The madness and screams make it hard to navigate through the village to find the angel. The little gift is being used as a chair by a CatBoy General.

How dare they treat the sacred ones like items!

I rush in but am suddenly blinded by the angel’s light.

The CatBoy general tumbles back and the angel soars to a weak old man.

Wait. That aura. I’ve never seen a Primordial in such a weakened state. Can they be killed? I must learn more.

The Primordial directs his rage at the girl and carves some wooden rubble into spears.

No! He’s going to kill her.

A sharp thin weapon then pierces through the angry ancient.

I focus on the wielder of the weapon.

So many souls wrapped up in one body. No wait, they’re being worn like clothing.

I hear the voice of the girl’s savior and it stops me like a fatal poison.

The Love Dictator was here and he was strangling the life out of the angel.

I speed behind him as a small shadow, praying to the Archia Prima to keep me unnoticed. Once within range, I slide beneath his legs and took form.

The sharpest blade I could imagine erects from my back and slices the scarf. I catch the girl with my tendrils and pull her into me.

It didn’t take much focus to create a portal.

We arrive at the farthest waypoint I had stored in my memory. It’s a quiet forest where she will be safe from that madman and from Guru.

By the time the angel got back on her feet I was already moving away.

“Wait up!” she rushes after me.

What was her name? Annolette! Yes. She has a name.

I turn around and look into her.

I sense incredible love, power and a growing darkness.

Why would Guru want this girl dead?

Annolette takes a step back and shuffles her feet. “Thanks for saving me.”

I approach her and extend my tendril out to pat her head. “It’s my pleasure, dear.”

Whoops still has a blade out. How embarrassing.

I turn around.

She grabs onto my cloak. “There’s a big cloak guy like you. He has my sister. Do you know where he is?”

“No. I am searching for him too.”

“If you find him, can you bring her back?”

I crouch down. “I would not dare make a promise I cannot keep. What I can promise you is I will lay down my life to retrieve her.”

The thought of dying sends a shiver through my form.

She stands on her tip toes and pats my head. “You’re a good guy. What’s your name?”

There was a girl who used to give me head pats. Why can’t I remember her?

I look at the angel and realize I haven’t given her an answer. “I discarded my name when I took up this duty. My enemies call me the Broad-Spectrum Assassin.”

“Oooh, fancy, hee-hee,” she says, beaming positive energy.

Yeah. That was really smooth. She must see me as a real badass! Hold on. Betrayer is waiting for me at the cave. I must still honor my promise to him.

“Staying near me puts you at risk. I must go.” I sink into my own shadow and leave the girl.

It takes me a few tries to create a portal back. Escapism is the name of the technique for portal carving, but the only place I seek to escape to is by that angel’s side. The thought of returning to that burning village terrifies me, but I have a responsibility to my guru.

I finally carve the portal and enter, arriving in a burnt mess of a village.

The Love Dictator is sitting on some corpses and drinking a glass of wine. An army of CatBoys are behind him, rounding up the survivors.

I freeze up in fear.

The dictator raises the glass to me. “Do you believe in destiny?”

Do I? Should I? Wait, that’s for others to concern themselves with.

He pulls out an eyeball from a dead villager and examines it. “The same night that I come to retrieve the angel, the night where the cowardly old man finally stands up for someone other than himself, that’s the night that you send the RiftRippers out of the village on a hunt. I must thank you for your contribution.” He opens his arms, gesturing to the chaos around us. “You’ve helped make this possible.”

I never once considered the consequences of stealing an angel. Maybe he’s right. I am to blame.

The dictator paces around me. “There’s something familiar about you. Oh, you’re the one who tried to keep me from rescuing my grandchild.”

“I…don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh yes you do. Does the name StarBorne ring any bells?”

StarBorne…those are creatures. Did I know someone named StarBorne?

Flam grabs my face. “You really don’t recall. You RiftRippers only hold onto the negative memories. Such a pathetic existence. I prefer to focus on success rather than failures. I could beat myself up for failing to claim the angel, but instead I’ve decided to celebrate my victories. I have so many new recruits, and I’ve found a way to make the immortal mortal.”

He knows the secret.

“How did you do it?” I ask.

“Oh, planning a coup yourself, are you? How delectable.” He licks his lips and exudes a twisted joy that coils around me like a Snake. “Sadly, I won’t exchange that information for nothing. We can negotiate at a later time if you’d like.” He turns away.

I send out all my blades at once.

Flam’s scarf moves with perfect precision and slices my tendrils. “Attack me again and I’ll go after the girl. You do care about her, don’t you?”

Do I? I have a responsibility to protect her. But do I care.

My mind jumps to the warm memory of her giving me a head pat.

She touched me. Even though I’m a monster. She saw something in me that I don’t even see.

“Where is StarBorne? I don’t remember him or her, but if StarBorne was my friend before, then I have a responsibility to protect.”

The dictator chuckles. “Trying to save a friend you don’t even remember. That’s both painfully pathetic and soothingly inspiring! I assure you my grandchild is safe. We can discuss more next time. I have a meeting with the Village of Doomed.”

My village.

“If you attack them, I’ll tear you shreds.”

“Empty threats aren’t as cute as you think. Is just a meeting, not a party. Toodles.” He snaps his fingers and leaves the burning village with his army.

I do what I can to help the people of the village, lifting rubble, putting out fires, but without an angel I can’t heal any of them. Brining Annolette back would only put her in danger, so I just save who I can. The villagers are bizarrely chipper despite the calamity. Their aura is woozy as if intoxicated. They praise me for my efforts and though it lacks a genuine core, the compliment branches still caress me in a way I find most delicious.

The promise!

I rush to the cave to meet up with Betrayer, blaming myself for being sidetracked by hero’s work.

Dual responsibilities are a burden to contend with.

I enter the cave and he seems unphased by my tardiness. He moves in deeper, calming the resident ShadowPups with his white mist.

“Is that your Cross Over Catalyst?” I ask.

Guru speaks to me as we journey deeper into the darkness. “The Catalyst is the seed, an ethereal force that clings to the body when traveling between worlds. When Heroes awaken it, it becomes a Hero’s Miracle. It’s often just called a Miracle. When they say Angel’s bring about miracles, it has multiple meanings. I theorize the Catalyst only enters the heroes because their bodies are in the RiftRipper’s Void. We plant the seeds for Miracles, but only the angels receive praise for bringing those Miracles to light.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“But with RiftRippers it’s different. How so?”

“We’re here.” Guru takes my tendril and places it on a cold stone. “Do you remember this place?”

“It feels nostalgic but I don’t know which part of me knows it.”

“This is where the name of every assassin the guild has ever known lives. The names of traitors are scratched out. Here’s your name.”

“Weech?” I ask, feeling the indentation.

“Yes. And the names of your classmates are here as well.” He moves my tendril ever so gently.

WarWolf, love of my life. With me now and forever.

BladEagle. He still causes me problems even after his death.

BunBun…that’s the girl who gave me head pats. I can almost recall her face.

CamOctopus. I stole her future from her, like I’ve done to so many others.

StarBorne. The Dictator wasn’t lying. He was someone I knew.

The final name is impossible to read.

“Goopy, your final classmate. They found out he was a traitor. After I end the angel…my Annolette. I ask that you help me track him down.”

“If you’re hungry.” I pull out a Banana from my cloak. “All the way from the other world.”

“You don’t have the girl.” He feels me with his power. “You…betrayed me.”

“She was under attack and I protected her. I don’t remember where she is.”

Thanks for snatching that memory, my darling. Now she’ll be safe for sure.

“You sent her away. I can feel it. Wasted effort. I can track her down by following the residue left by the portal.”

“The what?”

“I doubt your decision was personally against me. I deeply trust you.” White fumes emit from him, calming my nerves. He then flees the cave to chase after the angel.

I’m sorry, my darling. I’ve failed you.

A shadow rises up the stone slab and takes shape. “I should have recognized you.” The RiftRipper juggles his head.

His tendrils become thin like noodles but retain their sharpness. They surround me from all angles.

I ignore the blades and tackle my old friend in an embrace. “I’m so happy you’re alive.”

“We aren’t alive and you were never my friend! You never believed in me, but you know who did? The Principal of the school. Yeah, bet you’re jealous. Apparently being pathetic and hating everyone made me the real prodigy of that backwards school.”

I pat his head. “You should be proud.”

“You thought you were so special. But Betrayer took me in before you. Yeah, I was a rebel before you. Bet you never saw that coming.”

I stare at him blankly.

“Yeah. Overheard him talking about you. How it was time to see how his back up had turned out.”

“I’m no back up! I’m the prodigy of both ISEKAI and the Red Rebellion.”

“I guess you’re still in there somewhere. As arrogant as always. I’ve hated you for so long.” Tears leak out from my old classmate.

I clench him with all my strength. “I thought I was alone. But you’re here. We can work together and take down ISEKAI with Guru!”

“I’m no longer associated with the Black Guild or the Red Guild. I am a renegade. I am Gloom.” My old friend gazes into my being. “You still trust him, don’t you?”

“He’s about to make a terrible decision. If we work together, we can stop him.”

“All he knows is misery. That’s how we connected. He gained my absolute trust because I was pathetic. He said he’d give the rest of my life purpose. But he was just using me. I’m always going to be alone.”

“You’re not alone. You have your parents with you, right now.”

“CamOctopus didn’t kill her parents. They ended their own lives so she wouldn’t have to. They loved her. I didn’t kill my parents either, told her we went through the same thing. I lied to her just so I didn’t feel alone.”

“You don’t need to feel guilty about it. You didn’t have a choice.”

“BladEagle’s mother coaxes him into killing her. WarWolf’s father sabotages his own faction out of love for his daughter. Your father ended his life so you wouldn’t have to. Even BunBun’s mother couldn’t kill her daughter directly. Poison was all she could stomach. They all had someone who loved them. The truth is my parents never truly loved me. I figured out it was just their job long before the rest of you. I had them kill themselves. Killing is easy, but holding back that burning urge and making them end themselves with just your words…it’s empowering!” His body glows with pride and his tendrils undulate. He starts crying. His head droops. “I tell myself that lie all the time, because the truth is more pathetic. I wanted to be a successful assassin. I tried to kill them but couldn’t. They told me to do it while they were asleep, but I just stood there over the bed with a dagger and froze up. Turns out that even though they were put there to love me…and despite all the blackmail and times I hurt them, they were proud of me. They believed in me and that made it impossible for me to kill them.”

His sadness wills me to envelop him in an all-encompassing embrace.

Gloom doesn’t fight it. He gradually returns the embrace.

“My parents decided the only way to motivate me was to ingest poison. They thought that by hearing them scream in pain, by seeing their suffering, I’d muster up the courage to put them out of their misery. But I just stood there for hours as they died. I knew if the guild ever found out about it, I’d be dead. Even when they had died…I couldn’t cut their bodies. I just stood there, blowing into my whistle for help over and over. I’m the most pathetic assassin every. I couldn’t even pretend I had killed them. Betrayer said he would protect me and CamOctopus, but then he told the guild that she never passed. I should have figured it out. I was so stupid.”

“You still have your memory of them. Of their love.”

“Yeah, but only because it’s tied to their misery. Your mother is suffering inside you alongside so many others, but at least you can feel them. The only thing from my parents that stayed with me is the stench of their dead bodies. RiftRippers can’t smell and yet it still clings to me.” He shivers and claws his body.

“They would want you to be a great assassin. You can still return to the rebellion. I’ll vouch for you.”

“Betrayer did give me one gift.” Gloom points to the necklace around him. “This bone is from BlasToad and this…is CamOctopus. I blow the whistle when I want to remember them. As for my parents.” He pulls out a sheet from his Void. “Their skin keeps me warm when I feel the shivers. It takes great focus to keep it from being dissolved in that black space.”

“I’m envious of your focus.”

“Well you can be envious again. Because after they died, Betrayer adopted me as a rebel soldier. He said that the hesitation I felt was doubt and it took great strength not to kill them. I believed him.”

I give Gloom a blank stare. “Guru did lie to us.”

“So you finally accept it.”

“He took me in after the first exam when I protected StarBorne. He lied to you that you were a rebel before me.”

“He made us both feel important and we listened to him because of that.”

“His love was genuine.”

He claws at his head. “Things all sort of fell into place for Betrayer. Should have figured it out.”

“What do you mean?”

“BladEagle was told the truth about his family right after he killed his adoptive mother. The truth that his real parents were killed before he even arrived at school. Betrayer tried to drive him to suicide to weaken the Black Guild. That bastard bully never got the chance at becoming a rebel. For the first time, I felt pity for him.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“He didn’t want BladEagle’s knowledge to go to waste and he wanted to bring fear of the Red Guild to the school so he had you kill him.”

“I killed BladEagle on my own. It wasn’t him. He had nothing to do with it. He’s always truthful to me.”

“He tells you the truth so much that you never question what he isn’t telling you. I was the same. I was so lonely, I just believed everything he said.”

“Always seeking more power. Is that why you killed CamOctopus?”

“It was for the rebellion. You’re a rebel too, right? That’s why they scratched out your name.”

“I scratched it out. I never wanted to be an assassin. For prodigies like you, that school was an opportunity but for me…it was a death sentence.”

A memory of me slicing Gloomy to blood bits dances around my head.

I look at him with pain in my body. “Wait…I killed you?”

“Yeah…you sliced me to pieces but just like you I had a cheat. Before the exam, I was given a black seed. It brought me back from death as this…thing. I was so scared. So pathetic. All my life.”

“You’re not pathetic. And we were all scared.”

“I wouldn’t last past my twenties, had some sickness that not even the angels could remove or maybe she just didn’t care enough to try. This whole world is built on corpses buried under lies!” He thrashes around but I hold him steady. “I was doomed from the day I was born, whether I was brought here or not. They said my only chance was to become a RiftRipper, but I said no. I only found out about the Black Seed implant after the final exam was over. They never should have taken me. I’d rather die with my real family, then live as this abomination. You only see two options in life because that’s how he raised you. There isn’t just black and red. We can live freely but we must fight for it!”

Something in my mind clicks.

“You were the one who betrayed him. You killed the other rebels.”

“He betrayed me! He was…” Gloom’s body distorts and reverberates. “He was supposed to protect CamOctopus.”

“Her death…was my fault.”

“Do you remember where the final exam took place?”

“I…don’t. Everything is a blur.”

“It was a snowy mountain. If she survived to the exam, her dream of climbing a mountain could be achieved. Even if she died in the exam, she would have died happy. Instead she died afraid and betrayed by a classmate who didn’t recognize her as he struck her down.”

“You have every right to hate me.”

“And I do! I hate you soooo much!” He slashes at me with tiny knives.

I try to repel his controlled frenzy of an assault. “You can’t blame Guru for what happened! I’m to blame!”

His blades stop. The RiftRipper’s body drips in misery. “He…put her there. For you. To make you stronger. She died as just another catalyst. He may speak out against the Black Guild but his methods are the same: lies and misery.”

“This is a big misunderstanding. Guru would never do that.”

“There isn’t any sacrifice too great for his cause.”

I could feel hatred oozing from Gloom.

“Is that why you attacked those villagers? You were trying to lure him to you?”

“They were ungrateful. So many ungrateful villages. That wasn’t the first I found. See, I was Betrayer’s spy at first so I acted as ISEKAI’s pet, just like you. Those worthless villagers, after all I had done to keep them safe…just because of one failure…one dead hero…they turned against me. But I didn’t kill them, I reject both guilds so I don’t kill! I don’t want all that trash swirling around in my mind! It’s toxic! Look what all the killing has done to you. You can’t remember anything but your biggest mistakes.”

“Killing is what we are.”

“It’s not what I am! I didn’t want those villagers dead. I made them feel just a taste of what we feel. Just wanted a little gratitude, that’s all. Never got it and I got exiled from ISEKAI. They sent you to come after me but I had a place to return to.”

“The Red Guild.”

“Yeah, I came in on him conversing. After hearing that he had put her there to die…my world came crashing down. I lost control of myself. Went on a rampage and slaughtered a few rebel assassins. OniGiri was always nice to me…she didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“I’ll confront Guru about what you told me. I’ll discover the truth about CamOctopus.”

“Weech, do you hate me?”

“Why would I hate you? I don’t judge you for what happened. I’m just happy to have a friend. I have a question though. Why did you take the angel from me?”

“My time playing both sides allowed me access to lots of information. Learned about a group of rebels, not allied with the Red or Black guild. I’m with them now. I can’t say anything more than that. They need an angel and so do I. I haven’t been able to think clearly in so long. I’ll take care of her. Better to be with them than be devoured by you. I never want to see you kill ever again.”

“I won’t kill her. If you hand her over to me, I’ll bring her to her sister. I promise. They need each other.”

“WarWolf put you up to this, right?”

How did he know that?

“Weech, does she hate me? I mean when they aren’t screaming in pain, there are times where you can talk to them. Did she send you to kill me?”

“Didn’t even mention you, but why would she hate you?”

Gloom falls into a puddle and bows his head. “I’m so sorry, Weech. I…regret it every day.”

I pull him back up and he takes form as a drippy mess. “What did you do? Why would she hate you?

“Because I got her killed.”

Flashes of Goopy pulling her body into my blades assault my mind.

My body contorts and slashes at Gloom. He doesn’t even dodge.

“I was so angry with you for killing Camo. She was my best friend. Betrayer told me that hate was my power. That I should cultivate it. He told me that her death was necessary for you to evolve.”

“Don’t you lie!” My blades slice him into fragments.

“He is off, searching for his grandchild so he can kill her! You know that! Think about it! It all makes sense. StarBorne was the one he protected. Never had a bloodstain on his or her mind. But we…we were just weapons. Things he created to make the people lose faith in the Black Guild!”

My decision to kill those traitors and failures…it wasn’t my decision. Has anything I’ve done been my own choice or was there always a puppeteer in the shadows setting up my every action?

My mind is screaming but I pool that pain into a desire to escape.

I carve a portal to where I dropped off the angel. “Reunite the angel with her sister. I’m going after Betrayer! Once he’s dead! You’re next! That is my promise!” I hear Gloom whimper and sob before I dive into the portal.

My body has ignited. Fiery vengeance is fueling my whole being.