Chapter 1 – A reunion between friends

A jaded yawn escaped my parched lips as my eyelids drew to a close. Calling this piece-of-shit that's slowly but surely destroying my beautiful posture "a bed," is a fucking insult to the infinite number of decent bedmakers this side of Tokyo. A deceivingly shit white "bed", white overalls, white walls, a white toilet and for good measure a see-through damn screen… Mother fucking cheap-ass tasteless perverts. If they hadn't stolen my necklace, I'd have torched this place to the ground, along with every other ignorant piece of shit currently inside.

8 years... 8 Fucking years of my life spent slaving away and all for what??? Servitude towards humanity??? Protection of the innocent??? Carrying out my so-called God-given duty??? TO HELL WITH THAT!!!!!!! So I might have accidentally, on-purpose slaughtered a few random civilians….. So….. Fucking…. What?? Were any of those weak fucks placing their lives on the line on an almost daily basis??? Saving the lives of millions and in turn preventing imminent world destruction COUNTLESS TIMES!!! They should build a Fricking statue in my honour, instead I'm stuck in this God-damn box!!

"Fliss.... It's not true… Is it?? Everything they're saying about you??"

That voice... I know that voice….. Am I dreaming??

Cautiously peering through the narrow slits of my eyes before allowing my eyelids to fully reopen. The familiar slender, (yet annoyingly busty) figure of my dearest friend Amelia Masters, dressed in a very stylish aqua blue skirt and tight dress-top ensemble suddenly popped in to view. Ami's jittery movements instantly remind me of a scared schoolgirl ordered to the head-masters office as recompense for her naughty transgressions. Her fingers visually trembling as she cautiously rested her palms onto the WFA's perverted exhibitionist screen. Moments like these don't come around very often; comparative to being handed a royal flush on the draw, however composure remains absolutely imperative within this most delicate of situations.

"Ami you of all people should know I'm innocent…. They're going to execute me soon…. I'm begging you Ami, help me PLEASE!!!"

Our high-school friendship sowed the seeds of doubt within Ami's mind whilst my carefully chosen words enabled those seeds to flourish. Visible beads of sweat began trickling ominously down Ami's forehead. Sheepishly turning her body in order to avoid my onlooking gaze, Ami wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand; a weary sigh escaping her lusciously glossed lips whilst her crestfallen gaze remained unwavering towards the floor.

"Aren't we... Aren't we friends Ami???"

The heavy silence within this cramped 12ft square prison momentarily allowed my words to linger within the air, forming a metaphorical echo within the far reaches of our minds. Ask yourself this question: Why had I chosen those particular words?? Friendship is oft viewed in philosophical terms as a duality structure, containing the two opposing aspects from the famous Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang. Yang (the positive aspect of this duality) highlights the importance of maintaining friendships for both your physical and mental wellbeing, (loneliness generally highlighted as the main causative factor to purchase one-way tickets to Aokigahara Forest aka Suicide Forest). Yin (the negative aspect) Is perfectly exemplified by the commonly spoken idiom: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Subsequently most people forget the importance of that all-important facet aptly named "intention". Regardless of a friendship passing the test of time, the tiniest shift in intention, (or even an initial misguided intention), allows the dial to slowly turn from white to black.

Ami's misinformed views of friendship, coupled with her instinctually positive "benefit of the doubt," mechanism of thought would inevitably leave her doubting the authenticity of my supposed actions.

The damp, claustrophobic air within my prison, leaves a disgustingly warm feeling lingering upon my lips as I carelessly expire CO2 into my surrounding area. How I long to be reunited with the refreshing breeze of nature's gift. Wrapping my arms tightly around my knees whilst I slowly curl myself into a ball, I can't help feeling slightly taken aback by my ironically truthful display of emotion. However, my focus remains upon maintaining the persona most familiar to Ami as any minor uncharacteristic deviation could potentially unravel this entire façade.

"We….. We've all….. We've always been friends Fliss!!! It's just….."

"You don't trust me anymore, do you Ami??? Perhaps after all these years our friendship never really meant anything to you after all."

My words were purposely cold, one could even describe them as callous. A venomous dart aimed directly towards a righteous heart overflowing with innocent purity. Ami's weakness stemmed from her willingness to trust; once upon a time during our youthful and carefree days spent partaking in mindless endeavours, I considered that to be amongst her greatest assets. Funny isn't it?? How quickly times can change.

Suddenly the moment I'd been waiting for arrived; a soft yet noticeable click, immediately followed by the welcome sound of glass sliding over cold, hard cement. What's that infamously cheesy line in the timeless classic Braveheart??? Oh yeah…. FREEDOM!!!!

Momentarily enjoying the feel of unblemished oxygenated air after what felt like a lifetime spent within that hell-hole; I subsequently failed to notice Ami's lack of reactions. Neither unable to comprehend the reasoning behind her compulsive decision, nor unable to fathom the inevitable consequences. Ami's delicate fingers remained mesmerically clasped around the switch whilst her gaze remained unwavering towards the floor.

Gliding gracefully through the now fully open door of my prematurely named "inescapable prison," I silently manoeuvre myself behind Ami before tenderly wrapping my arms around her delicately toned waist. Seductively sliding a combination of my middle and index finger into Ami's cotton thong beneath her skirt; Ami's squeals of ecstasy instantly set ablaze every sensual nerve within my blood. Several weeks spent indulging in luscious sexual experimentation during our college days with the outlandishly beautiful specimen currently whimpering in delight; began flourishing joyously within my mind. Teasingly biting down on Ami's exposed neck as my other hand gleefully fondles her now stiff, perky nipples; it isn't long before the fluid of her ecstasy begins to flow freely across the palm of my hand.

"Ami….. I missed this….. I missed us."

"Me...… Me too Fliss." Ami's face burned a bright shade of crimson as she tensed the toned muscles within her body in a futile attempt to maintain a small measure of composure, however her guard had become sufficiently lowered.

"That's why... I hope one day you'll find it in your heart to forgive me Ami."

"Forgive you?? For…. Forgive you for what Fliss??"

8 years serving as the WFA's executioner, raining down justice onto those individuals deemed a threat to humanity, had justifiably earned me the nickname "The Reaper." A reputation built upon devastating efficiency and ironically, inhumane annihilation. However, there remained one weapon in my possession comprehensively separating me from the rest of those lackeys within the SoL: Being completely unfettered by hesitation.

Within milliseconds of those final words having escaped Ami's luscious lips; in a flowingly inexorable demonstration of ruthless proficiency, the hands which mere moments ago were pleasuring my once dearest friend, were now irremovably clasped around the smooth skin covering her mouth and neck.

Truth be told the moment those inexplicable bastards within the WFA deemed their most powerful asset as mere collateral damage; I had beeen forced into this deeply unfortunate situation, (through no fault of my own). The fragile sound of bones shattering between the grooves of my fingers, or tendons and muscle obediently tearing between the palms of my hands, was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the disgusting streaks of blood currently convulsing from Ami's rapidly darkening mouth onto my nice clean hands, was more of an annoyance than anything else.

Laying Ami's lifeless corpse upon the floor, a knowing grin purses across my lips as I gently remove the sparklingly beautiful necklace laying comfortably across her neck before placing it where it truly belongs. The phoenix will rise again, in a glistening fire of blaze and glory.

The moment the necklace comes into contact with my exposed skin, the Artemesia begins to surge unabated throughout my arteries and veins. Subsequently, the almost limitless power within the necklace is unimaginably taxing upon the human body, the vicious infusion into my muscles forcing me to collapse to my knees in sudden anguish, my body trembling in shock as I empty the air from my lungs in desperation.

Within 30 seconds the pain completely subsided, however even the most powerful soldier within the Milky-way requires a few moments to regain her composure. Resorting to a state of tidal breathing in order to normalise my rapidly beating heart. Habitually blinking whilst clenching and unclenching my fists as the Adrenaline eventually departs from my system, I gleefully raise to my feet having finally been reborn as the mythical "Reaper" once more.