Prologue

"I must pose a question for you... How far do you think you as a person would have to be pushed before you are no longer yourself? Are you a quitter... like me? Or do you have more grit, more mental fortitude, more hope? It didn't take much for me to change as a person because I wasn't even a person to begin with. I... am a monster, some kind of... demon. As I sit here with this dying child in my arms I am filled to the brim with regret. I can no longer find reason in my actions if there were any to begin with, does anything justify this? Why did this happen?... what is my purpose... what"

"That's enough, I didn't come here to listen to you repent. Stand and accept your fate, you will die for this!" The pained woman exclaims

With a loud thump, the woman had fallen onto her face, unconscious. I look up to find the source of her condition but am met with fogginess

"Yes, fate. Such a nuisance wouldn't you say?" A familiar voice cuts into the silence.

"You! You're the reason I'm in this mess in the first place! I screech, betraying the usual cool tone I like to maintain.

"Me? So quick to place the blame on others to stifle your own failures. It was your thirst for adventure and excitement that led you here, your inability to mind your own business, and your excessive need to right every wrong in this world. You wanted to be a hero and now you are. What? are these circumstances not to your liking? He huffs out a wry chuckle.

"We were supposed to be a team, did you think that I would refuse to help you? This time his tone is more strained like he is trying to hold back tears.

"I know you would! If you knew what had to be sacrificed you would have definitely-"

"You know nothing, you idiot!" He yelled, his voice echoing into the nothingness.

His outburst gave me pause

"I would've done anything for you, to protect you..." He hung his head, reaching for the ground to take a seat.

Tears began to well in my eyes but the pace quickened like an overflowing stream. Could all of this have been avoided if I trusted more people? Now I will never know, no one will, the end is coming for us all.

"It doesn't matter anymore Al, everything will be gone in a matter of days! I fucked up okay, I'm sorry!" I wept into the lifeless corpse in my arms.

"Don't apologize to me girl, apologize to that dead kid's soul, apologize for snuffing it out!

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, You didn't deserve this! I wish- I wish I could turn back time! Before all of this happened! I promise I will do better if I just got a second chance! I swear!" As I wailed into the corpse my entire body felt numb, like a dam that just exploded I feel like I have nothing inside me.

"Damn it, I would give anything to turn back to the way things were! I should've just stayed a happy, scheming, evil demon, then I wouldn't feel like this and we wouldn't be here. I should've broken your mind when I had the chance!" he screamed at me, and he was right, if I had stayed in my place, none of this would've happened.

As we sat here, wallowing in all of this pain and confusion, a tear appeared in the void. It's me... it's younger me, laying in a bed, my dorm...

"Is that- Get the fuck up we have to go!" Al jumps to his feet and runs towards the tear at breakneck speed. On his way to the tear, he snatches me by the neck with a forceful grasp and tosses me over his shoulder.

"Wait, what is this!?" I exclaim

"A second chance, someone powerful is looking after you, you better thank them whenever you get the chance. And make sure you remember this, remember the pain and regret you are feeling, and never lose it, you will need it." He reaches for the tear and it begins to suck us in.

"Wait, I don't get what you mean. What is..." A flash of white envelops my senses and for a moment everything is quiet again, peaceful.

...