I don’t know how long has initially passed.

I’ve almost forgotten the faces of the people I love.

Aella, Angella, father, Jim, Richard, Rodger, Rob, Gaven, Jack, Evie…

Even though time itself, very much ironically, passes by without any ability to control it. I’ve never forgotten my mission.

To fix everything once again.

My surroundings are aware once more.

The sharp, metallic sound of a blade surgically dissecting the air jolts me conscious.

I’m on a random roof-top of the many in the castle. Overlooking the dystopian mess of the place.

And training. Fighting until at least something breaks.

For the literal thousandth time, the ambassador is duelling me. A fight, that even now I still know the outcome of.

A dark mastery emblem caster, verse a level seven-time emblem user.

The number seven gold plates the status, where in reality I’m no where near my mastery emblem ability – time portals. And no way near killing this dirty ambassador.

And as each time I go in to attack I strike with intent to kill, and much more.

The fight uncomfortably draws closer and closer to its end.

I see every move prior now, at least by a couple seconds. Understanding the possibilities and infinite maths behind each vision. And comprehend at least the moves of each solider in an army.

I can cast more and more double attacks, with the ability of casting a prior attack. Deepened energy reserves inside me somewhere.

He slashes my cheek.

An uncomfortable, warm feeling, as the blood runs down.

“Terugkeer.”

Saying, whilst covering the cut and it suddenly heals. Or rather than healing, returns back to a prior state. Handy when my beard grows like a prisoner.

Other than these abilities, an unusual ability sits on the bench. Reserving its self until the time comes – the ability to channel and delay attacks

From my experiments on the amour suits, I can instead of landing a hit, almost save it. And on the next strike I land the combined strength of both attacks follows.

The fight suddenly ends. I see the move coming. But I am unable to stop it.

Such speed lashes my arm, and the sword I am holding falls. Breaking on impact. Shattering and blunting. Just like the bone that has been hit.

Quickly, I reverse the damage, but my nerves are beyond confused, still alerting me of a non-existent pain.

The fight stops and the ambassador steps aside. As the other man – who I learn is the vice ambassador steps in front of me.

His face becomes annoying as every fight if not for the ambassador I would clearly win. And for the king it’s a win-win. His vice gets trained and I do too at the same time.

But even though if I were born in different circumstances, we would be training partners, and the ambassador would be my mentor. Both unmistakably are my absolute enemies.

‘I will kill the ambassador’

I keep repeating to myself, causing an emotional barrage of rage to expel.

“Donkere wapens!”

He casts, and in his hand a flail dark as could be appears.

He keeps swinging at me.

And very much unlike the ambassador. He speaks as if I am his training partner.

“Take this!”

It angers me more and more, that this guy thinks that this is just an exercise training for him.

And over the several months of being here, being in that hall fighting countless suits of armour, even in the dark unable to see anything, duelling the ambassador, and now him. It’s the closest person I know here around my age.

On one particular training session, he tells me something.

That he needs to kill me, so that he can become the ambassador. Or at least I fill in the gaps from his speech, whilst he tries to maul me to death with spikes.

How much crueller can this place become?

He leaves a spot wide open, and as I greed onto the moment, the ambassador dashes him away.

And he continues to blow up in rage.

“I would have got him!”

‘Sure, you would have…’ I respond in my head.

The ambassador signals to me to follow.

I do so. Hoping that he lets his guard down. Sword ready.

He throws something on the floor and a portal opens gaping into the void. And he pushes me in before jumping in.

How could a dark emblem user use such an ability I think to myself – realising that obviously it is with the aid of the wizardry emblem with a potion or something.

We reappear and this time I know to brace myself for a landing.

We’re outside the walls. The ground is cracked, a barren paradise. Stretching until the ocean. And around us is an army of different types of troops.

Many of which are beasted in the many thousands in a messy formation of numbers, many in regular cloaks. And a rare few in a cloak similar to the ambassador, however have some sort of design distinguishing them.

‘Something’s going on…’

This army would be enough to capture a considerable chunk of unguarded islands of any kingdom.

“What’s going on…”

And as I try to see more of my surroundings, a cast goes off.

“Lege visie.”

My vision goes black.

The winds rush towards me. And the silence begins a battle.

“What’s going on!?”

I shout louder.

“We’ll be having a shocking sort of mock battle. I hope you’ll enjoy.”

“Fighting blind!? What’s wrong with you!?”

Minutes pass before anxiously I hear something crashing in the near distance.

‘What is it? Some sort of enemy attack? Some sort of monsters? And why am I going to fight blind?’

Sure, I am barely used to it after training endlessly, dying endlessly in the dark hall. But this is going to be much harder…

Slowly, voices are wailing in the wind.

They grow in size, and shorten in distance.

I can hear trumpets, flags whipping the air.

Dust collects onto my skin.

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Until eventually the beasted are also screaming like wild hogs. And all I register is being hopeless to the charging force of the beasts.

I stand still.

The commotion bounces around, until I can feel that both sides aren’t engaging in combat, rather both sides are stood face to face almost.

Waiting.

Shivering.

Blood-thrusting.

For someone to throw the first punch in the attack.

And it kicks off.

Like a match suddenly igniting from the friction dragging it to hell.

I hear blood gushing out of people.

Shouts of commands.

I feel myself being pushed upwards into the sky and left to fall.

“There he is!”

A voice screams, and alerts me where to fight.

But I didn’t know what I am landing on.

So, to compensate for any vulnerability, I use speed.

I crash into ground not hitting anyone surprisingly.

But I know I many surround me.

Some probably with bows, some with swords, some maybe with emblem casts alone.

But it doesn’t matter.

“Surrender-!”

A voice screams and before the word finishes, I dash.

With my sword I spear it through exactly where the voice comes from. With such pinpoint accuracy that I feel the shape of a neck when I draw my sword at an angle outwards.

The body drops.

“Attack!”

And in unison a couple dozen people are coming at me. Through the sounds I hear an infinite amount of emblem casts.

Not aware of what will be summoning, only knowing something could happen.

I guard myself, knowing that there are those without emblems also rushing me.

I then realise, this is a suicide mission to get me. These people who are about to strike me are supposed to die along with me.

Am I the sole aim in this entire operation?

Knowing these people will die if things continue, I charge towards the emblem casters. They’re going to die anyways.

“But let them die with dignity!”

By the sound of it, a straight formation. Easy kill.

“Versterken!”

And like a brute I cripple through the crowd.

Then I’m hit a hundred times.

Emblem empowered arrows gouge into my skin, and I feel my energy declining rapidly.

Then a sword shaves a couple layers of flesh cleanly off my arm.

And I sense with some sense that I am about to be finished from behind.

“Let’s try that again… Tien seconden!”

I’ve just once again sealed the death of the first person, and now knowing the position of each attack.

Like a professional gymnast, I let myself fall backwards and then jump. I arch and land on my hands. I push and position my legs backwards.

Landing exactly in front of the line of casters.

They panic.

I can clearly hear it in their voice.

And before they can finish any cast.

“Herhaalde klap!”

And just like that even though I wield a sword, multiple attacks of various previous moves unleash.

And just like that all perish a different death equally as painful.

Meanwhile, I realise a plan.

‘What if I can get out of here…?’

Then I hear the strange mangled voice of the ambassador in my ear.

“Ed come here slowly and silently…”

“No!”

I shout like a delusional drunken.

Then I hear the words.

“Zwart gat.”

The mastery emblem cast!

Is he planning to kill everything in the area?

I don’t know what stage the black hole is in… But all I know is that I am the only one out of all these thousand who know anything about what is about to happen.

Then it starts.

I feel myself getting lighter and lighter.

Even though the fighting continues and people are still trying to end me, not realising the fate will soon end.

Then I hear sounds above me, and I realise myself starting to float. With the dark hole pulling me with the force of an entire star.

As I hit the first surface, I experience a shift in my perception. Like I’m underwater.

Then all of a sudden, the crushing begins.

I lay on many before me, and the many who continue to pile on top. My sword instantly perishes.

Particles don’t behave as particles anymore. I feel everything slowly splitting, and as soon as I am on the verge of slipping under consciousness, I reverse all the damage.

And repeat the cycle.

Again, and again.

Not being able to register the pain even occurring, and If I don’t use my absolute attention, I would die without knowing.

This is an almost perfect run.

Almost at freedom.

As I cast for the twenty-sixth time.

I can’t anymore.

‘Looks like another reset huh…’

Then it stops.

I land on the floor, on my feet onto the slope of an empty hemi-sphere within the ground.

I get out swiftly with a clear vision.

The fighting is going on in the distance around the empty aftermath of the black hole.

I see banners now in the distance while two armies fight.

It’s the banners of the nature kingdom…

I wasn’t killing any random enemies…

I was killing my own allies…

But even these people want me dead.

Who do I fight for…?

Like liquid another wave of the armies start to fall inwards towards me.

The nature kingdom coming from ships in the distance, which seem to be the last.

I let go of everything.

What is it for than…?

“It seems I under-estimated you Ed.”

The ambassador comes out of nowhere, appearing behind me.

“I guess I’ll have to fix my mistake… Although it is efficient, isn’t it? Why did you kill Angela though…?”

“Angela…? What are you talking about!?”

“In that line of casters, Angela was there. Did you not hear her…?”

I stop trying to recall anything that would tell me whether this is some sort of distorted joke or not. I it had to be…

Everyone must have forgot about me…

“Ed! Stop! I’m here to save you-!”

Her voice plays in my ear, and ends with a scream before the sentence can fully finish.

“How unfortunate… You either kill her… Or you get killed… And you don’t even know where she is.”

He laughs despicably.

I drop my shoulders and knees.

‘What’s the point now… All my efforts sum up to the pain of others…’

I stop.

Just take me.

Lock me in a dungeon.

Don’t let me outside to the world ever again.

I’ll endure any death.

Any torture.

Anything.

I’ll take it.

The mental suffering is too great.

I let go.

And as I do I look at the curse that my emblem is.

I sense an emblem level of eight and as I do so out of nowhere, I form these words out of my mouth.

“Langzame tijd!”

Then everything goes slow.

‘Is this really my power? Or one of those near-death experiences?’

I step forward and everything around me is still in a slow-motion haze. With a dust wave moving barely against rough winds in the distance.

And I can still hear the sound of fresh fighting in the background at a steady, instantaneous time.

The ambassador tries to cast something, but is unable with the awfully slow-motion cast on the area.

I realise after five seconds pass.

My power slows time.

My eyes spike like a cat’s eyes. With my pupils insanely caving in.

Tunnel-vision.

I sprint to the ambassador at a speed never before.

“I will kill you for all of this!”

And then as I come close to him, I cast again, realising although I would love to give him a slow, and painful death.

It’s not practical right now, and I will have to disarm him from any form of movement.

And deliver one of the harshest punishments ever.

“I am the judge, jury and executioner of this land now! Not you or your stupid king!”

I cast.

“Herhaalde klap!”

Then just as I do so everything returns and bends back to normal.

Although not in the normal sense for the ambassador.

As my strike hits.

His cloak drops.

Revealing a set of very much ordinary clothes.

His face is shocking.

A bald head.

A bright distinctive spear.

And always beyond the abyss of his face is a small nose with always a hair or two sticking out underneath.

His face bleeds deeply.

“Rodger…? It can’t be…!”

“Hello Ed…”

His voice returns to normal – a warm, nostalgic, deep voice.

“How could you Rodger!? After everything!? I’ve known you for all my life! You were practically an uncle to me!”

“Sorry Ed… There’s much you don’t know yet… I wish we could sort this all out. But it’s much too late.”

My body freezes up. Locking up as if every cell imitates bone.

How could I fight?

How could I kill Rodger?

This man couldn’t be Rodger. It’s impossible!

The whole master mind behind my suffering for the past few years! The same person who attacked the village!

“Come on Ed then. Kill me.”

“K-kill you...? I. I can’t.”

“But what about Angela? What about Arthur? What about Richard? What about all the times I killed everybody else each reset?”

And with every name he walks closer and closer.

“No! Shut up! Don’t talk to me right now!”

My entire body shuts down and I start tearing up. Sobbing and screaming, inside.

And tears roll down my face.

Emotions build up in my chest, and expand bursting my ribs open. Making me preform a blood eagle execution on myself.

“Come on Ed. Your just two words away from ending me all.”

“Shut up! Shut the hell up! Or- Or I’ll-“

I don’t realise myself even letting go of all hope.

The sounds of the battle field go away.

The clouds merge together, and up above let go a fume of whatever hazel colouring is there.

I wonder now, out of all times. What were those clouds really made up of?

The ground although cracked. Far below reveals a damp soil. And remains of an extensive root system branching forever.

This isn’t the first full taste of fighting this ground has seen.

And what it witnesses right now it nothing new either.

It’s all a matter of when this place becomes quiet again.

I recreate a paradise in my mind, birds chirping sweetly. A cool breeze passing by whilst I rest onto a tree. Grass singing.

And far in the background is everyone.

Enjoying a picnic in a great field. Some of them playing in the lake nearby.

And the others drinking tea and eating whatever it is away.

This time, I although I didn’t cast anything my mind itself registers every nanosecond.

Knowing that eventually I’ll have to do something. And even though that it might feel like a thousand years until then.

Eventually the story continues.

Another chapter unfolds.

“Herhaalde klap.”

A faint whisper lets go. Like the feeling of letting your hands go after a tug of war.

Everything is relieved. Like a massive, out-of-place pimple disgusting as imaginable being squeezed.

I don’t even realise my words.

And right as I do all I see is my arm.

Over extended.

Reaching into a gaping opening.

Right in the middle of his abdomen.

He falls onto my shoulder.

Not breathing.

Just coughing.

“I’m sorry.”

He wheezes, and barely manages to breathe. With each word stopping for a non-existent breath.

He passes.

And his body stays holding on to me.

I look at my arm in fear, shock and horror. As now my emblem reads a level higher. Level nine…

“Ed!”

I hear my name being repeated multiple times. In all sorts of emotions.

Excitement, joy and melancholic spike all within different voices.

Am I hallucinating from all this stress?

I turn my head around.

The fight is over.

The struggle is over.

With both sides retreating.

I look to the voices, in front of me.

I don’t believe my eyes.

It’s Angela, Rob, Gaven and even Evie. All of them here.

And even though they smile, wave, jump and run much faster.

I can’t do any of that.

My emotions are gone, as I look at my hand still spiking Rodger’s body.

I try and try as hard as I can to even squint my eyes, to show some sort of happiness.

But no.

Soon enough they are face to face with me.

“Ed how have you been…?”

Gaven asks, and I can’t help but notice how they have all grown. Gaven with a beard now, Rob with a more defined jaw bone and slightly taller.

Angela with much longer hair then before.

‘Forget about me! How are you!? How’s everyone back home!?’

But my throat locks up.

Rodger’s body drops onto the floor.

Facing them, open eyes, open mouth and opening anguish and letting it leak right out.

They are silent.

I am even more silent.

“Ed!”

Angela screams, before ambushing me with a hug.

I still don’t reciprocate any feelings.

Everything.

Is.

Empty.

Purgatory.