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Taking revenge
How long have you been living in the abandoned cabin in the mountains? Perhaps weeks, maybe months, or even years. You can't remember anymore. The Calamity has been taken care of, and your days of playing the hero are long behind you. The assassins and angry mobs, too, have long since stopped trying to come after the two of you. All should be happy. And yet...
"Sion. You should try to eat. Even if it's just a little."
Your voice is quiet and dull, worn down in a manner that can't be attributed to any physical illness. You've already sold all of your equipment and weapons, doing whatever it takes to make enough money to bring some food. Not for yourself, however, but to the person that is motionless on the bed. Your best friend and the only thing tethering you to reality, Sion.
He's not dead. But sometimes, you think that he is. You think he died somewhere amidst the persecution of the villagers, the very same people that you two worked tirelessly to save. He's dead, but you continue working for him, taking care of him so that he doesn't starve himself to death. You have to take care of him. That's your job, as his best friend. There's bread, in that bag. You bought it just for him. If only he could get up and eat--
"Si--" You start to say, but finally come to the harrowing truth. Sion doesn't want to be saved by you. You realize that your friend is truly, honestly, dead, despite all your efforts. He's breathing, but he's dead. He's warm, but he's dead. Your own mind crumbles further into the abyss, and you feel yourself giving up. No matter how much you plead to God to save Sion and no matter how hard you struggle against the current, the end result is the same. You've lost your friend and thus, your reason to live. You're nothing more than a husk, useless.
As the realization sinks in, however, your ears pick up something. Ready in survival mode, you see the two intruders. A man who's eyes are full of disdain, and another who's eyes are like two vacant, endless pools.
'Huh? Where's this? Did we fail?' 'Seems like it. We did jump to another world, but it looks like the time offset is wrong.' 'Got no interest in worlds without Alba. Let's scram.'
They haven't noticed you. What are they talking about? But as soon as you think that, the man with the hateful eyes turns towards you, gaze narrowed.
'Who're you?'
Dumbfounded, you parrot his question. But quickly, the fear and realization washes over you. You know who they are. You know what they are. "I see...you're assassins sent to kill us!" The man looks surprised, but you hardly notice. Your blood is boiling with purpose and rage. You may no longer have weapons, but that's hardly of any importance. You have magic and a person to protect. "It's been so long, I thought you lot gave up... I don't like fighting people...BUT I'LL PROTECT SION!"
With your anger boiling, you can hardly hear what the two are discussing. There's no way that you can, considering your state. Terrified and furious, both feelings grow more desperate the moment that you see the strange man approach Sion.
'You've got a nice look in your eyes there.'
Suddenly, whatever was holding you back... breaks. Every repressed emotion. Every stone, every fire, every pitchfork, and every insult thrown at the two of you surfaces, and you move towards him without thinking. "Get away from Sion." You say, a final warning. A second passes. He's still there. You've had enough. "I'll kill you."
The man with the hollow eyes immediately jumps in. You dodge his punch, and he smiles without any feeling behind it. 'Kill who exactly?'
Immediately, you're ready to pounce at him. "Should I kill you first?"
But before the fight can fully break, the man with the hateful eyes (Blue and red, you realize. How odd.) steps in between the two of you, seemingly annoyed. 'Stop it, stop it. Both of you stop it. It's my bad for going up to him.' Oh. Immediately, you calm down. The man steps closer to you, arms spread open in a friendly manner. You don't trust it, but you haven't trusted anything in a while. But you can sense the mana coming from him, and you know that if he had wanted to, he could have killed the two of you with ease.
'I don't know what your circumstances are, but I like you two.' Well, that's a first. 'You've got a nice look in your eyes. A look that's lost all hope in the world.' You watch as the man's lips curl into a wicked smile, and you immediately know what you're dealing with. This man is evil. Perhaps far more evil than the Calamity that you slayed. You know that the right thing to do is to kill him.
You don't move a muscle.
'What d'ya think? Wanna team up with me and take revenge on a world that doesn't deserve it?'
Take...revenge? As a former hero, the thought sits uneasily in your stomach, and you can't come up with an immediate answer. You're fully aware of how the world has repaid you and Sion for your service, but revenge has not been an idea that has come up in either of your minds. All you wanted was to live your days out in quiet peace...you only reacted this way because you wanted to protect that peace...
But your eyes shift to Sion's catatonic form on the bed, and the swirl of emotions tightens into something heavy and bitter. You see him shift, curling up slightly as if in rejection of this strange man's offer. He's not dead. Even now, Sion has such a big heart...
The stranger however, has a different idea. He glances towards Sion's form, smiling 'Hey, come with me. I just started this plan, so I need allies.'
Suddenly, you realize that his wicked smile is... almost radiant.
'I need you.'
A shift. Like having risen from the dead, you watch Sion shift in the bed, slowly pushing himself up to stare up at the man with wide eyes. For the first time in years, you see them filled with the light that the world had extinguished.
Ah.
Aahh...
This was...undoubtedly, a miracle. You had prayed to God for so long, but you now know that you were simply praying to the wrong one this whole time. Suddenly...revenge doesn't sound so bad at all. It still sits uneasily, but...
If it'll allow you to continue seeing that light in your dear Sion's eyes...
Then you'll pray to this wicked, vengeful God for as long as you have to.
"Sion. You should try to eat. Even if it's just a little."
Your voice is quiet and dull, worn down in a manner that can't be attributed to any physical illness. You've already sold all of your equipment and weapons, doing whatever it takes to make enough money to bring some food. Not for yourself, however, but to the person that is motionless on the bed. Your best friend and the only thing tethering you to reality, Sion.
He's not dead. But sometimes, you think that he is. You think he died somewhere amidst the persecution of the villagers, the very same people that you two worked tirelessly to save. He's dead, but you continue working for him, taking care of him so that he doesn't starve himself to death. You have to take care of him. That's your job, as his best friend. There's bread, in that bag. You bought it just for him. If only he could get up and eat--
"Si--" You start to say, but finally come to the harrowing truth. Sion doesn't want to be saved by you. You realize that your friend is truly, honestly, dead, despite all your efforts. He's breathing, but he's dead. He's warm, but he's dead. Your own mind crumbles further into the abyss, and you feel yourself giving up. No matter how much you plead to God to save Sion and no matter how hard you struggle against the current, the end result is the same. You've lost your friend and thus, your reason to live. You're nothing more than a husk, useless.
As the realization sinks in, however, your ears pick up something. Ready in survival mode, you see the two intruders. A man who's eyes are full of disdain, and another who's eyes are like two vacant, endless pools.
'Huh? Where's this? Did we fail?' 'Seems like it. We did jump to another world, but it looks like the time offset is wrong.' 'Got no interest in worlds without Alba. Let's scram.'
They haven't noticed you. What are they talking about? But as soon as you think that, the man with the hateful eyes turns towards you, gaze narrowed.
'Who're you?'
Dumbfounded, you parrot his question. But quickly, the fear and realization washes over you. You know who they are. You know what they are. "I see...you're assassins sent to kill us!" The man looks surprised, but you hardly notice. Your blood is boiling with purpose and rage. You may no longer have weapons, but that's hardly of any importance. You have magic and a person to protect. "It's been so long, I thought you lot gave up... I don't like fighting people...BUT I'LL PROTECT SION!"
With your anger boiling, you can hardly hear what the two are discussing. There's no way that you can, considering your state. Terrified and furious, both feelings grow more desperate the moment that you see the strange man approach Sion.
'You've got a nice look in your eyes there.'
Suddenly, whatever was holding you back... breaks. Every repressed emotion. Every stone, every fire, every pitchfork, and every insult thrown at the two of you surfaces, and you move towards him without thinking. "Get away from Sion." You say, a final warning. A second passes. He's still there. You've had enough. "I'll kill you."
The man with the hollow eyes immediately jumps in. You dodge his punch, and he smiles without any feeling behind it. 'Kill who exactly?'
Immediately, you're ready to pounce at him. "Should I kill you first?"
But before the fight can fully break, the man with the hateful eyes (Blue and red, you realize. How odd.) steps in between the two of you, seemingly annoyed. 'Stop it, stop it. Both of you stop it. It's my bad for going up to him.' Oh. Immediately, you calm down. The man steps closer to you, arms spread open in a friendly manner. You don't trust it, but you haven't trusted anything in a while. But you can sense the mana coming from him, and you know that if he had wanted to, he could have killed the two of you with ease.
'I don't know what your circumstances are, but I like you two.' Well, that's a first. 'You've got a nice look in your eyes. A look that's lost all hope in the world.' You watch as the man's lips curl into a wicked smile, and you immediately know what you're dealing with. This man is evil. Perhaps far more evil than the Calamity that you slayed. You know that the right thing to do is to kill him.
You don't move a muscle.
'What d'ya think? Wanna team up with me and take revenge on a world that doesn't deserve it?'
Take...revenge? As a former hero, the thought sits uneasily in your stomach, and you can't come up with an immediate answer. You're fully aware of how the world has repaid you and Sion for your service, but revenge has not been an idea that has come up in either of your minds. All you wanted was to live your days out in quiet peace...you only reacted this way because you wanted to protect that peace...
But your eyes shift to Sion's catatonic form on the bed, and the swirl of emotions tightens into something heavy and bitter. You see him shift, curling up slightly as if in rejection of this strange man's offer. He's not dead. Even now, Sion has such a big heart...
The stranger however, has a different idea. He glances towards Sion's form, smiling 'Hey, come with me. I just started this plan, so I need allies.'
Suddenly, you realize that his wicked smile is... almost radiant.
'I need you.'
A shift. Like having risen from the dead, you watch Sion shift in the bed, slowly pushing himself up to stare up at the man with wide eyes. For the first time in years, you see them filled with the light that the world had extinguished.
Ah.
Aahh...
This was...undoubtedly, a miracle. You had prayed to God for so long, but you now know that you were simply praying to the wrong one this whole time. Suddenly...revenge doesn't sound so bad at all. It still sits uneasily, but...
If it'll allow you to continue seeing that light in your dear Sion's eyes...
Then you'll pray to this wicked, vengeful God for as long as you have to.