(9.2) Winter's Past

"For two years, we both put our all into getting the necessities to get started. She still lived in Japan and held a good job in Japan and I was in the same situation in London. Neither of us could uproot our lives so abruptly to move one place or another. Still, we pushed forward, visiting each other as often as possible and setting up the grassroots."

"Before we knew it, we had become a couple. Just like I stayed single, so did she. It was only after reconnecting did we realise the reason was because we were already so invested in each other that looking at another person was impossible even without any official label."

"Every day after we became official was brighter in my eyes. I worked harder, faster, and better. My mood was always high and even though we were apart and our arguments few, we'd make sure to communicate openly and actively. Anger never lasted."

"Four years later, we were a well established small company with a handful of employees and a few games under our belts. Kokone was no longer my girlfriend but my fiancee. Our marriage date was a ways off but I couldn't help calling her my wife sometimes."

"We all loved pixel art games. Side-scrollers and RPGs so that's what we released. Simple, fun, and all inspired by things we truly enjoyed. Money was good but everyone always put enjoyment first. As long as we could afford proper lives for ourselves and our families, that's all that mattered."

"My heart aches for those times."

+++

"I still recall that day, when one of our favourite obscure games had a re-release announced."

"Carnia: Falling in Love Against Destiny's Wishes otherwise known as Carnia Love. It was an Otome game that heavily mixed in RPG elements reminiscent of a popular 1986 RPG. Carnia Love, within the circles that knew about it, was renowned for its difficulty both as an RPG and an Otome game since none had managed to clear all 9 routes."

"Kokone was ecstatic when she heard the news. To see it revamped with brand new artwork and game system yet still retaining its infamous difficulty and old school look."

"This time I'll definitely beat the super boss and unlock that final route! Let's play the original for practice ⬛⬛⬛! Maybe we'll catch something to use in the new version!"

"I remember how brightly her eyes shone when she booked a flight to Japan because an exclusive collector's edition copy of the game could only be bought there."

"I remember how carefully she combed her hair the morning of the flight. It was naturally messy and unruly, so she'd treat her hair no less than like a national treasure to make it perfectly sleek. It shined more than usual that day."

"I remember the slight curl in her lips when we got stuck in traffic for a few minutes on our way to the airport."

"I remember when I received a call the next day and had the news broken to me. Kokone had been in a car accident. The driver of a large truck suddenly fell asleep at the wheel and that was the end."

"I don't remember how I got to Japan."

"I don't remember the funeral."

"I don't remember how I returned."

"Everything was a haze. Work, travel, sleep. Only the bottom of empty glasses and the game screen were clear in my mind."

"Kokone wanted to see the final route. I had to clear it. If I did, she'd come back. She'd walk through the front door and smile at me or her brow would crinkle and her lips curl because I beat the superboss and unlocked the route without her."

"She would be there, as beautiful as ever, right in the living room behind me just like always."

"On my 30th birthday, a package containing the collector's edition of Carnia Love, still in the bag with a noticeable tire mark on its edge, was delivered to the company. It was Kokone's bag. The one that was nowhere to be found according to the police."

"I rushed home. I had to. Kokone was just playing a long prank and was waiting there to surprise me. That's why the bag was there. I'd have to scold her for playing such a mean trick."

"My smile was so clear, my heart so light, as the headlights of a truck became my whole world." 

*****

The onslaught of emotions is seemingly never ending. Joy, love, excitement, terror, pain, agony, all mixing together so strongly it is as if Aki was actually there in the background watching Winter's entire life with that woman play out.

Tears well in her own eyes but she shakes them off. Whoever the woman is in Winter's dreams is not the same as the terrifying existence before them. She cannot let herself be emotional. Not now.

Solid shadows barely visible against the dark sky cascade out from the necromancer. The spikes strike the walls and aim to hit the soldiers atop the battlements but are stopped short by a powerful invisible barrier. The contact points shine a brilliant blue light for a moment before fading out.

"Still using an Ultrepulse Barrier? After so many hundreds of years? That won't protect you from lesser magic and physical assaults, fools!" The necromancer shouts. She steps closer, sending out another wave of shadows to counter the soldier's attacks.

Aki fervently shakes Winter. The one soldier that is peeking out from the smaller gate door is hurriedly waving them in. He shouts to hurry or he'll be forced to close it.

Mirra still hasn't returned, either because she's still restrained or was too focused on getting Phoebe medical attention.

Another burst of shadows flies in tandem with the attacks from her allies. The necromancer laughs cruelly and suddenly walls of shadow have closed around Winter and Aki.

The sounds of the living Dead draw closer and swarm to the walls, attacking with all they have. If it weren't for the solid shadows enclosing her and Winter, Aki is certain the Dead would tear them apart too. Instead of worrying about that, Aki turns her attention to the necromancer.

She's close enough to see clearly now. An elegant, form fitting black dress more suited for a party hangs off the shoulders. Her left leg peeks out from a large slit on the side. Her black hair sits wildly on her head, going this way and that. Her face is gaunt and her dark eyes have naught a shed of light within.

Her eyes are fixated on Winter, who is still completely frozen in place for one reason or other.

"Fortune is a cruel master," she laughs without a trace of humour. "I believed the fools sent children as negotiators but no. To think, I'd find the unbeatable first boss before he grows into that rage-inducing bastard."

She points accusingly at Winter who doesn't so much as flinch. "Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I spent grinding over and over in that infuriating Start area? All for what? FOR WHAT!"

A shadowy spike manifests itself centimetres from the unmoving Winter. "Were you worth it, 9th? Huh? That's what I wanted to know so desperately."

Aki tries to subtly blast the necromancer now that she's closer but is easily overpowered and pinned with a wave of the necromancer's arm.

"Don't interfere, little girl." She snarls. The necromancer steps closer to Winter, who stares back at her. "Do you know how excited I was to be summoned into the world of Carnia Love? I was so prepared to finally find out the mystery behind the hidden ninth route… only to learn I'd been summoned 600 years too early."

Aki wriggles in the shadows. She still has her amulet in hand. All she needs now is to wriggle free enough to use magic. She urgently scans her environment from her prone state, searching for something, anything she can do to escape. To save Winter.

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( Tactician Lv. 2 - Insight granted)

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The necromancer grabs Winter by the chin and squeezes his cheeks together. A thin smile stretches across her face as she looks at him longingly. It shifts into an outraged look as her hand lowers to grab him by the neck and lift him up.

"Can you even understand the words I'm saying, Winter Estril?"

She begins to squeeze, every second her expressions sours more, overwhelming rage and frustration because even still Winter has not made a sound. He simply continues to look at her with a pained look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry… Kokone…"

The necromancer drops him, surprised.

"How do you know that name!" She screams at him. "HOW?"

Before anything else can be exchanged, sunrise paints the sky and the darkness of night lightens.

The necromancer looks away, outraged as her shadows shrink. A sharp gust of cutting wind slashes through the weakened defences and hits her square in the shoulder. She recoils and involuntarily drops the walls.

In haste, she tries to finish off Winter only to find there are no less than twenty Winters and just as many Aki's before her.

"Illusions!"

"They are but we aren't!" An arc of golden light cuts toward the necromancer.

She narrowly dodges the light but gets struck by another sharp wind.

Now visible from behind the lingering defensive shadows are Caor and Dent - the other half of Silver Sword, along with many of the soldiers that accompanied Aki down into the catacombs.

"Guys!" The many Aki clones say in surprise. One of the Aki's darts from her position and grabs hold of one of the Winters. "Thanks for the backup, I got him!"

The necromancer screeches and tries to attack the retreating pair only to get intercepted again. She tries to retaliate but her Dead horde is too busy trying to assault the city walls to pull away and assist. The few that do are quickly dispatched by Caor and Dent's overwhelming power and the expert efficiency of the trained soldiers' physical attacks.

Cursing, she tries to do as much damage to the attacking forces and the wall as possible before beating a hasty retreat. Half of her horde, already too close to the walls and engaged in combat, don't follow, unable to do so without being destroyed by ground troops or the physical assault from above.

With the sunlight to aid their sight, the attacks from the soldiers on the walls are more accurate. Magic may not work but their physical attacks are destroying the Dead with no problems. The ground troops have retreated now that Aki and Winter have been recovered and find safety behind the walls again.

The sunlight begins to flicker and fade now that Aki is in a safe spot. She sees Nidor rush to Winter's side while the Silver Sword members Caor and Dent hop between herself and Winter in concern. Even the soldiers that joined her in the catacombs provide support to her. Their help falls on deaf ears however. Aki is far too exhausted.

With one last flicker, the sunlight vanishes, sinking the area back into darkness.

"Guess I'm outta mana," Aki says weakly. She raises an arm as high as she can, the her stone amulet swinging from its chain. "Minor Illusion for the win."

"The Acolyte of Mune brought us the sun! Our lady of victory!" One of the soldiers that accompanied her down into the catacombs cheers.

Several others cheer for their success, attention waning between Caor and Dent who managed to hurt the Necromancer, and herself for one reason or another.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Dent raise a brow. It seems like he's the only one that heard what she said clearly.

Somehow she stays conscious enough to be led away by medics. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Winter being led away, a shocked expression still clear on his face.

Aki considers trying to talk to him but at this rate, she'd completely collapse again if she tried. Instead, she resolves to find Winter as soon as they have a chance to rest.