I suddenly jolted awake, "Crap!" I cried out.

In no small part due to my incompetence and inability to take action at a most crucial time, I was Flashbanged by Selzion and forced to take a long nap. Once I arose, I found the room in total disarray, completely unlike how it was before I went under. No one else was in the room with me, making me wonder what exactly had transpired after I got knocked out.

"Energy!" I called out to him, "Huh?"

I offhandedly wiped away some sort of liquid off of my face, originally mistaking it for sweat or possibly even tears. Alas, I was horrified to see the scarlet Colors of blood on the tips of my fingers. Worry began to set in as I felt up the rest of my face for any wounds.

"No, this isn't my blood..." I realized, "Did I somehow chip Selzion? I don't remember that happening, but then again, maybe I nicked him during our tumble."

The room was a mess from start to finish. Never mind all the broken chairs and benches, the rubble and erosion was massively noticeable. I don't think even a tornado passing through this place would be an accurate enough description of it. It's just that bad... But it only got worse after I saw more blood.

"What the...?" I winced, turning the corner to see the large area where this supposed blood splatter originated from, "What could have caused this... Gasp, the pickaxe!"

I looked around everywhere, but the golden pickaxe was nowhere to be found. Drats, those Two must've taken it for themselves after I got knocked out. Energy was left all alone, he must've been furious...

"...Eh?" I saw the tiniest piece of Gray matter swimming in the large pool of blood, "That's... a joke, right?"

Energy... They couldn't have...! Energy is-! Energy is-!?

I screamed, with all the emotions that welled-up within me, "AAAAAHHHHH!"

I fell to the ground, scooping up the blood as if that'd do anything, "Energy! Energy...!"

My hands, as well as everything below the knees was drenched in velvet gore. I was shaking, about ready to puke at any moment, though I knew I didn't have the strength to even do that much. Pupils shrunken, body weak, consciousness damn-near fading at this point... I was in hysterics.

"Energy's not really... dead, right?" I comforted myself, "R-Right! The Gods said they plan to make everyone happy, so they aren't allowed to kill anyone! Ha-ha, he can't be... dead."

Just then, my already weak and shaken knees gave in, leading to me faceplanting into the puddle of blood and brain spatter. The metallic, iron scent of blood filled my nostrils, its putrid stench nauseating. I knew the truth, no matter how much I didn't want it to be the case. The Gods have already proven how easily expendable we are to them. One or a few kills won't mean anything. Besides, they've by now probably already justified this one in their own sick and twisted way...

"Energy..." I cried, refusing to remove my face from the puddle, "Energy...!!!"

I laid there quietly for a while. How long exactly, even I don't know, but a while nonetheless. I probably should have gotten up immediately to try and save Sheep at least, in fact that would have definitely been the smarter play here, but I couldn't help it. For better or for worse, Energy was my family. In this world of strangers and friends, he alone was always there for me, though I can admit that part probably wasn't of his own volition...

"You've taken care of me, taught me a lot about the things I didn't know... And look what I gave back in return." I slowly picked myself up, "Your one and only goal was to see me and Vastoria happy together, and to be a part of that happy life as well. Energy, I... I can't grant you both, but I'll do my best to at least not disappoint you completely. Thank you for everything."

I stammered back up to my feet, almost falling face first immediately in the very next moment, but I managed to hold my ground for now. The loss of Energy was a heavy blow, but as things stand, I might yet have another funeral to hold pretty soon if I don't catch up to the Gods. With the blood still trailing behind my footsteps, I walked through the Abode's long aisle to reach the lectern. Its large stature looking directly at the outside from the front doors made it a prime spot for me to regain my strength and potentially find a good counterplan to their own plots.

"Something really serious must have happened here for it to turn out like this." I figured, "The interior wasn't even close to looking this beat up when I had fallen unconscious, so what could have happened? Energy... no, he couldn't have possibly been the cause of this—he has no body. Maybe infighting among the Gods? They do seem prone to bickering, I believe.

"Or it could be one of the others." I nodded, "Elegy, Sab, Nerys, or even Hats for that matter."

Any one of these could possibly be the culprits. They all know Energy, as well as the situation between us and the Gods. Just seeing him in this state would have driven anyone who knew this mad. Right now, this is shaping up to be the most probable answer.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"But it really doesn't matter now, does it..." I looked at the puddle, this time from a distance, "Better to prevent than to look for a cure, eh Energy? God, I should have listened to your advice more..."

Energy is gone, but I remain. And for now—so do the others. I can't erase this mistake, but I can make sure it doesn't at least repeat itself again. I'll keep everyone safe, I'll find a way to do it. I can... I can change the future.

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***

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Currently, I remain alone in the disheveled room where all this had taken place. Energy is dead, but the Gods are gone and have taken Sheep with them. For what purpose, no one knows...

"Huh?" I heard rubble rolling around near me, "Is anyone there!?"

"Unf..." A tired voice groaned through the pain.

I ran around the lectern's perimeter to find this person, but even after two entire laps, I could find nothing else but rubble. Just then, another groan forced my head to flick behind me.

"There!" I saw a lone arm sticking out from beneath the pile, "Stay calm, I'll get you out of there!"

At first I reasoned lifting the heavy rocks up would be the best way to go about it, but I soon realized just how impossible that task is. These weren't just rocks, rather huge chunks of the surrounding walls, ceiling and floor. Heavy marble slabs and plates twice the size of me were crushing this person with all their might, and I could barely even nudge the heavy stones, much less move them aside.

"I-I'm gonna need your help, so get ready!" I yelled, grabbing the one arm and pulling.

Immediately, pained grunts screamed out of the rubble. It must be terrifying for them, this sense of helplessness and fear, but at the very least I know they don't feel physical pain. After all, the color of the arm is White.

"Keep going! You can...!" I pulled, "Gah!"

I slipped, or did the arm pop off? Either way, I fell back on my butt, the hand still holding my own for support. I opened my Eyes to see what was the case, only to see a blessing before my Eyes. Not only does this person still have his arm, but it's also the only arm he has.

"Hats!" I smiled, hugging him strongly, "It's you!"

"Heh, it's me." He chuckled, awkwardly returning the hug, "Nice to see you too."

"What happened!? How did you-?!"

"Migu." He gave me a serious look, one of regret and anguish, "Energy is dead."

"Oh, I-I..." I nodded, my heart broken over hearing it confirmed for real, "I know. I saw the blood."

"I arrived just as Selzion smashed the pickaxe into him." He grit his teeth.

Selz-!? ...So it was him, after all... Well, I expected nothing less, in fact Prylos didn't seem interested in fighting us to begin with, so I'd be more surprised if it wasn't Selzion. But none of that matters now—Hats needs comfort.

"I beat the snot out of him!" He raised his fist high before slowly lowering it back down, "But it didn't matter. Energy was already gone, I didn't save him..."

"Hey, it's not your fault." I smiled, "I'm glad you got revenge for what they did to Energy. That's more than enough for me."

"But it won't bring him back...!" Hats started tearing up, but quickly composed himself, "Ungh... I-I pinned Selzion to the ground and whaled on him until he dropped his pickaxe."

"Eh? He dropped it?" I raised an Eyebrow.

Wait, but doesn't that mean it's not with them anymore?

"Yeah, he dropped it over... Ah." He pointed to a pile of rubble, "It's... Probably under there."

"That's... incredible!" I praised him, "You did amazing, Hats! Now they don't have the pickaxe with them, all thanks to you! Gold star!"

"Ehe~" He seemed to have cheered up a bit, "S-Still, the other Guy intervened, and we fought for a while after that."

The other Guy, he must be talking about Pry. But I'm surprised he even had the courage to face off against Hats after being scared stiff against us. Maybe that was also just a ploy from Them to get us to lower our guard. Damn...

"What happened then?" I asked, "How did the place get to be like this?"

"Oh." He bashfully admitted, "I might have gotten a bit rough after that."

He says it so cutely, too. Kids these days are scary...

"B-But they made me do it!" He fussed, "The second I beat one Guy, the other shows up to save Him! It got so annoying, smashing them into the walls and pillars, hitting them with the benches and such! They just never quit, and it made me super mad!"

"Yeah, I-I'll bet..." I chuckled nervously.

Well, that explains how the Gods Abode got thrashed while I was asleep. Now that I got a better look at the place, it's got a lot of support beams and pillars holding the ceiling up. The structure is practically solely dependent on them holding the weight of the structure, so it must have started falling apart after Hats slammed those Two against the pillars.

"And what happened to them?" I realized, "Rather, why'd I find you buried under the rubble if you were dominating them the entire time?"

"...Something happened. A bright Flash of light." He looked down annoyedly.

"The Flasher!" I recalled.

"After that, I ran around blindly until I hit a wall." He explained, "Immediately after that, I got hit over the head by the falling rubble."

So that's the entire story. Honestly, I don't know whether to be glad or sad over this. The Gods must have run away with Sheep after trapping Hats, but I'm still happy to have found him. Now we know where everyone is, at least according to Elegy.

"Hm?" I saw a small rock land right between us, "Oh no..."

"The ceiling's gonna fall again!" Hats yelled, "We gotta get out of here!"

And not just the ceiling, it seems—the entire Abode looked like it was gonna collapse right on us. We ran across the destroyed hall of the Abode, vaulting over flipped benches and ducking under the rubble just to make it to the front doors. Just then, I had slipped over Energy's blood, tumbling to the ground not too long after.

"Dammit, if you're not gonna help me from beyond the grave...!" I cursed at him, "Then at least don't be a hindrance!"

"Here!" Hats put his hand out, "Gimme your han-!"

The Gods' Abode crumbled around us, trapping us before we could get out. As soon as I took his hand, Hats wrapped me close in his embrace, shielding my body from the rubble that had hit us from above. After that, we were engulfed in darkness.