chapter 2: Forbidden realm with delinquents
"why...Quinn why? ... why did you kill Henzai Hinata?" The interviewer's words stung, The question bolted through his spine, sweat marred hair forehead, falling down like stars. He gulped in panic, his eyes froze, shifting violently. His mouth parted, but no words came out, only a startled croak. All eyes were on him, waiting for the denial. For the lie. Each captain was armed with killing intent.
"This murderer! How can he be such a good denier!"
"He isn't even afraid of the consequences, what a rogue!"
"What should you expect from an ingrate. You can't even acknowledge a woman who saved you!"
----
His face froze, his skin flushed, heat warmed it's way to his neck. Her smile conjured before him.
"promise me, Quinn. promise you'll survive"
The void in his mind, the vacuum in his memory. The cell wasn't his, somehow he was here, in the interrogation chamber. He heard the clank of chains as they pulled in, the scurry of petrified soldiers. They were in a haste, rushing into a cell. The metallic scent of blood stung his nostrils. They rushed to his cell. After that, his memory was missing. His mind missed a puzzle piece, how was he here?
"Henzai..." his lips tore finally, her book laid before him, dust scattered intricately on it, The acrid air stung his nostrils, the hot air burned his eyes, but no pain was comparable to the dread that enveloped his heart.
"Henzai...it can't be?" He stuttered, his frame rose, Chills ran down his spine, his hair stood at his nape. He slammed the table, his lips cut into a scowl. His pupils dilated, staring at the book. Her smile flashed through his mind, Pain streamed by it.
"my brother wasn't allowed to study at Alkethra."
His hands went up, dug into his hair. The interviewer feigned Indifference at his gesture, his face remained steel as he watched the distorted boy before him.
"He's such a good actor! Never in my career have I met such criminal mastermind!" The interviewer thought. His fingers tapped his chin, his eyes narrowed.
"You will survive Quinn." He squeezed his head. Glanced at his hands, for the first time, the voice wasn't there, no nagging. Thick dark lines caught through his palms. His eyes dilated in horror. His mouth parted, letting a scream tear the air. The thick lines widen to reveal teeth and tongue.
"you really are a criminal mastermind!" The voice persisted. Quinn stumbled backwards. "I didn't do it." He whispered, his tongue was too tied to refuse the accusations. "But you did." A line cut through the air, a blur enveloped his vision as a swirling black mist enveloped him. His knees straightened,firmly planted into the ground. His eyes unblinking, his palms throbbed, his chest pulsated. He mopped sweat from his forehead as he gazed at the smoke.
"what nonsense is this!" He seethed. The two captains beside him had unsheathed their swords. Reluctant to move, they watched the horror.
"What's the rush!" one yawned, he barely bathed an eyelid at the miscreant.
Quinn twirled around, holding his head as images began to form. He heard Henzai scream. His eyes jerked towards the source.
On the floor was her, her abdomen severely bashed, her blood mopped the atmosphere. He raced towards her, his steps fading as echo, so was her body. "Quinn... don't..." Her last gasp pierced forward, his chest caved as the words hit.
"Quinn... Don't kill me!"
His legs crumbled into shambles. His eyes focused, the red thick line of blur flashed before his eyes. Smoke and failure impaired his vision. His eyes darted forward, the smell of dried pain smouldered his nostrils. His eyes dimmed from the bright light, The blinding warm light washed over his skin. He was outside, No...He was surrounded by a sea of blinding light. Soon, it all dissipated leaving fog in its wake.
The cell room contorted into vision. He could see himself, his eyes widen into a devilish stare, his lips tainted with a placid grin. His two hands poised on the dagger in her stomach. He pulled upwards, her scream left his lips, there was no guard. Or simply put, they never existed. He stroke downwards, blood and flesh mingled, her screams melted into a dying whisper. Every strike echoed before a cynical scream of excitement. Scalding tears crushed down his eyelids. Tongues pierced through the metallic cell floor, lapping hungrily at the red frothing liquid. Her breath relaxed Into one last plea.
He breathed, his chest cleaved and fell. His hunched back twisted straight. His neck snapped forward, piercing into his own face. The placid grin stretched wider testing his ears. One snarky sentence melted him completely.
"you see... You killed her."
"no... impossible!" he stammered retracting his left foot, footsteps drummed Into his nightmare. The cold metallic cuffs gliced through his wrists, his heart tested the rib constraints. He stumbled to the floor, the realisation echoes desperately behind his ears. The silhouette steps echoed in the cell.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
"what do you think now, Quinn?" His voice snarky, persistent, gritty. Quinn struggled, his heart pulsated, fear stretched through his guts, knotted firmly in his hands. A mild convulsion overtook his feeble muscles.
The silhouette now closer than it was originally. Their connection thickened,the darkness of the silhouette crept over his skin. The room burned, the hot air caressed his face. The burning sulfur stung his nostrils, his face dropped with fear. The silhouette was closer now.
"what do you think now, Quinn?" It's question smashed a block into Quinn's stomach. His eyes widen in shriek as his lips tore with a scream. His struggles slowly halted as the silhouette boots stood before him.
His chest laid heavily on his laps, his hands successfully constrained. His ash-grey eyes slowly lifted.
A fresh placid grin mirrored into his eyes. He knew that grin, knew that poker face. His placid grin flashed through his face, his ash-grey eyes are guilty into him.
"what do you think, Quinn? Who killed Henzai?"
"I don't know!" His lips trembled.
His eyes refused to merge with the darkness. A snarky palm grasped his collar, yanking him into the air. His body splattered into the wall. Blood smeared everything- smeared his face, smouldered his clothes.
The silhouette walked to him, lifting his gaze into the swirling darkness. One last question;
"who killed them all? Your family, Henzai Hinata?"
His eyes blurred, the ash-grey eyes bore into his face, the placid laughter tore his mind apart. He froze, red flashed his vision.
"I did. I...killed them all."
His lips quaked at his own voice. Time slowly reared to a halt. The smoke cleared, the wardens froze, their bones melted in shock. His lips stretched downwards into a cry. The silhouette stood up with a lazy smile.
"perfect."
Tick! Tick! Tick!
Footsteps echoed in the distance, a sob slowly echoed behind his ears, he glanced up, blood strewn eyes. The silhouette was gone, hiding perhaps. Waiting to strike once more. He glanced at his hands, no teeth or tongues. The freshly scented room stung his nostrils. He squinted from the dim light, a silhouette sat in the silhouette. A young woman shook violently, her palms shielded her face like a supplicant. Her sobs tore through space, smashed into his chest.
"May?.."
She glanced up, tears strewn face, her swollen cheeks tore sideways, a placid grin contorted. Her blue eyes swirled ash-grey, Quinn gasped. The air was too tight to breath, the stale air clogged his nostrils. May's once vibrant face shattered like glass, fractures splitted around him. The room, the atmosphere, the scene. It was all fake. His eyes glanced at the only remaining thing. Her lips maintained the placid grin.
"so you admit it then?"
A blinding light dazed every eyes. The robotic voice boomed through every fracture in the building, every cell in him roared into pain.
[congratulations entrance test passed]
[your 1st trial has began]
[Teleportation ----25 %]
[---50%]
[------75%----]
[Teleportation complete.]
His body trembled, convulsing violently. "He's been transported!" One warden yelped. The interviewer slammed the table angrily. "we lost him. I hope he dies in there!" The interview roared. One of the captains pushed up his glass.
"don't worry, he won't survive!"
------
------
His collar fluttered in the wind, the air seized forcing him to panic. He was falling, the wind enveloped him firmly, safeguarding his fall. His lips parted into a scream, just as he collided with the ground. No blood, No death.
[welcome candidate 500]
[your team have waited long]
[Name: Quinn Stormblessed]
[Age: 15 years]
[Talent: none]
[grade: none]
[Echoes: none]
[Memories:none]
[Welcome to console realm]
Quinn's eyes slowly fluttered to life, a rustle of air caught his nose, nausea plummeted in his stomach.
"Finally, can we move now?" A bored tone stretched, before Quinn was a hefty looking teenager, taller than he was, dressed in an all black apparel with three blue stripes on the chest. Quinn looked around, the purple warped his vision. His ears tingled at the silence. The wind here was perfectly audible, whistling it's way through them. The harsh energy signature charred his skin. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled his nostrils as a robotic voice chimed.
[Candidate 234 eliminated]
[evolution in progress]
Quinn's lips tore into a cry.
"I can't die here! Henzai I want to live!"