The Deep Abyss
Day Ten of the arena
12:05 pm
Kalo pushes themself up to their feet The entire factory continues collapsing around them. Everything is spinning like her mind is caught in between a whirlwind and a fog. But ahead of her is the faint, grey image of Maika - beckoning Kalo to keep going. Somehow, Kalo stumbles forward with factory parts crashing down.
They scuttle over the headless body of Reinhardt, and they trip up the stairs, their bones ache and their ribs swell with each breath.
"Nisa…" She mutters, extending out her hand.
SMASH
Violent screeching echoes all around her. The factory is suddenly filled with a swarm of gigantic bat-like creatures. Their wings and claws are jagged and bend into the shape of a knife. Their noses are wrinkly like a pig's snout, and huge fangs jut out of their mouths.
Kalo swallows back her blood. After retrieving her katana, she crashes through the metal door, which Jorah and Nisa ran through. One of the bats swoops in, slicing their back with its claws, but, Kalo manages to slam and bolt the door shut.
The game makers are trying to herd her in to fight Jorah and Nisa. Of the three, Kalo imagines the game makers are gunning for Nisa, and honestly, she wouldn't mind that.
But the girl from Seven almost collapses once more, they blink their eyes awake again to the voice of Maika telling them to "Wake up!"
Kalo pushes her way through another small metal door leading outside to a raised, stone bridge. The entire arena is collapsing around them, large boulders from the roof of the cave break off and squash the city underneath them. Kalo freezes solid for a moment, the impending doom of the collapsing arena creeps up on her. What can they do? It could end right here, right now.
But, in front of her, a segment of the cave roof splits away! Rays of light shine through revealing the brightened image of Maika! Circular platforms made of shining crystals rise up to the light, one after the other. Something draws Kalo to it.
As she climbs up the ascending steps of crystal platforms, sharp, sword-sized stalactites begin collapsing down from the cave roof. They really are trying to kill me, aren't they? - She thinks.
They haul themself up what feels like the twelfth platform, dodging a stalactite simultaneously but not well enough to stop it from slicing her ear. She can feel the blood ooze down from her ear, but no pain follows. She knows her jaw in particular should be swelling with agony after a few of her teeth were just forcefully removed. It's like their body has blocked out any feelings of pain and replaced them with pure adrenaline.
There they are! A boy and a girl are lying next to each other, breathing heavily in a pool of blood after their battle. Jorah stumbles to his feet, clenching a wound in his chest, and coughing in agony.
"Nisa!"
She kneels down by the girl's side, ignoring Jorah, for now. Blood is gushing from multiple stab wounds inflicted on Nisa's torso. Kalo swallows back, it's at that moment they know that it's futile.
"Talk to me, c-come on. Let me say goodbye, I never get to say goodbye," Kalo croaks.
Nisa's eyes blink open. Her mouth forms a faint smile. "Boy, you sure look terrible," she says.
Kalo chuckles. "Not as bad as you."
Tears are now building up in the back of Kalo's throat.
A shimmering light batters down upon Kalo from above, Illuminating half of her face. They glance up momentarily - to the source of the light. It is glimmering through a collection of enormous, jutting stalactites on the cave roof. The light filters through at her, like someone reaching for a hug, and beckoning them to climb towards it.
No. Not yet. Her demons still await.
Kalo's teary eyes sink back down to the girl cradled in her arms, fighting to take her last breath.
(Nisa Acropora - the girl who Kalo thought was a mirror to someone else. It's only now that the mirror has become more transparent.)
Nisa's mouth shakes, and she begins stammering a few words which slowly grow more audible as the moments go on. "Kalo, just promise me one thing?" The dying career from Four reaches to tighten her grip on Kalo's hand. "Don't let him win, don't let yourself be what your father made you. Will you promise me that?"
Kalo Swallows. "I…"
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Nisa chuckles, bitterly. "I thought for a second, we had a chance."
"Me too," Kalo agrees, half smiling.
Nisa's hand begins to slip from Kalo's. "No, don't go yet! Just a little longer, please… just a little-"
But then a cannon sounds. Kalo closes Nisa's eyes softly, eyes that were once bright but have now gone out entirely. Then Kalo's own eyes travel up above them to the source of the light. A boy stands in front of the light…. the boy from Fourteen… Jorah Levigi, standing on the crystal platform; just above her own platform. A dark chasm into an abyss waits on either side of their platforms from where they rose. The only lights that shine from below are the faint light of the vast underground city.
Jorah's voice cuts through Kalo's thoughts. "It's just like I said, the final two… you and I. We can't escape our pasts; we can only fight them. Together, what'd ya say?"
His voice is coarse and guttural. His eyes are glowing yellow in the light, wide and demented like a cat's in the night that is stalking its prey. Blood drips from the boy's face, staining his pale skin, and dripping down from his cheeks. Nisa's blood and his own also decorate his brown hoodie, from where he stabbed her. He looks as thirsty for blood as Kalo looked only days ago.
Kalo stares at the open wound in his chest and then back into his eyes. She shakes her head.
"Revenge isn't in our hands," she murmurs. "But they won't let us live. Not both of us. It's one of us or neither of us."
Jorah tilts his head and clenches his fist tighter around his dagger. "Then, let's not waste any time!"
Jorah braces his legs to pounce! Kalo gasps, placing their hands against the crystal surface of the platform as the earth shakes. Her eyes travel up to the giant stalactites tumbling directly toward her.
This is it. It's time for Kalosani to face her demons. Their eyes dart to Jorah as he lands in front of her. Then, lifting her katana, she charges to meet her equal, evading the rain of collapsing stalactites all around them.
Immediately, she thrusts the katana at him, but her aim isn't true… something in the back of her mind is telling her that she doesn't want to kill this boy!
So, the blade impales his shoulder! His eyes flood with even more pain than was already there! This survivor from Fourteen trips back to the base of the next platform, dropping his dagger into the chasm. Kalo pauses for a moment, now weaponless, watching Jorah yank and twist the katana, desperately trying to free it from his shoulder! Eventually, the metal snaps, breaking the hilt clean off. He then groans in agony whilst prizing what remains of the blade out of his shoulder. Once out, he tosses the blade aside and bears his teeth at Kalo. His eyes are filled with nothing but pure rage and pain. But the rage is not directed at Kalo, she knows this because it's the exact same rage she felt when this all started.
(And they know that he has every right to be angry.)
Kalo's eyes dart to Nisa's spear and Jorah's eyes follow. Before Kalo can reach it, Jorah lunges forward, kicking it aside. He lets out a fierce battle cry, tackling Kalo away, and lands two heavy, right crosses on their face! Kalo stumbles back, spitting out more blood but quickly returns two equally heavy punches to Jorah's cheek and nose!
The pain all over Kalo's body, particularly from the rat bite in their shoulder, begin to return and make their attacks stiff. So, when they throw their third punch - Jorah is able to duck his head out of the way. The boy then pivots backward, slamming a sidekick into Kalo's ribs!
Pain courses through her, as she flies back into the base of the rocks behind them. They crumple to the ground, coughing and groaning.
But Jorah's relentless attacks keep coming, and he chants something again in that mysterious language he was talking about.
"Ĝi ankoraŭ ne finiĝis!" He exclaims!
He then smashes the bone of his elbow into Kalo's head! Ringing chimes through their skull! But his punches continue. Just when Kalo is about to pass out, some instinct to hold onto survival takes over them. They slip underneath his final punch, and his fist slams into the rock instead!
"Argh!"
Kalo rises to her feet, now gritting her teeth back at the boy. She places her left foot forward, and spins, landing a heel kick directly in Jorah's face - just as Amur and Nisa had taught them!
Jorah's head spins violently. When he turns back to face her, his mouth is now caked in his blood!
More and more stalactites crash down around them, threatening to end them in one gruesome motion. It's one of them or neither - Kalo thinks again.
Jorah cracks his neck. "So, it seems we're destined to be locked in this fight for all time, you and I, truly a curse, ay?"
Kalo spits out more blood. "Somehow, I don't think they'll allow that."
"My father never was satisfied with what he had," Jorah says.
"Mine neither," Kalo chuckles back.
They charge at each other, once again, exchanging more punches, elbows, and kicks.
Jorah manages to catch Kalo's final kick! He spins them, around and around before launching them down to the platform below!
Kalo hits the crystal surface hard, crying in agony! Is this finally it? Her body can't take anymore, everything's fading again.
(Will they finally be with Maika for good? She'd have given anything to stare into her eyes again.)
(Besides, maybe Jorah does deserve to live, to get his revenge.)
The determined boy from Fourteen thuds down behind her and then strides back over to her.
"Well… it seems I've become what my father wanted, after all," he laughs rabidly.
Kalo's mind becomes clearer than ever. No, they won't let that happen. They won't let his father win like hers almost did. That would be a bigger disservice to Jorah. She can stop that! She can stop him from becoming worse than she was!
In front of her, is a particularly sharp stalactite -which has broken off from its main body. She crawls towards it and stealthily slips it into her sleeve.
They roll over, groaning. Jorah's eyes move toward the edge of the platform - which drops into a bottomless chasm.
He licks the blood from his lips, before lifting Kalo up by the jacket and dragging her to the edge of the chasm. Just as he holds her out to drop her to her demise, the girl manages to land a sneaky headbutt on him! Taken off guard, he releases them for a moment, allowing them to slip under, and dig the stalactite into his chest!
Jorah's eyes light up in shock! He glances down at the stalactite only half in his body, Kalo holds onto it tight.
What's happening? She can't do it. She can't bring herself to press it further into him because strangely, in all her life, this boy is the first person she's truly been able to relate to, and now she has to snuff him out.
However, they find that he's no longer resisting either. Mustering the last of their will, Kalo pushes the stalactite further into his chest. He howls in pain, choking out more blood!
Kalo groans as they collapse away from him to the ground. Her eyes are only half open now but she can make out the boy crawling across the ground, coughing and groaning. He slumps against a large crystal with blood now dripping from his mouth. Then, facing Kalo, he takes hold of the sharp rock sticking into his body. His dark eyes become teary, all of a sudden, as he stares at the light above - it brushes against his skin gently. She's never seen him look this vulnerable. "It's-it's funny…" He stutters. "It-it hurts no longer."
With a final cry, he pushes the stalactite all the way into his chest. His arms flop still, and his eyes drift off, finally rid of the pain in them.
BOOM
The twenty-fifth cannon fires. Kalo's breaths pulsate up and down, desperately fighting to keep on breathing like a ship trying to stay afloat. Her head hits the ground and she finds herself lying on her back fully, staring up at the rays of light above.
Her eyes start to fall shut. "Maika…"
The last thing she sees before she blacks out is the hovercraft descending on her…