I can't remember how many years we wandered in that hell. We never slept, never ate, never drank anything. Knowing there was no death awaiting in this place, there was nothing to struggle for. Once in awhile, we'll come across something that looked bearable on the stomach and then we'd split it. But things like that were rather small and scarce, usually the carcass of a small animal, and a demonic animal at that. We'd cook it and share it between us. That would amount to one bite in months, and then we'd just move on from there.
We encountered countless monsters and if this place wasn't what it was, we'd be dead a million times over by now. We had now grown used to things like that now though. We knew the right places, the right time to pass, to fight, to run. We were getting used to everything down there. We weren't aging, that's the only thing that wasn't happening down there. As the time passed, I felt like my skin was turning to the same rock that the whole place was made of. But at the end of it all, there was only one thing to do. We kept going.
Prophet still prayed twice everyday. I have never seen a faith like his. In all those million years we spent in the worst place imaginable, he was believing. His unwavering trust in his God only strengthened with every passing adversity. I almost thought he was faking it. But I'd never seen a man more at peace as him when he was praying. His restlessness would fade away and he'd be drenched in serenity. I felt myself falling for that same belief he had. I wonder what held me back.
Needless to say, we were the best of friends now. Ironic as it may be, that happens when you're together with someone for a million years. To tell you the truth, I think even a million years is an understatement. Prophet was right, there was no concrete concept of time down there. We lived everyday without stopping, without looking back and without resting. There was no material in that world. Eventually, I began to find that beautiful. To be able to go on like that was indeed, the most marvelous thing.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
And in all that, I had a companion, a friend to rely on. Countless times we saved each other's life, countless times we died together, holding hands or looking at each other. Many times we spared the other suffering by giving ourselves to agony. It is a given that we'd be close by now. There was only one thing that Prophet never explained.
"Please kill me."
That had been repeated so many times now, I lost count. He never explained why. He never ceased from requesting this. Eventually, I stopped asking. My reply became the second constant.
"Never."
We didn't argue back and forth about the reasons. I assumed that when the time was right, we'll both have our answers. And thus, with our dull, painful existences we went on.
"By now, I suppose, a day must have passed in our world", he said one day as we sat, awaiting some demons to finish their battle so we could pass on. Never disturb the hunt, that was our rule.
"A day...", I answered, "No one would even believe us. But wait...was that even real?"
"Who knows?", he said, "Hey Seraph, do you even remember anything anymore?"
I tried to think, "I don't. But the fact that we're here must mean we have something to do here."
"Ah well, I suppose that's all for today then."
We had made it a practice to remind each other of everything and everyone from our world, everyday. But bit by bit we were losing most of it. Eventually, things got distorted so much so that we forgot everything. Every time we were killed by some beast, left for months on end until our wounds were healed enough for us to keep conscious, we'd wake up forgetting huge chunks of things. It was a struggle to keep track of everything, so we decided to avoid unnecessary battles as much as we could.
"I think they're done", I informed him when the demons had ripped each other apart, "Should we go?"
Prophet got up and we started walking on again.
"Please kill me."
He said the only thing we remembered for sure. I smiled faintly as I looked at him.
"Never."
We went on again.
"Its a surprise we aren't bored of each other already", I joked.
"Who says we aren't?"
Silence pursued.
We smiled at each other before a flying demon dived below to rip my head off my body.