20 Awakening: Part 1

In a dark space

A white light can be seen glowing slowly taking the form of a human. The light grew dimmer as the body grew till finally, it disappear like a bubble. Nila was floating in a vast space she was unconscious drifting through space. After a moment, stars began to gather lighting up the dark space one after another number of stars grew covering the once empty space and forming a constellation.

Nila opened her eyes her breathing was rough and her whole body was shaking, looking closely fear can be seen in her eyes. She touched her forehead, noticing there was no hole in her head she started to calm down and gather her thoughts.

"How is this possible? I clearly felt the pain from back then," she said.

She shivered remembering the sight of Noel shooting a black dot at her. His cold emotionless eyes were a sight to behold, The way he killed her like he was nothing more than an insect brought fear to Nila.

Nila wanted to get revenge but after witnessing that, she grew restless thinking it was impossible unless she have the help of the person who saved her last time. She didn't know what to do now and started to look around her.

She was stunned, in her entire life she has never seen a sight as beautiful as this.

She began to collect her thoughts thinking back on what happened.

"Just where exactly am I?" she began moving around the space, searching for anything that might give her a clue as to what is happening around her.

Nila darted over the place but all she could see were the stars. She didn't know how much time has passed but she could feel herself getting stronger in the place. Suddenly one of the stars headed straight through her forehead blinding her surrounding.

When she opened up her eyes, she was back in the forest again Noel was staring at her with his cold expressionless face. He raises his hand pointing his index finger on her direction. She recognized this pattern and immediately rolled to the ground hiding behind a tree.

BANG

A loud banging sound could be hard, she look in the direction of the sound and was terrified. The bullet switch its direction and was coming towards her.

Unconsciously she raises her hand over her head wanting to block the bullet with her hands. The ground started shaking and a vine started to surround her shielding her from the bullet.

The bullet stop in mid-air, just as it was about to come into contact with the vine. It started expanding itself, and what came out of the shadow was a little girl with purple hair and amethyst-like eyes.

She leaped off from the shadow and extended her arms, a claw made of shadow started to rip off the vine Nila was hiding.

Nila saw the girl, just as she was about to ask who she was. A purple glow flash through the air. The next thing she knew blood was gushing out on the right side of her body. Her body fell to the ground but she was still conscious.

Tak, tak, tak

Nila couldn't even scream and check her injury as the sound of footsteps walking toward her was on her mind. With her left hand, she started to drag her body away from the girl, this only made it worse as the wound started to open up and she kept losing too much blood.

The girl finally arrived before her, she look down and raise her foot. The shadow of the foot was reflected on Nila's face. The sight was horrific and once it reach a certain height it came toward her.

"No-please--," her voice was cut-off mid sentence.

Crak crak

The sound of her skull being crushed echoed through the forest.

SPLASH

The girl's foot penetrated Nila's head her brain juice splattering all over the place.

A shadow appeared beside the girl. It was Noel she stared at the headless corpse in front of him and snap his finger. Soon enough the girl and Noel were engulfed by the shadow and disappeared.

***

Inside the vast space, Nila was once again brought back to the place she came from before. Just like the first time a lone star went to Nila's body waking her up.

Her face was deathly pale and cold sweat swept down her neck. Her breathing was erratic and she constantly touch her face.

"No...please...stop" she muttered quietly.

As Nila was losing her mind a voice filled with conviction spoke to her. She was familiar with this voice, she shivered.

"You feel yourself alive...but that shouldn't be possible. You died"

"In front of death itself so you cower? Or do you stand and fight?"

The voice belong to the person who killed her twice now. Nila didn't say anything she covered her head, her whole body trembling with fear.

"How does it feel knowing your the cause of their deaths?"

Nila covered her ears not wanting to listen anymore.

"This is how they felt when they died"

But to no avail, no matter how much Nila try the voice just wouldn't go away.

"Shut up shut up shut up shut up" she continuously said in a shaky voice.

"They died because their weak, but the real reason they died is cause of you"

"I-it..wasn't my fault,"

"You are running, hunted and wanted, you are the monster that is responsible for the deaths of the people around you."

"N-no! t-that's not true" she scream yet her voice was so soft it could hardly be called a scream.

"And now you want to drag me into your tragic story as well?"

"I-is that why your doing this? P-please I'll leave and never bother you again, so please, just please let me go" Nila began begging the voice.

"You cling to life because of the wishes of others. But the truth is, deep down your selfish, despite your attempts. It is done to preserve your sanity, and to prove you still want to remain alive" the voice said in a disgusted tone, he continued "How pathetic"

Nila who heard this began to run away.

"Your sacrifice and past actions cannot allow that though, as your memories of home and the peace with it can no longer be seen by you. You are too far from home, and you know the madness will consume you in time. You feel sad because you know the truth and can do nothing to change it"

Nila stop, this time she gather mana onto her arm and began casting spells around aimlessly.

"Come Forth Earth, and crush my enemy"

[Rock Fall]

Five rock that's the size of a soccer ball began to fall 5 meters above her. The rocks didn't hit her and Nila saw that rocks just kept falling endlessly, till she can no longer see it.

"Trust is a commodity you can not spare, nor will you ever be able to. You are reminded of past trust, and how each individual has always betrayed you, ruining you and making you return to your cycle. You are to live in a cycle of being in fear, powerless, misery and endless deaths. It can never be broken..."