"KA…I…"
Vincent's rushing body froze.
His voice started high, but quickly waned halfway, unable to reach.
"No…"
Vincent's eyes trembled.
The moons shone, illuminating the night.
Giving enough light for him to see the strange twisting of the floating figure.
…
With a wave of his hand, Peter's body flew up, floating helplessly before Kai.
And in Kai's eyes, only coldness and resolute will remained—the will to eliminate the threat.
Peter's head hung, half-conscious, almost passed out from the pain.
Crack! Crack!
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Agonizing cries filled the night.
Pain snapped him awake.
His eyes darted, and he saw it.
His left arm had twisted strangely, the bones poking through the flesh.
Fresh blood dripped on the ground.
"Ughh…ughhh…."
Each breath felt like torture; each moment made him wish for death.
"AGHHHHH…."
His eyes bulged out.
He felt it. An invisible pressure descended on his remaining limbs.
But instead of the expected pain, he saw a dagger slowly rising in the air.
The dagger he held in his mutilated arm.
'He took it.'
Peter's heart trembled.
His heart charred with unwillingness, and tears streamed down his eyes.
For deep down, he knew it.
This was the end.
The dagger floated up until it aligned with his head.
'No…no…no…'
Peter swayed his head around.
Thud!
But suddenly, it locked in place.
As if an invisible force held him.
And in his dreadful eyes, the dagger's reflection remained.
The blade pointed at him.
The blade swayed slightly.
Swoosh!
And it disappeared.
Peter's eyes remained wide, but slowly dimmed, turning lifeless.
His body went limp.
Splassshhh!
Blood splashed around as a massive hole opened in his forehead.
The dagger floated behind him, clean, as if it hadn't just gone through him.
Thud!
The invisible force let go.
Peter's body collapsed on the ground.
The blood pooled around his head, mixed with chunks of brain matter.
But Kai just stared.
Blood droplets floated around him, supposed to reach him, but never could.
A strange light flashed in his eyes.
Swoosh!
He glared at the dagger floating midair.
Crack!
Web-like cracks spread on the dagger.
Crash!
It shattered, crumbling to pieces.
"This time, I'll protect my family…"
…
Swooosh!
Vincent moved swiftly, hiding behind a pile of rubble further away.
Kai slowly walked back toward the hospital.
Vincent's heartbeat quickened, but his breathing stayed steady.
'Why am I hiding?'
A thought flashed in his mind, but he had no answer.
Maybe he was scared.
He didn't have the heart to face Kai; he didn't know if he'd still look at him with the same eyes,
For however little he wanted to admit it, Kai was dangerous, not just a lost child, and he was responsible for him.
Vincent remained motionless, staring as Kai walked away until his back disappeared into the hospital.
For a few minutes, his thoughts wandered off.
"Sigh…"
A long sigh escaped him.
He reigned in his thoughts and slowly made his way to see how far Kai had gone.
He walked.
With each step, his face grew anxious.
And soon, the pungent stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, mixed with the ever-present rot in the air.
Vincent reached the corpse.
'He is dead.'
His intestines churned.
Peter's corpse lay before his eyes, in a pool of fresh blood, his arm twisted in unnatural ways, a sharp bone protruding.
His eyes were wide open and mot agape.
A hole went through his skull, his brain visible, fluids mixed with brain pieces still flooding out.
A terror-stricken face, mixed with regret and unwillingness. Unjustice.
Frozen in time forever.
'Because of me,'
Tears welled in his eyes.
'No. Because of Kai,'
Badum! Badum!
Vincent's breath quickened.
'No…'
His arms trembled.
His heartbeat thumped into his neck.
'Because of what I created,'
"Aghh…aghh…"
A groan escaped him.
Thud!
Vincent collapsed to his knees.
'WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!??!!!'
He slammed his head down, pulling at his long hair.
Tears streamed down.
"I'm sorry…"
His breaking voice rang.
"I'm truly…sorry…"
He bowed.
"But what am I supposed to do!?"
A profound feeling of meaninglessness consumed him.
For what was he supposed to do? He saved Kai, thus creating today. And he conflicted Peter, thus creating today.
'Everything I do…just brings more suffering.'
Guilt consumed him, and memories flashed before his eyes.
Peter's words rang in his mind.
…
"You bastard!"
Thud!
Peter slammed his head into Vincent's nose.
"You are the reason they died! You abandoned them!"
…
In a dark corridor, Peter blocked his way.
"Vincent, do you think you are worthy of being one of the leaders of the group?"
He pushed him.
"It's not just me who thinks you are incompetent. We'll bring you down."
…
"Come on! Cheeers!"
Peter raised his glass, smiling earnestly.
People surrounded him, and a simple table of food lay before him.
Glasses clinked in the air, bringing a smile to everyone present.
"I'll protect you all."
His declaration rang out, bringing a smile to Vincent's face.
…
"Aghhhh!"
Vincent slammed his head.
They had their clashes. Their disagreements.
But he never wanted today to be the last.
In the end, Peter was still a member of the group.
Vincent knew he had the group's well-being in mind.
And how far he could go for it.
"I'm truly sorry…"
He bowed, his forehead touching the ground.
"It's my fault."
His tears rolled on the ground. He never raised his head.
In the silence of the night, only his murmur remained.
"I bring suffering,"
"I'm a calamity,"
"I deserve…death,"
Time slipped by.
Vincent remained unmoving, pouring out his emotions and admitting his sins.
But the corpse had long grown cold.
Vincent had grown quiet.
His mind went blank, like a dried-up river; no thoughts formed.
'It's good that he died.'
A thought flashed in his mind.
Swoosh!
Vincent's body jolted upwards.
"What?"
He looked around, though he knew it was his thoughts.
'He died because of me. He didn't deserve to die!'
Vincent roared in his mind, his face turning ugly.
'Stupid brain, don't come up with useless thoughts. SCRAM!'
'He deserved it.'
But the thoughts didn't go away.
'He had it coming.'
'STOP IT!'
'If he succeeded in his plans, you'll be doomed.'
The dried-up tears started flowing again.
"No…"
Vincent shook his head, eyes wide in disbelief.
Deep down, realization slowly dawned on him.
THUD!
He grasped his chest, feeling his heart.
"No…"
But only steady, rhythmic beats traveled up his palm.
"I'm…relieved?"
Realization finally fell upon him.
Everything had been an act.
An act to deceive himself.
And his tears were never for Peter, but for what he lost.
"Why don't I feel anything?!!"
He grasped his chest, pulling, tearing, revealing his bare chest.
But all was futile.
He sat on his knees.
His arms hung at his sides, faintly trembling.
Reality slowly settled in.
And despair consumed him.
"What have I become?"
Swoosh!
A status window flashed before his eyes.
[Your hunger grows]
[Time remaining: 3 days 6:48:00]
Vincent's eyes flashed red, and his canines grew.
Hunger assaulted him.
Hunger for human flesh.