Parts of her flesh were singed black; complex scars traced her entire body and it was covered in blood. He lifted her back off the ground, pressing his finger against her arm. "Dammit, Falina! Open your eyes!"
He waited. For anything. But all he got was silence in return.
Her skin was cold to the touch, lacking any trace of life.
"This can't be real... Wake up, dammit!" He shook her repeatedly. Irva observed nearby, resting her hand on her cast as his eyes began to water. He was prepared for the worst, but to see it in person was a burden in itself.
The Tank is capable of crying?
Hezekiah once again scanned her body, tightening his grip around her. All this blood — they had no interest in giving her a quick death. Since that's the case...
"Irva." Hezekiah turned toward her; her skin crawled after meeting his eyes. Even back when he was trying to kill her, they never looked so empty. "Wake Ghiza up. That bastard will be the first—" A hand rested on his cheek.
"What a baby." A soft voice followed.
Hezekiah turned again; his lips trembled, words failing to form. Despite it being only a day to find her, it couldn't be described as anything other than a treacherous marathon. From fighting members of his organization to facing off creatures that should only exist in legends, it's a miracle he even made it in time.
"Now that's a look I never thought I'd see. Where's the stone-cold Tank everyone likes to—Ow!! Let go, idiot!"
Hezekiah wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Shut up. I don't want to hear that from someone who betrayed the organization for personal entertainment!"
"She's here... just like that?" Irva whispered. There's not a single Huska tool she knows of that's capable of teleporting someone. Carefully approaching the two of them, she studied the wounds over Falina's body. "Are you trying to worsen her injuries?"
Hezekiah breathed a steady breath, wiping his eyes. "You don't know the half I've been through to reach her."
Falina gently patted his back, frowning after noticing Irva. "Who would've thought the first people I'd see would be you two together? Has the Head's most prized possession gone rogue?"
"Most prized?" She muttered before exchanging glances with Hezekiah. Are you that afraid of letting your sister know you're behind this? What's the benefit of keeping your abilities a secret from her? Coward.
"None of that's important. Furthermore, you don't seem shocked about why you're here all of a sudden."
"How should I react when I wake up in a strange place?" Falina peeked behind Irva, realizing Ghiza was passed out on the ground. "But my curiosity yearns to learn our interesting situation."
Irva narrowed her sights on her, taking another glance at the rules sheet. Her wounds were deep and her physical condition was deteriorating; yet why did she appear calm?
"You couldn't possibly have been aslee—"
"It's a long story." Hezekiah interrupted and withdrew a few healing cards. "But it's thanks to Irva that we're able to save you."
Although he was relieved to see his sister and was also seeking answers, now wasn't the time for questioning. He placed a few healing cards around her stomach; an ethereal green light followed afterwards.
What's he doing with Cevine's Huska tool? And he's using them as if he's been acquainted with them for a while now. Falina's focus lingered on the healing effect for a bit before she noticed the metallic layer on one of his eyes.
The X-lens I created is in your possession too? Was Irva responsible for this as well?
"That's surprisingly nice of her, but why are you here? Ghiza informed me of your death a couple weeks back."
"I thought you of all people would know how resilient I am." He smiled, nodding to Irva for her next step.
Falina chuckled. "Nah, I was so sure they wasted you!"
Hezekiah's expression soured, rising to his feet as Irva walked past him.
"Would it kill you to be a little bit sympathetic?" he voiced.
"Enough, you two. Ms. Avayah, take my hand. Waiting any longer may give the Inner Circle enough time to find us."
"I doubt Morianna and the rest would be a real threat. If you're capable of teleportation, then you're now one of them as well. Am I wrong?"
Hezekiah tensed his arms. So she does know about Abnas? I don't get it... Why wasn't she telling me anything?
"It's frustrating to understand it myself." Irva grabbed Falina's hand, gently helping her up. "In fact, this sucks. The whole thing pisses me off... Honestly, COULDN'T THE BOTH OF YOU HAVE JUST DIED!!"
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Hezekiah's fingers twitched, almost summoning the pen and killing Irva on the spot. Mental outburst or not, I'll be damn sure you don't mouth off again.
"I know, right!? I swear, I thought being impaled by Ghiza's needles would be a more thrilling experience; I was so over it on my second day in."
"Can't you just shut up!? I swear you two are cut from the same braindead cloth!" She tightened her grip around Falina's wounded hand, yet her facial features remained constant.
"But you're sickening to look at. During Ghiza's interrogation of you, he told me YOUR selfish desires got your brother killed. Don't you have a single remorseful bone in your body?"
"Irva, quit talking like—"
"My god, were you always this delusional?" Falina rolled her eyes as if she were listening to a toddler. "Why apologize for something he chose to do? If anything, it's laughably dumb to save someone who keeps putting themselves in danger."
Irva's eyes spiked wide in disbelief. She glanced over at Hezekiah, who shook his head like it was pointless to convince her.
"If tragedy is what she follows, then it's natural for me to grant it." A voice announced.
The light in the room suddenly darkened; its temperature dropped. The three of them watched the lights flicker as a forceful wind blew through the hallway they were in.
"This feeling..." Hezekiah paused. Black tails of smoke appeared out of thin air, quickly taking shape before Irva and Falina. Red eyes manifested, along with a woman in a white gown.
"Shit! Irva, get Falina out of here!!"
Irva, stunned by the sudden appearance, instinctively used her telekinesis on the figure, forcing it down the hallway.
"What in tarnation!? Is she part of the Organization?" Irva said as the figure vanished. Black tendrils rose from the floor; some were protruding from the walls.
"This is quite remarkable. She's similar to you, Irva." Falina commented, flexing her wrists.
"Wha—what's that supposed to mean?"
"I can't believe you're asking that. Oh above you."
One of the black tendrils shot forth from the ceiling; Irva stopped it with her telekinesis. Another tendril twitched before Falina's feet, spiking toward her abdomen.
Falina turned aside in the nick of time, though a piece of fabric was torn off.
"Resisting? What shallow resolve. Nevertheless, your life will be sufficient to pay for your brother's debt."
"Keep her out of this, Elaine! Falina, if you jump I'll promise you'll reach safety. And don't argue!!" Hezekiah demanded.
"Ummm—what are you talking about? And You can't expect me to leave now. What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time? DETAILS, PLEASE!"
"ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID!? IRVA, GIVE YOURSELF A DEEP CUT SO BOTH OF YOU CAN LEAVE. TAKE HER BY FORCE IF YOU HAVE TO!"
It's no use. Falina has to jump of her own will for the rule to take effect. I can tolerate recklessness, but a suicidal idiot?
Irva already found herself reacting to his commands. A wall immediately collapsed beside her, creating a pathway to the outside after destroying many rooms.
"Aughh!" She yelped after making a small cut in one of her organs. "Damn you, Hezekiah..." She lifted Falina and herself in the air.
"Oh, come on, don't be a buzzkill. It's wrong to take others somewhere without their consent, you know." Falina crossed her arms.
Hezekiah picked out a red-edged card. Shit! I wasn't expecting Elaine to make her move this quickly!
Several tendrils launched themselves at the duo; most were halted in their tracks, however two managed to pierce Irva's thigh. "Gnats!!"
Cards flew through the air and severed the two tendrils. Blood sprayed from her wounds as a sense of weakness overcame her. Her surroundings began to spin as her focus dwindled. No way... That may have worsened the cancer symptoms.
"IRVA, PAY ATTENTION!!"
A shadow sprung from the ground; its bright red eyes locked directly onto Irva's. "Only one pair of eyes need to see what happens next."
Before Irva could respond, Elaine slashed across her face with her nails. A deafening scream escaped her throat as colors blended together, obscuring her vision.
They immediately dropped to the ground. Blood dripped from Irva's eyelids as she moaned and clawed at the floor.
"Do you regret not putting me asleep immediately? Don't fault yourself. It's normal to act rashly when forced to make haste. But it's doubtful you can amend your mistake now."
Her attention pivoted to Falina, who was steadily crawling backward.
"No point in escaping. I'm only fulfilling what the Host should be burdened with!"
She leaped in the air, dodging several cards that Hezekiah threw. "Don't ever expect to unite with your husband and daughter if you continue!!"
Elaine's feet landed on the ceiling; she drew the knife from her pregnant stomach, flashed a small smile, then snapped her fingers.
Pitch darkness enveloped the entire area; not even the sunlight was able to penetrate through. All that was left were the beady red eyes and her white smile that bled through the void. The X-lens that had no issues seeing through the dark, was even rendered useless by this fabricated darkness of hers.
Silence overshadowed the wide hallway, killing the blaring alarm noise.
"Observe all your efforts return to nothing, and feel the weight of the souls you afflicted with the same torment."
Her dimly lit figure dissipated entirely, but before Hezekiah could warn his sister, her piercing screams assaulted his eardrums.
"Falina!!" He bolted, nearly tripping over his feet, hearing flesh being ripped apart.
"Hezekiah!, don't—"
His stomach shot into agony; a metallic scent ascended up his nostrils.
He couldn't see, but he knew what had just happened.
"That's very fitting. You look better being impaled, Hezekiah. Now listen intently to the screams of your sister, as she suffers a painful death from the hands of your creation."
The room began to brighten. Irva lay huddled on the ground beside him, still recovering from her loss of sight and injuries.
Not too far away from them was Falina, with several pieces of flesh skewered on tendrils. Some organs were exposed, bleeding from lacerations.
"You sick fuck... WHY DON'T YOU COME AFTER ME INSTEAD!"
The air heated around his fingertips, but before he could summon the pen, tendrils shot from the ceiling and penetrated both his hands. He bit his tongue as he stifled his scream.
"Now that was close, but I'll play with you last after I thoroughly dismember her. How could I live with myself if I don't fulfill my promise to you?"
Her smile widened. "If you don't watch, then her turn may last longer than expected." Elaine jabbed the knife deep into her kidneys.
Falina's eyes turned bloodshot; she vomited blood after screaming another wave. Sweat raced down her cheeks, her eyes drifting over to Hezekiah. "Isn't this ironic... who would've guessed your problems would end up getting me killed," she weakly stated.
She plunged the knife again and again into her abdomen. Surges of satisfaction tickled Elaine each time Falina choked on blood. And there was no joy better than turning around and seeing her master's heart be crushed right before her eyes.
"Just stop it already..."
Elaine held the blade against Falina's forearm. "I recall she sought a daring thrill, something she couldn't get from Ghiza... right, that was his name." With swiftness, she cut a huge chunk of meat off, staining her gown.
Falina's entire frame squirmed, eyes watering.
"She was obviously lying!"
"What a common trait you two share." With one smooth motion, Elaine severed both her arms. Blood spurted from the stumps as Falina's head slumped over.
"No!!!" Hezekiah violently shook, worsening his wounds as he failed to break free.
"Don't get too excited. It's only loss of consciousness. But I suppose your reaction is adequate for now."
With a flick of her knife, Falina's head plummeted against the floor, rolling, before it bumped against Hezekiah's leg.