Awaited death

Perspective : Brandon vlodsky

(Nooo!)

It happened in an instant . The creature vanished beneath the ground, taking half of Robin along with it, leaving behind only a gaping hole where Robin was last seen.

The hole was surrounded by puddles of blood.

Except me,

Everyone else was left incapacitated, as the creature forcefully launched them into the roots that covered the walls.

My sight a blur, dust still settling in, as I heard someone coughing.

I attempted to head towards Marcus, but I wasn't able to move my right leg.

"No .... this can't be happening".

As I extended my hands towards my leg, I tightly grasped my feet and dragged myself towards Marcus.

The pain shooting through my feet was excruciating, but somehow I mustered the strength to reach him.

Marcus's hand was battered, his bones shattered, and blood gushed out from his broken neck as he struggled to breathe.

To stem the bleeding, I applied pressure to his neck wound.

With a reassuring tone, I said,

"Don't worry, lad... you will be alright. Trust me."

As I tried to conceal my sorrow behind a forced smile, Marcus, mustering his strength, managed to utter,

"Robin... is he..."

I quickly responded,

"Yes, he's alright. Emilia is taking care of him."

He replied, struggling to hear,

"What... are you... saying?"

I reassured him,

"I said both you and Robin will be fine. I'm here now, and I will save you both."

(What do I do?)

(What do I do?)

(Despite applying pressure to the wound he is still bleeding).

"How do I stop the bleeding?".

"With Some sort of cloth".

I was alone and panicking. I had never been in a situation like this before. After losing my wife and child, I never imagined that this feeling of dread and hopelessness, as I watched someone dear to me slip away, would haunt me once again. It was as if that scenario played out before my eyes once more. The moment when I pounded on the door repeatedly, desperate to save my daughter as I saw her attempting to hang herself. I tried to console her, begging her to open the door. Her only response was a final, fake radiant smile, filled with tears, etching it into my memory as she departed from this world, leaving all of us behind. I never anticipated feeling that same sense of hopelessness and worthlessness as I lose people, with nothing I can do about it.

That's when I heard a faint voice,

"Please.... Kill me".

It was Emilia, her body wounded and trapped within the wall adorned with gnarled roots. The roots snaked their way through her flesh, piercing her skin and ensnaring her like a cruel, living prison. They coiled around her limbs, constricting her movements and draining the life from her body.

But it wasn't just the roots that tormented her. Leeches, grotesque and slimy, wriggled their way through her ears, nose, and mouth, feasting upon her very essence.

Her eyes, once cold and heartless , now held a desperate plea for help. With trembling fingers, she extended her hand towards me, begging me to kill her. I could see the pain etched upon her face, the silent screams that escaped her lips as she fought against the relentless grip of the roots and the insidious leeches.

However, It wasn't just her, everyone else Thor Gild, Sheela, Keira. Those Roots had gotten hold of everyone.

She kept begging me. But I couldn't leave Marcus.

(Maybe ... death can free them from their suffering).

(Maybe death can free me too).

Negative thoughts clouded my mind. A deep yearning of death within me had resurfaced.

"And maybe, just maybe I can finally get freedom from my torment".

"Those nightmares will stop haunting me".

However, everything wasn't yet lost.

I could still save Marcus. So, I discarded those thoughts for the time being and focused on the task at hand.

By applying pressure to Marcus's wound, I managed to significantly slow down the bleeding. However, finding something to stop the bleeding proved to be the most challenging part, as my hands were occupied maintaining the pressure on his wound.

"How in the world would I...,"

In that moment, my attention was drawn to a peculiar sight. A root began to emerge gradually from the puddle of blood near Marcus's neck. It grew discreetly, seemingly reaching out towards him. Uncertain of what it meant, I couldn't afford to take any chances. With the help of my teeth, I carefully plucked the root out. Yet, to my surprise, it grew back again. Determined, I repeated the process, plucking it out once more, only to witness its regrowth. This cycle continued, with each attempt resulting in the root growing longer and longer.

Then, in a swift motion, the root encircled Marcus's neck. For a brief moment, I felt a sense of relief as it successfully halted the bleeding. However, my relief was short-lived. Soon, peculiar lumps began to form along the length of the roots, and to my surprise, leeches emerged from within them. Before I knew it, Marcus's entire body became engulfed in a network of roots. It was a strange and unsettling sight.

Soon,

To my surprise, Marcus awoke from his unconscious state. It felt like a miracle amidst the chaos. However, His entire body was now ensnared by the relentless growth of roots and the persistent presence of leeches.

With concern in my voice,

I cautiously said,

"Hey... take it easy."

Yet, Marcus remained silent, standing before me in an ominous manner. My intuition screamed, urging me to be cautious. Something felt off, unsettling my senses. Nevertheless, a sense of relief coursed through me, knowing that he had regained consciousness, even though his new appearance was a bit on the creepy side.

As Marcus stood there, his body engulfed in a grotesque amalgamation of writhing leeches and suffocating roots, a deep sense of unease settled within me. His head turned towards me with an eerie slowness, as if controlled by some unknown force. The look in his eyes sent shivers down my spine, a chilling emptiness that seemed to penetrate my very soul.

I mustered up the courage to approach him, my heart torn between relief and concern. Relief, because he was awake and seemingly conscious. Concern, because his transformation was beyond comprehension. I reached out, hoping to save him from this nightmarish existence.

But as I extended my hand, Marcus lunged at me with a primal ferocity, like a feral creature driven by instinct. Panic surged through my veins as I stumbled backward, desperately trying to evade his grasp. The conflicting emotions of wanting to help him and the instinct for self-preservation waged war within me.

However, due to my injured foot, I wasn't able to run from him. Gradually those roots ensnared me.

And a deep emptiness settled in me. I began to question myself.

"I wanted to die before?".

"So, why am I trying to escape".

"Shouldn't, I just accept it".

"Now it can finally be over".

I stopped resisting, I dropped my greatsword.

And accepted death. Because that way I could finally re unite with my family.

I didn't knew, in there Marcus was alive or not, and now I didn't seem to care.

All I could see was their faces, as if they were calling me to return to them.

(Noo!)

I was finally going to die.

(Death is cold and dark)

As the roots ensnared my wounded leg, a peculiar sense of comfort washed over me. It was all I ever wanted a painless death.

I never had the courage my daughter had that day. Countless night and days, I tried and I failed.

The reason why I became an adventurer was the allure of death.

I wanted to die and yet I couldn't. During the Chimera attack, I yearned to die in glory, but I was afraid to.

And finally fate had given me the chance.

(I wouldn't be able to see, eat or drink anymore)

A strange and sweet aroma danced around my nose as my eyelids grew heavy, enticing me into a gentle slumber.

"Now its finally over".

(I don't want to die)

Unbeknownst to me, my hand instinctively reached for my mighty sword once more. With a swift and powerful swing, I cleaved Marcus's head from his body.

For a brief moment. My mind was in a state of conflict.

"Why?".

"Whyyyyyyyyy?".

"Did I do that?".

"I was finally going to re unite with them".

"Why".

I had slained the person I was trying to save all this time. I didn't knew what had gotten into me.

I presumed, I wanted to die, and yet when painless death was served to me, I declined.

"Why".

"Do I want to live after all?".

"No, that doesn't make any sense".

"What, would I live for, no one's there for me".

As I glanced around, to my horror, I discovered that Emilia and everyone else had been transformed into repulsive, leech-infested creatures.

Acting on pure impulse , I severed the root that ensnared my wounded leg, leaving the rest intact as its presence seemed to alleviate my pain. With everyone approaching slowly, I resourcefully used the roots covering the walls as footholds, climbing my way out of the chasm. However, as I ascended, as did they.

In due course, I approached the surface, almost within reach. However, an earthquake suddenly shook the ground, causing the chasm to start closing. Despite the tremors, I maintained a firm grip and managed to escape just in time before the chasm sealed completely.

But they soon followed.