"Huh?"
The only mutter that I could muster, as I was pushed back forcefully falling down the slope at a high speed, drawing cuts, blood and bruises as I fell. I was shaken. My mind couldn't process what had just happened.
What? I thought I proved my worth, right? So why? Oi! Why?! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BETRAY ME!!
My teeth sunk in like hot knife through butter into my lip, leaking crimson liquid onto the dust filled floor. My hands clench at the anger welled deep inside me.
"What have I done to deserve this? OI!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING!!! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME!!!" My hysteria seeped through my words as confusion and anger controlled me unwillingly. I jumped to my feet, ignoring the tunnelling sound that came from behind me, and looked past the hole.
"I PROMSIE YOU THIS! I WILL... KILL YOU!!!!" My body spasmed as I tensed all my muscles past exhaustion. I could feel my body destroying itself from my burning rage.
This was the day I abandoned trust. I promised my brother to get him his body back, and proceeded to be the most idiotic person. Trusting a group of strangers, thinking I'll be safe if I' proven worthy. But no, I was discarded either way. I was nothing but a worthless, insignificant, retarded convenience they happened to stumble upon. A wreck of a human, if you could even call me that.
I turned back to the monster approaching, only a meter away. I wasn't scared, surprisingly. My rage most likely ran so rampant it eliminated any other emotion I could feel at the time. My gaze was locked in heavy tension with this pink abomination.
Normally, I would've surrendered and given up my life. The old me, would have. But I was no longer going of a promise. The thing that drove me to try and survive... was revenge. The possibility, of torturing them mentally and physically. The only thing that allowed me to face this beast head on. The only thing that allowed me to envision a stronger me.
I steadied my hands on the floor and began pouring mana out into the ground, moulding it into multiple massive spikes. The Giant Earthworm unfortunately and brutally broke through them easily. I quickly conjured a big gust of wind and propelled myself away, creating necessary distance between me and death.
I don't think it was because I was brave or excited, but I began smiling in the face of adversity. Most likely driven by the plans of revenge, that would be able to paint the whole world red. I Once more conjured walls, but this time with a structure, creating multiple fortified once and a pillar underneath me to look over the progress of the battle.
The creature however, sprang upwards falling straight towards me, making me stumble on the pillar that was soon to be crushed beneath that behemoth. Just like I thought it crashed into the pillar, crumbling it into multiple pieces.
KILL! KILL EVERYTHING! ANYTHING THAT DARES STAND IN MY WAY!! WILL DIE!!
My train of thought instinctively triggered a phenomenon inside of my body. I felt as if time slowed, falling into a grayscale world that lacked colour. And I would bring it that colour. My body, autonomously, ricochet of the crumbling pieces of my earthen tower at a high velocity, tearing those pieces down to pebbles as I kicked off. Like a pinball my movements were hectic, chaotic and too fast to keep up with.
I felt my heartbeat quicken and my muscles empowered. I looked at my hands mid-air, revealing a blood red aura coating my body, jumping of me emanating intense pressure.
I didn't have the thoughts of what is this? I knew immediately. This is my brothers body after all. So of course it would remember it's defence mechanism when in danger. This was my brothers body instinctually using source strength and allowing my mind to use it. The body had learnt it, now my mind was just an operating centre, rather than it having to program it and install it. Instead, I could just download the file.
The beast lunged at me whilst I fell through the air, trying to clasp it's jaws around me, however I responded by coating my fist in wind magic and throwing it at the beast to once more sending me flying away creating that distance.
The beast was unhinged and unhurt after that air fist, but it wasn't meant to hurt it anyway. I finally approached the floor, and when I hit, I carried over my momentum and struck the ground with my newly acquired source strength, giving me enough time to twist my body and land on my two feet. Even then, I still slid backwards rather than landing firmly in one place, using my hands to claw away at the floor to stop me faster.
"I need to break out the temple!" I roared to the beast as if it would somehow understand me and comprehend my words, but that was just my crazed mind in the works again.
I realised that I would have to get back to that hole, which was past the Giant Earthworm, and break through the wall.
If I'm lucky, I might even catch up to them and send this atrocity on them. No. I'd rather them beg for there lives to me when I have the power to take them on. For now, even with this source strength, I highly doubt it.
I readied myself in front of the beast once more, though unlike the other times, I was prepared to bypass it and break through. We stayed out of the temple area, on the outskirts where there were no buildings, but even the rubble that came from my conjured earth went flying into some buildings. I need to break through now so I don't damage this piece of history and so that I can leave you, you ugly mug.
It's mouth opened wide, and a stream of saliva poured out it's blade infested river. It didn't have eyes, but boy did I feel them piercing into me, striking a chord through my body, rattling my bones.
"NOW!" I shouted as an indicator for myself to charge at the monster. I blitzed of the ground leaving cracks in the pervious spot I was standing on and sprinted straight ahead at it. Since I was small, I thought I would use my quick and nimble movements to bypass through any opening it would leave for me.
Then, I gathered mana into my palm, similarly to how I did when I took down that bombardier beetle, and pressed forward. This time, I was able to garner the mana much faster and and condense it much more compactly. As for my hand, it was being strengthened by source strength therefore it could withhold the intense pressure of this spell.
"Done!" I shouted to myself, as I held the mint green sphere, steady at my side in one hand. I exploded upwards into the air, looking down at the monster, then positioned myself in a diving position, the explosive spell being being held in front of my head.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed with rage and agony, the betrayal flashing through my head, but I felt strangely calm as well, as my body felt fresh and not limited by chains that previously held me tight.
I threw the green sphere at the monster before I collided straight into it. The beast screeched in pain as the spell exploded upon making contact with it, creating a small flesh wound. It wasn't enough to stop it, but it would at least keep it at bay for a while.
In that very moment, I squeezed as much source strength as I could muster into my muscles and bones and dashed past the beast making a rippling sound as I glided slightly above the ground, almost like I was skating.
Nice! Now to break through the wall!
I continued making my way forward towards the hole, however the beast wouldn't just stop moving and give up. That would be a mere fools wish. I knew better and I wanted it to chase me. It would serve as the perfect hunting dog for my prey.
I arrived at the wall and placed all my strength into my fist trying to direct the flow of the source strength, but it was much harder to do it than my body doing it instinctively. I had to stop in front of the wall and brace my fist, whilst sensing the previous paths already made in this body to direct it successfully. I grasped that feeling for a moment and exploded my fist towards the wall shattering it like a pane of glass.
I continued my dash past the exit I made for myself, but at this point the Giant Earthworm seemed to be too far behind me to catch me, allowing myself to catch my breath.
"Ok I can slow down the pace now." I muttered to myself, as the path ahead of me began looking more and more familiar. I had already made my way past the the door room and through the door to arrive at the door room. All until I| arrived at the stairs.
"Finally, just these stairs and a bit more of the cave to go and I'll be out."
I exhaled a deep sigh of relief looking backwards. "Did it really not follow me?" Wait what's that rumbling?"
The cave shook with terror and spikes fell from the ceiling, I fell to the floor on my back, my head twisting in multiple directions trying to figure out where this thing is coming from.
"SHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!" A shrewd cry emerged from the wall as the Giant Earthworm busted through one of the walls. It was always following me, I just forgot they travel by tunnels that they make.
It's body only grazes me, but still sends me back flying into the wall, crashing. My vision blurry and the sound I could hear distorted, my head wounded my breathing jagged.
Is this the end?
I might have been me hallucinating, but the same entrance with a ruin engraved above it that shone a faint cyan appeared next to me. This random entrance that glowed cyan, just spawned in the middle of a cave passage. Even though I thought I was hallucinating, the clinging thought of wanting to take revenge and the promise I made to my brother, ignited a spark of hope in my heart. One of the last times I felt anything from my heart. I crawled over to the portal, dragging my lifeless body across the floor to the entrance. It's light felt warm and free. Like it was rebelling from the sense of wrong in this world.
"Take me." My voice hoarse and painful, barely outputting a cry, a plea.
I manage to drag myself through. The world around me calm. No noise. Just silence. The sky argent, with no clouds. Flat surface spreading for miles, imitating the green colour of the grass. A sprinkling of trees laid across randomly. Greenery abundant and retaining it's colours. Lake's and rivers also present along with animals.
I understood this wasn't apart of that world. But I didn't know what this was if it wasn't. My eyes merely faded into the land of the unconscious. Or sleep, if it makes you feel more at ease. But sleep is just one story below death.
"Kana."
"Brother."
"Rise to the top of the world."
"Challenge God."
"Kill or be killed."
"I'll wait for you at the summit. Come, return my body to me."
It didn't sound much like my brother. His attitude his words. But it was the only hope I had to cling onto. A way to redeem myself. And return his body to him.