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The Bardic Path
Prologue: In Which Souls are Tainted (Part 2)

Prologue: In Which Souls are Tainted (Part 2)

As the years passed, I witnessed my body commit countless atrocities. I had become one of the most wanted men on the planet, being the biggest figure in the entire criminal world and the man responsible for nearly causing World War III. However, all those events led up to that day. The day I died. The day I had nearly killed my loved ones. It was on that day that fate played its hand, and brought retribution unto the one that possessed my body. That day, was my birthday. And I received the greatest gift imaginable.

We were in a dark warehouse. “We,” as in my body and the bound figures of my parents and my childhood crush, Cory. They were in tears, sobbing, asking why I had done what I did. All except for Cory, of course. She just glared at me.

'I so hope you’re seeing this, mortal…' At first, I was shocked. I thought I was hearing things. Then I realized that it was the being in my body. I could hear his thoughts. The immortal knew I was still alive.

“I fail to understand how your soul is still intact, but don’t worry. After this, I shall take great pleasure in the shattering of your soul…and your last shards of sanity.” It was then that I realized what he was going to do. At first, I thought he kidnapped my loved ones to cause them to suffer. Oh how naïve I was. He wanted to slaughter them, then watch as my sanity wasted away. Then he would begin the finale…by crushing the last dregs of my soul.

Cory chose to speak just at that moment, though. “Why, Sam? Why did you do it? Don’t you remember the promise you made me that day? The day you disappeared? What happened between our last conversation and now?”

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The wretched creature that controlled my body saw this as the perfect opportunity to break me. He took a Glock from his holster, cocked it, and put it to Cory’s head. He knew that I wanted to explain what happened. So, he remained silent.

It was then that I heard a whisper. So faint it was, that not even the bastard in my body heard it. Yet, I did. I knew it was my only hope for salvation. So, naturally, I focused. I let my entire being focus on that one sound, to the point that everything else faded around me.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound grew in volume. It was a song. A song so fine that it seemed ethereal. Primordial. Omnipotent. I latched onto that feeling and sang. Not with my mouth, but with my very soul. And then ---

“AAAAHHHHH!” My body let out an earth-shattering cry as the immortal's soul was removed from existence. My body crumpled to the floor, along with the Glock pointed at Cory’s head.

A minute passed, and I finally regained control of my body after 15 long years. I got up slowly and untied Cory. I whisper to her something which I had been wanting to tell her for a very long time.

“I’m sorry, Cory. You may not believe me, but I didn’t do those things. There are many worlds unlike our own. I was possessed the day I disappeared. I know you may not believe me, but I don’t care. When I finish, I want you to take my parents and leave. I’m going somewhere, Cory. I don’t think I’ll return. Y’know, if immortals are real, I wonder if life after death is, too?”

I finish untying her after that. She is too stunned to speak. I preferred it that way. I got up and picked up the Glock. I place it to my skull, and say one last thing to the people who cared about me most. “I love you, Cory. And I always will. Take care of my parents, alright?”

            All that remained after that was the sound of a bullet, piercing through my worthless skull. At least, that’s what I like to believe. If dead men tell no tales, then I bet they can’t hear anything, either...