It was darkness everywhere, it always had been. As it shakes, vigorously and something cracked. A world.. A lost world...
***
A toddler sitting on couch felt something gleaming his eyelids, something bright. Gently opening his eyes. He saw the light coming from window.
This was a hospital room, the rhythmic beeping sound of heart monitor. On bed a young woman was lying on it, unconscious as if she was in deep sleep. The kid turned his head over her, glaring at her intensely.
".. Mama."
He mumbled, his sorrowful eyes whimpering tears. He stands up from his couch. Scampering towards her with his little steps.
Suddenly he slipped and fell on floor.
"Mama!."
He cried, crawling over the floor to reach her, at last he reached her, placing his head over her, listening to her heart beat made him feel better, closing his eyes for a moment. Grabbing her hands tightly.
CREAK!
The door opened, as a man entered. Seeing the view, he stood froze. Unable to make eye contact with them. He stood there for a moment. Until.. A voice called him.
"Mr Theodor!. Please give your attention here."
As he goes towards the guy, who was a doctor. This guy was none other than Zack's father. Theodor. D. Roy.
"Sir.. I'm very sorry but your wife will never wake up from her coma. It's very unlikely due to the accident she has faced. Thus, I'm very sorry but we can't do anything about it."
The doctor said firmly with darkened tone. Theodor turned his head down, muttering.
"B– But doc?. Is there no other way?. She has been in this state for an entire year now."
He said as if he wanted to know is there was a hope.
"Well.. It would be a miracle if she wakes up."
The doctor said, adjusting his glasses as he walked away. Theodor turned his steps over the room to saw Zack sleeping on her mother's tummy.
***
Abyss.. Deep within the abyss in the void, someone opens his golden eyes. Floating in endless void.
"Where am I?."
He said to himself, abruptly he was wearing a white cloak here. The vision he had seen just now was his truth. This was before that kidnapping incident had happened to him.
"Why did you remind me?. I hate it."
He said, stoic expression. Maybe to the void, the darkness. To himself..
"So what?. Messor Mortis."
A voice echoed everywhere, as he became stunned to hear it; turned his head aside to saw himself, wearing his usual knight's armour glowing faintly with his sword in his back, resting in sheath. He had macilious smile over his face.
"What will change?. What will happen?. You know. Everyone will leave us.. Here."
He said with a dread, cursed tone. Continuing.
"You know how much people have cursed us. All the lives we have taken. In the end.. We'll be alone. But what?. Everyone is born lonely, some just craved connections in many names. Mother, father, sister, brother, so many deadass relationships are spread over this world."
His words pierced the void. Zack had puzzled expression yet he was kinda understanding what he was trying to say. Nevertheless silence shrouded them, after a minute, unsure he asked.
"What do you mean?."
"You're a monster. A creature.. Who's instinct is to hunt and kill.. Why are you?. Resisting your nature.. This isn't you. Zack. D. Roy!."
He replied with a serious, dead serious expression. Zack's expression became cold, blank and undreadable as if he was faking it on surface. Silent.. Seeing this, his clone clenched his teeth as he raged.
"Tell me!. Did your mother ever loved you!. Not listening others!. Did you ever see it!?. Your friends!. They're just wanderers who will go eventually and you!. You'll be here!. Burning for others!. What nonsense are you thinking Zack!?."
Zack got lost in himself.. Silence shrouded them again in its cage.
~ Why am I resisting my nature?. Maybe.. I'm lost.. In myself.. Can't decide.. But.. I do.. I know what it means to be a monster.. Now.. I don't know.. What should I do?.. I only run on instincts, rather than beings who run on something.. Called heart..
In his thoughts, he got interrupted by his clone. Shattering the raw dread silence between them.
"Join me. Come to me.. We'll show first that world our vengeance. Our wrath.."
He extended his arm towards him, with a grin lingering over his cheeks. In this moment, Zack felt he could walk in the endless void, as a part of him was walking, a part of him resist..
"Zack!."
His clone yelled as he takes a huge step.. Then one more.. Gradually.. Until..
"Don't go.. Don't go.."
Someone embrace him from behind, a familiar voice, a voice so close to him that he fell to his knees.
".. Marine?."
He tilted his head slightly, to saw a girl's face. Wearing a white cloak. She rest her face on his shoulder. It was warm.. Was it warm?. The clone went silent but after few minutes of silence. He yelled.
"Zack!. She's no more!. She has left you!. Everyone will leave you!. Why don't you understand!?."
Marine clenched him tightly.
"It's hurts.. Zack.. Please don't change.. Please be yourself.."
"But.."
Zack mumbled.. And said after a long pause seeing his palms.
"Who am I?."
In this moments, thoughts flooded his mind.
~ I'm a monster.. A creature who has hunted and killed people only on its instinct. I lost count after thousand... They say God has created everything.. Does that mean He has created the likes of me?. A creature.. A monster..
"You're my cousin.. My best friend. Your name is Zack. D. Roy. Everyone loves you. They're waiting.. Wake up.. Zack.. Wake up.."
She mumbled.. Until.. Seeing this, the other him yelled.
"We're monsters!. Everything we have touched has decayed and crumbled!. Nothing stands!. If you live with them!. They'll die in your own hands!. Die in your own sight like her!. You can't understand how cursed we are!?. Forget forgiveness Zack!."
Zack gets up, Marine was watching him behind, his hairs scattered over his forehead. Seeing this, his clone got astonished. His rage was cooling down..
"Sinners are everywhere.. Some sin more, some sin less, but everyone does it. That doesn't mean He won't forgive us."
He declared.
"Angels don't sin. Prophets don't sin."
The other self was still trying to persuade him.
"Those are divine beings created by Him for our guidance."
Zack stated with a gentle expression.
"Will you become an archangel?. A prophet?."
His self asked, irrated.
"If I was an archangel.. I would be the most sinful archangel ever. If I was a prophet.. I would be the most cursed prophet ever.. But that can't happen right?. It'll never happen.. You know what does it mean?."
Zack words made him surprised as in last he mumbled.
"A paradox.."
A smile curved over Zack's cheeks. An exaggerated smile. Suddenly his clone started crumbling to cosmic dust, looking at himself. He clenched his teeth and murmured.
"Damn you.. We'll meet again!."
As he disappeared to cosmic dust, Marine gets up and hugged him tightly from behind. Suddenly the void suddenly started lightning up with great white light. In this moment, they both embrace each other very hard. Closing their eyes.
~ I understand it now..
Zack thought.
~ The things all beings, all mortals are equal in.. Is death.. And to Him..
Until..
Zack felt his eyes, after a minute, he gently opened them. Laying on bed.. It was the same patient room here he was kept.. Surprised.
~ Was it all a dream?.
He checked his surroundings to saw Lisa sitting on bench, eating some snacks, she felt someone looking at her as she turned her head over him. Looking at him with a blank face. Zack got puzzled.
Yet he asked a logical question.
"What time is it?."
Lisa pointed her finger to the wall where clock was hanging. It was afternoon.. 2:14 PM. Seeing this, he got relived; sighed. Whereas she was watching him with a irritated expression. At last, her rage exploded.
"Do you know how much I have burnt out for you last night?. Changing your God damn drips. Not one. Two.. Three!. I got off after an entire hour. Can't even sleep properly."
Hearing her lecture, he just ignores it which made her evem more frustrated. After 12 seconds he asked.
"Did I told you to babysit me?. And we don't even need to sleep."
He said with a calm, calculated expression.
"Others back off to babysit you and I love sleeping!.
She yelled, standing up while crossing her arms and leaning to wall. Zack sighs and tried to leaned over to bed, but as soon as he tried, his muscles were so weak that he can't do it. Thinking what to do, he cleared his throat.
"Okay.. Fine. I'm sorry. What you had to face because of me.."
Apologizing while scratching his hair. She looked at the corner, don't know what reason.. Her expression unreadable.
"Anyways can you help me stand up?."
He spoke, making a baby face with soft tone. She sighs, before coming and making him stand on bed. Abruptly, he was wrapped in blanket all night so when he getting up, his whole T-shirt was sweaty. Both got amazed.
After leaning him to bed, Zack tried to take off his shirt as it was all wet but seeing her here. He stopped.
"Can you go outside for a moment?. And bring some towel and shirt."
He requested, maintaining his baby face mask.
A small portal appeared right aside Lisa as she pushed her arm inside it. For few seconds, her arm from outside was moving around and around as if she was searching for something.. Until..
She threw a green T-shirt then a big size towel at him, the portal closed as she leave the room. Her unreadable expression was clearly confusing him.
After a minute, Zack called her. His towel hanging on the bed's headboard.
"You can come now!."
Suddenly she teleported, sitting on bench, Zack was startled, suddenly an idea came to his mind.
"Ah!. What a flex.."
He said with his usual smirked.
"Shut up."
She replied, without looking at him. Zack wasn't understanding why she was doing this..
~ Is it because what I had done last night..
Now he get it. Why was she acting like this.. His expression went nervous, disturbed. He glared over his wet shirt on his hand.
"Ahh.. What should I do with this now?. Can you do something about it?."
He spoke in his low voice, she went over him, extending her arm as if demanding his shirt which he did, her unreadable face was annoying him now but he didn't show it on surface.
"This will go on washing machine."
She mumbled, her hairs scattered over his forehead as her eyes were barely visible to him. As she plucked it off from his collar, as she disappeared to thin air. Zack clang his forehead, because of how baffled he was..
On outside the room, Lisa was leaning to the wall. Her eyes over his t-shirt, she slightly pull it closer, smelling his aroma which was like a sweet lemon. Suddenly, she flabbergasted.
~ What am I doing?.
She shakes her vigorously, before she left.
Moments later..
The door opened, as she came in. Seeing Zack sitting over edge with his feet touching the ground, she was surprised few seconds ago he was so weak that he can't leaned on headboard on his own, now..
"See!. This fever was nothing.."
He exclaimed with excitement, laughing. Lisa was taken aback. Stunned, how fast he was.. Until.. He tried to stand up.. The moment he did.. He was on his last legs as he fell straight on the floor.
"Ah!."
Seeing this, a smile curved over Lisa's cheeks. At last, she giggled. Seeing this, Zack sighs.
"Help me just sit over the bed."
She control herself and went over him, bending down and extended her arm. Suddenly, he subconsciously tilted his leg slightly where she was standing. She lost her balance.. And in this position.. She fell over him.. For 10 seconds, they stared each other's eyes. Pressure seems to intense..
Until..
CREAK!
Iris opens the door with a tray of lunch in her one hand, seeing the view, stunned. Lisa gaze went over her but as she tried to say something.
"Oh sorry for the timing. Please keep doing what you're doing."
She spoke with a warm smile, slightly blushed. The tray instantly teleported to the nearby drawer which was beside, as she gently closed.
"I– I– Eris!."
Lisa clenched her teeth, many emotions were emerging but the highest was her temper, enraged. In her furious rage, her gaze went over her, she was still sitting on him. She loads her fist as Zack, tried to defend himself.
"What did I even do!?."
Ahh man, it doesn't work like that. Who knows what will work against them
WHACK!
It was so hard that a bruise appeared over his cheeks, the floor slightly cracked.. Before it just healed up like nothing happened. Lisa got up and left the room, the door wide open.
Zack, laying on the floor, the punch was so hard that he went unconscious for few seconds, seeing bright light..
~ Damn.. That was harder than those bums..
By bums he meant his two idiots..