Chapter 1089: Chapter 1089: Meaning of The Trial
"Ah, Dad. It"s you! It"s you!"
It was completely different from what Riley was expecting. He truly thought that the only way to advance through the trials was to kill anyone and everyone, no matter who it was.
But now, when she chose not to kill Katherine and the baby, time just suddenly jumped forward. And now, he was watching a movie in the cinema with a brown-haired version of Karina.
She looked younger, perhaps just reaching her teenage years - but aside from her hair, there was no difference at all; even from the way she was laughing and pointing at the projection... which showed Riley.
When Karina started covering him with a cap and a scarf, Riley initially thought that they were hiding from the authorities, but not at all. Because right now, he was watching himself on the screen.
Just what was Paige trying to tell him by doing this, exactly?
"Ah, it"s Mom!"
"Mom...?" Riley turned his focus back to the screen, only to see someone who looked incredibly similar to Hera-no. She truly looked like Hera, but there was just something off about her that made Riley sure that it wasn"t actually her at all.
"Hera is your mother?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked back and forth between Karina, and Hera on the screen.
"Dad, stop being weird..." Karina let out a small giggle, lightly hitting Riley on the shoulder before resting her head on it, "...let"s just watch."
Riley was truly at a loss as to what was happening and how this was even a trial, it was much simpler when he just had to kill everyone.
And so, with not really knowing what to do, he just watched the movie with his... daughter. It wasn"t really that interesting, but his acting was pretty nice.
"Wow..." Karina stretched her limbs as soon as the movie was over, "...I liked that more than the last one. I can"t wait for the IMF adaptation."
"...There is an Italian Mafia Reborn adaptation?" Riley blinked.
"Dad... you"re scheduled to shoot it soon. Don"t tell me you forgot?" Karina groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood up; grabbing Riley"s arm and also dragging him up, "I swear, sometimes I think you"re just living so many lives at once that you just can"t focus on one. Like just experiencing things on autopilot."
"I suppose..." Riley blinked a couple of times as he just allowed himself to be dragged by Karina, "...I am living different lives and experiencing them."
Is that what Paige was actually trying to achieve here? For him to experience a life he knows he would never live, but could have?
If so, then it would somewhat make sense - since it was the very same thing he and Paige had done for Alice, letting her experience the life she had missed and will miss.
Was Paige... actually doing the same for him?
But... why?
"Uh... Dad, I think we need to go leave in the back." Before Riley could actually think about things, however, Karina suddenly dragged him back into the cinema. He wondered at first why she was doing so, but then noticed everyone looking at him now that the lights were on; each one of them had their eyes as wide as they could be.
Riley tilted his head to the side for a few seconds, before just suddenly deciding to wave his hand.
"Dad!?"
"Oh my G.o.d, it"s Riley!
"Riley!"
"Why did you do that!?" Karina did not know whether to just laugh as she quickly dragged Riley away, and they were immediately helped by the staff so they could leave without being hounded by the fans.
"Dad!" And as soon as they were out of the cinema and away from the ma.s.ses, Riley was immediately scolded by Karina. She said so many things, but Riley could not really focus on anything from how fast she was talking.
"Karina."
"What...?" Karina pouted while crossing her arms.
"You deserve this kind of life," Riley breathed out as he thought of how normal Karina seemed, "I truly am sorry I could not provide it to you."
"...I deserve to be bombarded by your and mom"s fans?" Karina raised an eyebrow, "Ugh, seriously! I hate you!"
"You should," Riley breathed out, "You should hate me."
"You"re like seriously freaking me out now, Dad - what"s going on with you...?" Karina squinted her eyes as she looked at Riley"s face, "I was joking, okay? Joking. I would never hate
you...
...I love you, Dad."
"W-"
"I love you, Riley Ross..."
And before Riley could even react to anything, he suddenly found himself lying under a white blanket; the soft light being permitted on it; the light, touching Hera"s skin which had herself lifted up right above him.
Hera then very gently placed her lips on his, giggling before just throwing around the bed and getting up; her naked back, completely exposed to him.
She looks exactly like Hera, but she wasn"t at all - perhaps a way for Paige to prevent him from once again just using Hera"s abilities to escape the trial.
"We should hurry up," Hera then started wearing her underwear, "The processional"s going to start in an hour and we"re still in bed. This is why I hate going to hotels with you, ugh. We always end up... a mess. This won"t do, I need to shower or I"ll smell like you the entire day."
"..." Riley was once again completely confused as he just watched as Hera rushed toward the bathroom. He quickly got up to check where he was now, but as soon as he did so, he was now dancing with Karina while she wore a white wedding dress.
"Thank you... Dad," Karina sniffled as she rested her head on Riley"s chest while they danced slowly, "Thank you for being the best dad there is...
...for always being there."
"I... am afraid that is not true at all," Riley looked around the lavish and extremely luxurious reception, and yet aside from the fake Hera who was shedding tears as she watched them dance, Rhys could not recognize anyone else-no. It wasn"t that he didn"t recognize everyone
else...
...it"s just that none of them actually had a face.
"Sure, you weren"t there every time..." Karina leaned her head away as she looked at Riley, "...But you were always present when it mattered. I love you, Dad... really."
"I"m-"
"Why...? Why... are we like this?" And once again, the scenery in front of Riley just suddenly shifted, but Karina was still embracing her - this time, however, tears endlessly fell from her eyes. Riley found himself once again scanning the area, only to see a fresh gravestone beside them. Hera was also there beside them, the warmth of her hand on Karina"s back.
Riley was about to ask who it was, but then he noticed another gravestone with a similar last name on it. And from there, Riley realized who the fresh gravestone belonged to - it was Karina"s child, dying of old age judging from the year written.
"Why... why couldn"t we be just normal people?" Karina whimpered, "Why are we-"
"No! No... no! My baby... my baby girl..."
Riley felt a tug across his entire body as the scenery around him once again changed. This time, he was in some sort of metal room, with the window outside showing a view of several
colorful moons.
This time, however, he did not really have the leisure to scan the surrounding area as he was just completely focused on what was right in front of him - Hera, bursting into tears as she seemed to cradle Karina"s lifeless body.
There was a bottle of pills lying beside them, completely empty.
"Riley... Riley!" Hera tried to call for Riley, but she truly actually wasn"t - she just wanted to scream. The only thing that Riley could really do was very slowly approach the two of them, not knowing what to truly feel about this, "No... no..."
And then, all of a sudden, all the lights disappeared and all he could really see was the figure of Hera and Karina; completely frozen in sadness and misery.
"Hm," Riley started looking around the darkness, but there truly wasn"t there but just them,
"What is it, Paige?"
Riley then whispered to himself as he continued to look around even though there was clearly nothing else there, "What do you want to tell me by showing me this fate? Are you trying to tell me that no matter what path I would have taken...
...it will always just lead to tragedy for the people I care for? Is it-"
And before he could finish his words, light once again began to turn on shining upon a new scenery, a completely different one. Riley was expecting the scene with him and Tomoe, but it would seem that it completely skipped past that and went straight to Hannah. This time, however, the two of them were not overlooking the horizon, but each other.
"You..." Riley quickly exclaimed as he saw Hannah wearing a simple wedding gown,
"...look beautiful, Sister."