(Libertatem 1, 59 / 5:28AM)

(Gwen)

(Gwen’s thoughts) I feel strong…

Like a star, her body glowed as the current flowed through her body.

Her eyes closed, her feet pinning the cement below, and her body felt like a feather in a fall breeze at the beginning of a rainstorm.

Along with both her hands wide open, her body was practically vulnerable to any attack that could bestow upon her. Even in the position she was in, no one dared to hurt or kill her as the two men watched silently at the star-like girl.

(Gwen’s thoughts) I feel powerful…

The room crackled with the blinding yellow light, causing Jason and Lazaros to close their eyes to escape its super lucent brightness. Covering their eyes with either their left or right arm, both men remained still as their bodies arched back from the heat radiating from the epicenter.

(Gwen’s thoughts) Just close enough to reach the ends of Paradise…

Soon after, the room that was molested by the blinding yellow light soon ceased.

Both men placed their hands out of their eyes, their duty to safely protect their eyes a success as they placed them motionless to their sides. Looking at what was in front of the large transformer, both of them saw a tolerable glowing light that relaxed both of their pupils.

It reminded them as if they were seeing a rebirth of a star.

A star so bright yet so gentle upon its malevolent rays.

Lazaros, who only frowned upon the presence of the soothing rays, let out a sigh.

(Lazaros) Be careful, Jason…

The tall freckled woman in front of him swiftly opened her brown eyes, the gentle light soon encapsulating his reflection that was trapped in her irises.

Upon seeing the blackening flames that still caressed his arms and hands, Gwen slowly raised her hand toward the gray-hooded figure, which emitted a yellowish brightening light.

Jason soon put both of his arms to block himself, the black flames that still lingered soon sprouting several shadows next to him.

(Lazaros’s thoughts) Let’s see if he could pull it off.

Flames that were embroidered with the smell of death soon poured forth from Jason’s hands.

With the air around him turning into a hasty fog of black and unruly darkness, Jason had both of his feet secured on the stone floor beneath him. His legs wobbling softly, his knees crunched as sweat started to bestow upon his youthful face, leading him to grit his teeth in return.

Soon after, the blackened mist that sprouted out started to form and confine against one another, as if the atoms and molecules on a molecular level soon decided to team up with spirit.

Leading to the creation of many black humanoid creatures barely assembling itself with their bodies.

Since the black humanoid ghostly figures were right by Jason’s side, they looked where their leader was staring, following the example that they were shown. Their white dotted eyes staring right into the depths of her soul, they soon stood one by one next to Jason.

Using his right hand, Jason pointed with his pointer finger at the glowing woman, his throat rasped and cold as he summoned one simple command…

(Jason) Twilight Region.

A horde of black yet dimly fading ghost figures soon sprinted their legs toward Gwen, her entire body unfazed by the horde of a dozen sorrowful shadows that never saw the true rays of a star.

Instead, Gwen put her left foot back as she steadied her right foot, as well as extending her right hand onto the incoming horde. A blinding light bursted out and hit every single black ghostly creature that fell ill to the attack.

Jason covered both of his eyes again as he barely managed to avoid burning his eyes.

(Jason’s thoughts) Shit, hope she didn’t take out my entire—

As soon as he opened his eyes, he widened them upon the revelation that bestowed onto his covered irises.

Not one single ghostly black-flamed creature was seen as if they were swept away by an attack that seemed far too powerful for the likes of them. Leaving no trace of their existence in the world of the living, Jason bit down on his lower lip.

Despite his face being covered up with his hoodie, Gwen continued to pan her nonchalant eyes toward the trembling gray-hooded man.

(Jason) No …

Gwen pulled both of her hands down to her thighs, her palms soon closing up as she put her right knee on the ground. Her kneecap shone down the stone that needed its mournful sunlight, the stone soon reflected despite the floor being riddled with heavy dust.

And with just the tap of her right heel, she soon lifted herself off the ground—

Jason’s entire right face rained down blood that soon sprouted from his nose and inner eyelid.

She was just that fast.

As the wind around him got stabbed by the lightning fist punch, it created a gun burst of air that shot him outward, causing his entire body to be thrown back. And in only a couple of seconds, his entire back slammed onto the other end of the room, producing a large dent that trembled the old building.

(Jason’s thoughts) What just…

His eyes flickering repeatedly, his legs unable to pull himself up nor with his arms, his body was latched onto the stone like he was the prey of a trophy hunter on display. Looking down onto the stone pavement that was soon littered with pebble stones that dropped from the cracking wall, Jason inhaled an abundance of air inside of his lungs.

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He then swept it away, unleashing a multitude of dimming black flames.

(Jason’s thoughts) I couldn’t—

Gwen stood in front of him.

With his fluttering and fastening blink that was slow enough to the rapid Gwen, Jason held his eyes open with his face tilted down. Unable to still see through his youthful face, Gwen put her glowing hand on top of Jason's hoodie, her gentle fingers gripping the top of the hood.

Slowly pulling down the fabric that covered his eyes, nose, and cheeks, Gwen still had a nonchalant expression smudged on her face.

Upon looking at the youthful man, his cheekbones were polished and chiseled, along with his blonde hair latching onto the back ends of his ears.

(Jason) What are you going to do to me…?

Gwen then put her right hand onto the helm of his right shoulder, her nails not sharp enough to dig into the fabric of his gray hoodie. The glow of her pale skin bright enough to be a glow stick flashlight, she gently yet surely pulled the youthful man from out of the dented hole.

Plopping down onto the ground, he landed face-first on the cement, his left cheekbone being crushed immediately by the impact. A large cracking sound coming from none other than Jason, Gwen put both of her knees onto the stone ground.

(Gwen) I want to ask you before I leave…

She then thrust both of her hands onto the edges of his neck, her palms not even tightening under the hold and grip she had on him. Her fingers felt his unwrinkled and smooth skin, her nails sensed what little facial hair Jason had.

Having his head tilted upward, he had no choice but to look up at the glowing woman, while air still plunged deep into his pink lungs. Seeing her freckles stand out as they became brighter than her skin, similar to sun spots on stars, Jason’s eyes soon started to crust from the lack of humidity.

(Gwen) Do you know Jerry Phillips? An elf who wore an eyepatch?

His throat didn’t mutter a single groan or letter.

Looking down at the cold floor that was beneath him, he didn’t even look up at the light that shined down on him.

Noticing that he wouldn’t talk nor would look at her, Gwen helped Jason tilt his head upward to look at her, her eyes motionless as she just stared at the obedient man. With the edges of her fingernails and fingertips not even digging into his airways or even his skin, she brought his face inches toward hers.

(Gwen) He’s been missing. No one has been talking about him, very similar to what happened to Cameron. It’s as if he’s been forgotten … except for me.

She then pulled the bloodied tall man high in the air.

Clenching both ends of her jaws, Gwen slowly dug her fingers into Jason’s neck.

Which started to clog his airways, her fingers managing to perfectly and efficiently put enough pressure for him to completely trap the air within his body.

As well as not letting any air from getting in.

(Gwen) Where is he?

With no air inside coming in, and with no motivation to dangle his arms and legs, Jason’s vision slowly blurred as his lungs wrinkled from the trapped air inside of his body. Slightly opening his mouth, the words that wanted to come out couldn't be pressed forth, his throat completely and utterly deprived of any oxygen needed to speak.

(Gwen) Where … is … he?

(Lazaros) How could he speak if you are stealing away the very thing he needs to speak?

In a simple quick motion, Gwen turned her head.

Sharpening her eyes ever more, her grip upon Jason continued to tighten, leaving Jason to roll his eyes on the back of his head while his groans for air remained. Lazaros, having her attention, walked slowly as he gently traced the stone-cold cement with his fully relaxed sandals.

(Lazaros) It isn’t like you to kill a beaten man by merely choking him. I always wondered how your morals work, considering that you eliminated Cameron as if you enjoyed it.

Gwen let go of her grip on Jason’s throat, his entire body plopping toward the cold ground below.

Her fingers trembling, her hands twitching; blood started to pour out of the corners of her mouth as she started to bite down on the skin that was loose inside of her cheeks. Keeping her feet steady on the floor, more cracks started to join the already-dented cement beneath her.

Which caused the ground to make a little hole that covered all over her black leather boots.

(Gwen) I … didn’t want to kill Cameron … you guys did …

(Lazaros) Do you hear yourself now? We killed him? What on earth is your logic here? You wiped him off the face of the earth and before that, you declined his role as the soldier he wanted to be.

Lazaros placed his hands inside his large sleeves. Smirking, Lazaros then stopped halfway between where he was originally and where he was in front of Gwen.

(Lazaros) Meanwhile, one of my subordinates rescued him from the depths of despair, making him far more powerful than he ever wanted to be. We did have to … you know … process him, but in the end, he got what he always wanted … to be a soldier.

(Gwen) Your soldier…

Gwen started to walk toward the smug-faced old man who stood up with his back and neck straightened out.

With each step that she took, a loud overbearing thump would occur that would shock the ends of Terra.

And with each step, her enclosed fists swayed the air around her, making it seem as if she controlled the wind that encompassed the entire room.

(Gwen) You brainwashed him. You brainwashed all of the kids that had hopes and dreams. Gemma, Ryan, Cameron, Gary’s best friend, that lich girl—

(Lazaros) The lich girl wasn’t done by me, it was more or less a friend of mine… and besides.

Lazaros soon felt the bright light starting to tan his pale skin, as the freckled glowing woman happened to stand right in front of him.

Tilting her head upward, her eyes emitted a deathly glare at the nonchalant face that Lazaros took on, his eyes pushed down as he continued to emit a smile that sharpened her eyes even more.

(Lazaros) You don’t even know what happened to them, neither did Jerry know.

A fist thrust toward him.

A hand caught the glowing fist that tried to attack him.

An attack so fast and a defense so quick that both of them could see, yet the tall man still recovering could not.

Having his bottom on the ground, Jason tilted his head upward upon looking at Lazaros’s old and wrinkled right hand holding the glowing callused hand of the freckled woman. His breath caught in his throat, and he widened his eyes as the two beasts created a wind burst that swept the entire room.

Dust swept, and the metal creaked.

Jason pushed both of his feet as he continued to eye them.

(Jason) S-Sir—

Blood spurted out from the innards of his throat, painted the cement red with its hideous color.

Putting his right hand onto his chest, he pounded on the left side with a hardened fist, accompanied by a couple of cracks piercing the inside of his left rib cage. Coughing out more drawn-out blood from inside of his body, he quickly stood up straight as he wiped away the smear of blood that was latched around his lips, his right sleeve doing the job.

(Jason) P-Permission … to continue fighting … s-sir?

Both Lazaros and Gwen looked toward the bleeding Jason, noticing his legs wobbling back and forth as his face was filled to the brim with sweat. Followed by his pale face making it seem as if he was a lich, Lazaros lowered the glowing hand that he wrapped with his left hand.

As he tilted his head to the right.

(Lazaros) You don’t look good Jason. I think you need to rest—

Jason pulled out a large syringe from one of his pant’s pockets, holding the syringe with his right hand. Gripping the metal with his fingers, Jason then thrust the large needle right in between his forearm and main arm, not even bothering to lift his sleeve as the needle went through with ease.

Pushing the purple liquid that was within the syringe, he clenched his eyes shut from the basic pain that involved shots. But the real pain began as Jason instantly got down onto his hands and knees, his vocals letting out a shrieking cry.

Letting go of the syringe, the needle was lodged in tight as his whole body began to tighten and shrivel like a prune.

He tore his vocals with his cries.

The feeling can only be described as passing through a kidney stone.

Or rather ten kidney stones all in one single lineup, the pain traversing every part of his body rather than just one.

Closing both of his eyelids shut, his mouth shut in between his lips. As he curled up his toes inside his shoes, drool started to drip onto the cement that was beneath him. Unable to even look at the two monsters that were staring at him, he continued to indulge in the sweet pain that he inflicted upon himself.

A reddened face, his fingers twitching, his entire body on the verge of spazzing out from the cataclysm of pain…

He wished for relief, any relief, even if it meant the sweet release of death.

Fortunately for him, the pain soon started to cease as the soul-crushing pain that traversed his entire body slowed down to a halt. With just a snap of a finger, his whole body felt like a Kepputhan cloud in the early spring.

Opening both of his eyes, his face was still drenched in a heap of salted sweat, that even his own eyes stung at the thought of it. Along with both of his feet pinning the stone ground beneath him, he slowly pulled himself up and put both of his arms out wide.

(Jason’s thoughts) That pain never gets old…

His breathing soon relaxed followed by his face returning to its original color. Blackening flames soon circled his arms and wrists yet again, he stared right toward the freckled woman who still shined her newborn glow. Sharpening his eyes, the only thing that he had his entire attention on was the glowing light that didn’t even reflect upon his darkened irises.

While her irises reflected the youthful darkened flames of man.

(Jason’s thoughts) This time, I’ll go all out. No mercy.