An axe slams into a door. A boy looks up but he does not run, nor does he scream. He simply sits there, waiting. The axe is unlodged and the door slams open, a large imposing figure appears instead of the door, axe in hand and dripping blood.
"It's time, Finor." growls the figure.
The boy, Finor gets up from the floor and shuffles to the figure and they begin walking down a long hall lit by torches. As they walk the boy looks up at the figure and asks "Hey. Was breaking the chain on the door really necessary?"
The figure growls and answers "Yes it is. You have been taught this Finor. The God Carrofel breaks human limits and grants vision beyond human limits, opening up new realities and opportunities for us. As the vessel which Carrofel will enter and enlighten, we must break all bonds that you have on this sacred day."
Finor sighs and continues to trod on until they reach a large curtain where a girl dressed in butler attire with a blue scalene triangle of thorns spreads across the opening of her suit. A flaming guandao adorns the dark blue shirt exposed through the opening. The figure bows to the girl and stands guard outside as Finor proceeds with the girl.
As they walk the girl asks Finor "Anything you wish to do before the ritual?"
Finor shakes his head and looks at the girl with dead eyes saying "Kayla, I've never had the opportunity to learn anything in the world I would want to do."
Kayla grins a little before asking again "How about we have some fun before ritual? Might give you a reason to try and stay alive past the ritual."
Finor deflates further and replies "No. What good would any happiness do if I'm simply going to die after? While you have helped me before Kayla, the only thing that would matter to me in the end is freedom because in the end I was still trapped awaiting more torture."
Kayla's tone darkens and she aggressively pleads "Please? There's no reason to refuse. Did nothing I did ever make you the least bit happy?"
Finor sighs and answers "No. Not when it simply makes me sadder afterward."
Kayla at this point stops and aggressively pins Finor to the wall "But this is the last time you will have to feel bad. Don't you like me in the slightest!?"
Finor looks at Kayla blankly and says "Not when you are in the end also trying to force me against my will in the end."
Kayla opens her mouth to retort but angrily closes her mouth after being unable to deny the accusations. She wrenches Finor from the wall and pushes him down the corridor ordering him to walk.
Finally at the end of the corridor lies a wooden bath shaped like a water-filled mirror. Two cultists stand guard at each end with robes slinking down to a point at their feet and rising into a cowl resting on their heads. The cultists take Finor, stripping him of his clothes, and lay him down in the water with only the top parts of his body breaching the water's surface. There Finor soaks, losing sense of time until the cultists begin their chanting.
"Karahn cratae takö. Karahn cratae takö. Karahn cratae takö. . . .'' As they chant a third cultist emerges wearing a similar garb but with the cowl covering his entire face. He looms over Finor and traces a circle with thorns across his right breast with a knife. Then as he lays down the knife atop Finor's left breast and raises a spear before. . .
BAM! Kayla slams an elbow into the cultist's head and takes the spear, thrusting it through his neck before swinging around and slitting the throats of both of the other stunned cultists.
Finor looks on as Kayla approaches him and he asks "Is this all part of the ritual? Can I finally be at rest now?"
Kayla studies him for a second before dropping the weapon and hugging him much to Finor's surprise.
"Sorry for how I was before. I've contemplated how I was and I've realized that I've been too aggressive in my love and did not think of you at all. I don't know if you'll forgive me but regardless I'll still help you chase your dreams so that you may be happy." At this point, she picks up the knife and hands it to Finor "Here. The knives are enchanted and serrated so it will be a good weapon to defend yourself with." She picks up and pushes a bag to him "I've also got some provisions for you that should last long enough to find somewhere to hide."
The sound of steps resonates on stone in the corridor and Kayla spins around before lifting Finor and opening a passage in the wall of the chamber. Finor stumbles through the corridor and stops looking back at Kayla.
Noticing his gaze she hurriedly explains "It's a secret passage in case the members of this cult were ever discovered. Only the elite know of it so you should escape to the woods it connects to. I hope I'll see you happier out there in the world if I survive." At the end of this sentence, she blows a kiss to Finor and winks at him before shutting the passage.
Finor shuffles off through the passage and digs through the bag putting on underwear, a shirt, and pants before wrapping a large robe around him that for a second seems to darken as he puts it on. As he walks through the dark corridor Finor contemplates his situation. He has heard very little of the outside besides vague warnings about how they would kill those counted as heretics on sight.
Finor shivers as he imagines what would happen if others found out about his past and swore never to tell anyone.
As Finor continues to walk he eventually stumbles upon a trap door in the ceiling of the tunnel that he pushes up and climbs through, toppling onto soft grass. Finor looks around at his surroundings and sees the moons shining brightly through trees.
"Wow," he says, breathing in the cold night air and marveling at the beauty of the outside.
"I know right?"
Finor whips around and finds a pale lanky boy dressed in pure black with a dark cloak and magician hat who was smiling at him.
In fear with all the warnings the cult gave him about the outside world flooding his head, Finor starts to hyperventilate and the whole forest darkens menacingly.
Shocked, the boy takes a step back and nervously says "Whoa, whoa there I'm not here to hurt you. H-how about we introduce ourselves first? My name is Riku and yours?"
A-and mine? Thinks Finor. Finor, . . . no Oskar?. Wait, who's Oskar? Who am I? WHERE AM I? Finor clutches his head as his mind scrambles to find answers. Memories of a truck crash flash through his head, and people. He remembers a boy named Will and with a jolt realizes the uncanny resemblance between him and Riku. He looks up at Riku struggling to connect the dots and stumbles back as hands close around his neck.
"Dorschuel" whispers Riku.
Finor feels his head clearing and his consciousness fading as he stares shocked at Riku who releases him with a strained and apologetic face. The last thing he sees is dark tendrils unraveling from Riku and retreating to his cloak at the edges of his vision.
"Nah'' hears Finor seemingly from somewhere far far away "You'd be better for it Oskar, you're skinnier and don't have padding against the rain." Oskar? It feels like that is or was his name but if so what is he now? Where is he now??? Suddenly he gasps remembering Andrew.
"It all makes sense now" Finor/Oskar murmurs to himself. "This is where we were reincarnated!" Suddenly a bright light overwhelms his vision and he begins feeling a painful throbbing in his head growing worse and worse until.
"Ah!" gasps Finor as he awakes. Suffering a massive headache he cradles his head and looks around warily. A hand comes into his view offering a bowl of water and he looks up to see Riku smiling pleasantly.
Finor takes the bowl of water and gingerly sips it, feeling his headache relieve a little before chugging all of it and choking on the water.
"Whoa there. You've been out for a while and must be disoriented from, well whatever happened back there. Take your time. I've got more water if you need it." says Riku as he pats Finor's back.
Finor catches his breath and nods, staring at Riku or Will before they reincarnate. He opens his mouth and stuttering asks Riku "H-hey. Where are we right now?"
Riku answers "Ah this is just a bunch of ruins I've been camping out in alone."
"Aight. . ." says Finor and carefully trying not to elicit an adverse reaction from Riku he continues sheepishly and says "So uh sorry about my outburst back then."
Riku waves him off and assures him "Nah it's fine. You seem to be running away from something. Could I ask what you're running away from or at least if it's gonna follow through the hole you came from?"
Finor tenses up and tensely says "I - rather not talk about it. I was assured that no one would be able to follow me in the short term though so I think we're fine."
Riku nods in understanding and SNAP! Finor jumps in fright and looks around just noticing a fire beside him keeping him warm. Riku giggles and Finor's face turns red as he stammers "I-I wasn't scared I-just started that's all."
Riku smiles and replies "Yeah yeah." as Finor attempts to hide his face in his hands.
"Anyways," says Riku as he gets up and stretches. "Now that you're awake, could you help me with some of the chores around the place? I haven't been able to do them since I was attending to you so. . . "
Finor does a couple of leg stretches and waves his arms before replying "Yeah I could probably do with some exercise."
Riku beams at Finor and claps his hands eliciting a flinch from Finor and says "Alright then! I'll go get some more firewood if you can maintain the current fire until I come back." with that Riku promptly turns and runs off before stopping suddenly to wave back at Finor before continuing onwards.
Finor sighs and puts his head in his hands before peeking through them at the campfire. Upon seeing it starting to dwindle he groans and looking around spots a stack of branches and a bit of stacked wood. Walking over he grabs an armful of sticks and throws a couple at the fire repeating the process until all the sticks have been moved over.
Finor then looks around before sighing once again and saying "Man what the fuck am I gonna do now?"
"I mean I guess I could move the firewood." He muses. "But I doubt Riku will be away for long." He continues before once again sighing.
"Oh well," he says as he walks over to the wood pile. "It's not like I've got anything to do"
But midway to the wood pile pain flashes in his head. Finor stumbles and catches himself as another headache begins to develop and flashes of his memory as Finor begin to resurface.
"What?" gasps Oskar as he collapses. Desperately he turns around and tries to crawl for the cup of water a few feet away at the campfire.
"Agrh." he groans "Wha- "
Blades of flame lick at his vision as the scene of a house burning down flashes in his eyes.
*cough* *cough*"Fuck!" Osfbro cries out.
His parents scream out in the flames.
"AHHHHHH!"
He gets pierced over and over again.
Dry sobs begin to gurgle up from Finor's chest.
Over and over he gets experimented on. His eyes are cut out and replaced with new ones. His flesh is burned and then healed. He drowns then the water is pushed out of him. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
And then. The world goes dark. The fire sputters to a stop. Everything around him stills. . . Until a voice snakes through his head.
"Awaken the darkness."
"No" whimpers Finor.
"Look inside your own heart."
"No," says Finor.
"You know of the rage and darkness that lies within you."
"No!" shouts Fijoma
"DO IT!"
"NO!" screams Oskar.
*Ting* Suddenly another soft voice rings through his head.
"Finor! Finor! Wake up!"
He gasps and opens his eyes revealing Riku over him with a look of concern and shock on his face.
"Oh thank god you woke up Finor tell me wha ha-"
Finor suddenly coughs and spews blood at Riku's face. Riku quickly rolls him over onto his side as Finor continues vomiting and coughing, spitting out blood each time.
Finor struggles and slowly convulses harder and harder causing Riku to panic and pull at his hair trying to soothe Finor until seeing that nothing is helping Riku resigns himself.
And bites into Finor's neck. He sucks a bit of blood out before stopping himself and coughing.
"Alright," he says, wiping his mouth. "Let's fucking try this shit out."
Riku clasps his hands together over Finor and begins chanting. Finor begins choking and clawing at his neck before finally gasping air and beginning to cough once more but no longer vomiting blood all over.
Eventually, Finor's shuddering subsides and as Riku looks over to him Finor chokes out "Will." before fainting once more.
Pain. Flashes of red. Carrofel. Treats from Kayla. Pain. Pain. Work. Knocks. They found out. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Oskar opens his eyes. He stares into the void inside his mind. And the void stares back. As he seethes at it the void whispers back "sorry."
Oskar jolts awake and for a second his mind attempts to hold onto the memories he just experienced before a sharp pain stabs his abdomen and a headache pierces his mind. He ends up curling in a fetal position while sobbing from the sheer pain and confusion of it all.
"Hey, Finor?"
Oskar attempts to turn around but ends up curling up even tighter from the pain.
"Finor!"
Riku suddenly enters Finor's field of vision and says in a rushed tone "Oh my god Finor what happened?!?!? Is it after effects of me moving your blood!?! No no, I didn't touch your brain so it can't be that. Shit. Shit Shit!"
As Riku continues fretting over Finor the pain slowly subsides and Finor uncurls, still breathing heavily and holding back tears but no longer in extreme pain. He slowly lifts a hand to Riku and pats him on the shoulda leading Riku to look up from the ground where he had been staring.
Suddenly Finor's enveloped in a warm embrace and Riku gushes out "Oh thank the goddess you're alright. I don't know what I would do if I was left all alone again"
Finor hesitantly hugs him back and asks "H-hey Riku do you have any books or sheets of paper I-I can write in?"
Riku pulls back from the hug and, looking Finor in the face replies "Are you sure you're strong enough right now to be out and about?"
Finor nods and reassures Riku that he's fine. Riku then walks over to a pile of rubble and pulls out a small diary which he gently hands to Finor. He then grabs a small bottle of red liquid and a quill from a bag sitting next to Finor and hands it to him.
"Here red ink," says Riku as he hands the bottle and quill to Finor.
Finor murmurs a thank you to Riku as he opens the journal and begins writing.
Oskar. That's my name. But this is not my body nor my world. It seems the reincarnation thingy worked and their promise of reuniting seems to be in effect as my instinct is telling me this guy Riku is the reincarnation of Will. He doesn't seem to possess his memories right now though. And I don't know what the hell is going on with my body. My previous being is named Finor and it seems he went through something. I can't remember what I recalled in my dreams but it seemed quite painful judging by the pain I received.
Finor pauses and sniffs the air. A dull smell permeates the air but what is it? He looks down at his writing and notices the ink has turned much darker after it dried out. Where the hell would someone get red ink in a fantasy world anyway? I thought they kept to black ink. Glancing at Riku and waiting until he was preoccupied with the fire Finor dips his finger in the ink and licks it. A thick, irony taste permeates his mouth.
Blood.
Oskar's heartbeat jumps but strangely he also feels . . . resigned inside. The sight of blood feels familiar to him. But he hasn't seen blood before except in a paper cut or a bloody nose. What happened to Finor?
Struggling to make sense of his current situation and the dangers accompanying it he decides to set down his journal.
"Hey Wi- Riku?"
"Yeah, Finor?" replies Riku as he stops poking the fire and turns to face Finor.
"Uhm." begins Finor just as his stomach growls.
Riku laughs and attempts to cover it up with coughing. "You must be hungry from puking earlier and sleeping so long. Here." Riku walks over to his bag and rustles through it.
"Uh, it should be around here somewhere. . . Aha!" Triumphantly he pulls out a wrapped-up loaf of bread and presents it to Finor.
Finor eyes the loaf of bread warily but upon hearing his stomach rumble again and the sharp pain along with it he accepts and begins chewing on the loaf as he watches his pulse and Will's expression. Not long after he finishes the loaf now full and very tired Finor settles into the blanket he was still in and says to Will
"Good night."
Will replies "Good night. And sweet dreams"
Finor closes his eyes and falls down, down, down, down onto a door.
"Where am I?" asks Oskar.
And the room slowly comes into detail. The stone bricks fill in one by one. The moss grows from inside the wall cracking the very bricks that had just appeared. Chains begin falling from the sky followed by a shower of blood. Oskar screams and tries to head for the hole in the wall but an iron door slams into place. He pounds on the door but it refuses to open and he slips slamming into the cold stone floor unable to get up. As the blood begins overtaking him he sees out of the corner of his eye that Finor is huddled up in the corner of the room watching him back.