In a city devoid of life, but pristine in condition. The buildings shined unblemished in the evening light. Only at the edge of the city lied a figure against the city wall looking out into the setting sun.

“What more do you want from me? I have done everything you have asked of me. Are you going to throw me away? Now that I am broken.”

“No” –a cloaked figure walked up toward the man as if he came from the very shadows of the town. “I need you for one more task.”

“What? I have lost everything because of you. I lost my family. My friends. My home. My will. You made me into one of your weapons. Why me? Why must you reduce me to this? I am not even human anymore. You have taken that from me as well. Now I know I am broken. I can’t do this for you. My mind is broken. My heart shattered. My body, well it’s injured beyond repair. I have learned that weapons don’t last that long. Why did you chose me to be your weapon for so long?”

“Will you believe me if I said that I have grown attached to you? That you are different and special to me? That you are not like other weapons I have obtained?”

“No. This is a fate worse than death and yet you want me to do more. I would rather be one of the others and die instead of this enslavement. This prolonged agony.”

“Only you can do this task. Nobody can replace you in this.”

“There can always be a replacement. I have no more value to you. Anybody holds more value to you now than me.”

“You are irreplaceable and you will do this last task and it will be your last task from me.”

A long silence followed and as the man gazed out into the distance before asking, “What do you need of me?”

“I need you to live.”

“What? How can I…”

Before he could complete the cloaked figure quickly closed the gap between them and placed a glowing white hand on the man’s forehead.

“It will be the most important task I will ever give to you. I hope you will do well.”

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The man’s figure slowly disintegrated in a soft golden light before fading completely into nothingness leaving only the clothes he once wore.

“Why did you do that?”- Another cloaked figure approached.

“Do what? I just gave him back his will and a few years to his life.”

“NO. You gave more than that. We are the ones who control fate to ensure the continuation of existence and why did you give it to HIM?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I wanted to give him back for all I took from him. Maybe for the first time in my entire existence there was real purpose to my job in the universe. Rather than just controlling destiny I have learned that the absolute control we have will only result in the end of everything. Why don’t we make a bet? If he does what needs to be done then I win. If he does not then you win.”

“What are you talking about? You lose either way. You won’t even be alive to see it.”

The cloaked figure looked at his slowly crumbling hand.

“I know. He will be my last weapon. Therefore, he will be my best weapon better than any other weapon I used before and for the first time in my life I feel like this is better than what we know as truth. My only regret is that I will not see through his development. I hope you will watch over him and maybe you will see what I saw in him. He is not a weapon and no longer will he be tied to any of us. I have given back all I could and now it is up to him to live not as a weapon but as a man. I like the sound of that.”

He replied before his body gave away and he finally crumbled into a small pile of ash on the ground.

“I hope you are right”

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Author's notes:

I have been a hard core lurker on the site and after reading so much I though I should give my try at writing a story as well. I hope you all enjoy.