CHAPTER 100: THE ALPHA, DELTA, AND OMEGA
XENON WINGATE
10 DAYS AGO
I rest my back on the walls of the rocky cave full of magic crystals, trying to catch my breath. The lamps on the side gave shadow to my body and keep the darkness away. Being worked to the bone for twelve hours straight has certainly strained my body, and I feel that my muscles are overheating. I gasped on the little oxygen we had on this underground mine, trying to recover all the strength that I have lost.
How long has it been? Four? Five months? Surviving that long in this prison island, working as a slave to mine with nothing in return, and only barely eating small food rations, this is quite my achievement.
"Here. Drink this." A muscular man who coated himself with ragged clothing gave a bottle of water to me. This kind man in front of me is a dragonoid which has lifeless crimson eyes, maybe as lifeless as me. Even though he's been here for almost a year, I can see that he is still taking care of himself well.
"Thanks, Lothar," I muttered. Then I gulped all the water he gave me in one go. The water may be a little muddy, but this is the best quality of water we can get here. Mostly, we would often resort to drinking our own piss, or worse, we drink the piss of each other.
"Xenon…" Lothar talked to me with his worried look. "Why won't you break out, right here and right now? Your body is decaying. You barely have one month to live. You can attain freedom with your current powers."
I raised my wrist which was covered by some sort of rusty armbands. "I can't. We prisoners are equipped with Anti-magic Bracers, remember? As long as we have this armband, we can't use any magic."
"Yes, but you have a way to do it," Lothar said.
I was about to speak but then, four prison guards entered the scene. These merciless humans are experts in tormenting prisoners in this place, and I have tasted their fierceness two times already. They are looking at me with their cold glare, which means they are up to my third time. I stood up and welcomed them with a nod.
"Gwah!"
Suddenly, one of the prison guards made an uppercut to my stomach. I felt that my broken rib almost stabbed my intestine, and my stomach acids overflowed on my esophagus.
"Prisoner 626. Come with us." The two other prison guards pinned my hands on my back, while the others pushed me as they forced me to walk where they want to.
If I ever slowed down on walking, they would kick my spine or whip my legs, so I obediently followed them. I've learned that in this prison, being obedient is the key to survive. I have to eat my pride and act like a dog so that they would not treat me as harsh as the other prisoners who always resist.
They lead me out of the mine and we approached the penitentiary building. We walked past through torture cells and solitary rooms, so it was a surprise for me that these guards are not here to torment me. I have known the blueprint of this prison island, and judging from the ways we have walked past, we are certainly going to the warden's office.
The warden's office consists of two parts: the first part is a regular office where the warden is situated, and the second part is more of like a telephone booth that is used for prisoner guests. The room itself is divided by the bulletproof glass in order to keep the warden safe. There are radios and cameras on the prisoner area of this room, which means that the warden can freely converse with us and know what we are doing.
"Welcome, Prisoner 626." The fat warden of the prison island welcomed me while eating his jumbo burger. Soda sprinkles out from his mouth whenever he talked. It's been months since I last saw fast food, and it makes me hungry.
The fat warden stopped chomping his food and saluted with full loyalty to the one whom he serves himself to. Four dragon knight bodyguards appeared, and they are followed by a handsome man with golden blonde hair and saint-like eyes. The emperor of the whole world smiled at me with a friendly gaze.
"How are you, my friend?" Eldritch asked. "It's been five months since you've been imprisoned here. I'm concerned about your wellbeing."
I did not answer. I don't have much energy and time to play "make friends" with him. I just made a determined gaze at this bastard. I want to communicate with him using my eyes only, and I am silently telling him to sleep with his eyes open.
"Sadly, I am here to be the bearer of bad news," Eldritch said as he gave out an innocent smile. Suddenly, he raised his right hand, showed his delicate hand at me. He removed his current jewelry on his ring finger and replaced it with a new one that is coated with white-and-blue diamonds. "As my dear best friend, you deserve to know something about the person you loved the most."
My eyes opened wide in surprise as a maiden made her appearance. Wearing a white gown, her long black hair falls to her back. Her pinkish-white face, reddish cheeks, and natural red eyeshadows were the face I wanted to see the most for the past five months. It's Serena, and she is wearing a wedding gown. At first, she tried to avoid looking at me, but as seconds go on, she could finally grab the courage.
I can see an identical white-and-blue diamond ring on her hand. She's not wearing it. She's just holding it.
"Serena… why…" I muttered.
"I…" Serena held her heart. "...I'm sorry, Senpai. Eldritch told me about Oracle's Prophecy. He told me about the war to come. As the heir to the Dragon Queen, this is the best thing to do to save the planet… to save all humans and dragonoids."
"No! You said… you said that you will be with me… You said that you love me… remember!?"
I slammed on the bulletproof glass as I burst out. I'm in complete denial even though all these things about reality are just in front of my eyes. I know the prophecy. I know Eldritch's course of action. If he marries the dragon queen, his dream of truly uniting the whole world will be completed. Here it is, right in my very eyes. I cannot accept this!
But hearing Serena call me "Senpai" instead of my special nickname "Xen" made me realize that I have lost everything once again. Serena was my friend, family, honor, and love. Now that he's marrying the man I hated the most, all I can think of is wrath.
"Please understand, Senpai." Serena awkwardly bowed, completely avoiding contact with my enraged eyes. "If I become the Empress of the World, all dragonoids will be freed from slavery. My dream of giving happiness to all people will be fulfilled."
"Serena… Serena!" I cried out loud as I slammed on the glass dividing us. The four guards now took action as they grabbed me away from the transparent divider of this room. They punched me on my cheek, stomach, and even the nape of my neck, but I still struggle.
"You heard him, my friend." Eldritch made a smile of a maniac, his Eye of Deus looking down on me. "Serena has abandoned you. You have lost everything again. That's the price you have to pay for killing Cheng Du and Marisse."
"Serena! Serena!" I cried out loud as I ignored the bastard's intimidation. "You still love me, didn't you!"
Serena closed her eyes and tears went down, flowing on her cheeks. She muttered something that I could hear clearly.
"I'm sorry, Xenon. With Eldritch, I can become an Empress. With you, I can only become a slave. Eldritch freed my mother, and you... you can't even free me. For the last time, Xenon senpai… Please understand my feelings. I am going to do this in order to save the people… Please consider and understand me."
Hearing those words made me realize something. Something that I have realized a long time. This world… This world is full of betrayal. Necross Messiah is right. There is no justice on this planet. All humans… all dragonoids must die.
Eldritch, Serena…. They are all the same.
Humans, dragonoids… They are all the same.
I bowed down as my anger dissolves completely. The burns on my heart disappeared as I collect my thoughts. My eyes have now been deprived by the spirit as I had my whole existence focus on one thing.
Kill them all.
"Hahaha! You've heard your Serena, my best friend!" Eldritch laughed out loud. "Now go back to your cell and rot! I will not kill you as you are fated to die in one month anyway! Serena and I will pay a visit once our wedding ceremony is over! I bet you would like to see her in her true wedding dress! Hahaha!"
My head hung on my neck as I stared at the floor. Eldritch's words reached my ears but failed to reach my brain. Ever since he betrayed me, his hobby is to piss me off. Now that he has taken everything away from me, nothing will be of worth to be mad about.
I was delivered back to my cell in this blood penitentiary by the oppressive guards. Here in this windowless dirty room without bed and only hay as a resting place, the guards threw me like a ragdoll, my body slammed on the wall. Then the guards left laughing.
My roommate in this prison is my old friend. Lothar, Alder, and his dragonoid Emy. Alder and Emy are my fellow comrades during the Elysian raid. They were the dragon knight and dragon who got painfully defeated by the mind-controlled Alphonse. The poor cute Dragonoid Emy now has bandages all over her body thanks to the phosphorus poisoning. As of the dragon knight Alder, nothing has changed so much. He's still as noisy as ever.
"What did they do to you?" Alder asked.
I did not answer. I just focused on myself and my own blank thoughts. Alder repeated his question, but I just left him hanging. Lothar answered his question on my behalf as he leaned on the wall beside me.
"Eldritch and Serena are getting married. That's what I heard from the guards." Lothar said.
"That's horrible…" Emy muttered, covering her mouth with her bandaged hands.
Hearing those two names ignited the flames on my mind, heart, and soul. My brain functioned on a hundred percent as I stood up.
"Eldritch is here," I muttered, but loud enough for my comrades to hear. Lothar, Alder, and Emy followed me with their eyes as I went towards our broken mirror that is hanging on the other side of the cell. "Eldritch is here. Everything falls under the plan."
As I gaze upon the broken mirror, I had a kaleidoscope view on what monster I have become. On my right eye, is a crimson iris with black sclera. On my left, is an eye layered in rainbow colors. Both are blazing with hatred and wrath. My ears are now as pointy as a sword.
"I am the alpha, delta, and omega. I have the powers of a god, a demon, and an elemental, even though I'm just a mere human. The Eye of Deus, The Curse of Necross, and the Blessing of Elform is within my grasp."
I punched the mirror, letting the broken shards sink unto my fists. Blood flowed endlessly to the ground.
"Eldritch shall pay tonight!"