Wish

"What's the matter?" a man's voice resounded in the dimly lit room. The voice was heavy, almost raspy, but in his words, you could hear a mocking tone.

The man was tall and had a slim but well-built body. His face was clear and smooth which clearly match his figure. He had long silver hair that is tied-up and he wore clear glasses, which showed thin silver eyes where you could see traces of cunning viciousness. Holding a sharp dagger, he watched his reflection as the blood in the dagger spread on the blade.

In front of him, a young man with his arms and legs bound in chains is hanging in mid-air. His hair is black and dull, unwashed for several days. His body waist up is naked and you could see a highly trained chiseled body.

It would have look good if not of the numerous cuts and bruises that covered every part. The whole body was taut like a rope by the heavy weights connected in the chains on his legs pulling him down.

He let out a hiss as the man before him made additional cuts in his body.

The cuts were not deep enough to be fatal but sufficient to cause extreme pain especially when the healed wounds were cut again, the man enjoyed doing it as he sees the beads of sweat coming out of pain from the young man, looking at the young man like his first masterpiece in the making.

"Feel like talking now?" the man asked, putting down the dagger on the table behind him

"FUCK YOU…!" the young man answered back in an almost growling voice as he glared sharply at the man. This man was the one who destroyed his life. Every time, his family died because of him, his friends killed, even his... All people related to him were killed. No love ones were spared and it was all this man's fault.

The sharp pain spread through the multiple cuts in his body and it was bloody questionable if he would even survive. However, the pain also reminded him that he was still alive. He was the only one left alive and he needed to stay alive.

Using the meager strength that remained in him, he tried to break his chains, but it was a fruitless effort. The man already made sure he would not be able to escape this place. Knowing that struggling is useless, he glared at the man with an unending rage that burns in his eyes.

He wanted this to end.

The man looked back eye to eye and let out a chuckle as he see the young man not willing to back down.

"You know Em, you are very troublesome. Always causing me problems up to no end, but this ends now. And I can't quite understand where your courage, bravery, whatever you call it, is coming from. Are you really that foolish not to understand your situation?" said the man as he turned around and picked a stiletto dagger from the table behind him.

"I can always end this if I get bored of you." The man shoved the stiletto on his hand, piercing through the young man's chest, almost hitting his heart. Twisting and grinding it as to make the wound larger.

The young man - Em, broke his glare as he felt the cold metal pierce his lungs. He choked out a gurgling cough as blood slowly flooded his lungs. He would not want anything else than to tear this man into pieces but this time it's impossible and he could't help but feel rage for failing again. His body accumulated damage from days of torture and after that stab, he knew his body couldn't take it anymore.

Feeling the end is near, Em calmed down. He held his breath and gave the man a look that could almost kill.

The man frowned seeing that Em, even when approaching death, still have his unbending will shown in his eyes. He sighed and tried to think of any reasons how Em could still will himself to fight back.

With all the things he had done to him, it puzzled him so much it led to curiosity. He then tried to place himself in Em's position and thought of many possible whys and what ifs, and after a short moment. It clicked to him, as it was the only possible way.

"I see it now Em. Is it a Revival Artifact?" said the man as he watched Em's eyes for any reaction, failing to see any. "No? Hmmm… maybe... something related to revival... Ah! Innate Skill perhaps?" this time the man succeeded and saw a tiny fluctuation in Em's eyes.

"Is it Innate Revival Skill? No, that is useless if you revived here. To be honest, in your position, the only thing that will make me that confident is a chance to return in the beginning. That's right, time travel. But that's theoretically impossible so it must be a Revival skill. Ah! Remote Revival I see… Now that's troublesome if you revived somewhere out there. We're going to need to capture you again." The man continued as he watched the increasing unrest in Em's eyes.

The man then laughed hard while looking at Em. "But what for? You? Hahaha! You can't even do anything but shit and watch your people die! Why don't we just wait for you to come here again and capture you! So what if you have Remote Revival, in the end you're just going to die. Die again and again and again…"

Em heard all of the man's words and he went pale as each word of the man almost reached the truth about him. Even though the man had his misconceptions about him, and what he said is just a psychological attack. He could not help but feel shaken and defeated.

The man saw Em getting pale and the light in his eyes weaker and thought it's the perfect time to end it.

"Hahaha! Seeing you like this is so much fun. Why haven't I thought of doing this earlier, well torturing you is also fun, enough of this. Hehehe, don't get disheartened and give up too quickly, Em. I haven't had this much fun until now. Ah, yes! Even though someone forbids me, as a bonus for you, I will tell you my name-" the man went near Em's ear and whispered slowly, "Citron… Gold, remember it well…"

After hearing the man's name, Em's eyes instantly focused and showed an undying light much brighter than before.

Delighted to see the intended reaction, the man – Citron Gold pulled the stiletto stuck in Em's chest and plunge it to Em's heart.

A fatal wound in the heart will cause death, but it was not an instant one.

Before Em welcomed death's embrace, he used all the remaining energy of this life to say a few words.

"Citron… Gold… I'll-be… back.. to.. kill-you!"

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Em felt someone shaking his shoulders. Before he knew it, he stood up and shouted, "CITRON GOLD I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

The shout resonated in the room. It mirrored his state of mind. The name of the man, Citron Gold, repeated many times in his head and there is nothing more that he wanted to do with that man than one thing: Kill him.

After a few harsh breaths, he organized the things in his mind. Then he closed his eyes and probed the state of his body using energy.

No cuts, no bruises, and no pierced lung and heart. It's normal, as if his body didn't went through all of it. His body contained energy so pure like that time twelve years ago, when he first Awaken and got his body purified. He clenched his fists as he willed his energy to roam in his body and after a full cycle, concluded he is back to his young body. He was alive.

Again…

It is like a fantasy, dying and going a few years back to his younger self. Bringing back knowledge of the future and using it for your own gains. It is a wonderful thing many people dreamed of. But to Em, it is nothing but a curse. A malevolent vicious one. A curse that is unending.

His first death and rebirth brought him great joy. He was so thankful to the heavens for his second chance he promised he would do his best, and he did.

He studied hard, he practiced hard, and tried everything possible for him to his very best. People said he was a genius and he believed it too. It was just that he never tried hard enough on his past life to tap on to his potential. Not until now.

Hailed as a once in a decade genius, he was satisfied at what he accomplished. The only thing he regretted is not knowing the war, which happened a few years after his first death. Due to his talent, he got a mandatory order and got drafted in the army and in the end, died as a bait in one of the many missions.

Yet, it was not the end.

Like his first rebirth, Em lived again. This time knowing the war will happen in the future, he planned to join the military, and get a rank important enough he wouldn't die as a bait. Using his talent and past experience, he enrolled in a military school and got accepted in a prestigious one at that. Getting an outstanding record after graduation, he got accepted as an army official.

A few years after, the war officially started. With hard work, he climbed his way up in the ranks and became the youngest general ever appointed. He felt like the chosen one. A hero. And it's up to him to save his country.

With events he knew will happen, he proposed plans after plans, and brought victory after victory. Em knew after a few more battles, his country would win. But then it never came- no, he didn't even reached the end of the war. His victory streak came to an end and consecutive defeats soon followed. Something happened, things he never expected to happen.

Nevertheless, Em didn't gave up. The enemy winning a few battles does not mean they won the war. Losing is only natural. He made his counter-plans and started his counter-attack. His plans were flawless. And yet they lost again. Each and every plan he made failed.

Em knew something was wrong. He knew there's an enemy hiding in the dark and he just couldn't see. His country started to lose trust in him and people began to blame him for the death of his people. He knew his time is running out and he needed to do something.

Then came a rumor that he was a spy.

The rumor quickly spread and "evidences" started showing up. Em knew he was getting framed and legally fought back. Some people still believed in him and he knew the truth will come to light.

And then the truth came.

A truth different from what he knows.

A spy was caught and it came with a list of conspirators. A list with his name on it.

Em never felt this helpless before. He felt like his hands and feet are tied, and someone in the dark is pulling the strings. Making him dance at the palm of their hand.

It's over...

Without any chance to defend, he was captured by the very people he considered his comrades. Em never felt this betrayed. He was tortured for information but he did not say anything. There is nothing he could say. The only thing he wanted is his wish to die sooner, to end his pain and suffering.

But it will never come true.

As he felt his heart gradually slowed its beat. He met the man he would want to kill the most. The man who left him with only one line.

"Too bad Em Herald, you messed with Darkness."

Em died and lived again. This time, his war with Darkness began. And this is also the time he first felt his Innate skill is a curse.

It's a silly sounding name- Darkness. Yet this name perfectly described it.

Nobody knew what, where and when it is created. He was astonished at how deep the Darkness ran, how wide its coverage and yet still managed to hide in the dark. The more he learned what Darkness is, the more he knew nothing.

Em needed time to unravel the secrets Darkness is hiding. And time… is what he didn't lack at all.

With each life came with its own death, and Em is familiar enough with Death to call it his brother.

Sometimes it was quick, sometimes slow. It has many variations; death by explosion, drowning to death, suffocating to death, crushed to death, tortured to death, bleeding to death, etc., Death came to him many times that he sometimes forgot how he died. It was unbelievable but it's true.

The ones he liked best is the instant ones. It was quick, dark, painless, and no villain cut-scene. But that's also the reason he hated it a bit. Most of the information he got were obtained from those people who explains everything they've done, things they are planning to do and for what it is and how he failed to stop them and ends it in laughing while he died.

It was infuriating at first but when you see the same thing done again by a different person, it just look dumb.

Em traded his life for information many times and some of it just to prevent the plans of Darkness.

Tens, hundreds, or maybe more than a thousand times? He doesn't know. Once he reached pass a hundred, he already stopped counting. He knew if he continued it, he might go crazy. Yet, maybe he was already one.

With his Innate skill, he couldn't stay dead, and that's abnormal. Humans die, animals die, even trees die. Then what is he? The Terminator? 'I came (back) from the future to kill you'. No, more like 'I came back from the future to die(again)'.

Em died so many times some things in him was lost. As for what it is? He doesn't know. But he knew the only thing keeping him together was the thought of revenge.

To kill the man who took everything from him.

The reason is twisted but it is a reason enough for him.

After more blood, gore, and deaths, his efforts bore fruit. He finally had a lead to where he will find the man who first told him about Darkness. The man behind his second and third death, and related to all the deaths he experienced. The man he planned to kill and for once quench his thirst for revenge. But…

He failed. Got captured. And died.

'It was a trap all along. The man was really cautious and for some reasons got wind of me' Em thought while planning the things he need to do in his mind.

'I need to find out how he knew I was coming for him. Hehehe… Citron Gold was it?… Should I order a tombstone before I kill him?' thinking of successfully killing Citron Gold, Em shivered in excitement as he imagined the things he will do afterwards. But a few moments later his face froze.

"What do I want to do… I...I don't know… my wish… I have a single wish. But my wish is…" a soft sigh escaped his mouth.

His wish will never come true.

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