It felt so real!
So damn real!
And, then he saw the same hand pulling the sword out ruthlessly, resulting in gushing out of more blood.
Jax could actually feel the warm blood that splashed unto him for a second time, mixing with the cold yet stabbing rain drops that were now falling rapidly.
The falling rain made it hard for him to see the girl's reaction when he stabbed her. But, he was sure that she didn't scream from the pain.
Not a single whimper left her tightly clamped lips.
The blood flowing out of her heart soon mixed with the water below her feet, forming a small red pool.
That was the last thing that he saw before everything turned dark and it took him about two minutes to open his eyes again.
He was so shocked that he couldn't believe that it was just a small trip down a weird memory lane.
He knew that was what going to happen. He anticipated that he was going to kill the girl in the memory as he thought that was what Nexus wanted to show him.
However, knowing what was going to happen, still didn't fail to leave him baffled and speechless.
Because it felt so damn real to him and not just a mere memory that had been manipulated by this weird and stupid system in his head.
Nexus might be able to make him see or listen to whatever it wanted him to. But, it was not possible for it to make him feel anything physical. Right?
He clearly felt when the warm blood touched his face. It was as if he were actually standing there while stabbing her mercilessly.
As if it were his own memory...
Following that thought, came several doubts that made him question his understanding on his own memory bank.
Do these memories really belong to him?
If they were, he really killed people before?
He was not sure about the people that died in the other images, but he knew in his heart that something was definitely wrong with the memory about the girl's death.
He couldn't get rid of the look in the girl's eyes which stared at him with some unexplainable glint in her eyes before the 'Jax' in the memory killed her.
Was he really the one who killed her?
[Is that even a question? I clearly showed you what you have done to her.]
As usual, Nexus' over excited voice rang in his ears, screaming and confirming his self debate, without being asked first.
Jax could even sense the light traces of exasperation in its speech, as if it were a teacher who was reprimanding a naughty student that wouldn't stop asking the same question over and over again.
Jax felt like denying its claims immediately. But, Nexus once again interrupted his thoughts.
[Enough with your time wasting skills. Do you want to die so badly?]
Nexus started scolding him. Its voice was really filled with exasperation. Like it was fed up with Jax's stubbornness.
'Are you cursing me? Who wants to die here?'
Jax mentally shouted back at the system in an equally exasperated voice.
[If you don't want to die, then kill that creep A. S. A. P.]
Nexus gave him the ultimatum.
'What did his death have to do with mine?'
Jax fired back in annoyance.
[Didn't I mention it earlier? You will die if you didn't finish your task in time.]
Nexus reminded him 'generously.'
And, as if backing up its words, fatigue overwhelmed his entire body as a bone crushing pain shot through his spine.
F*ck!
Jax cursed loudly at the gut wrenching pain that engulfed his being within seconds.
[Oh no! You only have five minutes left.]
Suddenly, Nexus started shouting hurriedly.
"For what?"
Jax barked back through gritted teeth.
Hearing him curse and barking in pain, immediately alerted the two mysterious men who had been forgotten by both of them all this while.
They immediately ran toward him, asking what was wrong with him.
However, he was in no position to answer or spare them a thought.
Pain made him grit his molars so hard that made the two men before him stare at him dumbfoundedly for a moment.
[To take his life or pay with yours.]
Nexus answered in a matter of fact tone.
'Why?'
Jax inquired mentally.
[Those are the rules.]
'F*ck with the rules! I don't want to kill people.'
[I didn't ask you to kill all the people in the world.]
Nexus dismissed nonchalantly.
'Killing one and a bunch doesn't make any difference.'
[That was what I'm saying. You killed people before. So its not a big deal to kill a few more.]
Nexus declared with a hint of righteousness to its kid on high sugar voice and Jax didn't have a suitable reply for it.
If Nexus said this before, he would have denied it vehemently, but when he recalled the girl's eyes, he didn't know what to believe for sure anymore.
While he was still struggling internally, he saw a gun appearing in front of his eyes.
Holding the gun was the hand of the more buoyant man, silently asking the young man to take hold of it with his eyes.
Jax looked at him with a puzzled look over his pained expression.
Jax couldn't understand why the man was giving him a gun so suddenly.
[To kill your target of course.]
Nexus provided an answer yet again. Of course, in a matter of fact tone.
"You have to kill him now."
This time, it was the ignorant man who talked to him before taking the gun from his partner and shoving it in the youth's hands.
With pain messing up all his senses while their persuasion meddling with his judgement, Jax was forced to look at Marco who was now lying motionlessly on the ground.
It was inevitable that it was impossible for the fat guy to put up a fight or make a protest even if he were to be shot now.
Just like the girl from his memory who wasn't even able to dodge his attack.
Jax then saw blood flowing form beneath the fat guard's body.
And then he noticed his hand that was pointing the gun at Marco.
What in the world did he just do?!!