“Tell me, little Katie… What do you think of my lab?” Death echoed as she released her grip on Leon.

He crumpled painfully to the metal floor, his neck twisted at a sickening angle. Katie, the angel, narrowed her eyes at the sight, a low growl escaping her lips. She tightened her grip on the pistol in her hand, her knuckles turning white. “So you’ve finally lost control, Iris. I want to believe you're still in there somewhere… Get away from him!”

Death cocked her head sideways, a smirk playing on her lips. She let her cloak fall to the ground, revealing long black curls cascading down her back. The face and body were unmistakably Iris's, yet under the malevolent control of the dark entity. She raised her hand, and a dark portal materialized in the air. With a swift motion, Death pulled out her gleaming scythe. “Worry not about the girl. She’s enjoying every moment of this from the sidelines where she belongs.”

With a cackle, she knelt beside Leon, running her fingers through his hair for a fleeting moment before turning her piercing gaze back to Katie. “You know, you are the one thing that clings this boy to this meaningless world. Even with his fractured mind, I can sense it. Why don’t you do us both a favor and join me? I would hate to destroy my own flesh and blood…”

At that, Katie scoffed. “Then why do you sound so excited about it?”

“Funny. The boy asked the same thi-”

A flash of lightning shot from Katie's gun, the force of the blast echoing through the lab. Smoke erupted from Death’s form as she caught the blast head-on. Her cold smile twisted further, violet eyes glowing with a dark intensity as they locked onto Katie’s. “How rude…”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the void of Leon’s mind, he lay sprawled atop the surface of an endless, inky lake.

Am I dead?

The sharp pain in his neck told him otherwise. He clutched at it, grimacing, feeling the cold waters seep through his fingers. This dark world was all too familiar; it was the realm he awoke to in his sleep, a place where promises of meetings were whispered by the angel he once doubted. But this time, she was here. She’s here…

Leon choked and sputtered, his hands desperate to grasp anything on the slick, cold surface. Heavy footsteps echoed, splashing slowly toward him. He froze, staring at the water's reflection. At first, he closed his eyes, a cold chill running down his spine, convinced he was hallucinating.

When he dared to look again, he saw a nightmarish version of himself standing before him. The figure's skin was charred pitch black, eyes and hair a vivid, blood-red. Flames licked around the entity’s body, a hateful aura that should have evaporated the lake, yet the water merely parted for him as he stood upon it.

“Do you want to live?” The voice was deep, resonant, and undeniably Diablos.

Leon’s mouth opened, but his voice barely croaked out, “Of course I do!” Diablos seemed to understand. He placed a searing hand on Leon’s head. The pain was immediate and excruciating, burning through his very being. Leon tried to scream, but no sound escaped his lips. The world around him shifted, turning a vivid red.

“Then get up, you fool…”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A heat surged within Leon as he rose to a knee. The world around him erupted in chaos. Explosions and blasts echoed deafeningly throughout the lab, glass and rock shattering from the clash of powers before him. He grabbed the side of his neck, letting out a violent gasp of air as he popped the bone back into place. For an instant, the world slowed, just enough for him to take a breath of relief. Then, his hands flew up to block the debris smacking into him.

Katie and Death were locked in a fierce aerial battle, their figures blurring as they darted and clashed. Sparks and waves of darkness collided violently. Leon dove behind a desk as shards of glass and chunks of rock crashed around him. He glanced down at his hands. Flames engulfed his body, yet he felt no pain, no burn. Clenching his fists, his eyes widened in realization.

The lab floor crumbled, and they plummeted into the chasm below. Broken metal and boulders surrounded him, tumbling toward the roaring rapids. Instinctively, Leon used the falling debris as stepping stones, leaping from one to the next.

Have I done this before?

Above him, Katie and Death continued their battle. Leon leaped into the fray, weaving through the falling objects. When he saw Iris’s face for the first time in a year, it took his breath away. Her smile was twisted, morbid, her eyes shining malevolently.

You’re not Iris. He didn’t hesitate. The flame intensified on his arm before his fist crashed against her cheek.

“Leon?” Katie called, startled as he smashed Death through a boulder.

Stolen story; please report.

Hearing her voice snapped his attention to her. The second their eyes locked in reality, Leon knew. The person he was supposed to be remembering all this time. Even after seeing her in his dreams for over a year. This confirmed it. The memories he was never able to understand. Thoughts that sent shockwaves even trying to remember. This was the person he was supposed to remember from the beginning.

Katie reached out for him. Leon tried to grasp her hand, but her eyes widened, and her wings pushed him away. He crashed against a falling boulder, initially feeling betrayed. But as they fell, he realized she’d protected him, pushing him out of harm’s way as she and Death clashed again. Despite descending rapidly, time seemed to slow for him.

He watched them move, each strike and counterstrike etched in his mind. Sparks burst with every clash of scythe and pistol, their bodies twisting and twirling among the debris. Katie's wings served as shields and weapons alike. I have to catch up with her!

Leon sprinted along the chasm, the rocks and metal bursting apart with each leap, narrowly avoiding the aftermath of their fight. He fell to his knees, sore and battered, but he forced himself up, eyes locked on the flashing lights and silhouettes above.

The world seemed to be falling apart. Tremors and quakes shook the cave violently. Standing still was fatal. Leon ran forward, never losing sight of the two clashing figures.

I spent a year traveling. Searching. It felt so hopeless I almost constantly felt sick to my stomach. Even attempting to understand or remember why I feel like this sent violent shocks all over my body.

Somewhere along the line, it felt like living itself became pointless. This isn’t the first time I felt like that. The more he moved forward, the harsher the flames surrounding him burned. His hands moved on their own, smashing through rubble. His legs leapt over boulders.

This feels like what I’ve been waiting for all this time. I can’t lose her now. Those visits were the only desperate hope I had. She holds the answer I’ve been looking for. She has to!

His heart pounded, ready to burst from his chest. Sweat ran down his brow as he sprinted down the narrow path. She cannot be trusted! Neither of them can! Diablos shouted in his mind.

To hell with that! Anything’s better than wandering endlessly with no real purpose ever again! He retorted.

He reached an incline leading to a giant, gaping hole out of the cave. A large, empty room awaited. A chill ran down his spine. Turning around, he fell back as Katie crashed into him. They hit the stone floor painfully. Somehow, he’d run past the fight. “Hey! Are you-?” Leon raised her in his arms.

Katie lay against him, trembling and cut all over. Death landed before them, dusting off her dark cloak with a dismissive flick. “Such a feeble act my dear. And after all that flair,” she teased, resting the scythe against her shoulder. “Do such fleeting acts of rebellion really give you such a rush of freedom? I’d think you’d grow tired of living such a difficult path. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Leon rested Katie gently on the ground before rising to stand between her and Death, his eyes blazing with defiance. “Just what do you want? What are you doing all of this for?” he snapped.

“Leon, don’t-” Katie croaked, struggling to stand as she clutched her gut, grimacing in pain. Blood oozed from the corner of her mouth.

Death’s smirk widened. “Come now. We could be basking in a new world together. You’ve seen how these creatures use their gifts, haven’t you, boy? You walked amongst them in solitude. They are irredeemable. You should understand that as well as I do.” She sauntered forward, gesturing toward Katie with her free hand. “Take this angel, for example. Her very own family has given her a life worse than hell, and for what? Some false pride to kill the demon sealed within you. Oh yes, I am aware of Diablos sharing your body,” Death added, her eyes glittering as she saw the shock on Leon’s face.

Leon’s fists tightened, his body tense. “So what if I’ve wandered? Sure, there’s good and bad out there. It doesn’t mean everything is just obsolete! You still haven’t said what you’re trying to do,” he demanded, eyeing Death carefully. “You keep talking about a new world. What about this one? Can’t you just leave it?”

Death giggled, a toneless sound that sent ripples through Leon’s skin. “Out of the question. I created this world. Every moment it continues to draw breath is an assault to my honor. It must be purged in order to start anew. That is the only way I can truly create the perfect world.”

Katie’s head drooped as she clutched her wounds, her face a mask of despair. Leon’s voice, raw with emotion, cut through the silence. “Have you ever lived in this world?”

“I’ve seen enough.,” Death replied, her voice laced with bitterness. She finally let her smile drop. “Creatures that rip each other asunder simply for being a different color or size. Looked down upon and trampled. Wars fought over dirt and less. Countless of my creations destroyed, and for what? To rewrite history any way they see fit. What world is that to live in, boy?”

Leon’s eyes blazed with intensity. “Sure, horrible things exist. But there are people who are still trying to make it work. People who have families and work every day to find meaning in their existence. Even as I wandered aimlessly, even when I felt lost, I watched them. Friends who took care of each other. Lovers who fought to protect their own. Parents playing with their kids and raising them happily. The world struggles, but it doesn’t just give up. Seeing people and animals living made me want to live too, so that I could find my own purpose. Nobody can find that if you simply destroy it!”

Death’s eyes met his, her gaze hardening. “But why struggle when it could all be fixed so easily? It has no meaning to be that way.”

Leon’s jaw clenched, his voice a growl. “If you really gave a shit, you’d be out there helping them instead of just giving up and starting over like the coward you are.” His fists tightened, knuckles white with rage.

He didn’t know why he felt so angry, so passionate about this. It felt like an internal fire that had always been there, smoldering. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Katie and leapt from the cave. They hurtled through the sky, falling rapidly toward the ocean. Katie’s eyes widened in shock. Her wings snapped open, catching the wind and lifting them into the night sky.

Death raised her scythe, ready to cut them down as they passed. She hesitated, a cold smile spreading across her face. Turning her back on the entrance, she muttered, “Good boy… struggle while you can. This wouldn’t be enjoyable if it was easy.”

The night air rushed past them, the ocean’s waves crashing far below. Katie’s wings beat steadily, lifting them higher. Leon clung to her, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. Below them, the cave and the chaos within it shrank into the distance, leaving them soaring into the unknown.