Chapitre 31: The massive gathering (III)
"It went up another level…" Zero was speechless. He prayed that it wouldn't go up any further.
He cursed under his breath for his bad luck. Let them slip upon the wet rocks. No, wait. I'll be haunted.
His prayer went unanswered.
"Zero, why do you think my father did not come?" Sol asked. He hugged his sailboat tightly and his face casted with doubt and sadness.
"I'm not sure, Sol. There could be a lot of reasons."
"But I waited there forever. He promised." Sol's voice was tinged with a bit of anger.
"I know, Sol. He might still be looking for you; it might be that you left the world first, and he couldn't find you."
"I didn't leave. I was where I was supposed to be." Sol looked at him quizzically. He didn't get what Zero was implying.
"I'm going to break this to you as easily as I can. You're not alive anymore." Zero stopped. Sol smiled upon Zero.
"Yes. I know."
"Wait, you knew?" Zero hadn't expected such an answer from someone as young as Sol. "So does that mean that you all know?" He glanced around at each one of them. All the children shook their heads.
"But we are still alive," said Sol as he touched his chest over his heart. "Even though our hearts are not beating anymore we are still alive. It's just the people in the city, who are walking lost, don't know it. In actuality they deny it." For a brief moment Zero saw Sol's eyes age.
"So does that mean that all children know that they're dead?"
"Nuh-uh." Sol shook his head. "Only the people who accept it. We accept and know what we are."
"Then you should know that could be why your dad can't find you."
"No. I never saw him come back to the fountain once. Neither did Mom," Sol whimpered. "It's like they forgot about me." Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Don't worry, kid. We'll find your parents soon, and where we are going, I'm sure they will be there." Zero patted Sol's back, trying to cheer him up.
Soon they reached the beginning of the path towards the Church of Infinity. It was a large open pathway, paved with gold-painted stones, set underneath archways of towering wooden beams that held many entwining vines as grapes dangled on it. No sane man would chip the stone ground for the fear of the curse of the Gods nor steal from the vineyard. Rumors of different horrifying deaths were engraved in NPC thoughts. Endless sparkling streams of lights cast off a luminescent glow and lit the pathway. It brought peace to the soul.
Already the way towards the sanctuary looked lively with color, bright like the living world, and a sweet smell of hot honey bread drifted towards them. A couple of the kids already inched forward as their noses told them that it was possibly their mom's cooking.
With no hesitation Zero began moving forward, feeling the warmth of the light cascading down upon his face. Its warmth tickled his cheeks turning it pink. The group of children sped up, and their thousands of footsteps resounded like thunder on the golden stone floor. Home. It was deeply engraved in each of their thoughts. It was a place of everlasting peace and comfort. Their long journey was finally coming to a close.
Kakakakawoooooooooooo!
The inhumane piercing sound broke through the silence. It sounded close—whatever was making it was coming towards them fast. Zero looked up towards the stairs. They had a straight shot up towards the column of light. Fear was heavy in the air as they all turned to find the source of the sound. Even Zero couldn't help but turn his head towards the uneasy sound. Goosebumps prickled up and down his arms.
The sight of the creature froze his blood. Here was this thing that children, teens, and even adults still feared. Flashes of memory surfaced in his mind: dark, ghastly, human-like shadows stood at the foot of his bed, watching, breathing heavily as the room turned icy cold.
A couple of times, he swore he thought he saw sharp teeth coming out of its mouth as he peered out under his bed covers as a child. All he could see were glowing red eyes that he was sure could pierce through one's soul. He felt waves of hate and anger manifested around him. They would always come during the night at 3:33am. He remembered every time; the digital clock would go off exactly at that time. But as he grew up, he brushed it aside and laughed it off as a figment of his imagination. He even broke the digital clock and asked his mother to get him a new one that didn't beep.
These unwanted memories still haunted him at times. And now, in the realm of the dead, three of these nightmarish figures appeared before him once more.
The three black-hooded humanoid figures wore mundane medieval clothes. They appeared to be no more monstrous than regular human beings. No claws. No sharp teeth or outrageous displays of appendages. Instead their presence was overwhelming: he felt complete fear.
"Run! The shadow men are here! Runnnnnn!" yelled a boy with broken glasses, his voice cracking. Mass panic broke out, and they all frantically searched for shelter, but there was none to find. Children and teens scrambled all over the place, pushing, shoving, and running into each other. With each step the shadow men took, colors surrounding them were sucked completely dry. Green grass wilted and became diseased. Flowers, trees, and grapes shriveled up and turned a lifeless brown-gray. The nightmare men blew out frozen air between rows of decaying teeth, sending ripples of cold into the air around them.
Zero knew that it was impractical to protect every child now that they were fleeing in every direction. Teens and kids shoved him aside as they tried to get past him. They hid behind the wooden beams as if it could even protect them. Some were crying in fear as they stood immobilized. A couple of the older teens picked up the crying younger kids and sprinted off with them.
But he had to try to save them. Inhaling sharply, he roared loud and clear. "Everyone halt!"
Just like obedient dogs, each and every one stopped to look upon Zero. His ringing voice pushed aside their fear.
"Run towards the light!" Zero ordered them as he pointed towards the direction they had to go. A ripple effect began as they first walked, then trotted, and ran at a full sprint. Not one disobeyed. Their only drive was to get out of there alive.
Zero wished like never before that he didn't have to do this outrageous quest. The promise of possible large wealth or even experience points was the only thing that kept him from going a bit crazy. "This is just a game. This is just a game," he murmured, trying to focus his thoughts on reality. He was only doing this to get a good job. Fighting ghosts was not on his priority list.
"Origin form!" Zero shouted, but nothing happened. Confused, he checked his timer. His six hour limit was over and he could change at any given time. Also the twenty-four-hour mark was close to being over.
"Origin form! Origin form! Damn it, why doesn't it work?" cursed Zero. He stomped madly on the ground, frustrated that nothing was working.
"Does this mean I can't use my skills in death?" He gasped in fright and confusion. "Is this why no one wants to stay in this dimension and just wants to be guided out?" He was running out of options. The shadow men drew closer and closer. True death was coming towards him. He did not know what would happen next.
A twinkling light of metal could be seen in one of their hands. It was twirling a small dagger in its hand. A long, black, bat-like weapon bubbled and formed in another black shadow's hand.
Soft dark chants whispered through the air and into his ears. "Give us back our life. Give us back our life. Give us your life." The chant got louder and louder.
Sweat dripped down his face. "Even in death I still feel sweat. Is this because of that wretched necklace? I knew I should've thrown it away," he mumbled under his breath. But he remembered what Sol said: to believe.
"I need a sword. I want Kamori here." He closed his eyes and imagined his favorite black sword. He imagined its cold, sharp blade, the alligator-skin hilt, and the rough texture of leather in between his hands. Something heavy appeared in his right hand. He grasped it tightly. Kamori was with him, with a white aura coating the blade.
Stepping forward, he got ready. Children and teens streamed past him, and the shadow man circled him like hungry predators. Their eyes glowed dangerously red.
Nearby, he noticed Sol being bumped around like a ping pong ball in the crowd of children rushing past him. He fell to the ground, as his boat rolled towards the dark apparitions.
"My boat!" yelled Sol as he quickly reached towards it. It rolled towards the shadow men. As they passed by it, it broke into a million pieces. Sol backed away in terror. Their presence drained Sol's life slowly like a leech with each step they took towards Zero.
Two of the shadow men attacked with lightning speed with their weapons. The third joined them from the left. Dodging the attacks, Zero bolted towards Sol. He gritted his teeth and swung in an overarching arc towards their head. Scattering, they dodged the white glimmering blade.
Inhuman shrieks rippled through the air as they fought. Metal sparked against metal, black ghastly smoke appeared and disappeared, and with each strike he could smell their foul breath. He swung Kamori once again. The shadow man stepped aside and nicked his arm. Drops of blood formed around it as it stung. Ignoring the pain, he followed up with a sharp roundhouse kick. Using the momentum of his blade swing, his kick passed through like water and lightly skimmed through the shadow man's side.
The shadow man kicked just as Zero did, striking Zero in the head. The impact sent out a stunning shock, numbing his face and blinding his right eye as he saw white. Pain enveloped his entire face. He was knocked down onto the ground, dizzy from the impact. The wound seeped blood, making it difficult to see through one eye. He didn't see the next kick that struck him on the side of his ribs.
Coughing up blood, he was sent flying, slamming his back into a column. The impact left him dazed and his breath left him.
His eyes watered with tears of pain. Even in death everything felt real. There was just no escape from pain in living or death. Peace? Lies. Where is heaven when you need it the most? Dark thoughts pervaded his head as he lay wounded on his side. He felt his life draining slowly. The color of his skin began to turn lifeless as all his strength felt sapped just from that contact with the shadow man.
"Sleep. Sleeeeeeep. Sleeeeeeeep," they whispered into his ears.
"Sleep and accept the sweet bliss of true death," one of the ghastly apparitions croaked.
An ashen face appeared from dark shadows, its eyes sewn shut. Its mouth whispered the same chant continuously.
"It doesn't hurt. You won't feel anything." Their cackling voices laughed with delight as they approached him. Ghastly hands reached towards him.
They're too strong. I'm going to die, he silently cried. He couldn't lift Kamori. The shadow men's bodies shimmered like old TV static. Distorted, agonized faces appeared on their bodies. They walked with a jittery gait as if their legs were broken.
True death at this moment sounded peaceful to him. Constant dark thoughts invaded his minds, telling him to give in. His eyes drooped with sleepiness.
Get up. Get up. Get up! an unknown voice screamed in his head.
Adrenaline kicked in. I don't want to be like that. I can't stay like this. Move, hand! MOVE!
With trembling hands, his fingers moved towards Kamori. The shadow men were upon him, hovering his body, ready to strike down with their daggers. With all the strength he could muster, he swung his sword into the abdomen of the nearest shadow man.
A loud, unearthly shriek erupted from its black-void throat. Small dime shaped holes appeared around Kamori as its body slowly disintegrated. Kamori vibrated and light erupted, blinding Zero. The other shadows cowered from the vibrant light. His hands fell limp at his side. All he could do now was to breathe. Even that was difficult.
One of the apparitions paced back and forth around Zero. Its face and body changed into the fat man he slew in the mansion of Dion.
"Lookey here. A child." It smiled wickedly. Its eyes gleamed with bloodlust. Its foul breath wafted towards Zero, making it even harder to breathe. "I know you. You're that rat. Keheuheuheu. It seems destiny has given me another chance. I want to know what's under that skin. Keheuheuheu." He licked the blade. The fat man lumbered forwards as his hands changed form into a sword. His rotten teeth peeked through his grin. Zero couldn't believe he was here.
"You're here?" Zero gasped in surprise. "I killed you."
"Yes, and where do you think the dead go?" The fat man chuckled. "You have given me freedom from my body. Now I can do whatever I want, whenever I want to, and it's all thanks to you." His sword glistened brightly under the red moon.
"You're dead." The irony of the word hit him.
"Ah, but that's not true." The fat man smiled as he took a step closer. "As I get stronger, I can transcend into the living. You will be my next meal."
Zero couldn't believe what he was hearing: the dead being able to interact with the living. If this was true, the fat man would be even more dangerous than when he was alive.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone