A multitude of sensations coursed through me, each one unfamiliar yet strangely innate. It was as if I had tapped into a deep well of dormant experiences, and they now flowed through me with effortless ease. This power resonated deep within me as if they had always been an integral part of me, waiting to be awakened.
Amidst the chaos of sensations, one sound stood out - a whisper. Its gentle murmurs resonated in my ears, beckoning me like a siren's call. Soft and soothing, yet insistent, it pierced through the turmoil. Desperate to listen, I cupped my hands over my ears, tuning out the cacophony and focusing on the whisper. But the more I strained, the farther it seemed to recede, leaving me with only echoes of its gentle urging.
Coming back to myself, I opened my eyes. The room slowly came into focus, its blurry edges sharpening as my vision cleared. Looking at the room once more. I realized it was sharper than before, the contrast of its colors a lot more profound and striking.
Warily looking at the knife pointed directly at me, I stood up slowly, deliberately, trying not to startle her. I knew now that I was in deep trouble. I had hoped that I still had enough time to explain how I alone escaped, but never would I have imagined she would find out this way, if ever at all. I can only try to convince her, somehow.
I held up my hands, palm up, in a calming gesture. "Drop the knife, "my voice quiet, pleading.
Talking a step back, she screamed, "Don't come closer," holding the hilt of the knife tighter. Her voice filled with malice and resentment I could very much understand. Tears streamed down her face, looking at me like a long-lost enemy, eager to deliver judgment to me.
"Let me leave,' I said, my voice firm but laced with desperation. "I'll disappear from your life completely. You'll never have to think about me again, never hear my name spoken. I'll be gone for good".
"'I should let you leave?' she spat, her tone venomous. 'Are you kidding me? After everything you've done, you expect me to just... forgive and forget? Let you walk away scot-free? Go to hell.'"
"It was either me or them," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She glared at me, her eyes blazing with fury. "What do you mean you didn't have a choice? You had every option, every chance to make a difference yet you chose power over the people who loved you. Over your brother. Over Mr. Henderson.... he loved you like a son."
Upon hearing his name, its distaste entered my ears, making anger seep into my voice. "If it wasn't for Hendrickson, none of this would have happened. He knew the truth about the Catacombs and did nothing to stop it."
"Axel, you did nothing to stop it," she spat, her index finger jabbing accusingly at me. Her voice dripped with venom. "You knew the truth, and yet you led them all to their deaths. My parents were among them, and that didn't even give you pause. All the sacrifices I made, all the things I did for you... and this is how you repay me."
"Oh, please, Viessa, do tell," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "What exactly have you done for me? You told me secrets of a world beyond Olav, even when it was forbidden. You breathed life into my dreams and told me my father might still be out there, alive. Did you honestly think I'd just ignore those words?"
"I told you because you were sad," she said, her voice now almost inaudible.
I laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "No, no, Viessa. You told me because you were in love with me. Because without those words, I wouldn't have given you a second glance. I was fragile and broken, but that only seemed to draw you and the others in, didn't it? You flocked around me like moths to a flame, eager to save the poor, helpless prince."
Now it was her turn to be silent. The rain continued to fall, its sound still rhythmically beating the roof, only now it could be heard with less intensity. The knife still pointed right at me, its pointed edge now dipped compared to before.
Not soon after the hilt was raised back to its previous position, her hands not at all trembling like before. Her eyes were now more composed, all resolute and determined like never before. A shiver ran down my spine as I beheld this new side of her, one I had never seen.
"Do you recall when I told you about the Agora? How my parents and others like us were persecuted simply for living on their lands? About how the mistreatment did not stop until we eventually left. When it happened, I had a suspicion that some of them tracked me down and slaughtered everyone in Olav just to torment me. It sounds absurd, but I know they're capable of such cruelty.
Pausing, she continued. My suspicions only grew when I heard rumors of a white-haired stranger named Servo, appearing out of thin air. When I saw you at first, I didn't think much of your appearance. I was happy to see someone I knew, someone who survived. I thought together we would uncover the truth behind the tragedy. But now, I realize how stupid I was. Not only have you become just like them, but you're also the one responsible for it"
This time, she took a deep breath and looked me directly in the eyes. "Axel, I'll never forgive you and the so-called freedom you've been chasing; I'll make sure you never see it. I swear to make you pay for every life you've destroyed, every heart you've broken. You'll atone for your sins, and I'll be the one to ensure it."
Panic began to set in, my voice shaking as I pleaded, "Let's talk about this."
She remained silent, her eyes fixed on me as she slowly backed away, her feet inching toward the door in a slow, deliberate retreat.
I knew I shouldn't have disagreed or argued back. I was aware that I should keep my calm and found the best way to come to a conclusion with her. But I became angry and said so many insensitive words. When did I become so impulsive and irrational? Regardless, I cannot let her leave this house, even if it means restraining her.
Gathering my momentum, I sprinted towards her with lightning speed, catching her off guard. I grasped for the knife, knocking it from her hand. The blade clattered to the ground, its fall echoing through the air with a resounding thud.
She cocked her leg back, ready to unleash a vicious kick aimed squarely at my groin. But I was quicker. With a swift motion, I grabbed her leg, my hands closing around her ankle with ease. I held firm, trying to restrain her as she struggled against my grip.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a reflection of light; not paying it any attention, I kicked the base of her remaining leg, still balancing her to the ground, trying to make her fall to the ground.
Suddenly, searing pain exploded in my neck. I felt a warm trickle spreading down my skin as I stumbled backward, clutching the wound in agony. Blood seeped through my fingers, and I could feel my heart racing with alarm. It became a whole lot more difficult to breathe.
I looked across the room to find the knife I knocked out of her hand, still there untouched. My thoughts became scrambled unable to comprehend what had just happened. How could there be another blade?
Slowly my body began to weaken, my thoughts falling silent, my sight becoming blurry.
"Don't worry, you won't die from this... I think. It wouldn't matter either way," she said, walking out the door.
Lying on the floor, I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, their salty taste mingling with the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. My jaw was slack, gasping for air as my vision began to blur. This is the end, I thought, resignation washing over me. The searing pain that had ravaged my body was slowly numbing, its grip loosening with each fading moment. Desperate to stay awake, I summoned the last vestiges of my strength to reach for the knife still lodged in my neck. My trembling hand closed around the hilt, a gruesome anchor to reality, as I fought against the darkness closing in around me.
Struggling on the brink of death, I tried to pull it out, but my hands were too weak, the pain of it was too much for me to bear. I knew it was finally time, there was no escaping it.
One last time, I grasped for that elusive sensation.... The sensation that deeply rooted me in the world. In it a faint spark of power flickered within me, making me a little relieved from the tiredness and exhaustion. It was enough.
Viessa still stood frozen at the entrance, weeping from all the sudden revelations, but I didn't care much about that; I still had to convince her. With a Herculean effort, I pulled out the knife lodged in my neck. Agony contorted my face, and a silent scream tore from my lips.
On my feet, I reached for the wound, but I couldn't feel it. Surprisingly, it has already healed, not even a scar left behind. Not wasting time, I dashed towards the door, leaving it wide open. Viessa was startled and tried to run but she wasn't fast enough. Realizing that, she took out another blade; this time, I saw where it came from. It was in one of the several pockets designed in her trousers as she flung her hand towards me ready to impale me once again. This time I was, ready for the unexpected, knocking the blade out of her hand once again. Then I grabbed her hand to pull her back into the building using all of my strength. Then, a crunching sound could be heard.
Blood splattered everywhere, a gruesome canvas of crimson and flesh. Viessa's insides were torn apart, scattered around me like confetti. Her warm blood soaked me from head to toe. I gazed down at my hand, and a wave of revulsion washed over me. Half of Viessa's corpse was clutched in my grasp, her severed arm still clinging to mine.