Runner 2

Marcel woke up, no longer in the black room, but back in the starry sky, the blue nights, and the mountains arching over the flat water. Marcel laid there, not uttering a single word and nobody came to his defense, nobody came to his mind.

The incident from the past week, from seeing the people he knew, the people he loved, die to the execution block. To then get his house raided and destroyed, the place he grew up in, the place he grabbed his name in. All of this happened because of him. Yet he could not cry no longer, not smile like a mad man. All he did was stay still, his lips and eyes motioning by themselves.

As he laid silently the woman's voice came back, no words, but just her humming a soft tune. Marcel laid there and closed his eyes, the comets striking above and the white and blue lights striking over the horizon.

The woman hummed on and on with no signs of stopping her vice entered Marcel's mind, his brain, removing the memories of distrust and betrayal.

The memories of the girl he loved, dying on the execution block, the memories of the kids playing toys with Marcel. All of it was slowly being forced away out of Marcel's mind.

As the woman continued to hum her melody, slowly removing the core of doubt from his mind, the woman's song penetrated Marcel's whole mind.

"Kōya will remain a hero, his reign will continue forever and a day, he will conquer all the way to the stars! Kōya will remain a hero!"

The woman started to sing this melody, her voice soothes Marcel's mind longer and longer, he could not help but close his eyes and listen.

Suddenly as Marcel opened his eyes again he saw another sight in front of him, It was Lily.

Marcel in awe looked at Lily as she confusingly looked back at him.

"You okay, why are you crying," Lily asked.

Marcel put his hand on his eyes, as he felt tears flowing down from his pupils, he watched Lily start laughing at snickering at him for his tears.

"I don't know why, Lily." Marcel asked confused, he wondered what was going on because, Lily was supposed to be dead.

Lily pointed at him with her finger as she kept laughing. Then she grabbed his hand and looked back leading him to go play in a different place. As they both ran the creatures around snickered at them, making horrible remarks, and while Marcel listened to them all, Lily didn't care.

Marcel was confused by all of it. Lily guided him through the town, giving him a chance to finally meet with her again, and now she was experiencing something Marcel had already experienced. Marcel was confused. Was this a dream, was this a sequence, or did everything he had just experience was one messed up nightmare, he turned his head to look at Lily, seeing her face made him realize that Lily was truly alive and she was not dead

Marcel slowly turned his head away, watching Lily as she held his hand close to him. Not letting , her soft hands, her gentle demeanor, her playful attitude. Marcel's tears were starting to form as he realized, maybe everything was just some messed up dream.

"Hey," Marcel said looking at Lily, "What is happening?"

Lily smiled at him, but her smile faded away as she looked back at the street, looking into the distance where a group of men, women, and children were running away.

"It is time," Lily said with an expression of shock and sadness.

Marcel looked at her, seeing her teary eyes, his heart began to beat faster, and he suddenly found himself holding onto Lily's hand tighter than ever before.

Marcel blinked and suddenly was thrust onto a wooden stage. He looked in front of him booing hi, throwing rocks and stones, it was now his execution. The crowd started to cheer louder and louder until the guards pushed him off the stage.

"This is all your fault!" The guard yelled at him, as Marcel tried to push the man and run from the stage.

He fell to the ground, as the guards started to strike him with their long sticks, punching him with each swing of the stick. He could barely feel his body anymore, it was numb from the blows.

They quickly picked Marcel up and carried him onto a stool, in front of him a rope.

Marcel's eyes widened in fear as he looked around and suddenly in front of him, was Lily, mouthing the words.

"It should have been you," she whispered to him.

Then the ropes was thrown over Marcel's neck, and he could not fight back no more. As the rope tightened around his neck, he felt his arms and legs become weak, his heart beating faster and faster, as he was now about to die.

Marcel woke up, his hands in the air as he started to scream and shriek, quickly Mr. Watson ran to him and hugged him close, Marcel did not dare to utter another word, and stayed there, wide opened mouth, crying, but silent.

--

"Dynasty, you looked messed up," Ryo said, laughing and pointing at Dynasty as he laid there on the floor.

"Ryo, once I am healed, I am going to kill,"Dynasty said glaring, his arm had been torn off and there was now nothing there.

Ryo was about to continue until the master had come, Ryo quickly made himself into a straight position as the master kneeled down towards Dynasty's, Dynasty's mind went filled with fear as he looked at the Master.

"I gave specific instructions not to go after the book yourself," The master said.

"I am sorry, I tought it was going to be easy work, I did not think the kid could harness the book," Dynasty replied quick, his eyes still staring at the masters.

Dynasty gulped as he wondered what the master was going to do to him, was he gonna kill him, was he going to torture him. All these scenarios passed trough his head as he wondered if he was going to be on the verge of death.

Suddenly the master tossed a robotic arm to Dynasty.

"Dynasty, you have been loyal, for now, you shall get a hand, but a mistake like this again, your death will come swift and be abysmal for you," The Master said, his aura releasing a dark energy.

As the master walked away Dynasty sighed a breath of relief and he and Ryo looked at each other, not uttering a single word.