The Hatred Only Sky Could Have

Umbra stood silent and we all exited the hospital. In the end, we only used the Life Support machine once, and that was when I first Corrupted. I learned a little about strands, but once we walked out onto the road, things started to change.

Every time I looked at the people, I wasn't thinking about their gazes or their lives, I was thinking about how easy it was to kill them. I wanted to get rid of the thought, but ignoring my own brain wouldn't fix my problem, so I was stuck with the thought.

"Umbra! Long time no see!" The citizens shouted out.

Umbra greeted them and explained to them briefly that she had no time to stay and talk, but she would be making a visit sooner rather than later. She seemed to be an idol here...

"I've only ever heard stories about you, Miss Umbra. I wasn't sure if before was the correct time, but it's nice to meet you!" Alatus said. Fudo seemed to be in the same boat as well, so I wonder if Umbra was popular up on The Scorched Isle.

"Save it, we're friends now, as long as you save my sister... Dani, right? I'm not going to lie, this is going to really hurt." Umbra told me.

"It always does. What are you going to do to me?" I asked her, but she didn't answer, only bringing me near the beachfront.

In this city Fudo took us too, they had a huge dock made of this light brown wood, with tons of ships made of that same wood with crates and boxes, and some other ships in the distance carrying big metal crates as well. It was unreal what I saw, so many boats! The big boat Orion took to The Scorched Isle was the only one I saw, but here, there were about fourteen in view right now!

We walked right past the dock and into another field, but this time, it was cut and I could see far into the horizon.

"This is where the rest of you stop. If you're in range, you might be killed." Umbra told my friends.

"Um, are you going to kill me or something?" I asked, slowly backing away from her.

"Don't be ridiculous, you're the reason they might be killed. Let's go." Umbra said. I looked at her with worry in my eyes, darting back to everybody, then back toward Umbra.

"I guess... I guess I go now... Eo, this is pretty scary..." I muttered.

I sucked in my fear and walked forward with a brave smile.

We walked for about two minutes straight, distant from each other, but still walking deeper into the field.

"Do you love Sky?" Umbra finally stopped and turned around, asking me a weird question.

"Huh?! Why do you have to say it out loud?! I mean... I do... but..." I told her. Umbra cut me off with a smile and rose her glove up toward me.

"Then, I'm sorry." She told me.

"Sorry? For what?" I asked her. She only slightly smiled, and strands started to sprout from her hand.

[System Explode]

Out from Umbra's mouth came unique words that, when paired with the strands sprouting from her hand, paralyzed me.

They all wrapped around me, and punctured deep into my skin, almost through my bone.

"Umbra! Wait, I can't handle this! Stop! It hurts!" I screamed out.

Umbra was ripping me apart, taking all of my joints and pulling them apart forcibly, and ripping my muscles, not from the outside, but from the inside of my body.

I screamed out and fell to the ground while her strands continued to wrap around my bones and muscles, pulling, and ripping.

"I already told you, I'm sorry. This pain isn't anything compared to what you're about to feel." She told me.

My eyes grew wide and the strands shot up into the air, and pierced my skull, straight through both of my eyeballs.

"UMBRA!!! STOP! WHAT THE HELL! IT HURTS!" I screamed with a vibration in my chest and a deep rage in my stomach started to come out.

"Asterios, like you and I, have a weird reflex to near-death situations. You may have not understood it before, but you will now. If you do not heal your body, you will be torn apart and die in the most viciously painful way you can imagine. Dani, use strands to heal your body." Umbra muttered.

"I CAN'T! EO DIDN'T EXPLAIN ENOUGH OF IT! AHHH!!! UMBRA! STOP!!!" I continued to scream an ear-splitting shriek as her strands continued to pull my body apart.

"Dani, your body will learn it naturally, but you have to want to survive. I will not apologize again, it is going to get worse." She told me.

And then, before I knew it, she turned out to be correct.

The strands were burning my body now, heating up to proportions that would've grilled meat on the beach, the scream I let out made my ears ring as I continued to gasp for air.

Before I knew it, Umbra's strands ripped my legs off.

I felt the bone snap and shoot into my hips, causing even more pain. My entire body was filled with pain I just couldn't understand. Everything hurt, down to each fiber of my muscles, and I wasn't even sure what I wanted anymore.

I put my hands to my face and started to claw my skin off. I cannot handle this pain... I am going to die...

I closed my eyes. I can't see this anymore. I don't want to look. I don't want to see what's happening to my body... I don't want to...

I covered my head after clawing at my own face and felt my right arm explode off of my body. Each nerve ending was fried and even more pain surged. How can I be feeling this much?!

The pain continued to surge, and now, I could see Sky. He was standing in front of me, holding his arm with his back turned. When he turned back toward me... his face was chewed out... just like Domin's...

I wanted to open my mouth, but I couldn't move it anymore. Umbra's thundering voice came into this dream, or hallucination, whatever it may have been, she was here now.

"Can you imagine, being so weak, that you can't save the man you love? Succumbing to pain that he went through every time he transitioned into this corruption, so easily, when he went through it all with a smile? After all the people important to him died? After his Mom died in front of him? After his best friend died in front of him?! AND YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE UP HERE?!" Umbra shouted out.

That pain surged again, but only for a brief moment.

"Shut up..." I said.

The rage exploding out of my stomach wrapped my entire body in a coating that I have never felt before. I had an itch, deep inside the center of my brain, and I couldn't reach it.

"A weakling with a White Stone is even more insulting than standing there and watching the man you love die. You're a failure, Dani. You will never win anything. You will never be strong, smart, or fast enough. You will lose everything, and you will cry like a little bitch time and time again because you can't surpass your limits. Sky will never love you." I heard again.

That rage tightened.

[System Corruption: Level Three]

"Shut up... DON'T OPEN YOUR DAMN MOUTH AGAIN!" I screamed out.

The pain had completely vanished. Not even a dull pain remained... it was all missing... In place of that pain was a burning rage, wrapping around the entirety of my body.

"He hates you. He cannot handle being in love with such a weak woman. In fact, that's the reason he willingly decided to stick with Illya. Because at least with her, he can feel evenly matched in strength.

[System Corruption: Level Four]

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL EAT YOUR ORGANS AND MAKE YOU WATCH! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Distortion started to raise out of my throat and the same red lines I once saw from Sky's Corrupt state shot up and through my left eye.

I woke up from that nightmare and appeared back in the field with Umbra. The same amount of rage remained, and all I could see was Umbra standing there with a smile.

It was just Umbra...? Oh...

Why is she here...?

I don't like that she's here...

I don't like her...

Why is she looking at me?

I need to kill her...

Stop looking at me...

Kill her... Kill her... kill her... kill her... kill her... kill her... kill her...

Drool dripped out of the corner of my lip.

"I'm right here, Dani. Why don't you come and shut me up? Or... don't tell me, are you too weak? It's just as I said before... that's why Sky could never love you..."