Chapter XI, Arena: The End is Nigh
- Six Feet Under -
The Twenty Fifth Hunger Games
In the depths of the darkened night, at the very far end of the village where a bell tower stood tall, the sky lit up in a flurry of hot, arctic white suddenly.
It roared and crackled as timber bowed beneath the sheer force of the flames. The almighty crash was deafening to the few remaining tributes alive to witness it. Cosette only barely heard the noise, a whisper on the wind as she continued her chant.
The ground beneath her feet was cracked, swelling with heat from under the crust. Her skin was shattering, leaving thick, black lines across her face and neck, blood pouring from the crevices it made in her body as it violently pulsated.
Limos. Recant my sins.
Limos. Bury those who betray you.
Limos. Save… me.
Something akin to darkness played at Isla's eyes as, somehow, she took another breath that filled her lungs with smoke and soot. Her vision was fragmented as pain swathed every inch of her body, twisting at her insides and making her lungs tighten to the point she felt like she was suffocating on her own tongue.
All around her, the brightness of the fire burned. It ate away at the wooden structure, licking up the fragile walls and tearing them down with ease. Somewhere in the distance, Isla heard a crash, muted by the blood that filled her ears.
She twisted on the floor, writhing in pain. Ares' name was caught in her throat.
Did Ares set the building on fire? Isla struggled to make sense of what happened. Did she… explode?
It had felt like a hammer bearing down on them. In the blink of an eye, the explosion of white blinded Isla as the fire roared, immediately tumbling the more weaker parts of the building. She felt the floor go out from underneath. She remembered everything going dark, chasing away the light.
She blinked as much of the stars from her eyes as possible, straining to see through the billows of dark smoke that wafted from the whiteness. She writhed on the floor again, hands slick on her own blood…
Isla's shaky hands reached down for her stomach, squeezing to stop the torrent of blood that spilled through the horrible gash.
Her body was weak. She was so tired that sleep was creeping up on her.
Don't close your eyes again. Don't do it. Fight it, Isla… fight it with all you have. Her will to survive allowed her enough strength to drag herself forward with one bloodied hand digging into the debris-ridden floor.
Keep going.
Don't give up.
Isla wheezed, leaving behind a trail of blood as she made it across the small room to a door hanging lamely from the hinges. White flames ate away at the wall to her right, chasing the timbers that adorned the fanciful ceilings.
The heat was unbearable, boring down on Isla's struggling body.
She made it just outside of the doorway as the darkness crept upon her, grinding her to a halt as her eyes slipped shut.
"Amryn, you didn't eat your vegetables."
"Oh, I— uh, I wasn't hungry—"
"Did you not thank Limos well enough?"
"No, I—I mean yes, I did, I just—"
"You didn't, Amryn. If you did… you wouldn't be so ungrateful."
Amryn stirred on the floor, eyes fluttering open to the wafts of thick, black smoke around her. Excruciating pain chased up her legs and lower back, sharp daggers that caused her body to shudder. She drifted in and out of consciousness as the white fire gently closed in around her.
"You chose to not believe!"
"I do!"
"No, you don't!"
"I think I do! I… I don't know. I don't know—"
The next time Amryn woke up, she could feel the extraordinary heat nipping at her neck and face, seeping into her skin until it warmed. All around her, the fire never eased. Loud crashes and almighty bangs echoed in the distance, deafened by her sleep that continued to pull her in.
"You're only deserving of what you put out into the world, Amryn."
"I'm trying my best…"
"Your decision to forsake her is why you are so easily led by your cowardice."
"No! I'm trying to be a good person!"
"But are you a good person, Amryn?"
Amryn woke up for the final time with a gasp, hot air filling her lungs until she spluttered, choking back to life. Her surroundings quickly assaulted her eyes as she dragged herself to her feet, nausea causing her to stagger to the wall for support. The room span as Amryn tried to reclaim the lost time.
She vaguely remembered Isla and Ares… oh no.
Guilt quickly took root as Amryn staggered forward, muscles wrecked. She was a coward. She knew it. She knew it because she chose to hide away at the back of her mind and allow the power — the Limos-awful, horrendous power — to take over, as if she was possessed. Her eyes would turn red and Amryn would hide in her memories, barely witnessing the atrocities that her body committed for her.
Not any more. Amryn had to live with it.
The gaping hole in the floor was a pit full of smoke. She leaned over, charred hand cradled against the pain in her chest.
"Ares?! Isla!?"
There was no response. She squinted, attempting her best to see anything, but the billowing smoke hid everything. Amryn jumped back in time as something yawned above her. A large chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, splintering the floor even further.
That's when she heard the faint shriek below.
"Ares!? Isla?!"
"Amryn!" It was Ares. "Amryn! I— I didn't mean to do this—"
The fire continued to rage on around Amryn. It seemed to never end; even as walls fell, floors collapsed, ceilings broke apart. Little by little, the building was tumbling down, blistering white flames that burned so brilliantly hot.
"I'll come down to you!" Amryn shouted, voice masked by the crackling.
Her eyes twitched red, body jerking, but she held firm, squeezing her fists so hard until they ached. She refused to hide any more. She had to amend what she had broken. She staggered back out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Waves of white fire rolled along the ceiling above, chipping at it slowly. Her body continued to jerk as the power slowly tried to take over.
Chunks of flesh peeled away painlessly, charred messes. She dug deep — even when the fear consumed every thought in her head. She focused on Ares, on Isla, on her allies that she had worked so hard to get so far with.
Her head screeched. Amryn screamed — so gut-wrenchingly deep that, when her red eyes reappeared and her consciousness was forced to the dark corner of her mind, her body almost collapsed to the floor.
Instead, however, Amryn walked on, head held high as blood began to drip from her palm once more.
Unable to see the smoke, Ares scrambled haphazardly over the furniture and broken pieces of foundation, desperate to find a way out of the small room she had found herself in.
"Isla!" Ares screamed into the wall of grey, "Isla! If you can hear me, say something!"
She was so sure that she fell with Isla. Even before the cataclysmic explosion, she was so close to Isla's body that it felt almost impossible. Ares almost believed that Isla was in the room, buried beneath the rubble, but every effort to search for her was in vain. She could only hope that Isla got out — or found safety, somehow, no matter how much of a stretch it seemed.
At least Amryn is coming, Ares clung to hopefully, even if the circumstances had changed so dramatically so quickly.
It didn't matter. Ares knew it was naive but the important part was that Amryn was still Amryn beneath the chaos and horror that she seemed to get sucked into.
Ares pulled herself over the obstacles in her way, determination coursing through her veins as hard as her adrenaline. She fumbled against the wall, feeling the heat from the other side of it. It didn't burn — it radiated into her skin until her fingers found the door, half-bowed open by the destruction.
Ares surged on out into another hallway, vaguely realising it was still a floor lower to where they were. The smoke was thick — dark clouds that clogged the air, causing Ares to splutter, shielding her eyes from the painful smog.
"Isla!" Ares shouted again.
No response.
"Isla! Please!"
She stumbled forwards, moving as quickly as her feet could carry her, pain spiking in her ankle. Every step was pure agony but her adrenaline somehow masked the worst of it… just enough for Ares to find the spiral staircase, collapsing into the metal railings.
A shadow cast over her as Amryn descended from above, blood eerily splashing against the steps.
"Amryn?" Ares looked up, straining. Fire rolled from behind Amryn's head, chewing away at the ceiling. But her crimson eyes somehow struck through the smog. "No…"
Amryn silently kicked out with her boot. Ares tried her best to move in time as the toecap collided into her shoulder, spinning her to her side as she fell hard against the steps. Her body wept from the exhaustion as she tried to gather her bearings on the carpet, gasping for air.
"Please…" Ares begged, trying so hard to not crumble, "Amryn, please!"
Amryn didn't answer, even as Ares stood up to face her.
"I'm begging you…" Ares wheezed, "You don't… have to do this. You can fight this!"
Amryn's body shuddered, eyes flickering. "I can't… stop it any more…"
Ares moved to meet her, not caring at how dangerous Amryn truly was. She held onto her ally's shoulders, steeling her gaze upon Amryn's terrified eyes, masqueraded by the smoke.
"You are strong," Ares whispered, "You are so incredibly strong! You saved me when nobody else would! Without you… I wouldn't be here."
"Ares…" Amryn's voice was but a whisper, broken and scared, "I…"
"I believe in you," Ares encouraged her.
"Ares— I can't—"
"—You can."
Somewhere behind them, the ceiling caved in, sending a wall of heat crashing into Ares' back. The building seemed to yawn as the floor shook beneath their feet. Ares tried to hold onto Amryn for support but the quake split them apart. Ares stumbled back, ankle giving out underneath her. She cried out in pain as she hit the carpet, looking back up at Amryn.
Amryn shuddered, "Ares… please, you need to get out—"
"I'm not leaving you," Ares replied, grit in her voice.
Amryn's eyes flickered red again. Only this time, the blood was no longer a drip — the torrent rushed from the open wound on her wrist, coiling akin to a snake, shaping into the formidable sword once more.
Amryn was gone. She was too far gone to save.
And somehow, Ares refused to give up on her still, even as tears pricked at her eyes.
In a flash of white, the fire broke through the floor above, sending chunks crashing into the floor around them. The whipped-up smoke only blinded Ares until all she saw was two red eyes, a flurry of the red sword, before it was driven straight through her lower gut.
No! Not any more!
Amryn forged ahead through the darkness in her mind, hearing the faintest of screams beckoning her. She wouldn't hide any longer. She would face her fears, her actions, and live with it all.
No!
Amryn fell to her knees as her vision came around. The bloodied sword melted into nothing, puddling on the floor around them both. Amryn forced herself to look up at Ares, squirming and crying on the floor, clutching at the hole in her gut as it poured with blood.
"I'm… so sorry…" Amryn couldn't stop herself from crying. The shame and guilt and fear overwhelmed every sense in her body until tears streamed down her face.
"It's— okay," Ares gasped.
It wasn't. Amryn knew that Ares was just a better person than she was. She was so kind and helpful and good, all of the things that Amryn shied from out of fear.
That was her life. Fear. Fear of the unknown, of the religion she was born into, of the same religion that was taboo. Fear of her actions, their consequences, her morality shrinking with every deed that she crumbled.
The fear of dying. The fear of surviving.
The fire continued to burn bright around them, slowly drawing in. Behind Amryn, the muted fall of the staircase sealed their fate as it careened through pillars and structures, crashing somewhere way below them.
The floor shook again. It wasn't going to hold much longer. Over Ares' body — writhing in pain, pooling in its own blood — the fire chewed away at the floor.
"I—I'm so s—sorry," Amryn cried.
Ares reached out with a trembling hand. Amryn hesitantly reached for it, grasping as Ares, with the last bit of her strength, pulled her in.
"Please— you— can live—" Ares choked, mouth filling with blood, "Live— Amryn— please."
Amryn didn't know if she wanted to any more.
The fear of dying. The fear of surviving…
With both of her hands, Amryn held Ares', body silently shaking with every sob. In the recesses of her mind, Amryn's safe space began to crumble, exposing her to all that she had done.
"Can I pray with you?"
Ares choked on her own cry, blood pouring down her chin as she nodded. Amryn squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her chest rise and fall, acutely feeling Ares' heartbeat in her weakening grasp.
"Limos…" Amryn began, "Please deliver us to your kingdom of light."
The tower way above the building trembled as the bricks shattered. The large, brass bell came crashing down into the arena, ringing out one final time as it split the earth and fell into the sunken cavern below.
"Guide us away from our sins and into your arms."
The fire blazed. Holy white flames that destroyed everything it touched. Never ceasing, never ending, burning without fault. It raged through the upper floors, rolling along the wood until everything was cinders.
"Protect us from the evil that haunts us. Save us from the evil that dares to taint us."
Amryn felt the flames on her skin. Her body violently spasmed as they tongued their way across her flesh, igniting her clothes. Once more, she retreated to the safe space in her head, away from the violence and pain she had known. It was comforting and warm — as the white fire devoured her broken body.
"Limos… am I evil?"
Amryn vaguely heard herself scream. It was distant — a memory of time that she longed to forget.
"Limos… am I evil?"
Her blackened body pitched over onto the carpet as her hand finally slipped from Ares' frail hold.
The white fire never ceased to burn. Even as Amryn's skin darkened to dust, drying out the tears that wept for freedom.
The distant roar of the fire finally stirred Isla awake once more. She wheezed, her lungs evaporated of oxygen. Her eyes strained to find where she was as her hands desperately dragged the dead weight of her body further out into the hallway.
Above her, the ceiling was no more — an endless pit of white fire that sneered, rolling down to taste her.
I have to keep going… In the dark recesses of her mind, Isla couldn't give up.
She had come so far. She had worked so hard to survive.
Tears began to blur the smoke from her eyes.
She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die…
"Isla… please stop."
Cal was nearby once more. Even amongst the chaos that deafened her hearing, she could always hear him. A never-ending voice that promised help but only delivered sadness. A constant reminder of what Isla had lost.
I won't give up, Isla reaffirmed. I can't just give up… I have to live, Cal. For me. For you.
"There's no escape."
I will find a way to escape. Isla vaguely felt the carpet beneath her clawing hands. She had to dig deep to keep going, even as blood continued to leak from her wounds. A trail of dark red followed the broken girl as she steadily pulled herself through the falling structure.
"The building is going to come down soon," Cal continued, "You need to rest."
Blackness swarmed at the edges of her vision. Sleep meant giving up. Sleep meant… dying. Isla couldn't. She wouldn't. Even with her strength waning, Isla was fed up of allowing the bad things to happen to her silently.
She was angry that Cal was killed. She was angry that Amryn put them all in danger by bringing Ares and the monster to them. She was angry at her Father for dying. She was angry at her Mother for abandoning her to hide in religion.
She was angry at herself for not doing more.
"Isla…"
She could see him clearly now. His face was no longer smudged away like a horrific painting — it held kindness and warmth and so, so much clarity. Every detail from the sparkle in his eyes to the way his smile eased every concern in Isla's chest.
All around her, the fire descended down the walls, igniting them in white, snaking its way along the carpet.
"Isla…" Cal sounded soft and tender. It somehow washed away the pain that crippled her. "It's time, Isla. You don't have to fight it any more."
I don't want to give up… Isla cried.
"Choosing not to fight is not giving up. It's about not hurting yourself any more."
Unbeknownst to Isla, somewhere up ahead, the charred corpse of Amryn lay beside Ares, still. Her body radiated heat. Walls of heat and white fire pulsated around her, swooping out in an arch of destruction.
"Take it," Cal held out his hand. "Don't hurt yourself any more."
Isla reached up to accept it as a blast of fire obliterated Cal's illusion.
There was no pain. No tears of sadness or fear. Further back, in the doorway of the room, Isla laid in a pool of her blood, already gone as the white fire began to consume her flesh.
Peering out of the window, Sanjay stared nervously at the unusual fire that tore through the building in the distance. His breath hitched in his throat as it toppled to the ground in an explosion of smoke and embers.
"Do you see it?"
Sanjay flickered his gaze between the destruction before him and the door where Rafe's voice beckoned. He pulled himself away to meet the conversation.
"I do," Sanjay was unable to hide the nervous jitter in his voice. The fire — as white as the snow that plagued the arena — was otherworldly.
There was silence until Sanjay heard Rafe wheeze, hand hitting the door from the other side as he most likely stumbled over. Sanjay frowned, surprisingly concerned for the boy who he barely knew.
"Can I ask what happened? I heard a lot of— well, a lot of fighting. You don't sound too good, either."
Rafe's dry laugh made Sanjay all the more concerned, "You should see the other guy."
"Who was it?"
There was a pause again. "Odell from Seven."
A rush of relief that Sanjay didn't know he was holding onto flushed through his body. He keeled over, holding onto his knees as he exhaled sharply.
It felt awful to admit that he was almost glad that Odell had died. Nobody deserved death. Not even the most heinous of people. And yet, somehow, Sanjay was silently, unknowingly thankful that Ludwin's killer met his comeuppance.
It was an unnerving feeling — one Sanjay didn't like sitting on.
"Oh," Sanjay mustered up.
"Yeah, oh," Rafe replied, "Niobe just wanted me to come and check on you. Make sure that you hadn't starved in the hour since she was up here."
Sanjay smiled shyly, "You both are really good people, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm working on it."
"Any chance of me being let out yet?" Sanjay bartered, "We're so close to the end and I just—"
"—Soon."
Sanjay didn't want to push it. After all, he was on the backfoot already. The District Ten pair held all of the cards and, to escape without harm on either side, Sanjay knew he had to, for the most part, just be as obliging as always. He nodded as the arena violently shook, rocking the house.
"Is that a tremor?" Sanjay asked, but Rafe's distancing footsteps was his only response.
"You're so close to the end, Laz. So very close."
Lazarus' empty eyes stared ahead at the wall as the ground continued to tremble, shaking down the house. In the kitchen, pots and pans tumbled from the cupboards, a large wardrobe pitching over upstairs and creating an almighty bang that didn't faze him at all.
"We'll never leave you."
A single tear slipped down Lazarus' face as he tried to smile — a broken, ghostly reflection of what once was. And even though he found comfort in the presence of his 'allies', he couldn't bear to look at either of them.
They were changing.
Awful chunks of flesh missing from Alanis' face. Vendelin's milky skin peeling away in rotted clumps. The vile stench that permeated the forgotten home.
Lazarus shivered, "There can't be many tributes left."
"You'll have to find them and kill them."
"No," Lazarus exhaled shakily, turning to spare a glance at Alanis, "You would never say that. Why are you saying that?"
"Because we can only live if you do, Laz."
Lazarus snapped his gaze to Vendelin, "N—No. I… I can't hurt anyone else. I… can't."
His eyes trembled black. He had done it before, twice — to the two closest people he had — but that was through mercy. If Lazarus hadn't had ended their lives, then they'd be corpses on the ground. He saved them. He kept them with him.
Lazarus wrapped his arms around his body as he shook, "I can't do this… I can't do this alone. I need you both."
Instinctively, Vendelin and Alanis moved to their maker, pressing their rotted bodies against Lazarus on either side. There was no warmth from their skin. No comfort or sense of relief. It was cold and slimy and Lazarus couldn't help but cry as his creatures pushed in close, coddling him.
He couldn't dismiss it any longer.
He didn't regret what he did — he just regretted that it happened at all.
Niobe stared down at her trembling hands, dirtied red from Odell's blood.
It had all happened so fast. A blur of adrenaline and panic that made her body react, even as her mind shut down, distancing herself from the harm she was about to inflict. The feel of steel as she found the abandoned knife. The surprising amount of strength it took to pierce Odell's skin.
As she heard Rafe descend the stairs, she stuffed her hands into her pocket, protecting him.
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine. As snug as a bug," Rafe answered.
Niobe knew Sanjay would be safe. It was more to confirm that the pair of them were alive. And, if she was more accepting of her tactical side, to show that they were a force capable of doing what they needed to when threatened.
"Good— that's good."
Niobe's eyes, however, couldn't shy away from the blood-stained floorboards. Even though they had dragged Odell's body into the kitchen, it changed almost nothing.
It would never change anything for Niobe again.
If I didn't kill him, Rafe would be dead. I did it to survive. I did it to save him… to save us, Niobe rationalised with herself. I had to do it. I had no other choice.
The ugly bruise around Rafe's neck stole her gaze whenever she looked at him. A horrific reminder of how close they had gotten to death by being so idle. Her body was covered in sweltering marks and cuts, the pain only a nuisance as opposed to crippling.
Some people just weren't as lucky.
"Stop it," Rafe snapped her from her head. She stared at him, feeling the tears welling in her eyes as she blinked.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked away, "Sorry…"
"You don't have to apologise to him. You don't even have to apologise to Odell since he all but forced your hand," Rafe said softly, "You only have to forgive yourself, Niobe."
It was a foreign concept. Niobe had always been more apologetic and sensitive and, mostly, it worked against her than for her. She was too soft, too helpful, too understanding. People often took advantage of it.
"I can't…"
"You can," Rafe was firmer, "You did what you had to."
There was a pause. The weight of the world fell onto Niobe's shoulders, crushing her chest.
"I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you," Rafe's voice broke. Niobe looked up immediately, reddened eyes filled with tears, as she scoped Rafe's expression that simply crumbled before her gaze. "I— I almost died and— and—"
Niobe threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into her embrace. There was nothing left to say as Rafe broke down, sobbing, his body rising and falling sporadically in Niobe's hold. She rubbed a circle on his back, silently crying herself.
"It's— okay, it's okay," Niobe soothed.
After what felt like forever, Rafe calmed down, pulling himself up. His puffy, tear-streaked face looked so remarkably different to the boy that held his ground, as stubborn as a mule. Niobe finally saw his vulnerability that he had clearly tried so hard to hide.
"What now?" Rafe croaked, throat broken.
Niobe breathed shakily, "We have to plan."
"Plan what?"
Niobe quietly climbed up and headed upstairs. She spent all of five seconds outside of the door before she unlocked it, pushing it open. Sanjay was sitting against the bed, head between his legs, dejected. He looked up, eyebrows furrowed.
"Am I being let go?"
Niobe steadied her voice, "We have a proposition for you."
The end was nigh.
There is no saving anyone, Cosette had come to her conclusion. Limos requires blood… and blood I shall spill.
Throughout the homes that held the remaining tributes, they were blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. Tremors plagued the village until Cosette fell to her knees, mouth eternally pulled open, a scream so gut-wrenching that it permeated the coldness around her.
A sharp ripple zigzagged from beneath Cosette's body, aiming for the far house at the end. It shot up through the foundation and walls mercilessly until the building imploded into smithereens.
Recant me of my sins.
Another ripple brought down the house next to it in a cataclysmic explosion.
Bury those who betray you.
The next house fell as Cosette's innate, divine power ceased to bring about the end, permitting no life to exist beyond herself.
Limos… do you hear me?
The end is nigh.
She had no idea where she was. Not a single clue into how she was still alive.
But somehow, Ares' feet dragged her crippled body through the inferno, beyond the wreckage, until she fell down to her knees in the snow. She watched through hazy, bloodied eyes as houses began to fall around her, crashing into the ground in mighty explosions of sound.
She wheezed, taking a breath. Her charred lungs struggled to accept the oxygen. Her entire body was blackened to a crisp. Her fiery, red mane ceased to exist. Her eyes — blistering red and filled with smoke — flickered around the ruins of the arena as it began to crumble.
Behind her, the building continued to burn. The noise was deafening.
Ares found comfort in the muted silence. Her body swayed back and forth, teetering beyond life and death. She could feel the coldness of the snow easing her tortured flesh.
Where did it all go wrong?
I… I had tried so hard to make amends.
Tears welled in her eyes, streaming silently down the volcanic, charcoaled masses that once were her cheeks.
Tay was dead. Eustolia was dead. Cal was dead. Amryn was dead. Isla was dead.
Everyone that Ares had wanted to save — had wanted to help and protect and care for — had perished, orchestrated unintentionally by her own hands. Her body began to spasm and tremble as her organs slowly failed. Her mouth gasped uselessly for air as she pitched over, landing in the cushion of snow.
Limos, what did I do wrong?
The village continued to topple. Far in the distance, unbeknown to Ares, Cosette brought about the destruction.
Two different ends of the spectrum in their beliefs. Both ultimately doing what they believed was right.
Ares' eyes slipped shut as warmth embraced. Her senses tingled as the horrific greyscale of the arena evolved into pastel. When she opened her eyes again, her skin was rosy, hair glistening in the ultimate light that bathed her.
It was peaceful and serene — everything she had hoped it to be.
Limos? Ares felt her hopes rise.
You're safe, my child. You are free from pain.
Her body completely stilled as Ares finally lost her fight.
"A proposition?"
Sanjay surveyed Niobe for the first time since he was locked away. Her red-rimmed eyes and stoic, calm expression told the tale of a girl dragged through her own morals to survive. He often wondered if he'd look like that if he'd taken Odell's life instead.
"Yes," Niobe mumbled softly, "You can go but on the compromise that, if it comes down to you and I, or yourself and Rafe, that you fight fairly."
Sanjay nodded in understanding, "I wouldn't do it any other way."
"Okay," Niobe stepped to the side, "Be safe."
Even though the stakes were high, Sanjay could feel how honest she was. There was a certain level to her voice that spoke of generosity, a lifeline that Sanjay had hoped would come in one form or another.
"I appreciate your hospitality and kindness," Sanjay smiled, "You're a good person, Niobe. I don't know you very well… but it truly shows."
Sanjay scooted past Niobe and headed down the stairs. Rafe was on his feet in seconds, scrubbing at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. Sanjay smiled sadly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Rafe responded defensively.
Smiling sadly, Sanjay was so close to the door, and yet, something compelled him to answer. He turned back to Rafe who eyed him up cautiously, just as Niobe headed back down to them, pausing on the stairs.
"You both are good people," Sanjay nodded, "Not many of the others would've kept me alive for this long and treated me so well."
Neither answered, though they shared a knowing glance that Sanjay took to mean that it wasn't necessarily an easy decision for them to make. To choose between morals and survival. A decision that Sanjay knew the complexity of all too well.
"I hope that, if we meet again, we can be as cordial as this," Sanjay smiled as he opened the door, just as a colossal crash sent violent shakes through the ground. What followed could only be described as an agonisingly painful scream broke through the silence of the arena. "What was that?"
Another one. Terribly loud and close…
Sanjay was barely able to hold onto the door as the mere walls of the house they were in — bowed by time and storms — imploded inwards.
All around him, Lazarus could feel the village falling to its knees. It quaked beneath him, at the very foundation of the house, making the walls tremble in anticipation of tipping in.
Despite the fear that pulsated in his chest, both Vendelin and Alanis were stoic. Their soft, evil moans were both comforting and unnerving, something Lazarus was only half-aware of, slowly coming to terms with the fact that his friends were nothing more than monstrous puppets.
But every time he faced that fact, he found a way to avoid the full truth of it, also.
"Something bad is happening. We're not safe any more."
Lazarus' chest tightened, "I know. I— I don't know what to do, I'm not… I'm not the decision-maker of this group. It was always you two…"
"If you don't decide, we all die. You lose us once more. We die… because of you."
"No," Lazarus' head began to hurt. Rhythmic thumps that muted the sound of the buildings all beginning to fall around him. "I— I saved you both—"
"—You're the reason we are like this."
Lazarus cradled his head, "No! I… I couldn't lose you… I couldn't lose either of you…!"
The house began to violently shake as Lazarus stumbled towards the door, panicked, vaguely aware that the house could come down at any second. His hand found the handle and swung it open, the cold air hitting him like a freight train.
"You did this to us."
"You hurt us, Laz."
"You owe it to us to save us."
Lazarus' feet dragged heavily through the snow, eyes squeezed shut to protect himself from the harsh attacks against his mind. But there was no escape. Behind him, silently, the two creatures of his former friends followed him as he moved hurriedly through the square, and so did their words.
"You killed us."
"You killed us."
Lazarus stopped, turning around to face them both with wide, petrified eyes. The two creatures paused, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, Lazarus' best friends and newest enemies.
His head still hurt, but his heart hurt more. He forced himself to look at them both, truly look at them, for the first time since their ordeal began. Rotting flesh, glassy eyes, limbs awkwardly hanging without life.
He had done that to them. His hands had caused their monstrous transformations… all because he couldn't bear to let either of them go.
Tears filled his eyes again as the cold wind beat against his back. "I—I'm so— sorry," Lazarus choked, slowly falling down to his knees as he couldn't tear his gaze away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
The creatures began to move. Lazarus' eyes quivered as they silently moved either side of him and beyond.
"What are these?"
Lazarus turned at the voice, body trembling as he locked eyes with Cosette. Her fractured skin bled red and black, flesh no longer visible. Her eyes were soulless and dark. Her mouth was beginning to tear at her jaw, almost spitting her face into two halves.
She looked more like a monster than a human.
"What are these monstrosities?" Cosette asked again, guttural, gruff voice permeating through an unmoving mouth. It didn't sound like a girl. It didn't even sound human any longer.
Lazarus shuddered, "P—Please… don't hurt them…"
Vendelin and Alanis stopped just shy of Cosette's dark circle. She eyed them up and down, sensing the dark forces at play that bound their bodies to Lazarus, even in death.
Cosette fixated her gaze on Lazarus, cutting right through him. "You did this?"
Lazarus pulled himself up onto unsteady feet, "They're— my friends— please, don't—"
Once more, Lazarus retreated, unable to bear the pain of losing them again. He staggered forward with his hand raised, silently pleading with Cosette to not do it.
"They are abominations. Evil, satanic monsters."
Lazarus shook his head as he wept, "No— don't say that! They're m—my friends…! I'm begging you! Please!"
There was a pause as Cosette raised her hands deftly in the air. "You must repent your sins to Limos."
Vendelin and Alanis turned around agonisingly slow, shielding Cosette. Time seemed to freeze as Lazarus, through the tears in his eyes, saw them move upon him. He cried, stepping back, as the creatures turned on their master.
Lazarus made a poor attempt to run. Perhaps his heart wasn't in it.
Vendelin's hand wrapped around Lazarus' wrist, yanking him back hard enough that his footing went out beneath him. A shrill cry for help slipped from his lips as he hit the snow, feeling hands scratch across him.
He cried. "Stop! No, no! Ven! Alanis! Please!"
Pain exploded in his shoulder as blunt teeth tore in. It daggered up and down his chest as another set chewed through his forearm. The hands pawed at his face, his chest, his clothes, tearing them from his body as he screamed — a gut-wrenching, agonisingly painful scream — for someone to save him.
Somewhere at the back of his mind, he had made peace with his end.
He simply couldn't do it without them.
The very people he killed because he couldn't bear to lose them.
Blood pooled on the snow as Lazarus' body spasmed, jittered, slowing down as his life was eaten from him. His breaths became shallow and ragged, gasping for air, filling with blood. His glassy eyes made contact with Vendelin's face. His once beautiful, kind, awkward face… as his teeth sunk into Lazarus' cheek, and the world went black.
As a wolf signified Lazarus' death, Alanis and Vendelin's corpses were finally laid to rest, falling down alongside him. The hopeful alliance lay still, side by side, in death as in life.
Cosette watched emotionlessly as the boy went still, pooled in his own blood. His two creations — the evil, unnatural monsters — fell, abandoned puppets to their master.
Behind them, the buildings continued to topple. At the far end, the ruins of the church burned white. The dilapidated homes, one by one, fell to the ground, splinters and debris catapulting across the square.
The end was truly nigh, just as Cosette predicted.
Three more tributes await Limos' forgiveness, Cosette realised at the back of her dark, broken mind. Her body could barely hold on for much longer. She had to finish it. She had to claim the last three lives.
She waited as the dust settled on the final house. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting…
Instead of death, she was met with the shimmering purple wall of Sanjay's forcefield, protecting them all. Her fists clenched so hard that when her knuckles cracked, her bones almost snapped clean.
"Tributes!" Cosette's awful voice beckoned, "Recant your sins!"
w w w. sixfeetunderhg. weebly. c o m.
The Fallen:
8th — Amryn Delano, killed by Ares Gemal
I cannot express my absolute love for Amryn. She went down such a dark path that wasn't even villainous, despite her actions. She was created for disaster and pain, I just never expected to do it in such a way that it hurt me to kill her. She needed to die with some semblance of repentance, which tied up nicely with Ares' entire arc seeking redemption herself. I will miss her so damn much.
7th — Isla Caldero, killed by Amryn Delano
Axe! It has been wonderful to write one of your tributes. Isla was such a breath of fresh air in the story. Compared to many, she was a lot more muted, but it changed the pace and provided much needed breathing room when everyone else was just such messes all the damn time. Her relationship with Cal was so adorable and her choices between morals and survival were fun to play with. I wish I tapped into her skittish side more, but I think she fit nicely with her alliance in the end.
6th — Ares Gemal, killed by the fire (credited to herself)
Hehehe. Ares deserved better? She ended up going through the worst shit because I needed to cause her submitter so much pain. Easily one of the nicest, softest characters in this story, her entire arc was redemption and fighting for her life. Ares, for the first time ever, needed to put herself above others. She still struggled with it, even until the end. An admirable, honest end to the sweetest girl.
5th — Lazarus Mirzan, killed by Corpse!Ven and Corpse!Alanis (credited to Cosette Fabray)
Everyone assumed Lazarus was going to win, but nobody saw him being eaten by his allies. I thought the poetic justice was hard to miss up. The very people he loved, that he killed to save, became the very death of him. He went through such an angsty arc in the end. Much darker than I originally anticipated, although, the kiss helped soften the blow lots. Momo, he was precious, I hope you enjoyed your son.
Final Four! Pick your fighter!
Sanjay the Castle, Cosette the Sorceress, Rafe the Matador, Niobe the Thief.
We simply have one chapter left so expect some sort of tomfoolery to happen. I have been known to do that for my finales. After this, keep your eyes peeled for another story from me as we head towards the end of this Verse. Thank you all for your kind words, support and friendship during this much longer, larger story than I've done thus far. It's been wild!
~Corey.