When June came to, she was strapped to a chair and gagged at the mouth. The blood leaking from her skull leaked from her hair and dripped onto the ground below, leading her head to slowly lower. Despite the hazy vision she gained upon awakening, through the blurry sight, she could make out the shimmering image of dismembered fingers littering the bloodied floor. She gasped, spiraling into a coughing fit while the entrance to the chamber opened slowly.
"Looks like the bitch's awake," an entering masculine voice observed.
"Can we finally have some fun with her?" another voice manically queried.
"Wait a second, alright? We have to deliver the Artifact to the Hunter before we do anything to her," the third man reminded.
The second thug scoffed and raised his hand, enlightened by an emerald aura. "Can't we just use this healing 'Rejuvenation' technique after we do it? I doubt he'd notice the difference," he suggested.
"I'd advise against that. We undertook a pact using Vita, remember? If we break it, we invite retribution unto ourselves far beyond that which we could anticipate or control," his comrade warned.
"I got it, alright? But I'm getting impatient, that damned Hunter better hurry and show up—!"
"Or what?"
Standing in the doorframe, frame coated by shadows, Jason's disturbing red eyes shot ahead. Despite his stationary stance, each of them cowered from the overwhelming power his aura generated. He stepped forward. Hand over his chin, he examined the enchained girl.
"Is she awake?" he asked.
"A-apparently so, sir."
"Undamaged, too. Good. Get me the Artifact and our business should be complete."
Jason stood upright, retreating from close before June's bloody face. He watched one thug lift the sword sheath from against the wall and throw it toward him. The Hunter caught the sword. Once he unsheathed it, his wide smirk reflected into the katana's bloody steel.
"That good?"
Rivera momentarily cackled. "Oh, we're more than good," he said.
He started fully unsheathing the Ketsueki katana. By the time only one of them started realizing what was occurring, the blade was already revealed. In one overlapping stroke, all of their bodies had been spliced apart; mutilated carcasses scattered across the bloody floor.
'They're all dead? I thought he was an enemy, but now he's an ally again. Ugh, what the hell is happening?' June asked herself.
She was suddenly released from that which bound her, attempting to raise her hands and rub her wrists. Unfortunately, her wounds from her earlier fight against the Hunter prevented her from doing so. Jason sheathed the Ketsueki blade, slipped the strap over his shoulder, and walked back toward June, throwing her over once again.
"HEY!!! WHERE DO YA THINK YOU'RE TAKIN' ME?!" June yelled, pounding against his back and kicking her legs.
'God, I hate kids,' he briefly thought.
Jason, idle against the gory floor, sighed. "You'll see," he said.
For some reason, his response halted her from hitting him further; she was curious. Eternal Sight's markings began spreading across his pupils, then Jason abruptly dropped her. Rubbing the back of her head and groaning, she glared up at him, veins across her temples.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF OUR ALLIES! FIRST, YOU FIGHT ME. THEN, YOU TAKE ME TO SOME ABANDONED WAREHOUSE AFTER BEATING ME OUT!! WHICH IS IT?! CHOOSE A SIDE ALREADY—"
June's mouth was covered. Pulling her up so she could sit on her knees, Jason crouched behind her, staring ahead with his hands on her shoulders.
"What do you see here?"
She refrained from looking over her shoulder again, diverting her gaze to the area ahead. Only then, upon witnessing that disgusting sight, did her eyes widen. The sweat pouring down her face was unlike anything ever seen before; the pupils within her eyes pulsating so violently they seemed seconds away from popping from her skull. Was what lay in front of her true reality?
Below her feet, in front of her eyes, behind her—it was all irrelevant. Surrounding her and the Hunter entirely was an exorbitant amount of death. Dismembered corpses, mutilated body parts, beheaded skulls. But who? Who was the mastermind behind such a merciless slaughter?
"Do you remember anything when you first woke up after receiving your Artifact?" Jason asked, standing beside her now.
Her breath hitched; her throat gradually closed up leading to her coughing but once. She shook her head quickly. "Of course not," she shakily denied.
"All Incarnated spirits and Artifacts speak with the Judge independently. We ask him questions about what's ongoing in the New World, and he voluntarily answers. I don't agree with what he's doing but this is something you need to know," he said.
Her worried eyes darted up at him. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Rivera looked at her with an empathetic gaze. Then, he averted his gaze, stepping forward with crossed arms while remembering Alex's words.
"When you first obtained Convergence's strength, I'm sure you remember passed out completely. When you awakened, you slaughtered the doctors examining you."
The memories came flooding back almost instantaneously—her hand slapping her mouth shut as chunks of vomit filled her cheeks.
"Earlier, the shadow you saw jumping across the skylight was none other than myself. I'd heard what Kima said to you and I agree. If you continue blinding yourself with self-righteous shit only you believe, you'll turn ignorant to the world around you," Jason said, looking away from her.
She fell over, tightly holding her stomach as she puked onto the ground. She sloppily wiped her mouth with her sleeve—her panting breaths gradually increasing as more memories came flooding in. The blood that stained her hands, how long had she been ignorant to it? The ones she held dear allowed her to parade on as this savior when she was just as foolish as those she called fools herself? Her head threw back, tears dripping down her scraped cheeks.
"What serves as your truth and justice is truly nothing but lies. That's just the type of world we live in. Your conviction means nothing, so why should you go on? Maybe you should end everything if that which you cherish most means nothing in the end. I'm sure that's what you're considering now. But we're above such simple-minded thinking," he said.
His understanding eyes noticed her teary pupils peering through her hair while kneeling against the floor. Instead of remaining upright, he shuffled onto his knees before her.
"You. Me. Kima. As those gifted with power beyond human comprehension, we have a responsibility to ensure we live life to the fullest while using our abilities to thrive. Forget everyone else who doesn't matter to you. Whether they live or die is irrelevant compared to you. Even if everyone perishes alongside you in the heat of battle, you keep moving forward. Regardless of your sins… that is your duty as not only a human—but a Requiem. Do you understand, June?" He asked her, gazing deeply into her clear green eyes.
But she was silent. Though her face was devoid of tears, her depressed expression remained. It didn't matter how encouraging his words were to her—she would blame herself regardless. June briefly looked away, gazing out a broken window. Beyond that tiny opening embedded into the warehouse's wall laid the vast deep blue sky. The heavens' azure coloration reflected into her teary emerald orbs ever hazily; the sun's golden radiance peeking behind the clouds and brightening Jason's cheek.
"Gramps, I can't… go on like this…"
Jason stood and turned away, walking toward the entrance. His hand was already on the knob, and he opened his mouth just before exiting.
"Make whatever choice you'll regret the least. It is your life, after all… isn't it?"
With that, the Hunter fled the warehouse and closed the door on his way out. As Jason walked away from the building, his eyebrow raised, watching as the door he just closed quickly opened and then locked behind him.
'The watcher finally reveals herself, huh? Well, it doesn't matter much to me anyway. I'm… still waiting for the bomb, after all.'
Jason licked the blood from his thumb and disturbingly grinned, allowing his vampiric fangs to glean under the sun's glow.
"Heh~"
Natalia wandered into the warehouse, and ran toward June knelt against the floor.
"Natty…" she muttered.
Nat wrapped her arms around June's neck, holding her close and embracing her tightly. She withheld the urge to cry, pulling back to stare into her green eyes. "I'm glad you're alright!" she said.
"Yeah…"
Natalia glanced at the numerous corpses dismembered and scattered across the scratched ground, quickly inhaling once turning away. She stood up, holding June's hand in her own.
"Come on. I was with Darrell when we entered but someone split us up—hey, uh, are you okay?" Smith looked over her shoulder and back at the girl, standing in front of the warehouse exit. "You're… crying."
June sniffled.
"I know."