~ Day Seven ~
Hope's Nocturne
Forget me not,
You're the only one,
I miss your heart every day and night…
It was cold.
That was the first thing Celia noticed upon coming awake. The ground felt as if it had been frozen over. The air around her had become frigid, and each breath she took stung at her lungs.
At first, Celia thought she must have been dreaming. Then a shiver ran through her, feeling all too real for it to be a dream. Mustering her strength, she forced herself to open her eyes and pulled herself to her feet. Almost immediately, she found herself blinded by the light. When her eyes finally adjusted, she let out a soft gasp.
Despite the persistent heavy snowfall, the sky was impossibly clear, and sunlight glinted beautifully off a blanket of pure, white snow. A similar white dusting covered all the nearby buildings, including the Space Needle, which stood tall behind her. The carefully maintained verdant lawns surrounding the famous tower were fully hidden from sight, save for a gap beside each of the Players where they had been lying down moments earlier. The sun had already moved beyond its zenith.
Just like the day before, all the Players had started out together. Celia quickly spotted every one of the Players she had remembered seeing the day before. It looked as if they had all awakened at the same time. Like Celia, most were gaping at the seemingly impossible weather.
"Good morning, Celia," Blake said, moving to her side.
"M-Morning," Celia said, her teeth chattering slightly from the cold. Just then, she spotted a pedestrian from the Realground walking past them, dressed in a t-shirt and short skirt.
"This snowstorm is only in the Underground," Blake guessed.
"Looks like," Celia agreed quietly, taking a deep breath to acclimate herself to the relentless chill.
She heard her phone buzzing and reached for it automatically, her movements perfectly mirroring those of the other Players.
Erase the Game Master, or weather the storm until your timers expire. If you wish to find me, follow the Sound north. You have 180 minutes. Best of luck to you all.
- The Game Master
"Dennis was right," Blake said, looking immensely relieved.
"Yeah, he was," Celia agreed without much enthusiasm.
Blake looked at her strangely. "I thought you'd be happy. We don't have to fight against Faith. Hell, if he's waiting for us to come to him, we won't even have to see him again until the Game is over. Isn't it great?"
"I… I guess," Celia murmured.
Blake looked around for the other Players. Some of them had started jogging, keeping themselves active in hopes of staying warm. Others had begun meandering around the area aimlessly. "I think Laura and Vivian have the right idea," Blake said, nodding towards where the two women were starting down a nearby street. "They're looking for stores we can enter. That'll be a great way to stay warm for a bit, and maybe find some more suitable clothes."
As he spoke, he glanced towards Celia, noticing that her clothing appeared particularly worse for the wear from all her battles throughout the week.
"Come on, Celia," Blake said bracingly, when his partner remained silent. "Let's go shopping or something. Or maybe we can go by the coffee shop and find something hot to drink."
Celia shook her head. "Blake, I want to see him," she said, in barely more than a whisper.
When her words finally sank in, Blake's eyes went wide with horror. "Have you gone mad?" he asked incredulously.
"I don't want to fight him," Celia clarified quickly. "I just… I need to talk to him."
"And what if he won't talk to you? He didn't stop to talk to you yesterday, or the day before that," Blake pointed out. "What if he attacks you?"
"He won't attack me," Celia said, sounding certain. "He won't," she then said again quietly, as if trying to reassure herself.
Blake shot Celia a helpless look. He wanted to argue, but she seemed so painfully fragile at that moment that he could not find it in himself to disagree aloud. "Okay," he said at last. "I understand. You must have a lot to ask him, after all. But, do you really have to talk to him right now? He's still our enemy for today, whether or not he wants to be. Can't you just wait three hours for the mission to be over?"
"What happens when the mission is over, Blake?" Celia asked softly.
"What do you mean what happens? Today's the last mission, Celia. When it's over, we win. We get to live again," Blake said.
"And how does that work?" Celia asked. "Do we just wake up, as if we've been asleep this entire time? What if we've been buried? Or cremated?"
Blake fell silent.
"Do we go back to before we died, as if none of this had ever happened?" Celia went on. "If so, would we remember anything that's happened here?"
"That can't be how it works," Blake realized. "If it was, we would have heard of the Reapers' Game and the Underground long ago. Even if it seems like a dream at first, or just plain crazy, enough people would have made it through by now for them to put the truth together."
"Then, what does it mean to live again if we don't remember?" Celia said, coming to her true fear at last. "I didn't know who Faith was. I still don't know, only now, at least I know I don't know. I need to know who he is, Blake. I need to know, and if we wait until after the Game is over, I might never get the chance to find out."
Blake grimaced. "It might be worse than that, actually," he realized. "If we don't remember any of this, what's to keep things from playing out the same way again? What's going to keep me from finding you and getting us both killed again?"
Celia found that that possibility didn't really alarm her. Perhaps she had simply grown accustomed to the idea of being dead, but the thought of not existing no longer really scared her. "I have to talk to him, Blake. I need to know what lies ahead of us," Celia said. She took a deep breath. "Blake, we're still partners. That means I don't have any right to decide for the both of us. I know you're trying to keep me alive, and that you've been trying to keep me alive almost since the beginning of the Game. If you absolutely want to stay, I'll stay here with you."
"Celia…" Blake whispered.
"But," Celia continued. "Yesterday, you told me not to hold back when I finally knew what I wanted. At least for now, I know what I want. I want to know who Faith really is, and what awaits us after the Game. That's even more important to me than making it through the Game and living again."
"Didn't you say you still trusted him?" Blake asked.
Celia wavered indecisively. "Y-Yes," she admitted. "I did say that. And I do still trust him, too. Even though we didn't know each other that long, I felt like he understood me better than anyone else I've ever known. Even so, he isn't me, and as much as I want to, I can't just leave him to decide what's best for me. Not when I haven't even decided upon that for myself."
Blake took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go find him, Celia," he finally agreed. "But where do we begin?"
In answer, Celia looked west, far past the Space Needle, where unruly rows of buildings blocked their view of Puget Sound, the large ocean inlet which Seattle rested beside.
As soon as the sound was in sight, Celia turned and led the way north, moving roughly parallel to the shores. The sun was already beginning to set, reminding her that they had woken rather later than usual, but a full two and a half hours remained on their timers.
The snowstorm seemed to intensify, and the winds began howling softly as the temperature dipped even further. The banks of snow grew thicker only to impede the Players, for they could see the living people of the Realground going about their sunny and warm day in typical summer clothing, clearly still unaffected by the unnatural weather. The cold no longer bothered Celia, either, and she forged on undaunted by the snow.
Then the baying of hounds rang out, echoing between the nearby buildings. When Celia and Blake saw that none of those in the Realground had noticed the raucous howling, they looked around uneasily, knowing what was to come.
Six Trance Hounds shot around the corner behind them. The Noise caught up quickly and surrounded the two Players, then began prowling around menacingly until their master arrived a few seconds later.
There was no sign of cruel playfulness in Bradley's expression this time. He simply looked angry. "Come, Players. Let us finish what we began," he growled.
"Still salty about yesterday, huh?" Blake said, grinning and showing no sign of any fear.
Bradley ignored Blake and glared at Celia. "Your dear Game Master is staying put today. He won't be along in time to save you this time. You're mine," he spat.
"I thought you said he wanted to erase me himself," Celia said mildly, no longer fazed by the Reaper's cruel remarks and brash demeanor. "Well, if Faith isn't coming to keep us from erasing you, I won't complain."
"You? Erase me?" Bradley scoffed. "You are prey, nothing more! Learn your place!"
Bradley's wings flexed and stretched. Blake swirls oozed up through the snow all around the Reaper, creeping up his legs and merging into his flesh. His face contorted, and his already-wolfish features became more pronounced as his nose elongated into a snout and his eyes narrowed, becoming distinctly feral. His legs dissolved into tattooed strips of Noise, and he fell to all fours and loosed a soul-piercing howl.
"Lupus Cantus. Dolphus's Noise form. The savage alpha wolf, who prizes strength above all else. Keep your distance," Michael's voice rang out serenely in Celia's mind.
~ LINEREAK ~
Heeding Michael's warning, Celia immediately took to the skies, her own wings spreading wide and carrying her easily over Lupus Cantus's vicious lunge. She spun in midair, blasting the ferocious Noise with a bolt of lightning.
Lupus Cantus hardly even flinched, and though his landing had been slightly thrown off, he recovered immediately, turning to pounce again. Celia remained one step ahead of him, drifting just out of his reach and striking him with a second lightning bolt. Then, sensing that her wings were about to fade, she lowered herself to the ground and began concentrating on her stylus.
The wolf-like Noise became little more than a blur as he charged again, but even that fraction of a second was enough for Celia's purposes. Just before the Noise's claws could strike her, she teleported herself past him. Lupus Cantus tried to turn as he land, only to find himself standing within a ring of fire. The snow below melted and quickly refroze into a sheet of ice, and the Noise slid through the flames, his fur igniting in the process.
Celia's silvery bow reappeared before her, and she fired away, sending arrow after arrow of pure lightning slamming into her foe. Lupus Cantus howled in agony as the flames gnawed hungrily at his fur and streaks of lightning continued drilling into him. He tried to pounce, only to find a solid brick wall between him and his intended prey.
The Noise crashed through the wall, and Celia only barely managed to leap aside, startled. Thankfully, her attacker was thrashing wildly and barely in control of his own movements. By the time Lupus Cantus had reoriented himself, Celia was floating high above him once more, suspended by her chitinous wings.
Lupus Cantus disappeared, to be replaced by a shadowy image of himself.
Celia smiled devilishly, an idea occurring to her. Leo Cantus, with his superhuman reflexes and his ability to teleport, had been too fast for her to catch fully by surprise, but though Bradley in his Noise form also moved with inhuman speed, his movements seemed wild and reckless. She sent her stylus past the Noise and began drawing.
Predictably, the shadowy image of Lupus Cantus pounced again. Celia teleported herself right onto her drawing, deliberately initiating the psych prematurely so that her opponent could recover quickly. The ghostly Noise spun and immediately dove at her again, in the opposite direction.
The ground beneath Celia fell away. She began falling into her own summoned chasm, drawing furiously as Lupus Cantus's image toppled in after her. A moment later, she soared safely out of the chasm, and her foe tumbled fast her, sinking deep into the earth.
Lupus Cantus reappeared, but so did Blake and the other nearby pedestrians, obliviously minding their own business in the Realground. "Had enough?" Celia asked with a triumphant smile, realizing that Bradley must have dismissed his copy and disengaged from their battle in order to keep from being erased.
"Come on, Reaper. I was just getting started," Blake added, unscathed and apparently sharing Celia's confidence. "What sort of pack leader runs from his prey, anyways?"
Lupus Cantus snarled and started forth once more.
"The wise predator knows when he's bitten off more than he could chew," Trevor's voice cut in.
Celia, Blake, and Lupus Cantus looked up to find the small, brash Reaper watching in amusement from the nearest rooftop.
"I know you were hoping to claim these kills for yourself, Brad, but please, open your eyes. Keep this up and they really will erase you," Trevor noted, feigning disinterest.
"Mind your own business," Lupus Cantus roared, his voice sounding like Bradley's with a noticeable guttural echo.
"Ah, but this is my business," Trevor chided. "If you're willing to share your catch, your hunt may still be salvaged."
Lupus Cantus looked at Trevor appraisingly. Then his lips curled into a grin, baring his fangs. "So be it. The wolf and eagle shall hunt together," he growled eagerly.
"You're helping him!? What the hell is wrong with you Reapers?" Blake fumed.
"I suppose it's no use reminding you that attacking us is against the rules," Celia sighed.
"Oh, I know," Trevor reassured her. "But whose rules are they, anyways? Michael's?" The Reaper grinned. "Old Michael's gone, and no one really knew why he got to make the rules, anyways. The Conductor's the one in charge now. His word is all we've got now, even if he's insane. That word is to make you disappear."
"What about the Game Master?" Celia challenged. "What does he have to say about this?"
Trevor grinned. "The Game Master serves the Conductor too," he explained. "Don't you understand? The Conductor's role is to lead the Reapers. The Game Master is the Conductor's representative in this game, nothing more."
Celia stared at the cocky Reaper, trying to hide her growing horror. "No," she finally said, her voice trembling. "No. You're lying."
"Believe what you wish," Trevor said indifferently. "You may as well enjoy your last moments." His spiky, almost skeletal black wings spread outwards, and layers of feathers began appearing in a neat shingled pattern. The feathers continue spreading, covering most of his body, and the back of his shirt drooped down, twisting as they took on Noise-like patterns and formed a set of elegant tail feathers, too. Taking on the form of a giant Noise eagle, the Reaper soared up into the sky.
"Aquila Cantus. Nguyen's Noise form. A clever and merciless predator who is quick to exploit any apparent weaknesses. Keep your guard up," came the voice in Celia's head.
"I'll handle the girl. You take care of the other one," Aquila Cantus instructed.
"What!? She's the one the Conductor's after! She's mine!" Lupus Cantus whined.
Aquila Cantus laughed. "Don't be a fool. Unless you've learned to fly, your next fall will be your last."
Faced with that truth, Lupus Cantus grudgingly conceded the point. He and Blake disappeared, leaving Celia alone with her newest foe.
"Stand still, and I'll make this quick," Aquila Cantus offered. That was the only warning he offered before diving at Celia, his razor-sharp beak stretched wide. The young artist looked up at him despairingly, remaining motionless otherwise.
But in truth, Celia had already put the Reaper's last biting remark towards her out of mind. She carefully maintained her defeated, resigned look until the last possible second, luring the would-be hunter close.
Then she was gone, and a vicious claw trap snapped up where she stood, biting deep into Noise's wing. Celia reappeared behind the Noise as he let out a shrill, pained shriek, and her bow fell into her waiting hands. The elegant weapon thrummed rapidly as bolt after bolt of lightning sailed forward, ripping into Aquila Cantus and scorching his feathers.
Aquila Cantus pulled himself away from the ground, dragging the trap with him, which faded away soon after. He swiveled about to glare at Celia. "Why struggle? You're only making this worse for yourself," he hissed, trying to sound dominant.
Celia wasn't impressed; the pronounced, jagged wound in Aquila Cantus's wing had left his flight visibly unsteady. As the Noise swooped in to strike again, Celia teleported herself straight up, twisting as she felt and landing on his back. Before the eagle-like creature could react, Celia's stylus soared to her and quickly sketched a fiery orb, which promptly materialized and exploded.
The explosion threw Celia from Aquila Cantus's back, and as she began to fall, she realized that perhaps she had been a bit overzealous. Her psych had set her own clothing aflame, too, but she hardly had time to attend to that, and focused instead on giving herself wings again. After righting herself, her stylus twirled above her, creating a warm sphere of light that melted the descending snowflakes into a soft, sprinkling rainfall.
Meanwhile, Aquila Cantus had crashed straight into the snow. The Noise pulled himself back up, looking ragged and torn. Nevertheless, he glared up at Celia defiantly and spread his wings again.
"Knight to F6," a commanding voice boomed.
Then two more Noise appeared. The posh, royal form of Rex Cantus appeared just below Celia, and a black Noise resembling a knight on horseback appeared beside him.
Though it was hard to tell with his birdlike face, Aquila Cantus looked taken aback by the third Reaper's sudden arrival. He scrambled backward warily. "What are you doing here, Marcus?" he asked.
"I am here to uphold the rules of the Game," Rex Cantus answered calmly.
"The rules?" Aquila scoffed derisively. "This isn't one of your precious little board games, Marcus. Only a fool would stand against the Conductor's wishes."
"You are blind to the board around you, and the true shape of the pieces at your side," Rex Cantus proclaimed. "Trevor Nguyen, you and your partner, Bradley Dolphus, have deliberately attacked a Player without provocation. There is only one sentence appropriate for such a crime. I, Marcus Wilson, will hereby erase you in accordance with the edicts of the Reapers' Game."
"Not on your best day," Aquila Cantus growled. He could not fly again, for Celia's last attack had crippled his wings. Instead, he thrust his torn wings forward, and a swarm of feathers shot forward like darts.
"King to C8. Castle," Rex Cantus declared. He disappeared, reappearing a fair distance to his right, and a black castle-like Noise appeared on his left, between him and Celia. A barrier former around Celia, absorbing Aquila Cantus's psych.
"Knight to D5."
The Classical Knight advanced. Aquila Cantus tried to back away, but was too slow to escape the reach of the horseman's deadly lance.
"Pawn to D2. Erase him," Rex Cantus announced.
Celia continued watching expectantly, but no additional Noise appeared. When she finally understood Rex Cantus's meaning, she gave her unexpected ally a defiant look. "I am not your pawn," she said irritably.
"You are, if only for now," Rex Cantus said. "Erase him, Miss Winter, and take your place at the end of the board."
Feeling miffed, Celia turned her back on Rex Cantus. She soared down to stand before Trevor, who had reverted to his humanoid shape.
Trevor looked up at her pitifully, fear shining out of his eyes.
"Get out of here, Trevor," Celia ordered. "Leave Blake and me alone."
Surprised by Celia's unexpected mercy, Trevor could only stare at her in disbelief for several seconds. Then he leapt to his feet and turned to flee.
He had only taken a few steps before stiffening. His relieved expression became one of absolute horror as he began to unravel, his form losing color as shreds of static peeled away and faded into nonexistence.
"What did you do!?" Celia shrieked, rounding on Rex Cantus. The Noise was gone, though, replaced by Marcus Wilson, the Reaper.
"To him? Nothing," Marcus replied. "Trevor formed a pact for this battle, and it seems your partner was less forgiving than you were. Reapers, like Players, normally linger a short while after their partner is erased, but Noise shared across zones dissipates immediately. The loss proved too great for Trevor to endure."
Celia swallowed uncomfortably and turned to Blake. The teen wore a determined look, and had his pi pin clutched tightly in his hand. "They deserved to be erased," Blake answered, seeming utterly unrepentant.
Overwhelmed by how callous both Blake and Marcus appeared to be, Celia couldn't find the heart to argue.
Marcus noticed her despairing look, and seemed to understand her dilemma at once. "That is the way of the Reapers' Game, Miss Winter," he said apologetically. "Now go. You are only one turn away from reaching the end of the board, where the Game Master awaits you. What you become then will be up to you."
Celia looked away, avoiding his gaze. She tried to avoid looking at her partner, too. With more questions hanging over her than ever before, she wordlessly resumed her trek north, now dreading what awaited her.
With only an hour left on their timers, Celia and Blake came across a waterway. Just a little further was a marina laden with countless small vessels, silhouetted against the setting sun. Though she couldn't quite explain it to herself, somehow, Celia knew they were in the right place.
"This way," Celia said suddenly, her first words since they left Marcus Wilson behind. She led the way through a quiet, empty park, and soon, she and Blake could see someone standing at the water's edge.
But two others were already there, approaching the lone man who Celia knew to be Faith.
"Game Master!" Graham called. "Prepare yourself!" He and Jason drew their pins.
"I have been prepared for some time now," Faith replied calmly, turning to face the two Players.
"No! Wait!" Celia cried, racing to catch up with them.
At the sound of her voice, Graham and Jason gave pause, turning and watching as Celia ran towards the.
"Please," she pleaded, when at last she reached the other two Players. "We don't have to erase him. We can finish our mission without a fight."
Graham and Jason exchanged knowing glances. Then Graham turned back to face the Game Master. "I'm sorry, Celia," Graham apologized sincerely. "I truly am, for what I tried to do to yesterday, and for what Jason and I must do now. I know the Game Master is your friend, but we have to face him. Completing the mission isn't all that matters here; there's more at stake than you realize."
"Then tell me," Celia insisted. "What's going on here, Graham? What do you know that I don't?"
When neither Graham nor Jason answered, Celia turned her pleading look to Faith instead, begging her friend to give her the answers she so desperately needed to hear.
Faith smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, Celia. I'd love to talk, but these gentlemen did find me first. Let me settle my business with them, alright?" he offered.
"When our business is settled, you'll be in no shape to talk to her," Graham warned. "Why don't you say your goodbyes to her now?"
If Faith had been at all unsettled by Graham's threat, he did not show it. "Please, Mr. Smith. Spare me your threats. If your heart is absolutely set on fighting me, then let us begin without further delay," he said.
"No, wait!" Celia cried. But neither Graham nor Jason listened this time. The two Players became semi-translucent as they sprang forward, and Graham immediately tossed a flurry of fireballs at the Game Master.
But Faith was already moving, his shadow stretching and tearing away from him to become a darkened silhouette of himself. Both he and his image grew semi-translucent, too. Graham fired off more flaming spheres at the real Faith, while Jason launched a crackling projectile of his own towards Faith's shadowy image.
Barriers of frozen, hexagonal tiles appeared around both copies of Faith, easily absorbing all of Graham and Jason's projectiles thrown his way. Then the real Faith burst through one of the barriers, quickly closing the distance between him and Graham.
Graham backed away in surprised, creating a molten ball of stone that rolled forward, leaving a trail of melted snow in its wake. Faith agilely leapt over the boulder, somersaulting over the blond while unleashing a cloud of freezing mist downward. Graham tried to dive aside, but was too late, tripping over his own frozen legs instead with a gasp of pain.
Jason found himself in similarly dire straits. When the barrier around Faith's image fell, he had fired again, but his target simply braced himself, accepting the hit and countering with a sphere of ice. The frozen projectile slammed into Jason's chest, exploding into hundreds of fragments. Jason crumpled backwards from the force of the blow, collapsing into the snow.
"Damn," Blake said, marveling at the Game Master's fluid and graceful movements. "He's unreal. It's like he came straight out of the matrix movies or something."
Celia, finding herself speechless and unable to tear her gaze away from the horrifying spectacle, did not answer. Part of her remained anxious for her friend's wellbeing, but another part of her already understood that Faith was in no real danger.
Determined to fight until the end, Graham fired his next psych at his own feet, burning himself badly as he melted himself free of the ice. Unfortunately, Faith was upon him as soon as he was free. The powerful Game Master clasped his hand around the unfortunate Player's throat. Another freezing cloud poured forth from Faith's hand, silhouetting Graham and freezing him solid from head to toe.
Faith casually tossed Graham to the ground. His image faded away as the two Players he faced became solid once more. "It's over," he declared in a quiet, but firm tone.
"Graham!" Jason cried, running to his friend and partner's side.
But Faith got there first, and Jason stopped in his tracks as the Game Master knelt down at Graham's side. "You will not reconsider?" Faith asked sorrowfully. He gestured, and the ice covering Graham's face melted away.
"G-Go to hell," Graham snarled.
Faith shook his head sadly. "You still do not understand, do you? You know what your entry fee was for your first Reapers' Game. Your fee this week was the same, and still you have not learned better. You tried to trick the other Players in hopes of being the one to complete the third mission. Yesterday, you unilaterally decided to betray Players who trusted you, leaving them to be erased. You should have realized, Mr. Smith. This is not who you are."
"I am what your game has made me," Graham hissed.
"You are broken," Faith lamented. "Your passion was taken from you. No longer are you fueled by a burning desire to make a difference in the world. You are a caricature of your former self, a ruthless and conniving creature who has shelved humility only to place himself in an unwinnable situation. Can you appreciate now why you did not win?"
"This is not who I am!" Graham argued, his voice growing weak.
"No. This is who you were destined to become," Faith said. "Passions cool, Mr. Smith. One day, your desires would have smoldered. What, then, would have carried you onwards through the challenges life affords you? This was your chance to show us that you could have reignited yourself. Look at yourself, Mr. Smith. Can you live with who you have become?"
Graham's anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by despair.
"You know the truth," Faith went on. "You are not proud of what you have done."
"Do it, then," Graham said, a bit of fight reappearing in his eyes. "Erase me. I won't be a Reaper. I won't be like you, offering false promises and shredding hopes and dreams."
"Very well," Faith agreed. "Farewell, Mr. Smith. May you know peace forevermore."
"No, wait!" Celia and Jason cried out together.
But they were too late. Faith punched downward, slamming one fist through Graham's frozen torso.
Graham's expression became one of shock. Then he was gone.
Faith stood, but did not turn to meet Celia's gaze. "You have seven minutes, Mr. Reed," he said, his words directed at Jason. "That is how long a Player can linger after his partner is erased. Normally, your fate would be sealed, but throughout your time in the Underground, you have demonstrated time and time again that even lacking your natural conviction and surety, you can find yourself a righteous path to tread. If you've reconsidered your prior decision, I can and will save you. Talk to your friends if you like, and come to me when you've made your choice."
With that, Faith turned and walked back up to the edge of the sound, watching as the tranquil waves splashed on by.
Strangely, Celia did not feel an urge to go straight to Faith. Instead, she looked towards Jason, who seemed to be petrified. "Jason, what's going on?" she asked softly.
"Faith mentioned something about another game. This isn't your first Reapers' Game, is it?" Blake asked.
Jason shook his head stiffly, and there was a distant look in his eyes, as if he was entirely lost. "Graham and I have played the Game before," he admitted.
"What happens after the game, Jason?" Celia asked, fearing the answer.
"Before the Game begins, the Composer, whoever – or whatever – is in charge of the Game, decides upon a number of Players who may live again," Jason explained. "Throughout the Game, the Reapers watch us and score us. At the end of the Game, if any Players still remain, some of them are offered a new chance at life. The rest have to choose between erasure, playing the Game again, and becoming Reapers themselves."
Celia's throat went dry, and she felt a horrid knot in her stomach.
"Last week, the Composer decided that only one Player would get to live again," Jason went on. "Graham and I both decided to play again. This time, Graham was determined to be the winner. He sent you two to battle the Noise on the third day, because he wanted to be the one to claim two of the three flags from the mission. Yesterday, when he learned that Celia was once the Game Master's friend, he became afraid that the Game's ruling would be biased in her favor. That's why he tried to let that Reaper erase you."
"And today, he decided you two had to be the ones to erase Faith," Blake reasoned.
Jason nodded. "Last week, the mission offered us a similar choice. Michael was Game Master that week. No one even tried to face him. Today, Graham decided the best way to ensure that we'd be declared winners was to find and erase the Game Master," he said.
"What will you do now?" Blake asked.
"I can't let myself be erased," Jason said reluctantly. "My parents died a few years back, leaving my little sister and me on our own. I was all she had left. I have to go back to her, even if… even if it means becoming a Reaper." He took a deep breath, then nodded, his hesitation leaving him. "I'm ready," he declared.
With that, Jason, Celia, and Blake silently made their way to Faith's side.
"Make me a Reaper," Jason said bluntly, as soon as they reached Faith.
"Your mind's made up?" Faith asked.
"It is," Jason confirmed, sounding determined.
Faith reached into his pocket, retrieving a red pin bearing a design that resembled an infernal, doglike creature. "Tin Pin Ifrit," he explained. "Inspired by a divine beast with dominion over flame. The pin's psych meshes remarkably well with your late partner."
The pin flashed.
"I have just bound your late partner's lingering Soul to this pin," Faith explained. "Forge a pact with it, and though you will not be able to defend yourself from Noise, you will not fade away, either. Keep yourself safe until the end of the Game, and you will be returned to the Hall of Adjudication."
"You bound Graham to this pin?" Jason asked, horrified.
"It's… complicated," Faith said. "His identity was lost when he was erased. In time, his patterns would have faded. I have preserved them for now, by forging them into Noise. Once you become a Reaper, you may release him for good, if that is what you desire. You may also prefer to keep the pin, with which you may be able to bring forth the fire Noise, Ignis Canor."
Jason nodded, and though he still looked uncomfortable with the thought, he focused on the pin. "It's done," he said.
"Then go," Faith instructed. "Your mission is nearly at its end. Stay warm."
"Thank you," Jason said. He turned to Celia and Blake. "Good luck," he offered, before leaving.
"Hello, Faith," Celia said in a brittle tone, walking up to the Game Master's side as soon as Jason was out of earshot.
"Hello, Celia," Faith greeted calmly. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you today."
"You did promise we'd see each other soon," Celia reminded.
"I did, didn't I?" Faith said. "I'm sorry we couldn't talk sooner. It's been a busy week." He turned to meet her gaze.
"Paperwork again?" Celia asked with a sad, teasing smile.
"I wish," Faith said with a chuckle. "Fieldwork is more tiring than I remember. It doesn't help that Minamimoto has been determined to make this week a living hell for me."
"One of the Reapers told us that you work for him," Celia said, though her doubtful tone didn't seem accusing in the slightest.
"That's the normal order of things. The Conductor represents the Composer's interests, commanding the other Reapers. The Game Master, in turn, represents the Conductor in the Reapers' Game," Faith explained. "But this game has been anything but normal, and I do not answer to Minamimoto."
"That's what I thought," Celia said quietly.
"Speaking of our resident math fetishist," Faith continued. "Thank you, Celia. I wouldn't have been able to defeat Minamimoto's echo without you. Asking you Players to face the Taboo Noise itself was already my last resort. When I learned of Michael's erasure, I feared I had already lost. You proved to be the best partner I could have asked for. You had no reason to reciprocate my trust, but you did anyways. You even found yourself a Harmonizer pin somewhere along the way."
"I didn't know it was you at the time," Celia reminded.
"But you did," Faith corrected. "You knew, from the moment we forged our pact. Your presence was keenly familiar to me. My presence must have felt the same to you. You knew, but you knew, too, that you did not have time to unravel the mystery, so you maintained the illusion yourself for my sake. So, thank you."
At first, Celia wasn't sure what to say. Then she remembered her conversation with Jason, and what had happened with Graham. "Faith, is what Jason said true?" she blurted. "Jason said that not everyone who survives the Game gets to live again. He said that we're being scored, and that the Players who don't win have to play again or become Reapers."
"It's true," Faith confirmed.
"Then that's what happened to you," Blake reasoned, finally speaking up. "You died, played the Game, and lost. Instead of disappearing or playing the Game again, you became a Reaper. You're trapped, too. More trapped, even, since at least Celia and I still have our chance to win."
"No," Celia corrected. "Faith isn't trapped. I don't know if he can leave or not, but he's right where he wants to be."
"How did you know?" Faith asked, eyeing her curiously.
"Because I know you. I understand you," Celia said. "I saw the look in your eyes when you were talking with Graham. You're not like the other Reapers, Faith. Some of the Reapers really are trapped, like Dennis, or like Jason will be. They don't want to be what they are, but they didn't have a choice. Other Reapers, like Bradley, are happy with the power over others that being a Reaper gives them. Maybe they started out like Dennis and Jason, or maybe that's how they always were."
"So which kind of Reaper am I?" Faith asked.
"Neither," Celia replied. "You aren't here for yourself. You don't care about power or prestige, but you weren't forced to become a Reaper, either. You're here for the Underground itself, and for the Reapers' Game. You truly believe in what you do, that it's something important and worth doing."
"Well, you've found me out," Faith said, smiling wistfully.
"But you're wrong, Faith," Celia said firmly. "You don't have the right to decide whether or not someone deserves to die."
"I do not," Faith agreed mildly. "No one does. Celia, do you remember when I visited you on the second day of this game? I may have pretended not to see you, but my words were genuine. I truly did regret what I did to your partner. I still do, in fact."
"Do you regret what you did to Graham, too?" Blake demanded angrily. "Do you regret smashing him into millions of pieces, then taking those pieces and using them to turn Jason into a Reaper, too?"
"I regret having to do what I did, but I do not regret my actions themselves," Faith said, carefully measuring his words.
"More mind games and riddles," Blake spat. "You're full of shit."
"I did not expect you to understand, Mr. Daniels," Faith said indifferently.
"What about me?" Celia asked, now with a noticeable edge to her voice. "Did you expect me to understand? Because I don't, Faith. I don't understand how you can keep believing in this game, how you can take part in stealing people's dreams from them and abandoning them to fade away."
Faith sighed. "I know you don't," he said heavily. "I wish I could explain it all to you right now, but I can't. But… after this game, if you are still willing to listen, I will try," he promised.
Celia looked into Faith's eyes, and for the first time, she found him entirely inscrutable. "Alright. After this game, I'll listen to whatever you have to say," she promised. "But there's something else I need to ask you, first. Graham believed that his best chance to live again was to erase you. Was he right?"
Faith grimaced. "Graham Smith erasing me was never a possibility," he replied.
"But let's say he was able to," Blake said. "Or, since he's gone and the question's already moot, say Celia and I were to erase you. Would that be enough for Celia to live again, and to get her out of this hell you call home?"
"You two would certainly put up a better fight than Graham Smith and his partner did," Faith remarked. "Unfortunately, by the Composer's decree, this week's game will allow only a single winner. I can tell you, with absolute confidence, that Celia will not be that winner. However, should Celia erase me, things would certainly be… interesting."
"Interesting?" Celia asked sharply. "After all the time you spent pretending to be my friend, you think it would be interesting to make me erase you?"
"I was never pretending," Faith answered mildly.
Celia winced, immediately regretting her words, for in Faith's eyes she saw the same confusion, frustration, and pain she herself was feeling.
"That's enough, Faith," Blake said, speaking up before Celia could apologize. "Don't you think you've screwed with her enough?"
"Blake…" Celia tried to interrupt.
But her partner brushed her aside and readied his pins. "Alright then, Faith. We'll face you. Maybe I'll get to kill you this time, or maybe you'll get to erase us. We'll see how interesting you find it then," Blake declared.
"Wait! No!" Celia protested.
Faith sighed. "I'm sorry, C," he apologized. He moved to stand about twenty paces away from Celia and Blake, then turned to face them. "It will bring me no pleasure to erase you or your partner, Mr. Daniels," he said emotionlessly. "Nevertheless, as Game Master, I accept your challenge."
A large Noise sigil appeared at the Game Master's feet, and a column of purifying light shined down upon him, leaving him barely visible. Tendrils of Noise, black, red, white, and gold, began creeping upwards from the ground, absorbing the light as they melded into their master.
Then the light itself was consumed, as was the Noise sigil upon the ground. The Game Master remained humanoid, but it looked as if two changes had come over him at once, splitting him down the middle.
His left side had grown darker, his black trench coat gleaming and mysteriously drawing in light from around it, casting his immediate vicinity into darkness. Deep scarlet markings lined the edges of his coat. His skin had become coal-black, and his left eye glowed red, its pupil disappearing. A black spiky Reaper's wing protruded from his back, stretching to that side, crackling with crimson lightning.
His right half seemed precisely the opposite. His coat had transformed into an elegant white robe, lined with golden markings. The robe seemed to be emitting its own light, appearing vividly illuminated from every angle, glowing faintly even as the dimming sun sank beneath the distant horizon. Half of a hood had appeared, completely obscuring the right half of his face, and a beautiful wing of the purest white feathers, resembling to those of a dove, extended to the right.
Celia and Blake watched motionlessly as the Noise seemed to divide itself, sidestepping to the left and right at the same time. It came away as two separate, whole beings: one of life born from utter darkness, the other an emissary of light itself.
"Contrarious Cantus, Tenebrae. A fragment of Hollow's Noise form. Wields a wide array of devastating psychs. Beware of when the six darklit planets align."
"Contrarious Cantus, Lumen. A fragment of Hollow's Noise form. The Garden's light burns brighter with each passing second. Defeat him quickly, or not at all."
The two discordant descriptions rang out simultaneously in Celia's mind, yet somehow, she heard and fully comprehended both.
Then Lumen and Blake disappeared from sight, leaving Celia alone in the darkness.
Blake trembled with anticipation as Celia and the shadowed Noise faded away, whisked to the other zone. Though Lumen remained hooded, he could sense the Noise watching him. "Are you in there, Faith?" he asked boldly. "Or are you hiding from us again, sending your Noise to clean up after you?"
A soft, incredulous laugh drifted out from beneath Lumen's hood. His voice was similar to Faith's, but was impossibly smooth and melodic. A low, reverberating echo followed it, as if there was a great power lurking behind every sound the Noise made. "You think I'm hiding from you?" Lumen asked in a disbelieving tone.
"Why wouldn't I think that? You've waited this long to face us, after all," Blake retorted. "You know, there's a bit of irony in this."
"Do tell," Lumen prompted.
"Only a few days ago, I was hoping for a chance to thank you," Blake began. "It was only because of you and Celia that I realized the truth, you see. I finally understood that I was a terrible person, and that I had no one to blame for it but myself."
"Ah, so you aren't entirely oblivious," Lumen marveled.
"I've done a lot of stupid things throughout my life," Blake admitted freely. "But the day that you shot me, I really hit rock-bottom, didn't I? You tried to stop me, and even now, I think I'm kind of grateful for that. I'm still not sure what came over me that day, but I do know that if it wasn't for meeting Celia here in the Underground, I'd probably still be the same bitter and worthless loser."
"It sounds like you've found some perspective," Lumen remarked lightly. "And it only costed you your life. Do you consider that to be a fair exchange?"
Inwardly, Blake was seething at the crude taunt, but he did his best to hide it. "See, this is why I've changed my mind about thanking you," he said nonchalantly, a slight quiver in his voice betraying his feigned calm. "The Reapers' Game really is just a game to you. It doesn't bother you in the slightest that this game is literally a matter of life and death for those of us who have been roped into playing."
"You believe it doesn't bother me?" Lumen asked mildly.
"If it does, it wasn't enough to keep you from toying with us," Blake spat. "Do you have any idea how much you mean to her? Oh, wait, of course you do! You stood over her memorial, laying flowers and pretty baubles on it while we were watching, pretending the entire time that you couldn't see her!"
"I did," Lumen admitted. "What of it?"
"She's been trapped here, playing your depraved game, partnered with the man who killed her. Anyone else would have given up then and there, but she kept on playing. She kept on fighting for her second chance, not just at life, but to be with you again," Blake hissed. "And where were you, Faith? You couldn't just watch from the sidelines, could you? You had to taunt her, placing yourself just out of her reach. Even when you were finally forced to show yourself to her, you brushed her aside. You couldn't even find the decency to tell her the truth about this horrible game."
"It is not a matter of decency. There are rules the Game Master must abide," Lumen replied.
"Screw your rules!" Blake thundered. "You let her spend all of yesterday thinking there was a light at the end of the road! We came all this way today, just so she could speak to you, so that she could convince herself that her dreams hadn't been a lie! Hell, we even had to fight our way past two of your Reapers who didn't give a damn about your fucking rules!"
"Oh really?" Lumen asked dangerously.
"Yes, really," Blake said, gritting his teeth. "So tell me, Faith. Since you're so uniquely fond of rules, when were you planning to tell us that without erasing you, everything we've been through would have been for nothing? You came up with this stupid mission today just to let Celia think she could avoid fighting against you, and for what? So you can dash her hopes again?"
Lumen shook his head slowly. "I already told you, defeating me here will not make Celia the winner of this game," he reminded.
"You would have us lie down and die," Blake accused. "I may be a terrible person, but you… you're a monster. Life and death mean nothing to you, because you lurk between them, playing your cruel little game… but even that isn't enough for you. Twice now, you've gone out of your way to raise Celia's hopes, only to crush them again. You are a sick and twisted…"
"Enough," Lumen said. He spoke quietly, but there was an authoritative edge in his voice that could not be ignored. "Do not presume to know what I am, Mr. Daniels. Do not presume to understand why I have done as I've done. I will not deny that I am a monster – I am one of death's gatekeepers, after all – but everything I've done, I've done with careful deliberation. To the best of my ability, everything I've done has been in adherence to a purpose greater than myself."
"Like I'm about to believe that," Blake sneered.
"As I told you before, I did not expect you to understand," Lumen continued calmly. "You are only just beginning to see a world beyond your own. That, in itself, is quite an improvement. After all, not all that long ago, you were a sociopath who stabbed a woman to death for your own inability to communicate. Now, you yearn to see the light beyond the door. Though it remains far beyond your reach, I will reveal it to you nonetheless."
As Lumen finished speaking, he reached down to the elegant sash of golden silk that had replaced the ordinary belt Faith had worn, unclasping a pair of matching gold batons tipped with sun-like crests. The batons and the intricate golden sigils lining Lumen's robe began to gleam even brighter, emitting a soft, sanctifying white light.
"Enough of your riddles," Blake snapped, reaching for his pins. "Even if you're finally telling us the truth – even if I can't save Celia by defeating you – at least I'm taking you to hell with me!"
Lumen laughed, giving no indication of taking Blake's threat seriously. "By all means, try!" he invited challengingly.
Make or break, take what you'd like,
I won't run away…
Author's Note:
Lyrics taken from Make or Break. I think this track was exclusive to the Japanese/International versions, but I'm not sure. Maybe it was in the iOS remake?