Jason:
Jason's heart pounded as he woke with a start, the echoes of the mysterious voice still ringing in his ears. "I am invincible. I am invincible." The words repeated, louder and clearer with each beat of his heart, filling him with an overwhelming sense of power. He could feel it surging through him—an electric force that coursed beneath his skin, making his eyes gleam with the crackle of lightning. His fingers twitched as if to summon it, as if to call the power to the surface.
Before he could process it, Piper's voice cut through the haze of his thoughts. "Jason, how are you feeling?" she asked, her voice soft but laced with worry. She sat beside him on the bed in the hotel room, her eyes scanning him, searching for any signs of distress.
Jason shook his head, trying to shake off the remnants of the strange, consuming sensation that had gripped him. His gaze flicked around the room, frantic, searching for something. "Piper, what happened to the enemies? What happened after I lost consciousness?" His voice was urgent, as if the answers were a matter of life and death. But more importantly, his eyes darted to the side, landing on a small object on the bedside table. The necklace.
Piper's expression grew somber, her face clouded with the weight of the events that had unfolded. "They're dead," she said quietly, her voice heavy with the toll of the violence. "A quarter of the city was destroyed by that person." Her words hung in the air, a reminder of the destruction that had been caused by forces beyond their control. She shuddered at the memory, her thoughts drifting back to the moment she'd passed by the impact site—the devastation, the cries of despair that still echoed in her mind.
Jason's hands clenched into fists, his jaw tightening. "Monster," he hissed, his tone cold and cutting. "Piper, it wasn't just an enemy. It was a monster." He corrected her, the gravity of what had transpired hitting him like a wave. His thoughts raced back to the confrontation, to the chilling moment when the true nature of the creature had been revealed. The thing had been hiding its true form, but Jason had seen it—the ugly, vile form that reeked of malice and evil. The memories flooded back, and his body reacted instinctively, a surge of power coursing through him as he recalled the fight.
His eyes narrowed, and his hand reached out, grabbing the cursed necklace from Piper's outstretched hand. "Where is it?" he asked, his voice tight. His fingers curled around the necklace, and he felt its dark power pulsating in his palm, the energy of it feeding into the depths of his mind.
Piper hesitated for a moment, her face filled with conflicted emotions. "Here," she murmured, placing the necklace in his hand. "Jason, do you really think that? Do you really feel no guilt for what just happened?" Her voice cracked with emotion, the weight of their actions pressing down on her. "We could have all been fine if you had just given it away. Why did you keep it? What is it, Jason? You went crazy using it."
Her words hit Jason like a slap to the face. He felt the guilt creeping in, but it wasn't enough to make him let go of the necklace. Not yet. "Piper, calm down," he said, his voice steady but firm. "I obviously feel bad for the losses, but this is a gift from my father. Do you understand how much worse it could have been if that monster had gotten it? He would've erased the whole city." His eyes narrowed, remembering the revelation of the creature's true form. "I couldn't let him take it. You couldn't see his real form, but I could. It reeked of evil. I had to act."
Jason's mind flashed back to the moment when Naruto had asked for the necklace, his true form unfurling like a nightmare before Jason's eyes. The surge of power had nearly consumed him, and he had acted out of instinct, out of necessity. There was no other choice. But now, as he looked at Piper's distraught expression, he felt a strange pull. He didn't want to hurt her, but the pull of the necklace's power was almost too strong to resist.
Without thinking, he pulled Piper into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips. The gesture was meant to calm her, to show her that he cared for her despite everything that had happened. She stiffened in his arms for a moment, but then her body relaxed, and she kissed him back. When they pulled away, Jason searched her eyes. "Feel better?"
Piper sighed, her expression still conflicted. "Somewhat," she said, though her voice was softer now. "But you shouldn't wear it, Jason. You were going crazy." She shook her head, standing up to walk toward the small kitchenette in the room. "I don't know what that thing is, but I don't want to see you like that again."
Jason watched her go, his heart pounding in his chest. The kiss had calmed her, but it hadn't erased the nagging feeling that lingered in the back of his mind. His eyes returned to the necklace, the cursed object that now sat in his palm, gleaming with dark energy. A smile tugged at his lips, though it was tinged with something darker. 'How can I let it go?' he thought, his mind racing with possibilities. 'This power... this is what I need. With it, I can gain anything I wish.'
The temptation was overwhelming. He knew that it wasn't the full extent of the necklace's power, and he wondered just how much stronger he could get. 'No more tragedies,' he thought. 'Only happiness. This is the answer. This is the way forward.'
Without another word, Jason placed the necklace around his neck, and instantly, his body flared with an intense, crimson lightning. The cursed object resonated with his very soul, drawing on the energy of the souls it had consumed. Jason's eyes burned with a fiery red glow as the power began to corrupt his mind, sharpening his desires and amplifying his sense of invincibility.
The storm within him grew stronger, the lightning flickering and flashing around him as his desires and instincts began to take over. The world outside seemed to fade away, and all that remained was the intoxicating power of the necklace. It was no longer just a tool—it was a part of him. And with it, he felt unstoppable.
'I am invincible,' Jason thought again, his mind completely consumed by the dark energy of the necklace. 'I will have everything I desire.'
Nothing would stand in his way now.
??:
The world had never been kind. Life had been a series of harsh battles, both physical and mental. She had endured the darkest corners of human cruelty, constantly subjected to abuse from those she once trusted. The whispers of worthlessness and failure echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of her supposed inadequacy. Every day had been a struggle, each breath a desperate plea for release. But through all the pain, one thought persisted: I wanted to die.
Yet, in that broken state, when she was on the edge of despair, he appeared.
The man who saved her not with strength, but with something deeper—his spirit. He was fragile, almost delicate in her eyes, but his resilience, the quiet strength that burned beneath his sorrow, drew her in. It was love at first sight, a love that was born not out of heroism or grand gestures, but from the purest form of admiration for his unwavering soul. She had never seen someone so broken yet so enduring. He became her light, the reason she dared to hope, to live.
When she found him again, alone and haunted by his own demons, she knew she had to be the one to help him. She wished to be the strength he lacked, the peace he so desperately needed. But fate, or perhaps something darker, prevented her from acting. The invisible chains held her back, keeping her from reaching out, from offering the comfort he deserved.
Still, she clung to the idea that maybe, just maybe, she could find courage. He had given her that—his quiet resilience had sparked something within her. But the constant abuse at home, the relentless accusations of failure and worthlessness, chipped away at her resolve. "Failure, failure, worthless trash." The words were like poison, seeping into her soul, convincing her of her own inadequacy.
She believed them.
And with that belief came the tears. Endless, uncontrollable sobs of frustration, of pain. She felt as if she could never escape the suffocating weight of her own self-loathing. But even through the haze of self-doubt and sadness, she saw him again.
There he was, sitting by the river, alone, his own pain so evident in the way his shoulders shook. He was crying. And she wanted to go to him, to hold him, to tell him it would be okay. But once again, the invisible chains bound her, and she couldn't move. She cursed, for the first time in her life. It felt dirty, unclean, but it was the only release she could find. She hated herself for not being able to act, for failing him again.
But she couldn't stop herself from caring, from loving him. He was human, just like her, fragile, broken, but so incredibly strong. If he could survive, then so could she. And maybe, just maybe, one day, they would stand together, side by side, facing the world together.
But the war... the war was too much. The pain and loss felt insurmountable. She knew her own limits, knew she couldn't have changed the outcome no matter how hard she tried. Here, in this dream world, the only thing she truly desired was to see him happy, to see him smiling genuinely, not the forced smiles or the empty ones, but the real one—the one that came from his heart after all the battles had been fought.
The illusion that surrounded her now, the world where everything she wished for was granted, was consuming. It was a world where her beloved smiled at her, where there was peace, but it was empty, shallow. She wasn't truly living in it; she was only existing, waiting, yearning for the outside world. She couldn't fully embrace the illusion, even if it seemed perfect.
"Beloved, please be careful," she whispered softly, her heart full of silent pleas for his safety. "Win like you always do. Your happiness is all I want, even if it's not with me."
And then, as if summoned by her thoughts, a voice broke through the silence, one that she could not ignore.
"Child, it is time for you to wake up. The world needs you."
The words, though gentle, carried a heavy weight. They were a call to action, a beckoning to return to the real world. The dream, the illusion, could not be her refuge forever. The world outside still needed her, and despite the pain, despite the fear and the doubt that weighed her down, it was time to face the truth.
With that thought, she stirred. The chains that bound her heart loosened, the illusion flickered and faded, and the world outside came back into focus.
It was time to act.
Alice:
She had always believed that life was a beautiful gift. Born from the wind, her essence was one with the breeze, her spirit soaring freely through the sky, dancing across endless meadows. Her life, once simple and joyful, was shared with her beloved, her darling, who had been her partner in all things. Together, they reveled in the serenity of the world, flying side by side, hearts intertwined in a shared dream of peace.
Their bond had been pure, and they had been chosen, as the winds had foretold, to serve on Mount Olympus. They thought they were meant for greatness, destined for something magnificent. They flew towards Olympus, blissfully unaware of the darkness waiting for them.
But Olympus was not the paradise they had imagined. Instead, the king, Zeus, saw her beauty and power, and with it, he decided to claim her. The brutal memory of that day would never leave her. He took her without consent, without mercy, while her darling, chained and helpless, was forced to witness the violation. She had begged and pleaded, crying for mercy, but the king, indifferent and cruel, only found amusement in her suffering. She had fought with every ounce of strength she could muster, hoping it would end, but nothing changed. Her darling, unable to bear the torment of being unable to protect her, took his own life, leaving her with an unbearable emptiness.
Once the king grew tired of her, she was discarded, tossed aside as though she were nothing more than a forgotten object. She wandered through life, broken and numb, her heart hollow, unable to feel or care. She thought she would never heal, but over time, she began to form a new family, finding new companions and little ones to care for. There was happiness, but it was fleeting. As much as she tried to live on, the scars of her past lingered, and every loss felt like another wound to her already battered soul.
But then, when hope seemed lost once again, he came. The chosen one of Gaia, a being of purity and light, unlike anything she had ever seen. His presence was like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm, and in his eyes, she saw the promise of a future, a possibility of happiness that she had almost forgotten existed. His beauty, his strength, and his light made her feel both awed and unworthy, but it was in his presence that she felt truly alive again. For the first time in a long while, she felt hope. She felt love blooming within her, something pure and untouched by the darkness of her past.
But fate, as it had always done, played its cruel joke. They took him away, separated them, just as they had before. Once again, she was alone, and the world had shattered her dreams. She was the wind of peace, a harbinger of calm and harmony, but now, with her heart broken and her spirit fractured, she had become something else. The wind had turned darker, colder.
She would no longer be the gentle breeze of peace; she would be the wind of death, the force that would destroy anyone who dared stand in her way, anyone who tried to keep her from reaching her darling. She would harvest their lives, leaving nothing behind but the whispers of those who had fallen to her wrath.
She had loved once, and she would never forget it. But now, her love would become her weapon, her vengeance, and she would not stop until the world paid for its cruelty.