Speech = ``….. ´´

Thoughts = …

Inner thoughts = " …. "

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It was deep during the night when he woke up, with only the cold brush of the wind and the dim light from the night skies to keep him company wherever he was, minus the chair that he was so conveniently sitting on.

His body felt unnaturally heavy, sluggish even, as if starting to wake up from the stupor of a night of passion, his lack of clothing and the faint smell of liquor in the air. Still, he decided to stand up, it was bloody freezing and his body shivered again as the wind brushed against his naked skin with impunity.

Yet, his attempt felt rather short when he found himself incapable of rising up, a force keeping him there. Be it for the numbness of his brain, or just childish stubbornness he only for the back of his head to hit the of the chair.

It was then that he felt truly awaken.

Like an electric whiplash running through every fiber of his body, the back of his skull cried out in agony, the unexpected pain forcing his eyes shut, teeth grinning with one another for a few seconds as he miserably tried to adjust to it, tears threatening to fall from the edges of his eyes.

As time went by, the pain slowly receded as he pushed it further back, though it never went away, lingering within.

One thing he was dead sure about, was that wherever he was, it wasn't a whorehouse with some kink for bondage.

He would remember the place at least.

``W-where am I…..? He muttered weakly, more of a whisper than anything else. Words struggling to come out from a hoarse throat that seemed to have become as dry as a rock by the time he had spent unconscious. His eyes failing miserably to find anything or anyone worth of note around him that could actually tell him anything of use.

Not a peasant on a night stroll who he could demand his compliance.

Not his body guards who by all means should have been near.

There was no one, not a soul.

In fact, it was more of the same, cold black cobble stone and broken thin windows on the walls that allowed for a frail beam of light to shine down upon him. Curiously creating a slim circle around, separating the encroaching darkness from him.

It was only then that he noticed what was keeping him stuck in place. It wasn't the tiredness that had taken hold over his muscles, or the head splitting pain coming down his skull, but the fact that both his legs, waist and arms had been tied to the chair.

He huffed with annoyance, perhaps he had been drugged and dragged here before they had left him alone? It was unlikely, foolish even….but since there was no soul in sight, it may not be that far fetched.

Or perhaps not, as suddenly strange metallic voice answered back.

``You are resting on my humble workplace…..for the night at least, a once prestige rustic temple that time…..and bad decisions have left to ruin and ignominy, no matter how much the people of the village below have tried to keep it up´´ The voice stated with what could only be described as pride, before that emotion was wiped away, leaving nothing but a cold monotone tone of sadness as it uttered those last words.

``What?´´

`` A place that luckily tonight will be reborn with untold beauty for the people to behold for ages…..and you are going to help me with it, how lucky of you, how lucky indeed….´´

Finally from the shadows the owner of the voice appeared, the shroud of darkness pulling back slightly as if was some kind of living blanket, plucking out a figure to made its way towards him, and he was for a surprise.

He had expected a burly man with deep scars across his body, muscles big enough to crush a skull with ease, a thug of one of the rival families seeking glory for their masters, he had dealt with their kind before, this surely wouldn't be an exception.

What he was not expecting was an armoured mysterious individual with a weird ass helmet.

Its body was covered was by a thick purple cape made out of silk, gold ribbons on its edges, while a strange symbol had been weaved on the fabric. Its neck was covered by a strange purple gorge with broken hoops attached to its sides, the metal mask it wore was more some kind of amalgamation of different things put together than a sole piece of equipment. Screws, nails, and ancient visor and two strange spiked tubes connected to the sides of its head, resembling a pair of horns. All fused into one pile of metal.

And yet he could shake the feeling that they were the things you could find from a dumpster.

The first few seconds went by in shock, though he did not know whether it was because of the way the voice echoed inside his head, the weird uniform on the stranger, or the fact that he had missed those twin red suns that the thing had for eyes, but those thoughts were squandered immediately as anger started filling every corner of his mind.

For this thing had admitted without any reservations to be the one responsible for this whole fuck up.

``W-Who the fuck are you!? What did you do to me!?´´ He all but screamed at the crouching figure in anger, grinning his teeth as he furiously struggled against the ropes that held him prisoner, only for him to hiss in pain when he felt the burns eating away his skin just where the rope maintained contact with his body.

Blood falling down the affected limbs.

His blood, the thought struck harder than it should had.

``Fuck! They are so tight!´´

The pain slowly increased as he continued to struggle against his binds, uncaring of the constant yet slow stream of blood falling down his wrist, the ropes taking a soft shade of crimson where it connected. Anyone with some sense in their skulls would have stop and try to think another way out, but instead of that he pressed on.

Why? Simple really, he knew that the worse thing he could do was do nothing, and if his kidnapper was just a lonely soul who wanted a hug? Which he doubted then he had to create an opening to get out before he became more…..frisky.

For better or for worse blood will grease his key to freedom, he almost wanted to pat himself on the back for coming out with that.

``Me? Nothing, nothing at all…., yet´´ It spoke again, its tone way more easy going than he would have expected if not monotone, yet the metal mask only made them sound colder, only noting at the very end some sort of childish enthusiasm.

Though he did not show it, his hands started to shake

There was something wrong on the way it had sputtered those words at the end, or did the temperature grew colder? He was starting to regret having nothing over his higher half, how was he supposed to know it would get this chilly on the night after such heat during the day.

He shook his head internally, a bit amused at how he could get lost on such trivial matters, though if he was honest he was a bit surprised that problem had not found its way to him earlier, it wasn't like it was hard not to get involved with the myriad of gang wars going across the country, he had made many enemies in his short yet fruitful career.

And yet, he could not believe for a second this person before him had anything to do with his rivals, or he would already be dead. Dead, plain and simple, no questions, and even less theatrics. This guy surely had to be some kind of rookie, not understanding that it was better to kill the snake rather than grab it and throw it away.

Perhaps embolden by this kind of protection he thought he could probe something from this stranger.

``You think you are hot shit!? A hero of some kind that protects those filthy peasants from their betters? Bah don't make me laugh, if not were for your get up I would have thought you to be one of those wacko Kinkous from the temple, so who are you?´´

He was expecting many things from the stranger, some sort of self righteous anger of a wannabe hero being called out for its stupidity, a crude one liner to try to resort their authority or just the silent treatment…..

What he did not expect was for it to start clasping its hands repeatedly before giving him a large ovation. Something was definitely wrong with this guy, and he did not like it, not one bit.

``How grateful and considerate of you, if would have been a great disservice for me to be considered one of those lanky and tackles fools….., their technique is commendable, yet they cant comprehend what it means to create, to represent the true colours of life from a world that mostly takes what it wants and discards the rest as a hollow shell….…, or the steps one must take to show it´´ It muttered apologetic.

``Do I look like a fucking care!? Untie me this instant and I may show you mercy, perhaps reward you a little if you loose that mask of yours. I would very much want to know with the son of a bitch that I am speaking with! Unless of course…..that you are all bark no bite´´ He growled with as much venom as possible, spiting at the figures plated chest in the process.

That seemed to work as the thing freeze, noticing the tension building up on its body though he would admit it was a bit more hard to realize with all the get up.

``What? What did you say….?´´

``What? Did I touch a nerve?´´ He spatted smugly, eyeing at the thing with undisguised glee.

``Not you, don't you know that its rude to interrupt someone else conversation?´´ It replied with fake hurt, waving its hand towards its left as if trying to point at something.

``See? Even they agree that you are been rude...´´

``But we are bloody alone here!´´ He could not help but scream in outrage. Was this guy messing with him? He had to be.

``Such passion behind your words…, how you try to keep your vessel in check even to this moment, yet I feel they are for nothing. Even a dead man could see the hollowness dripping from your eyes, how they shake every few seconds with that faint lightning….amusing´´

``What?´´

``Yes, the lights flashing out with every emotion...until they are snuffed from existence with a swift swoop. A pair of round pools where the shades of reality are reflected upon. Like mirrors….. to ones own inner soul…..´´ It said in all but a whisper, a sick cackle swiftly coming behind though the iron mask distorted the sound, leaving only a guttural growl.

It then started walking towards him, slow, calm steps, with some sort of ethereal elegance behind every move.

The fabric of the cape shifting silently with each step, for a moment he though that soft silver hue had enveloped the edges of the stranger. A visage that slowly became darker and twisted as if its form was made out of smoke and not flesh and bone.

It surely had to be some kind of light effect from the moonlight that were sneaking through one of the many windows.

His musings were cut short when it stopped a few feet away from him and then extended its arms to the sides, his face losing a few shades of colour as with the theatrical bow it was fully revealed a pair of metal gauntlets, each one having five massive hooked claws.

Dried blood staining the edges of the blades as some kind of sick memento.

``Alright man, can you fuck of? If you wanted to send a message then you already did, can you just let me go?´´ He muttered half hearty, now fully willing to show any weakness on his posture in case it managed to create some sympathy for him from his captor as he eyed carefully the blades.

For better or for worse his words went unheard.

``Uhm…..there is something off, I need to take a better look´´

The lights coming out from the eyes of the iron mask washed over him in a soft tide of crimson as it loomed above him, mere centimetres separating the two as it inspected his face.

He found himself blinking repeatedly as even the low intensity of optics manage to disturb his still damaged skull, his nose wrinkle in disgust as a faint scent of iron made itself way stronger by its proximity.

``Ah, what a relief...it was just a light effect, you know….for a second I thought you were someone else, after all…..´´ One of its claws started approaching at him.

``Don't dare tou-´´ His words died out on his throat when the things hands gripped him tightly, one grabbing his head, yanking his hair up wards with the force of an ox, going to the point to lift the chair he was tied to a few centimetres from the ground. Strands of hair flying away by the sudden violent pull, while the other hand slowly made its way through his left cheek until it got a hold over his jaws.

His cries of outrage were silenced, for no sound could come out from his now imprisoned mouth, but groans of pain as he felt both his muscles and bones aching by the ever increasing pressure under its iron grasp.

Luckily this new found pain mitigated greatly the aching of his arms as he slowly pulled the cords one by one, a slow progress, though one worth the effort.

``You all look the same…., boring, dull, unworthy…..´´ It muttered matter of factly as it walked around him, red optics never leaving him out its sight.

Once I get out of this I shall you who is unworthy

His musings were quickly dashed away as he felt the strangers claws slowly dart away from his mouth towards his, the cold gauntlet pressing itself softly against his cheek up before it started moving up wards. The feeling of the blades kissing his naked skin sent shivers over his spine, how there was enough pressure to make every passing second an eternity as they left a tiny thin trail of blood flowing down.

``You will pay for this...´´ He barked, five words promising untold retribution, glaring defiant. Sparking a fire that could only grew as once again he was completely ignore as the figure continued on its task. As if he was not even worth the time.

One bloody trail at a time.

One curse after another.

He was no stranger to pain, yet his resistance started to falter as he felt the edge of one of the claws ticking the edge of his right eye lid, a series soft and playful motions where the claw slowly cut through skin and muscle, leaving behind nothing a gruesome half moon below his eye, blood quickly falling down from the open gash over his face, creating a series of bloody tears.

Clawed fingers fidgeting with one another, the metal clashing of the now bloodied appendages now accompanied with a low humming, as if it was a child who was gazing in marvel at a strange toy before it starting to poke further, slowly peeling his skin as the cold metal made its way further and further.

Cold sweat started to fall down his forehead while a faint spark of terror showed through his eyes when a morbid realization dawned on him. There was only one thing that remained in their path.

One...

Thing..

No, no, no, no no….don't touch it, don't..don't

The thoughts inside his mind went into overdrive, panic plaguing him with pleads and curses alike, muscles tensing while he grinned his teeth to the bleeding point, he would have tried to trash around his head to shake the thing of, but sadly for him the strength behind its grip was monstrous, he could only struggle in vain, turned into a merely spectator of the incoming mutilation.

``Don't move idiot….you will only make it worse….or not, move at your hearts content if you will…..´´ Came the sing-song voice of his assailant.

He closed his eyes shut. Fear finally taking hold over his pride as he awaited with bated breath the gruesome sensation of cold steel digging on his eye socket.

It never came.

Weakly he opened up his eyes, finding the blades had stopped just over the inner ring of the delicate organ, barely from leaving him blind for life.

``Shssss…...its okay, really...the first time is always hard to do, but I believe that there is a misunderstanding, after all I am not here to cause you harm´´ It muttered kindly as it had not just scratched his face and almost mutilate him. The claws slowly retracting from his flesh.

``Oh, this tune of colour surely is lovely…..look at those yellowish tears falling down, mixing with the air as they become a green fog, you are ready to begin your part…..´´ It stated with joy.

That managed to wake him back to reality.

``Shutup! I don't want to hear more of your bullshit freak. You think that giving me away to the authorities is gonna end shit!? I have friends, powerful friends, the moment I get out of here I will find you and rip out that stupid mask before I tear you a new one, and left your broken body on the streets….., that is if there anything left of you when I am done with you´´ His words were dripping with as much venom as he could muster, spiting at the thing before him, hitting it on its forehead.

It was nothing worth noting, but he felt exuberant as he managed to get a glimpse of those burning eyes narrow barely.

A myriad of thoughts came crushing down, images of this fool drowning on a puddle of his own blood. Mangled limbs twitching on the ground, incapable of rotating in the right direction. Oh, how he would enjoy that, to see this bastard squirm under his hands until it croaked its last breaths.

Just like that stupid slut from the village who had used her body to gain the favour of his thug's to avoid paying only to deny him the same that she had done , and how to forget about her more than idiotic father.

He fought back a grin. The fool had come demanding payment for the damages incurred prior, only for him to find himself down on the ground, a collar of his own teeth placed around his neck and his mouth stuffed with his own fingers.

After all, who was that miserable fool to lay a hand on him?

Over a whore no less!

And this freak dared not only to sully his honour by kidnapping him but also scaring his face? Yes, he definitely was going to enjoy this, very, very much.

``Prison? Why would I do that?´´ Muttered the stranger, tilting its head to the left in a painful angle, its voice sounding confused, carrying a slight undertone of annoyance, as if it was someone trying to explain something simple to a child.

``Then what are y-´´ he tried to speak up, only to be abruptly interrupted.

``I am not going to send you away, so that you can bask in the shade at your leisure. So that your friends can bust you out with their perfidious tongues, while the foolish lambs bow their heads in ignorance thinking justice was been serve only to find the wolves back at home…´´

``No, I am not going to do that, not at all….´´

In an instant, at a speed that would have been considered inhuman to achieve it backed away from him, its form becoming lost to him in the blink of an eye that he almost though he had imagined the whole thing, had the pain not been so consistent. Though not all were bad news, his eyes, now finally were spared from the onslaught that those beams of light that had emanated from that helmet from the beginning.

Blinking time and time again to wipe away that burning hole that seemed to stubbornly refuse to leave his retina.

Yet that relief soon turned to a slow steady panic, for once his eyes now grew used to the lack of illumination in the room he could not find any trace of his assailant.

He yet to no avail. There was nothing, nothing at all.

In fact, he couldn't heard a damn thing but his shallow breath and the wind blowing outside, echoing through those empty halls of this ruin.

A foolish voice in his head told him that it had run away, with its tail between it´s legs. Yet, deep inside, a small part of him cried out the wrongness of it all, how that presences still remained. How it was there, lurking in the shadows, observing, waiting….

He shook his head in dismay, why was he wasting his time in such useless thoughts when he should instead use this new found opportunity? Before he started making violent pulls, the wood cracking with each failed attempt, the gushing wounds smeared both arms and furniture alike, the thick crimson liquid allowing the gap to open a bit further.

A wicked smile started to form around his lips.

A few more bumps and he would be free.

Yet, had he paying attention, he would have noticed how the shadows had started to thicken, the darkness starting to swirl around him like a whirlwind, slowly eating away the poor lighted spot he was standing on, chipping it away, piece by a piece.

Or the unmistakable sound of a blade coming out from a shaft.

``I am going to make you beautiful…...´´ The voice finally echoed, abruptly breaking the eerie silence that had settle around him with the force of a sledge hammer.

``Wait...w- ´´

He barely saw it coming from the corner of his eyes.

A silver like blur flying through the air.

A sudden pang of agony crossing his mind.

A fresh spray of blood falling to the ground.

He found himself gasping for breath as he felt the unmistakable feeling of fire spreading through is entire right leg, his nervous system crying out for relief by this assault. He would have tried to place his hands over the affected zone to soothe them, yet even that was deny to him on his state.

Knuckles turning a deadly white and teeth grinning as he grasped the arm chairs with all his might, he forced his eyes downwards towards the object of his pain.

A knife….., a large, sharp, bloody knife with a hole on its centre was stuck between his leg, a ghastly smoke coming out from the very metal ripping away his flesh in such an uncaring manner, his face, reflected on the now crimson steel showed a pained rictus plastered on his face, and just right next to it, a metallic gauntlet he knew all to well.

Yet no words could come out from his mouth, his attention switched back to the open wound as flames started to erupt from the blade, the very blood that had once flowed freely, now started turning into a red mist, painting his body and the ground around him, while the flesh below quickly melted away, turning into charred black chunks of flesh.

He once again found himself with both hands closed tightly, nails digging deeply against the soft flesh, smearing his fingers with blood. His teeth grinning against one another to the point he thought they would shatter at any moment. All in all in an effort to distract his mind from the flames consuming his leg, to not scream and cry like a little girl who had bruised their legs, to not show his tormentor the damage he was feeling….

To not give it such satisfaction.

Yet if he thought that would be the end of it then he was sorely mistaken, for just as the knife was starting to leave his insides, it changed course, slicing its way up his waist.

A macabre spectacle soon followed by this time three of the metal digits it had the strangers gauntlet as claws. A yellowish ooze staining their edge that was quickly engulfed by his own life fluid.

``Let the colours flow out from your vessel, yes…., YES! Like this…..´´ It whispered on his ears, the voice though harsh through the filters, lacked its coldness, now replaced with an enthusiastic mania that sent another shiver through his spine, for this fucker wasn't a wannabe hero, nor a common thug, but a madman….. an unhinged butcher and he had become its plaything for the night.

There were many unwritten laws in the world, especially if you tried to make yourself take part in the struggle of power. A man without friends was a dead man, brute force opened some doors...money all of them, yet there was one truth that mattered most on the underworld, one that would remain true until the world was undone.

Everyone begs at one point.

It doesn't matter how tough you were or how many fights you won, or which position you held; from the lowliest of grunts to clan chieftains. Everyone had their breaking point, their final stop before their sanity vanished from their minds and they started fucking pleading and praying with bare coherence for the pain to go away.

He would like to say such things could never happened to him, in fact they had never crossed his mind, there was no world where he conceded the thought of himself being in such pathetic position. After all, he was one of the strong….

He was wrong.

His thoughts would be sent down in a maddening spiral as the world dimmed in an instant, only to shine bright anew in a shade of crimson. Not capable of hearing the sound of flesh being torn up like wet paper as it yanked the bloody blades out from him in an abrupt, crude manner.

Almost animalistic.

Like a beast wearing human skin.

On his state he did not see the way the puddle of blood below his feet had started to move on its own, following a particular pattern.

Tears fell down without control as he gasped in shock, almost chocking by the sheer agony that was cursing through his body, burning his nerves with the same heat a wild fire would tear through the wilderness.

Dark spots reigned his vision as his eyes, the light flickering from them as they failed to get a hold of himself. Only managing to caught brief glances of the bastard moving or dancing around him, swinging the blades to the sides, as if trying to smear off the gushing sprays of blood all over the ground around him.

A cloud of smoke rose around him, blocking his view and scorching his throat as some of it entered his mouth when he gasped for air between breaths. Soon enough he was met with another mystery.

He did not know what had caused it but he found himself on the floor, his face hard pressed against the cold floor, now sticky by the "treatment". And no matter how much he tried to fight off the closing numbness taking hold of his body the world around him started to spin without control.

Thick shadows and intangible forms quickly overlapping with one another in a rapid succession of screams and rasping sound of metal breaking through bone while once well define bodies became blurry fidgets of his imagination.

He felt so cold.

Then something or someone caught him, his limp body unable to resist was quickly rose from wherever it was before and then left to plummet to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Yet instead of the feeling of the cold floor smashing against him the sharp sound of a mirror shattering drilled inside his head.

By the next time he open up his eyes he was met with a dark moonless sky, devoid of any stars or anything that could shed any meagre flicker or light over him where he was. Was that the sky or had he fall in a well?

Would it matter?

He started gasping for breath, quick, shallow breaths like it was the last thing he could do. The skin around his ribs clutching, digging even. And action that spoke off a busted rib cage. That would explain why each time he felt his heart beating, he had the unshakable desire to throw up his guts out.

The taste of blood falling down his own lips went completely unnoticed as her eyes started shaken in utter terror for what they managed to peer through the darkness.

Not one, nor two, but a dozen silhouettes of that madman standing tall all around him, each variation more darker and monstrous than the latter. Their forms blurring and dematerializing at different paces all together, as if reality did not know what to do with them. They did not belong there, he did not belong there.

As if the world had heard his pleads the very ground he stood turned to glass, fractured in different pieces, granting him a broken image of his bruised body and revealing a more terrifying truth of the things standing behind him.

One that he would not be able to spit out when he felt the cutting edge of their claws digging through his flesh, or more likely his skull as he was forcefully forced to meet the leaders glare. The mask tearing itself apart by the moment as it started to form a malicious grin, sharp edges forming over the metallic structure, representing twisted fangs of a cruel beast, hell fire springing out from its insides.

He could feel his eyes slowly burn by the heat alone, the tears he had previously shed been the sole reason he did not end up blind on the spot. Yet by the time he regained his vision he was thrown down to the ground, which quickly took the shape of the old cobble stones of the temple.

``What have you…..d-done...to m-ee?´´ He muttered weakly, pushing his face from the floor just in time to see the creatures approach, the empty space between them dwindling by the second before all he could see was their utter darkness and macabre visages.

``I freed you...kindly...´´

``Enjoying my treatment? I hope you do´´

`` You look like shit now, a better upgrade than what you looked before...´´

``I heard that you like to hit women, what does it feel like when one fights back!?

``Not so tough now, eh?´´

``The light is fading…...´´ And in that moment all struck as one.

Another flash of pain ran through his skull, bringing back to his tired eyes the world he knew, as if he had just lit a candle in a small dark room. He would have been at least surprise to found his body slumped over against a column outside the room he had been at the beginning had he the strength to do so, even the effort of thinking was already probing hard enough with the blatant beating he had received.

At least he was free from his constrains...

Sadly his rest would be short lived when a iron like grip grasped his throat and lifted him effortlessly from the ground, knife long claws hard pressed against the already sore skin, creating no small cuts as they brought him closer towards the very metal mask of horror now painted with his own blood.

``Breath in the atmosphere my dear, long, deep breaths…..one after the other, let it go through you…´´

He was dying in some backwater village, his senses long knock out of him and this thing was just spouting nonsense. Surely someone would understand when he did the only rational thing he could come across.

``Fuck…. You!He sputtered, his mauled face almost failing to utter those words before he spited the bastard in the face, a large gobble of blood landing right the right eye of the mask before he tried to headbutt it.

A low grunt of pain leaving his mouth when he understood that wasn't really a good idea, more blood trailing down his head.

``Such a dull language….., you almost bring me to tears, but don't worry...I will teach you to sing, soon enough…. ´´ It spoke with a voice not its own, nor coming out from the metallic filters of the iron mask bur rather echoing inside the walls of his mind, bursting into laughter soon after as it eyed at his miserable struggle against his grasp.

``But first….you must learn to fly´´

He did not had the time to wonder what it meant, nor that he would have been given it as he felt a burning sensation flare over his shoulders, making him kneel to the ground as whatever strength he had left vanished completely from his body, quickly followed by another stung felt around his legs before he was yanked away to the highest point inside the building.

Foreign objects stuck deep inside him, pulling him from one side to the other, twisting his limbs to the point his muscles burst and bones shattered. Dragging him around as if he was nothing but a mere puppet which is strings too deeply attached.

It was in one of those swings that made him kiss the columns of the left wing of the temple that he caught a glimpse of what was holding him up.

Tentacles, dark ghostly tendrils made of shadows for no flesh could ever be so dark nor emanate such Grimm aura steaming out from them that even on his state he could not help but shudder in fright, it felt like it was leeching of the heat of his body, turning him in a man made ice cube rather than impaling it.

Then mother gravity made her undesired appearance, the force keeping him up there lessening, allowing for his very own body to weight him down face down first into the ground, air brushing his face as the ground grew closer in an instant, but just as he was about to be smashed against the pavement, whatever was stuck between his limbs pull back.

Hard.

Perhaps trying to safeguard their feeble plaything. Too bad that unlike a puppets, his strings were stronger than his body.

The sound of flesh and bone tearing was quick an unnerving, could be heard all over the building, but he could barely notice it, , at least it spared him the head cracking trauma of hitting the floor with still some speed. blood from where it had collided with the floor.

Instead there was…

There was...

Oh god…

He shrieked in agony to a point that seemed impossible for a human being, he did not stopped until his vocal cords gave out, for there was no words to describe it...

Nothing, there was nothing. He could not feel his hands, or twitch his fingers nor the numbness strangling him, but because it was no longer there to begin with. Nothing, but a bleeding bloody stump, flesh and muscles torn apart while he could see the white spots of his bones showing under the now open spots on his body.

And his limbs? All around him, so close..., so close yet so far away from his reach.

``Not much of a flyer are you? Well...at least you have grown into quite the singer, I will cherish your melody into my memory. What? Did you really thought I would allow you to fall to your death? Oh dear, that would have been so anticlimactic...´´ It laughed mockingly, standing over him before picking up one of the bleeding stumps, playing with the now unmoving fingers, dancing around him, cheerful giggles emanating unfiltered from the metal mask.

Those pair of crimson suns flaring down on him, completely unfazed or sympathetic by the excruciating brutally just performed. `` You cant get up, eh? Well...here! Let me give you a hand´´ It said as it grabbed one of his missing limbs and offered it to him.

``S-sick….bast-ard….´´

``Well, one cant win the all….., critics these days….´´ It muttered apologetic, before it threw his limb away and starting humming.

``Tell me, have you ever heard of Zaun? A shitty hellhole where the filth of two cities combine in a huge pile of shit? The very air toxic, filled with chemicals that will burn your insides out depending on the exposure, the waters trailing down? Nothing but a dump of diseases that would look taint your body for years instead of cleansing them, and lest not speak of the ground. Filled with the rotten food, rats or corpses….a terrible, terrible place to be….´´

He could barely hear the sound of his ragged breath as new oozing tendrils of darkness started to appear from its back, started to warp, caressing him with their smooth yet sharp spikes.

`` And yet you Ionians…..what have you done with this gifts? Blinded by greed and lust, careless and reckless….truly its such a tragedy. I suppose that the roses of twilight can only bloom under the hard scrutiny of fate and the cruel hands of men…..while other recipes get wasted by a lack of competition´´

His throat felt numb, words stuck at the tip of his tongue while he felt his eyes slowly closing in, the coldness that had overtaken his body finally becoming certain.

``Shhhh...don't speak dear, in fact….let me do the talking for you, to the very end. I promise, I will enjoy it, very, very much…..´´

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The events in this chapter are twelve years into the future from the past chapter, and only one before the events of Arcane and the terrible things that took place post- timeskip in canon. The story will make this jumps between the past storyline and the present storyline, I hope this is enough to explain this change in the pace of the story.