Chapter-03:The City

"I still remember those days..although there were times when things didn't go as we wanted… but…I'm fond of those memories…I remember the first time I entered the city..the people..the food...And the vile secrets in between the cities accursed walls …-"

Previously. V after saving Eve and fulfilling the strange lady's request, passes out and exactly 2 days later V regains his consciousness. The man(Kevin) and Eve both agree to let V join their company as they are curious about V's past. After V's recovery the man(Kevin), Eve, and V start their journey to the big city. It's been 2 days after their departure...

The man(Kevin)-"Just a little bit up ahead and will be able to see the city!"

Eve-"FINALLY! UGGGHHH I'M SO DONE WITH JUST SEEING WASTELAND FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS!"

The man (Kevin)-"Hey Eve Quit it! We'll be there soon"

Eve-"But man after so long we're finally reaching the big city huh…sounds exciting! Right V?"

V-"Huh?- yeah it is.."

Eve-"Hmm?- V, you alright? Got something in mind?"

V-"Well..I just don't know much about this place we're going so I don't have any impressions about it..on the contrary, I've never been anywhere except that big labyrinth"

Eve-"You mean Hel's peak? I still remember when we found you lying on the sand unconscious…You know I was very much concerned like it's not normal to see a kid passed out and in front of that place….eeek just gave myself chills-"

V-"H-haha…yeah sorry about that-"

The man(Kevin)-"But you know…it's still weird..your situation..your lack of knowledge about your past and general things…and wielding such power…maybe you made a deal with one of the archangels or the devil himself…just who in the world are you, V? Hahaha.."

V-"...I…don't know how to answer you.."

*Both the man(Kevin) and Eve were puzzled by V's situation, The atmosphere soon turned awkward*

Eve-"Hey none of that matters right now, we'll help you to find out about your past once we get into the city and then we'll be officially welcoming you to our *family*"

V-"Family?...what's a family?.."

Eve-"It's mainly like a group of people working together to get intel about the *Race*. It's pre-wait wait…what? "

V-"Hm-? What's wrong?"

Eve-"V…what did you mean when you asked me what a family is?..."

V-"....Well..I'm not familiar with that word…That's why I asked"

Eve-"...V…do you even remember your family?...your parents..or anything?.."

*Eve looks at V with a shocked and concerned expression*

V-"....parents…

-What…is that?-

Both the man (Kevin) and Eve gave out a distressed look on their faces. V got concerned by the fact that he said something rude to them.

Eve-"I-.. I'm sorry…."

V-"Umm…did I do something wrong?..."

The man(Kevin)-"No it's nothing..we should be the one to say sorry..for asking something insensitive"

V-"... I don't understand what you mean…"

"I don't know, but something tells me I shouldn't ask about it…for now… "

The man(Kevin)-"We're here"

Soon enough They had finally reached…

-The City of Encford.

The view of the city was so vibrant., it was as if the previous days' dead atmosphere had gone away in an instant. Such a view left V in a daze, it was as if he had witnessed one of the most magnificent sights ever in his life. Soon enough it would be their turn to enter the city. V and Eve equally were very much filled with excitement.

Eve-"V! V! V! LOOK AT THAT! LOOK AT THIS PLACE, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, iT'S NOTHING LIKE THE PLACES WE'VE BEEN!"

V-"Yeah! This place seems very different from the places I've been…This place…IS AWESOME"

As soon as they had entered the city, both Eve and V lost their minds. The sheer adrenaline and filled with excitement, V and EVe were restless and their eyes started to wander around.

The man(Kevin)-"Alright quiet down you two...I have some business to attend to, you guys head for the resting area and find an inn if you can"

Eve-"YES! YES! WILL DO JUST THAT, DON'T WORRY YOU GO DO YOUR STUFF!"

V-"Ah-..Yeah, we'll keep an eye out just in case."

Eve's eyes were filled with excitement and were shining so brightly. She was indeed, filled with adrenaline. The man (Kevin) leaned towards V

The man(Kevin)-"Can ya do me a favor and keep an eye on her…"

V-"Ah..what do you mean.."

The man(Kevin)-"Well you see she is a….vary free-willed kinda brat…I have a feeling she's gonna wander off on her own and get into trouble."

V-"Ahh….ya had a lot to handle huh?"

The man(kevin)-"Hahaha…I don't even want to talk about it...Well in any case keep her out of trouble ok? I can trust this with you right?"

V looks at the man(Kevin) with an oddly peculiar look on his face.

V-"Yeah! I'll keep her out of trouble!"

The man(Kevin)-"Okay I'll leave it to your hands…"

The man(Kevin) waves goodbye as he goes for his work. In the meantime, V did expect what he had to handle on his hands…

V-"Ok uh Eve where should we head first-"

*Eve vanishes*

V panics as he sees Eve to be seen nowhere.

V-"EVE!!-WHERE ARE YOU????!!!!"

V hurries through the middle of the city, full of people and life, he panics intensively as he tries to find Eve through the crowds.

V-"EVE!! WHERE ARE YOU?!! AH THIS IS"NT GOOD THIS ISN'T GOOD I'VE ALREADY FAILED WHAT THE MAN(KEVIN) SAID AAAA THIS ISN'T GOOD"

As V runs through the crowds in sheer comedic panic he gets slapped on the back of his back. Confused, he looks back seeing Eve's face.

V-"Eve! This isn't right we were not supposed to wonder of-"

Eve-"Ohh boohoo Live a little V! How about this huh? TRY TO CATCH ME!"

V-"HEY- EVE WAI-!"

Eve dashes off into the crowd..and so did V. There V witnesses Eve's agility and climbing skills as she crosses one building after another with V trying to catch up and ultimately sucking and hitting his head on anything and everything. At last, V stopped at the roof of a very tall building as she looked down at V and laughed her brains out.

Eve-"HAHAHA AT THIS POINT YOU'LL LOSE YOUR BRAINS IF YA GET SMACKED LIKE THAT SO MUCH HAHAHA!"

V-"heh…Just you wait…ill catch up"

And with that V jumped. It was as if he was floating as Eve saw V down on the streets. now seeing him on the same level as her.

*HE JUMPED??!*

Eve-"HUH!?? WAIT HUH-WHAT- HOW??"

V-"Heh told ya I'll catch up to you"

Eve is impressed yet still tries to act unimpressed.

Eve-"HoHo…isn't that big of a deal…But ya still didn't catch me yet.."

V-"Eh?"

Eve jumps backward. Eve quite strategically and gracefully lands in the streets. As she lands she looks at V with a big grin on her face signifying how smug she was feeling. V frowned.

V-"HEY- EVE GET OVER HERE WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO TROUBLE-!"

Eve-"BETTER CATCH ME QUICK THEN HAHAHAHAHA"

*Eve dashes off*

V-"ahh…I didn't think I'd have to deal with this…I'm gonna have a good ol' talk with that old geezer!"

*V leaps and begins his chase for Eve…again*

While chasing Eve, V begins to wonder….

What is this feeling?... Even though we're doing something we're not supposed to do…even though we might get scolded later…even though we're disturbing the crowds and the people…Ahh….

"This is so fun!-"

Eve and V, indeed were having fun. The city seemed like this wonderland where life was thriving despite what they had seen before coming to this place. But who knew what V would have to face in the near distant future….

Right amongst to catch-V, from the corner of his eyes spots a group of men, for what it seems were performing a ritual or rather something very shady. Before V could comprehend V gets head bumped but The man(Kevin).

V-"Ouch!....hey I'm sorry for"

*V looks up with cold sweat as he sees The man(Kevin) with a big smile on his face while holding Eve like a stray cat*

The man(Kevin)-"Oh don't worry, you're ok"

Eve-"H-Hey V hahaha funny seeing you here *Gulp* hahaha"

V-"EEK-! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...-"

That day, V had screamed his lungs out.

Visually having a bump on their heads and after what seems like 2 hours of scolding they had a very pleasant dinner.

Eve-"YUM! THIS IS SO FREAKING GOOD! THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN KEVIN'S COOKING!"

*Eve was sobbing in bliss as she compliments the food*

The man(Kevin)-"HEY! I tried, you know! That hurts my maiden soul"

Eve-"Ew ew ew ew ew maiden soul? The only things you can think of are booze and women haha!"

The man(Kevin)-"HEY SHUSH!....tho that woman over that side of the bar seems very pretty…heh-"

*Both the man(Kevin) and V look across the bar, seeing Eve bash her hand on both of them*

Eve-"Ya'know kevin.no girl is gonna like a desperate man like you~"

The man(Kevin)-"OI OI OI ISN'T THAT A LIL TOO HARSH HUH? RIGHT V?!"

*The man(Kevin) is clearly drunk*

Eve-"V, don't listen to this drunk, There's a reason why he's still single for the majority of his life-"

V-"haha…"

It's pretty weird…being in a situation like this…last week I was in this hell hole of a field with monsters and all that time of hiding, killing, and just surviving….

"This…is nice"

After dinner, since the man(Kevin) was drunk he passed out as soon as he'd gone to bed and thus everyone else went to sleep.

Rather very quiet at night in this big city full of life, but at night it seemed so lifeless…in the middle of the night "Cries" can be heard but it seems as if no one could hear them..except-

*Distant screams*

*V mumbles in his sleep*

V-"Hmm…w-why…hy- what do you…want.."

As V mumbles it's as if whatever he was envisioning in his dream was getting murkier and murkier. But something unexpected happened.

V-"*Gasps*... what... what was that…its as if a lot of people were riling up..or more like they were cursing at something.."

V-"I need a drink.."

V goes to grab the glass of water beside his bedside but…he wasn't able to pick up the glass instead his hand passed through the glass.

V-"WHAT THE HECK!!-"

V tries to pick up various things and punches through stuff and whatever he does it is as if his body has become transparent, even going as far as to punch The man(Kevin) in the face, alas his hands only go through his face.

It's as if the lively city in the morning had turned into this silent oasis at night.

V wanders off to the streets to figure out what those sounds are coming from. But V being V got distracted….

V-"Woah…it's even beautiful at night…the lights... The colors. It resembles so much to an actual Fantasy land…but…"

"Something doesn't feel right.."

As V wanders sees the most enchanting places and scenes. Even the moon had a different type of glow.

But the more V wanders into the city, the sounds get louder and louder.

After some point, the sounds got clearer and clearer; it was as if the sounds were luring him. At last, he faced an alleyway which was weirdly lit. He guesses through the alleyway until he finds a door emitting this dark red aura. It's as if the sounds were coming from the door.

Amongst the red and ominous aura emanating from the door, screams and aggressive cheers could be heard. It was as if the voices, the screams were filled with anger and revenge.

V-"What is going on here…whatever it is...I gotta be careful.."

V enters through the door, after entering the screams and the cries stop in a heartbeat. The only silence fell. But that silence on its own seemed unbearable to V.

V keeps going forward and the silence somehow becomes stronger and stronger. He keeps going forward until he is met with a stage with a spotlight.

V-"A spotlight?.... I have a bad feeling about this.."

V walks up the stage and sees a mic with no cords attached to it. He wondered what the mic and this stage were about but what had been installed for V next would have ruined his dreams for the next ongoing days…

"Liar-"

V-"Huh…where did that voice-"

V looked behind to see where that voice had come from but his eyes widened and his face turned pale as he witnessed what the stage upheld.

"horrified faces of people…it was as if they were crying in pain…

but something about that didn't feel like they were there. it was more like they

were in rage..their faces sewn together and yet I could hear the individual cries of 

each corpse.."

*the corpse starts to chant*

"YOU LIED"

.

"YOU LIED"

.

.

"YOU KILLED US

TORTURED US

MURDERED US FOR YOU OWN SAKE

YOU LIED"

LIAR.WE.WANT.YOU.DEAD.KILL.KILL.KILL.KILL.YOU.KILLED.US.YOU.SEW.OUR.FACES.TOGATHER.YOU.RIPPED.THEM.APART.YOU.LIED.LIAR.LIAR.LIAR.LIAR.LIAR.WE.WILL.MAKE.YOU.PAY.REPENT.FOR.YOUR.SINS.TRAITOR.KILLER.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WE.DID.NOTHING.WRONG.THE.CHILDREN.DID.NOTHING.WRONG.WHY.SHOULD.WE.SUFFER.PAY.PAY.PAY.PAY.PAY.WHY.SHOULD.WE.PAY.FOR.THIS.PAIN.HELL.BURN.IN.HELL.HATE.KILL.TEAR.THEM.UP.YOU.SAID.KILL.THEM.OFF.YOU.SAID.YOU.LAUGHED.YOU.LAUGHED.YOU.WILL.PAY.KILL.KILL.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.WE.WANTED.TO.LIVE.HAPPY.WISHES.UNFUFILLED.BY/YOU.YOU.SAID.YOU.WILL.MAKE.THEM.COME.TRUE.YOU.SAID.YOU.WOULD.PROTECT.US.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.WATCHED.US.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.AGAIN.AND.AGAIN.AGAIN.AGAIN.AGAIN.AGAIN.YOU.WATCHED.US.SUFFER.IMMENCE.PAIN.GRIEF.SORROW.YOU.MADE.US.MADE.THEM.SAD.CRY.SPIT.OUT.BLOOD.YOU.WILL.PAY.WE.HATE.YOU.WE.HATE.HATE.HATE.HATE.HATE.HATE.HATEYOU.LIED.KILL.TRAITOR.KILLER.WE.LOVED.ADORED.SACRIFICED.FEND.NURTURED.FED.LIVED.YOU.WE.MADE.YOU.FULFILL.YOU.WISHES.WE.MADE.IT.FOR.YOU.WE.GAVE.LIFE.TO.YOU.WE.DID.EVERYTHING.FOR.YOU.WE.GAVE.UP.EVERYTHING.FOR.YOU.AND.ET.YOU.SAW.AND.DID.NOTHING.YOU.LAUGHED.AT.THEIR.CRIES.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.UNFORGIVABLE.PAY.FOR.YOUR.LIES.WE.WANT.YOUR.DEATH.WE.WAIT.FOR.YOU.IN.THE.DEAPEST.DARKESTS.DEPTHS.OF.HELL.WE.WAIT.TO.TEAR.YOUR.ORGANS.LIGAMENTS.EYES.NOSE.GITS.EARS.THROAT.TONGUE.HAIR.SKIN.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.WE.WANT.YOUR.BLOOD.BLOOD.DRENCHED.BY.THE.HANDS.OF.THOSE.WHO.BELIVED.YOU.WE.THE.ONES.WHO.WATCHED.YOU.SPEAK.ON.THAT.VERY.STAGE.WE.SAW.YOU,GIVE.US.HOPE.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.LIES.WE.WILL.RIP.OFF.OUR.NAILS.TEETH.HAVE.OUR.SOUL.DRENCHED.IN.THE.POISONS.OF.DEATH.TO.SEE.YOU.SUFFER.EVEN.IF.THAT.HAPPEN.WHAT.YOU.WILL.FEEL.WILL.BE.JUST.A.FRACTION.OF.WHAT.WE.FELT.BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS.BURN..IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS..BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS..BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS..BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS..BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS..BURN.IN.THAT.MELTED.SKIN.OF.YOURS.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.KILL.YOURSELF.WE.WISH.WE.NEVER.HAD.MET.YOU.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.REGRET.WE.WANTED.YOU.DEAD.THIS.IS.WHAT.YOU.WANTED.IN.THE.END.WE.DIDN'T.DESERVE.THIS.HY.WHY.HATRED.GROWS.PAIN.PAIN.PAIN.PAIN.PAIN.PAIN.WE.WILL.RIP.YOU.APART.JUST.LIKE.HOW.YOU.DID.TO.US.JUST.LIKE.THOSE.CHILDREN.JUST.LIKE.HOW.YOU.SAW.THEIR.SKINS.TOGHATER.JUST.LIKE.HOW.YOU.JOINED.THEIR.ARMS.JUST.HOW.YOU.TOYED.WITH.THEIR.CORPSES.JUST.LIKE.HOW.YOU.WATCHED.THEM.SCREAMED.IN.PAIN.AS.THEY.LOST.WACH.FINGER.AT.A.TIME.AND.JOINING.THEN.AGAIN.ONLY.TO.CUT.THEIR.FINGERS.AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..AGAIN.AND.AGAIN..YOU.DIDN'T.CARE.YOU.SAW.THEM.EAT.EACH.OTHERS.GUTS.OUT.YOU.LAUGHED.YOU.SAW.THEM.THE.GUTS.OF.THEIR.OWN.KIN.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED.YOU.LIED

"LIAR"

.

.

.

"Make it stop…please.."

"MAKE IT STOP-"

.

.

.

V's mind had stopped completely…it was as if the sheer agony, sorrow, grief, had overwhelmed V down to his core.

*V…V….V!...WAKE UP!..*

Eve-"V!_WAKE UP!"

V screams as he wakes up. He contemplates what had just happened and what is going on near me. Covered in cold sweet Eve The man(Kevin) gets worried as to what has happened to V.

The man(Kevin)-"Hey kid you alright?"

V-"Huh?...ah yeah I just..need some water"

Eve-"Yeah sure..here you go"

Eve hands out a glass of water but as V goes to hold the glass he drops it as if he couldn't hold the glass itself. what the man(Kevin) discovers is very shocking to all of them...

The man(Kevin)-"Hey show me your hands"

As V slowly uncuffed his hands The man and Eve were shocked to see V's hands covered with holes. The holes went through his skin and meat, yet no blood spilled from it. Such a phenomenon, never seen before. The man truly(Kevin) did wonder

"What..are you?"

.

.

.

*2 days had passed after that incident*

The man(Kevin)-"We'll be staying here for 2 more days after that we'll leave for the next city"

Eve-"Finally leaving huh? This place sure is beautiful"

The man(Kevin)-"That's true..especially the women"

Eve-"You wanna get your head smashed or something?"

The man(Kevin)-"Hey a man's gotta live on the edge sometimes isn't that right V?"

*V remains in a daze*

The man(Kevin)-"Hey kid, ya sure you're alright? Ever since that incident, you've been kinda on and off"

V-"What?..Ah..Yeah, I think I'm ok my hand has healed somehow but there's this uncertainty... it's like something off about this city"

Eve-"Huh? What would be wrong with the city? This is Encford the enchanted city, this place is like heaven I live here if possible"

The man(Kevin)-"The survival rate of this city is indeed better than the rest but I'd agree with V, something did feel off when we entered the city though I couldn't figure out what.."

The atmosphere had turned awkward.

Eve-"Hey! I have an idea why don't I take V out for sightseeing or shopping? It'll clear his head, whatcha say?"

V-"...yeah..sure"

The man(Kevin)-"OOH IS THIS THE INFAMOUS EVENT CALLED A DATE?!"

Eve-"YOU SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH YOU DAMN OLD PERVERTED GEEZER-"

The man(Kevin)-"LANGUAGE EVE LANGUAGE-"

The man(Kevin) took the rest of the day off(Due to Eve's bashing)

Thus Eve and V went out that day, but this time V was somewhat uncomfortable as if the voices of the corpse could still be heard. But Thanks to Eve That wasn't much of a problem.

Eve-"Hey let's go to that place I bet there's some delicious food there"

V-"Yeah sure let's go"

Eve and V visited a pastry shop, a shop they'd never seen in their lives. It would be an understatement to how excited and curious how the pastries would taste thus they each bought a parfait.

Eve-"Woah…This looks so tasty…"

V-"It looks edible.."

Eve-"Pfft- what kinda response is that?"

V and Eve are both hesitant, They slowly bite into the parfait.

"Its…DELICIOUS"

Yes, indeed the very sweet treat was delicious. Such tender and softness baffled Eve and V..It was indeed delicious.

Nonetheless, the day overall went very well and Eve's plan to make V comfortable was a great success. Nothing could make this day bad..at least, that's what V had thought...

Unfamiliar voice-"Have you gotten this month's offering?"

Unfamiliar voice-"Tonight will be a celebration of a new life"

Unfamiliar voice-"Everyone will be there no implications will be allowed."

Unfamiliar voice-"Let us hurry brothers we have much to work on for tonight's meeting"

Unfamiliar voice-"Tonight he'll come to grant us guidance"

V's gaze locks onto the alleyway from the corner of his eyes on a group of people wearing robes covering their faces. Something about their conversation didn't feel right to V..it was like his senses were saying something very bad was going to happen tonight.

V-"Hey Eve, When are we heading back?"

Eve-"Hmm at night I guess it's fine if we're a little late, why? Something up?"

V-"Nothing but..Let's take a detour, shall we?"

A few hours later when the night was still young V and Eve were snooping around and following the suspicious men in robes. Eve was thrilled as if she was in a spy movie but was also confused as to why V had wanted to follow them in the first place.

Eve-"Hey V? As much as I like this, why are we following them in the first place?"

V-"To be honest even I'm not so sure as to why we came to this place but..something about those people…it just doesn't sit right.."

Eve-"Hmm..Look at you talking all big and mighty"

V-"Well in anyways if nothing is up then we'll leave silently okay?"

Eve-"Works with me, hey they're making their move, let's get going"

Eve and V kept following the people in robes and as they followed the number of robes increased. After some time the people in robes entered a building, V wanted to know more about them so they needed a way to get inside without getting caught.

V-"Hmm.. We need a way to get inside the building ..but how"

*Eve taps on V's shoulder*

Eve-"How about dressing up like them with these spare robes ay?"

Thus V and Eve make their way to the entrance of the building, blending in seamlessly.

But something was off…As V made his way, the entrance…It was the very same entrance he saw when he had that out-of-body experience. Suddenly such a guttural reaction made V sick, It's as if he could still hear the screams of the countless corpses that day. 

Eve-"Hey..you ok? We don't have to go any further than this..just tell me what's going on.."

V-"... Let's keep moving..please"

Eve-"..Roger that"

Eve and V kept progressing and soon enough they entered the building, They were both astonished at the sheer scale of ppl inside. Rustling within and the cheers of the audience remind V of the incident. But instead of the angry cries this time it was cheers of excitement and glorification. It was as if the whole audience was waiting for something magnificent.

After some time the cheers stopped and the lights dimmed, A spotlight emerged onto the stage. V was shocked as it was the same stage he'd seen before. V's chest tightened, making it hard for V to breathe normally. He latches onto his heart and continues to what is going to prevail next.

Suddenly A voice echoed through the whole place.

-"How are you, my children?"

"It's been so long since we last met, hasn't it?...Ah~tonight…tonight we'll sing, tonight we'll dance, tonight we'll be a feast before your eyes…ladies and gentlemen... It is time...

-"To celebrate our rebirth.."

"This very day, we made history on this day, the rise of this city, the protection along with the city"

Come forth the sacrifice, may you be reborn in the phoenix and watch over us and give us life….

V and Eve watch with pure disgust, helpless..unable to do anything…, rage and agony fall over V as he sees this ritual for eternal youth…

-taking the lives of the youth-

After that night, the two of them left in a daze…Eve felt sick from what she had witnessed...

They went home to report to the man(Kevin). After returning Eve reported about the cult-like facility and the"rituals" they were performing. Just from hearing the details the man(Kevin) felt repulsed.

Eve-"That's what the situation stands right now…from what it looks like they were performing this horrid ritual. Sacrificing people…. Even children.."

The man(Kevin) -"This… is... Repulsing.."

V-"...I can stop them….I can put an end to this-"

The man(Kevin)-"I don't think that's a good idea-"

V-"Then what are we supposed to do?! Just let them die?"

The man (Kevin)-"Even if we want to we can't… there's no guarantee to how many people they got in that cult... And we can't rely on your power cuz either you'll destroy this city and become a fugitive or you get captured and tortured by the *Runners*"

V-"Runners…. Yet another term I don't understand... What is this place, what is the *Race* who are these Runners, what is with this cult…what is going on ...."

Eve-"Wait…V.. You don't know about the Race?... The bloodbath, the Reckoning day, you don't know anything??!"

*The man(Kevin) and Eve are stunned and confused as they look at V*

The man(Kevin)-"Kid…how long have you been disconnected from the world?.."

.

.

.

Decades ago to this day. Everything looked different from how it looks today…Back then people used to be happy, they used to trust each other in times of need..it was prosperous, Kind, and Heart-warming 

"But No one imagined that day…

Will be their final day.."

As the day started something very peculiar happened that day...Everything seemed normal But when they realized Everyone had started to panic…The sun..the very sun that gave sunshine to their lands…had risen from the west... The sun…so red…it was as if the sun itself was bleeding…The sky, cracked and shattered as broken glass, From the cracks came out what would seem like angels from different religious testimonies, …Everyone had thought it was the end of the world…Some people thought maybe god had decided to show himself, some were ecstatic, some were panicking, and some had lost all hope... Some prayed for a God they'd never seen or heard of, Believing On the incentive that god would listen to their prayers ... and yet it seemed like...

"___GOD IS DEAD___"

"Rejoice! You, insolent weaklings, for your lord is no more...There no longer stands the line between Hell or Heaven, Good or Bad. There is no more…None of you are going to die or go to hell…Well, none of you are going to heaven as well…ahh~ is such a wonderful time to truly be alive... Well..if you survive that is"

The statement of God being dead was enough shock to change the entire world…

Pedestrian-"Oi oi..you've got to be joking…."

Pedestrian(2)-"What did he say…."

Pedestrian-"OI..WHAT DO YOU MEAN GOD IS DEAD?"

"WHAT HAPPENS TO US'' WHAT IS GOING ON?' WHO ARE YOU GUYS?" "IS THE GOVERNMENT JOKING WITH US WHAT IS THIS SHIT" "YEAH WHAT ARE YOU GUYS SAYING AND WHAT IS THIS A CGI SHOW?....."...

It was apparent that the people at that time hadn't fully realized what the situation had gone to.

One of the angels-"SIre…Forgive me for speaking my mind but it seems like they haven't had the slightest clue to what the current situation upholds""

Archangel Gabriel: So it seems, they truly are pitiful creatures ... . Let's see how they survive in a true Godless world…"

Just then. throughout the commotions of the people…Chaos fell into the world. The cracked sky opened up even more and the ground split in half. throughout the cracks on earth rose such horrid creatures. It's as if the gatekeepers of hell abandoned their post and let the gates of hell open to the human realm. From the outside perspective and for the Demons and creatures from below, it was a buffet for the horrid monsters. Mass murder, The people of Sunshine…ceased 

to exist…

Soon after the realms of The Heavens and the realms of The Hell got intertwined with the Human realm, Though it didn't change the survival rate for the humans…it was as if…

they were cursed for all eternity…

.

.

.

V-"Is all of this true?...what is this "god" you speak of?"

The man(Kevin)-"God, for the most part, is unknown…back in the old days there used to be tales of prophets serving the God…some believed in God and some didn't..some believed in multiple gods and some only have faith in only one God…God is some who you can trust blindly, someone who always wants what is best for you, The most merciful, kind and the one who rules us all…the one who created us, created this whole place, created the gates of heaven and the gates of hell, He is the supreme and the most powerful, And everything that is known and not known to man belongs to him.. "

V-"I see…he..must've been a very important being.."

The man(Kevin)-"Well it's a very old tale…the incident happened almost decades ago…only a few people survived the impact that day, Eve was born before this ever happened…I only heard stories about God and the peaceful times…seems like a dream compared to how life is now"

V-"I see…do you believe?"

The man(Kevin)-"Believe what?"

V-"In God.."

The man(Kevin)-"Hmm…I don't for the most part…we're from a time when such a being doesn't exist...But I'd like to think there is a higher meaning to our existence..for the most part, we're all free fighters trying to survive, some make it past the age of 60 and some don't even live to see tomorrow"

V-"That…sounds nice.."

The man(Kevin)-"Well that's pretty much it, you're up to date on what has happened in these few decades, any questions?"

V-"Yeah…for the most part I get it but…why didn't the angels protect us?...why didn't they try to restore order?"

The man(Kevin)-"Well…sorry kid, myself nor any one of this realm can answer that"

V-"Why not?"

The man(Kevin)-"Well for the most part we don't know…no one knows,"

V-"But…they could've helped them…why.."

The man(Kevin)-"No point in dwelling on the past…right now we gotta focus on the matter at hand"

Eve-"Yeah.. From what we saw they are involved in something very shady…this could potentially jeopardize the entire city causing a lot of deaths.."

The man(Kevin)-"Hmm…for the time being we have to figure out what their motives are…And if it turns into trouble then we fall back, got it?"

"Fall…Back?"

The man(Kevin)-"...Look kid...I know this doesn't sound that well but this is the best set of action..i call for backup from the group mem-"

"No-I'm not going to let 

All those people...

All those children die for 

A reason like this...

 This time…".

"I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD BACK-"

The man(Kevin)-"....From the looks of it this kid's not going to wait nor back down…What should I do about this situation.."

V-"That night…I had an out-of-body experience…I roamed around the city..following voices…and after some time I was in an alleyway…and after some time I was standing on a stage…a stage with only one spotlight...This stage.."

-Was the same stage-

Both Eve and the man (Kevin) were surprised after hearing this...

V-"When Eve and I were in their ritual…everyone there was cheering…but in my case that night…I only heard cries and the screams of cursing…what I saw..was completely different...I'm not going to ignore this situation...I just can't"

The man(Kevin)-"...say kid, What drives you to go this far,..they could be criminals.."

Just as then, a faint voice was heard by V. A very faint voice of a child…making a promise...

V-"I don't know..for what it's worth you might be right…but I don't want to turn my back on the people who need help"

The man-(Kevin)-"hm..well from the looks of it I can't change your mind…"

The man(Kevin) smirks*

-Well then...

Let's do this, shall we?-

_________________Chapter End__________________

Analysis:

This is mentioned in the previous chapter so I'm going to talk about the term "Gift".

A gift is essentially an ability given by the rogue angels in this world, after the supposed end of the world they became bored thus they gave powers to the humans to entertain them. While the powers could do nothing against the originator the powers would usually give someone, one special ability. But these powers would come at the cost of their own lives. People with very powerful "Gift" will be able to do anything as they please at the cost of their freedom and their soul. 

However in V's case, it seems different, Since he made a deal with Vergo and Karma, He is a slave to them but the power he got relates to something very much rooted in mankind's sins.

A "Gift" is a curse in the form of a blessing.

V's current skillset-

V's strength and stamina are the equivalent of a Giant, This was apparent with his fight with the Remnent Demon.

Other than that V's power "Avarice" allows the user to literally "consume" with mouths with ragged teeth and black flames in an almost liquid state.

Though it is a highly powerful attack it causes v to pass out for 3 days due to the mental and physical strain.

End-