Chapter 18: Count To Ten
Narci dropped to her knees and stared blankly at the sword in her hand. She stayed there for minutes ignoring the other person that cried behind her. She had a sullen expression and a shaken heart.
The glass window pane freaked against the midnight wind.
The bulbs flashed a few times before going back to their radiant spaldor.
Her sword slid from her hand and clattered against the floor. The light from the bulb reflected off it's gleaming edge.
Narci rubbed her palms against each other. They were cold, no! Her whole body was freezing, she rose to her feet and walked over to the gigantic pool like an empty shell. She leaned over the clam waters and stared at her reflection.
"Is that me?" She watched her lifeless self staring right back at her with cold lifeless eyes. "Might as well be dead!" She muttered.
Narci raised her head just as a teardrop slid off her face and made impact with the water.
Tinkle!
A light ripple formed and grew it's array of rings before merging back with the waters.
Sofia rose to her feet and walked over to her with a fingers running over her palm in anxiousness. "You know! If I killed you I bet I would have my own system!" Narci turned back to see Sofia with a pained expression on her face. "I'm sorry but I'm done crying."
Sofia raised her leg and planted her heel in Narci's gut.
"Omph!" Narci groaned as her back hit the water and she sank. The image of Sofia became scattered waves. The light reaching her dropped as she fell deeper to the bottom of the pool. Her body made no move to resist.
"Why won't I struggle?"
She pondered.
"I should just die! Even that slacker has a reason to live on! I thought I did but when I see someone die right before my eyes I freeze up again? What do I even have to live for?"
Her short red bangs bounced in the waves.
"It's cold!! This feeling, is it death?"
Her heartbeat slowed down and she closed her eyes.
"So, this is my fate!!"
"I really lived a s**ty life! Do I even know what I really want? No? It's not fame! Am I trying to find a reason to live on? I thought I wanted to die!! Maybe if I count to ten I'll pass on much easier!"
Her hands balled into fists as if pulling against a great restraint.
"One…"
Glub! Glub!
"Two…"
"What kind of teenager thinks about dying? Three…! I haven't even kissed a boy yet! Four…! There's still college too!"
Bubble! Bubble!
"Five! S**t! It's not working! Six…! I really wished I died by electrocution and not drowning!"
Ba-thump…! Ba-thump…!
"Seven…! This is scary and dark! Eight…! Two more to go, then I can die without any regrets!!"
"Nine…!"
"Te--"
Ding!
"A notification?"
"No! But I want to die, so I really don't care!"
Air escaped from her lungs and formed bubbles that floated up to the surface of the pool.
Squint!
"If I don't care, why am I opening my eyes then? Didn't I want to die? Whenever I close my eyes, I see his face!!"
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It dawned on her that this was the original intended mission not the white bone, if she beat it she could get stronger. But could she do it alone?
Narci closed her eyes.
"I don't want any part of this!! I just want things the way they used to be!!"
"Who do you swing your sword for?" Kilr's words rang in her head.
Narci moved her hand and pulled her other sword from the inventory, air bubbles float up in the water. The system scream interface merges with the water waves creating a high resolution filter.
Narci felt her leg reach the bottom of the pool, it was enthralling to think she would be fighting underwater. Everything was wavelike from her eye view. She raised up her sword and pressed it to her chest.
"No!! I want to carry my own sword too!!"
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Narci stare wide-eyed at the zombie swimming her way and screamed in her mind.
"H**y S**t!"
"Is that a--"