"Faith must be truly novel, beautiful and timeless, so gives life to thee."
Act 0
Chapter 9 - Welcome to hell.
Last Wish
"Faith must be truly novel, beautiful and timeless, so gives life to thee."
Act 0
Chapter 9 - Welcome to hell.
"Xavier, you fool!" Phanuhel yelled, his voice cracking with anxiety and worry.
Xavier, hearing his name, looked over and spotted Phanuhel. For a moment, his eyes widened in surprise before a look of relief spread across his face. It was clear he was struggling against Feletheus, who was effortlessly overpowering him.
~~~
Xavier could instantly feel the atmosphere of this place. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The air was filled with the scent of decay and desperation, and the sounds of hushed whispers and angry murmurings filled his ears.
As he stumbled through the alley, he noticed the people that lined the streets. They were ragged and disheveled, their clothes as tattered as their souls. Their eyes were filled with sorrow and despair, and their gaunt faces were etched with lines of poverty and hardship.
This was a place where hopes came to die, and dreams were shattered upon the hard and unforgiving stones. The people here were not just poor - they were broken. The further he walked, the more he saw how dilapidated the buildings were. Some were crumbling, some had been burned or vandalized. There was no sign of hope or joy here - only the endless struggle to survive.
Xavier stumbled further, feeling a sense of hopelessness creeping upon him. The sight of the broken people and the decaying buildings was overwhelming. He clutched on the hope of finding way home, and began asking people around for advice, but nobody, except a nice old man replied.
"Have a tea, and sit down, listen to my story, son." he smiled. Xavier was about to do so, if not his desire to see his children again.
"Excuse myself sir, but I got to find a way home, to see my children. I'll just take the tea."
Xavier saw a giant crowd of people, unusual for slums. He got curious and decided to see what was going on. As he was going through the crowd, suddenly, a group of young street kids appeared out of nowhere. They encircled Xavier with curious, but hungry eyes.
"Look here, a good-looking man!" one of them blurted, making the others giggle.
Xavier tried to sidestep them, but they blocked his way, their laughter now turning into snickers.
"Where do you think you're going, handsome?" another one asked, grabbing onto Xavier's sleeve. Xavier tried to shake them off without using too much force, but they only seemed to grow bolder.
"Come on, stay with us for a while," one of them jeered, "We promise we won't bite. Much."
Another kid reached for Xavier's bag, trying to snatch it from him. But Xavier was quick and managed to hold onto it, shoving the kid away.
"Just give us your money, and we'll let you go," said a third one, brandishing a small knife.
Xavier felt a twinge of fear, but he wasn't about to let these street kids bully him.
"Listen, I don't have time for this," he snapped, trying to push his way through them.
"Oh, you have time," a fourth kid sneered, "and you have money too, we'll take both."
The kids closed in around him, their eyes now filled with hostility. They were clearly used to this routine, and not used to refusal.
Xavier felt a burst of anger. He wasn't going to be robbed and intimidated by these brats. He clenched his fists, ready to fight them off if he had to.
They turned towards the source, and so did Xavier.
He saw a woman. She was in her mid-forties with a regal presence about her. She wore a dark cloak, which added to the aura of power and mystery that surrounded her. Even in the dim light of the alley, she seemed to glow with an inner strength. The next second one of the kids took Xavier's tea and run away in that woman's direction. Although being a mere child, the boy was smooth enough to leave Xavier no other choice but use his "cursed ardor" of speed, that makes him slow after it's usage. he grabbed the kid, which scared the boy and he spilled the tea on that woman.
The woman's expression changed from stern to furious. She looked down at her dress, now stained with the spilled tea, and then back at Xavier.
"You clumsy fool!" she snapped, "Look what you've done!", but her expression softened when the boy fleed from Xavier to the woman. She sat down and asked the boy, "Tell me, why did you do this?" with a terrible smile on her face, she continued, "Explain yourself." The boy began to tremble and pointed his finger at Xavier and shouted in a shrill voice, "H-he wanted to steal my tea, and I tried to take back what's mine! I'm not lying!". After waiting a couple of seconds, thinking, she continued, "Hmm.. alright, people, let's go, there's nothing to watch here." and waved her hand commandingly. "Boy, don't be afraid and go home. Feletheus, you know what needs to be done."
Feletheus. The name sent a cold shiver down Xavier's spine. He didn't know who this Feletheus was, but the weight of that name told him it was someone he did not want to cross.
The crowd began to disperse and fade into the shadows, leaving Feletheus standing there, staring at Xavier with cold, calculating eyes.
"Well," said Feletheus, his voice icy and menacing, "you've made quite a mess here, haven't you?"
Xavier stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. The alleyway was empty now, save for him and the imposing figure of Feletheus.
"I-I didn't mean to-" he began, but his voice cracked. The realization and fear of the impending retribution were setting in.
Feletheus took a step closer, his presence dominating the alley.
"Mean or not," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "you have damaged the peace and tranquility of this place, and I can't tolerate such disturbances."
The next moment a big stone hit Xavier's stomach. He vomited instantly and flew more than two metres until he hitted a wood wall, as the slums were not spacy at all.
Xavier hit the wall and slid down onto the ground, gasping for breath. The force of the cobblestone had knocked the wind out of him, and he could feel the pain and nausea building in his stomach.
He clutched at his stomach, trying desperately to catch his breath, but it felt like someone had punched a hole straight through him. Then he felt something vibrating on his chest. He looked down and was struck by bright lighting that was coming from the emerald necklace. Although it is extradionary, Xavier only cared about staying conscious.