Fire and lava was everywhere, molten rocks and lava draining from the floating molten lands. Huge red chains as if they were burning in intense heat were bound to link all lands together. There were series of never ending lands bound with red-yellow chains.
On one island, Zack was standing many lifeless, burned bodies of humans and monsters. His sword clenching on his hand; his head down. The ashes rustle through his blonde hairs. As he lifted his head in sight.
"You seeing this, monster."
Ender who was on another land infront of him. His hands covered in blood as Sara was already gone. He was shrouded by his friends corpses along with monsters. As Sara fall from his hands; down to the floor.
"Why?. Why can't you save us?. If you had tried. You can indeed.. Save all of us."
Ender mumbled, as face tilted down.
"I was late.. Tell me.. Did I do a sin?."
Zack asked, his hazel eyes sparkling on fire and ashes.
"I don't know. Maybe I sin. For I wasn't enough.. Once again."
"Then you must repent. Or died."
"Kill me then."
He said with a smile. As Zack clenched his arms to his sword.
"Disperse."
He swings it at chains, shattering them on impact as the island falls down along with Ender, his friends corpses and monsters.
"It's okay."
He said with a smile before he was engulfed in lava. Now Zack was alone. With that intense heat started to generate from his body, his zon takes shape as fire around his body. It was so intense that it melt all the monsters to nothingness.
"Why do you do that?."
A familiar voice came behind him as Zack turned behind to saw Misha, wearing her golden-red dress, her dark brown hairs rustling through the hot winds of ashes.
"I knew.. I knew that this wasn't Ender in the first place. He wouldn't kill all of us even if he becomes insane, even if madness devoured him."
"But you killed. You take a life. Like you did as before. Didn't you?.. Messor Mortis."
Hearing those words pierced Zack's armour. His soul, his so called void. As he charges at her onto her. When he was about to hit, she didn't moved, not even a flinch in her eyes. He tried. His body was screaming to kill her yet his sword stopped.. Somehow, to her neck.
He relaxed his arm and throws his sword. Then fell to his knees. Before her..
"People called me the light. What is this light?. When I'm nothing but just a monster, trying to act as a player."
He mumbled, his head down. As he continues with a pause.
"If I was the light. Then I would be the loneliest star flickering in the void of space. For I will burned by burning my own insignificant soul and character."
His words made Misha fell down as she placed her hands on his face, lifting his head up, facing him face to face. She could now see him in his true form. His dead eyes were his truth.
"Then burned. And let the light out. Like a star. Oh our burning knight."
Zack eyes widen, seeing Misha lips twitches to a warm smile. She continues with a sigh.
"For you won't be alone. We will be guided by your light in the void. Your starlight will guided us to the light."
"But then... Who is the light?."
Zack asked, he wanted to know this answer of this paradox. Yet he saw only Misha expression frowned as she placed her hands to his shoulder.
"I don't know.. Maybe we're still lost. We still haven't reach our destination. No matter what happens?. Even if the fate, the words try to stop us. We won't fall apart. Stand like a mammoth, withstanding everything in our way. Until we'll reach our destination."
"Then what will happen after?."
Zack asked.
She didn't knew what to reply now as she back off and sat infront of him. Lost in her thoughts, Zack shattered the silence between them.
"I don't hate myself, instead I love the very existence of mine. Do you?."
"50/ 50."
Misha said without a pause, she didn't even think before she spoke as if it was mark on her soul.
Zack said, something great, as Misha eyes widened, startled looking at him with amazement.
"We're all sinners.. Monsters, even. But kneeling and asking forgiveness makes us more human than any proud saint.
The greatest crime is self-erasure, to abandon or destroy yourself. I refuse that crime. We are all tiny, equal at death; if death really is the end, then who among us is truly immortal?"
Silence shrouded them again as Misha lowered her head down. Thinking what to say now.
"But.. Aren't we astrans? Awaken beings who are limitless. Right?. We are immortal, we will live till eternity so then who we are equal in then?."
Misha lips twitches as she said after a long pause.
"The thing is... A being will starve for uncovering mysteries even if it comes with madness... He will starve for it, more and more, no matter who is this being?. It will starve for it again and again, here we all are equal."
His lips twitches as he said with a sigh. With that he gets up before her.
"Tell me. Who is our light?. Can you show me the light?."
He requested her with pleaded eyes.
"We have to find our light."
She said with a smile as she offered her hand to him, to get her up. As Zack grabbed her arm. With that the islands exploded, the space shattered and in an instant everything became bright. So bright that Zack wondered. Even though the light was burning him, but it doesn't matter to him. For he is the burning knight.
~ Is this light?. Is she our light?.
He could still feel her hand tightly clenched to his, it gradually disappeared.
~ No.. Don't go. I will be lost again. Lost from light.
He understand, who was the light now. Feeling his eyes he opened them to found laying beside Ender. Ender was lost in deep oblivion. As Zack tried to get him up. But he didn't, then Zack gets up, his armour and sword weren't there. Maybe they were turned to dust once again. As he looked around his surroundings to saw Misha sitting on her knees. Her eyes closed. He subconsciously tried to goes towards her but Leon said to him in his mind.
~ Don't go. Come here..
As he saw beside to saw the dome cracked and after that, Leon was sitting along with Sara and Lisa, all of them were seeing him with curious eyes. As Zack started to goes towards them.
"Yoo!."
Zack exclaimed with excitement as he came out of dome. Then sat beside Sara, sighing.
"How was the experience anyway?."
Sara asked him causally.
"Good enough. I didn't expect it though."
He said with a chuckle, Leon didn't mind bantering with him as Lisa whispered to his ears.
"Don't you think we should interfere now?."
"Not now. They should have some idea of themselves first."
He brushed his hair over his hair.
***
"Hahahaha."
Ruis was laughing as the exit door was opened and a bright white light was shrouding over the place. His stomach had a deep cut yet it seems now he didn't seem care much about it.
Misha was standing after him, her face down scattered over her hairs. The knife she was clenching on her bloody hand dropped.
"I won."
He leaned to the wall just beside the door. Grabbing his stomach as if it hurts like hell.
"I died 9 times today. Even though this isn't real. Just a dream. It feels as if my soul wouldn't forget it for it's life."
He said with a sigh, lowering his head.
"If you go outside. Then what will you do?."
Misha asked, she hadn't moved an single inch. Not even flinching.
"As I told you. You aren't Misha. You are just a corrupted part of her so don't called your self Misha then."
"Okay then. You won."
As she grabbed the knife from the ground. Seeing this Ruis panicked and started walking behind. He was just a step back from the exit now. Seeing the light reflecting on her face. She smile at him. The winds rustling over her hairs.
Ruis saw a smile. A warm smile on her face. Tears were streaming on her cheeks. Seeing her like that made his face turned pale white. Maybe this was her all along. As her hand gradually became closer to her neck. With that Ruis sprint towards her.
~ But why?.
He thought because she had tortured him like a slave. Yet a part of him was still clinging to save her. A part don't want her to die. Even though he knows it's just a dream. The part made him rushed towards her despite the deep wound on his gut.
SHING!
It was too late as she fell to the ground. Blood spread in matter of moments as Ruis clenched his hands over her neck. Seeing her face gradually turning pale made him clenched harder.
"W– Why are.. y– .. Save me?."
In her last moments Misha mumbled, continuing.
"I– I'm.. Sorry."
Blood started flowing on her month. Yet she smiled, an exaggerated smile. Her teeth covered in her own blood.
"I– I'm sorry. Misha. Forgive me."
Tears shred to Ruis's cheek. As he sat beside, seeing her in last moments.
"I– It's okay.."
With all her remaining strength, she pointed her hand to the exit gate where light was streaming everywhere, shrouding the whole region.
"T– There's the light. Go and embrace the light."
Her hand fell down when she done, her eyes closed and Ruis cries beside her corpse. Then moments later, he gets up, his stomach wound was burning in his whole body, yet still, slowly walking on step by step, his hand on his stomach and blood over his lips. He managed to get close to the door. The light was in front of him. He didn't turned around as he sighs.
~ I'm sorry..
As he goes to the light. The light was cool, so cool as if it wasn't light, yet it was making him relaxed from everywhere. Silence, peace. It was beautiful as Ruis closed his eyes for a while. Embracing the light..
Moments later..
Ruis started to feel his eyes as he gradually open them. Seeing himself laying straight on his back, facing the green sky above him. It was a beautiful day.
As he wakes up on his back, seeing Ender still on his dream. Then his gaze turned upon Misha who was sitting on her knees, her eyes closed. It still wasn't over yet.
"Yoo!."
Zack exclaimed at Ruis sitting with others, as Ruis sighs and started to walk towards them.
"Why did it take so long?."
Leon asked him, even though he knew what he was going through. Ruis sat beside Zack then scratches his hair before adjusting it.
"Just solving some puzzles you can say."
He said with an exaggerated smile as Sara and Zack doesn't seem to care that much, while Leon and Lisa looked at him with blank face.