To Find: Season 1 (Someone You Loved Tape)

Story Tape #15

The tape plays as multiple voices can be heard in the distance. "I FUCKING KILLED HIM!! ME, JUST! This is the guy who has a bounty on his head? This fight is yours alone to fight. I will not be helping you this time. God, please keep me strong. Wake up. Save us." My eyes lid up as I quickly summon my knife, looking around as I yell out loudly. Breathing heavily as I found myself back at my Haven. Trying to calm myself down as I put my knife away, Whisper stood against the wall with his arms crossed, looking at me. "Just, you're awake. Good. We thought that you were dead, glad to see that you are okay or else we would've been screwed." I looked at Whisper, chuckling a bit as I found myself wearing a t-shirt and my dress pants. Seeing my suit jacket hung up on the wall, including my duck mask. I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing my hands on my face as I sighed a bit. "How am I still alive? How many times must I stare Death in the face?" Whisper walked up to me as he summoned a cartridge in his hand, showing it to me as I reached to grab it; examining the dosage. "The Merchant saved your life, so thank him. These cartridges contain a thick liquid, honestly I don't know what it is but uh… It helps heal you. But he's only given me 3. So try not to get hurt a lot, alright?" I put the cartridge away as I got up off the bed, stretching as I examined my own body; seeing the wounds that I previously had healed. "It feels as if nothing ever happened to me. Can the Merchant make some more of these?" Whisper said. "Well, talk to him yourself and give him your thanks. He has the key ready for you." I nodded my head as Whisper fades away, putting on my suit jacket as my attire was clean; smiling to myself as I'm grateful for the support I've been blessed with. Putting my suit on as I walked out of the Haven, stopping my tracks as I started to experience pain in my head; getting a painful headache as I grunted a bit. Events of what happened to me flashed in my mind, kneeling down as I was breathing heavily. Take the pain away God, please. Moments later as the pain started to go away, feeling a sense of ease as I held onto my cross tightly. The song (Stranger, by Cannons) plays in the background. I walked up to the Merchant as we both waved at each other, showing him my gratitude. "Merchant, thank you for saving me. I would've been dead if you hadn't healed me." The Merchant smiled at me, bowing down as a sign of respect. "It's my pleasure, like I said before, I helped out Soren so I will help you out the best way I can. In exchange for blood, however. That is my currency." I nodded my head as I thanked the Merchant again. "Thank you. What do you need to make more of these cartridges?" The Merchant put his hands together as he always does, smiling at me. "Ah, let's see. In order for me to make more of these you'll need to find a specific material scattered all around this dark, terrifying existence. They are very difficult to find, but the appearance is like a hand reaching out; its fingers expand out. You'll know it when you see it. Trust me." I nodded my head, listening to what the Merchant said, keeping notes of the appearance of the material that'll help the Merchant make more of those healing stuff. "Thanks Merchant, oh, Whisper told me that you have the key ready." The Merchant clapped his hands together, reaching underneath his stand to take out the key; handing it to me. "Mhm. It is ready for you, the same location, the same process as before. Although, do be careful. The key that I created this time has an unusual side effect that affects the elevator, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Hopefully." I stared at the Merchant then back at the key, looking at him again. "Do these keys have side effects depending on the target?" The Merchant nodded his head agreeably. "Yes, yes. It does. Although the effects are random, I'm not sure what effect it has but it does affect the elevator so you've been warned, Wanderer." I slowly turned away from the Merchant, sighing to myself as I grip the key tightly; heading down into the Sewers. Standing in front of the dark figure as I hand to it the key, watching it become wrinkly and die in front of me. Looking at the wall as an elevator appears, I was hesitant at first due to what side effects it had but I went inside regardless. Moments later it took me to D.E.F.E.A.T Prison Cell, looking around as I saw a few security guards patrolling the area. Waiting for them to pass by as I walked out of the elevator as I stood behind a wall, taking a peak to see a guard with his back facing away from Soren's Cell as I took the opportunity to rush towards the guard's back; stabbing it on the back of its neck as it immediately died, falling on the ground as I quickly dragged its body inside Soren's Cell to hide the body. Closing the door as I put the guard body against the wall, looking at Soren as the music stopped. We both made eye contact with each other. The song (Someone You Loved, By Lewis Capaldi) distortedly plays in the background, walking up to the table as I sat down on the chair across from Soren. "Just, you're here. Seems like you've been getting some training, hm?" I shook my head as I put my arms on the table, looking at Soren's gloomy eyes. "At this point, I'm just pressing random buttons." We both laughed as Soren looked down for a bit, his arms and legs chained up as the chains were coming from the ground as if it's flowing from the building itself. "Just… I'm sorry about what happened. I'm just so fucking scared and I'm trapped here. Forced to relive my past over and over again, the pain… The sadness… The heartache. I'm being tortured." Soren started to tear up, seeing him sad made my heart feel weird. I reassured him and said, "Don't worry. We'll get out of this nightmare together." I see Soren smiling underneath his face mask, nodding his head slowly as he looks down still. "I miss Ara… She was really my home, an escape from my reality. I was lonely, I had nobody. Even after graduating from highschool I still felt lonely, I lost contact with my "friends", fucking butt-load of bullshit. I had none of them. I have no one. All I had was the internet. It was an escape. My other life. You end up realizing how lonely you truly are when you focus on your internet friends. Put that phone and computer away and look at the walls, look up at the ceiling. What do you hear? What do you see? Nothing but fucking SILENCE AND DARKNESS!!" Soren banged his hand on the table, making it shake as he was panting heavily. I got up from the chair as I slightly raised both of my hands, making a "calm down" gesture at him. "Hey hey, it's okay. Relax. Look. I understand your pain, that's why you made me, right? A new soul. To help get you through this, that's why I am here. Don't forget that." I can sense his mind starting to break again, D.E.F.E.A.T appearing on the TV as he starts to laugh. "Oh yeah, right. The new soul. Just. Just. Just. JUST JUST JUST FUCKING DIE! I HAVE NO ONE TO CRY TO! NO ONE TO LEAN ON! NO ONE TO CALL MINE!" I looked around the prison cell, everything shaking and the lights becoming blood red; seeing the floor below me turning into a puddle of blood as I was terrified. Soren, what the hell happened to you? We were just laughing. Soren screamed out loud as I cover my ears tightly, he sounds like a fucking banshee as he yells out "I WASTED MY TIME! FOR WHAT!?" So I quickly exited his cell. Upon leaving the cell I was tackled by a Guard that was hiding beside the wall, falling on the ground as I summoned my knife quickly; stabbing it on top of its head as the sound of its skull crunching and its flesh being punctured can be heard as I pushed it off of me. Quickly standing up as I fight my way to the elevator, the sound of alarm ringing as I then summoned my bat; swinging and hitting it on the 2 guards I saw earlier legs, raising the bat up high and swinging it down on both of their heads. I feel as if my heart is about to burst from my chest, seeing multiple security guards heading towards me; quickly getting inside of the elevator as I press the 'close door' button rapidly. "Come on, come on! CLOSE!!" Before the door fully closed it was stopped by a few arms reaching out, wielding sharp weapons, grabbing my bat tightly as I started hitting their arms until they pulled away. The elevator closed shut, the music abruptly ending as the security guards banged on the door, moments later the banging stopped as the elevator was going down. Sighing out of relief as I leaned against the elevator wall, catching my breath. "Holy fucking shit… Thank you God. Thank You, thank You." The elevator stopped moving as I was confused, was this the side effect the Merchant was talking about? The elevator started to drop down as if nothing was holding it, I was lifted off the ground falling as I started to yell loudly; I tried to find something to hold but couldn't. There was probably something I could've held but my brain isn't thinking correctly, too focused on the fact that the elevator was falling down. To where? I felt my back pressing against the elevator ceiling, the force pushing my body back as I was praying quietly. I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I kept them shut and didn't even attempt to try and open them. Just let me see darkness. The pressure and the speed became harder and faster, my yelling got louder as the elevator finally hit the ground.~

-End of Story Tape #15-