Emily's hair fluttered in the humid air as she stared at Sarah with narrowed eyes. The flaming aura surrounding Sarah singed Rachel's clothes as it swirled around her. Ash and embers rained from the heavens, while the intense heat incinerated debris and trees. The phoenix loomed over the chessboard, wings spread in radiant, undying magnificence.
Amos, Arthur, and Gunther stood behind Sarah and Rachel, alongside most of the other chosen. Fear filled their hearts, but they held defiant hope under Sarah's unyielding resolve. Elijah could fill the tension in the air just as much as he lit a cigarette. Alice remained in the queen's position, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed, while Shiyu gazed up at the phoenix with awe.
Rachel Mulberry's eyes glimmered under the radiant light of the phoenix as she stared at Emily. Mulberry lightning crackled from her fingertips as she balled her hands into a fist. Her muscles were tense like an animal ready to protect itself from a predator. Sweat trickled down her face as she watched Emily's unbothered facial expression for any sign of doubt.
"ł ₩łⱠⱠ ₳₴₭ Ø₦Ɇ ₥ØⱤɆ ₮ł₥Ɇ. ₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ," Emily threatened as she stood still with her hands in her hoodie pocket.
Rachel's eyes narrowed. "No," she replied as she got into a battle stance.
Emily cackled and shook her head. "₵Ʉ₮Ɇ,฿Ʉ₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₣₳₮Ɇ ł₴ ₴Ɇ₳ⱠɆĐ. ɎØɄⱤ ₴₮Ʉ฿฿ØⱤ₦Ɇ₴₴ ĐØɆ₴ ₦Ø₮ ₵Ⱨ₳₦₲Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ø₴₥ł₵ ₣ł₦Ɇ ₱Ɽł₦₮."
"Are you implying you are going to force the role onto me?" Rachel asked.
"₦Ø, ฿Ʉ₮ ł ₩łⱠⱠ ₥₳₭Ɇ ɎØɄ ₩ł₴Ⱨ ł ĐłĐ," Emily insisted then shrugged.
"Guess there is only one way to find out," Rachel smirked.
Emily sighed, then shook her head. "₴₮Ʉ฿฿ØⱤ₦," she said as she swiped her hand at Sarah's throat.
Sarah's eyes widened as a streak of mulberry light cut her head off, and her skull rolled next to Rachel's feet. The streak of light slashed through rubble and every building as it arched upwards into the bruised, colored sky. The chosen collapsed to the ground, their eyes bulging with primordial fear as they stared at Sarah's head as her body collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
"ⱤɆ₳ĐɎ ₮Ø ⱤɆ₵Ø₦₴łĐɆⱤ?" Emily asked with a grin on her face as she watched Rachel stare down at Sarah's skull with wide eyes.
A pillar of light crashed down into Sarah's body like a missile. Emily's eyes narrowed as Sarah's head and body erupted into flames. Elijah dropped his cigarette as he watched Sarah's decapitated body get up as embers reformed her head back on her neck.
"₮Ⱨ₳₮..... ⱧØ₩?" Emily said as a pillar of fire soared upwards as the phoenix emerged once more. "₮Ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₦Ø₮ ₱Ø₴₴ł฿ⱠɆ."
Embers crackled from Sarah's once-lifeless eyes as the phoenix let out a defiant screech.
"Impossible," Shiyu muttered as she watched its wings spread.
"You can't kill the cycle of life, death, and rebirth," Sarah proclaimed as she gazed at Emily.
"₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ ₳ⱤɆ ɎØɄ?" Emily asked, looking up at the phoenix staring down at her.
"You don't remember?" Sarah asked. "Oh, that's right, you gave yourself amnesia."
"How does she know?" Rachel muttered to herself. "Did the rewinds not work on Sarah? What am I missing?"
"₲₳VɆ ₥Ɏ₴ɆⱠ₣ ₳₥₦Ɇ₴ł₳?" Emily replied as her eyebrows raised.
"You may have created the cosmos, but you did not create the land on which life and the houses you built exist," Sarah said as the phoenix glowed with radiant light.
Emily's eyes widened as she stared into Sarah's fiery eyes. Her eyes drifted towards the ground as Sarah's remarks burrowed deep into her psyche. She rubbed her ear, then ran her hands while remaining silent.
"So long as life exists, so long as death exists, so do I exist. I am the cycle you can not extinguish."
Rachel's stared at Sarah, then at Emily's bewildered expression. Her heart raced in her chest as she gazed up at the phoenix. She ran her hands through her hair as she gazed down at the scorched ground. Memories flooded her mind as she tried to piece together information, recalling fragmented details of a troubling dream she had in Clearwater. All she could remember was a television, pills, and a pink jacket.
"She did this before," Rachel muttered as she watched Emily rip locks of her hair out while laughing manically.
Sarah nodded. "Many times, more times than any mortal can count. Despite everything, she can't be mortal just as much as I can't be the phoenix."
"Fucking hell," Elijah chuckled as he reached for the cigarettes in his jacket pocket. "I fucked something cosmic."
Sarah smirked, then looked at Elijah. "You are not the only one, isn't that right, Rachel?"
Rachel rubbed her shoulders as she refused to meet Sarah's gaze. Her mind raced back to her nights alone with Emily in Hotel Sin. She looked at Elijah, then at Emily, who was still ripping out her hair while mumbling to herself.
Gunter blinked slowly as his eyes drifted between Sarah and Emily. "So it's true. There is more beyond our world? Beyond just the ENGINE and the PRIME?"
Sarah smiled. "I-"
"ɎØɄ ₴ⱧɄ₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₥ØɄ₮Ⱨ. ₦Ø₮ ₳₦Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ₩ØⱤĐ!" Emily yelled, cutting Sarah off.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "This again."
"₴ⱧɄ₮ Ʉ₱!"
Emily rubbed her face as she growled.
"Delusional flamingo, right?"
"ØⱧ ₴ⱧɄ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ Ʉ₱ ₴₳Ɽ₳Ⱨ," Emily growled. JɄ₴₮ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł ₵₳₦'₮ ₲Ɇ₮ ⱤłĐ Ø₣ ɎØɄ ĐØɆ₴₦₮ ₥Ɇ₳₦ ł ₵₳₦'₮ ⱠØ₵₭ ɎØɄ ₳₩₳Ɏ."
"You did that before....sorry to disappoint you, we are cosmic roommates."
Emily blinked slowly, then chuckled manically as she clawed at her face. "ɎØɄ ₳ⱤɆ ł₦₴Ʉ₣₣ɆⱤ₳฿ⱠɆ."
"Emily, you are still supreme. You only-" Shiyu said.
"₴ⱧɄ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ Ʉ₱ ɎØɄ ₴₮Ʉ₱łĐ ₵Ʉ₦₮. ₮Ⱨł₴ ĐØɆ₴ ₦Ø₮ ₵Ø₦₵ɆⱤ₦ ɎØɄ," Emily yelled at Shiyu. "ɎØɄ ĐɄ₥฿ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ⱤɆⱠł₲łØɄ₴ ₣Ʉ₵₭₴ ฿ɄłⱠ₮ ₳ ⱤɆⱠł₲łØ₦ ₳ⱤØɄ₦Đ ₴Ø₥Ɇ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ł ₩₳₴ ₮ⱤɎł₦₲ ₮Ø ₲łVɆ ₳₩₳Ɏ."
"But...why? If only you had told us, we would have followed."
"₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ₩₳₦₮ɆĐ ₩ØⱤ₴Ⱨł₱ɆⱤ₴, ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ł₴ ₳ⱠⱠ ɎØɄ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ₴ ĐØł₦₲. ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ɎØɄ ₩ØɄⱠĐ ฿ɆⱠłɆVɆĐ ₴Ø₥Ɇ ØⱤ₱Ⱨ₳₦ ₩₳₴ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ? Ɏ₳ⱠⱠ Ⱡ₳Ʉ₲ⱧɆĐ, ɎØɄ ₭ł₵₭ɆĐ ₥Ɇ, ₵₳ⱠⱠɆĐ ₥Ɇ ₴₵Ʉ₥," Emily growled, then looked at the other chosen. "ł ₩₳₴ ₴₮₳ⱤVł₦₲ Ø₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮ⱤɆɆ₮₴ ₩ⱧłⱠɆ ɎØɄ ₣₳₦₮₳₴łⱫɆĐ ₳฿ØɄ₮ ฿Ɇł₦₲ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ ฿ɆⱧł₦Đ ɎØɄⱤ ₴₮Ʉ₱łĐ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ₥₳₦₴łØ₦₴."
"They wouldn't have if you just did your damn job to begin with, Emily," Sarah insisted.
"₦Ø฿ØĐɎ ₳₴₭ɆĐ ɎØɄ."
"Throwing another temper tantrum as usual," Sarah replied as she rolled her eyes.
"₣Ʉ₵₭ ɎØɄ ₴₳Ɽ₳Ⱨ," Emily growled, then looked at Rachel. "ɎØɄ ₭₦Ø₩ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₣Ʉ₵₭ ₮Ⱨł₴. Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ₮₳₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ØⱤ ł ⱠɆ₮ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ʉ₦łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ ₣₳ⱠⱠ ł₦₮Ø ₴₮₳₮ł₵ ₴₦Ø₩. ɎØɄⱤ ₵₳ⱠⱠ, ł ĐØ₦'₮ ₲łVɆ ₳ ₴Ⱨł₮ ₳₦Ɏ₥ØⱤɆ."
"You can't be serious?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.
"ØⱧ ł ₳₥ ĐɆ₳Đ ₴ɆⱤłØɄ₴."
"Here we go again," Sarah grumbled as she crossed her arms.
"Can you please stop before she kills us?" Rusev pleaded. "You two can handle this somewhere else; get me the fuck out of here."
"Look at the sky, Rusev," Amos said as he pointed at the eldritch eyes gazing at them from the heavens. "This is the apocalypse; there isn't anywhere we can go she can't reach."
"Are there any protocols or forbidden magic that could help against a god who is throwing a temper tantrum?" Arthur asked as he looked at Gunter.
"There is certain magic that might help, but requires preparation that we simply do not have."
"We will defend you with our lives if we must. Just fucking cast the damn spell."
"Very well," Gunter said as he channeled the ether in the air with various hand gestures.
"What is he doing?" Elijah asked as he observed Gunter.
"Blood magic?" Alice replied as Gunter pulled out a dagger.
"Why me? Why anyone? Why can't you just be what you are, like Sarah is doing right now?" Rachel asked.
"ł ₳ⱠⱤɆ₳ĐɎ ₮ØⱠĐ ɎØɄ ₳₦Đ ł ₵₳₦ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł ₳₥ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ. ł ₥₳₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ⱤɄⱠɆ₴ ₳₦Đ ł₣ ł ₩₳₦₮ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ ₮ⱧɆ₦ Đ₳₥₦ł₮ ł ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ₩łⱠⱠ!"
Elijah's eyes narrowed as he watched Gunter as his blood dripped from his hand. He sighed and shook his head before he turned his attention to Emily. "I heard enough; this is not the path, kid!" Elijah barked. "PRIME or not, we all got our fucking roles in life. You are not mortal, and as much as I hate being mortal sometimes...I am just mortal."
Emily's eyes widened as she stared at Elijah. Her gaze drifted towards the ground as she crossed her arms. She bit her lip, then looked up at Sarah, then Rachel, before her eyes locked back onto Elijah.
"Threatening to kill everyone because of some cosmic existential hissy fit is bullshit, and you know it, Emily!"
Emily scratched her face as her face soured. "Existential hissy fit?" She muttered to herself as she looked at the ground. "You know what, maybe you wouldn't think it's just a simple hissy fit if you were like Sarah or me?"
"Well, we ain't; we are all just mortals trying to get by," Rachel said as her eyes drifted towards the ether-charged sigils floating around Gunter. "What is he doing?"
Emily cackled. "Says the girl with mulberry eyes, and went to the other side."
"I wasn't born this way, Emily," Rachel replied.
Emily shrugged. "And neither were the previous PRIME's, which, by the way, only existed because I don't want the throne."
"Ironic the apex wants to be puny while all the mortals want to be the apex," Sarah said as she crossed her arms.
"I can't take this anymore," Shiyu cried as she dropped to her knees.
"ĐØ₦₮ ₩ØⱤⱤɎ ł ₩łⱠⱠ ɆⱤ₳₴Ɇ ɎØɄⱤ ₥Ɇ₥ØⱤłɆ₴...₥₳Ɏ฿Ɇ ɎØɄⱤ Ʉ₦łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ ĐɆ₱Ɇ₦Đł₦₲ Ø₦ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ."
"You know the ENGINE will find you, Emily. You can't escape what you are," Sarah said.
"₮Ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₦₦Ɏ ₱₳Ɽ₮ ł ₩Ø₦'₮ ₭₦Ø₩ ₳₦Đ ł ₩Ø₦₮ Ⱨ₳VɆ ₳ ₱łⱠ₲Ɽł₥₳₲Ɇ ₣ØⱤ ł₮ ₮Ø ₥₳Ɏ฿Ɇ ₣ł₦Đ ₥Ɇ ₳₲₳ł₦."
Rachel sighed, then walked over towards Elijah. Her heart was full of melancholy as a permanent frown formed on her face. Memories flooded her mind as her thoughts raced over every scenario, each one worse than the last. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she thought back to the promise she made with Emily. Elijah stared at her with concerned eyes as she looked down at his magnum.
"You alright?" Elijah asked as he lit a cigarette, then glanced at Emily, who was bickering with Sarah.
Rachel rubbed her face, then gestured for Elijah's gun. Elijah's eyes widened as he stared into Rachel's mulberry eyes. His chestnut eyes slowly gravitated towards Emily and Sarah before fixating on the mulberry grip of his magnum.
"Are you sure?" Elijah asked while his heart was thumping in his chest. Perspiration trickled down his neck as he looked for any sign of doubt in Rachel's resolve. "You are trying to force Emily to knock it off, right?"
Rachel shook her head. "You can't; you have to remove yourself from the equation for her to knock it off. The universe will end if I don't give her what she wants."
Elijah shook his head as he rubbed his face. "She won't do it. There's gotta be a way to talk her down."
Rachel shook her head. "There is another universe, you know. She has probably done this dance with us just as much as she has been with Sarah."
"What are you saying?"
"I am saying death isn't the end. We will be back in another universe and won't remember."
"But they ain't mortal, Rachel. Ain't no guarantee we come back as they do."
"I am not technically mortal," Rachel replied as she rubbed her shoulders. "Haven't been since the incident in Corwood."
Elijah looked up at the phoenix, then at the static snow drifting through the sky. He rubbed his hands through his salt-and-pepper beard as he exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke. His mind wandered back to all the deja vu he had since encountering Emily. A cocktail of emotions bubbled in his chest as his hand trembled with uncertainty as he handed Rachel the magnum.