Letting go of Rachel after some time, Leo stood up unevenly. He felt as though he'd lose his balance at any moment.
His eyes dragged across her remains.
He immediately stumbled back and got on his knees as he threw up his last dinner.
There was no clear or discernible thought in his head. Only a torrent of sickness and disbelief.
He felt his stomach churn just by being near her at this time.
Slowly, he stood up once more and began walking past her with shaky steps.
Upon reaching the intersection, he looked down the street to the right.
That's where he saw the glass doll calmly walking.
He witnessed a man emerging from the rubble, torn pipe in hand.
The man roared out in rage as he ran towards the Cryptid.
Just before the pipe could connect to anything, he disappeared without a trace.
On the floor, a rough silhouette of the man in the form of a permanent shadow.
Leo's eyes were left wide and confused.
` I can't do anything. `
He rethought the sentence over and over again.
` I can't do anything. `
All of the strength he held that he wished he could use to save everyone that mattered to him.
The power to make dreams come true, yet never his own.
` I'm… I'm completely useless! I can't fight that thing! I can't save anyone!`
He was trembling as he stared on in horror, watching crowds of people die right before him.
Then, the bigger realization had hit him.
It was on a straight trajectory to hit the Augustine Central Hospital. Where Maria was.
This caused him to explode into a sprint. He slipped through the wreckage to get around the Cryptid and in front of it to reach the hospital first.
Some people would catch a glimpse of him and yell at him.
"Where are you going?! Come back!
"You're supposed to save us!"
"Take my baby!"
Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to drown out the cries for help.
Soon enough, he had gotten a reasonable distance ahead of the walking doll.
His throat was singed. Each inhale brought in more hot ash, causing him to hack and wheeze.
He caught a glimpse of Desmond, who was resting against a pile of rubble.
Leo ran across the street and dropped to his level.
"Hey, hey! Desmond! What's wrong? Why aren't you running?!"
With eyes tightly closed, he gestured to his leg. It was clearly broken and internally ruined.
Leo realized it was likely only due to adrenaline that he was able to run initially.
As soon as that rush was over, he'd feel the pain of an entire building falling on his legs.
Leo stared at his leg and breathed heavily.
` No… No! I'm not losing him too! `
He took Desmond's arm and wrapped it around his neck, trying to lift him up.
Desmond yelped in pain as his leg contorted.
He pushed off of Leo, falling to the ground with a thud.
"Desmond! What are you doing?!"
He had begun crawling down the street leading away from the doll's path.
"I…" He coughed.
"I figured it out."
Leo's brows twisted in confusion.
"What are you talking about? Come on, we have to go!"
Desmond continued moving himself with only his hands.
He spoke between coughs and heavy breaths.
"If I can attack it one more time… It'll focus on me. That way you can reach the hospital and evacuate everyone.."
Leo stood there in silence watching him. His face had grown dark as his expression warped into something unrecognizable.
The options were laying themselves out before him.
He had to choose between Maria and Desmond.
` Maria or Desmond. Like I could ever make that decision! No! I choose both! `
He stood there.
The doll was still far, but didn't have any sign of stopping.
Nothing changed.
He couldn't choose both and he knew that.
He rapidly looked between the hospital's lights and Desmond who was now about halfway down the street.
He thought of every decision he had ever made. Every time he had to choose someone over another.
If he chose Maria, he couldn't guarantee a long life with her.
If he chose Desmond, however… He'd be okay. He'd always be okay.
He would never have to worry about a hospital bill ever again.
Leo made his decision.
Leo pivoted on a foot, running towards the hospital.
"I'm… I'm sorry, son!"
Desmond flipped himself over, watching Leo grow smaller into the distance.
A fake, uneasy smile grew on his face. An expression that made it appear like he was content with his fate.
In reality, he wasn't. He wanted Leo to choose him over the entire hospital.
His leg deformed under his weight as he forced himself up.
He bit down so hard he tasted blood.
Turning himself with a limp, he saw the doll passing by the street.
He remembered the countless drills and sparring sessions with Leo.
More importantly, he thought of Leo.
He thought of his dad.
He thought of the life he could've had with him. Throwing a ball back and forth, or whatever it is that families do.
He thought of every bit of praise he had gotten from him. Every moment he wished that he had thanked him instead of looking away in embarrassment.
From deep within his Eidcore, he let his Somnia flow and flood into his body.
He dedicated half of his available Somnia to Channeling, enhancing his body to withstand the Cryptid's blazing temperatures.
The other half, he dedicated to his Art.
With hands stretched out forward, he grit his teeth and put everything into this final act.
"Over here, asshole!"
He felt cool saying something like that.
Enormous tentacles of pitch black launched from the buildings and stuck to the doll.
His arms immediately began to cook. Tears ran down his face in pain as he pushed through.
Like the hands of a clock; the doll's head ticked towards him.
He felt his legs and arms trembling in pain, strained effort, and mountains of pure fear.
Soon enough, he had run dry.
The tendrils disappeared and he fell to his knees.
The protective Somnia left his body.
His arms were completely black with charred skin, his hands left as nothing more than bone and connective tissue.
Despite all of this, he had successfully changed the course of the Cryptid's path. It was now walking towards him.
Desmond fell back.
Now faced with the consequence of his actions, a mountain of fear quaked within his heart.
His eyes wide and any resemblance of a smirk gone as reality set in.
"Please… Please, dad! Come back! I don't want to die!"
The glass doll walked closer and closer.
The burns across his body worsened.
His burnt cheeks singed from salty tears racing down his face.
In his final moments, just before the doll got close enough… Desmond cried out hysterically.
His throat scorched beyond repair, he couldn't even scream anymore.
The glass feet of the doll clanked against the concrete as it passed by him.
Where Desmond had been, a burnt uniform crumpled over a shadow on the ground.
He didn't go out with glory like the legendary soldier he thought himself to be. Instead, he went out scared and alone, hoping his dad would change his mind and come back.