To you who does not listen. In a world of disarray, you alone have the power to change it. To see their dreams become reality, one must first close their eyes. But for you, and you alone, dreams and reality are all one. Do not close your eyes. You must not rest. You must save them all, because of all the life on this planet, you alone are special enough to do it.
Gil: "What a sorry sight."
In front of his eyes lay the corpses of the family he once knew. His face twitched and his mind struggled to process what lay in front of him. A family like this did not deserve what had happened to them.
Gil: "Imbra. Give me a report on what happened here."
Imbra: "From what it looks like, the explosion we heard occurred from inside the house, specifically from the room down the hall. Using my ability, I could see that the two kids' final movements were inside of their beds, and since their room was closest to where the explosion occurred, they probably died from the rubble as they slept. As for the mother and father, their deaths appear to have been a lot more gruesome. The father appears to have been guarding whatever was behind the door from the assailant but was swiftly cut down. As for the mother, she appears to have put up a much better fight, even appearing to gravely injure the target before her untimely death."
Imbra had the ability of foresight. He was able to see the possible future movements of his selected target, all the way up to 5 seconds. More importantly for the matter at hand, he could map out the entire set of movements of a target in a 30 second window. As the targets he was currently looking at were deceased, his ability was basically capable of mapping out their movements up to 30 seconds before their death.
Gil: "Is there any way that a demon in this area would have been capable of infiltrating the house?"
Imbra: "From what I know, there is not a single demon in this forest that is strong enough to be able to see the house. Although, there is a slim probability that a demon could accidentally stumble upon this house and navigate the area using touch. Even so, even if that were to have been the case, the rest of the events wouldn't make sense. Why would the demon choose to explode the room in which none of the family was inside. Since it was during the night, it should've been a lot easier to just take the family out as they slept instead of alarming the adults with an explosion. Worst of all, if the demons had done this, there would have been no corpses left for us to investigate."
Gil: "More importantly, I don't see a way for a measly demon to be capable of eliminating a family as powerful as this one. Truly a sad sight."
Imbra: "Do you think it was an ambush from the West?"
Gil: "Quite possibly. More importantly, the bodies of the oldest and youngest son are still missing. It's of our top priority to find them and verify thei—."
As they were preparing to head out in search of the 2 lost children, a loud explosion could be heard in the distance.
Could it be the same person who caused the explosion here?
Gil: "Let's go!"
Upon reaching the area, the feeling in the air was different to what it should be. In the distance, Gil and Imbra could see a man walking raggedly across the snow, appearing to be in a large amount of pain. Before he could call out to the figure in front of him, Gil spotted a white figure behind the man, and he could sense the murderous intent the white figure harbored for the one in front of them. More important than that though, the white figure was someone who Gil knew quite well.
Gil: "Shit! What the hell is Rin doing here! She'll kill him!"
As he dashed towards both entities, he noticed the sorry state that the two of them were in. It was clear to see that a battle had taken place here, with the surrounding area having been destroyed in the aftermath of whatever explosion they had heard. Both the man and Rin were barely conscious, but he could tell that if he let the next moments play out without interfering, the man would surely die.
Rin: "Where...do you...think you're going?"
Isaac: "You're kidding. What kind of monster are you?"
Rin: "Die!"
Gil was good at reading people. He used that technique on many occasions to see whether someone was worth saving or not. As he looked at the man... no, as he looked at the kid in front of him, he knew he must act in good faith and save him from certain death.
Gil: "Seems you need a little help there, kid. You can rest now. As for you, Rin, you sure love avoiding death, don't you? This time, I'll make sure to finish you off for good."
Rin: "WAI—."
In the splittist of seconds, her body was completely atomized, not even leaving a trace.
Gil: "Now then. How about I get to asking you some questions."
Gil saw what the kid was walking towards, the child of the Wynak family that they were looking for. He needed to know more. But here was not the correct place to talk. Placing his hand on Isaac's shoulder, he began to heal him, while at the same time he used his other hand to pick up the poor child on the floor.
Isaac: "Whatever happens, don't let me fall asleep."
Gil: "Don't worry. I won't let you rest until you've answered what I need to know."
Imbra stepped beside him, and he stuck his hand into the snow, casting a chant under his breath. A flash of light appeared below them, and in that same instant, the surrounding area completely changed.
Isaac: "Where... where are we."
Imbra: "Weve returned to our base using a bit of teleportation magic. In the meantime, you can have a seat in that room over there while my team and I converse about our situation."
Looking to where Imbra was pointing, it was a room that was quite barren, and apart from the window he was looking inside, all that was in there was a table and a couple of chairs. It was clear what the place was, an interrogation room.
Isaac: "Wait. The house that I came from... the Wynak household, something terrible happened there and—"
Gil: "We know. It's an ongoing investigation, so in the meantime please sit inside the room while we gather our thoughts. We'll have someone come in there and examine your injuries in the meantime. Also, I'll be taking the child with me to do some further tests and see whether he's okay."
Isaac: "Umm... okay. I'll do that."
As Isaac turned back around and headed towards the room, Gil and Imbra began to walk in the opposite direction, with Gil holding the child of the Wynak family in his arms.
Gil: "You know, I was there when this little one was born. What a beautiful family they had. Such a shame."
Imbra: "So, do you think that kid over there did it?"
Gil: "I'm not sure. From what I can tell, he doesn't seem to have any malice in his heart. I sensed genuine worry for the kid here, and so I will treat the matter with care. I won't just push the blame onto him on such minimal evidence."
Imbra: "You say that, but he's really the only lead we have so far. If he has the Wynak's baby, he has to have been there during the attack."
Gil: "Of course, I'm not writing him out of the list of suspects. Once we get a more solid report, we'll interrogate him, and then—"
???: "Sir, I've finished the examination on the subject."
Sitting in the room, he felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. The person who was supposed to examine him came in and checked him for about 30 seconds. Not only did it seem like an incredibly short amount of time, but he also seemed to leave in a hurried manner. Throughout his time after waking up, he had paid little attention to the injuries he had sustained, but now that he was finally able to relax, the adrenaline seemed to dry out, and he began to feel an indescribable pain in his chest.
Gil: "You. What's your name?"
The door swung open, and upon looking towards said door, Isaac could see the two men who had been teleported here, along with a plethora of people behind them.
Isaac: "Isaac. My name is Isaac. What's with the sudden mood change?"
Gil: "I don't know, probably has something to do with the fact that people I cared about have recently passed. And I have reason to believe you know a lot about the situation."
Isaac was stunned for a second by the question, but he soon realized that an evasive answer would do him no good. He should just come out and tell them everything.
Isaac: "I... I had been staying at the Wynak household for the past month or so, and frankly I began to see them as my family. But... this morning, when I awoke from my sleep, I found that the entire house had been destroyed. I tried to look around and make sure everyone was safe, but as you probably already know, Klein is the only one I managed to find still alive."
Imbra: "That explosion, how the hell did that not wake you up?"
Isaac: "Explosion?"
With a face of genuine confusion, Isaac did not know what they were talking about. Unfortunately for him, his answer left them dissatisfied. Imbra let out a sound of disgust, stepped forward, and promptly delivered a swing straight to Isaac's chest.
Isaac: "KYUH."
Imbra: "Bastard. Feigning ignorance won't get you anywhere."
Isaac, attempting to catch his breath, faced towards Imbra with a face of genuine confusion.
Isaac: "I...I promise I don't know what you're talking about! When I woke up this morning, everybody was already dead! I swear I'm telling the truth."
In his mind, Isaac was undoubtedly telling them everything he knew, and he told no lies doing so. Even so, his heart did not agree. He felt nothing but regret and repentance in his soul. But why? If he hadn't done anything wrong, why did he feel like he must die for the sins he had committed?
Gil: "Listen. That mark on your chest, it perfectly fits the wound Eleanor had given the attacker in the final moments Imbra was able to see."
Looking down at his own shirt, Isaac saw a trail of blood that ran across his chest. Pressing his hand down on it, he could feel a gash that stretched throughout said area.
Isaac: "Huh?"
Gil: "Frankly, that alone could be a coincidence, as I witnessed you fight the demon empress in the forest. It could be just as likely that she was the one to inflict this wound on you. The more damning evidence is—"
Imbra: "We deduced that Eleanor died from asphyxiation, with the assailant having choked her out until she died. Her final moments were of her clawing at the arms which were killing her, and as you can see, your arms have the exact same claw marks."
Isaac: "No way. I...I wouldn't do that, right? Right? Are you saying that I killed her?"
Imbra: "No. I'm not saying that you killed her."
Isaac; "Right! I would never do that! She was like a mother to me, all I wanted was for her to be happy."
Imbra: "I'm not saying that you JUST killed her. All of them. It was YOU who killed them."
Isaac: "—."
His mind could not process what he was hearing. His brain physically would not let him process the words which he heard. He was subconsciously blocking something in his mind. he would not remember it, simply because remembering it hurt too much. But when it is said in front of him, when he has no choice but to hear the truth behind his own actions, he could do nothing but remember. His brain would no longer let him pretend that nothing had happened. The memories which he had been forcing himself to forget, the pain and regret which he felt, he could no longer suppress them.
Hagen: "What was that?"
A massive explosion rang out throughout the household, and he instinctively lunged to cover his newborn child, who was now crying after the loud noise.
Hagen: "ELEANOR. Check on the kids."
As Hagen looked around, he saw his wife standing there, frozen in fear.
Eleanor: "Isaac. I need to check on him!"
Eleanor quickly grabbed her sword by her bedside, dashing out into the hall to confront whatever was out there. Looking around, the entire building had collapsed onto itself, with only her room having been left relatively untouched.
Eleanor: "AXEL! ELISE! ISAAC! WHERE ARE YOU ALL!"
As she yelled at the top of her lungs, ready to dig through the rubble to find the children she cared so deeply for, she was intercepted by a punch to her abdomen, sending her flying backwards into a wall.
Eleanor: "KYUH. DAMNIT. WHO ARE YOU?"
The figure in front of her, exuding a black mist throughout its body, said no words. It simply lunged towards her with nothing but murderous intent.
Eleanor: "HAGEN! GRAB KLEIN AND RUN!"
She readied her blade and parried the oncoming attack in a swift motion, but the power of the attack caused a shockwave that left her stunned for the smallest of seconds. Even that brief pause in her movements was enough of an opportunity for such a powerful opponent. In her mind, she knew that it was over.
Hagen: "I'll die in your place."
Intercepting the oncoming strike of the opponent, Hagen received a wound across his torso and was subsequently tossed to the side.
Eleanor: "How dare you. Who the hell do you think you are?"
She readied her blade once more, and with the figure once again going for an attack, she quickly slammed the blade into the ground, sending the figure flying back to the room which he had come from.
Eleanor: "Hagen! Are you okay? Get up!"
Hagen: "Grab Klein and run. You can't win this."
Eleanor: "Huh? But we have to save Axel, Elise and Isaac! I won't leave until I grab them all."
Hagen: "I'm sorry. Theres only 4 pulses in the house. At the very least, I can't let you and Klein die. Please, just run."
From his days in the army, Hagen had learned the technique of hearing the heartbeats in the nearby area. It was the perfect technique for an assassin who needed to know the amount of people he must kill or evade in the vicinity, but in this instant, it was nothing more than an indicator that he had failed to protect those he cared about.
Eleanor: "Huh?"
Hagen: "Sorry. In the end, I've brought misfortune into your life again."
The figure stepped back into the hall, and without a moment of hesitation, it lunged itself towards the pair. They would both surely meet their end.
Hagen: "Reversal."
It was a technique that was almost never used but in someone's final moments. It was a suicide move. It left the user completely vulnerable, and any attack used against them would be twice as powerful, but in return, the attacker would receive the same attack tenfold. It was a gambit, a final move that would ensure a loss on both sides.
Eleanor: "HAGEN, NOOO!"
She reached out her hand, but it was meaningless. His body was severed in half, and all that was left was a smile on his face, his top half resting against the door from which he came. The figure fell to its knees, letting out large amounts of blood from its mouth. Hagen had given his life for this moment, a moment long enough for Eleanor to grab Klein and run.
Eleanor: "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
Eleanor grabbed her blade with such strength that her palms began to bleed. She raised the blade and ferociously cut down on the beast in front of her. It aimed to sever the entity in front of her the same way it had done to the one she loved most. Before the blade could reach the other side though, its hand grabbed hold of her arm and prevented her from completing the finishing blow.
???: "Bloom Profusion: Jedan."
A torrent of black slush rushed through her veins. Something hideous had made its way into her body. It collected itself at the core of her body, and after a brief moment, a black flower began to bloom from her back.
Eleanor: "What?"
Her energy was gone. She felt drowsy. Something wasn't right. More importantly, that voice, it rang familiar.
Eleanor: "Isaac?"
The entity grabbed hold of her shoulder and launched her in the same direction she had sent him earlier. She crashed into the rubble and was now laying in the room from which Isaac was staying. She looked below her, and despite the amount of rubble present, she could tell.
Eleanor: "Why are you doing this? We cared for you. We protected you. We loved you!"
She was met with no response. The entity simply walked towards her, taking the sword that was dug in its abdomen out and throwing it to the side. It inched closer and closer. She knew it was over.
Eleanor: "Please. Don't hurt my boy."
As a final plea, she begged the figure in front of her to spare her son. If she could not protect even that, she would die with nothing but regret.
Eleanor: "Kuh."
As the figure reached its destination, it reached out its arms and subsequently wrapped its hand around her throat. It was a terrible way to go. She instinctively clawed at the arms of the aggressor, but deep down she knew this was her end. And yet, a droplet of water fell upon her cheek. She looked above her, and despite there being no ceiling, she could see that no rain was falling from the sky. The water she felt was not rain, but tears.
He's crying?
Tears flowed down the creature's face, yet even so, the strength it poured into killing her did not waver. Despite the fact Eleanor was actively being killed, all she could think about was the sorry sight on the figures face. She could tell that it wanted to stop. It was the face of someone begging to be stopped. Yet it could not be done. It was as if the entity wielded power that went beyond its limit to control.
Theres no doubt in my mind. Isaac wouldn't do this willingly. Not with a face like that. How could I let this happen. I let everyone down, and worst of all, I'll leave him with the curse of having killed those he loves. I can't let him think it's his fault. So, when the time comes that he awakens, his last memory of me can show how much I care for him too.
Thinking so, despite her body shutting down, she put all her energy into giving out one final message. A smile. A face that screamed "It's okay. It's not your fault." And as her body finally gave out, the figure stepped back, stumbling back into the hallway. It reached down to the floor, picked up the blade Eleanor had used against it, and began continuously stabbing it into its stomach.
Stop. Don't hurt yourself. It's not your fault.
Despite doing so, each wound it gave itself would instantly heal. The blade Eleanor used was a regular sword, but when wielded by Eleanor, it was capable of leaving permanent injuries onto the target. The fact it wasn't doing so now was because, in her final moments, Eleanor whispered to the sword not to do so. Her eyes open, she used the last bit of her life force to ensure that her last 2 children could survive. She knew Heiman would be fine, as he was stronger than even her. The figure slowly walked back to the room which housed the final target. Was it all for nought? Despite everything, would she still have failed in keeping Klein alive? No. The mist around the boy slowly dissipated, and in her final moments, she was able to see the boy she cared so deeply for one last time. He would feel endless guilt. He would surely curse himself to no end. But in the end, she was certain that both Klein and Isaac would live. And so, as her final breath left her body, she let out a final, genuine smile, and left the world a happy woman. Heiman, Klein and Isaac. They would find a way to coexist and love each other after this. She was certain of that. For now, it was time for her to reunite with the ones she had lost on this terrible day.
Isaac: "Ha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Imbra: "The hell are you laughing for."
Isaac: "I KILLED THEM. ALL OF THEM. IT WAS ME. I DID IT."
Imbra: "You piece of shit! This isn't a fucking laughing matter!"
As he once again readied himself for another swing, Gil grabbed hold of his arm, stopping it from reaching its target.
Imbra: "What are you doing?"
Gil: "Let the kid grieve."
Imbra: "HUH?"
Isaac: "This whole time. This whole time I knew I had killed them. I felt it deep in my soul. I told myself I felt that way because I had slept throughout the onslaught, but deep down I knew it wasn't something so simple. Please, just kill me."
Imbra: "I'll meet your final request, piece of scum!"
Gil: "Isaac. That child that you brought with you, Klein, he's in stable condition."
Isaac and Imbra: "Huh?"
Gil: "You can curse yourself all you want, but at the end of the day you still saved the kid."
Isaac: "I haven't saved anyone! Me not killing someone doesn't mean I saved them!"
Gil: "Even so, if you would have left him there, he surely would have died to the demons in the area. You know that demon empress that you defeated, she was strong enough to give even Hagen and I some trouble. Yet you were able to put her in a near death state."
Isaac: "I would've died if you hadn't killed her. Even so, what does my strength matter if all I do is bring misfortune to the innocent?"
Imbra: "Exactly. We can't let him live just because he's a little strong. Those who are wicked must be judged by the sword."
Gil: "So you propose we kill the kid? Then what? He dies without ever paying for his sins? Is that a punishment worthy of someone who wants to change?"
Imbra: "To hell with that! So as long as the kid comes good, he should be forgiven for what he's done?"
Gil shook his head and reached his arm out to Isaac. He gave a wry smile, a deep contrast from his ragged appearance.
Gil: "I was quite close to that family. I had made a deal with Hagen that I would protect them from both sides targeting his strength. Yet, in the most important moment, I wasn't there. I let them die, and all that's left to show is a singular child with nobody to turn to. I'm old. Frankly, I doubt I could care for a child like that. But you, the way you cared for that boy, I have no doubt that you have genuine love for him. So, in order for that child to grow up surrounded by the love that he lost today, I'd be willing to let you live, so long as you give it your all in caring for that child."
Imbra: "Gil!"
Gil: "Shut it. I'm not conversing with you right now."
Gil gave a stern look at Imbra, then turned back towards Isaac, awaiting his response.
Isaac: "I've killed too many. Even one is too many. I don't deserve to live, let alone care for the child of the family that I killed."
Gil: "So earn that right to live."
Turning around in confusion, Isaac locked eyes with Gil. How could he possibly earn the right to live, even after the terrible things he had done. He had robbed a future for the family he so deeply cared for. He was certain that in their final moments, each one of them had cursed him for his betrayal. A second chance should never be given to the likes of him.
Gil: "The life of a human is precious. To take the life of someone, to take away their future and potential, it is the gravest sin one can commit. I'm sure nobody will ever forgive you. That being said, if you honed that power and used it to save, there is no doubt in my mind that you can achieve salvation. Not from others, but from the world, and more importantly, from yourself.
Imbra held his tongue. He completely disagreed with everything that was said, but in the end, he too had once lived a life of sin. He too felt remorse for his actions, and he too received hope in a similar fashion from Gil. Gil was unparalleled when it came to reading someone. If he believed that there was a genuine opportunity for someone to change, he would always gamble on that chance.
Gil: "That being said, the value of taking a life is thousands of times larger than of saving one. So, for you, who has taken the lives of 4, the amount you must save is much higher. This war between the East and West, it is a needless bloodshed lobbied by those with power on both sides. The future I see in you, I know you have the power capable of saving the millions whose lives are currently at stake. I could not live with myself if I got rid of the only chance we have of stopping this terrible war."
Isaac: "What... what am I supposed to do. I don't want to live. I don't deserve it."
Gil: "Probably not. The wiser option would be to kill you now. But being wise has gotten us nowhere. We must risk something valuable to see real change. If you need a reason to keep going, use that child as a reason. If you died here, he would have nowhere to go. Adding onto that, you must give the deaths of those you have killed a purpose."
Isaac: "A purpose?"
Gil: "As it stands, the purpose of the deaths that occurred today are meaningless. But, if by the end of it all, this terrible day can bring forth a paradise for the millions that inhabit this world, then, even if just a little, the lives of those who have passed can receive meaning. You must atone for what you have done today by creating a better future for those who still live. Most of all, you must give that poor child a better future than the one he would've had without you."
Isaac: "Should I really be allowed to?"
Gil: "Well, let me see."
Gil sat down in the chair next to Isaac, who was still barely able to keep his composure, and placed his hand on his leg.
Gil: "Do you love the kid?"
Isaac: "Of course I do."
Gil: "Would you give your life for him?"
Isaac: "Absolutely."
Gil: "If it were a choice between saving Klein and the world, who would you choose?"
Isaac: "...Klein."
Gil: "Well then, I'm now more confident than ever that I have made the right decision."
He stood up with complete confidence, as if to congratulate Isaac for getting a perfect score on an exam. Isaac had slowly begun to understand the weight of what he was agreeing to. He had killed all of Kleins family, so he must step up and raise Klein as his own to atone for the mistakes which he had made. Or so he thought. Throughout this entire debacle, there was one person which he had not asked about.
Isaac: "Heiman. Where's Heiman!?"
Gil: "About him..."