"Honey…"
…
In the darkness, a voice speaks out to me.
"You have to get up."
That lovely voice I know so well.
"Please."
If only I could lay here and listen to it forever…
"You have to wake up None!"
I have to. I have to…
I have to.
…
Ugh, my body feels like shit still. I don't know how long I've slept but I've at least recovered somewhat. I open my eyes to see a man standing over me… with a darkness that I can see in the furthest recesses of his eyes…
I jump to my feet dragging Aiden back with me, at the same time brandishing my pipe…
"Aiden, wake up."
I shake him violently until he's conscious again.
"None…? What..-"
"Get up…"
Aiden looks in the direction I've been staring at since he's awoken.
"What the fuck?"
He jumps to his feet, summoning a chain in his hand to use as a weapon.
"How long has he been standing there?"
"im not sure, he's been there since I woke up…"
This surely isn't necessarily good. I'm not at full strength, I doubt Aiden is either. My knife is some distance from me but it's still reachable. He's in the direction of our exit, and some mystical 6th sense is just telling me he won't simply let us pass.
"...What do you want?"
"You people… you managed to kill it…"
"Is that supposed to be like some major accomplishment?"
"That thing is notorious, it haunts the memories of so many of us. I watched my friends get ripped apart. I watched them… I watched them and that's how I escaped."
His mannerisms seem off. He seems unstable, his voice is shaky. The more he talks the more agitated he seems to get.
"I watched them die, so many other stories I've heard, and when… I'm finally strong enough… you… two… killed it."
The darkness in his eyes seems to grow darker and darker as he trails on. Unconsciously my feet begin to shift, putting me in a more defensive position than before.
"Listen, I'm sorry you couldn't get your revenge, I understand why you're pissed. But the thing is dead, no longer will it terrorize pe-"
"NO! Why… why are you two still alive… it's not fair… you two should've died there's only two of you how… how did you TWO KILL THAT THING!"
His moments turn frantic, thrashing around while holding his head. Aiden and I turn to look at each other, then back at him to see him in the same state… the influence of the abyss… going towards him to try to break him out is too dangerous, he could randomly attack. At least at a distance we have more of a chance, should we just prepare for another fight…
I grip the pipe tightly in my hand.
"No… you were just lucky… you took the luck of the people before us. It's all your fault… how else would you have that authority…"
"Authority?"
His eyes aren't looking at me… they're looking at Aiden. Could he be talking about that chain power?
"It's all your fault… if we had any authority then… we could've won. Any of us could… it's your fault, it's your fault… it's all your fault… YOUR FAULT, YOUR- ah… AGHHHH!"
He wails from side to side… digging his names so deep into his skin that I can see the blood dripping. His body begins to contort, bones breaking, some bones protruding. Areas around his flesh apparently begin to tighten and harden, compacting itself to form an almost armor like structure… his skull begins cracking, he yells in pain until fully his bones begin protruding outward until the right half of his face extends almost like a deer antler.
"All… your… fault…"
His voice this time comes out as a distorted attempt at speech.
He looks towards us… then grins from ear to ear. An unsettling smile that I know In an instant will haunt my memories for years to come… it's like he's corrupted…
Then…
He disappears from my sight. Next to no time to think. Authority… Aiden is the one with the authority, he won't target me… in a split second I snap my body towards Aiden's direction.
BASH!
CRACK!
SMASH!
A few devastating blows and Aiden was sent flying back, coughing up blood when he lands. Aiden must've reacted fast however, as a chain was already wrapped around his torso, and my arms were already raised far above my head, ready to bring this pipe crashing down across his head.
Bam!
Using the moment of the swing I spin my body and slam my leg into his torso making him fly back. I dash towards him as the chain stops him from flying all the way back. Another swing… but he dodged under, dashing away with enough speed to shatter the chain binding him…
Aiden again…
Aiden recovers to his feet as fast as he's able to. I can tell that hit fucked him up, as I'm dashing towards them he's already assumed him fighting position. I pick up my knife off the ground and sheathe it for now. Both of us, dashing towards Aiden, but he makes it first…
Aiden dodges the first strike aimed at his face, another dodged. Parrying the blow to his torso and more more attempting to crush his skull…
Smack!
It missed, leaving him open to a counterattack. Aiden backs away as I make it to him just in time. I tighten my grip…
BASH!
I follow up on my attack, swinging my left arm and cracking him across his head once again. One more… I raise my arms above my head and bring with all my strength…
My hands vibrate from the shock… of hitting a stone wall…
What? A stone wall just appeared out of nowhere?
SMASHHH!
The wall breaks in front of me, causing rock fragments to fly like bullets that luckily only graze me. A dull pain shoots through my stomach, I feel my bottom ribs cracking… my stomach burning as if I had drunken magma. My feet leaves the ground and I'm sent flying backwards…
Cough… cough… guh.. uh
I can barely breathe, when I cough, blood leaves my mouth. I force myself to my feet, I look towards Aiden now battling the monster alone. Fighting through the pain, I limp forward. Proceeding to a run. He's doing well…
A dodge, an attack, block, and back step. Every single hit almost meets its mark. Almost… the corrupted being lunges forward ready to deal a devastating strike, but a chain wraps around his body, stopping him in his tracks while Aiden backs away.
With one quick motion the chains snap as he flashes towards Aiden again. He looks to be getting more worried by the second... But I'm almost there… He dodged the attack, but all of a sudden the ground begins to morph, the cavern floors shoot outward aiming directly at Aiden.
Smash!
Gah!
The stone pillar smashes against Aiden's side. He makes an audible noise from pain. But the corrupted wasn't done yet…
He shifts his feet, twisting his body… his leg crashes into Aiden's side sending him flying. He hits the ground hard, bouncing a few times before finally coming to a halt…
He doesn't get up…
Damn it… damn it damn it damn it…
Finally, I'm directly behind him. I tighten my grip, summoning all of my strength I swing my arms like a canon…
Clank
With one sweep the pipe is gone from my hands… getting sent far beyond my reach…
Shit… shit… God damn it… I pull my knife from my sheath, but I'm yet to make another move.
And he hasn't either…
Still with that unsettling smile that permeates my soul.
Why… won't it move. Is it waiting for me… is it going to just randomly attack? When? When is it going to…
None grits his teeth… he does his best to catch his breath. Time ticks by, only seconds… yet each feels like a minute as he waits and still neither of them move from their position, the constant waiting makes him anxious. Building and building as seconds go by. Until he was forced to act first.
I swing my blade, but it's easily dodged. Coming back with a follow-up, yet still it misses. Shifting my footing, I lunge forward with a thrust only for it to be side stepped effortlessly… but still not losing sight of him, my body turns with my blade following my line of movement. He dodges under perfectly unharmed
Smash!
The force of a truck hits my chest sending me backwards. I plant my feet on the ground, sliding until I eventually come to a stop…
I lunge forward again, another attack… followed by another and another and another and another… and nothing… nothing even grazes him.
Why…
Why won't he just end this… he has the power to… why is it dodging so much, not using all of its power…
It's playing with me... Like an animal plays with its food before eating it?
Something was beginning… no, it had been already, something was eating away at his soul…
As he brandishes his knife once more, his hands can't help but shake.
His teeth can't help but chatter…
He was afraid… no he was terrified. With everything up to now there was at least some relevance in strength. Even with the beast from before, they were able to do something… but now, none is completely outclassed. There is no fighting… there is no running… there is no escape. The only outcome there is… is death.
"RAHHHHGGG!"
Without thinking, none charges forward. His footsteps leave cracks in the ground, he no longer cares about conserving energy. He arm shoots out cutting through the air, after a swift dodge he throws more and more slashes without delay. One more wild swing of his arm cutting diagonally. The wild attacks start to throw the corrupted off balance. On instinct, none doesn't miss this opportunity…
Dashing forward he slashes across, leaving a gash in the creature's stomach. The first hit he's made… yet there's celebration, there no time to consider if he could win now. He was already lunging towards him again. He brings his blade down, but his arm gets caught…
None extends his head, opening his mouth, and sinking his teeth into the flesh of this thing. Blood fills his mouth as he bites down harder and thrashes his head back and forth until he rips out of a chunk of this monster…
None was terrified, but there was no running. All he could do was fight, abandoning all thoughts he was fighting for his life. A machine that ran on a program…
"Survive"
and to do that, this thing must die…
I'll kill it… I have to... I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you!
He fights fiercely, taking blow after blow. Yet his body refuses to drop, with each second that he stands on his feet his strength increases, his muscles become denser, every attribute gains his speed, agility, disability… But still… It offers little advantage.
His legs shatter the ground as he leaps from it, arms stretched. A strong precise slash, but there was nothing to greet it. He spun on his heel, slicing through the air with his blade… he ducks, but while he's still in that position none lunges from the ground.
Bam!
The corrupted recoils from a knee strong enough to shatter the ribs of anything that came before this thing that he's fighting… the thing tightens his fist and none reacts instantly bringing his arm in front of his face.
SMASH!
He flies back, rolling across the ground. He reaches out his hands, digging his fingers into the ground, planting his feet until he comes to a halt. With not even a second to rest, he's already dashing forward again like a wild animal.
"RAHHHHHHHH!"
A thrust, another slash, followed by another and another and another. Wild slashes, punches and kicks. Not a single one hitting their mark…
I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you!
He runs forward.
I'll kill!
A pillar of jagged rock shot from the ground
It goes straight through his torso… coming out his back…
Soon the pillar crumbles away, and none drops to the ground, bleeding profusely…
Cough… ghah cough…
He spits blood from his mouth and nose… None stares up at this thing that was once human. He grits his teeth almost hard enough to crack them…
I'll kill you! I'llkill you
Even this thing, for the first time it had stopped smiling. Unmoving, watching None as he grips his leg, pulling himself forward and sinks his teeth into his ankle…
Illkillyouillkillyouillkillyouillkillyouiswearillkillyouripyouapartillkillyourendyouill-
ah
His grip weakens…
And finally his consciousness fades to black.