***
Gasp!
A blue pair of eyes flared to life with a powerful glow.
***
My icy blue eyes scanned my surrounding with unwavering precision.
My gaze shifted from the blood-slicked cobblestones, to the broken door and then to my blood-stained clothes.
I breathed a sigh of relief, a soothing feeling washing over me.
Forcing himself to my feet, the sound of my bones being straightened reverberated through the air.
One of the simple lessons i had learnt from Garren-...from the Amaraith.
I closed my eyes, shoving the hidden scars into the depths of my mind.
And without a second thought, I dashed into the endless darkness.
Shadows danced across the walls.
The endless darkness lingered in the corner of my eyes as i sprinted down the streets of what appeared to have once been a... great civilization.
The towering houses, the hardened cobblestones. The strange oil, the soothing water, the odd objects.
The state of this world itself whispered secrets that have been lost to ages.
Secrets that have been torn from history- torn from the ethereal sea.
I paid no more heed to my surroundings. Not the sprawling buildings, nor the buildings that reeked of... flesh and blood.
My leg hit the ground, light unheard echoes running across the hardened cobblestones beneath me.
A wave of pain, searing hot and cold shot through my legs.
B-ut...i was already used to it by now.
I simply gritted my teeth and then, i ran even faster.
I literally turned into a blurring shadow as i sprinted down the desolate yet haunted streets.
I felt a slight tug at my leg, and then, a surge of adrenaline suddenly surged through me, coursing through every fiber of my being.
Muscles, organs, bones and so much more.
Even my blood was not spared!
Startled!
I didn't know what was happening, but i-i felt stronger, faster.
I felt...Invicible!
I didn't need to be told to know i was getting stronger.
But the reason behind it... t-hat
...That was elusive to me.
As I ran and dashed into alleyways, avoiding various supernatural creatures and forces as i headed for the towering house. My mind spiralled into a descent of chaotic thoughts, each one more frantic than the last.
I thought hard on it.
Pondered far harder than I would have deemed possible.
Y-et...I wasn't able to come up with a reasonable explanation.
The only explanation i could come up with was simply too good to be true.
How could I get stronger just because of some mere exercises.
That was literally impossible, at least logic says so.
Yet as i ran.
Blitzing through the air as i ran past crumbled buildings and various haunted houses.
A strain of thought clung to my mind.
A spark of understanding igniting within me.
'So...that's it!'
My eyes widened in understanding.
...I wasn't getting stronger because of some mere exercises. That was of course impossible, and defied all law of science or any scientific experimentation to the expanse of my knowledge.
I was only getting stronger because i had been constantly pushing myself beyond my limit.
I had constantly pushed myself far beyond what my body could tolerate.
And it had became far obvious than ever after i could live for a few seconds to even a minute, even after a devastating damage had been dealt to my heart.
But i just hadn't placed too much emphasis on it, or had rather not bothered to think about it.
But now that i thought about it, things started to piece together and it all now made sense.
The endurance.
The ability to live for a few more seconds- to a minute, after getting killed or receiving a fatal damage.
To my current increase in speed, strength and endurance.
They were all subtle clues that i was getting stronger, and i would be a fool to not make use of this wonderful opportunity.
With the ever-growing belief in my heart, i focused my Arcana, believing i was indeed getting stronger. Not too insanely strong as that would be blurring the lines between reality and my perception, just slightly stronger than what i assumed my limits to be.
It was an ingenious move and most wouldn't have thought of using The Arcana in such a way. Or in plain terms, it wouldn't have crossed the mind of most. Mostly because they wouldn't have been pushed to such an extent, nor would they have gone through the fear and dread that i had to go through.
...I could feel it.
A surge of energy coursed through my veins, blood, to every fiber of my being.
I smiled.
And then, i bolted to my left, barely avoiding being seen by a supernatural creature.
The endless darkness suddenly yawns open ahead of me, endless shadows coiling around a particular house.
My heart surged to my throat, my body trembling in fear.
'...A supernatural force.'
My face turned pale, as dread slowly crept in.
Instinct suddenly took over me.
I immediately dashed to my left, and then I rapidly ran towards the ten meters safe zone.
I could only hope it hadn't seen me.
And if it had, i had better run like there was no tomorrow.
And so did I run.
I ran and ran, pushing my body beyond my limit. And after what felt like a lifetime, i realized i wasn't being pursued.
The supernatural force probably hadn't seen him.
Y-et...i didn't dare stop.
I kept running. Soon I made it into the ten meters safe zone.
B-ut i didn't stop.
I didn't dare stop.
I moved further by a couple meters before finally coming to rest. My eyes darted to my surroundings, and then after confirming that there wasn't any nearby threat.
I heaved a sigh of relief.
Panting heavily as i sat down on a crumbled dark stone.
...I knew i couldn't afford to go into the battle ahead of me with a worn-out body, and a weary soul.
I first had to regain my calm and bearing.
Before I attempting any thing.
And so i waited.
I waited, inhaled and exhaled, and tried to reminiscence on the only good memories i had:
Which were unfortunately enough, the ones i had with Garren.
And although it was short lived.
Not-withstanding, i knew it was still the best moments of my life- or at least, of what i remembered to be my life.
And the more i thought on this moments, the more the old wounds began to peel, they poured into me, coursing through every fiber of my being as tears streaked down the corner of my eyes.
My sobs and tears soon broke into the desolate atmosphere. The crumbled stone beneath me also seemed to feel the weight of my sorrow as the teardrops slowly dripped onto it, light hollow echoes reverberating through the endless darkness.
I cried and cried until i could cry no more.
After a long while, i wiped the tears of my face.
Forcing myself to my feet.
I forced back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes.
Yet the more i thought about the betrayal, the more heart-wrenching it became.
It tore through me like a dazzling arrow.
Cruel and unmerciful!
The hollowness.
The betrayal.
It rippled through every fiber of my being.
And...it hurts so much.
It was so painful that for a moment there, i wanted nothing more than to die.
I wanted to sleep and be done with all this.
...I-i just want to lie down and rest.
Is it too much to ask for?
Is it!
I asked no one but myself and perhaps the endless void within me.
Despair and desperation slowly settled within me, tears streaking down my eyes, leaving a hot trail along their tracks as i collapsed onto my knees.
A light echo ran across the cobblestones beneath my feet. And then, time clocked by and i could feel my grip on my sanity slowly loosening.
Slowly moving farther and farther away from me.
B-ut...i knew i couldn't allow that to happen.
...I already have what i needed: I already have the reset by death ability.
And although i only have myself, it was still more than enough.
I can't allow myself to be broken.
I can't allow the negative primal emotions to be the one to define me.
Nor can i afford to fall into despair and desperation
...Not after coming this far.
With clenched hands and hardened resolve, i rose to my feet. My eyes piercing through the endless darkness to come to lay on the towering nightmarish building.
I exhaled sharply.
Forcing down the unease that gnawed and clawed at me, including the dread slowly settling within me.
And then, with a deep exhalation.
'Here we go!'
My legs hit the ground beneath me as i bursted into a fast sprint, rapidly approaching the towering house and the three supernatural creatures manning its grounds.