Beyond Redemption
Feel it turning your heart into stone, Feel it piercing your courageous soul, Beyond our redemption, No-one's gonna catch you when you fall.
HIM, Beyond Redemption.
Seifer sat bolt upright in his bed, trickles of sweat slowly running down his face as the sensation of pain gripped him. A voice of anguish rang in his head compelling him to get up and slip on his shoes and walk out into the corridor in his vest top and pants.
The halls were silent and eerily lit by buzzing fluorescent lights that obliterated shadows and dark. The voice continued to scream, ringing in his head as he followed it to its source, the pain growing as he drew closer.
His fists clenched and unclenched as he braced himself for each wave of the overwhelming pain as curiosity and the voice pulled him along. His walk took him along the central pathway of Garden around to the lift where in a daze he entered and took it to the second floor.
A stronger wave of pain pinned him to the wall momentarily and his vision flashed with coloured dots as he tried to block it.
Blinking his eyes furiously and walking unsteadily he walked down the corridor to the classroom. The door slid open with a soft electronic hiss and lights flickered on with a swift buzz illuminating the benches and finally a curled up figure in the far corner.
Seifer stood silently as he could hear soft sobs from the figure, her long blonde hair moving with her back and shoulders with each sob. Seifer's first thoughts flew to Quistis but he knew now that she and Squall had settled their troubles and Seifer no longer had to sit with her till she slept.
Maybe he was hallucinating or dreaming, the result of his torment of no longer being any use to Quistis, no longer someone's emotional scaffold.
This notion was thrown out of his mind as the strongest wave of pain yet pushed him down to his knees and caused him to clutch his head in agony. The girl must have heard him crumple to the floor as she turned sharply.
'Who's there?' she asked softly her green eyes ringed with red as tears ran down her cheeks.
Seifer rose up breathing heavily as he looked up at her murmuring in reply. 'Seifer Almasy and you are?' The girl stood up and held herself defensively. 'I remember you.' she said pressing further back into the corner in fear.
'How do you know me?' Seifer asked finally standing up and noticing the look on her face adding 'I won't hurt you. You called me here.'
'How?' the girl demanded.
'I felt your pain, heard your screams.' Seifer said softly staying still so not to scare her.
'You heard me? But that's not possible. I'm unjunctioned.' the girl said to herself her features softening.
'Unjunctioned? You're a Guardian?' he replied perplexed.
'Yes, my name is Siren.' The girl told him.
Seifer looked closely at her and realised that the blonde hair cascading down her back was indeed familiar but last time he saw it the owner was less clothed and certainly wasn't wearing a green jacket with a purple vest top and orange skirt.
'Why do you look so different than to when you were summoned against me?' Seifer asked.
She smiled faintly 'We are summoned in our true form but we can also take on a more human and contemporary form if we wish.' She explained.
'So why are you here?' Seifer asked feeling safe to take a step towards her.
'I must atone.' She whispered.
'Atone? You're a Guardian what would you have to atone for?' Seifer asked intrigued.
Siren sat on a desk and looked at him. 'I wasn't always so. on another world I was a monster, a devourer of souls. Then I was killed by a group of travellers and my soul set free.' She told him.
'And somehow you were brought here?' Seifer said looking into her eyes urging her to continue.
'Yes, it wasn't planned for me to die, instead I ended up in another body, another world, a world torn by war and there I was tortured, hunted for my power, as a punishment.' Siren told him softly wiping the tears from her eyes, she continued.
'Again I died, became a stone they called Magicite to be used to protect the innocent and destroy evil and thus my atonement began and here it continues.'
'But surely you have done enough to atone for your past?' Seifer asked his voice tinged with worry.
'All the lives I stole, the families I've destroyed? I could never fully atone for them. My punishment will only end when I am released from this servitude only then will I be at rest.' Siren told him.
'Will we both forever be beyond redemption?' Seifer asked gloomily.
'That is up to you.' Siren replied. 'Once they have forgiven you and you forgive yourself then you will be on the way.' She consoled.
'Thank you.' Seifer said softly.
'There is a reason for our meeting, Seifer, beyond my giving you hope.' She told him.
'What?' Seifer asked his head snapping up to look at her.
'"He" is coming and you have to stop him, there are innocents at risk.' She recited.
'"He"?' Seifer asked puzzled.
'I do not know who "He" is but you will know when "He" comes, and it will be soon.' Siren told him.
'How do you know? Are you sure?' Seifer asked his mind thrown off balance.
'I have been told by Fate, by my senses which fell the distortion in my realm. You must be ready.' Siren explained.
'I see, thank you again.' Seifer breathed smiling.
'It is I who must thank you, Seifer Almasy. Talking with you has been calming. Those of us who seek redemption must stick together for at least we have some good in us to seek it in the first place.' She said comfortingly.
'So I'll be seeing you again?' Seifer said warmed by the feeling of a bond, a privilege.
'Possibly, but now we must both rest.' She replied and faded away before his eyes with a smile.
Seifer stood still on the spot his mind whirring with thoughts and the warmth was marred by a chill of dread as he dwelled upon what was coming.
Feel it turning your heart into stone, Feel it piercing your courageous soul, Beyond our redemption, No-one's gonna catch you when you fall.
HIM, Beyond Redemption.
Seifer sat bolt upright in his bed, trickles of sweat slowly running down his face as the sensation of pain gripped him. A voice of anguish rang in his head compelling him to get up and slip on his shoes and walk out into the corridor in his vest top and pants.
The halls were silent and eerily lit by buzzing fluorescent lights that obliterated shadows and dark. The voice continued to scream, ringing in his head as he followed it to its source, the pain growing as he drew closer.
His fists clenched and unclenched as he braced himself for each wave of the overwhelming pain as curiosity and the voice pulled him along. His walk took him along the central pathway of Garden around to the lift where in a daze he entered and took it to the second floor.
A stronger wave of pain pinned him to the wall momentarily and his vision flashed with coloured dots as he tried to block it.
Blinking his eyes furiously and walking unsteadily he walked down the corridor to the classroom. The door slid open with a soft electronic hiss and lights flickered on with a swift buzz illuminating the benches and finally a curled up figure in the far corner.
Seifer stood silently as he could hear soft sobs from the figure, her long blonde hair moving with her back and shoulders with each sob. Seifer's first thoughts flew to Quistis but he knew now that she and Squall had settled their troubles and Seifer no longer had to sit with her till she slept.
Maybe he was hallucinating or dreaming, the result of his torment of no longer being any use to Quistis, no longer someone's emotional scaffold.
This notion was thrown out of his mind as the strongest wave of pain yet pushed him down to his knees and caused him to clutch his head in agony. The girl must have heard him crumple to the floor as she turned sharply.
'Who's there?' she asked softly her green eyes ringed with red as tears ran down her cheeks.
Seifer rose up breathing heavily as he looked up at her murmuring in reply. 'Seifer Almasy and you are?' The girl stood up and held herself defensively. 'I remember you.' she said pressing further back into the corner in fear.
'How do you know me?' Seifer asked finally standing up and noticing the look on her face adding 'I won't hurt you. You called me here.'
'How?' the girl demanded.
'I felt your pain, heard your screams.' Seifer said softly staying still so not to scare her.
'You heard me? But that's not possible. I'm unjunctioned.' the girl said to herself her features softening.
'Unjunctioned? You're a Guardian?' he replied perplexed.
'Yes, my name is Siren.' The girl told him.
Seifer looked closely at her and realised that the blonde hair cascading down her back was indeed familiar but last time he saw it the owner was less clothed and certainly wasn't wearing a green jacket with a purple vest top and orange skirt.
'Why do you look so different than to when you were summoned against me?' Seifer asked.
She smiled faintly 'We are summoned in our true form but we can also take on a more human and contemporary form if we wish.' She explained.
'So why are you here?' Seifer asked feeling safe to take a step towards her.
'I must atone.' She whispered.
'Atone? You're a Guardian what would you have to atone for?' Seifer asked intrigued.
Siren sat on a desk and looked at him. 'I wasn't always so. on another world I was a monster, a devourer of souls. Then I was killed by a group of travellers and my soul set free.' She told him.
'And somehow you were brought here?' Seifer said looking into her eyes urging her to continue.
'Yes, it wasn't planned for me to die, instead I ended up in another body, another world, a world torn by war and there I was tortured, hunted for my power, as a punishment.' Siren told him softly wiping the tears from her eyes, she continued.
'Again I died, became a stone they called Magicite to be used to protect the innocent and destroy evil and thus my atonement began and here it continues.'
'But surely you have done enough to atone for your past?' Seifer asked his voice tinged with worry.
'All the lives I stole, the families I've destroyed? I could never fully atone for them. My punishment will only end when I am released from this servitude only then will I be at rest.' Siren told him.
'Will we both forever be beyond redemption?' Seifer asked gloomily.
'That is up to you.' Siren replied. 'Once they have forgiven you and you forgive yourself then you will be on the way.' She consoled.
'Thank you.' Seifer said softly.
'There is a reason for our meeting, Seifer, beyond my giving you hope.' She told him.
'What?' Seifer asked his head snapping up to look at her.
'"He" is coming and you have to stop him, there are innocents at risk.' She recited.
'"He"?' Seifer asked puzzled.
'I do not know who "He" is but you will know when "He" comes, and it will be soon.' Siren told him.
'How do you know? Are you sure?' Seifer asked his mind thrown off balance.
'I have been told by Fate, by my senses which fell the distortion in my realm. You must be ready.' Siren explained.
'I see, thank you again.' Seifer breathed smiling.
'It is I who must thank you, Seifer Almasy. Talking with you has been calming. Those of us who seek redemption must stick together for at least we have some good in us to seek it in the first place.' She said comfortingly.
'So I'll be seeing you again?' Seifer said warmed by the feeling of a bond, a privilege.
'Possibly, but now we must both rest.' She replied and faded away before his eyes with a smile.
Seifer stood still on the spot his mind whirring with thoughts and the warmth was marred by a chill of dread as he dwelled upon what was coming.