*Warning: Murder & Death*
Distant sounds floated through his ears, unable to make out any forms of wording. It sounded like garbled words of someone with water in their mouth. Weird, he thought, whose garbling water right now? He tried to shift but it felt like he was in molasses, sugary and heavy. Almost like tar. He couldn't move, not even to lift a finger. With that introspection, his body, which had previously felt weirdly numb, started to ache in harsh pulses, in time with his beating heart. It radiated outward, from his eyes all the way down to the tip of his feet.
It hurts, he thought, grimacing in pain, trying to shift around again. He gasps wetly, for the moment he shifts, even a little bit, his body immediately sends out more painful after painful waves of agony. His breathing grew harsher, gasps after rattling gasps. It felt like he couldn't take in air correctly, the skin on his chest felt tight, as if it wasn't supposed to be there. What's happening? he thought, panicked. He groans, clenching his teeth, suddenly tasting iron, or has it always been there? He didn't know, he couldn't think, could barely breathe. It hurt too much to do much else, except to lay there, on the cold hard dusty ground.
"~~~~"
More muffled voices he couldn't make out. He couldn't even speak to them, to respond. He felt something trickle down the side of his face, eyes and his mouth. Blood? He wasn't sure, couldn't even open his eyes. Even thinking about it felt like agony.
"~~~~~!"
Please stop talking, please.. He gasps again, a searing, scorching sensation on his arm. He groans, a half-sob forming into something painful. Stop it! Stop touching me! But he couldn't speak, couldn't voice his objections, his pain, his agony. They kept touching him, everywhere, his hair, his face, his arms and his hands. It was painful, so very painful.
"~~~~!!"
"~~~~.."
Breathing ragged, thoughts turning to mush, pain slightly fading away. Fei falls into unrest-full unconsciousness, oblivious to whatever is going on around him.
____________
"Fei? Fei!!" Cinna scrambles, shifting Fei to be on her lap, half off the uncomfortable ground. Her heart drops into her stomach, hands shaky with fear, eyes glistening with tears already being shed. Her breaths come in quickly, almost on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Fei! Please wake up! D-Don't do this to me!" She sobs, screaming, shaking Fei slightly. A hand moves to stop her, grabbing her shoulders.
"Cinna. Cinna! Stop! Your only gonna make this more painful for him! We don't know what injuries he sustained, you don't want to make it worse!" Nael says firmly, voice shaky but stern, turning her so she can look into his eyes. Cinna only sobs harder, clutching onto Fei tightly, wrapping her arms around his head and pressing him tightly to her chest. She rocks slightly, front to back, muttering under her breath, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes wide and staring at the ground unblinkingly.
"..don't do this...no..he is okay....you'll be alright..wake up Fei..I'm here..I-I'm here, moms here....." Her sobs and mutterings continue, arms clutching around her precious person, her son, her child, her family. Nael looks on in worry and fear, tears falling from his eyes, chest aching. He swallows hard, forcing himself to look away from the heartbreaking scene, choosing to observe the other survivors.
Two were huddled up together, clutching each other. Their eyes were closed, whimpering and trembling in fear. Another was curled up on the ground, arms around their legs, face hidden between their knees, quiet and still, except for his hands, shaky and clenched together so tightly his hands were turning a pale white. The remaining survivors were either in the same boat or looking around in paranoia, trembling in fear, bruised from head to toe, exhausted, tear stained cheeks or looking so out of it they probably got severe mental issues, though Nael couldn't fault them for that. He is gonna have many agonizing nightmares after this.
Ding!
Nael snaps his head around at the sound, noticing the others flinching at the sudden noise, tensing. It was a system notification. It congratulates them on surviving and becoming Orins', giving the survivor count as well. 13. Only 13 of them survived. Would this be luck? Or just hell. He didn't know.
Ding!
A second system notification pops up again. It states that the dungeon boss, which was defeated and tagged as an impossible feat, was warranted to give out rewards towards the one that had defeated it. It was Fei, Fei Silver who had defeated the boss. Nael looks down at Fei, still unconscious, blood leaking from his eyes, his nose, his mouth, even his ears. He can tell it's gonna be major blood loss. Cinna is still rocking him, though she has quieted her mumbling, now sitting there, silent, petting Fei's hair, giving him comfort and to reassure herself he is still there, in her arms. Nael's chest pinches painfully, so he looks away, back to the system message.
It continues by saying that for the other survivors, they will be getting rewards doled out to them as well. It was all said, more like, typed out, in a happy message, that the other survivors, the ones that could still talk anyways, grew mad. Angry at the system message, frustrated with their situation, fearful and panicked and tired for what they went through, they spoke, loud and clear. They threw vulgar words at it, asking for help while simultaneously cussing the system out. Nael looked around, panicked and fearful of the repercussions this might have on them.
Ding!
'Are You Done?'
Nael stares in shock as the survivors go suddenly silent, equally shocked.
'You Really Think I Would Help You After This?'
The system is speaking. Not vocally, no, but literally typing it out. Right in front of them. No one answered it, fearful and stunned into silence. It continued,
'Repercussions Will Be Doled Out As Necessary.' And that message is what got the other survivors going again.
"You can't do this!" Incredulous, angry.
"Why!?" Confused, fearful.
"We only wanted help! Please!" Frightened, nervous.
"You bastard! Get us out of here!" Angry, fearful.
"Help u-us! Please!" Sobbing, scared.
'Help You?'
"Y-Yes! Please, I didn't do anything, please please...." The girl sobbed, falling to her knees roughly. She has her hands cupped in front of her in prayer.
'Now, Why Would I Do That?' It sounded almost amused when it said it. Like it was asking a rhetorical question. Like it already knew the answer.
The girl didn't answer, sobbing, muttering pleas' under her breath.
'Very Well. You Want Help?' The girl nods frantically, briefly flicking her eyes to the only downed member of all thirteen of them.
'Then Kill The Ones That Yelled At Me With Such Vulgar Words. I'm Offended.' Nael pauses in shock, fear coursing through him at the message. Kill? No way. The girl looks on in stunned silence, hands falling limply into her lap.
"W-What..?"
'Kill Them.'
"You can't do this!"
"Let us out! Now!"
"Please! let us go!"
"I'm gonna kill you, you bastard! Let me out right now!"
"Now!!"
'Do It.'
The girl stares on, head falling down to stare at the ground, face covered by her grimy and matted hair. The other survivors, four men and two women, the ones yelling, the ones that had shouted and offended the system continued their shouting, their demands. You can't demand something like this, a system, a being of someplace else, a god, to do your bidding. Their gonna die, Nael realizes in shock and muted horror.
Abruptly, the girl stands up, a machete suddenly materializing in her cupped hands. Tension immediately tightens, the 6 survivors suddenly going silent in their demands. The girl is trembling hard, breathing roughly. Nael quickly takes a step back from her, moving closer to Cinna, who is now looking at the girl, eyes wide but unsurprised, like she knew. The girl, who couldn't have been more than sixteen, takes a step forward, forcing the six individuals to step back, their hands come up, palms open, trying to placate her, calm her down, stop her from trying to hurt them. It does nothing, for she suddenly screams. Loud, exhausted, angry, frightened. It was either she did this, or they all die. She kicks off the ground, denting it and kicking up dust. The six panic and split off, stumbling and running to get away from her.
"You crazy bitch! Stop!"
"Someone stop her!"
"Eeee-! I don't wanna die!"
"Help me!"
"Stop her! Please!"
"Aaaaah-!"
The girl swings her machete in a long arc, catching one of the men in the arm. He yells, gripping his shoulder in pain, before he stumbles, losing balance and falling down. He grunts, coughing at the dust he kicked up before screaming. The girl is suddenly on him again, this time literally. She thrusts the blade down, piercing his abdomen before roughly pulling it out, and doing it again, and again, and again, until his screams die down, his gurgles of choking on his blood diminishes, until it is completely silent.
Nael can only watch in shock, mouth open, eyes wide. The girl continues plunging it in, blood coating her hands, her arms, her face, her hair, and her shirt. It was everywhere. Under her, on her, in her eyes, her mouth. Then, suddenly, she stopped, huffing, stumbling slightly as she stood up. Her blade is dripping blood, sliding off of it like water and creating a puddle of blood.
"..One down, five more to go..." She whispers, like it was only meant for herself, but everyone heard it. The five remaining, screamed and ran, and she followed. She picked them off, one by one. She slit another man's throat, he died choking on his own blood. She then ran and grabbed one of the woman's hair, dragging her down and stabbing her through her skull, brain matter coating her blade and the ground where she let the body drop.
Nael can only watch on in horror as the girl continues her spree. She ran after the other woman, leaping on top of her, bringing her crashing to the ground. The woman tried fighting her off, getting a lucky grab of hair in her hand before taking a blade straight through her chest. It went right through the ground, the hilt coming into contact with the chest of her next victim. The woman gasped in shock and agony, scrabbling at the hilt to try and get a good grip and force it out of her chest, but the girl only twisted it. The woman shrieks painfully, screaming and coughing up blood. The girl rips it out, cutting and tearing anything else in the chest as she does. The woman screams in agony, tears falling from her eyes due to the pain and fear.
Her mouth opens, trying to utter words, to plead for mercy but she couldn't, not when the girl stabs her again, straight through her heart. The woman gasps wetly, struggling once more, before the movements taper off, twitching slowly until it lays there and falls still, body going limp. The girl only takes the blade out again, getting up once more and continuing on. She doesn't stop, not until the last one is dead.
Nael watches all of it, unable to look away, to tear his gaze away from the death, the murder, the carnage, in front of him. Not until another system message pops up as the last one is finally killed, head sawed off roughly. It was disgusting, it was horrifying, it was death, and he couldn't stand it.
Ding!
'You Did It. Congratulations. Free Rewards Will Be Appointed To You, Naomi Baker. For This, Medical Personnel Are Waiting Just Outside This Gate. You All Have Survived. Mostly, All Of You. 7 Survivors Have Lived. Congrats!, You May Take Your Leave.'
A rumbling shakes the ground, a stone wall forms from the dust and debris littering the dungeon floor. A door, with a white glowing oval of purple nova stars appear. It was beautiful, awfully out of place for the carnage that surrounded the remaining 7. Nael stares at it, unable to make a move. It was their exit, to medical and their families. He just couldn't move, couldn't take a step forward and see his mother. What is he waiting for?
The girl, previously just standing there, suddenly turns. Her gaze sweeps Nael and Cinna, who tense up, eyeing the girl warily. Cinna clutches Fei to her chest, arms tightening around him, possessive and protective. The girl only lands her gaze on Fei, staring at his unconscious form blankly, before abruptly turning her back to them, walking briskly to the exit. They watch her disappear through it. It was silent, tense, until a few seconds later, she returned. The girl then gestures to them that it's safe and to hurry up.
That's when three of the 7 survivors scramble to get up, falling over their feet but somehow successfully making their way through the exit, to freedom. Nael quickly gathers Fei into his arms, being as careful as he possibly could be, and ushering Cinna in front of him. They briskly make their wait to the exit, the girl still waiting there for them. Her eyes are blank, tired, and exhausted. Skin pale and clammy. She is covered in dirt, and blood, so so much blood, it already drying and sticking to her skin and clumping her hair together, but she only nods at them, eyes lingering on Fei for some odd reason the two of them couldn't figure out. They only nod back at her, acknowledging, giving her very shaky smiles, not reaching their eyes, and exiting through the weird nova portal.
It's bright when they make it outside, but the sun is already close to setting, sky bright with pinks, yellows and oranges. Beautiful, after not seeing the sky for however long they were in the test for. There are many people bustling about, yelling, barking orders. Cops, keeping people that want a story out of the way, letting the remaining survivors get checked out and taken to the hospital with no further issue. There were so many medical personnel that it was dizzying. They were probably expecting more people to patch up, he thought distantly, hands suddenly tightening around the heavy weight in his arms. Nael suddenly gasps, how could he forget? He needs to get Fei to medical now!
"Hey! I need help over here!" His voice cracks, dry throat and lungs raspy after breathing in dust and whatever else was in the dungeon. He catches a few medical personnel's attention and they quickly hurry over to them, grabbing a stretcher and wheeling it over.
"What happened? What are his injuries?"
"Where is he bleeding from?"
Nael answers the best he could. Bleeding from his mouth, his nose and his eyes. Bruising and scrapes everywhere that he could see. In pain but unconscious. That was all the information he could give them as they hook Fei up quickly with an IV and a breathing mask, wheeling him away and into the back of an ambulance. The doors soon shut, the sirens turn on as it exits onto the road the gate popped up at, though it no longer was there, having disappeared during the mayhem after they got out.
Nael suddenly feels a weight on his arms, growing to almost tip him over. He looks towards Cinna, her face pinched in pain, cradling her stomach with one of her hands, her legs shaking. He was about to open his mouth before she suddenly gasps, doubling over in pain and almost collapsing onto the harsh concrete below, if Nael hadn't caught her just in time. He breathes in shakily, yelling again for help.
Medical hurry over again, taking him and Cinna to the back of one of the ambulances. They have another team check him over thoroughly, asking questions about his injuries and what hurt and where. He gave half his focus on them and the other half on watching Cinna. They were checking her over quickly, her face pinched in pain, before she groaned, gasping, grabbing something around her to hold.
"Shit." One of the medical personnel mutters under his breath, calling out quickly," Hey! Need some more help! She's pregnant, going into labor soon! I need someone to drive! Now!"
Nael watches on in panic and concern, staring as the vehicle doors shut, sirens turning on, and pulling quickly away and onto the road towards the nearest hospital. He couldn't help but pray she and the baby would be alright. After turning his attention back to the medical personnel around him, answering questions, doing eye tests and head checks, he gets patched up quickly but thoroughly. Antiseptic stings, he thought absently.
"Nael! Where are you honey!? Nael!"
His head suddenly shoots up, looking to his left where his mother stands, cupping her hands to her mouth to amplify her words.
"Mom!!" He yells, drawing her attention to him quickly. She gasps, eyes tearing up as she runs to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, aggravating his wounds but he only hugs her back, tighter than ever. She sobs, inaudible words being spoken. He only hugs her, tears already coating his cheeks as he sobs wetly.
"..I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay..." He repeats, not sure if it's for him or his mother, but he was mostly okay.
"..Can we g-go to the hospital tomorrow..?" He mutters, face buried into his mother's neck.
"Y-Yes! Yes we can honey, of course..." She nods shakily, tightening her arms around him, sniffling wetly, but so so happy her son was okay, alive, living and breathing. For now, this is what she wants to think about, not what comes tomorrow or the day after, just the now. The present.
He's alive, and that is all that matters to her.