"What are you doing?!" Zoi asked her yelling. Faia removed her masked and looked a Zoi directly to his eyes.
"Didn't you hear me, woman?! I'm gonna ki--." Faia suddenly appeared beside Adlai. Everyone was taken aback especially Adlai."Wha---." He wasn't able to finished what he was about to say when an elbow landed on his face that sent him flying.
A loud bang was created when he clashed with the tree. His body slid down the trunk that made
him barely conscious.
Faia and Zoi looked at each other in the eyes.
"What are you planning to do?" Zoi whispered. Faia gave away a faint smile.
"I wish I could look at everyone without my mask on." She said.
"What are you saying?" Zoi asked again anxiously. He knows she's planning something. Something he didn't like.
"Let's just end it." She said.
"And why would I do that? Why would I kill you?" Zoi asked her, his face looking serious.
"Can you read my mind?" she asked nonchalantly.
"No. But I can feel and hear it. And I don't know why! But I won't do it. Never!!" Zoi said angrily and got back on his feet.
"You're bleeding." she said sadly. "Because of me."
"Why are you saying that it is always your fault that everything happened?!" said Zoi irritably.
"Because it is. Everything happened because I'm with you. I bring nothing but misfortune."
"Shut up!" Zoi growled.
"If you had not saved me that time, I could have not stayed in your place, they should've not come after me, they should have not find you, you should've not---."
"I said shut up!" Zoi shouted and it echoed across the place.
The wind whistles as if it is breaking the silence. Faia looked down on the ground with sad eyes.
"Why are you blaming yourself? It's me who decided to save you! It's me who decided to took you in! It's me who decided to came here and save you! It is me who did all these things! Don't make it sound that you have regretted that I've saved you and took you in! It's as if you've regretted meeting everyone!" he snarled at her while simultaneously pointing to himself and to her.
"It's not that I---."
"Listen here you little shhhh--- whatever! Listen here, I did not regretted anything I did! And that includes saving you! Even if I have to save you again and again, I won't regret anything." He said slowly calmed down.
"Why are you so enthusiastic of saving me?" she asked reluctantly.
"That's not even a question. People need reasons to kill but no one needs a reason to save someone. And besides….." he looked at Faia and grinned then he patted on her head.
"I know what it feels to be alone."
That was the most heart warming and genuine smile she had ever receive. She suddenly found herself in a green, warm, and peaceful place just by looking at him. It's as if everything else around them didn't matter. It is just her and him. She responded with a sheepish smile and suddenly felt weird in her eyes. She's close to crying. It is not sadness but rather gladness for the comfort and kindness she felt from him.
"So, let's go?" Zoi said and stretched out her arms to her. "Let's go back to everyo----."
She was about to reach out to his hand when suddenly,Zoi looked ill. The earlier green, warm, and peaceful place was enshroud with bloody red and tension. Zoi was struck by a scythe on his neck slanting down to his chest. His eyes widened with horror, surprise and pain. He fell down to the ground and coughed blood and he was breathing heavily.
"Zoi!" Faia let out a loud and piercing cry. She knelt down to Zoi trying to shake him but he didn't respond.
She felt so ashamed and remorseful towards herself. She did not even notice that tears are already raining down her cheek. She tried to talk but all she could do was to scream. She's shaking with anger as well as rueful.
"That's right! Cry in grief for your bereaved loved ones! That's is such a magnificent music to my ears! Come on! Cry some more! I want to hear more of it!" suddenly, in the place where Adlai was thrown, an evil vicious voice talked. It laughed hysterically and it was so ugly to hear. Faia isn't sure who was the owner of the voice but she got an idea but she doesn't know how did it became like that.
The ruins fell that created smoke that blocked their view from having a clearer view of the person. Few moments passed and they can see a shadow. If she's to describe the built, it is definitely Adlai. But how? Even General Rupert who was just standing away from them could not comprehend what is happening. Faia looked closely at the figure. It is really smoky. Suddenly, she noticed a sway of blade. Just in time she was able to grabbed Zoi's unconscious body and landed on General Rupert's side. He didn't notice but he can really say that's incredibly fast. He slowly turned to face Faia.
"Stop! Don't look at me! You'll die. Just bring Zoi to a safe place. You think you can do that?" she said eagerly.
"Of course I can." Rupert replied. "Do you plan on taking on that monster?" he asked.
The smoke cleared and they've seen something unbelievable. They are certain that it is Adlai but his appearance somehow changed. His hair had gotten longer and his nails are long and sharp. His face was drawn with tattoo on the sides and his eyes is the scariest part of all. It doesn't have its pupils and it's all black. He grinned heinously and holding a two scythe that is connected by a chain. He was laughing as if he finds everything amusing.
"W-W-What happened to him?" Faia stuttered.
"Most probably taken by the void." Rupert replied.
"What's the void?" she asked.
"There's no time to explain but all I can say is it's a bad news. Are you sure you're gonna fight that? The odds are against you."
"Do you have anything in mind?" she asked Rupert.
"No, not really." Rupert replied honestly.
"Then there's no other way but to fight him even if it means killing him. The water dome that protected the people had vanished. Maybe because the caster is already unconscious." She said.
The way she talked made it unbelievable to Rupert. It is far from what he have heard that this girl is ignorant. He doesn't see any ignorance in her.
"Well then, I'm off." Rupert bid goodbye to her.
Adlai whose body was said to be taken over by the void headed towards the people. The people were clueless from what is happening. They were worried about how devastated the place was and failed to notice the presence of the evil prince. Adlai threw one of his scythe to the bulk of people taking the lives of the many. The others shrieked, screamed and panicked and started running away. Even with much distance, he severed already many. The wind created by the blade itself could already be for a normal person.
Adlai was playing on the chains of his scythe swaying the other scythe in circles and laughing hysterically. He was about to attack again when he was kicked in the face by Faia. He barely kept his balance but Faia didn't stopped there. She revolved once again and landed another kick on his face followed by a blow on the top of his head.
Adlai's reflexes however, was beyond their imagination. He's falling down to the ground but still managed to swing the other scythe to Faia. Faia dodged the scythe by bending backward and jumping off from Adlai. She already dodged it but some strands of her long hair still caught up and was cut. She slid on her feet backward trying to regain momentum.
"What is this? Why are you able to fight me, human?" Adlai asked slowly standing up.
"Human? Who are you?!" she asked but he only laughed.
"Do you really think that I'll be telling you just because you asked?! Well, let me tell you I am Theist! The void of God!" in the end he did told her who he was. "This human, asked for power so I just granted it! And I did the right thing because I will be able to fight someone like you!" the voice speak and let out an eerie laugh.
Suddenly Faia realized. She's not wearing her mask! So how come that her eyes didn't affected him. It's not really that hard to answer. She's not able to looked at him directly. Everytime she tried to look him in they eye, she felt a sudden chill down her spine. It is so cold at the same time as if she is being drowned. She finds it difficult to breath. Just looking at him feels like she's being watched from every corner by an enormous monster with coldblooded eyes and murderous intent. The pressure is so heavy like the dark aura that shrouded Adlai's body.
"You know what this guy said? He's jealous of his brother! Isn't that alluring?! Just thinking about jealousy and hidden desires of people turns me on! Now, let's fight some more! Let me hear you scream and beg for your life!" the voice said with a malicious tone.
Faia mentally slapped herself and told herself that this is not the time to be scared. Adlai charged at her but she was able to back away quickly. But he was way faster. Before she could even land on her feet, he already appeared behind her. When she got her feet on the ground, she folded her knees in predicting the might swing his scythe and aim to her feet and she's right. He swing his scythe under and Faia was about to kick him in his gut but he caught his feet by the other hand. Faia was taken in by surprise and was thrown away. She rolled to the ground like an empty barrel. Adlai appeared and meet her gut with a kick on her gut. She was once again flying away upward. Adlai once again appeared behind and elbowed her at her spine. Faia coughed blood and was sent downward to meet the cold ground. The ground break due to the impact of her fall or just because the enemy's power is way too strong.
"Tch! It's really getting boring. Do you think you can do more than that? Come on! Do something! Let's fight as if we're betting our lives on the line! Oops! I guess that's what we're already doing!" the voice said cruelly but Faia didn't budged or move. The void inside the body raised an eyebrow. Is Faia dead?
"Well I guess that's all you've got! You're done for." The voice said and walked towards Faia. The time ticked slowly but fast at the same time. He was about to behead her when she moved and looked at him. Her eyes glowed in golden yellow and the next thing that happened was unbelievable.