71: You Can't Run Away From Me

(In an Unknown Place)

"Where am I?"

Corey muttered as he looked around with a baffled expression.

After his fight against Kyle, he spoke with Mrs. Ashley about a few things but most of the conversation was centered around how to defeat the tier 2 creature at the academy gates.

Mrs. Ashley was at first worried on how they were to defeat the tier 2 creature but after he told her he could find a way to defeat or at least escape from the creature, she was shocked at first but then she remembered his absurd abilities and asked how. He just told her he would find a way and it would take some days.

After assuring her he would find a way, they spoke about a few things and let's just say, from their conversation, he could guess that there was more to Mrs. Ashley and she was definitely not just a normal lecturer.

She gave him answers to a few questions which he had and he was pretty damn sure that those answers would be very expensive to get from the merchant.

So it was either she had a lot of coins or she had a mysterious background.

Although he was curious, he didn't ask since it was not his business.

After their conversation ended, they both agreed to go back to her hideout where he could rest and when he got to the hideout, he slept and well.. he woke up in this strange place.

As Corey looked around this strange place where he was alone he noticed a few things.

First, he was standing on a stagnant ocean that had no end, both horizontally and depth wise.

Second, the source of light in this place was an extremely large orb of light floating high above his head.

He looked at the orb for a few seconds before he looked around once again, wondering how the hell he got here and how the hell he was meant to leave this place.

Just as he was looking around he heard an extremely familiar voice from behind him.

"Hello Corey."

"What?"

Corey turned around abruptly in shock and caution hearing the voice but the moment he saw the source of the voice he was absolutely stunned and rooted on the spot.

"The hell?"

Corey spoke out loud subconsciously when he saw something extremely absurd in front of him.

There was another Corey a few meters away from him.

This Corey looked exactly like him, same face, hair, body.

He, no, it even wore the same clothes he was wearing shocking Corey to his core.

The only thing that was different about this thing was that it was on it's knees and around it's body were chains which tied it up and when Corey looked for the source of this chains, he realized that it came from the water beneath him.

"What are you?"

Corey asked and the thing in front of him tilted his head slightly, it's face had a confused expression but Corey could see an amused smile on it's lips.

"What do you mean?... Are you blind?... Of course I'm you."

The thing in front of him spoke calmly and Corey replied immediately:

"Bullshit, how the hell are you me? What the fuck are you and where the fuck am I?"

The 'thing' in front of Corey chuckled a little bit, a smile of derision tug at his lips.

"Like I said, I'm you."

It said and Corey was about to curse at it once again but when he heard the thing's next words, he shook and his pupils constricted.

"I'm the real you, the true you. Not the mask you have on right now."

The thing said with a small smile on his lips.

He then looked up at the orb of light, he tried to stand but the chains on him stopped him from moving and even pulled him slightly into the water.

A tired sigh escaped his lips then he looked at Corey who was still stunned.

"As for where you are?

Who knows?

Maybe this is all a dream, or it's just your imagination... Or it's somewhere important.

I don't know and neither do you."

The 'true Corey' spoke causing Corey to come out of his stunned state.

"How, Why?"

He had so many questions he wanted to ask but only those two words could escape his lips causing the 'true Corey' to chuckle.

"How? Why?"

He asked with a faint grin on his lips.

"It's because you can't suppress me anymore. The mask you have on is not going to last. You're finally becoming your true self."

The grin on the true Corey's lips widened as he spoke causing Corey to shake his head repeatedly.

"No, no, no. I'm tripping, I'm definitely tripping." Corey muttered while rubbing his forehead.

"Tripping? No you're not Corey. You're very alright.

Can't you remember how you tortured the muscle head without feeling any remorse?

Can't you remember how you killed your friend and those two buffoons without hesitation?

Have you ever tortured somebody before?

Have you ever killed a human before?

Do you think a normal human could kill another human so easily even if he or she has killed a lot of Smileys?

Even if he or she has killed a lot of monsters?

You can't suppress me anymore Corey!

I am the real you! The true you!

You can't escape from me!"

The true Corey spoke loudly with a wide smile on his face, he tried to spread out his arms but the chains restricted him.

"Shut the fuck up."

Corey muttered while covering his ears. Although he didn't want to hear any of this monster's words, the words of the monster in front of him was still transmitted into his head.

"Why are you covering your ears Corey?

Why are you running away from me Corey?

Why are you a coward Corey?"

The true Corey spoke with a small smile and as he did, the chains around him pulled him into the water little by little.

"Shut the fuck up."

Corey mumbled once again while covering his ears.

"You can't run away from me Corey.

You can't run away from what you truly are.

You're an emotionless monster.

A monster that cares for no one.

A monster that will do what he wants without caring about the opinions of others.

A monster that does not care about those who truly care about him.

A monster that can watch the world burn without feeling a single thing.

A monster that can even kill those who cares about him.

You're me.

You can't run away from me."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

Corey roared like a mad beast hearing the words of the monster in front of him.

BAM!

He ran towards it and when he got close to it, a fist landed on it's face causing it to fall to the back.

The water rippled and splashed as the monster's body hit it. A chuckle escaped from the monster's bloodied lips, no expression of fear or pain could be seen on it's face.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

"I'm nothing like you."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Do you hear me? I'm NOTHING LIKE YOU!!!"

Corey roared as he repeatedly slammed his fists on the deformed face of the monster.

A few seconds later he stopped, panting heavily, he thought the monster would at least be dead or would no longer make a sound but then he heard it chuckle.

Corey looked at it with extremely cold eyes.

The monster chuckled despite it's bloodied and swollen lips. It coughed a little then cracked a grin at Corey.

"You can't run away from me Corey. You can't."

It said and Corey eyes flashed. In the next moment, his two hands was on the neck of the monster.

"Just shut up and die."

Corey spoke then pushed the monster's head into the water, wanting to drown it to death.

He expected the monster to struggle but it didn't, it just had a calm expression and kept on looking at Corey.

A few seconds passed and Corey saw it mouth some words.

His eyes watched the moving lips of the monster and he could understand it's words.

"You can't run away from me.

I'll be back."

Crack

The moment his mind registered those words, he heard a crack and the next moment he blinked, the environment changed.

He looked around with a slightly lost expression and a few seconds later, he realized he was in the room he chose to sleep in Mrs. Ashley's hideout.

He rested his head on the headrest of the bed he was on and looked up. A few seconds later he covered his face with his hands and sighed.

Knock Knock

And just as he did, he heard a knock on the door.

He looked at the door with slightly dead and tired eyes for a few seconds, considering if he should answer it but a few seconds later, the door opened.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were sleeping since you didn't answer."

A feminine voice spoke out and Corey's eyes brightened slightly seeing the person.

"Becca."

"Why are you here?"

He asked but then his eyes moved to the tray of food in her hands.

"Oh, thanks." He said.

"No problem."

Becca chuckled softly then placed the tray on the bedside table.

"I hope you're alright? You had terrible injuries in your fight against Kyle."

She asked and Corey nodded his head softly without looking at her. A conflicted expression appeared in his eyes.

Meanwhile Becca seeing Corey not saying anything moved to the door. Although she wanted to have a conversation with Corey, she decided to give him some time to rest since he recently killed his former friend.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later."

She said and was about to walk through the door but then she stopped and turned towards Corey.

"I heard that you'll be going to the academy gates, please be safe."

She spoke her words softly and with care before turning around to leave, but just as she was about to leave she heard Corey call out to her.

"Becca."

"Hmm." She hummed and turned back.

"Can we talk?"

Corey asked, his eyes containing determination, nervousness and hope.

"Sure."

Becca nodded then sat on the bed, not too close and not too far away from Corey.

"What do you want to talk about?"

----

[A/N: 8 more chapters to go!

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