Chapter 20: My Purpose, My Life

Closing his eyes, Blue smiles. Feeling the warm air of each pant, he says, "Please, Ace, when you do it… do it quickly."

Nearby, the man watches closely, his blade still resting near Grace.

"Blue, forgive me for going this far."

At that moment, Blue knew. He opens his eyes and watches as I swiftly change my grip on the dagger before rifling it with all my might toward the man.

***

"So we can't just go rushing in without a plan. Just be quiet, stay hidden, and listen."

Lowering my hand off Blue’s mouth, I fix my attention back on Grace, who continues to struggle to free herself.

Blue quietly whispers, "So, what do you suggest we do?"

"This is definitely a trap. There's no reason to leave Grace alive and tied up out there if they just wanted to kill her."

"Maybe they are just going to kill her later? Come on, we don't know for sure if it's really a trap."

"You dumbass, get your head on straight,” I whisper. “There's no reason for her to be there unless she's being used as bait. Whatever is out there, they are waiting, waiting to see if anybody will try to help her. That's when they'll strike."

"Well, we can't just leave her out there. She's as good as dead if we don't do anything."

"We're damned if we do, damned if we don't…" I grimace. "Shit… this isn't good, and we don't have any other option. Nor have the time to create a more plausible plan…"

I make eye contact with Blue, "Listen, you go out there first, untie Grace, and get back here as quickly as possible. I'll stay back and call out if I see anything unusual. Flee the scene immediately if I call, got it?"

Blue clicks his tongue and reluctantly nods, looking down at the ground, "But what if-... what if something happens and I can't get back to you?"

Putting my hand on Blue's shoulder, I reassure him, "Then I'll come help, and together we'll survive. But listen, and it sucks to say this, but it's a possibility…"

Surveying the scene, my eyes flicker in and out.

"Just remember that whatever happens, I'll always have your back."

As the dagger rapidly flies through the air, perfectly on course to strike the man, I smirk. A tiny ember flickers off the dagger as Blue lies in the background, hopeful our plan will work. Snickering, the man promptly reacts by lifting Grace to block the dagger. The dagger pierces Grace in the heart, and blood instantly begins to ooze out onto her shirt, spreading from the point of impact.

Unable to process what just happened, I stand there, the smirk wiped off my face as my eyes and tattoos lose their fiery glow. Grabbing his sword, Blue blitzes toward the man, hoping the dagger could serve as a distraction as he slashes at the man's neck.

The wooden sword snaps in half without the man seemingly doing anything.

His eyes broadening, Blue stumbles back. He lands on his butt next to me, gazing in disbelief at the top half of the sword that lies behind the man, unable to comprehend what just happened. The man lets go of Grace as she falls to her knees, her body limp.

"Well shit, look what you've done to your friend here."

He starts lightly kicking her, "Damn kid, I think you really killed her… what can I say? I'm impressed."

He walks over to Blue and me, and both of us are unable to exhibit any sort of reaction. He lifts us both in the air, holding us each up with only one arm by our necks.

"That was a nice show you two put on. Thanks for the quality entertainment. I've decided that you both get to walk away with your lives today. Try to do anything as I leave, and I won't hesitate to change my mind."

He releases us, and we both collapse to the ground. The man begins walking away while we both start coughing, air once more refilling our lungs.

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I get to my feet, my weak voice scratchy as I yell, "You coward! Why don't you just kill us now?!"

The man stops walking and glances back over his shoulder. He then sighs and looks up at the sky, "Not yet… it's too soon."

The man carries on, eventually walking out of sight. I stand there, confused by what he said. I then hear a cough behind me, and I turn around to see Grace's body trembling.

Sprinting past Blue, who is still staring straight ahead, I drop to my knees next to Grace. Quickly rotating her body upright, I rest her back against my hand to support her. Grace winces as I apply pressure to her wound with my other hand, attempting to stop the bleeding. But it’s too little, too late.

"Grace! Stay with me, Grace! Say something! Anything! Grace!"

Grace coughs up more blood, some of it splattering onto my face and neck.

Blue, whose adrenaline has simmered out, then passes out due to the pain from the battle and his ankle. I hear a thud and glance over at Blue in disbelief.

"Blue! Damn it, not you too!"

In my arms, Grace takes long, labored breaths.

Is this… how I go?

“Grace!”

Weakly opening her eyes, she sees a blurry figure of me.

Would you look at that… I always wanted to get married to somebody handsome…

“I’m here, Grace. You’re going to be okay! Stay with me!”

Oh, it’s the cute guy from earlier. Ace, his name was Ace. Oh… right. Blue and Ace were trying to rescue me. I wonder if she tried to save me too…

"Ace… you're here. You, you’re bleeding, are you okay…?” asks Grace.

Smiling, I give her a nod, tears starting to well.

"Don't worry about me. I’ll be just fine. Don't talk anymore, save your strength…"

My strength? What is he talking about? Oh, wait, Delta. Is she okay?

“Delta… please tell me that Delta is okay…"

“She’s safe, Grace,” I sincerely reply. “Please, stop talking so you can rest.”

Grace smiles, but a feeling of weariness overwhelms her.

"That's good, as long as she's safe-" she trails off before her eyes jolt open, remembering something. "Trees… the trees!"

“Trees? What?”

Coughing up some more blood, Grace’s eyes grow empty, "You must go back and find the–"

As Grace goes limp in my arms, I look her up and down, trying to find any sign of life. I begin trembling, an overwhelming multitude of different thoughts and emotions all hitting me at once again.

"W– what do you mean? The trees? Grace! Are you okay?! Grace?!"

I check her pulse, and there is no response. Desperate, I pluck the dagger out of her chest, not knowing what else I can do to save her.

"Not again… I can't lose somebody again…"

The dagger slips out of my hand as I sit back, staring at the ground, my eyes dull. The sound of stepped-on leaves crackles from off to the side as Delta walks out from behind a tree. As if she has just seen a ghost, she asks me as she attempts to control her breathing.

"Ace… did you just kill Grace?"

My jaw slowly drops as I turn toward Delta, beginning to shake my head.

This… it’s not what it looks like Delta!

Although that’s what I want to say, my mouth can’t move as I slowly stand up, raising my hands in the air in innocence.

"N-no, you got it wrong. I didn't kill Grace–"

I look at my ravaged, cut-up hands and see Grace's blood trickling down my forearms. Blood. More Blood. I then feel chilled blood traveling down my chest and back.

Delta takes another step forward, painfully asking me, "Ace! Did you kill Grace?!"

***

After Delta asks that question, a second of silence passes before Ace loses control of himself. His eyes and upper body tattoos fiercely glow once more, and his shirt catches on fire and burns to a crisp. A ring of flames encircles him as he begins screaming from pain, trauma, and torment.

Completely horrified, Delta runs over to Blue, who is still passed out, and wraps his arm around her shoulder. Blue groans, his body beginning to wake itself back up as they both stumble off into the forest.

Standing there, Ace starts to hum in disdain as he looks down at his arms and chest, Grace's blood leaking over his tattoos.

"My purpose, my reason for living… maybe Blue was right. To think my life may have more meaning than somebody else's… how foolish. I'm not strong at all; I'm weak. No. I'm less than weak. All I am is a worthless piece of shit who isn't capable of saving a single life."

The flames grow stronger as they blaze and crackle around him.

"My purpose, my life… all it has become…"

His right arm suddenly ignites itself with flames. Grimacing from the pain, Ace looks back toward where Blue and Delta ran off before refocusing on his scorching arm.

"Is something riddled and ravaged with death and anguish."

Glancing over at Grace, tears started to stream down his face. Suddenly, the rest of his body also erupts into flames, a particularly harrowing ache, especially on his right arm. Yelling in agony, Ace’s body awakens and begins merging with the flames.

His tattoos along his chest, back, and arms become inflamed with a red and orange fire-like pattern, his hair igniting into a blaze as the colors as his eyes transform into a vibrant bright orange hue.

After a few more seconds, Ace's body fully adjusts to this newfound power. He then walks over to Grace and picks her up.

"Yes…"

Carrying Grace in his arms, Ace walks through the ring of fire as the sun sets in the background, filling the night sky with a bountiful variety of colors.

"A world of darkness seems quite fitting for a failure like me."