New Game+

"Kill billions? Did he personally say that he would?" Eagle asked patiently.

"No. But what he plans, is to create such great chaos that there will be war. Regional wars and possibly a Continental War! The plan was so audacious that it could become another World War!" Chris finally revealed.

"Your son must have revealed the reasons as to why he plans this?"

"He did." It was Grace who spoke this time.

"But there could have been more peaceful solutions! We could have allied with more nations and won their trust ensuring that the Aragarian's won't be able to deceive them! We have you and Lowengren after all. Harker's Programmed Slaves can control the media and win the general population Wouldn't it be possible to do that?" Grace asked.

"Please tell our son to stop! This madness is just too much! He might listen to you!"

"I am no war expert. Nor am I versed in politics. Have you brought these questions up to any of the other Overcomers?"

"I know a blood-thirsty look when I see one," Chris stated calmly.

"Those insane people would want war. Meng's just itching for a war. Richie's plenty insane as he is, and that Lennox! He's too busy looking for his daughter!"

"The Empress is even worse than all those combined." Grace sighed helplessly.

Eagle, however, had a strange expression.

"You really have underestimated your son. His burden of the future is great. I see you now… I finally understand why he sent you two here."

"Sent us here? We are here to give you the report on our current progress!" Grace seemed offended by Eagle's words.

"True. But except for Lowengren's progress, I honestly couldn't careless with what the others are doing. Especially now when I can't help any of you out. I've already given a summary of what they should do when Lowengren met with me. And while it is helpful to have you here and report the current progress as well as to check on what I need, the real intention of Seeker was to make you believe in him." Eagle smiled.

"What?" Grace asked in confusion.

"Put it simply. He wanted me to reform you two. But alas, your husband's sense of danger seemed to be interesting. You see, even Richie didn't know that my Path was starting to affect him. But your husband immediately felt it. What an interesting Path."

"Reform us?"

"He's worried about you. Tell me, what did he say regarding your deaths?" Eagle asked calmly.

"What does…?"

"Your son knows the future. Put that in mind. You can't imagine the burden that has. Knowing the future isn't as simple as you think. The knowledge you have about things in the future will become an extremely problematic issue."

"There is nothing wrong with us!"

"You doubt your son who was from the future. He has proven everything and it would be foolish to not believe him. Yet you doubt him and question every move he makes."

"He wants to start a Continental War! Isn't that something that we would be worried about?"

"And just like Jesus who said that a Prophet is without honor in his own hometown and among his people, so is he too you. He had done many miracles, healed possibly thousands, stopped the storm in front of a dozen witnesses and did many other things. Yet when He arrived home no one believed him. Don't you see Seeker's similarities in the accounts of Jesus?"

"Jesus wasn't planning to massacre people!"

"In His first coming He wasn't. We are about to enter the Times of Jacob's Trouble. And if you know your Bible, you'll know of the great massacres that will occur in the End Times." Eagle laughed.

Chris was starting to get irritated.

"What kind of a Pastor are you?"

"One who takes the Word and the future of our World seriously. Haven't you thought of why Seeker wants to create war?"

"I don't know! He didn't bother to explain it! The rest of the group simply agreed! But those guys are war freaks! Why are you agreeing with my son?" Chris shouted.

"He didn't tell you then because you are his parents. You are overprotective of him, worried and generally someone who will go on any lengths to keep him safe and happy. The problem is, he's no longer the kid you remember. Isn't that the real reason why you are worried about his seemingly insane decisions?"

"There is a limit as to what insane decisions he can make! But this is just too much!"

"I don't know how you died in that future, but Seeker knows more about you than you know yourself. He must have known this would be so. And as his parents, it would be extremely difficult for him to be your leader. You might have been trying to get into more of the actions and even want to force the dangers that only Overcomers should face to yourself. Let me tell you right now, that is suicide. The moment he became an Overcomer; he became something an ordinary human could not hope to achieve." Eagle spoke bluntly.

"You underestimate us! True, we aren't like Richie or Meng who had lived their lives on the battlefield! But we've had our fair share too!"

"That doesn't mean anything. You've seen it yourself. The sheer unimaginable powers of my peers. The terrors they can do and how the mere presence of them seemingly drains the courage in your hearts. I just released an inkling of my powers and it already made you helpless."

"My son's not like you!" Grace shouted as she stood up angrily.

"Correct. Your son will be more, much more, than what I can ever hope to be. Of that, I have much faith. You have to accept this as early as now. We are still pretty much on the early stages of this war. Seeker has only spoken of the terrors but did you notice that he never showed any constant or persistent fear of what is to come?" Eagle spoke softly yet it made Grace stop shouting.

Grace sat back down as she felt her husband holding her.

Chris took the lead.

"What do you think?" Chris asked.

"He's doing that intentionally. If he shows any great fear of what the future is, people would lose morale. And especially know that the world is so divided, it will create fear. Even Programmed Slaves will act hesitantly. There is a limit as to what that happiness producing chip can do. Especially when you have an Unlocked army that can suddenly break free form that Chip."

"You mean to tell me there is far more terror coming?"

"Yes. He told me. Overcomers have perished in that war. And all that we have been gaining for these past months could only aid us in the immediate threat. And even with all these advantages that this New Game+ has brought us, it will only take us as far as when your son fought and died against the bosses of his first playthrough. We don't know who or what we are facing after that."

The pained fear remained in the hearts of both Chris and Grace.

"Pastor… Are you telling us to watch our son rush forth into battle? A battle that he already lost and died in that future? Are you telling me, that my son sent us here, to hear you comfort us of the large probability of his second death?" Chris asked solemnly.

Eagle immediately nodded without any hesitation.

"Yes."

"How… how can you say that?" Grace shouted in anger.

Eagle couldn't help but sigh.

"I speak the truth. And you did tell me to not use my Path. Would you have preferred that I lied and said great things? No. It's better that you carry this mindset in the future. Your son might die. The future he spoke off is too grim and too terrifying. The enemies that lied behind the ones in our immediate heavens are but the weakest. Who knows if there are more Aragarians who vastly overpower these Presiders?"

Grace and Chris recalled the information about the Principals. They have yet to report this to Eagle and could not help but grip their fists.

"Don't we have a chance now? We have you, a human calculator and those disgusting people who are now far stronger than who they were in Seeker's future!"

"Pride comes before the fall. The fact that he sent you here is to make sure that you two won't be liabilities in this mission. You love your son and you don't want him to die. But his role in this future is great. He knows that you two might end up acting recklessly in an attempt to help or save him. But he knows that if you do try that, you will surely die. You are not on his level."

The two were silent.

"Pastor. We've always been ready to die. But our son… we don't want him to die." Grace started to tear up.

"I believe you. That's why he wanted you here. In order to make you accept this fact. He will be in greater danger. And of all the things that could thwart his plan, it would be your worry and fear. Maybe that's how you died in the future. And frankly, it might have been an unnecessary, useless death. You must have rushed fort and bought your son time or advantage that didn't see fruition."

Grace and Chris were silent. Their eyes were turning lifeless.

"This is the answer that he concluded. And this is why you don't want to believe that everything your son has predicted is true. You don't want to lose him. And because of that, you don't want to believe him. Yet you must. He's just another soldier, a pawn in this war."

Grace started to cry. Even Chris was tearing up.

"We… left the Americas and the Force because of the many enemies that wanted the two of us out of the picture. We were the best in the Force even before the Unlocking. We did all of this to get away from the pain, the danger, the evil that exists in this world. Aren't we doing the right thing? How could this be, that our transfer to Pangea would lead him into a life far terrible than the one we lived through?" Chris asked emotionally.

"You are good parents because you love your son that much. But those who allow their kids to face the challenges of life head-on, and be there right behind them to support, help and guide them are better. In Christian theology, God did not promise to take us out of the world to experience no trouble, but He promised to be with us in the trials and tribulations of this life. You did your part, Mom and Dad. It's time to follow your General." Eagle smiled.

The two quietly sat down silently as tears continued to trickle down their eyes.

"Use your Path on us." Chris suddenly spoke.

Grace was surprised at Chris's words.

Eagle smiled and nodded. He got up and walked around his desk and towards the seats that Chris and Grace sat on.

Eagle then took Chris by the hand and made him stand.

"Believe in your son. There are things that he told me, which no other Overcomer ever heard. Things of great glory. Things of great terror. And your son had shown great wisdom in his actions. With the things he revealed and the things he kept hidden, trust that your son is smarter than he looks. Although his antics seemed child-like and immature, he is on a path of growth. But there are many things… much more difficult choices he has secretly made that you will all soon see. And there is wisdom in these choices. But there is also great pain. I know what you feel. You don't want to bury your son. I don't want to too. But like King David, there is a Promise for you that the Bible has. If Seeker is to perish, know that he cannot come to you, but you can go to him. Such is the honor for those who have felt this. Rejoice. For the pain of the parting, will only make the joy of the reunion far better." Eagle smiled.

The unusual sensation was covering Chris. But this time, Chris did nothing to resist it.

"The Paragon of Preachers…" Chris finally understood the terrifying power of this man. And just as the wind travels to and fro from the earth and how the passing wind only whispers that it is there, but won't divulge where it goes or where it came from, a mystery of change occurred.

Only Seeker knew what this was. It was the terrifying technique that brought many Pioneers to aid and even die for the Earth's armies. The Paragon of Preachers wielded his hands as if it was Holy as he clasped it tight on Chris's shoulders.

Chris felt the many convictions he felt that held him further from the faith of Christianity to be slowly disappearing as newer thoughts and counter-arguments he never thought of before started to implant itself on his mind.

Back in Pangea, a boy and girl pair was walking through the dark and quiet streets leading back to school.

Seeker and Lara talked both with moderate speed and content. But all the time they walked, Seeker never took his eyes off her.

It was then he felt it.

"Odd." Seeker wondered.

"What?" Lara asked.

"Nothing. I just had this strange feeling."

"Deja vu?"

"Nothing of that sort. Just a feeling. I don't know." Seeker smiled as he led the way.

"Strange… How can you feel it here?" The Adult Seeker appeared behind Seeker.

"I'm sure that was it. And by its timing, it could only be mom and dad."

"Righteous Bestowal?" Seeker mentally asked.

"It could be. But something's not right. Why are we feeling it?"

"Could it just be a random feeling? Or should we get all superstitious with this?"

"We've never had this feeling before. If the Unlocking is involved, you can't just put aside any small details like this."

"What do you think is happening? This never happened in your timeline. So it should be because of something else. And how come I know this involves dad?"

"The Unlocking. Haven't you read of those strange stories of twins mysteriously dying together? When one twin is attacked, the other gets the very same wounds."

"I see. Because we've reached a higher level of the Unlocking, we can finally sense each other. Right. Dad and Mom were dead in the future."

"Seeker… If ever you have the chance… Try to meet up with Nana… I feel there's more to our family than we thought." The Adult mysteriously vanished.

Seeker kept a mental note at the strange instructions.

"Granny, huh?" Seeker wondered.

"I guess this is it…" Lara suddenly laughed.

"I can't believe you talked me into this. It's actually me walking you home… But why the military base? I thought you'd be staying at that place of yours! Tell me now. I did my end of the bargain." Lara laughed playfully.

"Oh, it's actually simple. The walk going back here is longer than my place. I wanted to accompany you more." Seeker laughed.

Lara started to blush intensely.

"So… is this it? What's the protocol? The issue here is you're not an ordinary girl. If it weren't I'd give you a kiss on the cheek or say something cheesy. But the truth is you're not. And neither am I. So I want to ask you. Are you sure of this?"

"Sure of what exactly?" Lara's heart was pumping fast. She knew what Seeker was about to say.

"I'm serious. I don't want to fool around. I want to be with you and risk it with you. If you say yes and be my girlfriend, we'd have to enter a contract of some sort. A contract not written in paper, but something inscribed in our hearts."

"Tch! Stop quoting her words against her! It's too cruel?" The Adult Seeker's though appeared once more.

"Shut up. I've got something better." Seeker wasn't showing it, but the Adult Seeker could feel him smiling.

"A contract?" Lara was stunned.

"Oh right. Never mind." Seeker sighed and turned around.

"Wait! I- I haven't said no." Lara panicked.

"Don't misunderstand. I wasn't talking about that. But a contract is a deal between two parties which binds both to complete their end of the bargain. I don't want that."

"What?" Lara was confused.

"I don't want a contract. I want a covenant. Whether or not you keep your end of the bargain, or if in the future, I fail to keep my end, we'll still be with each other. I hate celebrity relationships. I want a real one.." Seeker called out.