[ 00:30:21 ]

Eden gets up from his seat and approaches the target. He takes off the glove from his right hand.

“Excuse me miss, could you-“

“Eden Ainsley, kill yourself.” Brooklyn marks Eden Ainsley for death.

The final battle begins.

[ 00:30:17 ]

“Eden has broken away from the plan. He’s made contact with Brooklyn,” Blaise’s voice was filtered through Scarlet and Ashton’s earpieces.

Scarlet put his hand up to the earpiece.

“What? Why would he do that?” Scarlet asked.

“I don’t know,” Blaise answered. “I’m going in as backup.”

“No! You’re just going to get yourself killed!”

“With all due respect, Scarlet, I’ve been preparing for this since what happened with Ronin. I can defeat the target.”

[ 00:30:19 ]

As Brooklyn’s words reached Eden’s ears, he didn’t dare flinch or divert from his goal. He reached out his hand towards the girl’s face and made contact. His ability activated.

That was his gamble, that Brooklyn would use the reaper’s eyes to mark him for death at that very moment. In that same moment, the moment where he made contact with her, he destroyed those eyes by decaying them and converting that decay into life.

Plants sprouted from Brooklyn’s eyes, blinding her. Eden’s plan was twofold. He might be able to do more than just disable the target’s abilities if he was able to blind her at the same time. While Brooklyn tore the newly created life from her face, Eden shouted.

“Everyone, evacuate! This is a terrorist situation! Leave immediately!” He said.

Around Eden, all of the bystanders flooded out from the line to enter the train and away from the station.

“So that’s your plan, is it? To sacrifice yourself for the humans here, even though you know they’re going to die in a matter of minutes,” Brooklyn said.

“Not for the humans here, no. I couldn’t care less about them, really.”

“Why confine yourself to certain death then?”

“I know that I’m going to die someday. Why not make that day today if I can go out in a blaze of glory?”

“So, you’re suicidal then?”

“More or less.”

By this point, Brooklyn had already removed the plants from her body.

= pause =

Brooklyn brought into being her brilliant scythe and rent apart Eden.

[ cut to: eden ]

I didn’t even have time to blink before my flesh was torn by her ethereal weapon. I knew this would happen; it was always bound to end this way. Better it be me than Scarlet, or Blaise for that matter. I could hear them scrambling in my ear, the firebrand was on his way. If I could make it until then, my death wouldn’t be for nothing. I’ve already made my mark, it’s time for the show to begin.

The surge of pain that erupted across my body as her weapon was dragged through it invigorated my mind. Was this death? Was this true decay? My life will be snuffed out in an instant, possibly even before this thought has expired. For a life to be extinguished, is that not the ultimate meaning of decay? No, decay is age, the withering of time. For me to die here would be life, rather than death. To preserve that life would be to live, but so would it be to die. In this logical cycle, the only option is to create life, either by continuing to breathe or by eliminating the rot of my existence.

I felt it all around me, the pulses of life. Within every flower, every bird, even the air itself, was a heartbeat. I, not any other man who lives, can control these heartbeats. With that power, I will stand my ground.

The concrete around me crumbled, age, decay. Vines emerged from within my skin and repaired my sundered flesh, life. It is through this exchange that we live. It is through this pact that I persist.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“You survived, insect,” the target said. “I suppose you’re more resilient than I thought.”

The group that surrounded us, what was once a concrete floor, was now reduced to dust and dirt. That aching feeling in the back of my mind, that beckoning towards death, it was what I had needed all along to achieve completion. I understand now what it is to live, what it is to die.

“Most insects are quite resilient, you know,” I replied. “I’ll have to see if I can keep up.”

I stepped forward and jabbed with my right hand. The target teleported away, or more aptly, she stopped time and avoided the attack. I would have to do better than that.

The target swung her scythe once more. I reached out my hand and tried to catch it. It sliced clean through. Like before, plant life reached from within my body to reconnect with the half of my hand that I just lost, life. The scythe’s blade cracked and shattered, decay. By the time the swing way completed, my hand was already fully repaired.

It was time to go on the offensive. I reached out my left hand, the gloved one. The leaves on a nearby tree wilted and died, decay. A plant stalk shot out from my palm towards the target, life. The attack was nearly instantaneous, it connected. First I’ll disable her ability to stop time, that’s-

[ cut ]

Before Eden could activate his ability again, Brooklyn stopped time.

= pause =

She tore away the plant stalk created by Eden’s ability and approached him.

“You humans are really quite something. You could almost say I envy you,” Brooklyn said. “Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be a very good angel if I could be stopped by one demon’s power alone, would I?”

Brooklyn put her hand on Eden’s forehead.

= resume =

Brooklyn summons her weapon again. Eden’s head explodes.

[ cut to: eden ]

In the blink of an eye, the target was right in front of me. I felt her hand make contact; I knew I had to do something.

The target’s hand withers, decay.

In an instant, I felt pressure build in my head. It splits open. My brain stops.

[ cut ]

Just as Eden’s head explodes, tentacle-like vines erupt from his neck and latch on to the dismembered pieces, pulling them back into place. From there, Eden’s head repairs itself.

[ cut to: eden ]

That hurt. What’s for certain is that I died, but only for a brief moment. If I use my ability to decay, the residual life essence is stored if it isn’t used, preventing me from death. I don’t know how long I can store it, but it’s for at least a second. That inclination to death is still there, still pounding at my mind. I had around ten seconds left before I lost control. If I can end this fight in ten seconds, I can save Scarlet and Blaise.

The target’s hand recoiled. That last attack did a number on them. I didn’t even have time to let them speak.

I punched with my right hand, aiming for the face. Contact. My ability activates. I disable her left eye, decay.

[ cut ]

Brooklyn stops time.

= pause =

She steps back and recoils, grabbing at her eye.

“So, you can even regenerate if I destroy your brain, interesting. I guess I just have to wait things out until my mark activates. However,…”

Brooklyn reaches into Eden’s chest, through his clothes and flesh. They’re barely obstacles with her strength. She pulls her hand back. Eden’s stopped heart is in her grasp.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun.”

[ cut to: eden ]

I blink. The target has moved. She must have stopped time again. I feel something tugging at my chest. Vines have shot out from it and are reaching toward a pulsating mass of flesh in the target’s hand. I see, she took my heart from me, how poetic.

I increase the intensity of the life trying to reclaim my heart. The grass in the nearby field withers and dies, decay. The target held on to my heart tightly, resisting the pull of the vines.

“Five.” The target said. It was so casual. I knew what it meant though. Time was running out.

I increase the intensity. My coat is reduced to dust, decay.

“Four.”

I further increase the power flowing from within me. The air grows stale, lifeless, the bacteria within dead, decay.

“Three.”

I had a realization. My plan changes.

“Two.”

The vines redirect themselves, shooting up towards the target’s eye. The organs I have left begin to die, decay.

“One.”

The target’s grip on my heart loosens, the vines instinctively retract, my heart with them. In the end, my will to live just one more second was what caused me to fail. Pathetic.

“Zero.”

Someone stepped up behind me. I recognized him, he was my best friend. Held in his hand was Ronin’s sheathed sword, what was left of my other friend. I suppose it’s fitting that this is how I go out, in the presence of the people I lived for. Scarlet is waiting on the train too, he’s here in spirit. This will be the last time we’re all together, even though technically it’s just me and Blaise.

Just because it’s the end doesn’t mean I can’t leave behind everything I have; my will can live on after death. I stepped towards Blaise and put my hand on his shoulder.

I’ll give him this, he got here fast.

[ 00:29:17 ]

Blaise arrives at the station. Eden’s ability activates for a final time.

As Eden’s hand made contact with Blaise’s shoulder, he imparted every last bit of life that was in his body to Blaise. In such a short amount of time, one couldn’t be too precise. Spilling out from this action was a field of flowers and weeds around the two friends, the result of just a fraction of Eden’s life missing its mark.

Eden’s features became gaunt, his skin pale. Slowly the exterior of his body began to rot and wither away, leaving a skeletal visage in their wake. Even his bones faded into dust. Nothing was left of Eden Ainsely but the life instilled in Blaise and his lasting will.

“It’s unfortunate, isn’t it?” Brooklyn said. “This isn’t your first time losing someone you love though, I’m sure you’ll get over it before you die.”

Blaise silently held up Ronin’s sheathed katana and gripped its handle.

“Not much for talking, are you?”

“First you led Ronin to his death, then you murdered Eden,” Blaise replied stoically. “I’m going to kill you.”

[ chapter end ]