"…oh come on, let's not make this weird." I said, glancing around at my squad's nervous faces. Lonni shot up from the floor, while Cassi straightened her posture as if she expected I'd be delivering some sort of order upon my return.
"Korbin I…I didn't know-"
"Yes, I have a god in me. No, I don't know why. No, I don't want to talk about." I cut Lonni off, trying my best to keep my temper about me. My unwavering rage was quickly waning however, no longer being constantly surrounded by a smog of unbridled chaotic mana.
"Kind of feel like that's something you could've mentioned sooner." Derrick spoke up, wearing a rather calm expression compared to Lonni and Cassi. Cassi elbowed Derrick in the chest, rearing into him before I could speak.
"Who the fuck asks that after their friend goes through what he did?!" She angrily questioned.
"It's fine, Cassi. He's got a point. And I didn't know, to answer your question. Not conclusi-" I stopped, my eyes wondering toward the back of the waiting area. Tom sat alone, quivering with bloodshot eyes glaring at us.
"Korbin?" Cassi said as I brushed past her and Derrick, Tom's head whipping his attention onto mine like a cornered animal.
"Shh…hey buddy." I said, waving Cassi off as I inched toward Tom. His pupils wobbled, yet I could feel him sizing me up. His knuckles were white, clutching onto his twinblades that rattled with his shaking.
"Woah, what the f-"
"SHHH!" I said again, waving off Lonni who started walking toward Tom. Tom jumped to his feet, his blades erupting with lightning mana causing the walls to illuminate with glowing runes. Tom's weapons fizzled, then erupted, then fizzled creating a discordant strobing effect.
"GET AWAY! LIARS, ALL OF YOU LIE!" Tom screamed so loud his voice cracked and went hoarse before finishing his sentence.
"Tom, calm down what the hell-" Cassi said. Tom snarled as she took a single step closer, bearing his teeth and ducking low.
"No warmth in deceivers! Only pain." Tom hissed, his eyes darting around the room. I heard Cassi's bo staff clank from her armor, then again after a pause.
"T-Tom, calm down buddy just talk t-"
"You reek. ALL of you." Tom continued, waving his blade out at us. Then, he panned it toward me, pointing at my chest.
"You. You always took my warmth, you left me cold, to the col-.." His shaking worsened as his eyes widened even further, smiling an unnaturally wide smile.
"They're coming. Deceivers fall when the colony thrives. Colony feeds. Warmth glows. Colony flees. Warmth grows. Colony fee-" He rambled, slamming his back against the wall.
"Tom-" Lonni said, pacing past me toward him. Tom kicked off the wall, his blades twirling toward Lonni. A bassy thum triggered as Tom flew back against the wall, hard. Runes glowed all around his body, the energy pinning him against the wall.
"You'll see. We could've shared the warmth, if you'd only listened, all you EVER! HAD TO DO, WAS LISTE-" my hands clasped around Tom's jaw, holding his face in place. My eyes locked onto his, his pupils finally dilating to focus.
"Ground. Yourself." I said, taking a step back and sitting cross legged in front of Tom. The bassy humming faded as did the runes, releasing Tom who fell to his knees in front of me. He looked up, clutching his blades. I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath, and exhaled while swaying my body. My mind drifted to my place of calm, just long enough to feel Tom's ever-so familiar panicking fade. My eyes opened, finding him in the same pose, his eyes shut with his posture straight. After a few moments of silence, I leaned forward, gently placing my hand on his shoulder.
"Hey…Tom…"
——————————————————————
"…buddy, you still alive in there?" Korbin's voice jolted me awake, my eyes fluttering open. He sat crossed legged, his knees damn near tapping my own as he'd apparently copied my meditation pose. I scooted away, feeling a terrible burning across my entire back as it hit the wall behind me. I looked around, catching Cassi fumbling with her bo staff on her back.
"Woah…am I…is it over?" I asked, the memory of stepping through that beautiful, warmth radiating door.
"Is what over? You didn't go to th-" Korbin's eyes widened with recognition, like he'd just had an epiphany or something.
"…what happe-"
"Congratulations! Your faction placed second in Escaping Fate." A woman's voice announced from the walls, my hands clasping around my twinblades. Korbin's fingers snapped in front of my face, before doing a 'deep breath' gesture he'd thrown me countless times by now. So I did, and of course, my hands relaxed.
"You have 15 minutes until your fourth Objective, 'Until The Last', will commence!" The woman's annoyingly soothing voice continued. Sounded like lies.
"Shit. Tom's supposed to be in that one." Cassi said, rubbing her hands through her hair.
"That's fine, that's why I'm here." I said, standing up from the floor.
"No, Tom, you're not doing this." Cassi quickly replied.
"Why the fuck not?!" I protested.
"You just tried to kill Lonni." Derrick said in a deadpan, staring at me like I'd…wait.
"What? How, I just woke up?!" I asked, wondering if the loops were starting anew. Then I saw Lonni, his eyes to the floor. His shoulders slightly slumped forward, standing slightly behind everyone else.
Shit.
"Korbin calmed you down, but no, you were staring into space when he spotted you wigging out." Derrick added.
"That doesn't make any sense. Do you have any fucking idea how many times I've watched you people die? I never forgot, I don't think I'd start now." I said plainly, still not quite sure how in the hell I'm on autopilot. I always knew.
"Wha-…what did you just say?" Cassi asked, her voice cracking.
"There's no way I wouldn't know? I always knew, I had to. For us." I replied.
"You…you died?" Cassi shakily asked.
"Oh yeah, lots of times. So did you." I said, with a chuckle. Korbin stood up, his brow raised in an uncomfortably concerned manner.
"Tom…what happened to you?" Korbin asked, scanning me up and down.
"The warmth, Korbin! I finally found it. It took me so long, but I understand it now. We do this for the colony, that's why you guys never came for me." I said, chuckling at the misunderstanding. Korbin's head tilted, as Lonni fully turned his back to me behind him.
"…how many days?" Korbin asked in a deadpan.
"2,582. I almost lost count though, haha." I replied. Korbin's face fell into his hand. Cassi's face fell pale, even paler than usual, her eyes darting away as I noticed.
"Damn." Derrick exasperated, rubbing the back of his head.
"What happened?" Korbin asked without lifting his face from his palm.
"We…" I paused, recalling the hordes of rats gorging on each and every one of our bodies. Consuming our warmth, waiting for me to find my own.
"Rats. They taught me, but they…they were everywhere. Always." I looked up at Korbin, seeing his mangled hollow face staring back at me. I smiled, his face normal and lively again after a single blink.
"I see…it wasn't real, Tom. But I'm glad you're back, we need you." Korbin said, patting my shoulder.
"Why are you doing that? Stop being so nice, it's weird." I said with a raised brow. Korbin laughed through his reply.
"I think this may be the only time I ever will be. Try not to squander it, sparky." He said.
"Motherfucker I said don't call me that." I replied as he walked away, swearing off Brigid's terrible nickname for me. I can't wait to remind her of getting absolutely obliterated at the first Event of these Quarterlies, simply because it's already globally agreed she fucking sucks. Noticing Lonni hovering a bit further away, I decided to talk to him about the whole 'tried to kill you' thing now while I had time.
"Hey, uh, you're not m-"
"No. I'm not mad at you Tom." He said, towering over me even with his slouched posture.
"Okay, well I mean I would understand if you were. I kind of thought you were fake, pretty excited you're not to be honest." I said, my hand grazing against his armor. His mangled hanging corpse blasting through the metal floor played in my mind, and I pulled my hand away.
"Tom, I'm sorry. I didn't know, I wish I would've just…" Lonni said, his voice crackling.
"Buddy, I'm okay…argh except for this terrible burning I got going on." I said, turning around and pulling up my robes to reveal my back.
"Did I like, get a rash from leaning against the wall too long or?"
"Oh shh-" Derrick hollered from across the room, putting his closed fist up to his mouth.
"What?! Is it bad?" I asked. Cassi paced around me, stopping in her tracks once she got past my shoulder with her mouth agape.
"Okay, thank you, that's very insightful. Anyone else?" I asked, annoyed at the dramatic pause. Korbin sighed, coming around to face me.
"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked. Frustrated, I glanced around the room until I noticed the window wall was rather reflective. I paced over, back up toward the glass until I could see myself and…
"Holy shit?!"
Dark light shimmered across my back as I twisted to get a better look. Thin, sharp etches sprawled across my skin jaggedly crossing one another like a rat's nest. Taking a step back, the countless lines created the shape of a crude sigil. The lines twitched and pulsated with every breath, some simply glowed, while a single streaking scar wriggled all on its own.
"What the f-?! Who did this to me, this isn't fucking funny?!" I yelled, turning to face my team.
"No one. Nobody knew you were…gone." Korbin said in a deadpan.
"We would've pulled you out if we knew." Cassi added solemnly.
"…so they did this to me?" I said, realizing the colony may not have wanted to be forgotten after our journey together.
"Fuckin' hell, Tom." Derrick said with a scoff of astonishment.
"No kidding, this shit is itchy as hell. Way worse than my shoulder tattoo." I said, pulling down my robe at the collarbone and revealing my one and only tattoo. An old timey pocket watch, in memory of my gramps who was a passionate horologist in his retirement.
"Yeah no shit, that one doesn't move." Korbin said matter of factly.
"Don't tell me we're actually going to make him participate still?" Cassi said to Korbin. I dropped down my robe, the cold air sending a chill down my spine causing several glowing black lines to wriggle and gyrate in my skin.
"I'm not going to make him do anything. Tom, would you be okay with sitting out?" Korbin asked, turning back toward me.
"Not a fucking chance." I said in a deadpan.
"He said he watched us die countless times."
"2,582, not countless." I corrected her.
"…need I say more?!" Cassi asked Korbin. Korb sighed, rubbing his eyelids with his fingers.
"Do you think sitting out might agitate your problem, Tom?" He asked through a sigh.
"What, my new tattoos? I mean I got them here so, probably?" I replied after a pause. Korbin shrugged, turning back toward Cassi.
"You got a better argument?" He asked.
"He…might be a little uh-" she glanced at me, her concerned expression hardening.
"-he may very well be mentally compromised. What if he wigs out again?" Cassi continued.
'Compromised'? I've never felt warmer.
"And what, kills one of his opponents? Would you rather he's locked in here where we can't offer stable help, or with our foes until we can get him to a healer?" Korbin replied.
"I'm standing right fucking here, guys. I'm. Fine." I said.
"No, no you're not, Tom. But that's not our priority right now." Korbin replied. Instantly I understood.
"Oh,'duh', haha. For the colony." I said with a grin. Korbin's eyes narrowed.
"Right…for Elysium." He replied. .
"5 minutes remaining until 'Until The Last' commences!"
"Alright, well so long as he's not a threat to himself or us, then I suppose it'll be f-"
"Congrations! The final Objectives of the 'Labyrinth Of Lost Legends' have been upgraded for all factions due to a high volume of contestants remaining, and will be attempted by all eligible Faction members. Good luck, the multiverse is watching!" The system's cold, deceptive voice announced, interrupting Cassi.
"Uhp! Looks like that's settled. If you need me, I'm gonna go medi-" I hesitated, remembering the last time I said that sentence.
"…I'll go stretch." I corrected, pacing toward the center of the waiting room and plopping down on the ground. Korbin chuckled, earning a sharp eye from Cassi that was understandably ignored. The journey to discovering the warmth was pretty funny in retrospect.
After sufficiently limbering up and letting the other four murmur across the room from me, I felt the familiar instant deterioration and heavy warping of every sense that accompanied being teleported. This time however it was a much, much faster process than my last journey through the abyssal…whatever the fuck the system throws us through. My eyes fluttered open, finding Korbin, Cassi, and Lonni all standing nearby, a glimmering light blue mana dome sealing us atop the platform.
"Where's Derrick?" I asked, recalling the voice had messaged the entire Faction squad would be taking part.
"Eliminated." Korbin answered bluntly.
"He lost his last life during the last objective. You were there, don't you remember?" Lonni asked, tilting his head slightly. I paused, feeling the memories slowly returning.
"…the pillars. We fought demons, and that damned Sanguine blood bende-" I stopped as the images of Derrick dying on my watch filled my vision. Instantly, a wave of shame invaded my mind, accompanied by a light chill.
"Yeah, and by the way you had no business winning that for how long it took you to figure out the goddamn objective. But uh, yeah no Derrick until we finish the Labyrinth." Korbin replied. My jaw tightened, seeing the fruits of my failure extending its rotten olive branches out to my people, yet again.
I can't…hurt the colony anymore.
"Welcome to 'Until The Last'! Due to an uncommonly high volume of contestants remaining, every member of each faction taking part will be taking part in all remaining Objectives. This will not include any contestants who have already lost their allotted lives, as well as contestants eliminated before or during the final event. All eliminated contestants will remain in their factions waiting area until the conclusion of the Quarterly Event."
*ding*
I flinched, then chuckled to myself for not recognizing my notification sound. Cassi glanced a brow raised side eye, apparently still avoiding eye contact. Opening the message, a prompt popped up across my vision
Team Elysium:
Attackers:
Defenders:
Available: Korbin Erickson, Tom Murphy, Cassi Braxwell, Lonni Obsidian
"A maximum of two members will be placed on defense, while no more than three will be placed on offense. You will be separated, and will work with other faction members in order to succeed. All else shall make itself apparent in due time. Good luck, we're all watching!" The woman's voice concluded, ending her explanation with her favorite foreboding finish promising multiversal eavesdropping I didn't realize I missed so much. Then, reading over the options, my attention honed in on what might be the only truer surprise I've seen in…quite some time.
"Woah, dude Lonni, your last name's Obsidian? How the hell is this the first I'm hearing this?!" I demanded with a grin, both confused at how anyone's lineage could be named after volcanic glass, and impressed at how utterly badass that is. Lonni shrugged casually.
"I don't know, it's not really important." Lonni replied quietly, his eyes darting between the ground and back at me.
"How is that n-"
"He's right, Tom. You'll have time to intrude on Lonni's personal life later. For now, let's decide who's going where, and I'll start off by immediately voting Tom and I are paired." Korbin interjected before I could press further.
"I had the same idea. You two can handle being a man down on offense while Lonni and I can hunker down on defense." Cassi said firmly. Almost formally, like a soldier addressing someone of a higher rank.
"Actually no, you two should go on offense." Korbin replied.
"What?!" I exclaimed.
"Why?" Cassi asked, overlapping my confusion with her own.
"Wait, Korbin, I don't know if that's the best idea." Lonni said, earning a momentary look of disbelief in Korbin's wide eyed expression. Then, his face fell back into his palms, taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh before answering.
"…okay. How do I put this? Tom, obviously, is in no state to be trusted with something like coordinated strikes, or not killing Lonni for some reason. Meaning, I don't trust him, and you shouldn't either. Sorry, Tom." Korbin said, quickly slipping his apology in.
"Not okay." I replied.
"And as of right now, I'm the only person who could chill him out. Frankly, I don't see that opportunity arising mid-combat too easily. If I can set up and dig my heels in, Tom doesn't need to be fully functional, while you-" Korbin continued, pointing at Cassi.
"-can get more reps leading an attack without me around, all while using my favorite bodyguard too. Thoughts?" He asked with his brow raised.
"I don't like the plans built around assuming I'm going to kill any of us. Getting us killed is one thing, but I'd never hurt you guys more than you're cool with." I said, feeling more than insulted at the idea. As if I hadn't watched them be ripped to shreds thousands of times. Except…sometimes it was me who was burrowing through their bellies. So, can't really say 'never' anymore now, can I?
"Never said on purpose. I cannot stress this enough, you tried. To kill. Lonni. Why do you think he can't look you in the eye right now?" Korbin said, his words like a surprise hook to the gut. If what they said I did is true, then…I'm a danger.
"We're a man down, you do realize what you're asking of Lonni and I, right?" Cassi asked, her tone riddled with uncertainty. Korbin narrowed his eyes, glaring back at Cass.
"You don't think you could manage?" He asked. Cassi paused, looking away as if to physically search for her answer.
"It's alright, me and Cass can handle it." Lonni said, interrupting the silence and doing his best impression of enthusiasm, even with his rather dejected vibe. One I can't help but feel responsible for. Cassi just nodded in agreement with her eyes on the floor.
"Alright, then it's settled. Everyone lock in their roles now, before the system does it for us." Korbin warned, his eyes shooting up to the sky. Reluctantly, I willed for my name to fill an open 'Defenders' slot.
Team Elysium:
Attackers: Cassi Braxwell, Lonni Obsidian
Defenders: Korbin Erickson, Tom Murphy
Available:
As I closed the notification, I felt every molecule in my body fade from existence in a blink. The glowing blue light of our mana dome was replaced with an empty blue sky. Korbin stood atop the platform beside me, peering over the edge. Curious, I followed suit, finding only cloudy skies below us as far as the eye could see.
"You see Cassi and Lonni's platform anywhere?" Korbin asked, still scanning over the edge.
"Nope, just a whole lot of air. It's kind of nice honestly." I replied, taking in the odd silence wafting on the wind. I closed my eyes, finding an odd solace up here.
*CLANK*
The platform shook underfoot as a second one appeared from thin air, carrying three individuals atop it. Each of them had incredibly pale, light blue skin, although that's about where their similarities started and ended. The largest of the group wearing a thick metal armor set and a puffy fur coat over it had a slightly darker blue complexion, clutching an absurdly large, frost covered hammer.
The head of the oversized maul was wider than his torso, the pommel sporting a pointed spear head with blades spiraling around it. He spun the weapon with scarily little effort before placing the hammer side on the platform beside him.
The woman to his right stood much shorter in stature, her narrowed eyes thoroughly scanning over Korbin and I openly. She wore soft, muted blue leather armor etched together with strange, grey runic shapes. A thick fur-lined collar and inner hood puffed at her shoulders, and a grey glowing lace glove that nearly reached her elbow.
The other lady on his left glared with that look a mean older sister would give their little brother. One that said, 'I wish nothing more than freedom from your presence infecting mine.' She wore a light grey hide armor set, and a thin white cloak with the hoodie pulled over her head. She clutched a pair of curved blades that bent like sickles, the blades taking on a foggy blue translucent glow, reminding me of those videos of deep ocean ice in the arctic.
"…is it actually this simple?" Korbin asked through a furrowed brow, sounding more disappointed than anything. My blades split at the grips, lightning crackling along my arms.
*ding*
Team Elysium/Frostroot Covant:
Attackers: Roen Crayle, Elarra Quen, Vexa Rillian
Defenders: Korbin Erickson, Tom Murphy
The notification opened seemingly on its own, encompassing my vision. I quickly closed it, and noticed everyone else reeling back and blinking toward the sky. Korbin sighed, placing his hand on my blade and lowering it. He grinned, leaning closer and speaking nearly in a hush.
…who the fuck are these people?!