A/N––Yes I am not dead. I was disconnected from the internet for a while but I hope that this chapter was worth the wait. I already have the next one in the works, might be done by the time this gets posted. I'm glad to say that with midterms done (Thank god) and my grades at a mediocre level I am free. But again no internet half the time. Well Eld has done it. He broke my MC. Oh well. Time to see what magic I pull out of the hat now.
Phase 05 Fallen
The first thing I did upon stumbling into my house was kneel in front of the door.
"..."
My tears dripped from my face and disappeared into light. My shoulders hitched. Three of them. I had failed to save three of them. Right there within arms reach. If I had just put myself in more risk I might have saved them all. I might have. I should have. I clenched my eyes shut. Sobs wrack my body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I yell out.
It hurt. My chest felt so tight. My heart beat erratically.
"WHYYYYYYYYY!?" My fists slammed into my door.
"WHHYYY GOD DAMN IT!?" I must have spent several hours like that.
Then I got the first message. I was being taken off their friends list. I stared at the sobering sight as eight messages appeared. As eight friends turned their backs on me. I clenched my hand. The only person who didn't do that was Jane, hers would hurt the most. I watched and waited. My eyes red. Do it. Just get it over with. I watch. She doesn't take me off her friends list. She's the only person who I can check with now. But why would she leave me in her friend's list? I had just murdered right in front of her eyes. After a while I exited out of the menu. I felt something coiling around my stomach. I bit back bile.
"Eld..." I whispered his name.
I needed to find him, to kill him.
You know what my price is. He had told me.
I knew. If he had only just taken me. If he had only gone after me. I brought this all on myself. I grimace.
"Damn it! Damn it!" I repeat it, over and over, in sync with my fist as I punch the floorboards.
Then, as the blazing anger inside me dies down I'm left with just plain fear and sorrow. I curl up into a ball. I don't sleep. God no. I would just keep seeing shattering and hear screaming. I closed my eyes and tried to keep one thought in mind.
Killing Eld will be so sweet now. I start. I gag.
I can't believe I thought that. No matter what, I don't think I can ever bring myself to kill. Not anymore. Before yes, I would have slaughtered Eld for being what he was. Now, I'd let him kill me. And me alone.
But imagine it. Choking him, watching his meter run red. Tearing off his head. I licked my lips.
Yes, that sounded fine. I looked forward to it. .Eld. Just you wait.
"NO!" I slam my forehead into the floor.
I see stars but I stay like that. I won't give in.
Why? I won't.
Just slaughter him. "NO!" I writhed on the floor.
Slamming my head over and over. "NO!" Finally a dark light filled my vision. A comforting dark.
I gasp. "You should just kill him!" The thing howled into my face.
Blood leaking from its mouth. Fear rises in my throat. I backpedal. The thing drags me back under it. "KILL! Kill everything that stands in your way!" I shrink back.
The thing begins to choke me. "Don't whimper and sob weakling! Stand and FIGHT!" It slammed my head back several times. I wince.
"Its kill or be killed! And you are not one of the killed!" I saw a black iron chain.
It wrapped it around my neck. Tightening it. Threatening to cut off my air entirely. "A–" It punches me hard.
Cracks fill my vision. The dark mass, the shadow grins at me. "Kill. Or be killed..." Its like a mirror. A black mirror.
My hand is dragging back the chain. Hauling me up into the air. I kick and struggle. The cracks spreading. "KILL! AHAHAHAHHAHAHA!" I see the other me laugh with a sickening joy of killing. "Kill––" I see nothing but shattered bits.
I start. The spot that I had been staring at for the longest time was still the same as ever. I don't know how long I had been lying on the floor. My stomach hurt and my eyes felt a bit heavy. But I knew one thing. I wasn't done. I noticed I had a message. I opened it up. The boss had been found. I close my eyes, and oddly enough I smile. An echo resounded in me from somewhere far away.
Stand and FIGHT! I stand.
I close the menu. After a moment of stretching I head to the meeting. I must have been out of it for a while. They had already sent scouts and everything. I stood before the door. It was cleverly hidden behind a wall of ice that could only be shattered by the mini-boss guarding it. They discovered it around the same time I was suffering. The mini-boss had yet to spawn and will most likely never spawn again. Its done its duty and was either filed away or destroyed in the system.
"Well nice to see you Sol." E-stone called to me.
I nod to him. "Sorry, I've been quite occupied these past couple of days."
They start the meeting. I listen very intently. The boss was a minotaur like enemy. Its axe was very strong and required at least four tanks for its various combos. It also had a debuff ability. It stomped its hoof twice to signal it. The roar would force you to brace yourself, and then apply a defense down debuff. But its stature wasn't anything special. Compared to the Mummified Banneret which was huge, being tall enough that most attacks couldn't reach above its knees, this boss was eight feet tall.
"One last thing. If it lowers its head at you, run. That's its unique charging attack. Spears you on its horns, two tanks nearly died that way." He then begins assigning teams with the other guild masters.
"Sol do you––" I walked past them and up to the boss door.
I used Shatter to open the door. I didn't think something that big could swing open so fast. "What are––" I dash into the room.
The boss is in the center of the chamber. The Maze Keeper. I grimace as the boss raises its axe. I roll by it and slash away at its exposed side.
I will never forgive you! My heart beats painfully.
For taking them away! I stab into the back of the boss as it swings its axe again.
I'm sent rolling.
STAND!
I stab my sword into the ground and stop myself five feet away. I glare at the boss, before dashing headlong at it again. "AHHHH!" I slide under its initial swing and jump to my feet.
I can see it aiming at me. Already the weapon is speeding towards my unarmed side. I close my eyes.
FIGHT!
I put my sword between the axe and me. Bracing my free arm against the flat of my blade as the axe connects. I skid back three feet. Teetering for a second. But I retain my footing and lunge forward. Impale stabs the boss under its heart. The boss seems to fume. I see its fist come at me. I don't let it connect. I used the single hit unarmed special Sky Needle. The fierce uppercut negates the attack meant for me. After a five second action pause I leapt away. The boss following me. I hate to say it but those three health bars are going to last longer than I am. After all that barely a tenth of the first health bar is chipped away. And thats if you look at the damage I dealt optimistically. I was in the yellow, a full third of my health depleted. But I won't give up.
FIGHT!
I steady my sword. The axe passes through the air centimeters in front of my nose. With that I assume my stance. I use Crescent. I step with the attack, putting more force behind it and increasing the damage. The red damage light that appeared on its gut didn't faze it. I saw it ready its axe overhead. But who said I was finished. Directly after the special I launched another one, with my free arm. Shatter. I had pulled my fist back as I leaned with my right foot close to the boss. My left fist swung and connected hard with the middle of the boss. I smile. It was working. My blade is ready because of the change in position thanks to Shatter. I use another Crescent and knock the boss back a foot.
Perfect! Instead of Shatter I use Phalanx. Connecting specials isn't a unique ability but its a demanding one. With the continuos practice from the last six months I'm confident many people incorporate special linking into their attacks. But connecting specials from two different styles, unarmed and swordsman, that was really rare. To link two specials one had to know ahead of time what attacks to use and when to start the next one. Using Crescent once could be used to assume the position for Flare, a three hit special that ended with a thrust. And then from there you would either have to suffer an extended action pause or continue linking. With the multitude of specials available some had learned how to chain together three, four, sometimes up to five specials. But concentrating on one after the other was demanding, and if something unexpected appeared you'd have to adapt or become a sitting duck. What I was doing was all that times four. I had to alter the movements for the specials, such as leg and unused arm position, to set up the next one. And I had to be aware of the position of the boss. Keeping it in an effective range. Keeping it in medium swords range and then switching to close unarmed range. Plus I had to be aware of its debuff or combos. As the last of the nine hits connects I have my sword pointing behind me. Utilizing the two consecutive hit special Shear I continue attacking. The slash left a semicircle light effect in its wake, which was shattered as the blade jumped back for a second slash a bit higher. This also spun me straight around. My back to the enemy. I saw its hoof stomp once as my legs glowed.
Starting to cut it close. I spun on one leg while the other connects with the boss's side, canceling its debuff and making it stumble a foot to my left. With my right foot back on the ground I bring my left knee in to connect, completing the two hits for Ram. The boss slides back three feet. Steam coming from its nostrils. I still had one last trick to play. As my left leg touches the floor, my left shoulder was towards the boss while my right one was towards the clearers. My sword was level, ready. I could use Impale but what I was going to do now was even better. The opening thrust of Lunula closes the gap and bites into the stomach of the boss. As the four hits unfold I chance a glance at its health. I had singlehandedly taken it down a little more than a third of a health bar. It took twenty consecutive hits from seven specials and only did that much. My blade was about to lose its glow and leave me defenseless. I closed my eyes and remembered what I can do to continue linking. I didn't have my entire back to the boss. And it took a step towards me, its head bent down with its horns aimed at me. I almost had my shoulder lined up just right. I shifted my feet a few centimeters before using Palm Strike under my sword arm. It didn't connect smack dab in the middle of the boss like I wanted. But the single blow did catch it around the ribs as the boss took a step towards me. Its two-feet long horns were on either side of my head when the blow connected. I shifted my feet again and readied my blade. Reverse Helm Crush. With only my sword and sword-arm away from the boss the special glowed. This was going to be pushing it. As Palm Strike ended my sword went over my head as if I was preparing an overhead swing, a very odd and uncomfortable overhead swing. I felt a little resistance in my arm as the blade pierced the boss. I adjusted my body and made myself comfortable as I roared and pulled my blade out of the boss. I heard it take several uneven steps back. Then I couldn't link anymore moves and I froze with my back to the enemy. The clearers had formed a semicircle around me. They now rushed in as I stood frozen. For all that linking I got a two minute action pause. Two whole minutes. I smile. Perfect. Just absolutely perfect. I start to laugh, possibly unnerving some nearby clearers. When the action pause is done I see a wall of tanks in front of the boss. The combos from that thing sure were taking a toll on their health. I couldn't help but sneer. I chugged several health draughts to bring myself up from the red and charged in. I run in between the tanks. My health hadn't stopped rising from the potions I drunk before I was wailing away at the boss. It stomped its hooves down twice. I wouldn't be able to stop it in time. I wracked my brain for what to do, a debuff would seriously debilitate me. I grimace, the minotaur opened its mouth and a haze of red came from its mouth. The roar blasted me, pushing me back slightly. The instinctual reaction was to brace myself against the wind but that would be useless. I grimace, instead of steadying myself I charge in. I glared at the boss's black eyes as the pressure against me lessened. I slashed its horns. Knocking it a bit of balance. It steadied itself as I continued to batter it. No, what I was doing was not the clean-cut fighting the clearers were known for. What I was doing was the messy, savage, almost animal-like fighting of the damned.
"AHHHHHH!" I stab my sword into its sternum, and I left it there.
The boss bent its head so that the horns were aimed at me. The charging attack. I grabbed onto the horns and lift myself up. With my foot on the pommel of my blade I force it further in. The beast let loose one of the most terrifying roars I have heard. Black spittle flew from its mouth.
"SHUT UP!" I gave the pommel of my sword one final kick before we slammed into a wall.
Pulverized stone became a shroud of dust that rose over us. I saw my health bar pulsate. I had maybe an eighth of my health left. The bullheaded monster that was pinning me to the wall still had two health bars. The first had been destroyed. I smile, peacefully. I had been able to contribute something, this was probably my last boss run. Because this was my suicide boss fight. As the eight foot tall monster stepped away I felt like a ragdoll. My bones nonexistent. I was held two feet in the air by the boss's bulking body pinning me. Now with that gone I landed on my feet and fell forward.
This was a good death, I think as I close my eyes.
Chains grinding. A slight tap of a foot. These sounds greeted me as I opened my eyes. Sitting on his black throne, his crown slightly askew, with a very bored expression, was myself.
"You are a worthy idiot." I glare at him.
"Go to hell." He gives me a tight smile.
"Sorry, already there." I felt the black chains around my throat ease a bit.
We stayed like this, one staring at the other, for what felt like hours. Finally I asked him that question that has been pressing at my throat. "Who are you?" I saw nothing, just a black void as those words came from my lips.
The only thing that remained from the me on the throne were red eyes and a perfectly white smile. He reminded me of the cheshire cat, his smile became inhumanly wide. His eyes were red rubies of blood.
"Why I am Sol. The Angel of Death and Massacre. The blazing sun that holds the truth." I felt a coldness spread from my fingers and toes.
"I will search and destroy whatever obstructs my path. I am the one who has ultimate judgement over your soul." I trembled.
"Now," The eyes burned a bit.
"Will you lie down and die!?" I saw the teeth drip red.
The maw opened revealing a blood soaked abyss. A Scarlet Abyss. My heart stopped. I wanted to double over in pain. "I have made my introductions, what of yours?" I was silent.
Who was I. What was I. I searched deep inside me. Searching for the answer. The maw was fully around me. Swallowing me whole. Then I remember it, I was nothing but a sword. My edge sharp enough to destroy the dark. As if in response to this the darkness began to have long slits of light. They burned and ate away at the black and red. I saw him lean forward in his throne. "Or will you let me use you?" He reached out for my hilt as the chains slackened.
I caught myself before I could fall. The boss was standing right next to me. His weapon ready to deliver the killing blow. I smile. I slam into it, the axe came down harmlessly behind me. With one hand over its heart and the other on my sword I pushed these two separate entities apart. My sword slid out of the boss as easily as it did from the sheath. I leapt back as a great arm swung out to crush me. I was overjoyed to see it struggle to kill me. I, the Angel of Death. I stepped into range and began to hack away at it. My fighting as a clearer and a killer blended and solidified. I was one piece, one sword. For the next twenty seconds damage light splashed over me. I was moving so fast. So astoundingly fast. I felt my heart beat faster, my eyes saw more, my sword cleaved me a path.
"AHHHHHH!" I stabbed into the boss's heart for a critical hit.
Then I sidestepped the monstrous axe. The boss's fist came at me, all it hit was the edge of my blade. I could hear distant laughter. Mine or his, I don't know. My body was a hurricane, a fevered frenzy of attacks that always hit. That always brought the boss down a few points at a time. Blood roared in my ears. I leapt back as the boss used a two hit combo. The axe flew uselessly through the air in front of me. The clearers rushed over. I smile. Make use of what you have. I used Impale and stabbed deeply into the gut of the boss. Then I connected Phalanx to knock the boss back and off my blade. It seemed to growl at me as it took an unsteady step towards me. That's when the third and final connected move activated. Ram knocked the boss back into the throng of fighters, the blow slightly stunned it. After the twenty second pause I walked towards the mad storm of bodies. My health turned yellow. I watched several damage dealers get knocked back as the boss made a full 360 spin with its axe. As the glow dimmed I charged in. With only half of its second health bar left I surged into the bloodlust. The system wanting to delete us all. I rushed it. I continued to attack even as I saw the axe glow. I used Shear to match and counter the attack. I was confident. I was winning. I was killing. "Look out!" Someone grabbed onto my left shoulder. The axe coming back. I saw this one coming. With my action pause I wouldn't be able to stop the blow. The red hood of the person grabbing me seemed to tremble. I saw a light yellow glow come from her saber. The fencing special negated the axe swing. I braced her as she pushed against the blade. "Thank you." I tell her. My voice soft and untroubled. Completely different from what I was on the inside. With that I join the clearers in destroying the boss. With less than half of its health of the final bar intact I go in for my right, my pleasure. I launch Impale to get me into effective range. My blade hit a bit higher this time. The sternum of the boss seemed to attract my blade now. With Razor I forced the enemy back a step. My soul burned. My flat hand stabbed the boss in its gut and I pulled my sword free. With the left side of my body towards the boss I used Ram. My right leg flew through the air and struck the muscled arm of the boss. Then my knee added to the damage light from Razor. My blade was at the ready. Connecting Lunula I had my back to the boss once again. Except that in my free hand I held my knife. The knife glowed. Reversal. I spun to my right and left a large crescent in the air as I slashed the boss. My sword pointing up. The green blade turned sky blue. This was the hardest special I knew for swords. Sky dance. The sword came down hard in a diagonal slash. From top right shoulder to the lower left hand corner from my point of view. But I continued from there. Spinning to the left on the tip of one foot, the tip of the blue blade scraped along the ground before the momentum carried it up again. I looked back at the clearers as I continued my full spin. As I faced the boss I delivered another diagonal slash and my blade once again in the lower left hand corner with me crouching. The boss howled as it raised its axe overhead. The red glow cast cruel shadows over us. But Sky Dance is a long combo. The blue blade pulsated before I spun to my right. I corkscrewed and rose, delivering four horizontal slashes. The boss reminded me of a tiger with the red stripes over its body. The axe continued to glow and then its seemed to burn with real flames. My spiral motion was coming to an end. As I completed the final slash I leapt into the air. The momentum of the spin continued in mid air. I rose three feet off the ground before I delivered a strong downward strike coupled with the force of gravity. This matched the axe special from the boss. My left arm was sliced cleanly off at the shoulder. The boss had a a long red line down its middle. I crouched in front of the boss again. His axe to my left, my sword directly between its hooves. I then stand and slash upwards, with my sword stuck in the middle of its chest I pulled back, the sword level with my shoulders. The final blow of Sky Dance. My body seemed to be swathed in blue light as I thrusted forwards. The ninth and final hit of Sky Dance. The blue light flew from me to my blade as it penetrated the boss's chest once more.
"HAAAAAAAAAA!" The blue light exploded outwards as the boss stayed still. Then the boss lurches back and shatters into data fragments. I listen. There was no cheers from the clearers. Just panting and coughing. I smile. The fatigue from the battle catching up to me.
I leaned forward a bit, ready to collapse. I survived, I thought. Why? Why me and not them? I closed my eyes.
His hand reached for me. The Angel of Death and Massacre got off his throne to grab my hilt. "Yes...Let me use you..." The chains fell away from me as I slowly floated down.
"Just let me use you. Like the useless person you are." But suddenly words poured into my mind. His words to me. STAND AND FIGHT!
I clenched my hands as I saw his fingers curl around my hilt, no my neck. My fist connected with his jaw. He stumbled back and collapsed on his throne. "I am no one's stepping stone." I say as my hand grabs my sword.
"I am not a killer." The thing that looked like me smiled.
He rubbed his jaw. "Oh but you are...Yes, you are."
I took two lurching steps before I stood straight. My strength was depleted but my anger hadn't. I sheathed my sword and went to retrieve my knife. After putting that away I walked to the crystal pad. "HEY!" Someone called to me, furiously.
I calmly turned. "What do you want?" I don't exactly glared at E-stone and Red as they approach. But I'm not smiling at them either.
"What the fuck was that?!" E-stone jabbed his finger at me.
"I call that clearing." I turn away.
Red grabs my arm. "What the hell happened? You could have killed yourself back there." I shrug.
"What of it?" I saw her eyes grow wide.
In an instant my cheek had an angry red mark on it. "You done yet? I have to go." I had said those exact words to Jane. Now I told them to this girl who I knew only by the name Red.
With that I step onto the pad and arrive onto the next tier. I faced the broken dais. I turned away. Red and E-stone showed up right behind me. There was a few seconds of quiet. "Aren't you going to at least fix the gate?" I could hear the anger in his voice.
"I have some clearing to do. Find someone else to do it." I marched from there.
A few seconds later a city formed around me. I leave the city and head immediately out into the field. This tier looked a lot like a desert. Sand dunes and distant enemies are everywhere. I swallow hard. The air here was dry and hot. My arm still hadn't recovered.
"Hey!" A voice behind me. I just kept walking.
I drew my sword. In one swift turn I had it resting at her throat. For a moment my eyes saw Jane. Her smile the last blessing before damnation. But I blinked and all that stood before me was Red. Her mouth a tight line, her eyes scared. "Do me a big favor Red." I leaned in close.
I whispered my request into her ear. "Go find yourself a guild and leave me be."
I pull away and go straight for the largest horde I can find. With just one arm I face the five scorpion monsters. "COME ON!" I echo Deg's demented chant as my blade flies through the air.
The scorpion's have an ungodly amount of chitin that acts like armor. It takes a long time before I am able to destroy them all. I'm left standing on the dune. Screaming at the top of my lungs, "COME ON!"
I quietly slip into the café. I had replaced my guild's uniform...my ex-guild's uniform for a white cloak with gold threads making elegant figures. The cowl cast deep and dark shadows over my face.
"Gaia."
"Sol." I sat across from her.
She looked mildly at ease with herself. Unlike me. It had been two days since I fought the twenty-second boss. I had neither slept nor ate since. She took her cup from nearby and sipped at it. I ignored the pain in my gut. "Well I have some of that interesting information you've asked for." I shift a bit in my seat.
"You wanted to know where Eld and his group are. Well I have a small list of tiers where they have been spotted most often."
"Good. I'd like to ask you to continue gathering information."
"And keep it from the others." I nod.
She sighed. "It will cost you." I open a trade window and rapidly select several items that were of great worth.
She scanned over the list before nodding. Her finger paused over the accept button. "Sol...What's wrong with you?"
I felt a small chunk of remorse in me. Something that thirsted for human compassion and understanding. This person could give it to me. She could understand my pain and sin. "Rumor is that there is a new monster outside in the fields. Its player like. It has red eyes and is called the white shadow." I guess I have earned a new name.
"Do you want the payment or not?" She hesitated a second longer before accepting it.
I left first. I had things to do. I immediately went out into the field. The desert area was large and had dungeons hidden all over. I took the shortest path and went to one now. I found the large sinkhole close to the center of this desert and looked around. Some lizard monsters were around. No players, or rather, no raid groups. I took the last step and fell down into the hole. I felt the air tear at me, trying to send me back up. The giant mound of sand at the bottom cushioned my fall. I stood and walked out of it. The dungeon was full of scorpions and undead monsters. It had ten floors that were unforgiving and increasingly hard. The clearers went in as guilds to clear it once. It was because of their skills and experience that many of them walked out alive. Since then, several small raid groups have come to challenge it. To try and beat the difficult boss at the end. I was just a solo clearer. It would take me a day. I was fighting off two hordes at once when the message appeared. I closed out of it to continue the violence.
"HAAAAA!" I knock asides a scorpion's stinger and thrust forward.
My blade pierces its mouth and with great effort I pull my blade up and out of it. The crashing effect doesn't hide the seven others surrounding me. "This is more like it!" It was a full hour before I had cleared out enough hordes to take the message.
It was from the clearers. They notified me that the boss room was found and the clearing would begin in a day or so. I closed out of the menu. I felt strangely hollow. Alone and cold. The underground was cool but it had enough warmth to make one comfortable. I found myself a corner and curled up in it. Images flashed before my eyes. They were of the people I left behind. My guild. I took out an image of us when we were whole. It was the night of Jane's birthday. We stood in front of our guild house in the picture. Tears came to my eyes. I spent four minutes to rest. With the bitterness of what had happened new again I attacked with much more ferocity. It was late at night when I stumbled across the boss. It came out of the floor, a large serpent. The hordes it called up were of the undead category. I kept a tight grip on my sword as I charged in. I have no idea how but I survived. I had linked specials like crazy. Alternating my targets from the boss to the hordes and back. Once I was being swarmed after suffering a two minute action pause. I leapt out of danger with my health in the red and continued to attack. Sometime in the morning I crawled out of the dungeon. Yes, I crawled. My health in the red, I made it to town first. I healed up and then went to the boss's dungeon. The clearing group had regrettable missed its goal of clearing a quarter of the game by the sixth month. Now they were redeeming themselves. They were going to make the scoutings and clearing much faster. That meant they would only take a day or two at the most trying to figure out the boss. I charged through the dungeon. I had to make it in time. When I saw the distant clearing group I slowed down and stopped entirely. I crawled to the meeting.
"S-Sol?!" There was the sound of people coming to me.
I was lifted up. "What in hell happened to you?" A clearer asked.
I took in several shaky breaths. "Give him some room." E-stone came over.
I was propped against a wall. "Sol...Hey, Sol. Look at me." I did, my vision kind of dim.
"What happened?" I took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Its nothing. They're exaggerating."
"Bullshit." He says as he looks at me.
My hand goes to my stomach. The pain had increased day by day, it took the edge off my sorrow. "Sol." E-stone put a hand on my shoulder.
"When was the last time you rested?" I couldn't tell anymore. Maybe six days. They all sort of started to blend together after the boss fight.
I opened my window to the status. After scrolling down some it was there. "SEVEN FREAKING DAYS!" For both.
He got two clearers to support me. "Get him to town."
"I'm fine." He straightened.
"What was that?" I take a deep breath.
"I said I'm fi––"
"But you're not fine! You can barely keep your eyes on me."
"Small things. I'm going to go clear this game." I pushed away the two clearers.
I stumbled but stood resolute before E-stone. "Damn it. We don't need stupid kids here!" He actually called me a kid.
"I don't care, you shouldn't either. Let me through." He shoved me back and I nearly fell.
"Idiot! We don't need you to die needlessly." Needlessly.
I felt myself laugh despite myself. "E-stone." I stood straight.
"I don't think you understand." I felt feverish strength pour into me.
"I am going into the room! I will not stop until I'm dead!" My exclamation echoed throughout the chamber.
My strength was at its peak. "Fine." He opened his menu and a second later something appeared before me.
Duel? "What are you thinking?" His face was grave.
"If you win you get to go and kill yourself. If I win you go and clear your fucking head!" I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips. I accepted.
"But E-sto––" "Clear out. Give us some room!" In a second the clearers make a ring around us.
I draw my sword, E-stone has his already out. A timer appears between us. 3...2... I feel my sudden strength start to ebb. 1! E-stone charges at me.
Its obvious that the various debilitating effects from lack of sleep and food are taking its toll on me. Every move I make feels like I'm moving through molasses. I'm faster than E-stone. But under these conditions I'm barely able to block his attacks. Its obvious who will win. Especially when he knocks me off balance and comes behind me. He has me in a hold. "Submit!" An option appears before me. I'm beaten.
"Hahahaha!" The Angel on his throne laughs.
"What's so funny?" "EVERYTHING!" He lets loose another maniacal laugh.
"I just like that fact that you think you can't do anything against players." I grimace.
"I told you I am not a killer." He jumps from his throne and punches me hard. I spit out blood.
"You are! When you failed to protect Laura you had your first kill." He continued to wail away at me.
"And face it! You loved it!" I froze.
"The sensation of relief. The fact that you have that much less a responsibility!" I trembled.
"You wanted it!" He knocked me down.
"Remember this. You are nothing but a killer." My world shatters with those whispered words.
My sword was still in hand. I could fight. I stabbed myself in the heart. The blade penetrated me and into E-stone. There was a second of disbelief as E-stone released me. I pull my sword free and I turn to face him. He hurriedly readies his sword as my attacks come at him. I only see him. Not his sword nor his actions. This is all a killer sees, his prey. He seems almost fearful as I continued to push him back. He leaps back and raises his sword. In that instant I close in for the kill. I used Flare. From the lower left hand corner to his right shoulder I open a line of red light. Then that slash is mirrored from lower right to his left shoulder. I pull back and thrust at him. My sword penetrates him. I see green light from behind him. His sword comes down, my arm separates from my shoulder. I leap away from him as he drops to his knees. He pulls out my sword and lets it fall.
"...Sol?" He looks at me as I charge.
He slashes at me. I grab his blade with my remaining hand and headbutt him hard. He winces, then I knee him hard. I separate from him as his blade is wrenched free from my hand. "I told you. I won't stop until I'm dead!" He stands.
Fear in his eyes. With Sky Needle I knock his blade out of the way, then I connect Razor and plow through the ring of clearers. E-stone coughs as he slams into a pillar. My hand comes out of him and grabs his throat. "Submit!" I tighten my grip. He strains. "SUBMIT!" I slam his head back into the column once.
In a second his hands are trying to peel mine away. "Submit." I say this in a whisper.
One of his hands operates a window. I see that I'm winner. I let him drop to the floor. Spluttering and coughing. I walk through the gap I made and pick up my sword. I still have three minutes left of the dismembered ailment. I face the door, and the three tanks guarding it. "Move. Now." The menace in my voice makes them more than happy to oblige. People seemed tense as I stepped through the door. The boss lasted two hours. I never left the red zone for the entirety of the fight.
"What do you want?" I want to tear the Angel apart.
"A lot of things. But you won't let me have them." The cracks appear at the edge of my vision.
He stands from his throne. "ALL I WANT IS TO KILL!" He's deranged.
How to stop him. My body is chained. I can't fight him. "Now then." He stands.
With each of his steps the cracks in my vision spread and grow. "Will you let me?" He said this so calm and casual I felt the atmosphere change.
"Will you kill with me, Thomas?" He extended his hand.
He wants to shake on this agreement. I want to do it. It seemed like the right choice. It was the only choice. As I reached out the cracks that filled every space lessened or disappeared entirely. I was going to make a deal with a killer. I cast a glance over his shoulder, was that Cooper? My world shatters once again.
I'm kneeling next to the crystal pad. My body aches and wants to give out. NEVER! At this point trying to separate that things voice from my own has become impossible.
I grimace before standing. I take one last shuffling step and teleport. I collapse in front of the dais. A hand to my gut. The pain there is unbelievable. But its nothing compared to what I went through. I ball up my fist and punch the ground hard. Get up! You have no right to feel tired or hungry! Who ever was speaking, me or him, had it right. I stand up and march right past the dais. A few minutes later the city formed around me.
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"Keep at it!" I yell over my shoulder.
I had stumbled upon a group of players that were trying to clear the same dungeon as me. They were overwhelmed when three hordes spawned in succession. I jumped in to save them. There was only two exits we could take. Clearing or the halfway point "This is it!" I yell as I charge the undead hordes.
They were severely weakened but the group was holding its own. "Its just around that corner! Fight through!" I was pushing them.
They were so close. A girl with a sword and shield combo was at the rear. "I–I can't!" She yelled before collapsing. "No El––" I dashed back.
I knocked asides two zombies and hefted the girl onto my shoulder. I turned and saw the gap I had made was closing. I stomped my foot once before charging. I had to get there. I had to. The light. Jane and the others couldn't go on without us. Hang in there Laura, we're almost safe! I slash once more and jump. The light was so bright. I roll for a few feet before coming to a halt at the corner. "Its here!" Someone yelled as they rushed around me. "Go." I say, standing.
I pushed one of them away. "I'll buy time." They looked shocked, but one glance from me sent them running.
I swung my sword once. Once. Then all hell broke loose. The red that filled my eyes wouldn't go away. No matter how much I tore or kicked. No matter how much I cut and slice. I only saw red. I doubled over in the end. The pain had escalated to that point.
"GARH!" A zombie yelled as it threw itself at me.
"SHUT IT!" I slice off its head.
The shards engulf me. I stand with my sword extended. Tears in my eyes. "Just...go..." The image of them standing away from me, the look of shock and disbelief forces me to my knees.
I think I almost died right there. My heart felt like it was going to explode, my lungs couldn't get enough air. I was suffering. "AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I fall to the floor, writhing in pain. Then a comforting black blanket came over me.
Something prodded me. "...Uh..." I opened my eyes a bit. Its a snout.
In two instances I come to realize two things. One, its a tamed beast of the wolf family. Two, there are three hordes surrounding us. The person who found me had a bow and was hidden deep within the shadows of a cloak. I rub my head, that's the first time I've past out in a dungeon. "Thank you." I say as I stand.
The person nods. The wolf pup at my feet licks at my fingers and flaps its wings. That's right. Wings. I pet it around the ears. The auburn fur felt soft and well kept. "Thank you too." It licks my hand again.
"I'm sorry if I stopped you on your way. Let me help clear an exit." That's when I noticed the person for who she was.
"Gaia?" She took a shaky step back.
"Don't get close." Her head was down a bit, I saw her hand go into the shadows where her face is.
A second later she straightens and jabs me hard in the ribs. "IDIOT!" She yells at me.
This might have alerted a few of the monsters but none came our direction. "S-sorry." I take a meek step back.
After a while we escape using the midway. The blue pulsating passageway casts its eerie glow on us as we stepped in. I looked over my shoulder at the dungeon entrance. I saw some people marching through it. Together, a party or better yet a guild. We sit down in a café. After she sips some tea we talk. "Well idiot..." I kept quiet.
She sighs. "Kalos." Her pup nuzzles her hand.
"Well I have a lot of problems now." I listened as she told me her brief adventure.
It ended with her running from the Scarlet Abyss. I kept calm though. With the throbbing pain in my head and the wringing pain in my gut I didn't want to have anymore headaches. "Thank you. Don't risk yourself anymore. If I want to meet Eld, it'll be on his terms." There was silence after this.
The clatter of the café drowned out my thoughts. I opened a menu and paid her. "..." We chatted a bit afterwards.
It spanned many topics until we got to the important one. "How did you get this little one?" His tail thumped hard against the floor as I petted him.
"Oh. I got him while running away from Eld. He's really helpful. Claws. Fangs. Flying. He's a bundle of fun that has..." In a whisper she told me. "Magic." I was astounded.
Magic is basically nonexistent in this game. If you can count them as such the only magics in the game were the buffs and debuffs. Maybe an occasional breath attack. "Interesting." I looked at the pup by my feet.
He seemed kind and innocent. "I don't know how but he does have some magic. He can teleport me to the last town I was in, but only once a day. He sometimes howls and lets loose a small blizzard." This was getting more and more interesting.
"I think there's more but I just haven't had him for more than three days." I scratch Kalos behind the ears.
"Thank you for taking care of my friend." He gives me the closest approximation to a smile that a wolf can give.
"Are you going to explain yourself?" I felt tired again.
Did I really want her to know what happened to me. What he did. What I've become. "Not here. Not now." I say, maybe a hint of my secret sorrow in my voice.
My hand is on the table, it trembles slightly. She unexpectedly covers it with her own. "When and where?" I bow my head a little. She'd understand, my sorrow.
A little while later the sky is darkening. We stand in the middle of a giant forest. "...I'll tell you." I look up at the various stars that divide us from the tier above. They twinkle and flare occasionally.
The next time I open my mouth is the defining moment. I'm starting to open up. "I joined a guild." Is how I start. I tell her a brief account of who we were.
She'd find out the rest. "Diana from the attack on Eld was the leader. That was my first mistake." I clench my hand into a fist.
"We were just doing a routine scouting ahead of the guild. It wasn't suppose to end the way it did." I take a deep shuddering breath.
"When we descended we found that the entire area was an arena for the mini-boss. Eld was there. He...incapacitated me." I don't know if my voice can stay steady.
I describe what happens. How they die. First Laura, then Burt. "To top it off Eld gave me an offer. One that I couldn't refuse. The price," You know what my price is. I knew it.
I knew what he wanted. "That's how I killed my friends. That's how I murdered them." If I had only fought harder, faster, I would have saved them. Saved them all.
I gripped my sword. It was a small comfort. Its the only comfort. I wonder how it would feel to have my life shaved off by it. To know that I lost the game to my own sword. Would it hurt, or sting. Or would I be relieved. A sudden feeling of joy as I gave up this fight. I wouldn't find out yet. I needed to take as much of the weight off the others before I died. "Leave..." I walk towards the deep of the forest. "Now." I unsheathe my sword as I dash into the heart of danger. Things attacked me. Latched onto my back. Bit into me. Nothing took the edge off my sorrow. Nothing.
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I approached the boss room. It was just down the corridor. One step. Now another. I lurched one way then another. I saw the clearers ahead. E-stone saw me and shook his head. I fell to my hands and knees a few feet further. The pain was beyond me. I might die here. I might actually die. The sound of crashing, of death urged me on.
Laura...Burt...John. They egged me on.
Telling me to battle, to kill. A far away voice called to me. "...Why...do you...do it?" I smile, despite everything.
I stare at the boss door. "Its because I have to." I stand.
My hand on my sword. The clearers look hard at me as I walk down the aisle they made. I stop next to E-stone. We face opposite directions. "Do I still fight with everything and everyone?" I ask him before continuing.
The door was within reach. The pain threatened to floor me. I took two lurching steps to get to the door. One push, that's all that's left. I reach for the dark door.
"I'm proud." That voice sends icy needles up and down my spine.
I turn in a daze. The clearers are drawing their weapons. Its him. Its the devil. Its God. "Eld." I say a bit hollow.
Suddenly all the pressure is off my body. He looks at me with his white smile. His smile of pure gluttonous pleasure. "I'm very proud. My successor is not going to be a slouch." I draw my sword.
"What are you doing here?" E-stone called out.
"Naturally I came to observe my successor." He took a step towards us, no, towards me.
"Sol." He extends his hand, palm up.
I step away from the clearers. Towards Eld. "Its been a while." I say as we close the twenty feet distance between us.
"I haven't seen you since that time on the twenty-second tier." I saw red for a heartbeat.
My sword came down, right for his head. His knife blocked, sparks flew off the two. "Not since we killed on the twenty-second floor." I was briefly surprise that we didn't die right there.
The sheer killing intents coming from the both of us was making the air thick, a metallic stench filled my nose. "ELD!" I kicked him back.
"Haha haha haha!" He stepped back as I hacked and stabbed at him. "ELD!"
I slashed down from his collarbone to his left thigh. The damage light flew off him and splattered on me, almost like blood.
He still continued to laugh. "SOL!"
He dropped to one knee and stabbed into my foot. I raised my sword to behead him, just as he leapt up. I took two or three shaky steps back as the slash went from my foot to my neck.
"AHHHHHH!" I charged forward.
We weren't Sol and Eld anymore. We were more like gods in the machine, trying to get the better of the other. Or rather animals trying to get supremacy over the other. I saw his smile again, amidst the red light and sparks. My free hand shot up. We stopped. I was stopping his knife in my left hand, he was stopping my sword with his hand. For an instant I saw something look back at me from my reflection off Eld's knife. The Angel was smiling and laughing. From my sword I saw Cooper's reflection shake his head.
"THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR!" Eld yelled as he tore his knife from my hands.
I was so shocked I was frozen. He shouldered me back and unleashed a flurry of stabs. My chest became one big red light from the sheer number of blows. I slid back a few feet.
This is what I wanted. The KILLL! I wanted to tell the Angel to go to hell.
Eld lunged at me, his knife glowing. This would kill me. Kill me...Was I at peace with that. Was that the ultimate atonement for what happened to Laura, Burt, and John. It might be. I closed my eyes.
And I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I used Sky Dance to match Eld blow for blow. He used the the seven consecutive hit special for knives, Anarchy. Our first two slashes met, two horizontals matching two diagonals. I saw his knife coming back around as I continued Sky Dance. Two vertical slashes from Eld followed by two thrusts that barely matched the final corkscrewing slashes. I rise in the air as Eld crouches low to the ground. He jumps up with a vicious slice as I bring my blade down. Red light geysered from us. But he was done, seven hits versus nine. I smile. This fight is mine. I stand and bring my blade up into Eld's collarbone, almost cleaving him in two. I pull back and ready the thrust. He's still paused for a few more seconds.
"HAAAAAAA!" I stab into his chest with as much power as I could muster.
The impact sends him flying almost ten feet back. I huff. My action pause wears off as Eld kneels. "That was perfect." He says as he stands.
Our health bars are in the red. We can't take much more of this abuse, one of us will die first. "I'd expect nothing less from my successor. Tell me Sol." He cracks his knuckles as he approaches me again.
"Will you lead my Abyss? Will you kill for me?" My anger flashed bright hot inside of me. I was going to have his head on a pike.
"I'll take great pleasure in decapitating you." I say as I ready my sword again.
"Sol." I hear a voice behind me. Its E-stone. "Don't interfere." I call over my shoulder.
This was going to end here and now. I stand less than three feet away from Eld. Our health bars had climbed to where they were barely yellow. "But do you know what the difference between us is?" Eld asks me.
"One of us is a dead man walking while the other will live on." Our eyes are locked and he then spoke to me.
"No. That's not it at all." In a flash our blades meet again.
But something is different. "YOU FORGET YOUR FIGHTING GOD!" He yells at my face. I realize it.
He's over powering me. He forces my blade up and wraps his arms around my middle. He lifts me up into the air and begins running. "GRRRRRAAAAAAA!" The nonsensical yell from Eld was greeted by the shuffling of feet and armor rustling. He slammed me hard into the doors and forced them open.
I was winded in between the outside and inside of the boss room. "Lord Eld!" I glance briefly behind me. Eld's guild is inside the room.
Their numbers are a smaller but they are here. All thirty something, with the boss fighting at the very back of the room. With that I'm knocked fully into the boss room. Eld is ready to kill. "Forward!" E-stone yells.
His guild mates, ten of them, form up and rush in behind us. "COME ON!" Set yells at his twenty. Then the rest follow.
"My Abyss! To slaughter!" Then the most destructive thing happened. A boss fight and a war between players. It would be a massacre.
I grit my teeth and lunge once more at Eld. He punches me hard and we continue our duel. We circle around each other for a minute before lashing out. Eld grabbed a nearby clearer and hurled him at me. I rolled away and blocked a downward slash from Eld. "This is what I want. For you to see what you can become. What you can lead!" I feel fear rising in me again.
I see players I've known since the beginning getting close to death. I saw Eld's murderers rushing them. They had done some serious level grinding. Their ferocity and even level was moving things in their favor despite the number disadvantage. The clearers were still fresh and there were nearly twice if not three times as many of them.
"FIGHT!" Eld yelled.
I pushed him back and looked around once more. There wasn't going to be a good ending to this. Its going to be like that time all over again. I could already feel the system ready to kill us as soon as our avatars became shattered data. I grimace.
Eld kicks me down. "Turning your back on the enemy. Are you that cocky?" He asks as I see his knife begin to glow.
I grab a gem from a pouch and use it to replenish my health. But behind Eld I see something that drained me of my vitality. It was Red. Her trademark cloak between three players. Blue was being extra cruel in his attacks. With his shield he forced her onto her knees, he shifted out with a great-sword user who raised his sword. Her health wouldn't take the blow. "..." The sound of crashing filled my mind.
Its the same all over again. I am going to watch and let someone die in front of me, again.
"NNNOO!" I rushed past Eld as his knife barely missed me.
I came from their flank so Blue couldn't see me coming as I aimed at his partner. I used Shatter on his exposed flank and sent him skidding, right under the boss's foot. There was a crash as the player died. Blue didn't miss a beat. He shoved me back with his shield as I defended Red. I grabbed onto his shield and locked with him. As we tried to force the other to submit I could see more PKers rushing towards us. I used Ram to knock Blue back as they came.
"Stay back!" I parry a cutlass.
I shove him back and stab into his gut with Lunula. He dropped to the floor with one arm gone. A spear user came in over him and stabbed me in my chest. Lifting me up in the process I watched the fighting progress.
"HAAAAA!" I slice off the head of the spear with Crescent.
I drop to my knees as the player falls back. Part of his weapon is still lodged in my chest. I pull it out and throw it before it breaks apart. He stumbles as it cuts his leg at the knee. I close the distance. Eld rushes in and covers the PKer's retreat.
"NOW! Fall back!" I see multiple lights as they all teleport away.
Eld smiles as he leaps back and gets out a gem. I try to get at him but he escapes. "Wha––" The boss is in front of me. He did it intentionally.
This was the situation he wanted to create. I turned around. "RU–" The spear of the boss comes through me and strikes the floor.
I'm stunned as I'm hefted into the air. With a forceful swing I'm off the spear and spinning through the air. I flop like a ragdoll upon impact. My body bent in an odd position, my sword clatters a few feet away from me.
"Ah..." My health is red.
I'm done for. I can't even move anymore. "SOL!" Someone yells.
But the rest of what they say is drowned out by the roars of the boss. I guess I was whittled down and broken by Eld. He won. This is it. I crawl and grab my sword. With much pain I stand. Turning I see the clearers scrambling to form up as the boss howls. The last thing I see, before the light blinds me, is a red hood bobbing amongst the clearers.
"HAAAAA!" My sword glows as I charge. I'd buy them time at the very least. As Sky Dance started the light from the sword blinded me. I gradually lost my hearing and then it was dark.
Why...Why...The constant echoes. Who were they. I can vaguely see shapes. Then I see them.
"LAURA!" I run forward.
The thick fog trying to drag me back. "BURT! JOHN!" They're right here.
I can get to them now. I can be forgiven. "Please!" The fog grows thicker and they grow more obscure. "NO!" I fight and struggle.
The black lines at the edge of my vision spread towards them. I'll save them. This time I will! I reach forward as Laura extends her hand.
The fog is lifted. I see only white emptiness in all directions. Laura is sobbing into my shoulder. I have her in a hug. I did it...I saved her. I saved them. Burt and John were sitting at the edges of my vision. I feel tears come down my face in warm streams.
"I–I'm sorry." I say as Laura sobs harder.
I don't know how long I spend like this. I could have cared less. They're safe and their back. "I'm sorry." I say again. My voice pained and quiet.
"I'm so sorry." I want to fall to my knees and sob with her. Then its like we switched roles. I'm sobbing as Laura keeps me anchored. Keeping me here.
"Its okay." I hear in between my own pained cries.
She pats my back as I sob. "Its all okay." I can't see anymore.
My tears are coming to fast. "We forgive you." I freeze.
A sudden sense of relief filling me from head to toe. "Eh..." She squeezes me a bit.
"Its okay. Because we forgive you," Burt and John start to walk away.
"For killing us." She let's go of me. And it feels like I'm pushing her back.
The knife in my hand piercing her heart. "We don't hate you." She says.
Her body slowly breaks apart in front of me. I'm left standing. Her light fading as were the other guys. "No. Wait!" I call out as they get more vague with each of their footsteps. "STOP!" I reach out for them.
"Ha ha ha ha." The Angel laughs behind me.
"That was marvelous kid." I scowl.
"Your dead." I start towards him and realize that I can't move.
"You did it!" He looked so happy with my face on him.
He was so happy at the slaughter. "STOP!"
"YOU KILLED!" My head felt as if someone stuck electrodes to it.
"I saw it! You knocked that guy right under the boss!" The Angel doubled over laughing.
The cracks were the largest I'd ever seen them. They nearly took up my entire vision now. "You see now. Your just like Eld. Whether its letting people die or throwing them to the wolves. You just kill. Come on! LET ME LOOSE!" I fall back.
The Angel was nothing but a monster. And I was the sword he was going to use.
In the distance my friends were just specks. My world was coming down around me. "LET ME LOOSE!" He started choking me.
"GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!" I felt nothing but pain and anguish overwhelm me.
"N–NO!" He forced me to submit. I was blacking out. If that happened It'd be my loss. For a brief moment I saw him, then I was remembering.
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"Yo, Thomas." I walk towards the cabin.
Its December. "Sorry, just had to go clear my head." Reese claps me on my back as we enter.
Its a gathering, my friends. All of them. Jane and Laura were near the fire. Mike and Jack were viewing something on their phones. Reese and I joined the poker game. I sat next to Shay and across from Shiloh. Jason and Mikayla were outside, getting the snowman ready. Sim was somewhere, hopefully not doing anything illegal with the fireworks. Burt later came along. Our parents were out in back, doing some cooking. It was Christmas eve. What better way to spend it than around a fire with friends and some pyrotechnics.
It got pretty late when Sim came in, "I've got it set up." I was a bit worried he might start a forest fire but with all this snow we should be fine.
"Come on, its about time." Mike and Jack rushed first.
We filed out in front of the cabin. Our snowman looked like it was startled. Firecrackers began at its mouth and ended around the ground. "I hope this is legal." I mutter.
Sim laughs. "Lighten up. Or better yet, just light it up." He had the matches, I got one too.
"Oh well, if this goes horrible wrong you so owe me." He stuck his tongue out at me.
He received a snowball for this. I lit the first firecracker. "LET IT FLY!" Sim yelled as he set off firework after firework.
I was impressed we didn't catch someone on fire. When the adults got out of the snow, ducking for cover, we were all scolded. But it was fun. To top it all off we started singing Christmas carols. It was a wonderful day. Especially when Jane and Laura started singing Silent Night. They had beautiful voices. Then we boys had to jump in. We made the song a hopeless mess and laughed afterwords.
It was truly a great day. "Merry Christmas." We yelled as we began our snowball war.
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"No..." I gripped the Angel's wrists.
He felt cold. "No." I said with a bit more force.
I wasn't going to give in. I wasn't done fighting. "NO!" I tore his hands away from my throat and knocked him back.
He had a bleeding nose now. "THAT's IT!" He lunged at me. We wrestled around. Finally we stopped as we both tried to strangle the other. I was going to murder him.
I tightened my grip around his neck and ignored the burning pain in my lungs. This ends now. But then, it just ended. Cooper put his hands on us and pushed us apart. "That's not like you." He said.
I blinked. He was right. "SHUT IT!" The Angel lunged at him.
Cooper was down. The Angel on top. "Stop interfering!"
I saw Cooper's head turn sharply with a crack. I was blind for a handful of moments. "YOU BASTARD!" I was going to get my revenge. Cooper, he didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to die. He didn't.
I smashed my knuckles hard into the Angel's face. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"
I saw the Angel grin, blood pouring from his nose. "I'm Sol, who the fuck are you?"
We switched positions, he pummeled me. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!" I saw stars cover my vision.
The pain is immense. "That's not like you." Cooper pushed us apart.
"STOP!" The Angel yelled. He was almost frothing at the mouth. "STOP!" He got onto his hands and knees. Blood dripped to the ground. Again he attacked Cooper. The Angel was choking him. Cooper just looked at him, sad. "Its not like you." He said and calmly grabbed the Angel's arms. Then I saw them. Tears.
"STOP!" I start.
Panic filled my mind. Don't kill them. Not them. I breathed rapidly. My lungs burned. Tears kept streaming down my face. "NO!" I covered my face with my hands.
"DON'T DO IT!" Eld did it. He killed.
The hands shaking me, I ignored. The voice calling my name, I repressed. "STOP!" My body shook.
The images of shattering and screams of the dead haunted me. "Stop...stop...stop it..." Someone embraced me.
I started to feel warmth again. "Stop..stop it...please..." The images slowly faded to black.
The dead stopped dying. The screams froze in their throats. "Stop..." I slumped forward, the person supported me. "Its...okay..." I heard the voice, vague and distant.
"Its okay...Its okay." Someone, someone was actually comforting a bastard like me. I couldn't stop the tears. "Its okay. Its okay." I hugged the person.
Partly because I hoped it was someone who I missed. Partly to make sure the person was real. "Sol..." For the longest time I just kept myself in that position.
The images were nothing but dark now. Gone completely from my mind. We parted. Red looked me in the eyes, she looked like she had been crying as well. "Its okay." She said that for what must have been the umpteenth time now.
I nod. Oddly at peace. Then my exhaustion came at me, it blindsided me. I felt dizzy and I started to get double vision. The cringing pain in my gut helped to effectively knock me out.
This time I slept, calmly and fully. I recovered. The mind has its ways of keepings itself intact after massive trauma. I slept, and while I slept I healed. Nothing solid. Just scar tissue to keep from looking at it. If I prodded enough the wound would bleed and burst open. My pain would come back and I would sink back into this state. But the thing was, I wasn't going to prod it. I was going to let it sit and mend. Let it lose a bit of its sting. Its like a poison that needs to ferment and work itself into a harmless state. Or semi-harmless. I don't know how long I slept. Or how many times I woke up screaming and sobbing. But I do know this. Eld had broken me. I was now something held together by strings. He did it. He beat me. For now. Let him laugh, I'll have him soon. Then I'll tear my wound wide open and let loose all that pain on him. I don't care if that just brought me to his level, I wanted to get even. And as a human being, getting even is a part of life.