The Recall Trials
Chapter 84: Let Me Make It Right

Chapter 84: Let Me Make It Right

I stood, dizzy.

"I...no. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to—"

Nomi held her stare.

Zaara’s breath hitched.

Tears clung to her lashes.

She touched my arm. "We need to do something. There has to be something—an antidote, a way to slow it down—"

But I couldn’t hear her anymore.

Because inside my chest, the voice was whispering again.

You see? This is what happens when you remember.

You kill the people you care about.

And now, you’ll watch her die.

Jojo... poisoned?

By me?

No.

No.

No.

I didn’t feel my feet hit the ground...I just moved. Stumbling through the hallway, past the blurred faces of contestants, past Zaara calling after me, past Nomi’s voice echoing down the corridor.

"She’s in the main room!"

I didn’t slow down.

The doors burst open.

And there she was.

Jojo.

Lying on her bed.

She looked pale.

Her lips were cracked, her skin was clammy, her hoodie stained with patches of dried blood near the collar. A wet rag lay across her forehead, and beside her, Carter sat, gently stroking her hand like she was porcelain.

He looked up when he saw me.

"She’s stable," he said. "For now. But..."

"Don’t say it," I whispered.

I dropped to my knees beside her. My hand hovered above her arm afraid to touch her, afraid I’d break her more than I already had.

Her eyes fluttered open, just a little.

She smiled.

"Vincent..Please tell me you’re back..."

My throat burned.

"Jojo, I—I didn’t know..."

She coughed again. Blood touched the edge of her lips.

Carter quickly handed her a cloth. She pressed it to her mouth, groaning softly. "I know. I know you didn’t."

"I stabbed you. That night. I remember everything."

"You weren’t you," she whispered. "You were gone. And I... I forgive you."

That broke me.

Tears pushed into my eyes, burning like fire. I clenched my fists against the floor.

"You can’t forgive me," I rasped. "Not for this. I should’ve died out there instead of you. You were the one who tried to help me. You were the one who saved me."

"You saved me too," she said. "You risked everything. That wasn’t programming. That was you."

I shook my head.

"No, Jojo. I wasn’t me. I’m not even sure I am anymore."

She touched my arm. "Then prove it now. Be you. The real you. Don’t let them win."

Behind us, the others started gathering.

Zaara arrived. She stood beside us and crossed her arms.

Nomi leaned against the far wall.

"What’s the point?!" I snapped. "They won already. They rewired me. They used me. Now I don’t even trust myself. What if I kill everyone I care about!"

My voice echoed through the room.

Jojo stirred, her fingers curling tighter around mine.

"They didn’t win," she whispered.

I turned to her.

"You fought it, Vincent," she continued. "You broke through. You got your memories back. You’re not theirs anymore."

"But I’m still dangerous."

"Then use it," she gasped. "Use the danger. Use the rage. Use whatever’s left of you to fight them the right way."

She squeezed my hand tighter. Her smile was faint.

"You have a second chance. Even if I don’t make it... I’m glad I got to call you my best friend."

That shattered me.

"No," I said, shaking my head violently. "Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’ll get you the antidote, Jojo. I swear it. I’ll make a deal with them if I have to."

Jojo’s face twisted.

"No!" she rasped, coughing hard. Blood stained her palm.

"Jojo—"

"No deals," she whispered. "That’s what they want. That’s how they got you the first time. That’s what took you from me."

My heart stopped.

"You gave me a second chance when you risked everything. You brought me back to the game. Let this... be mine."

Tears slipped down her cheek.

"So please... don’t trade yourself again. Don’t fall for it."

She gripped my hand like she was anchoring herself to this moment.

"Protect Zaara. Protect the others. The ones who still have time."

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move.

"This place," she whispered, her eyes fluttering, "it’s about to get worse."

Then..her lips trembled.

"There’s something you don’t know. A secret I found. Something big. Something they’re hiding from all of us..."

She started coughing again, violently this time.

Carter rushed over, hand gently pushing her back onto the pillow. "Jojo, stop. You need to rest. You’re burning out."

"No...he needs to know..he has to know"

"Jojo," I said, grabbing her face gently, "breathe. I’m here. You’re safe."

Her eyes rolled slightly, and her voice dropped into a whisper only I could hear.

"There’s a room... downstairs. Red code door. The symbol... the same one from the Hunter’s mask. Go there. Find the files."

Her breathing slowed.

Then... she passed out.

And I was shaking.

Carter stood slowly, wiping a tear from his eye. "She’s unconscious again. That’s the third time today."

I sat there, numb.

The room blurred..

Is there something hidden in this arena?

Like a truth?

And if Jojo was right... it might be the key to destroying the Aetherions from the inside out.

I stood up.

My knees were trembling, but I stood anyway.

Everyone was there...Zaara, Nomi, Carter, Dinesh, Theo. Even the others...bleary-eyed, broken from the trials.

But no one was talking.

They were all staring at Jojo...her unconscious on the bed, a smear of blood at the corner of her mouth.

I swallowed hard.

Then I turned to face them.

"Hello everyone," I called out.

Silence.

All eyes turned to me.

Suspicious.

Cold.

Angry.

Some just tired of seeing my face.

"I know most of you hate me," I began.

My voice cracked.

"And you have every right to."

I took a breath.

"I’ve been a monster. Not just in the way I fought. Not just in the way I killed. But in the way I shut all of you out. The way I acted like none of you mattered."

My gaze flicked to Zaara.

"I told myself I didn’t feel anything. That emotions were dead. But they weren’t. I buried them. I let the Aetherions erase what made me human. And I let them turn me into a weapon."