Chapter 15,
Darker than Black, yet Colorless White,
Third Person's POV
"Gella...I..." Eljeric hinted sadness in his eyes, everyone was still silent.
Gella tapped his back, still worried, "You need a break? It's fine..."
"...no. I just wanna ask for this one." He pointed at the two, eyes wavering with melancholy—dull and lifeless.
Inside, Gella felt that she needs to cure this pain first. This is her job, so she better keep it professional at all cost, "Those birds are reeeeally special, you know? The black governs death, while the white governs life. The game you play is based on what they say~!"
The four came closer, ready for the words. Both birds spoke in unison, "Let's play a game of Truth or Dare. Black will be dare, White will be Truth. Now, to pick the unlucky player, the moderator will draw your names randomly in a machine."
"What's the game's purpose?" Lyka strike a question.
"Truths are questions for you to ask, but dares are for us to order. But in exchange for truths, we also have to ask you two questions, and if you are caught lying, you will immediately go to dare." They replied.
"Now, let's start~!" Gella came running, a small machine with small balls inside being carried on her hands.
She carefully jumbled the inside, also curious on who will be picked. Eljeric took off his paired bracelet with Zephyr, catching their attentions. A shrine bell came out, small and looking like a bracelet. He wore it and focused himself into the draw. The black and white birds both chuckled, seemingly gotten hold of her situation.
"Lyka~! Good luck, twinn!" Gella cheered on, giving her usual cute posing.
"I choose...truth." She hesitated, eyes filled with worry and her hand clutched into a fist.
"The question is... What are the things you cannot see?" She paused, worried and shocked.
"So, this is a fight for information, huh? Gella, what will happen to these information?" Tj glared.
"We will insert them into the player dictionary." The black bird grinned, shooting Tj with hopelessness. They can't do anything but play this game.
"I... cannot see colors..." Everyone fell silent. Of course, none knew if these were truths. Tj was silent, not looking anyone at the eyes.
The white bird closed its eyes for a moment, "The answer...is deemed true."
Some hologram came out of nowhere, showing a video of some sort... It's Lyka's point of view...
As she blinked, the words she saw changed, everything went white, yet she felt the subtle movements everywhere, as if her senses where heightened.
'The bird... looked through her memories!' Eljeric thought, shocked and speechless. No one dared to speak.
"Zephyr." Everyone fell silent, not from worry or curiosity, but because of the aura the place emitted.
"Tr—Dare." He changed immediately, slowly grasping his situation.
The black bird laughed, sounding evil and heavy, "A dare... A dare! I dare you... to break that bracelet." He said, plastering a big grin in its face.
Others were, shocked, while Eljeric looked worried. Zephyr hesitated for no second and crushed it with his own feet.
The time they got the bracelet played, both birds looking satisfied after what they saw. "Dare...deemed successful." The white one proved.
And so, the game went on. The patterns continued; Lyka, Zephyr, Tj, yet no chances of Eljeric being picked. Everyone knew Eljeric did something up his sleeves.
Unnecessary informations were leaked along with weaknesses and their strengths. After Zephyr, nobody ever picked the dare from the black bird.
"You know even a large amount of luck is useless against the Laws of Probability, Laws of Fate and Rules of Luck." Eljeric spoke no words since then, and just replied with a hardly visible sigh.
Gella slowly turned the crackle, something immediately falling off unnaturally. "Eljeric." She pronounced the name.
"Truth." The black bird clicked his tongue, annoyed from the fact that he didn't chose the other. He's itching to dispose off his luck-boosting item.
On the other hand, the bird grinned ready to speak, "I ask you—"
Eljeric intervened, glaring at it, "I'm the one asking."
"Are you okay with that? I have to ask you two questions."
He paused...no reply, "What are your weaknesses?"
Their eyes widened, yet the birds remained composed and grinning, thinking the question was futile.
"Nothing!" They both grinned.
Eljeric replied with a cunning smile, "You lied. We must proceed to dare."
"I—we were telling the truth!" The two complained, eyes watery and sweat dripping into their feathers.
"Basis? Proof? If you exist here, then that means there's a weakness." Gella understood his words, and immediately cleared her throat, "Proceed. Actions deemed valid."
"I dare you two... to fight me in exchange for victory."
Gushing wind blew, pushing the others back except for Eljeric. A dark barrier locked the two birds and Eljeric inside, allowing none to pass through and out.
"Now, then... what could you possibly do, now?"
The birds emitted both black and white aura, eyes brimming with the intention to kill. Wings looking sharp and beaks and claws hardening. Eljeric was bracing himself in and out.
He took out the bracelet, yet no glow appeared. Eljeric picked up the broken pair as it looked dull and dead. "It's no longer useable. Your luck has ran out."
They both opened their beaks, big balls of light and dark appearing and shooting him both on the shoulders.
"Eljeric!" the couple called out, yet no words reached him. The place enclosed them, even their voices were left outside. None from each side knows what each were saying.
Blood dripped into his shoulders, but that wasn't the end of it. Both birds flew swiftly, wounding him all over, scratching his clothes in a lot of places.
Eljeric couldn't stand it anymore, his face darkened, emotions no longer hinders. He couldn't feel his body anymore, his eyes focused only in the enemy.
Three scroll appeared from his hand, all in the same sizes. He held both in his hand, one bit in his mouth.
He ran, and began dancing. The scrolls scattered, creating a beautiful design as it twisted and turned around him.
There came out of the scrolls are weapons; A sword, a bow and arrows, and a spear. He immediately took those, the bow and arrows on his back, the sword on its sheath and the spear on hand.
The birds transformed into monstrous forms, looking like humans, but still both scary. He charged in, the sharp spear in stance to kill.
He swung it into the same time the claws came for him, both ends trying to hold both of them off. He came spinning, countering and charging when he sees the chance.
The other transformed back into a bird while the other held his spear firm. As they thought they got him, his knee hit his sword, bit it and bent his body to counter the enemy. His body was as flexible as it could get.
Whenever he draws back, he would use his bow and arrow, then his spear once the two charged together, and his sword to counter each one of them. Hence, those were enough to par him, but never to counter him.
"What's wrong? You're slowing down?" Eljeric arrogantly spoke, sure of his dominance.
The two looked at each other, then towards their clothes. Icicles have been blooming into their clothes, and they are hard as crystals.
"Are these... Diamond Iceflower buds?!"
"It will soon take over your system, slow you down...and eventually kill you. What do you think?" Both birds panicked, trying to fend off the crystal ices.
Eljeric took the opportunity, the threw numerous flaming arrows, and took out his spear. He threw it towards the two, cornering them and cutting both with his sword.
Both fell down, bleeding and slowly freezing. Eljeric bit his finger and dropped blood into the ice. It slowly melted and both birds were taken out by Gella.
Silence was there once again. The door opened and Zephyr went on. Eljeric fell down and bled from the sudden recoil, calling on the attention of everyone.
A big holographic came out above the unconscious man, revealing a portion of his hidden memories.
"I want to go...to the other side of the world...." The place turned silent— it's a bar, perhaps.
"And why would a kid like you want to go to that impossible place? HAHAHAHA" A big man laughed, dragging everyone into laughing.
"The world is divided into two, and none can travel the other side. Not even gods, probably." The bartender sighed.
"Why? I need to get there...I'm sure...that someone there can bring my family back...." Eljeric looked shriveled, eyes almost lifeless.
"Why don't you go into the Labyrinth of Dreams instead?" The guy suggested. "It's a place where any wishes comes true, they say. Though someone proved it, it's dangerous for human races like us, so I doubt you'll survive that living hell..." he added.
Eljeric drew a faded pictures from his bag; a family whose faces have faded, a guy with a faint smile, but face unseen, and a picture of the house so big like a mansion.
"Bro...ther?" He called out into his sleep, the memories playing taking its end. Zephyr left without a word and the couple was the one who took the poor bleeding boy into medication.
***
Eljeric slowly drifted to wake, still uncertain of what happened after he passed out. He looked everywhere and saw no familiar faces.
"Are you okay now?" Gella appeared out of nowhere.
"Whaaa! You startled me!" the poor boy tried to catch his breath, holding into his chest from the shock.
"Lyka and Tj left a few hours ago, they told me to look after you for a while. It's my break time, you know!" Eljeric just smiled, assured that they're still caring to him. He has found a temporary home this time.
"Thanks, Gella, I appreciate it." She just replied with a cute pose, and took a plate to eat.
"Oh, you're Zepphy's friend! I knew the voice was familiar!" A familiar guy spoke, dragging the curtain from the other side. It's the orange-head.
"Boy...friend...." I corrected.
His face showed shock for a second, and smiled back, "Doesn't seem real, though?"
He saw right through them, perhaps he really knew Zephyr well, "Well, yeah. Regard it for benefits."
"Well, yeah. He could've looked for me, instead. That shy boy." Eljeric felt offended, and held his face for once.
"Well, I'm going now. Thanks for the help, Gella. I'll talk to the two later to thank them." He brushed off with a smile.
"Eh?! But...but you're still wounded!" She pulled back, trying her best not to open his wounds.
"No biggie!" He took off his bandages, revealing no wounds. Only blood marks are left on the bandages, but not wounds. He took his clothes back and left the room dumbfounded.
As he was running off, he bumped into a familiar smell— Zephyr. "Oh, h-hey! Sorry..."
Zephyr replied no words, continuing himself into the hospital room. Eljeric already knew where he was going to, and that's the place where the orange guy is.
He walked into his room, playing with his thoughts. He isn't aware, but his heart seemed empty for a second. His hands shaking weirdly and his body feeling numb all over.
Eljeric stared into the ceiling for a moment that felt like an eternity. With enough consideration, he came into conclusion. Now, he already made a decision for himself that he knows would greatly affect his life and performance in this labyrinth.
He picked up his phone and directly called into the two, "Hey? Lyka, are you busy?"
"Not really. Why?"
"Are you available for travels?" Silence filled the place.
"Mhmm..." She replied along with a nod.
Both sides smiled, a travel companion on hand, ready to support each other on their travels and journey. As a new bond was formed, what could be a sacrifice for all this long they've had?
The answer...is yet to be concluded...
***