AIAW Royal Road Chapter 36: In The Face of Death
All around me, total darkness. No sounds, no smell, no nothing. It was just quiet, and empty.
I looked left, then right. There was no mistaking it... I was dead. And this was my spirit slipping away into the realm of the undead.
Maya’s voice resonated in the back of my mind, “You went and died on me...didn’t you...”
“Oh, shut up, please.” I whispered under my breath.
I was just as upset about it as she was. This was devastating... my whole life amounted to nothing at all. It was just complete suffering until my last breath. This feeling, the failure, the lack of accomplishment, there were no words that could ever describe how much I despised my entire life.
I exhaled, “Shit.”
A sense of purpose left me. Every single dream of mine, every single hope, every SINGLE GOAL....It was nothing now.
Is this where I’m left to roam forever? Is this really my fate?
Click! Mmm
There was an unexpected click that echoed through the darkness around me, followed by a low electrical hum.
From above, a bright ray of light came down, revealing a large wooden table ahead of me.
The deep voice of a man spoke to me, like my thoughts were heard.
“That depends, Amaya.” Strangely enough, there was nobody in sight.
“Huh?...W-who are you?... Where are you?”
“Fair questions. Fair questions. Advance to the table and I will give you the answers you seek.”
I obeyed, and when I made it to the table, a figure appeared on the other side. A very tall man, dressed in a black suit and tie. White silk gloves on his hands. His appearance was sort of spooky. Instead of a face, he had just a shadow. There were no features. No eyes, no mouth...none of it.
“I-” I didn’t know what to say.
“Amaya, Aged eighteen. You’ve lived a short life. Hardships, misfortune, I know all of it. This might very well be where I allow you to move on to the realm of the dead.” His hand clenched, slowly extended out towards me, “For I am death, this is my role. For your life, make a roll.”
His hand opened, a green die in his palm. A twenty-sided die.
Tnk Tnk Tnk
It was dropped on the table, rolling across it until it was in front of.
“...Make a roll?” I asked.
Even if he had no face, I could feel his gaze on me. It was like I was in the presence of death itself...though I literally was.
“A roll for your life. This will determine your fate. Life or death.” his silky hand stroking his chin, he watched me, waiting for me to pick up the die. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
This would decide if I wake up or not. This would decide it all. My entire future depended on this die in front of me. What if I failed... What if I actually die here...What if... What if... What if...
My mind was echoing with doubt, hundreds of ‘What-ifs’
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
But Maya’s firm tone brought me back to reality.
“Do it. Do it, Amaya. This hesitation you do. The fear that you let consume you. It’s why you never grow. It’s why you fail. It’s why you stay weak. It’s why you’ve never been anything. It’s why you never will be anything.”
These words, they were true. They really were. And that’s why it hit me soo hard...It angered me. It really angered me. My fists clench uncontrollably, my jaw locked.
“How can I be brave when all I've ever known was this curse of bad luck!”
I snatched the die off the table and lifted it in the air, “I’m not just some scared little girl...I’m not...”
I’m not...I’m not...I’m not...I’m not.... I’m not.... But I was. I was scared. The reality of this world. The death. The blood. The monsters. It scared me...and that is why it angered me. The truth, I despised it.
“Screw it all.”
My hand gave the die a strong throw, sending it tumbling across the table's surface.
Tnk Tnk Tnk
It tumbled and tumbled... and tumbled, until it stopped, on a twenty.
“So. Mister, death. What does this mean?”
Death leaned over the table, his face in front on mine. A wide smile appeared across his face. A long, white smile, with no other facial feature to support it.
“Amayaaaa. Amaya, Amaya, Amaya, You're an interesting one. Something in your soul. I can see it. I can see...” he leaned back and stood up, “I better not.” Death adjusted his tie and snapped his fingers together, “You’ve dodged me this time. I wish you the best of luck when you awaken. Until next time, Ze-” His voice faded, making the end of his sentence unclear. My eyes closed agsint their will...then suddenly, they flung open.
I was alive. Alive and angry. My teeth were clenched, and the wound through my chest was oozing with red liquid.
[‘Rage’ has activated]
I stumbled on balance, a burning hatred in my soul. Everything...I hated everything.
“...I don’t think we’re finished...” I spoke, my words directed at the armored creature ahead of me. The Abyssal Knight was just about to make his way to the others, but it shifted its attention back in my direction.
Before it made even the slightest movement, I closed the distance with a dash, bashing my palm into its stomach. Just before the impact set it, I yanked my blade from its body, then watched the Knight go tumbling across the ground. It eventually caught its balance. The dark aura around its body surged with the intent to take my life.
The Knight lunged at me, its obsidian blade skillfully slashed away at me. Each slash in my direction, I dodged every single one. Left, right, my body pulsed with speed as Leaned around every swing of its blade. This knight became angrier by the second, and so did I.
[‘Rage’ Has Deactivated]
I don’t know what happened next, I must’ve blacked out. Next thing I knew, the knight was on both of its knees, a broke blade right beside it.
[Abyssal Knight- HP: 4/433]
Just one more hit, the fight would be decided. This monster was at my mercy. And mercy, I had none. I lifted my katana, then brough it down with an overhead slash.
Fwsh!
I watched the Knight's helmet, and skull split in half, a black liquid spurting out onto my face.
Its limp body fell on its side, no sign of life.
I had won.
[You Have Leveled Up x2]
“...It’s done...I did it...” Out of breath, I muttered.
The fight was over, but i still had an oozing wound in my chest. The adrenaline wearing off, the pain, and blood loss set in. My vision started pulsing black and my legs went numb. In the next moment, I was laying against the cold stone floor.
...Great. Now I’m really dead...
Before my consciousness could leave, I felt a gentle hand touch my chest. A green light hovered over my wound. I watched my skin and flesh pull itself back together till there was no wound. It was healed.
“Don’t worry. I’m here.” Olivia’s reassuring voice filled my ears, “You were amazing. I’m so sorry...I froze up. I don’t know what came over me. I just couldn’t manage to move my limbs.” Her face had regret written all over it.
I didn’t hold it against her. Actually, I think I knew what happened. The monster’s aura was pretty thick. I guess it was potent enough to paralyze her. Or something like that.
My back was still glued to the floor; I still didn’t have the strength to move a muscle, or even turn my head.
“...Lily...and everyone else. Are they okay?...Are they alive?...”
“They are just fine. Actually, that is thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?...”
“Yes, thanks to you. While you were fighting that thing, It bought me time to attend to everyone’s injuries. Everyone's just fine...for the most part.”
For the most part? I guess she meant the severity of their injuries. Tim lost his legs, and David lost an arm. They’d never get those back. Even if their wounds are healed, their life will never be the same again. And Lily, she was hurt pretty bad too.
Olivia's hand played with my hair as she sat next to me.
“David and Tim. They’re my dearest friends. It hurts to say this but...they don’t have a future as adventurers anymore. They’ll have to retire; I just don’t see how they can function with missing limbs...but I’m just grateful their still here.” she took a breath then exhaled, “...Makes me think. If it weren’t for you and Lily...I think this would’ve been their final resting place, just as much as mine.”
I watched the tears form in her eyes, turning to droplets that ran down her cheeks.
“Thank you, Amaya.”
I was no hero, and nobody was all that special. But I was happy I could do some good. I was happy I could save a few lives. I was happy.
I felt a sense of accomplishment come over me.
“Well done, Amaya”