The City

The moment Iron's words ended, an accumulating ripple of hate, destruction, madness, and nothingness spread throughout Ariel's body. He was already writhing in place while streams and streams of blood began to pour out of multiple points in his body. Creating a puddle underneath him. Iron stood beside him, rigid and frozen in place. Its head was looking forward. Its expression unreadable.

'Please…'

Iron pleaded. A wet, familiar fluid smeared its foot.

'Survive. I have no strength left in me to kill a child as special as you.'

Iron didn't dare look at the trembling, bloody figure beside it. Whether it was out of fear or pity, it didn't know. But it knew for sure that every single part of its being screamed just at the thought of a glance. It had seen this sight so much. the children screaming in madness or pain as their bodies were cloaked in a curtain of blood. Their cries for help. The thrashing of their bodies on the floor. Their flesh, an unblemished, pearly white, tainted black and red with corruption. 

Then, the inevitable silence of their guttural screams. 

And the inevitable emergence of their beastly roars as a hulking mass of rotten, red flesh would lunge at it. With Iron having to dispose of it forcefully most of the time

It had experienced this too many times. An aversion to it was only a matter of time. It felt disgusted with itself for many years but in the end. It was its responsibility. It was put here not by the order of the more powerful figures of their kind. No- this responsibility was put upon him by the Esteemed Ones. And there was no bigger responsibility than this. This was its pride.

However, after all these years of killing their newborns. A seed of doubt sprouted in it. There was no more pride, no more responsibility, no more hope. This role was cursed. And Iron was cursed by it unwillingly.

In the end it recognised what this role truly meant.

This role…

It was not for guiding the children.

It was for killing the ones that failed.

But it had to go on.

It had to.

————————————————————————————

My reason was gone in a second. Pain overload my senses. Indescribable pain that was incomparable to any other injury assaulted my whole body. First, it started with my mind, slowly but surely corrupting it. Then "It" slithered itself through my body like a parasite. "It" seemed to relish in my suffering because the intent it set out was cloaked in a maddening joy. 

Roar!

The roar of pain that left my mouth felt unfamiliar and full of madness. A second my vision was there and a second later it wasn't. All that greeted me was the swirling form of the Void. I tried to shout or make any noise. Instead, there was only a deafening silence that made my stomach drop. My hearing was no more. My mouth was no more, my body was no more.

It was the same situation once again. Where I couldn't feel, hear, or taste anything. 

All that remained was numbness. 

Then came the fear and panic.

'Why is this happening to me?'

'Why can't I have something good for once?'

'I'm confused.'

'Very confused.'

'I don't have the slightest idea what I am or where I am. All these things happening without me having a say in it is suffocating. What am I supposed to do in this situation? I don't have talent, I don't have knowledge, I don't have any experience.'

'All I have is hate and remorse.'

'Hate was the only good thing in my life.'

'Hate kept me going because- and I hate to say it, there was hope. There was hope that I'd get a chance to release all this pent up hate.'

'That fucker… I won't have a chance to kill him if I die here. So I will die hating him, that's for sure. I swear that on any god that there is.

'Then… why have I been so obsessed?'

'If I die, I die. That's it.'

'My life didn't amount to much to begin with.'

'My only disappointment was that I couldn't get revenge. But that's fine, I'm sure that fucker will meet his end sooner or later, just not by my hands. That at least gives me a tiny bit of satisfaction.'

'Alright then…'

'Death it is.'

Ceasing my resistance, if there even was one. I closed my eyes and waited in acceptance.

…

…

… 

'Am I dea-'

Clank!

'Wha-'

An ear-piercing sound rang out. Its source was unknown but its effect was terrifying and awe inducing. 

The Void…

It had become white. 

As if a switch had been flipped, The darkness was dyed white in an instance. As if an artist decided to completely change his whole painting. to change his whole world. 

The whiteness…

It felt warm. Like I truly belonged there. 

A home in the middle of a nightmare.

I didn't want to leave.

Unfortunately, my luck didn't want me to be happy for long.

Then, in the still, silent whiteness, a soft sigh reverberated through the space before darkness overtook my vision once again.

—————————————————————————-

I opened my eyes slowly, in fear that the creeping Void would greet me again. 

Fortunately, all I saw was a puddle of Blood drifting away. My throat was burned and swollen due to the roars I let out in pain. My head felt mushy while my body was straining itself to move for a second without flinching because of the pain. 

"Hah… Hah…"

Ragged breaths nothing like a human's came out of me. The warmth I experienced from the whiteness was gone, replaced by cold drops of sweat and reality. These past few events had left me in a complete stupor, I had no time to adapt, learn or do anything. What was I supposed to do but accept death? I was powerless.

"You survived… hah… thank the Esteemed Ones. It should be fine for now. The Void won't interfere with you any more. "

Iron's voice was tinged with relief as it helped me stand up. My vision had returned to normal- no it had evolved, the nearer I was to something the more detailed they became. The radius of my vision has expanded greatly, filling me with a refreshed feeling. I could also see in a 360* angle around my body, possibly to avoid creating any blind spots. It was a bit weird but nothing surprising after all the bullshit that happened to me.

'Now…'

'I could finally get an idea of what I am and where I- ow!'

I felt my face twitching as a burst of sudden pain struck when I moved one step.

'Fuck! This pain… this damn pain follows me everywhere!'

"Endure it my liege, you'll have the chance to return it."

Iron's clear voice resounded in my head.

And I could only nod at his words.

We slowly started marching with Iron being very patient because I walked as slowly as I could in fear of the blinding pain. 

Now that I could take a breather, if you could call being ridden with pain every step I took a breather. We were in some sort of sleek, black tunnel, the walls had no end to their depth, the ceiling too. At the end, a wall of light stood as a gate. Peacefully twisting and turning. And the moment we got close, it trembled and gave no response as we went through it.

blinding light took over my vision for a second before I was suddenly greeted by a city. A bustling city with the same, strange white creatures roaming around. All of them looked the same except for a mark on their right shoulder, though I couldn't distinguish them clear enough.

'It's the same city…'

I looked up, and as I expected, interconnected bridges creating a complex network was in my full sight. From building to building, tower to tower. Bridges were formed or built. Beside the fact that it looked like a clusterfuck of webs. Wonder and awe spread through me the longer I stared. The unique and majestic aura it gave off certainly affected me.

"I can feel your wonder my liege. This place was originally built by the Esteemed Ones as the forefront against the Void. And this land was created at the same time the Gods were born."

'And when did the gods came to? Probably a very long time ago if I'm guessing.'

I kept looking around to settle my curiosity when at the corner of my eyes I took notice of a railing.

'Wait, a railing?'

I frowned before nudging my Body towards it. 

Iron didn't say anything and followed behind me. Silent in its steps.

The moment I came near the railing, a sinking feeling hit me hard. And when I looked over it, The familiar Void met me, creating a ghastly sight, especially to me.

My stomach flipped as I came to a realisation.

I was also standing on a bridge. A bridge that led to a building in front of me which led to another building and that one also led to another. And so on, so on.

'…Ah'

This city.

It had no ground. No safe, trustworthy ground. Only the sinister Void. 

It was floating.

'Now the bridges make much more sense'

Iron, who was behind me reached out to pat my shoulder.

"Don't be surprised my liege, I'm aware you are apprehensive but don't worry you'll face much more terrifying horrors in the future. So adapt… and fear, fear will never betray you."

"…."

I didn't know whether its words were genuine or it was just trying to scare me. I still nodded my head in reply, that's the only thing I could do anyway.

"Now…"

Iron spoke once again.

"We'll have to heal your body and your mind. After all, training under me won't be an easy matter. And I need to train you as fast and as soon as I can, we don't have much time before creatures of the Void strike again. Even though you're a Bane, you're still a soldier. You'll be thrown into the next battlefield wether you consider yourself ready or not."

Before I had time to nod, two glowing white wings sprouted out of Iron's back, a holy feeling of graciousness emanated from its form, leaving me a bit dazed. A moment later, its wings started flapping in the air rapidly as its body rose slightly of the bridge. 

Without giving me a chance to react, it swooped me up gently, steadily and full in control. Even the expected pain of suddenly being picked up didn't arrive.

I watched with bated breath as we rose higher and higher, towards the dreadful Void. The quietness of the Void was unsettling and an unavoidable fear started to fill me. Especially in this body where I couldn't even hear the quiet, if that made any sense.

"My liege… I can feel fear and excitement brewing in you. This is nothing special, such a technique is common in the Infinty legion, you will be able to do this too, because you're a bane. Us bearers of infinity are limited only by our imagination. Imagination is key for us, and the stronger we get the more open we become with our imagination."

Iron's tone in my head had a hint of a smile.

We were getting closer to the center of the city where a towering white building streaked with red lines stood. It looked too smooth to be a building yet it was. From where I was, I could see streams of the creatures going in and out of the building. 

My only guess as to what it is was…

'A hospital perhaps?'

Iron began descending while I was lost in my thoughts, but all thoughts flew out my head the moment we landed as every head turned towards me rapidly. Every single one of these weird creatures were eyeing me like there was no tomorrow. I froze in stunned silence. My body, bloodied, was held up by Iron as it watched this interaction in silence. 

The first to move was the crowd, slowly making way for me and Iron. Iron gave me a nudge and I started walking towards the entrance hesitantly. The stares were a bit unnerving but i powered through.

Arriving at the entrance, I was once again face to face with another creature, this one surprisingly had a wide white coat hanging off its shoulders. Its presence stood out among the hundred or so of them here.

'Just like Iron.'

Just then… 

A voice spoke into my head again.

This time, the voice was soft and melodic as it addressed me with a subtle tremor in its tone.

"Bane, it's an honor to be in your presence. I'm Ether, a King of Eternity. I will attend to your injuries as efficiently as I can… please, follow me."

I Nodded before turning around to face Iron. We stared at each other for a few seconds while I waited for Iron to catch on to my question.

And it worked to a degree as a reply came the next moment.

"I will stay here my liege, go on ahead."

I nearly shrugged but the pain held me back. Suddenly, a hand came under my shoulder and a white coat filled my vision.

"Hold on to me, Bane."

I did as I was told and walked along Ether slowly. 

——————————————————————————-

Iron went outside where a hundred or so of their kind were huddled at the entrance. Seeing it, a multitude of hasty questions invaded his mind. Questions filled with concern, awe and reverence. 

Iron raised a hand and the questions came to an abrupt stop. 

Once it knew the attention was on it. Iron spread its influence into their minds before speaking.

"I appreciate your patience. Our Bane has successfully completed the trial of the Void as you can see. And I appreciate you for not speaking, after all, it's just a fledgling for now, and it can be affected harmfully. I will train it on my own with the help of Ether, another king. So don't be concerned."

The huddled forms seem to visibly relax as their shoulders slumped and words of gratitude flowed into Iron's mind.

The passion in their voices gave Iron a moral boost.

'Get well, my liege.'