A pained groan marked Kreons eventual awakening and he couldn't tell up from down, pain wracked his body and he felt like someone used his head as a speed bump. Kreon struggled to process his hazy thoughts as he sat up, his ice blue eyes began to squint.
Looking around he was seemingly in the same alley as before, only it seemed that all the bodies had been cleared and none of his pursuers were in sight. The blood coating the walls and floor made Kreon sure he hadn't hallucinated the entire encounter. The night still painted the sky making it hard for him to see anything else.
'What the hell just happened?'
Kreon felt a warm and sticky substance coating his head making his short black hair cling to his face. 'That can't be healthy' Kreon thought as he touched his head and found the substance to be blood. He noticed how the blood had yet to dry meaning he couldn't have been unconscious for long. It also meant whoever put an end to his grand escape should still be nearby.
'Who the f-'
Kreon let out a surprised yelp as he finally noticed the familiar man looming over his shoulder, looking as if he had just walked out the set of a horror movie.
'This bald bastard... he was here all along!' He thought, finally understanding what had happened.
The man who Kreon had thought was absent was actually lurking by the entrance of the alley. A grin slowly crept over his face curtesy of his bad habit but Kreon felt like crying, the bastard seemed to take a perverse pleasure in squashing his hopes.
A nasty grin adorned the mans scarred face as he spoke.
"That was a cute little escape you had going on. Almost worked too...Almost"
His voice was dry and raspy, like his throat was made of sandpaper making Kreon wince. It was a voice he didn't have fond memories of. Slowly crawling backwards, Kreon voiced a nervous laugh before speaking, he made sure to hide all contempt he had for the man in front of him.
"Willy my old pal! What brings you here?"
The man frowned.
"First of all stop calling me Willy, how many times do I have to tell you my name is William. Second of all me and you are definitely not pals, if you haven't forgotten I hate your guts" He growled. "And third of all, me and you both know what brings me here"
Williams grin had returned in full by the time he had finished his words and Kreon was forced to release another nervous laugh as sweat began to bead his brow.
William and Kreon had a bit of a bad history, at one point they had both worked under "The Tyrant" of the slums but during that time Kreon had done a number of things that had made their relationship pretty much irreparable. The chances of William letting him go pretty much non existent.
Kreon cleared his throat and begun to speak.
"You know Willy, Ive been thinking a lot lately and I that believe we should let bygones be bygones.... So what do you say we move on as friends?"
Before he could continue Kreon found himself rising into the air, gripped by his throat.
"Enough" William snarled. "Tsk you're pathetic as always. Behind your witty remarks and confident persona you're still a coward. Always running away from your problems. It's time for you to face reality Kreon, the Tyrants not here to save you now"
Hearing his words it all began to sink in. William was right, reality had finally arrived. There were no miraculous escapes. No skillful persuading. No scamming. Kreon was finally looking death dead in its eyes....And he didn't like the look of it at all, his previous acceptance of death shattered. He remembered the struggles that had brought him here, the sacrifices and also what he cherished most. His life.
'Damn it, I was joking, I can't die now' Kreon thought.
Panic set in and Kreon began to struggle, gouging, kicking and clawing at whatever he could in a desperate flurry but no matter what he did William remained unphased. The more Kreon struggled the larger his grin grew. It was apparent there was nothing Kreon could do. This was just the difference between an unawakened human and a first grade awakened.
'How did it even come to this?' Kreon lamented, feeling the cold embrace of death approaching.
That was until William released his grip on Kreons neck, letting him fall to his knees heavily. Confused Kreon looked up to see William raising the worn butcher knife above his head preparing to end Kreons life. His expression soured while the blade gleamed in joy, eager to once again taste blood on its jagged surface. It seemed William wasn't satisfied with just wringing the life of him.
"Honestly I don't know what he saw in you nor do I understand why you crossed him. Especially after he treated you so well but I guess it doesn't matter. All that matters now is how much i'm going to enjoy this. Which is, if you were wondering immensely" he said, grin back on his face.
"So, since i'm in such a good mood, any last words Mr. Kaos?"
"Come closer" Kreon whispered after a lengthy silence.
Knowing Kreon couldn't harm even if he wanted to William granted his request, he kneeled down beside Kreons prone body. Kreon looked like a hero laying on his deathbed, a loved beside him witnessing his last moment. The comical scene looked straight from a movie.
With slow and dramatic movements Kreon placed his hand at the back of Williams head and pulled him closer, much to the latters annoyance. Only when Kreons lips were right beside his ex colleagues ear did he finally speak.
"William.... I just want you to know" Kreon whispered dramatically. "....That.... My left testicle is more handsome than your bald head" Kreo whispered, before bursting into laughter.
After realizing that escape was impossible he decided going out in style while inflicting as much emotional damages as possible was his favourite option.
Immediately William aimed at Kreons neck and swung his blade in fury.
"The Tyrant sends his f*ckin regards."
Time seemed to slow down for Kreon as the blade approached. Beneath his facade Kreon was sad beyond measure. From the age of eight his life had been nothing but a struggle. So much hardship, so much struggle and for what? To have his most cherished thing, his life be taken in a rundown alley of the slums? To die nameless, just another victim of Vacos? His life was coming to an meaningless and anticlimactic end and he couldn't do anything about it.
Still he didn't want to give William the joy of seeing him beg or break, so the teenager hid his fearful reluctance with a fearless smile. The day he was destined to leave the slums was supposed to be tomorrow however it appeared that would never come to fruition.
The whistled through the air before biting deeply into his neck. The crude weapon was unable to achieve a clean kill so William degraded to barbarically hacking away at Kreons neck only stopping when a measly amount of skin and flesh connected his head to the rest of his body.
A single tear rolled from his icy blue eyes, betraying his intention to stay strong. Kreon had perished with a smile on his face. They say a human brain is capable of 20 to 30 seconds of activity after decapitation. In those slowed seconds Kreon recalled his miserable life.
...
While Kreons was beginning his trip down memory lane something strange was happening within his dormant mind. Something that would change his life forever.
___
[Congratulations host has died]
[All conditions have been met]
[Activation of the Greed system will now begin]
[1%...9%....16%....20%...]
[Resurrection process will be complete upon activation]
___