C5: Emotional Discrepancy Have No Time to Die

"Toshiyuki Fujimoto," he said between breaths. His torn, light blue uniform clung to his bleeding leg. I noticed the fabric stained crimson around the gashes. Despite his injuries, he spoke calmly, as if he were not feeling anything. "Sorry for that dog, this creature came from a foreign country and needed more training. May I know your name? "

"I'm Leone," I replied. His brown eyes studied me intently, waiting. "Leone?" he repeated, extending a shaky hand. I clasped it firmly in return, feeling the dampness of his palm against mine before releasing it. "It's a gender-neutral name," I said indifferently as he just nodded, his eyebrows raising as if he said okay.

"I'm a police officer from the Philippines."

"No need to explain it," I assured him gently. The last thing he needed was further distress in his state.

"Sorry, it's just people asking about it," he mumbled, staring down at the cracked glass in my hands, tinted pink from his blood. Crimson droplets had formed a small puddle beneath his feet.

"It's alright," I replied. Not that I don't care.

"Are you alright though, miss? And why are you here? He pressed, his face growing paler by the second. I needed to end the questioning before he collapsed from blood loss. "Alone, specifically."

"I just finished a warped challenge." That was both the truth and the lie. Warp challenges are commonly known as dungeons and can appear anywhere outside any domain. Warped challenges were indeed tests; of what nature, I was not yet certain. It also seemed like a test for me on how to react to these gods. I just need to go back and ask Carra about this. "I just got an opportunity to have the key back inside the domains."

"Ah," he nods as his eyes look at the glass I'm holding. "The glass you're holding was the prize in the warp? "

"No, this isn't that. It's the goldfish from the aquarium that you accidentally broke."

"Oh shit. I'm sorry. Are there any more things I destroyed? Did I hurt you? "I shook my head.

"No need, I'll take care of these fish. Please take care of yourself. You're currently running and talking because of that." I eyed his wounds, and he did too, and he was suddenly conscious of it, slightly shocked, yet he sat on the chair calmly.

"You're right, I should focus on my injuries," Toshiyuki said weakly. His eyelids were growing heavy.

"Yes," I replied blandly. I had no real concern for this stranger's well-being. My role in these warped challenges seemed to be observing and reporting back, without getting entangled in others' affairs. Toshiyuki struggled to stand but slipped back into the chair, grimacing in pain. "I apologize for the trouble. But I must keep moving."

"Stay put if you value your life, mister officer," I stated flatly. Letting him stagger off to die was of no consequence to me. My task was information gathering, not providing aid. He nodded slowly, comprehending that his situation was dire. Blood continued seeping from his wounds to form a widening red pool. I observed impassively, neither alarmed nor sympathetic. Once his shallow breathing ceased, I made a note of the event's details: location, appearance of the wounds, estimated time of death. My detached recording of the scene was simply to fulfill whatever purposes my strange benefactors had set for me. The life or death of one man meant nothing. I had a role to play, and emotions would only complicate it. If I have one,.

I walked the streets and saw the same state: people cleaning up the debris from past trials, apparently, they hire more employees under maintenance now. It's currently in demand as these trials come in. People are still applying for normal jobs to pay for rent and feed their starving stomachs, but the people who maintain the streets have their wages raised. Impossible, but it is reasonable.

I walked down near our domain as its doors burst out with dismantled flesh flinging out. A lady walked out with blood dripping from her short blonde hair down to her face as more blood splashed from behind her back.

"Oh." She then pulled out a plastic bag that was covered in blood and opened it to grab a cigar and a lighter to smoke as the blood behind her kept exploding. "Hi. Are you going in? "The blood on her face emphasizes her green eyes, in the most piercing way.

"I was."

"I killed them off already. Don't bother." She sat on the cement as she smoked it off. "It'll continue to explode until the next regeneration. I'm done with these shitty domains. Don't you feel the same way too? "

"It doesn't matter to me. It's normal to me."

"Right, you looked like you were born just recently. Getting used to something that you were used to seeing." She ties her hair from the back, tiny hairs falling from it. "I envy you young teens, at least you don't need to adjust greatly." These towers and domains started out as secret trials at first before everyone could see them. She might also be one of those people who saw these probably 20 or 40 years ago. "I had to see this even at the trial stage." My mind was focused on the task at hand, gathering information and reporting back. But the encounter with the lady covered in blood sparked a curiosity within me. I couldn't help but be intrigued by her nonchalant attitude towards the violence and destruction happening around us.

"Yes, I can imagine it must have been challenging to witness the evolution of these trials," I replied calmly. "But for me, it's just a matter of adapting to the circumstances presented."

She took another drag from her cigarette, the smoke swirling around her as if in harmony with her thoughts. "You're right. I suppose it's all about perspective. Are you supposed to move on now to your next domain? I'm pretty sure you'll get another piece of stuff you need on the next domain."

"Sure, I can move on, but I am here to gather information," I answered without a hint of enthusiasm. "I am tasked with observing these things in my group." A lie.

Her eyes widened slightly, amusement dancing within them. "You're working with the government?"

I shook my head. "It's just a small group of friends."

She chuckled softly, the sound mingling with the distant explosions of the domain. "You must really have great friends if they allowed you to die early by observing these domains. What made you go with them? That's some shitty suicide."

"It grants me a unique vantage point. I can see things without the interference of subjective interpretations." She stood up, brushing off the specks of blood from her clothes. "Well, if you ever feel the need for a break from your friends, you can join me. I'm forming a group."

"Offering a newbie? "I considered her offer, briefly analyzing the potential benefits and drawbacks. While I had no desire or need for such an experience, it might provide valuable insights and data for future reference. "Sounds a little suspicious."

"I think you have potential in your body."

"What do you mean? "Is she one of those people who can see my abilities? I have to put my guard up.

"I just see the potential in people."

"I saw what you could do."

"What?"

"If you're really with that group of yours and they assigned you as the observer, then you might have some powers within you to surpass any challenges." She stood and walked towards me. "At least that's what I think." And smoke in front of my face. Then she wipes her face with a handkerchief. "I hate your face. You reminded me of guys I like. Totally my type, ya know."

"I'm a-"

"A female, yeah." she interrupted, her voice husky with desire. "But you have that androgynous face I like." She took a step closer, the stench of blood and perfume. "Besides, a human is a human. What can we do if I like both? Reject what I like. That's silly."

"Hm. Your hanky," she said as she slipped it back in my back pocket, her hands sliding it down, grabbed it slightly, and pulled her hands off. "Don't let other people touch your ass. They might enjoy it, you know, and do pleasurable things with it that you may plead before them. Don't you have a phone, good lady? "

"I don't."

She leaned in closer, her eyes filled with a mischievous glint. "Maybe get at least some block phones when you go out sometime. But if you like the old way," she said, a wicked smile spreading across her face. With a swift movement, she pulled out a pen from her breast pocket and wrote her numbers down on my arm, her touch electrifying my skin "I've been living in South Korea for a while. I have some Korean numbers here. Being in Korea makes me lonely for some time. Call me when you want to team up, strong girl. Let's clear and destroy all these domains so that maybe we could live together, strong girl?" With that, she walked away, slowly disappearing away from me as she paced the streets of Korea. Perhaps there was a life outside my programmed objectives. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to this existence than the pursuit of stability and stillness. Are those gods right after all?

Should I go?

"No." A voice answered, coming out of the domain. "Don't go."

"Vis" came out of the domain with his arm broken off. I ran towards him to catch him. "This is my fault. I let you out."

"This doesn't look good on you, Vis." I grabbed his hanging arm and saw how bloody it was. I held on to it.

"Yeah, it doesn't." He scrunched his eyes as if seeing a bright light on his face. "Fuck, am I dying? "

"That's not my first time. We should get in."

"I'm afraid I cannot go back." I brought him in as the explosion stopped. His arm clutches on my neck, and shoulders, carrying his whole body. Hearing his breath close to me feels a little nostalgic. He was so close to me in this way that I could feel it. Their eyes are always droopy, and he takes deep breaths as he leans into me.

"What do you mean?" I climbed the stairs and placed him on the bed. I called on Avante Garde as the domain door closed. His finest armor is now ripped and broken. This is not the first time I have seen his armor break. It was years ago.

"I cannot do this anymore."

"This is the primordial punishment."

"Primordial? " Blood spewed out of his mouth.

"Avante Garde, I trust SP to you." Vis pats his back. Avante Guarde pulled Vis's torn long sleeves and looked over his laceration, which looked like the domain itself. Blood spewed out, hitting my face. I've seen this situation inside the domain more than a couple of times; it happened to the players who had been hit really badly and even to the other cleaners. The blood is so warm and reminds me of metal when the air touches it. My tongue slightly lowered down on my lips, tasting it. Iron.

"This is the end."

We were sitting together near the lake, our bodies in a perfect embrace. Our eyes locked, and we kissed each other's lips gently. His warm lips caressed mine at a slow and gentle pace, which is why I'd love for the kiss to go faster and for me to reciprocate with passion.

He sighs heavily and stares at the wall for a moment. "The domain has reached the final stages," he explains.

"Final stages?"