Chapter 16: Ghost...?
Was it a dream?
Or
Was it a memory?
I don't know....
But whatever it was... it was happening in front of my eyes.
A particular man bathed in a brilliant white light.
He stood alone, his shoulders hunched downwards as he took shallow breaths and gasps.
He stood on a field with no flowers whatsoever.
It was just barren and empty devoid with any signs of life.
Yet, the winds propelled the clouds as spring came to the lands, showering them.
But it wasn't water that fell; it was... blood.
Blood that cascaded from the heavens, thick and ominous.
Undeterred, the man straightened his posture, closing his eyes as he allowed the blood rain to envelop him completely.
As the crimson liquid soaked his entire being, he slowly opened his eyes, gazing upwards with a sense of solemn resolve.
And then, piercing through the veil of the blood rain, a divine light descended upon the desolate ground, illuminating the battlefield.
With it came an army.... their presence emanating a palpable aura of holiness.
At the forefront strode three majestic figures leading the army.
Their holy armor and beautiful wings signifying who they were.
.... Angels.
The angels, untouched by the blood rain, hovered in midair like ethereal beings.
An army of Angels that came for just one man.
And yet, amidst the serenity of their holy aura, the lone figure stood unfazed.
The man, still drenched in the crimson downpour, locked eyes with the angels.
And without any sound.
Without any warning.
With a movement so swift it defied comprehension, the man acted.
Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, the world around me grinding to a halt as the man's actions unfolded in silence.
I strained to see, to understand, but the events transpired with such rapidity that they eluded my perception.
And in an instant, half of the angelic beings, once thought invincible... fell.
Their bodies falling from the sky like the rain while the holy light still illuminated the now-turned battleground.
As the holy light continued to cast its brilliance upon the man, it revealed the depths of his gaze, a glint of golden intensity that pierced through the darkness of the battlefield.
His gaze was bleak, devoid of any emotion even after committing a massacre.
Locked in a silent confrontation, the man and the three leading angels stood poised for conflict.
But before the clash could commence, before the tension reached its zenith, the world around me began to crumble.
The ground beneath me crumbled, the earth splitting apart as if torn asunder by unseen forces.
And as the world around me dissolved into chaos, I found myself consumed by darkness.
.....
.....
.....
"Huff... huff..."
The sound of my own labored breaths broke the haziness that filled my mind.
My hands trembled with intense pain as the memories of what I did last time flooded my mind.
Gradually, my senses also returned as the somewhat familiar room filled my view.
"Urgh..."
Groaning, I stood up from the cold floor and looked around.
Still sitting in the middle of the circle, I found my strength as I crawled towards the bed, searching for something to support myself.
Reaching the bed, I grasped onto the edge, using it for support as I pulled myself up.
The sheets were cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat that still pulsed through my veins.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, I looked at my left hand where blood had clotted, stopping the blood flow.
And the next thing I felt was a sense of emptiness like never before... As if a part of me had been completely taken away from me... That I could never recover.
"At least it didn't hurt."
Ignoring the changes in my body, I quickly checked my status screen.
...And.
Nothing changed...
"What?" I asked myself, and for some reason, to the status screen as well.
Frustration and confusion gnawed at me as I struggled to comprehend what had transpired.
"Where is the reward!" I shouted as I punched the screen.
"I sold my soul for fuck sake!" I shouted as I grabbed my hair with both hands.
Was the circle bugged?
Then why did I feel like I had lost something?
"Argh... What's happening!?"
I tried to rationalize, to make sense of the situation, but the answers eluded me.
Had I truly sold a part of my soul, only to receive nothing in return?
"FUCK!"
[Stop shouting!]
"Huh?"
I stopped shouting as I felt a voice in my head, a voice of a young man.
"System?" I mumbled as I thought about it.
[What's a system?] Again, I heard a confused voice in my head.
"Who are you?"
I abruptly stood up and looked around the place, searching for anything or anyone.
[Same question, who are you?]
"You're talking in my mind!"
[Yeah...]
Again, I heard his voice with uncertainty.
"What's happening!?"
[I don't know what's happening either.]
The voice sounded genuinely perplexed.
"Who the fuck are you?"
[I... I don't know, my memories are fuzzy. I just suddenly became aware, and then I heard you shouting.]
"Can you hear my thoughts?" I asked tentatively, unsure of what to expect.
[Yes, I can.]
A shiver ran down my spine as he replied.
"Get the fuck out!"
[I can't.]
"What do you mean you can't?" I asked with frustration as I lay on the bed.
[Somehow, I am bound to you, and even if I want to, I can't be separated from you.]
"..."
Did it happen because of the magic circle?
[And by the way, the magic circle of yours offers the same thing that you sacrificed.]
"How the fuck do you know that?" I asked, surprised, as this individual had just claimed not to remember anything.
[My memories are coming back as we speak.]
"..."
So, from his words, if I offered a part of my soul...
....Fuck.
So did I get some old monster or something like that in return?
"Can you give me some kind of OP power or weapon?" I asked shamelessly, feeling the urgency for strength, "something that can make me stronger rapidly."
[I don't know, and even if I could, I don't think your body would be able to handle it.]
"Hahahaha." I laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
What kind of luck do I have? How bad can my life even get now?
"That's the reason I'm desperate, fucker," I grumbled with a deep sigh, "it all comes down to this shitty body of mine."
[...]
"Sigh...."
I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes without saying anything.
I stayed still like that for a long time, with only the ticking sound of the clock filling the room.
As the silence stretched on, I couldn't shake the feeling of frustration and helplessness gnawing at me from within.
It seemed like every path I took, every decision I made, only led to more obstacles and challenges.
[What are you thinking?] the voice asked as I stayed silent for a while.
"Just thinking how I should off myself," I replied nonchalantly without opening my eyes. "Is jumping from the building better, or hanging myself?"
[.....]
"You know what," I said as I stood up from the bed, "I have a much easier way to die."
Let's meet my villainess mother.
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