUR killing him. A few hours later, he also killed my master. I even found his dead body myself.

[CHE5TER]-Master LUCAS?

[X4NDER]-Oh, yeah, sorry. His brother's name was XANTH3 LUCAS. I don't know if you are aware of him or abou--

[CHE5TER]- --You are kidding, right? It isn't possible for XANTH3 LUCAS the First to be related to that criminal.

[X4NDER]-..."The First"? ...Wait, so you are aware of Master LUCAS. The one that created the XANTH3 Clan, yes?

[CHE5TER]-Y-Yes, I am. Let's put it like that... Wait until LUK3 finds out about this...

[X4NDER]-Who is "LUK3"...?

[CHE5TER]-...Never mind. So you said you don't know why he killed his brother. But have you ever find out why he killed his friend too?

[X4NDER]-I don't... think so... Master seemed as he knew something like this would happen and even so, he was always calm. Even when I found him dead, his face had a smile with no breath. I don't even know why 4RTHUR was at my master's place after he killed his brother to begin with. I just thought that it was because he was a C born too.

[CHE5TER]-Then do you perhaps know why 4RTHUR and his brother argued?

[X4NDER]-No, it was something that everyone wanted to know about. I only know that before the war broke in, the XANTH3 Clan has complained a lot about 4RTHUR's behaviour and the wife of his brother has fallen into sorrow too. I remember I even saw her cry myself when she found out that Master LUCAS died. Now I wonder how she managed to deal with the loss in the end...

While they were talking, both of them seemed to head towards the next destination from which CHE5TER wishes to search more information about the ancestors of the Great Leader title. That is the Southeast Base, of course. And somehow the ruler is so confident on this idea, even though if someone from the base were to see the boy, they will totally go aggressive or just more defensive to protect the Great Leader. They aren't that far from one of the entrances either.

[CHE5TER]-...All this new information and we still don't know the answer on what I am trying to find. Still, I can say that half of the truth I wished to discover has been revealed so far. Guess I only needed to find the God of War to begin with, not documents of the past... Now we just need to know the other half of the truth and know why the war started to begin with. Maybe this way we can put an end to it.

[X4NDER]-Do you think that maybe the XANTH3 Clan had something to do with your ancestors since you are aware of them? Many said that the war started after Master LUCAS has died.

[CHE5TER]-Unlikely. The XANTH3 Clan has been open about their whole situation after the war and only kept hidden the identity of those who took the name after. But even the Council knows their names and what they have done for the city. My ancestors, on the other hand, were completely anonymous before my father's reign. It has something to do with the one who assassinated the General to begin with.

[X4NDER]-Do you have a plan on how to find the answer out?

[CHE5TER]-Not really... But I guess we can give it a chance of looking at all the Great Leaders' name and hope that you recognise one.

The Southeast Military Base

19:27

The confidence of the ruler is pretty explanatory though. The halls of the base are empty and it looks like everyone has gone for a new mission while CHE5TER and the boy begin their search. Otherwise, the Great Leader wouldn't have brought Him to begin with. Now going in His office, CHE5TER begins searching for what seems to be a paper written by hand, most likely by Him as well, with a time lapse and some names being associated on it. He puts it on the desk while X4NDER looks at it, both of them staying up. Though the paper doesn't really seem... well made.

[CHE5TER]-I just hope this paper is as good as I remember it. I really don't want to look for the documents again...

[X4NDER]-What is it anyway?

[CHE5TER]-It's a... time paper. Let's call it like that. I have searched for so many years all the official documents signed by the Great Leaders in the past, had to talk with a lot of other people that work for the military to assist me with some of their papers made with the presence of the previous Great Leaders' names and even had to make some deals for the older ones that were present in the XANTH3 Clan's property to make myself an idea of the time lapse of each ruler and from which era they were.

[X4NDER]-I don't really see it... It only looks like doodles on a paper. For someone that calls himself a "great leader", you aren't as organised as you should be.

[CHE5TER]-It was never meant for someone to read it! I just need to understand it myself! Why should I make it... *sigh* Never mind. Okay, um... You see these lines, for example?

He points at the end of the paper in which seems to be the last rulers.

[X4NDER]-I suppose...

[CHE5TER]-Those are the most recent Great Leaders. From right, you have the last ones and from left you have the first ones. Let's take... year 1633. You see my name there, right?

The boy squints His eyes and tilts His head, trying to understand the mess on the paper. But by looking at it logically, it is pretty organised even if the lines are very confusing.

[X4NDER]-...Oh, yeah! Now I see it!

[CHE5TER]-Good. So you have CHE5TER LENKOV from year 1633 till present days, okay? Then there is on the left M4TTH3W LENKOV, year 1592 - 1633, which is my father and also the first ruler to reveal Himself. Then LAZ4RU5, 1558 - 1592, and NATH4NI3L, 1534 - 1558. Those two are the first rulers to reveal their names.

[X4NDER]-Okay, yeah, the paper now makes more sense.

[CHE5TER]-Good, we are getting somewhere then.

Once the boy managed to understand how the paper works, CHE5TER wasn't obligated to explain everything again. He just continued saying the names of each ruler written on the paper while also pointing them with His hand.

[CHE5TER]-...S. and G. LENKOV, 1479 - 1511 and 1511 - 1534, rulers during the Golden Age of the city. N. LENKOV, 1458 - 1479, first ruler to reveal the existence of the title "Great Leader" in the city. Then there are... the three first LENKOV that nobody knows who they are...

Then He points at a line which is circled and put a huge question mark on which has no names written on it apart from the words "THREE UNKNOWN RULERS. ESTIMATED TIME OF REIGN: 1406 - 1458".

[CHE5TER]-...I have searched everywhere, but I couldn't find anything about the first three LENKOV. Not even an initial of their name...

[X4NDER]-So many years have passed and I've been gone all this time without even being aware... How is it even possible for me to see so many names from different ages...?

[CHE5TER]-Do you recognise something from those names though? Maybe the name "LENKOV" isn't at any help, but something has to ring a bell to you. You say you are the God of War. Those are the people that have served you after all.

[X4NDER]-No... None of those names belong to people that I know. And initials of the names alone don't help either.

[CHE5TER]-I know, but those rulers didn't reveal their full name in any of the documents written by them. They were just signing with their initials. I think only the XANTH3 Clan had some theories on their real names but I don't remember where I put the notes that I had with me at that time... I just noted what it was confirmed on this paper and left what I had to dive deeper into in some other notebooks.

[X4NDER]-Could I take a look around those notebooks too?

[CHE5TER]-I don't know of how much help they would be anyway since even this paper seemed useless to you... Not to mention that I don't know where they are either. I don't remember if I left them in the apartment or somewhere here... If anything, we might need to go back into the city again.

[X4NDER]-But we can take a look and hope that we are lucky, right?

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* Okay then... Take the drawers from the right part of the room and see if you can find any books. It shouldn't be hard, most of the documents are just papers. I will take the other part.

As the ruler points at the half of the room which the boy needs to search in, it doesn't take long before they both start looking for the desired notebooks written by CHE5TER all over the place. Many drawers have been opened and closed, and some books even thrown or put on the desk for the ruler to look into. But once X4NDER manages to search a lot from the drawers present and gets to the ones closer to the exit, He notices a broken photo, standing on the platform above the drawers, almost feeling as if it was forgotten there.

Out of pure curiosity, He begins looking at it and observing the people present in the photo. For us, it isn't out of ordinary, as we have seen this photo before. It represents the LENKOV family, two kids and a father, all standing together next to each other. The two kids are obviously CHE5TER and RY4N, while the father is the previous ruler of the city, M4TTH3W. Even when X4NDER notices little CHE5TER, He cannot help but chuckle for a bit. But when His attention drew towards the father, His expression was rather a surprised one.

[X4NDER]-...Hey, CHE5TER, why didn't you tell me that you've met Brother ANTH0NY before?

[CHE5TER]-Hm?

Because of the weird question, CHE5TER left the drawers He was searching in and went towards the boy to see what He actually meant, noticing the photo He has left there for quite some days without being touched.

[CHE5TER]-Oh, that's not "ANTH0NY" or whoever you just called. His name is M4TTH3W LENKOV, who is the previous descendant and also my father. Why are you asking? Does He look similar to your friend?

[X4NDER]-He doesn't look similar, he IS my friend, ANTH0NY. I couldn't just confuse a person that I know so much about and who I have stood with from my childhood with a random guy from the future. Though I admit it... he looks older than I remember him...

[CHE5TER]-And I still think you are confused.

[X4NDER]-No, really! His face matches ANTH0NY's and his eyes are just the same colour as his! But I don't understand what's up with the white hair colour or why would he ever dye it like that.

[CHE5TER]-I don't think it is possible for Him to be your friend. M4TTH3W was said to be very young when He died and He was also one of the recent descendants of the title.

[X4NDER]-But did you ever know when he was born?

[CHE5TER]-I was never curious so I never asked the year in which He came in this life. But I know for a fact that He was in His 60s or 70s and His day of birth was--

[X4NDER]- --Day 17 of the second month?

CHE5TER stood in shock, looking at the boy that just predicted the day of birth of the previous ruler. X4NDER though pretty much understood what is happening, even though the man next to Him wasn't on the same page.

[X4NDER]-ANTH0NY was an R being born in the year 1379 on the 17th of the second month, a year before I was created by the machine as well. Though the last time I ever saw him was when he was 22 years old, from what I remember. He was a friend that I grew up with and he was also my right arm during the war. Telling me that I cannot even recognise my own friend is like spitting into my face.

[CHE5TER]-B-But how is it e-even possible... History tells of nine people at this title before me... The official documents tell of a whole bloodline! H-How is it possible for Him to be from a very distant past!?

[X4NDER]-Well, Brother ANTH0NY didn't have any parents or grandparents or even a bloodline. I guess that this "LENKOV" name he thought of was nothing more than trying to hide who he was. But for two centuries to not even use your real name once... Did he ever forget himself...?

[CHE5TER]-B-But that would mean that He didn't die of any curse nor any illness as how we thought! He died of old age! A-And all those lies about the name behind the title and the strange map that led to your corpse a-and... H-How is it...

Taking small steps back while His voice begins to fade and even stutter, the ruler looks at the photo of the three members of a family, closely observing the previous Great Leader while still having no control over His body nor His emotions, even with His C colour lighting up because of it.

...Three people in a photo: two children and a liar.

Liar.

Former sinner and a liar.

Liar.

This is what the person that you've trusted was.

...A liar.

But with no more words given, He gets out of the room in a hurry while putting His device to make Him appear as the man He created to wander around the City of Perfection and runs as fast as He can towards the above, almost even angry. Yet the boy has no time to react, since He did not know what was happening nor He did know what to do. He only looked at CHE5TER leaving in a hurry and tried to get an answer...

[X4NDER]-CHE5TER? ...Hey! CHE5TER! Where are you going??

...but with no response. CHE5TER has already left as if He completely forgot about the boy and went towards His own destination, with or without X4NDER. The boy though didn't start to follow Him the very next second. Instead, He stared a bit more at the photo and looked at His old friend, old and forgotten.

[X4NDER]-...So this is what happened to you, Tony? You know, it might be strange but... I feel relieved that you managed to end up this way. And somehow glad that you also managed to make yourself a family... I don't know what you've been through all those years after I have disappeared, but I hope that whatever happened to me did not put you into an endless misery and that you've met your death with your soul put at rest. May you now enjoy your eternal sleep in peace, up there in Heaven, old friend. And may we all reunite once I am done with my duty in the living world...

And once the final words of goodbye to His friend were given, X4NDER starts catching up with the ruler, beginning to search for the way He took, while the photo remains forgotten once more, sitting alone in the empty office.