109 Resonating

The stench. The smell of the tormented souls permeated the air. The place that was supposed to be a home for those who needed to be healed now was just a dilapidated building in need of renovation. Instead of healed patients, the rooms were littered with cadavers that nobody wanted to dissect.

Even though the dark dimensions hadn't taken over, the atmosphere and the plain condition of the hospital were horrible enough to shake normal people's consciousness.

A single black butterfly could be seen passing through the gloomy corridor, followed by a little girl sitting on the back of a disproportionated-looking bird, basically overweight.

"What are you looking for?" asked Rose while holding her daughter's hand. The Limbo butterfly was leading the party as Eve, sitting on Pon, yelling "Go! Go!", all the while I began scanning for any hidden danger.

"A way out," I replied, glancing at the pair of daughter's and mother's hands before turning my head back to the front. I missed her.

"Well, we just walked through it," she continued. While Rose didn't notice my longing emotion, Eve did. She asked Pon to slow down and rub my hand with its thick feather. I couldn't help but smile at her warmth. But I still didn't like that fat bird.

"Not the hospital, of course. We're looking for your daughter's original body, Alessa." I replied before explaining, "I don't know how, but we need to talk with her."

"Do you want her to let us go? Will she?" asked Rose doubtfully.

"After what I did to her mother and her evil counterpart? Hell yeah, might as well ask her for some cookies and milk." I sarcastically replied.

"Then what are you going to talk about with her?"

"That's where you come along, I'm only good at fighting, well, mostly..." I glanced at Eve who was still oblivious to our conversation before continuing, "...involving un-aliving someone. But you're a mother and Alessa loves her mother, you see where I'm going with this?"

"Fine. But if something happened to my daughter again." After everything that happened earlier, she knew her daughter's life was at risk.

"Don't worry, I'm also good at keeping someone alive."

After instructing Rose on what she should and shouldn't do, the butterfly led us further inside the hospital. We walked across a suspicious-looking lobby and climbed spiraling stairs. Something was telling me that I would fight my way out if the dark dimensions appeared. But thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

I couldn't help but peek behind me, time by time, at Rose. Something had been bothering her ever since coming to this town. According to what I remembered from the movie, she had been having visions of the past, Alessa's past to be exact. This was her way to lure Rose for her future revenge. By making her sympathize with the cruelty that Alessa had been gone through.

As we arrived on the floor where Alessa was kept, we heard the sound of a weeping woman. Following the sound, we stood before the door into Alessa's room. I motioned Rose to take the lead. Hands were always near my waist, preparing for whatever lay inside.

Just as Rose's hand, touched the handle, the siren resounded.

Weeeeeeeeeng!

I heightened my senses, looking for signs of danger. Except for the convulsing Rose and the decaying hospital, nothing else stood out. Sharon was alarmed by her mother's condition. She kept tugging her mother while calling her name, but she just froze there, unmoving, uncaring.

"Eve!" I cautioned the little girl who went toward Sharon's side with Pon.

Just as Sharon started getting even more frustrated, the convulsing stopped, followed by Rose slowly opening her eyes. She heard her daughter's calling her name and hugged her dearly, reminded of the horrific vision of Alessa's past. It didn't help that her daughter's face resembled Alessa a lot.

The vision she had was about Alessa's childhood. How she was bullied for being born from an unwed mother. How she was trapped inside the bathroom and raped by the filthy janitor. How she was grilled under the eyes of the cult as her mother lamented on her decision, knowing that she was the real monster for giving up on her child.

Rose watched the ritual suddenly go awry, as one of the chains connected to the frame that was holding Alessa's body snapped, causing it to sway and bumped the huge bowl of charcoal under her. The scene kept changing, showing a police officer carrying Alessa's churned body while looking at the monster that was humanity.

Back to the present, the door slowly opened, showing the ruined room that looked like it was charred by hellfire. Everything inside was scorched, reflecting Alessa's nature and current condition. Besides, she was the one that will it to happen.

In the middle of the room, covered by a thin sheet of cloth, Alessa's body was laid, motionless, on a bed. Each and every single breath she took was hard and painful. Vengeance was the only thing that kept her going up till now. I wondered if her current state could even be called living.

Sharon and Eve were holding their mouth, keeping in their urge to puke. Pon covered the two of them with its thick feathers. The foul stench was even harsher in this room.

The weeping nurse at the corner of my vision snapped us back to reality. She was turning away from us, not intending to greet or even bothering to look at the new visitors.

It was never explicitly told in the movie, but now I know that she was the one taking care of her ever since Alessa was brought to the hospital. But I didn't know if it was out of goodwill or fear.

Her once beautiful eyes were gouged out, and blood always coming out of the hollow sockets. Her only sin was her curiosity.

"It took you a while," muttered the voice of Dark Alessa who apparated from the shadow underneath the bed.

"We took some precaution," I replied, standing between Sharon and Dark Alessa. Eve was hiding inside Pon's thick feather. I rubbed her head to calm her down while continuing, "but it seems unnecessary since you seem to be expecting us."

"I was curious. How is it? Fighting your dead friend? Does it feel good killing him one more time?" said Dark Alessa, sneering.

"It stings, but a welcomed one," I replied as my eyes wandered around every nook and cranny of the room, ignoring the scoff that came out of her mouth.

'It's here.' I muttered in my thought.

Soon, Dark Alessa lost her interest in me, she walked toward Rose, and the two started exchanging some words. Rose needed an explanation for the vision she was having, and Dark Alessa needed her for her own plan.

After the original Alessa was brought to the hospital to be tended, she made a pact with the devil. The devil itself took the form of Alessa and began transferring the town into the dark dimension, while the good side of her was left in front of the door of a certain orphanage. While the original landscape of the town could still be found in the real world, every living creature that resided in it was transferred by Dark Alessa, sparing not even a little baby in a cradle.

Alessa's word snapped me back to the present, "Now the dream of this life must end. And so too must dreamers within it. For over 30 years, they lied to their own souls. For 30 years, they've denied their own fate. But now, is the end of days, and I am the reaper."

"What do you want?" asked Rose, perplexed.

"Satisfaction."

Rose couldn't help but repeat the word.

And Dark Alessa nodded and replied with a coarse tone, "Revenge."

My hand unintentionally reached for the gun. For a moment, I was frightened by her convictions. Of all people, I knew the feeling of being haunted by revenge. My small actions were replied to with a cold glance from Dark Alessa. I could hear her saying, "don't do anything stupid, unless..."

After being reminded of how her daughter was almost getting caught by Christabella's goons, Rose agreed to help her end this bout once and for all. Just like how I told her too. Although it was risky, the story must not stray too far from the original. Sharon might be saved now, but who knows what will happen because of it. I needed time as well.

"As for you...", suddenly, Dark Alessa glanced at me. She reached out her hand toward me, the floor where I stood suddenly collapsed as I fell into a hellhole, catching me off-guard. Eve yelled my name, but there was nothing she could do.

A pit of fire waiting for me at the bottom of the maw. Stare at the abyss, and the abyss will stare back at you. That was how I felt whenever I looked down. From within the wall endless swarm of hell creatures much like those on the surface reached for me.

All seemed helpless with no way of getting out of this place. However, instead of trying to banish me, she actually helped me, a lot.

The Oni Gauntlet glowed. As I fell, I heard a thundering roar before I lost my consciousness. The last thing I saw was the jaw of a white dragon.

===°°°°===

The X-Mansion, New York.

A group of students was seen standing in front of a door. Panic, confusion, curiosity, all sorts of emotions could be seen on them. Some of the girls were banging the door while calling the name of the room's owner. Others were just watching, eventually garnering more and more bystanders', the corridors were packed full.

"Sherry!" yelled a girl whose age not reaching the double-digit yet.

"Come out, let's talk!" yelled another blonde girl.

The commotion caused the other professors to awaken. The day was over, and it was in the middle of the night, they were supposed to be asleep. To know why this happened, we must wind back the clock to 30 minutes ago.

It was already past the curfew, most of the students should've been already inside their dorm. The school's anniversary was getting closer, and a bunch of students was late decorating for the dance ball that would take place in three days.

As the final decoration was set in place these students cheers in satisfaction seeing the fruits of their labor.

Grruuuuung...

Their stomach echoed through the auditorium, prompting a burst of laughter among them.

"You know what, this occasion should be celebrated with a feast. Surely the professors wouldn't mind if we scoured the kitchen," said one of the students, which was met with nods of approval by the others.

They rushed out of the auditorium, nearby the lake, and entered the X-Mansion's main building from the back entrance. However, just as they reached the kitchen, the front-most student suddenly screamed while pointing toward the fridge, causing the combatant-type students to act fast, shielding the others. Edward's influence on the combatant-type students was kinda huge. His arrogant demeanor and cold stare would always invite trouble from the upperclassmen. Many would challenge him to a fight, but would always be met with a total defeat.

However, instead of reprimanding them, or telling the teachers or the professors to punish these troublemakers, Edward gave them useful tips on using their mutant power and taking advantage of its unique ability. By the end of the days, it garner their respect bit by bit, some even devoted to following him if he ever wanted some henchmen.

It was already midnight and the kitchen was dark, the only light source was from the moon outside the window and the light coming out from the half-opened fridge.

A shadow slammed the fridge shut, followed by a pair of eerie yellow eyes staring back at them. One of the quick-thinking female students reached for the light switch, but when the room went bright, the pair of eyes vanished at the same time, putting them on guard.

They formed a circle with the weaker students closer to the center as the strongest protecting them on the outer ring.

They saw claw marks on the ceiling, which made them wonder who had to claw mutant power among the students attending the school. It was none.

A flurry of footsteps could be heard on the second floor. It was running toward the East Wing, the staff dormitory. Although they were scared, they insist on getting to know who that shadow was, which led them to the current spectacle.

"Sherry, we're coming inside. Hold on!" yelled the girls.

They all thought that either Sherry was in danger or something happened to her. All she had was super-regeneration. They weren't suspicious of her.

Realizing what was going on, Scott Summers pushed through the wave of students. Once he stood by the door, he lift a small part of his glasses, melting the door handle. He pushed open the door using his shoulder and looked around. It was pitch-black, but he could see that the room was trashed, the furniture all broken to pieces, and huge claw marks drawn all around the wall. Except for the wardrobe, none was spared.

After a quick glance, Scott headed to the bathroom. A second later, he came out with a wet and naked Sherry, blanketed with a bathtub sheet. A trace of blood could be seen flowing from her back, dripping on the floor. Her constant trembling made it even worse.

Jean Grey came into the room and inquired him, "I rushed as fast as I can. What happened?"

Scott shook his head, "Not here..."

===°°°°===

As I opened my eyes, I was met with a dragon-shaped statue. Everything was dark, I could see nothing but the dragon altar before me.

The Oni Gauntlet was resonating toward the pure white-colored orb on the dragon statue's mouth. It was telling me to take it.

My left hand reached toward the orb, taking it. It was urging me to put it inside the Gauntlet. And as I did so, the black light coming from the Gauntlet, on the back of my right hand switched into pure white color.

"Whitebeard," I muttered its name.

Light flickers with the white lights as the source and wrapped in between my fingers.

It took a form of a pistol and an old one. I've seen it a few times. In movies... In museum... particularly, in a pirate-themed event.

It was a flintlock pistol. (pict on the comment)

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A/N: I apologize for my sudden missing from this community. Unlike before, which was caused by me forgetting my password. My reason was a bit heavy and personal.

To be honest, I hit a wall, not literally, of course. But I simply had a lack of motivation, and what made it even worse was that my beloved dad passed away last October... well you know what's next. Grieve, sorrow, emptiness...

Like a robot, I just eat, sleep, work. Leaving my grieving mother alone at home. It was a shit show.

I think it was a week ago that I tapped the webnovel icon on my phone by accident. I was afraid to open the notification. Reading at the disappointment or the barrage of slurry. But when I saw that there was a single stone on the novel's rating. I somehow felt motivated to continue. I regret not clicking it and seeing who it was.

But, thank you...