The Mark of a Binded Soul.
All this time I'd been using it, and yet I still hadn't tapped onto its full potential. It was a mark which symbolised the lost in a person's humanity, and yet here I was, allowing it to consume me.
"So... Care to share a dance with me?" I could hear the Reaper's voice inside my head.
At first, I wanted to say no, but the situation dictated me to give a different answer. It was just waiting for me to say it.
"Please..."
In a split of second, everything burnt into flames. And by that, I meant quite literally everything. From my arm to my legs, all of them suddenly felt as if they were being burnt alive as my skin began to turn a dark shade of red. Hell, it looked as if the skin on my whole body was being peeled, revealing something otherworldly underneath.
This was the Reaper's true Authority. This was his true power manifested onto my mortal body.
Groaning heavily, I fought against the pain and watched as steam began to flood my vision. Every single part of my body was now burning with energy, and this translated onto the amount of water that was being thrown out of the window.
I looked down at my two arms, and sure enough, they looked nowhere near as similar to one another.
My right arm had been plagued by the presence of an even more vivid Mark, spreading its reach onto the very end of my shoulder. The thing was growing brightly, and with it, I knew I was in for a fight.
However, what was even more jarring than this was the condition of my left arm. No longer did it look like my left arm, but it had now transformed onto what seemingly was a black lump of muscle. It was charred and not even a single bit of it I could feel. Hell, even moving the whole thing, it just felt off.
In short, I had already lost my left arm.
However, there was some good news that came along with this. At least now, I no longer had to worry about injuring my left arm anymore.
In fact, I didn't have to worry about any of my injuries for the time being! I couldn't even feel nor sense any of them!
"Oh, here we go," I muttered in excitement, grinning from ear to ear.
Turning around, I finally got back onto my feet and faced the surprised-and-yet-highly-cautious man. Although I had just been beaten by him to a pulp moments ago, it was crazy just how much a minute could do for you.
"What are you!?" The man, still holding my hockey stick, let out after seeing my new form.
"I'm Rain," I said simply.
This was all I needed to say before everything was finally set into motion.
In a blink of an eye, I was already right underneath the guy, just inches away from delivering a solid uppercut straight to his jaw.
Unfortunately, I was one single tempo too late.
Jumping out of the way just in time, the man followed up quickly with his own set of attacks. They were all very predictable in a way I didn't have to think much when going against them, but I did take some caution to make sure I didn't make one single misstep.
Come on, I thought urgently to myself. Just give me my damn stick back!
I continued to dodge the advances of the man, and although it didn't tax on me as badly as it would have normally, I didn't want to waste anymore time.
With the sudden burst of speed that of a cheetah, I came once again face-to-face with the guy.
Pulling my right fist as far back as I possibly could, I let out one giant swing straight towards the man's face.
He instinctively put up his hands to block it.
Bad move.
This was already something that I had predicted, and so I switched onto my left leg in mid-motion to deliver the true meat of the attack. I did it so seamlessly, it almost felt like I was watching a movie...
This, he did not expect.
With a resounding crack, I kicked the man straight across the whole room itself. Thankfully, with this, my hockey stick had also been set free, flung to another corner.
It was only now that I was able to fully see what the room I was in was like.
The kitchen, that was where we were. Rows and rows of tables decorated the place, and in each of them, there were countless of things one could use as a weapon. Cutleries, pans and maybe a bit of food... Taking one of the knives closest to me, I approached the guy with caution.
Out of nowhere, from behind me, out came the sound of a gunshot.
Shit. He's here.
Turning around just in time to dodge the shot, I saw--exactly like I had expected--four-eyes standing at the door with his shotgun fully aimed at me.
"I have no idea what the hell happened to you, brat," he said through gritted teeth. "But I sure as hell ain't letting you get away from us anymore!"
With this, he continued to shoot.
One shot. Two shot. Three shot.
I continued to dodge them all relatively easily, although this surely did give me something more to concern myself with. Not wanting to make a huge hassle, I decided midjump to change my approach. This time, four-eyes was my target. No matter what, that shotgun of his needed to take a hike!
As if to respond that it liked this plan, the Mark once again grew bright. My body, still burning from before, became even more riled up with this, heart pumping as much blood as it possibly could.
Still, I didn't lose the presence of mind to dodge every single thing that came towards my way.
Thankfully though, as soon as I reached the last table, I was able to just easily vault straight over it as I grabbed one of the more smaller knives.
Rolled. Landed on the ground, I let the small knife fly and watched as it landed straight on four-eyes shoulder.
"Agghhh!" Four-eyes screamed in pain.
I was just about to continue this set of attacks when I realised the appearance of a growing shadow from right behind me... Oh wait.
Dodging straight out of the way, I returned property-stealer here a taste of his own medicine. Using the other knife I'd taken earlier, I stabbed him right on the left arm and pierced it as deep as I possibly could. With this, the grip he had on my hockey stick was immediately loosened, and he could only whimper in pain as blood began pouring.
Seeing such an appetizing sight, I quickly returned the favour twicefold with a kick straight to the man's face just before dodging another bullet.
Hey, these people were tougher than I'd thought!
I continued to hide myself behind the tables and waited for the shooting to stop. Even with the toughness that he liked to showcase, I knew four-eyes could not shoot like he used to. Nobody in this world could shoot the same if you take out their arms. Nobody!
"Come on, come on," I muttered to myself.
I tried looking around for any reflective surfaces but found none. It was surely frustrating to see, but what could I do? Continue to whine about it? Bah! That was only what the kid would do! I'm the Rea-!
BANG!
A bullet almost managed to graze my cheek. It all happened so quickly that the only thing my mind could tell me to do was to roll out of the way.
And what a right move that was.
It turned out that four-eyes did indeed have something up his sleeves. Or to be more precise, a small handgun.
Nice, he still pertains his status as being an annoyance, I thought to myself.
BANG!
Although it was clear that the range wasn't as long as the shotgun from before, the sheer power of the thing definitely made me careful of it. I had just let go of my two weapons, and was now left defenseless. In the first place, I had no long-ranged weapon in the first place, so now would be an even idiotic time to charge in mindlessly. Even with the full Authority of the Reaper on my side, there would be no point of it if my body was to be riddled by bullets.
Clang. Twak. Twang
These series of sounds suddenly graced my humble ears, as I tried to figure out what it was. It only just dawned on me that it was footsteps when I saw the looming figure right above me.
Not again...
This time, I opted not to dodge and took on the man with my arms fully opened.
"Come here, buddy!" I yelled out.
Just before he managed to hit me with a drop-knee, I took him by the arm and slammed him straight onto the floor. The impact of the collision was so huge that it caused the whole man's body to be rebounded off the ground. Using this to my advantage, I grabbed onto the staggered man's legs and pulled him towards me. All this only to bring him back up again and slam him onto the table right next to us.
BANG!
Oh right, there was still four-eyes out there. Hey, look at that, you thought I wouldn't notice you getting closer and closer, you slimy bastard!
Taking from the now unconscious one's hand, I grabbed my hockey stick and went on to pursue four-eyes. Finally, it was back in rightful arms! Oh, how I missed it!
"Don't think you're escaping anywhere," I shouted out in glee.
Just like anybody sane would've ever done in such a predicament, poor four-eyes here sprayed out lead in a frenzy. Unfortunately for him, his luck wasn't better than mine either.
Taking my hockey stick close to my face, I sliced through every single bullet which came close to hitting me.
Surprise, surprise, this wasn't your usual hockey stick!
By the time that he realised this, it was already too late. Abandoning the gun, he was finally forced to resort to his physical prowess.
Sadly, just like his pitiful appearance suggested, his mastery of the form of firearm did not translate well to his fists. That, and the fact I got a melee weapon all for myself.
"You're wide open, buddy!"
Before he could even say a thing, I swung my hockey stick with as much force as I could possibly muster. With a both satisfying and gruesome spluttering sound, I bashed the man's head until all red came out.
Oh, how puny a human life was in the grand scale of things.
The body of four-eyes fell down onto the ground without a second delay, and what had been a living, breathing person seconds ago was now nothing but a pool of blood.
"Now, that's more like it."
Taking the small handgun from the dead man's clutches, I took some time to collect my bounty. Blood bullets, and with the finest quality as well.
You know what they say: the fresher it is, the better.
Once that was completely out of the way, I loaded the handgun with some of the blood bullets. It was time to finish the job, and get the whole show rolling.
"Now, finish it, Rain."
But before I could even turn around, I felt a cold sensation suddenly spread its way through my left shoulder. As I slowly turned around, the sight that greeted me was not one I was unfamiliar with.
I saw the reflection of my face from the gleam of steelware, and where the knife had pierced my skin, I saw blood seeping through my clothes.
I had been stabbed. Oh, how tragic.
"You think you can kill me by something so petty?" I asked the culprit. "Your name's Dallas, wasn't it?"
I finally managed to look back and indeed there he was. Standing like he was the most righteous man in the world. Love breeded hate, but hate never breeded love. It was such a pitiful cycle, that I couldn't fathom why you humans loved the concept of "love" so much.
Boohoo, you killed my loved ones now I shall kill you to satisfy my selfish desires!
Bunch of mindless fools, the lot of you.
"I'll kill you," I could hear mutterings coming from Dallas' mouth. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
BANG!
With just a pull of a trigger, he was no more. Gone was his head, and gone too was his mouth; I didn't even bother to turn around. It was a messy sight, but by the end of it all, all was still and silent.
Embraced once more by this feeling of placidity, I was just about to revert back to normal when I heard the sound of breathing coming from behind me.
Absolutely unbelievable.
I had missed. Surely, that was the only way he could possibly still be standing.
I finally looked back behind me and surely there he was. I had missed. Badly too, hitting only his left shoulder which was now completely gone from existence. It seemed the arrogance building up within me throughout the course of this whole battle had finally gotten itself a place to call home.
And yet, I was not the slightest bit amused.
In less than a blink of an eye, I was already on the man, hitting his face with a barrage of my own punches. I took him down to the ground, and did not stop for anything.
I was pissed, and this was the only way I knew how to face it.
One punch, two, three. I kept on going and going and going. Blood filled my hands, and hatred filled my soul. I hated these people's guts, I hated it so badly. I was tired, bloody and dreadful. I wanted nothing more but to just get this whole thing done... Die! Die! DIE--!
I punched the man's face harder and harder until he could only let out a gasping sound from underneath his already destroyed face. Only blood was left to be seen now, and even this did not satisfy me.
"Please..." I could hear a faint pleading voice from somewhere behind all those red.
I didn't care.
WHAM!
I drove my fist yet again, delivering the final blow.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Wait... why was I not stopping!
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
That was more than enough! Stop it!!
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM--
It was at this last hit that the dead man's head cracked underneath the pressure, revealing what was inside it.
...
...
What in the actual fuck...
Reaper, what IN THE ACTUAL FUCK!
"UAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" I screamed out loud into the void, seeing the result of my actions.
I didn't want this. I could've just shot him and be done with it. Why the HELL would I even do something as pointless as this! I couldn't even look at my own two hands without feeling disgust.
Was this the price of letting myself fully go to the other side? Was this the real me underneath all the facade?
The Mark was slowly disappearing, but my left hand remained ever the same. I wasn't sure, but it felt like I'd lost two things at the same time that day. What exactly were they? Even I, myself, could not tell you.
I felt lost. I truly did.
Was I losing my humanity? What exactly was I just now? Why did I feel so different then? Why..?
And yet the Reaper did not come back that day to give me an answer, leaving me all alone with the silence and the madness that came along with it.
And so, as the blood of my slain enemies dried, the numbness of the silence began to bring me into its embrace.
And within its embrace, I stayed.
For all I care, I was already in Hell.