Chapitre 2: The Void of Two Souls
Dark, the next thing I saw was an endless darkness, as far as the eye could see. I could feel the cold, I could feel myself drifting into nothingness, infinitely, without any direction.
[Where am I? How did I end up here? What's going on?]
The questions came one after another, my memory was a bit hazy. The last thing I remember was the feeling of a thousand knives stabbing me.
[My name is.. Ryouma Satorou, yes. I was.. A college student.. A history major? We were on a boat trip in Antarctica.. I was at the deck of the ship, playing that old game of mine.. what was it's name? I can't remember. Then I.. slipped?.. No, someone pushed me, I fell into the freezing cold water. I remember the pain, and the worthless struggle to grasp at anything, I remember the cold, and then the darkness..]
We were on our way to study a newly found ruin in the Arctic, they said that it might hold the origin of men, not that I believed them, though I have to admit, I was pretty excited.
[So I died huh? Damn, that's a bust.. Well, it's not like anyone will care, my parents had long since cut ties with me, I had no girlfriend, no friends, nothing. I guess it doesn't make any difference that I died anyway. It's just a shame that I wasn't able to see the ruins]
As I drifted deeper into the darkness, I wondered wether this place was where all souls go when they die.
[If so, is there a chance that I would encounter my old mentor?]
I found some semblance in that thought, though I doubted it. Maybe this is the place where worthless people like me end up when we die, because I couldn't see anything, there was nothing but darkness. I refused to believe that someone like my mentor, who was full of kindness and compassion would end up in a place like this.
And so I continued to drift, without direction, without aim. Just the emptiness that is this void.
+++
How long has it been since I ended up here? One week? Two weeks?? I couldn't even tell anymore. I spent my days just drifting about in the nothingness, like a driftwood would drift in the ocean. I did everything I could just to entertain myself, I sang, I recited the anthem of my University, anything.
Even more days passed like this, in this empty world. But then one day, I felt something strange. Suddenly, a faint glint caught my eye. I thought for a moment that I was hallucinating, but I saw it again. A faint flickering light, it was far away but I could see it. I did everything I can to try and move towards the light, and as I got closer, I felt something new, something I hadn't felt in a long time, warmth.
As I got closer, the light became bigger. It was dazzling, so dazzling I could barely keep my eyes open, but I could see that there was something there, something leaving. As that something left, I could feel my self getting sucked in by the light, slowly but surely, it was drawing me in.
As I got closer and closer, I saw just what it was that was leaving the light. A young boy, barely at the age of five I guess. He had his eyes closed, but I could see sadness in his face, and suffering.
[Hey, boy! Where are you going? There's nothing there! Come back here! You're better off in the light!]
I yelled at him to try and get his attention, but there was no response. Just like that, we passed by each other.
[Hey boy! Come on! Wake up! There's nothing there! Come with me!]
I tried to get his attention again, but there was still no response, at this time I was still getting pulled in by the light, the warmth I felt was so comfortable I wanted to bask in it forever, but I couldn't just let the poor boy wonder into that nothingness all alone, I don't want him to feel the same loneliness I felt while I was drifting into the void.
And so I decided. I desperately fought and squirmed and inched my way towards the young boy. The pull of the light was not that strong, so I was able to fight it. I chased after the young boy and grabbed his arm. It was so slender it felt like it would break anytime. I pulled him closer to me and hugged his body.
[You're not going there, it's lonely there, and cold. You're coming with me]
I held the young boy as I was pulled in by the light, once more, I felt the warmth so comfortable, it was as though I was melting, but that was just the thing, we were actually melting. The boy and I were melting, figuratively and literally. It was though as if we were merging, not just our body, but also our minds. I remembered everything the boy had suffered through, I could feel all of his emotions, his sadness, loneliness, pain, suffering, everything. His memories were flawlessly merging with mine, as though creating a new self. It was scary, it felt as if I was going to disappear. But I didn't, I didn't lose anything, in fact, I could say that I gained something, but I wasn't just Ryouma Satorou anymore, I was something else.
As we got closer to the light, the warmth gradually decreased. I was solidified with this. It continued to decrease until I felt coldness that was even colder than the void. But it was too late now. I braced myself for whatever is to come and went into the light.
+++
As I blinked my eyes, I could see the night sky littered with dozens of beautiful stars, I was mesmerized, how long has it been since I've seen stars these beautiful. But my amazement was short lived. Intense feelings assaulted my body. I was cold, wet, and very much in pain, then the foul stench entered my nose, it smelled of blood and garbage, when I tried to move severe pain assaulted me from all directions
[What the hell is this?! Why is my body so painful? And weak??
I thought to myself as I tried to get up, but then, I remembered, I was beaten to a pulp by those degenerates. They beat me up then left me to die like I was some form of animal
"Those fuckers" I cursed as I spat a mouth full of blood.
[It's no good, I'm gonna die if I stay like this, all that time wondering in the void would have been for nothing]
With this thought in mind I mustered up all my remaining strength and stood up. I could see the many cuts and bruises I had in my body, I was bleeding very badly.
[At this rate I'm gonna be back in the void in no time, wait, what if there is no second time, what if after I die here I just cease to exist?]
"Shit"
I unconsciously cursed as I thought about me dying again and ceasing to exist.
[I've already died twice, fuck if I'm gonna let myself die here again]
Anger and frustration welled up inside me.
"I'm gonna live, whether you like it or not! I'm not gonna die anymore"
I took my first steps forward. The alley that had spelled one of my deaths before was now the place of my rebirth. I was no longer Ryouma Satorou, nor was I the boy from the slums, I was something else, and I wanted to live.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone