10 Past Glimpses
Elos's POV
Trombe's uppercut to Hollow's chin sends her up above close to the ceiling.
The humanoid figure, my inner companion, Trombe reeled the other fist behind before delivering a sharp hook to the woman's face. Continuing it with a jab before repeating the whole process at a faster pace. Pummeling her body with a rush of heavy blows.
The bizarre thing is, she seems to enjoy it. Moaning in delight instead of grunting in pain. Is this a masochist? Hell, they are weird.
At least, I do not enjoy the violence I dealt. Otherwise, I would be the sadist. Other than that, I think both are equally terrifying.
"Morietur, " I mumbled as Hollow knocked away against the metallic walls. A dent formed beneath her accompanied with a loud bang.
She slips out from the dent and falls onto the floor with her bottom, leaving a blood trail on the wall. Bleeding from up to bottom with blood slipping from the edges of her mouth. The subtle movement of her chest indicates that she is still alive.
"Hollow, who did this to me? The one who forced me into this death game, " I asked, or rather interrogated her. There is no room for refusal, or else.
I should take advantage of this moment and extract as much information because she will likely die here anyway. Also, her bones seem to be broken.
"Elos, Elos. You haven't changed one bit. Lost memory, but still the same, what a pity, " She giggles before coughing a few more blood on her suit collar.
Is that a mockery or an actual pity? But I think she would not mind a missing tooth.
I am not in the mood of thinking too deep. So, I willed Trombe to deliver a punch to her right cheek.
"Enough with the riddles. Spit it out or, you'll be missing more than one tooth, " I have no time to waste. If what Luka said is true about this whole death game then, there is bound to be more people involved in grabbing each others' necks for a goal.
There is no way to tell that I could survive this whole ordeal. But, I have the confidence to do so. No matter what it takes.
"A woman who lost everything wouldn't be afraid of dying, you know… the same goes for you. Why would you be afraid of death? Because maybe someone is waiting for you? Please, you're one heck of a comedian, " She laughs while mentioning something related to me, which piqued my curiosity. Her whole flinch as she lets out an unrestrained laugh like a madwoman.
"Trying to drag this talk too long, aren't you?" Trombe grabbed onto her collar and shook her violently for a while.
"There's no use in killing me yet. I know you want the stuff I got in my head, but I will be 'brain dead' if I were to tell all of it… GET IT!?" She jokes and laughs once again without care for her thin life. While gurgling with blood in her mouth.
This woman is a psycho. Then, what am I for being associated with someone like her in the past? Another eccentric? Or the normal?
"I'm glad you know what I want. So, I don't need to explain much, " There was no use of trying to stop Hollow from behaving like herself. So, I will just try to ignore her jokes and get straight to the point.
Suddenly, her wide grin reduces to a short smile covered in red. She probably has a quick mood swing.
"Oh? Now you understand the value in patience… Elosy, would a man who is lost in the world, would still be considered lost after waking up in a new world?" She questions with no signs of joking.
I took her question literally and if I were to be hasty like before. She would ridicule me more and I would never reach the answers.
A man who is once lost, waking up to find himself in a different world… for me, the answer is simple.
"No, it's a no, " I breath out to calm myself from rushing any answer from her.
"…the reason?"
"A man who forgets can choose a new path in his life. Or, are you referring to me?"
"I never thought of seeing a naive version of you. Don't you think that it still counts as a 'lost man' when he tries to pave a new path?" She retorts with her grin growing once again.
This is giving me an existential crisis. But, I still have a vision of my goal. Nothing more and less. Yet, her question is bothering my mind. However, no truth would be known without effort.
"Your face, that twisted expression. You're trying to convince yourself from acknowledging my words, but, ignorant is a bliss. I wish I could be in the same state as you, " She continues before chuckling. Sounding more normal than her previous mad self briefly.
"No, you look like a hypocrite at this point. A man would never be lost forever, " I tried to argue against, only to receive another chuckle.
"In other words, you agreed to me that the man is still lost in the new world? Him aimlessly wandering, with the final reach for the lost history. "
I could only grit my teeth as Trombe's lifts one of its balled fists. Trying my best to hold back the flaring annoyance in my heart.
"We're not so different after all. Your incapabilities cost you the lives of your team, so does my deed, " Her smile spread and thins under her shrivelled hair bangs.
I grave at her words. Knowing there were lives carried on my shoulders. As if the gravity doubled on my whole body.
"How would I know if you aren't lying about that?" Trombe's fist is an inch far from her head, vibrating in an attempt to end her on the spot.
"All of this wouldn't happen if you weren't such an idealist in the past!" She shouted maniacally from the top of her lungs.
"How come did you know, bloody tell me!?" I could feel the chill of her dark words creeping up my spine. In another meaning, fear is clawing my mind. So, I shouted back in response to disperse it but alas, it scales over.
I do not want to believe her, but considering the possibility that it could be the truth is terrifying.
"I was one of your team members, don't you remember! You let their sacrifices fall in vain, and so did I!" Her hectic eyes widened. Looking straight into the air blindly.
The need for denial stuck in my throat. My mouth agape open with no response.
Quick flashes of unfamiliar faces courses through my mind. A scene with all of them wearing a smile, eyes lifeless while their bodies laying flat on the ground.
"…morietur. " Trombe fully manifests beside me, with its restrained muscles tighten under its wires.
"This is what I have been waiting for, to be ended by you after you have given me a new life, Leader Elos. The cost of my betrayal, " Her mad laugh reduced to a smile. As if she was expecting this to happen from the start.
A fist connects on her belly before the other cracks her neck. Under the fit of my unstable mentality, I willed Trombe to barrage her with heavy knuckles.
The continuous onslaught from Trombe causes her body to slide up the wall. I snapped my fingers as the sound waves gathered around Trombe's arms and my own. Enhancing its assault with gruesome tremors. Staining the floor and the wall with red from all directions.
The dent behind Hollow becomes deeper. Stretching it further than before, busting a hole on the wall.
The beautiful moonlight from the night sky illuminates the kitchen through it, as Hollow falls out from the tall building from the last robust punch from Trombe.
