Chapter Sixteen: Oracle's Trial

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For a brief moment, Jason felt weightless, as if suspended between worlds. The air thickened and crackled with energy, a tingling sensation spreading over his skin. The world around him shifted.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark, empty chamber. "Hello?" His voice echoed across ancient, distant walls.

He squinted, trying to see anything in the darkness.

"Interesting," a soft voice drifted across the void.

Gradually, the room warmed and brightened. Jason felt a presence behind him and turned slowly to see a woman emerging from the shadows. She was draped in flowing robes that shimmered. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back, framing a face that was both stern and amused.

"Are you the Oracle?" he asked.

She nodded, moving towards him with an otherworldly grace. Her piercing blue eyes glinting with secrets she would never tell.

"Jason," she said, her voice a melodic whisper that echoed through the chamber. "You are brave to stand before me."

Jason swallowed hard, unable to tear his gaze away from her. "I-uh," he stammered, feeling exposed under her scrutinizing eyes. "You know who I am?"

She circled him slowly. "I know much about you, Jason. More than you do, perhaps. I see fear, grief, and regret. So much regret. You carry a burden and a dream not your own."

Jason's heart ached as memories of Alex flooded his mind.

“What are you holding on to so tightly, Jason?”

She vanished, her words stretching into the now complete darkness.

As the echo of his name faded, the darkness parted, revealing a scene hauntingly familiar. Jason found himself back in the cramped, run-down apartment he had shared with his twin brother, Alex. The air was thick with the stench of mildew and rust, the dim light from a single flickering bulb casting long shadows on the peeling wallpaper. It was as though the past had come alive to confront him.

Jason’s breath caught as he saw Alex sitting at the small kitchen table, hunched over his study materials. Despite the grim surroundings, Alex's eyes were filled with hope and determination. The sight was almost unbearable. Alex must have just gotten back from his shift at Albert’s Hardware store.

Jason watched the scene unfold as his past-self stormed into the apartment, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed loudly in the confined space, but Alex didn’t flinch. He remained focused on his textbooks, unwavering in his resolve.

"Do you even hear me?" Past Jason shouted, his face flushed with anger. "Why are you always studying? It’s pointless. We’re never getting out of here."

Alex looked up, his eyes calm but resolute. "Jason, we have to believe in something better. We can’t let this place define us."

Jason scoffed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Believe in what? Dreams? They don’t pay the rent. We do. And barely."

Alex's gaze hardened. "This scholarship is my way out. Our way out. I’m going to make something of myself, and then I’m coming back to help this town."

Jason sneered. "You're delusional. No one cares about us. They see us as trash, and that’s all we’ll ever be."

Alex stood up, his chair scraping against the worn linoleum floor. "That’s where you’re wrong. It’s not just shit and more shit all the way down. You know better than that. The good doesn’t cancel out the bad, but the bad doesn’t get rid of the good either."

Jason’s shoulders slumped. "Why do you care so much about this town? What’s the point?"

"Because it’s the right thing to do," Alex replied, his voice unwavering. "They’re good people. They didn’t kill our foster parents. And they didn’t put us back in that place. A drunk driver did that. And hating everyone isn’t going to bring them back. Besides, someone has to take care of my little brother."

“You are literally five minutes older than me,” Jason scowled, though his mood was slightly lighter.

“Jason, they would have wanted us to pull ourselves out. And there are good people here. Lost souls without a chance. But if we were successful, if we made something of ourselves in Terra Mythica, we could do something about it. Maybe, just maybe we could help. Even if only a little. I want to build something better. I know it’s a long shot, but fuck, I gotta have hope."

Jason shook his head, tears of frustration brimming in his eyes. "And what about me? What am I supposed to do?"

"First, don’t be such a little brat.” Alex smiled as Jason flipped him off. “Second, join me. Study, work hard. We can both get out of here. Together. Double dragon."

Jason turned away, his voice barely a whisper. “I can’t.”

Alex sighed, looking at his brother with a mixture of sadness and determination. “You’re not alone, bro. We can do this.”

They hugged, Jason crying silently against Alex’s shoulder. Alex whispered, “I miss them too.”

The world went dark again.

When the light returned, two years had passed.

The seedy alleyway was dimly lit, shadows clinging to the walls like dark secrets. The air was thick with the scent of decay and damp, making Jason's skin prickle with unease. The leader of a local gang, Rin, stepped forward, a hulking figure with a scar running down his cheek and a perpetual sneer. His eyes, cold and calculating, matched the sinister grin that never quite reached them.

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"Come on, kid. You want to square things or not?"

He glanced around, noting the other faces lurking in the shadows. Their eyes followed his every move.

"Your brother has all the keys and codes for the hardware store. We just need you to get in and turn off the security. Tonight. Eight o'clock. We’ll all be waiting. Don't mess this up, kid. Do it, and we’ll be good."

The alleyway seemed to close in around him, the darkness deepening as Jason nodded, a reluctant agreement escaping his lips.

Jason had no intention of ever working with them, but he needed the money when times were rough. The money he and his brother made often wasn’t enough, so Jason secretly paid some of their bills without him knowing. Now they were offering to wipe his debt clean if he joined them. Just one job.

That night, as the clock ticked towards eight, Jason found himself unable to go through with it. He couldn’t betray his brother like that. He didn’t show up to the store and instead wandered the streets aimlessly until he heard the wail of sirens in the distance.

When Jason finally made it home, he found Alex sitting at their worn kitchen table, a rare smile lighting up his face.

"No, please, not again," Jason whispered as he watched the events unfold. He stood, like a ghost in the corner, helpless as the scene played out.

"Jason," Alex called out, his voice brimming with excitement. He held up a crumpled envelope with trembling hands. "I did it! I got accepted."

Jason paused in the doorway, the weight of his guilt momentarily lifting. "Accepted? You mean—"

"Yeah," Alex interrupted, his grin widening. "The scholarship. The kit just arrived." His eyes sparkled with a mixture of relief and hope, emotions that had been scarce since their foster parents' deaths.

In the center of the table sat a sleek, silver helmet, smooth and featureless, with no buttons or visible seams. Alex ran his fingers over its polished surface, his excitement palpable.

"This is it, Jason," he said, his voice trembling with anticipation. "I can finally see a way out of this mess."

Jason managed a smile, feeling a lump form in his throat as he took in his brother's joy. "That's incredible!” This could change everything for them.

Alex's eyes lit up. “We just missed the enrollment. The next enrollment period isn’t for another week and a half, and I haven’t gotten the official access codes yet but… I want to try it out. Maybe there are some in-game manuals I can start on."

Jason was just as excited as him.

Alex wasted no time, positioning the helmet over his head. As soon as it touched his scalp, a soft hum filled the room and then vanished. Alex's eyes fluttered shut, his body relaxing into the chair. His breathing slowed, and for a moment, he looked serene, as if he were drifting into a deep sleep.

Jason watched, a mix of awe and trepidation coursing through him. Then, without warning, the door was violently kicked open, slamming against the wall with a deafening crash. Jason's heart leaped into his throat. "Bro!" he yelled, but Alex was already immersed in the game. Desperation surged through Jason as he ripped the helmet from Alex's head.

Alex screamed, his eyes snapping open, unfocused and glassy. For a split second, there was an odd, distant look in his eyes, as if a part of him was still elsewhere. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog, and blinked rapidly to focus on the surrounding chaos.

The gang leader, flanked by his men, stormed into the cramped apartment. Their faces were masks of rage, their eyes dark with anger. The leader's scarred face twisted into a sneer as he looked back and forth between the brothers. “Double trouble. Which of you is Jason and which is Alex?”

Without even a glance between them, they both answered, “I’m Jason.”

"Real fucking cute. We just have to beat the shit out of both of you," he spat, grabbing Jason by the collar and yanking him forward.

Jason barely had time to react before the first blow landed, a sharp punch to his gut that left him gasping for air. Another punch followed, then another, each one more brutal than the last. The pain was immediate and overwhelming, radiating through his body with every strike.

"Stop it!" Alex's voice cut through the haze of pain. He lunged at Rin, trying to pull him off Jason. "Leave him alone!"

One of Rin's thugs, a wiry man with a snake tattoo winding up his neck, backhanded Alex, sending him sprawling to the floor. Alex scrambled back up, blood trickling from his lip, his eyes blazing with protective fury. "Jason, get out of here!"

“Hey, look what we’ve got here?” another thug said, grabbing the VR kit.

“Put that thing back, Kyle. For fuck's sake. You don’t mess with Excelsior’s tech,” growled a hulking brute with muscles straining against his shirt.

Rin added, "Yeah, my uncle tried to steal one once. Spent the rest of his life eating through a straw. Shit will fry your brains.”

The brute dropped it to the floor. He stomped on it, bending the sleek metal inward.

Alex pushed himself up again, eyes fierce with unyielding determination. "Now's your chance, Alex! Run!"

Jason tried to stand to fight, but his legs buckled under the relentless assault. He watched in horror as the gang turned their attention to Alex, their fists and feet a blur of violence. Alex fought back with everything he had, but he was outnumbered and overpowered.

"No! Stop!" Jason screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. He reached out, his fingers brushing against Alex’s outstretched hand before another blow knocked him back.

Alex’s cries of pain echoed through the apartment, each one tearing at Jason’s heart. The gang’s leader kicked Alex in the ribs, the sickening crunch of bone audible even over the chaos. Blood splattered across the linoleum floor, mingling with the dirt and grime.

"Leave him alone!" Jason’s voice was a raw, anguished plea, but the gang showed no mercy.

Alex’s movements grew weaker, his attempts to protect Jason faltering as the beating continued. The light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a haunting emptiness. With one final, brutal kick to the head, Alex’s body went limp, collapsing in a heap.

The gang leader wiped the blood from his knuckles, a satisfied smirk on his face. "That’s what happens when you mess with us," he growled, casting a disdainful glance at Jason and starting toward him.

A loud boom shot through the room as a buckshot burst into the fridge. In the doorway stood their neighbor and owner of Albert’s Hardware Goods. He was wearing a bathrobe, with a shotgun, slippers and disheveled chestnut hair. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you have until the count of ‘one’ to get the fuck out of here. I won’t ask again.”

He fired another shot just above their heads. “One.”

The gang retreated, their footsteps echoing in the silence that followed. Jason crawled to his brother’s side, his vision blurred by tears. He cradled Alex’s head in his lap, his hands shaking.

"Alex, no," he whispered, his voice choked with grief. "Please, don’t leave me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

Albert took in the gruesome sight and immediately called the police. It would take forty-five minutes before they arrived. Another ten before Alex would be taken to the ER.

The room closed in around Jason; the walls pressing in, suffocating him. The smell of blood and sweat was overwhelming, mingling with a bitter taste that filled his mouth.

The darkness enveloped him once more.