Mikey lost all consciousness before he even realised it.
Some might have considered that a good thing given his situation.
But not Mikey. He found it concerning. Especially since he transitioned from a state of intense pain to one of nothing and finally into overwhelming bliss. It felt like he was floating on gentle clouds.
'What is this?', Mikey pondered, looking around for clues.
There was nothing but pitch black. Something about the eerie darkness tried to calm him, but it did nothing but fuel his anxiety.
"Don't worry.", A voice echoed in the abyss.
Following this was a very loud 'thud!'. Like a lamp, a bright white light shone on Michael from above, almost blinding him.
He raised his hand above his eyes, trying both to protect his sight and make out what that light was.
"I will lead your soul to the next stage.", The voice said.
'The next stage? What's happening?'
Mikey looked around, concerned as his body started to float higher and higher, headed towards the light.
'H-Hey!'
He didn't know what was happening, but the closer he went towards the light, the more memories flashed through his mind. His god awful, mundane life in which he never made his own choices. For some reason, he feared that more than what was happening to him.
That was half true.
Instinctually, Mikey understood what was happening. Maybe not the exact details, but he could put two and two together. He just suffered a gruesome attack and now he was floating towards a bright light at the end of darkness.
He was dying.
Most people would have been overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, acceptance or even regret. But what did Mikey do? He didn't even shed a tear. He didn't even contemplate the concept of passing on.
Rather, he was frustrated.
'Who the hell says I'm dying after living such a boring life!'
He turned around, trying to manipulate his body back towards the darkness. He stroked, pushed and grasped at the darkness, trying his hardest to force his body down. A pointless effort.
The laws of physics did not apply to this realm. There was no forcing his soul back into the void. There was no escaping ascension. Many had tried. Many had failed.
'No way! I'm not dead. I can live!'
Futilely struggling against his transition, Mikey's body was swallowed up by the light one rapidly. With each inch gone, his body was washed with otherworldly satisfaction, but Mikey didn't care for that other world's pleasure.
All he wanted was his life. To change that ever so terrible life of his.
Soon, all that was left was Mikey's hand, still clinging on to the darkness. As if reaching out for something that wasn't there.
He gripped it. He didn't know what that was, but he felt he was definitely holding something.
Feeling there was no other choice, Mikey yanked it.
***
Rain was fast, practically a blur.
So fast, in fact, the feeding kakai hadn't yet noticed her. She pushed off the ground with a strong leap, and in the next instant, her feet connected with the creature's head, forcing it off the bleeding boy.
Rain performed a somersault, allowing her to land perfectly safe next to the bloody mess. She looked at the boy and sighed. Her gaze then shifted to the Kakai.
"Who dares?"
The Kakai hissed. It spoke in a language so ancient; most would never understand.
"Shut it, punk."
Rain hissed back, silencing the beast.
It furrowed its eyes, genuinely surprised by the girl's gall. She then narrowed her gaze on it.
"I finally managed to get drunk after 5 hours, and you just had to ruin it, didn't ya?"
The girl's face was contorted with anger as she glared at the Kakai. The beast's instincts screamed, similar to how it would in the face of a rabid beast. She then crouched next to the boy and put her hands over his chest, muttering indecipherable words.
But that wasn't what bothered it so much.
It couldn't quite put a finger on it. From her slender physique, to her dark, glossy skin, there was something familiar there. It tried to scan her face for a hint.
Her short, purpled hair didn't ring any bells. Neither did the heavy bags under her eyes, nor her eerily dark eyes.
It scratched its head for a moment, and a scent tickled its nostrils. Blood.
That was right. He recognised the scent of the blood on her. It was mere moments before. A prior victim had similar disgusting tasting blood. Blood so vile and gut wrenching it couldn't possibly be human.
Its eyes narrowed in on her as he observed her closer. There was an eerie darkness about her. Its eyes soon opened wide in bewilderment as it saw black sparks jumping around the boy's body.
The creature recognised those as runes. Even worse, those were… impossible.
The creature hissed at the girl.
It had to stop the girl. No, that wasn't an option. It needed to flee. What were the odds of encountering one of them on this night and in this realm of all places.
It turned around, bolting off into the woods.
Rain, on the other hand, cursed as the beast disappeared. She didn't have much time to think about that, though.
A chant—one melodic and ancient—left her soft lips at a rapid-fire pace. It practically sounded like multiple individuals speaking at once. Her arms that hovered above the dying boy, beamed with a dark radiance.
This dark light took solid, puffy form, spreading like pitch black smoke over the body. It poured through every pour and orifice, filling up the body like a balloon with its eerie energy. The torn tendons and exposed flesh were melded together by this dark mist.
It was a sight both gut churning and eye-catching.
The leaves of the surrounding trees shook greatly in the violent winds that swarmed the area. Dark clouds started to gather, causing lightning to arc through the sky. A slight tremor in the ground could be felt. It was as if the very world was opposed to the actions taking place in that very moment.
When the girl finished her chant, she looked at the body. It was pale and cold, much like a corpse. What life it once had, was now completely extinguished.
A chain extended out of the only hole in the corpse. This chain writhed slowly in the air, much like a rising cobra. Rain extended her hand to the chain, a look of sheer indifference on her face. The chain leaned closer, as if sniffing her out.
"Don't worry. I will lead your soul to the next stage."
After confirming that she posed no threat, the chain wrapped itself around the girl's arm.
Rain smiled softly as the chain gently settled on her arm. Images of the body's memories flashed through her mind, causing that smile to turn indifferent once again.
"You too, huh?"
She muttered.
Rain turned around to look into the woods. It wasn't long since the beast took off. If she went now, she should be able to track it down before it can get any more innocent people. The sun would be out in just an hour or so, meaning the beast would eventually have to find a place to hide.
She licked her lips seductively, her face starting to light up with excitement. She couldn't get drunk, but at least Kakai hunting would take her mind off of things a little bit.
In the next moment, Rain kicked off the ground with impressive, superhuman strength, leaping high into the sky. About 200 or so metres above ground, she performed a wide sweep of the dark area. Her eyes glowed a dim golden as her pupils turned into sharp cat-like slits.
In the darkness, she noticed a creature scuttering through the woods at an exceptional pace.
'Found you, huh?'
Rain's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain on her right arm. She looked down and saw the black chain coiling around her arm and squeezing tightly, going as far as drawing blood.
'What?'
Her eyes followed along the chain. It had extended far past the usual length of soul chains and was still connected to the hole of the corpse.
Rain, surprised and confused, tried to tug at the chain, but was met with a resisting force so violent, she slammed into the concrete.
She groaned.