Zander and Logham sat in silence. Their faces poignantly still as they watched the death of their enemies, their kinsman. Despite being opposed to each other, they were, just a few weeks ago, imbued with the same loyalty. They both felt the weight of the loss, their heads dipped to the ground. Zander squinted his eyes shut before quickly opening them again. His head seemed to spin as he watched the blood pool around their now headless corpses.
The man, now known as Gazel, stood in front of them imposingly. His darker cloak swirled behind him, forming a tapestry of shadow in his wake. He looked like a demon in the flesh, his large hat obscuring his face, save for the unsavory, devilish smile that seemed to reach across the room. It gave off an unnatural, terrifying feeling, which only grew with the aura of danger that seemed to surround him.
Zander's eyes widened, involuntarily taking a step back as he felt the familiar sense of oppressive danger. His mind flashed back to the Trial, trapped within the endless maze of caves. The goblin champion gave a similar, yet much weaker feeling. It wasn't unfounded fear, it was proof of their difference in strength.
Logham stirred as well, blanching for a moment, his face twisted in intensity. He bit the upper part of his lip, his muscles as taut as a bowstring. Bright, yellow lightning twisted between his fingers as he rubbed his palms together, sweat dripping from his forehead. His nervousness put Zander on edge.
Gazel gave them no time to think. He stared at the pair, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, their eyes unable to meet his. His smile grew as he saw their fear, and he sniffed the air, an eerie, unsettling aura hanging over the surrounding fog, which sat at their feet. The fog created a sense of dampness where they stood, as if they were standing in a bog, being tracked by a monster in the darkness.
"If you won't come to me-" he started, his eyes darting between the pair. He leaned forward on his toes, like a tiger on the precipice of pouncing on its prey. "I'll take you for myself~" his voice had an almost playful tone to it, as if teasing a scared child.
Before Zander could dwell on it too much, Gazel disappeared before his very eyes. He just… vanished, in an instant. Zander gasped, spinning his head around on a swivel, his muscles tensing exaggeratedly as he looked for any sign of the man, even the remnant of his aura disappearing into nothing.
Logham took a much more different approach, imbuing his hands with that familiar, yellow lightning. He steepled his hands, arcs of energy flowing freely between them, as if through a circuit, before pushing his hands downward, towards the carpet below.
WHOOM
The area around Logham exploded with a gust of energy, the impact of the blow sending Zander's hair flying backwards, as if poking his head out of a moving car. He stared wide-eyed at Logham, his thoughts directionless for a moment as the shock of the action stunned him.
Suddenly, a rush of something flew through the empty space, standing behind him, like an invisible gun was pointed at his head. Zander reacted, his head spinning behind him, his sword arm flying up in defense, intent on blocking some sort of attack or danger, unknowing where it would emerge.
Clang!
An invisible weapon smashed into Zander's sword, sending him reeling backward, almost falling over. His balance careened out of control for a moment, before settling, and stabilizing once more. He breathed out a soft sigh, before the presence emerged again, this time from his side.
Shhhrink~
This time, he understood it better. A streak of something dragged along the length of his blade, leaving a dark, black streak within its metal, carving deeply into the weapon. The energy, upon further inspection, resembled the fog of night, a dark, bluish, dripping miasma that poured out of the wound on his blade. Zander held the weapon towards his side, his eyes widened as he attempted to move it away, intent on not allowing the energy to touch him.
His eyes dilated as he stepped back, his opponent still not visible to the naked eye. He felt his breathing pick up as he staggered, almost losing his balance. I need to do something. Preferably sooner rather than later He thought, his eyes darting back and forth. Any second could mean another attack.
He felt the presence again, lingering from behind him. This time, he wasn't fast enough, his muscles tensing as he spun, attempting to block the attack once more. His initial reaction was too slow, and as he turned he knew he wouldn't reach it in time.
Luckily, he wasn't alone.
From the corner of his eye, Zander watched as Logham launched himself towards him, his palm extended flatly towards Zander. His face was scrunched in concentration as a bolt of energy flew from his palm, zipping towards the dark blue projectile that was mere inches away from taking Zander's head.
The bolt slammed into the mysterious energy, dispersing it into a small cloud of mist, which quickly faded into the void. Zander whipped around, stepping back and away from the attack, but whilst he did so Logham pressed forward. His arm swung in a wide arc, sending a jolt of electricity spiraling outward, forming a bright, golden arc that stretched wider than his wingspan.
The energy floated through the air for a moment, before the overwhelming smell of cooking meat filled the air, and Zander heard a small thump! along the ground. His eyes followed the sound, noticing the air twist and distort around the origin of the noise, forming into a lone, kneeling figure.
Gazel emerged into view, his veil of invisibility dropping. He clutched his arm, now stained black where the lightning struck him. He grunted in pain, a small drip of drool falling from his lips as he seethed with an intense, overwhelming anger.
"Vermin!" He shouted, getting back to his feet. He turned towards the pair, who now stood side by side, alert for any sudden movements. The man's voice sounded like a growl, like a wounded bear encountering a hunter.
Gazel stood once more, using his knee to propel himself upwards, his full height seemingly towering over the pair. His expression wasn't one of hatred, or spite, or even disappointment, but that of indifference, as if he suddenly closed himself off from the world. The space around the man seemed to darken, as if a heavy storm suddenly enveloped the room, their only view of Gazel from the brief rays of light that shone from Zander's sword.
[Night Rain]
The words were not spoken, only understood. The very ground Zander stood upon seemed to tremble for a brief moment, as the pair stood back to back, their eyes darting around, looking for any sign of movement.
Of course, that wouldn't stop what was coming.
It started slowly.
A small blob of mist fell from the sky, slamming into the ground and scattering in a large radius, creating a small semi-circle along the carpeted floor. Zander stared at the already-fading energy, his head tilted slightly in confusion.
Phwoom
A sound like a burning flame came from behind Zander, and he whipped his head around, watching another fading projectile sink into the carpet. Then another emerged, and another, until it looked as if tens of these mysterious orbs rained down from the heavens above, emerging from the darkened fog. Looking up, Zander watched them fall, noticing they all fell from the same direction, like a downpour in the wind.
"What is this?!" Zander asked Logham, slightly desperately. None of the projectiles had reached the pair yet, but something told him that being hit by one of them would be calamitous. Just as the though passed through his mind, an orb, close enough to reach him, began to fall to the ground, dripping a dark, blue ooze as it fell. Zander moved without thinking, confidence rising as he stepped forward, his sword raised and carpeted with sword energy. He slashed through the mist as it fell, cutting the orb in two. He flinched, expecting the misty energy to spill outwards, onto his exposed body, but instead the energy faded away uselessly.
"I've got no fucking clue" Logham said, his chest heavy as he launched himself at nearby projectiles. The "rain," as Zander dubbed in his head, was becoming increasingly apparent, quickening both the creation of the misty magic, and its descent towards the carpet below.
The two stood together, cutting down the danger as it appeared, unshaking in the face of the unknown threat. For what felt like several minutes, they fought on, occasionally catching the glance of Gazel, who stood silently within the shadows, his scepter planted in the ground, like a flag. From the crystalline tip of his weapon, the dark energy emerged, clearly the source of this terrifying spell. Despite knowing that, there was no way Zander or Logham could break free from the downpour, the two trapped in their endless battle with the mist.
Phwoo-WHOOM
One of them got through. A orb of the mist slammed into Zander's arm, the ooze spreading around the site of the impact, similarly expanding into a semi-circle where it hit him. He felt as if his arm was wrapped in cotton candy, providing a weird, warm sensation. Then it started to hurt.
He screamed as the pain came suddenly, overwhelming his sense as it felt like his entire arm ignited in the same moment. His skin tore away, like acid eating through cardboard as he shook violently, collapsing to the ground in just a moment.
His ear-curling scream was hoarse and immensely loud. It rang into Logham's ears, causing him to jump as it broke him from his concentration. He turned his head towards Zander's direction, only for his gaze to jump down as Zander writhed on the ground. He noticed the new holes within Zander's arm, the spilling of his blood onto the floor as his flesh rended apart.
"Zander!" Logham screamed. His voice sounded distant, as if he wasn't standing directly in front of him. Zander watched from blurry eyes as tears filled his vision, forcing him to blink as he fell. He caught a small glimpse of movement from Logham as he dashed towards the downed scout, his eyes locked onto Zander's new wound.
He couldn't afford to look away, however. The rain didn't stop as Zander fell, only pouring further and faster as Logham scrambled for Zander's safety. He sent out a small wave of lightning above him, colliding with a small web of mist above him. This bought him a few seconds, but it certainly wasn't enough. To hold the rain's pressure in place, he'd need to hold his magic outside of his body, but that was easier said than done. Firstly, with lower stats like the two of them, one needed to expend an immense amount of their core's reserves to block this much magic. Secondly, he needed enough time to grab Logham's potion from his belt, uncap the bottle, and shove the liquid down Zander's throat. That would take more time than he would have.
Still, he had no more time left to hesitate. Logham spread his feet outward, like an athlete prepared to run, and lifted his hands to the sky. Just as the last of the energy he'd sent out beforehand fizzled away, he launched a new wave of the same, powerful magic. This time, he ran the energy through his palms, created a dense, interconnected web of electricity, before launching it above his head, holding it firmly in place. He grunted as he felt the weight of the task, akin to an anvil constantly pressing against his forehead, threatening to cave his skull inwards. Still, there was work to be done.
He whipped his hands around, his limbs shaking with strain as he forcefully grabbed the red bottle at his hip, popping the cord out of the vial. He dropped to a knee, stilling Zander as he shook violently, his eyes glazed over in pain. Opening his mouth, he threw the vial as far back as he could into the man's throat.
Potions were a peculiar object throughout the layers. In the second layer, the lesser potions could heal any injury that didn't include dismemberment, loss of life, and even a few common diseases and illnesses. It was generally assumed that potions would become more potent as their strength rose, but none had been created well enough to show any particular result. After use, the patient goes on a "potion timer," a time limit of one week where another potion would be entirely useless. A few smaller groups had attempted to research both the origin and makeup of potions, but they were disbanded after an adamantine-class awakened rampaged along the outer layers, wiping out most life in the area, including the scientists themselves.
The potion passed through Zander's throat, quickly absorbing itself into Zander's very being, sinking into his skin until it eventually reached his heart. He gasped as the energy seeping into him quickly pulsed, before expanding outwards, a thin wave of energy enveloping his entire body. Like a raging hurricane, the energy passed through him, each wound closing as it passed by. Soon, the magic that ravaged his body dissipated, leaving Zander panting for breath on the ground.
"Get up!" Logham shouted, his words catching in his throat, causing him to double over. He coughed heavily into his palm, his breath ragged and almost asthmatic. His hands glowed softly with that familiar electricity, but it felt significantly weaker. "I never have a damn mana potion when I need it" he muttered under his breath.
The two waited for a few moments as the net of Logham's magic lingered above them, protecting them from the torrent of rain above, before finally breaking apart, unleashing the tidal wave of danger onto them, but it would not last long.
The few seconds the two shared, fighting through the rain were some of the longest they'd ever felt. Their movements felt as fast as light itself as they tiptoed around the rain, barely dodging every orb by mere inches.
Until finally, it disappeared.
Faster than it emerged, the rain, alongside the storm clouds above that shrouded the area in darkness, was gone. Zander breathed a sigh of relief as he fell to a knee, his heart pounding heavily within his chest. He placed his palm above the pumping organ, feeling the bump bump's as they racked his body. His mind flashed to the immeasurable pain of the magic eating away his skin, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
"I'm surprised" The voice of Gazel emerged from the last remnant of shadow created by the receding storm. His voice cracked as he spoke, his chest heaving, as if casting the spell took much from him. "Two scouts should be unable to survive through the night's eternal rain. Impressive…" His eyes moved to Zander, darting to the man's uninjured arm, the skin melted away from his armor, exposing it to the open air.
"Still- without your magic, you will not survive." He stood high, his chest puffing outward. His eyes seemed to gloss over the two, his smile returning to his face. "I will give you this one chance, scouts. Prostrate yourselves, and be given a swift, painless death. If you shall choose otherwise…" He trailed off, his scepter rising, pointing towards Zander's fixed arm. "Your pain, experienced a thousand times over."
Zander jumped as a hand clasped the back of his shoulder, holding it tightly. He spun around, bringing his sword to his chest, prepared to strike-
"It's just me" Logham said, still out of breath. "We need to find a way to get through his damn shield." His eyes were locked onto the terrifying man before them. "It's probably got a certain amount it can take before breaking, so we just need to hit him and not die long enough to kill him." Zander noticed Logham's arms shaking with strain, his muscles tensing with each word he spoke. He opened his mouth to speak but said nothing. Instead, he spun his sword, pointing the tip of the blade towards Gazel, who stood silently. No words were exchanged between them, but the message was clear.
Logham leapt towards Gazel, rocketing off the ground in a burst of electricity. He slammed into Gazel yet found himself stopped at the last moment once again. His palm slapped against the rounded shield that projected beyond Gazel's body. He grunted, annoyed, before slamming his hand into it again. He pushed a small explosion of lightning from his hand, enveloping the man in a mixture of fiery, deadly flames, but of course, nothing came of it.
The shield that had formerly stopped Logham like a stone wall continued to hold, though small, minute shudders racked its length. It was like an immoveable wall, yet signs of weathering buried into its structure.
Logham leaped back, panting as he fell to a knee, his lightning disappearing from his palms as he let out a shuddering, angry breath. A small gust of steam erupted from his jaw, spilling outward, like a steam train coming to a stop.
"We just need to pummel it. Eventually it'll give way" Logham's words were sharp and staccato. His expression was one of mixed terror and anger, his heart practically pounding out of his chest. Each moment he stood still, he felt as if his heart would burst forth and spill onto the carpet below.
"That's enough" Gazel's voice shot through the room, making Zander jump. Before he could even recover from that moment of fright, he felt that familiar, terrifying pressure, the pressure that threatened to swallow him whole, aimed squarely at his chest.
Bam!
A ball of dark mist slammed into his blade, pushing him backwards against the dusty carpet. His boots skidded across the ground as they struggled to find footing, before placing themselves comfortably in the grip of the flooring below. He grunted, gritting his teeth as he fought for balance, but the pressure wasn't done yet. The magic continued to push against him, sending him further away with each fraction of a second.
"Argh~" He struggled to lift his blade, every ounce of focus dedicated towards keeping his blade in the air.
Fight
FIGHT!
His mind screamed with purpose as he stepped forward, pressing against the overwhelming force threatening to overtake him. He lifted his back foot, carefully yet aggressively shoving it forward, before slamming the sole of his boot into the ground. Yes!
The world spun.
His foot flew out behind him as he suddenly felt the pressure increase twofold, sending him staggering as the energy fought for its last chance to bury itself into his flesh.
GRRRRRRRRRGH
He tried to scream, but only a muffled scream emerged as he held on for dear life. Still, he fought.
Finally, after a few, excruciatingly long seconds, the pressure died away, fading into the nothingness as the darkness that pressed into his weapon dissolved into thin air. He fell to a knee, heaving for breath, his legs buckling out beneath him,
"Impressive" A voice rang out from across the room.
Ah. He felt a sense of revelation within his mind. I remember now… he'd spent every drop of effort into surviving this long. He had long forgotten their reason for fighting, though Zander would quickly recall his inability to find one.
Why are we even here?
"Now, let's try again"
Wha-what?! Zander leapt to his feet, stumbling for a moment as he felt the immense danger return, seemingly from all sides.
"This time, I won't give you the luxury of knowing where it comes from" The man's giant frame stood firm against the angled light of the room, casting a deep and dark shadow along Zander's body. In his hands, his large crystal rod was held up high, pointed towards the sky.
This time, he finally got to see the circular death that rushed toward him. It coalesced from the crystal on Gazel's scepter, gathering an invisible wind around itself, until it twisted into something visible, before launching itself straight at Zander's torso. It flew at an impossible speed, faster than a pitcher could throw, cutting through the air itself, a wake of dark mist in its shadow.
Zander's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropping in a silent scream as he scrambled to get away from the rushing projectile, but it was too little to late. From the start, he could tell that it would hit him and hit him harder than anything else could. He remembered the excruciating pain of being hit by a droplet of the same mist, tearing himself apart from the outside in. He closed his eyes, his muscles tensing as he waited for the oncoming pain.
"ZANDER!"
Zander whipped his heard around, hearing the familiar voice. It was Logham, emerging from behind him with incredible speed, launching himself towards Zander's waiting body. At the same time, a small but potent bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, shooting directly towards Gazel's smiling figure. Expecting the same, unrelenting shield to stop the bolt in its tracks, Zander began to turn towards Logham, his words briefly catching in his throat.
"W-wait- LOGHAM!" Zander tried to plead, his voice cracking as he watched helplessly. Logham's hand inched closer to him, pushed outright, his palm flat against the open air. Zander knew what he was trying to do.
Thump
Logham's palm slapped against Zander's side, a small spark of energy drifting quickly to the place he touched. Zander felt his blood run cold as he looked at Logham, watching the man- his friend- standing in the place he'd just stood. His face was tranquil, as if finding the comfort of a warm bed for the first time in weeks, a soft smile plastered towards the warm carpet below.
Gazel's attack slammed into Logham's hip. The ball of mist spun against his skin, not only pushing against his body, where it continued to burrow, but spun at immensely high speeds, cutting a large, gaping wound where he stood.
"GAAAAAAH!" Logham let out a guttural, desperate scream as the projectile dug into his flesh, pushing further and further as he fell to the floor, blood spurting from the wound like a violent whirlpool, dripping to the ground with a sickly, wet slap. The man fell to the floor, the ball dissipating into nothingness as his breathing quickened, a sizzling wheeze accompanying every shuddering breath.
Zander hit the floor. Logham's desperate shove had sent him flying onto the floor, his mouth tasting the uncomfortable taste of wet carpet. Now, he sat upright on his knees, eyes wide, as he watched his closest friend crumple to the ground, a hole missing where his hip used to be. It looked like a bullet the size of a bowling ball had shot right through him, with a set of tendril-like gashes marking his skin down to his legs.
"AH~" Gazel's voice shook Zander from his stupor, and he quickly swiveled his eyes around to the demon that stood before him. Tears flowed from his eyes as he tightly gripped his sword, preparing to move.
What he saw next shocked him.
The man staggered in place, his breath heaving as his darkened robes crackled with electricity. A small set of steam rose from the man's torso, where the small lightning bolt had landed prior. Unbeknownst to Zander, the skin below was darkened and black, singed from the immediate force of the overpowering bolt. Despite its small size, it was enough to significantly injure the man.
So how did it get past the barrier?
"Zander…" A voice emerged from below. Zander's eye narrowed, and he quickly looked down, seeing the body of his dear friend, slowly crawling upon the ground. "I figure- I figured it out" He gulped, wetting his lips with his tongue, a small spurt of blood trailing from his mouth.
Zander leaned downward, lowing himself further on his knee to place both of his hands on the man's shoulder. "W-" He stumbled, a small sob catching his words before he could speak them. "What did you find?" He asked, his hands trembling.
"When he attacks-" He started, before cutting himself off as he erupted into an intense coughing fit. With each cough his body racked with pain, causing a small tear to flow down Logham's cheek. "When he attacks, that's when he's vulnerable." He said, pointing his finger towards the injured man. "I watched it, his attack hadn't been shot yet, but my bolt hit him. Use this. Kill him. Then go get Sarah." He said, using his shaky hands to rub softly along Zander's armor. He paused for a moment, that same, soft smile appearing on his face. "I guess- I guess I won't get to see the stars again" He said, his lip trembling rapidly. "You talked about it like it was a gift from god… I wish I could see it… on- last time…" His words slurred as his head tilted downwards, his eyes glazing over as he fell to the ground, still.
"Fuck…" Zander started. "FUCK" his voice grew in strength exponentially. "FUUUCK!" His life in the second layer began to flash before his eyes. Logham had been there since nearly the beginning. He was there when Sarah discovered him, lying unconscious after his group of awakened were wiped out on the bridge. He was there when they went on their first mission together. He was there when Carlos passed, he was there the whole time. He thought of their conversation, not a few hours prior. His eyes glued onto the corpse of the man who was his friend, his compatriot, and his brother-in-arms- no, his brother.
He pushed himself to his feet. He felt dizzy, yet focused. His mind only wandered to one topic: Gazel. He spoke no words, he did not cry, nor did he scream. Only the silence accompanied him. He extended his sword, the tip of the blade pointed towards Gazel, who now stood tall, used to the pain. Zander flexed his muscles, and in an instant, the familiar layer of bright blue energy enveloped his sword, lighting the length of the metal in a fiery blanket, as if he'd dipped it in searing hot oil.
"You won't get the chance, bug" Gazel's voice rang out from across the room, echoing slightly as the familiar, darkening fog began to envelop him once more. "You're already dead."
Thoomp
Zander looked to his left.
A small ball of mist slammed into the ground. It splattered into a spherical shape, shrouding the nearby area in its deadly essence.
Thump, Thoomp!
More falling spheres began to hit the ground, and he stumbled backwards, an understanding forming within his mind. "Shit…" He muttered, holding his sword above his head. I didn't think he could do this again so soon! He frantically said in his head, his breath quickening as the familiar energy began to slowly fall around him. He knew what was coming. The falling rain of death would exponentially pick up in speed and slay him where he stood. He remembered the terrifying, burning pain when one of the drops of mist enveloped him in its misty fire. If he was caught in it again… he was sure to die.
If he died, Logham's sacrifice would've gone to waste.
He can't afford to die here.
Zander held the blade aloft, pinching his eyes closed, his face wrinkling with strain as he forced them so. [Calm Mind] invaded his thoughts with calm, overwhelming stillness, and he channeled that control into the death that approached him.
The ability hadn't been super active throughout his time in the layers, but it was safe to say he used it during every fight. He let the small trickle of mana pour out of him as he gained heightened control of his emotions, yet he could not shake the inescapable feelings of grief, fear, and death. Now, he felt a complete and utter focus, with his entire being narrowing in on a single objective: survive.
Orbs of mist slammed into the ground around him, yet he remained still, his eyes fully closed. His breathing came nearly to a halt, and with a large exhale, almost resembling a sigh, he moved.
His sword flashed forward at alarming speed, slicing through the air with the utmost efficiency. His eyes flashed open as he stepped ever-so-gently to the side, narrowly dodging another orb, before an upward slash arced across the air above, cutting through another three droplets.
He didn't know when he started screaming, but halfway through he felt deafened by the noise. Makeshift wind battered against his ears, summoned by the magical storm that now threatened to end him where he stood. He pressed forward; his eyes set on Gazel. He stepped once, the ball of his foot shakily placing itself along the carpet, which now was slick with a misty surface.
He began to cut faster, his sword flashing faster than he would've been able to follow, if it were not for his heightened senses. He began to feel a rhythm to the randomness. Though the rain fell with no direction, he felt the dance of the rain at heart, felt it in the thrum of his blade, each time he cut another projectile down.
He took another step. This time, he felt stable, as if nothing could topple him over.
The rain fell faster. He faltered for a moment, feeling his senses unable to properly keep up. But he pushed on. He understood he could not fail, he could not die at this moment. He needed to trust his sword, trust his dance.
[Your understanding has deepened]
[You and the blade are one, trust it]
[Ability obtained: Sword Mastery (Silver)]
He would trust it.
He closed his eyes, tightening them shut as rigidly as possible. He felt the movements appear before him, felt the blade begin to move almost on its own volition, the sword's intent seeping into his own. He felt a guiding hand push the weapon along its path, slicing through countless projectiles with ease.
Little did he know, the energy that had previously coated his blade in energy, now expanded outward. Small tendrils of electricity that branched outward began to cut through a web of mist above him, now slicing apart the death above him with ease.
He pushed forward again, resuming his steady gait towards the still man before him.
Step
Gazel watched with wide eyes as the weak, pathetic man before him, inferior in both skill and stats, inched closer to him. He desperately held onto his scepter, but he knew that if he continued at his current pace, there was nothing he could do.
Gazel had long cultivated this ability. He gained it through acquiring the core of a variant-level Thrall when visiting the Skyscraper, long before he began to work for Remus Black. It evolved with him, and eventually he could cover an entire battlefield in its soft, cold, death. But now… he felt fear. He was rendered completely immobile throughout the entirety of the attack, and it still had another half a minute left before its completion. The cost of such an attack would typically be disastrous, but for someone who had improved his control so much he could fill a room with his spell, he typically felt no fear.
"No…" He gasped, feeling a drop of sweat fall from his forehead. "NO!" His voice began to feel panicked, his voice cracking slightly as he screamed. "I will not be killed by a fucking BUG!" Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted defiantly, but soon his defiance fell away. His spell had met its maximum efficiency, yet Zander was still moving towards him.
Shit…
Remus had trusted him. When he led the rebellion's forces into the side-vent of the complex, and corralled them into slaughtering the forces of Hope, he'd though there was nothing that could touch him. This wasn't even supposed to be a fight. His eyes narrowed as he remembered the orders he'd been given just minutes prior.
Regroup with the others. We will attack Hope at its core. Take out the leader, and it will all crumble.
Perhaps he should have listened…
Those thoughts were his last, as he felt the soft kiss of steel upon his neck. His eyes lowered to see a geyser of blood spurt from his neck, spilling out onto the carpet below.
"Strange" the man said, standing over him with an overwhelming look of indifference, hatred, and strangely, fear. "I thought you didn't bleed."
He knew no more.
--
Zander gasped as the pressure seemed to disappear instantly. It felt as if an anvil lifted itself off from his back as soon as the monster's neck was sliced. Either way, he shuddered, feeling tiredness seeping into his legs, and he de-activated [Adrenaline]. He'd forgotten when he'd used it. It must've been when he leant his trust into his blade, though the details were a bit fuzzy.
He sighed, but a small smile took the place of his somber expression.
"You did it!" Logham shouted from behind him. His voice was cheery and bright, almost childlike.
He turned towards the sound, the smile widening on his face.
"You ok? That hit of yours was quite the doo-" His voice fell away.
Logham's body was littered with large, orb-like holes, like the one that buried itself in his side. His face was unrecognizable, the only identifier of his body being the faded, broken leaf insignia upon his clothes. He'd been dead for minutes. Above his corpse, a few sets of eyes stared at him from the depth of the mist beyond. A new one had joined their midst.
His next words were barely above a whisper.
"Oh."