Forum Thread

“Th-thanks. I don’t deserve it.” As Neo finally disappeared from sight, Athena snapped out of it. “Everyone! If you are injured, go to the med-bay!” Then she just turned and ran, ran, all the way to her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. Collapsing on her bed, she cried her heart out. Blaming herself for everything. She had just forgotten Neo, abandoned him. And when he came back, she hadn’t even gotten a single scratch, while all her friends needed medical attention. Everyone around her, everyone she cared about, in one way or another, got hurt. Killed even. She vowed that she wouldn’t care about anyone ever again. She became the serious tactician everyone knew, scaring people away when they wanted to help. It hurt her, she missed the days when she used to smile and joke around with everyone, but this way, they would be safe.

---

As Neo/Abyss walked through the forest, he started thinking. before long, the two parts of his personality were bickering like children.






Abyss arrived at an abandoned city nearby. "My shelter is near 'ere... Where was it again? Right! Near the ruins of the bank!"

---

A spine prickling feeling suddenly moves through Aster. He would've thought nothing of it, but the mages, like him, were staring up at the darkened sky above. Somebody had escaped! It was quite unclear how Aster realized it. Call it supernatural abilities, or maybe he had been here for so long he could notice tiny changes like this. How bold of them! An amused smile appears on Aster's face. Was this a direct challenge? Escaping on his watch!? How kind of them to give them something to do.

He moves away from the portal and walks a few steps away to focus. The mages seemed to be working on a literal portal, one that would allow the living to enter Hell without needing to die. But for beings like himself and the escapee, they didn't need such trivial things. Thanks to fate, they could freely cross into both worlds, although it took a significant amount of energy. It was taxing enough for demons, he wondered how it would effect a mere human. Let's find out.

Flames dance around Aster's body. They become hotter and hotter, until the flames appear to be blue and white. He shut his eyes, searching for memories of the living world. After a few moments, he could feel the change. His physical body may be in Hell, but his mind was slowly entering the living world. He could smell a field rather than brimstone, feel gentle grass instead of hard rock. "Let the game commence!" Aster snarls before the flames consume him.

He was only knocked out for a few seconds. But it felt like hours when Aster came to. He was laying in a field. His claws gripping the dirt beneath him. His suit was covered in ashes, which were blowing away with the wind. His hair was a mess, sprawled out everywhere and sticking to his sweaty face. The light, ah, he forgot how bright the living world was. He hisses in pain, bringing an arm up to his face and blinking away tears. Tears?

He removes his arm from his face and growls in annoyance. He drops his arm to his side, smartly making his eyes more human and stands up, sniffing the air, desperately trying to find a familiar scent against the many filling the air. The scent of death. This smell was specific- the smell of a body that had been dead for years. He thought he could smell it, but if he were right, then the person was somewhat close. He couldn't be certain, but it would appear that they were hiding in the woods ahead. "Fate isn't too kind to you. I am still her favorite child! You better enjoy the living world while you still can!" Aster says out loud while advancing towards Mei's location.

---

Belphi's eyes snapped open and behind shaded glasses, red eyes glowed with his awakening, scowl already pulling back on sharpened fangs. Locking onto the nearest demon that looked at him with fear written clearly despite the sleep still clouding his features. A out pour of "I'm sorry! We won't disturb you anymore!" and so forth rang out around him and a crowd of demons scattered before him, leaving the area empty almost as quickly as Belphi woke up. The elder demon took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes in confusion as he glanced around him. Unsurprisingly, he had no idea where he was but that wasn't anything new. Every time he woke up he'd be in a new place, sleepwalking his way through Hell. It certainly wasn't the most ideal situation but Belphi had long since gotten used to it. Instead of worrying about something so trivial, he stretched out limbs that had locked up under sleep. If he really tried to remember, the last thing he could recall was flesh ripping under his hands as humans stared blankly watching without much emotion as Belphi tore apart their comrades. Some kind of war to retake the lands? He couldn't quite remember, but that wasn't new. There were many things that he couldn't recall lest of all what happened the last time he was awake.

Hell was much different back then too and as Belphi walked, he could see humans Slaving away working on... Something. There were unfamiliar twists and turns, caverns that opened up to nothing and old paths that had caved in. Belphie didn't really care about the changes at this point, it was too much work to figure out what had moved on without him. But still, despite everything, he would have to report that he was aware once more. Which meant more work. Joy. While he didn't like interacting with her, one of the few beings older than him and thus still remembered, Belphie would have to find the Demon Goddess. Lady Presephone was at least kind in that regard, humoring his narcoleptic bouts. He figured it was mostly because he still worked while asleep but on what, he could never remember. Still, she was his best bet at getting caught up with the world and he set of to where he vaguely remembered her castle to be. He hoped that she'd at least tell him how long he'd been asleep this time around.

Glancing up, Belphie curled a lip in envy at the demons who flew above the wailing humans, barking out orders. Oh how Belphi wished that he had wings again, those were simpler times when he didn't have to walk. The bubbling earth that threatened to burn off the skin on his feet seemed inclined to agree. Good Goddess, it would be so easy to just lie back down on the ground and let the boiling heat draw him back to sleep. Maybe he'd do just that, already feeling his eyes droop.

---

She was being followed.

Any normal person wouldn't have taken notice to it, afterall, the thing that was pursuing her wasn't exactly human.

No, a human couldn't possibly move as silent as the creature behind her. She had to admit, she was almost impressed by it's ability to read her movements. She had become aware of it's presence two miles back, but there was no way of knowing how long it had been tracking her beforehand.

It was skilled at evading her eye. Any normal person would assume it were a trick of the light, but she knew better. So this thing can turn invisible.

She had no idea why this creature had yet to attack. It honestly unnerved her. Her hands twitch, itching to unsheathe the katanas that are stowed on her back. It took all her self control to not grab her daggers every time they bumped against her hand. No! Now was not the time to attack. She had to draw the monster out further, away from a small group of survivors that she found. She takes a deep breath and continues forward for another half a mile before abruptly stopping.

It was a trap!

Just ahead, she could see a pale figure hunched behind some bushes. The path had became overgrown, it made it easy to hide and ambush people, but it also meant that you would be loud. The demon was impatient and shifting quite a bit. Sticks were cracking under it's feet.

3...

Nox unsheathes her katanas, hearing the sound of feet rushing behind her.

2...

Nox ducks and turns. Just barely evading a clawed hand that had extended out towards where she stood just moments ago.

1...

Nox rushes towards the demon and tucks her shoulder in. She barrels into the creature sending it crashing to the ground. She straightens up and releases a breath. Demons were quick, she wouldn't have time to think, only act. Sure enough, both demons were on their feet. Snarling and racing towards her. Demons were tricky. They were worse than zombies. You couldn't actually kill a demon unless you cut off their head. Attack anywhere else and you'll definitely harm them. But they could just simply return back to Hell and seek revenge the next day.

This means I can't show you mercy Nox thinks to herself while slicing at the nearest demon- the one who could turn invisible. It's head falls clean off. But now she was in trouble. An attack like that requires lots of strength and energy. Despite the adrenaline racing through her, she wasn't prepared for the second demon who lounged towards her, claws outstretched like a jaguar. She manages to side step and slice towards it's neck. She curses out loud when the demon grasps it's neck and stands up. She didn't cut deep enough. She leaps away, avoiding a furious swipe of claws. The demon glares at her, then disappears in a burst of flames. Nox remains rooted in her place, breathing hard. She removes her mask and sits down, rubbing her already aching shoulder. Where there were survivors, there were demons. That was to be expected. But two at once? That was a surprise. There seemed to be more demons running around than normal. How long would it be before humanity became overwhelmed? She sighs and stands up, not wanting to seriously consider this question for fear of the answer. Instead she focuses at the next task at hand. She would have to move the survivor's to the Resistance base. She had a long walk ahead of her...

---

A loud, echoing bark rang through the hollow walls of the city. The dog shook in fear, terrified of the purple-haired lady with the long, black, raggedy dress that now brushed the floor as its wearer walked on their knees. Death. That's all the dog could smell, the foul stench of death. No wonder it didn't like Mei one bit...

Mei cocked her head slightly in confusion as she approached, wondering why the dog wasn't begging for help or at least giving her a chance. Did she look weird? Did she smell bad? Fair, honestly, she hadn't taken a shower in ages, maybe that was it. Oh if only she knew how wrong she was, how twisted her perception of herself was... Or, maybe she already had, and simply chose to ignore it. Mei wasn't going to be weak like everyone else, she wasn't going to grovel at the hands of the rich and live her life in such a boring way. No, she was going to have fun. This mutt, on the other hand, was preventing her from doing just that. She had always wanted a dog, but they all hated her for some reason. This one was no different, even when she thought she had a chance, seeing how miserable it was. "Aww, come here! I'm not gonna hurt you, ya poor thing..." A frown made its way onto Mei's face, a genuine one at that.

The dog didn't budge. It only backed away even further, until it was almost choking itself.

"Hey hey hey, calm down little guy, let me help you!" Only now Mei was realizing how pathetic she was at this moment. She literally escaped Hell with the intent to cause chaos and misery, only to pity a lesser being who felt just that. Yup, she was dead for centuries and her first action was to pet a dog, how disgustingly... human of her.

As much as the hound struggled to escape her, she eventually caught up and was able to pet it. Well, her hand almost got bit off in the process, and her ears were ringing from how loud its barks were, but she still did it. Dammit... Why did this thing have to be so loud? If there was anyone chasing her, this dog would inevitably be her demise. Why did she still care?

I mean... why wouldn't she? It was a dog, a cute one at that! She would be committing a crime far greater than any she had ever done if she just left it, right?

After Mei had successfully pet the dog a few times, the barks began to halt and it no longer struggled. Fear still clouded its eyes, and the shaking was still as violent as ever, but it didn't seem to hate her anymore at least, only fear her. Well... It was something, right? "You're so cute, aren't you? Aww... Aren't you hungry? You poor thing, come on, let's get us both something to eat," Mei said with a hearty grin, unfastening the rope that bound her new friend to the tree. Almost immediately, it darted away into the city, but for some reason didn't try and hide. It was as if it wanted Mei to follow, and follow she did.

Walking through the city was almost... surreal, to be honest. All these strange objects lining the streets, architecture that was highly unfamiliar, and strange words she had never seen before. Sure, she was gone long enough for these things to happen, and she fully expected it really, but when her eyes met these things for the first time, it was as if a truck had hit her. Agh, forget about it, this was all unimportant anyways, she needed to follow that dog, wherever it went.

Whistles and small shouts later, she finally found her new friend standing in front of a convenience store, wagging its tail and lightly pawing the glass door. As soon as Mei came close though, its newfound happiness was washed away. This was starting to get annoying... How could she get the dog to not... be like whatever this was? Well, she had found a pretty decent store to raid, and that's what she should've had her focus on in the first place anyways.

Mei carefully entered the dim store, only lit up by a single, flickering light, and began her search. Dog food... Wait, what do dogs even eat? They liked... meat and stuff, right? She had a feeling that she had to be careful, who knows what humans have done to the hounds since she died... Well, the meat in the freezers still seemed to be good, surprisingly. By then, the dog had gone to the complete opposite end of the store as if it was trying to get away from her, until she started to rip the strange film off of the meat. Ugh... Why did it look so... weird? Was this even meat? Either way, the dog came running and instantly grabbed the meat, going at it like it was the first meal it had in years. Mei, on the other hand, decided it was best to get away from this section. There had to be some good food here somewhere, right?

After what felt like hours of rummaging through each shelf, giving a disgusted look at pretty much everything, she decided to just suck it up and get a bag of chips, those seemed to suffice. The first bite was certainly an experience, one that she wasn't sure she liked, but it was enough. Suddenly, all her hunger and lack of energy came upon her all at once, almost making her throw up the one potato chip that was in her stomach. She was starving.

Bite after bite, bag after bag, tastes that she couldn't even process, or even care to process really, her hunger was finally satisfied. She was so hungry but her stomach couldn't handle anymore of whatever junk she was giving it. Her friend, however, seemed perfectly satisfied. Not like Mei could see it through eyes that she had to force open, or the throbbing headache she had, but the soft fur rubbing against her arm was good enough.

Wait... What was she doing?! She couldn't stay here! She couldn't just fall asleep right now, that was way too risky. Through her exhaustion, Mei managed to stumble her way off the ground and grab one of the backpacks the store had, as well as a thick, black, long-sleeved shirt with some blue, jean-like shorts and threw them on. Ugh... That black cloth was annoying to deal with... Mei started to stuff a various amount of items she deemed necessary into the bag and then ran out of the store, as best as she could anyways. The thought of using the darkness of the towering buildings crossed her mind multiple times, more than she could count, but... No, she couldn't. She was way to exhausted... Stumble after stumble, bump after bump, wall after wall, she finally found a door to what seemed to be an apartment complex. This would be fine, for now at least...

The place was surprisingly clean, and looked really nice too. Guess she hit the jackpot, if only she was conscious enough to figure that out for herself. Right now though, she was more intent on finding the damn bed this place was supposed to have... When she finally did find it though, she fell onto it and immediately crashed, even when she tried to stop that very thing from occurring. The last thing she was able to process was the dog climbing onto the bed with her and falling as well, seemingly just as exhausted as her.

Mei only woke when a terrifying shift in the air sent chills down her spine, raising the hairs all over her body. Oh no...

That feeling could only mean one thing, and that was the one thing she didn't want to happen.

They really were after her, and death would come knocking at her door at any moment.

The scent was growing stronger. Aster was certain that he had found his target. When he approaches the destroyed city, salvia was practically dripping out Aster's mouth. Although his attention was no longer directed towards the escaped human, no, it was the thing that was with the human. It was a scent he was unable to recognize, but it was alive! Oh how wonderful living meat would taste. Aster couldn't wait to try it out!

He takes his time nearing the apartment complex. The smell of fear was the only thing stopping him from charging towards them like his instincts demanded. The knowledge that his target was afraid of him was delightful. He wouldn't want to waste this moment on something as trivial as hunger. He would have time to feast once he caught them anyway.

Aster extends a hand out, clawing the walls as he worked his way towards the pair. "Come out, come out wherever you are!" Aster sings while kicking a door open at random. It, of course, wasn't the room the two were currently hiding in. Aster simply wanted to toy with the two. He resumes his pursuit, clawing the walls and kicking open doors. "Hmph not this one" Aster growls while kicking at the door closest to their room. "Ah, ha! So you must be here!" Aster grins and approaches Mei's room. "Found you!" He growls. He knocks three times and cheerfully shouts out: "room service!"

---

The pounding and yells only got louder and louder, and so did the bark of the dog in her ears. Oddly enough, Mei's fear didn't increase with it. Her heart wasn't pounding, she couldn't hear her blood rushing, and her breathing wasn't unstable or anything.

Or whatever the humans said. Apparently, that's how they described fear. That's how the people in Hell described it, and that's how she perceived it. Well, too bad, it was dumb of her to get her hopes up anyways. Mei continued to listen for the doors being kicked down, the pounding that followed after, only getting closer and closer each second. All she did was lie on the softest bed known to man, staring at the ceiling, a slight grin pulling her mouth open.

Then the demon finally reached her, and even then she didn't really care. The dog on the other hand, did. It immediately rushed to the door and started barking, trying to scare the intruder away. Obviously that wouldn't work, but she had to applaud the bravery. Words began to call out to her, but she was almost too tired to answer. Almost. How could she pass up the opportunity to fight humor with humor? "Just 5 more minutes..." Mei groaned, turning over to her side so that she would be facing the door. She could work with this, and maybe even have some fun too. Her only concern was the dog, but it would be fine, right?

Well then, let the fun begin.

A loud chuckle sounds from the other side of the door. Aster leans against the wall, but keeps his body angled towards the door. "Five more minutes? Sure! I'm known to be the generous type anyway!" Aster shouts over the barking. "Why don't we make a deal? If I wait five minutes, then you'll kindly open the door and accept your fate! I think that's a fair trade. I don't want to break the door down, my leg hurts after kicking all of the other ones" Aster whines. He places a hand on the door, frowning at the barks. What animal was that?

It was on the tip of his tounge, and bothering him. A donkey? A cat? A sparrow? Ah, no, wait, that's right! A dog! "You even brought me a little treat. How nice" Aster is unable to hide the hunger in his voice. He licks his lips, and drags a hand down the door. "I wonder what part I'll eat first? The heart, the brain, the meat? Ahh, I don't know if I can decide!"

Aster was in no rush. In his mind, he was the apex predator. What would a lowly human and dog do against him? He had all the time in the world... Or at least, he had until he could no longer hold back on the urge to charge in and attack. He didn't even care that he was giving Mei plenty of time to plan, or maybe he was too foolish to realize it.

---

...Was this really her biggest threat? Some dude who just blabbered on and on and on and- Wait, he wanted to eat the dog? I mean sure, I guess...

Well, better use these 5 minutes wisely. Mei's depleted energy from her escape had now been somewhat restored, enough to put on an act, but she was slightly worried. That is, until this guy started talking like an absolute idiot. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

By now, Mei could've already been done with this fiasco if her target was actually human, but this guy was a demon. She had seen the less idiotic creatures and the immense power they held, and as much as she didn't want to, she had to assume this guy had that power as well. It would be annoying to deal with, even deadly if she didn't play her cards right, but Mei couldn't forget that she wasn't completely powerless. Besides, she had a dog, what could stop her?

Speaking of the dog... There was something she wanted to try out. While its absurdly loud barking covered her footsteps, Mei slowly got out of bed and walked over to the dog. Her room was completely dark, not even illuminated by the dim light in the hallway, so this was perfect. All she did was close her eyes, and she began to sink into the floor, engulfed by the darkness all around her. While her torso was still above ground, she attempted to grab the dog and take it with her, only for it to lead in various yelps and squeals as it struggled to break free from Mei's grasp. It didn't work, which wasn't a surprise, but maybe... In the blink of an eye, black tendrils rose from the floor and wrapped themselves around her friend like a snake, attempting to pull it into the ground. Again, it failed, but that somehow gave her more time to think about what she was doing. Why was she trying to run away? Yeah, she would probably die if she even attempted to interact with the demon, but she just couldn't resist! Besides, running was for cowards and she was in fact, not a coward.

Mei let the poor dog go and decided to open the nearby window in order to let it flee. She wasn't up high and she was pretty sure there was something to cushion the fall down there anyways. In its fear, that's exactly what the dog did, and no cries of pain were heard. That was a relief, she honestly didn't think that would happen. With that out of the way though, that gave her so much more leeway to do what she wanted. Mei began by sinking further into the floor to the point where she couldn't even be detected, and crawled under the door. The small amount of light that met her on the other side was enough to sting a little, but at least she wasn't traveling far. Quickly and quietly, her form started to rise from the ground behind Aster, again, completely undetected, and she finished by leaving ever so casually against the wall behind her. God this was so cliché, but at least she wouldn't be running away.

A disappointed look fills Aster's gaze when he realizes that the dog had ran away. The human must've ran with it. How rude of them to take advantage of my generous five minutes! Aster was about to break down the door and race after them until he caught the scent of the human behind him. Impossible!

Aster whirls around, he was unable to hide the surprised look in his eyes when he saw that the human was actually behind him. Again, he smiles in amusement. "A clever trick. I'm impressed!" He turns his head to the opposite side, looking far more serious now. "You seriously aren't running?" Aster asks out loud. "What a foolish mistake!" He leaps towards Mei, hands outstretched and ready to grab her. He would drag her back to Hell and generously present her to miss Persephone. Or he would kill her, but with the headache she was causing him he was leaning more towards kill.

---

Meanwhile, in another corner of the world...

Caerthynna Elysium was being hunted, of that she was certain. Word had spread its way through the resistance of an attack on a rebel base at a strategic point by a strange man. She had been there but the day before. Only Athena had been the one to see the attacker's face, but his skill was legendary. She feared more than ever that she knew who it was. He was dead, they all said that. But she knew in her gut the whispers were true.

He had survived: an impossibility. They must have lied.

He called himself Abyss now. It's the only way.

He wanted her dead. How could she trust them now?

The resistance had some explaining to do.

Why was he hunting her though? Did he blame her? She blamed herself now, too. Had he switched sides? Was he working for the demons? He hadn't killed anyone. Yet. Why did the resistance lie about him? How badly does he want revenge? He knew all their secrets. But luckily, he didn't know all of hers.

She walked over to the machine she had crafted three years earlier, and stared at its dull chrome plating. There had been a time where it was shiny and new, a time where she had given it all of her love and attention. There had been a time where she had been so consumed with its creation that she could barely do anything else. Then they came and told her she needed to let go, that they were worried about her. That she needed to let the past die. And she believed them. Until today.

On a whim, she grabbed her newest artificial neural processor (ANP). It was going to be for a basic drone bot, but she could create another one. She worked quickly and efficiently, swapping a few parts with ones from her private cache. Looking at her handiwork, she smiled. Her creation would have a new purpose now: to gather information. With only a little trepidation, she powered up her machine.

"HeLLo, CaErtHyNNa ELySiuM, HoW mAy i HeLP yoU?"

She finished initializing it, and coded in its algorithm. A pinch of magical tech later, and the girl and her machine were in perfect understanding. She hadn't bothered to polish it, so it still looked like any other junkyard clunker seen on the streets. Perfect. This ANP had the best identification software out of any that she had ever created. Who was she kidding, she no longer had competition. It was the best software in the world.

She had a plan; hopefully it would work. And maybe she would survive the hit on her, maybe she would survive the wrath of Abyss. Doubtful. It was with grim determination that she sent her N-30 rover off for the first time.

N - 3 0.

Neo.

---

Abyss was searching.

He followed the trails made by the turning of a machine's wheels.

Catheryyna had always been a tough one, even for him, a master hunter.

Bitter, resentful thoughts ran through his head. Cath had been the one he trusted the most. More than Athena, even, because Cath was fully capable of everything she set her mind to, while Athena was only 12.

Just like Athena, she had let him down.

Abyss knew of her capabilities.

Why didn't she send the drones?

Why didn't she send a single machine?

Since when did she listen to everyone else?

he had wandered in a massive frozen wasteland for a year because of his blind faith in his family.

That was moronic of him.

He had truly hoped that his family would at least try.

He had truly hoped they were searching for him.

He had persevered in that ravine for months, waiting for his leg's crushed bones to heal.

Scheming and planning his way out without anything except his clothes and a pocket knife.

he couldn't even eat. There was nothing down there.

yet he held on, hoping that his family would sacrifice just a little bit for him, who had sacrificed so much for them.

he had given so much.

They had taken so much, with nothing in return.

He had sacrificed his time.

His affection.

he had gotten them out of so many bad situations.

He cared for them when no one else would.

He had the battle scars that came from protecting them.

Before everything,

Before they tossed him away like a childhood toy,

he had been proud of his scars.

They were a sign he truly loved his family.

It was a reminder that he would never let them come to harm.

Now, it was a constant reminder of a family that had let him die and rot in a ravine.

The scars reminded him of the many things he, cath and Athena had been through together.

It just made his heart ache more.

he was so... disappointed.

Cath had let him down the most.

She was the smartest.

She could have seen through the lies.

Neo had cared for both Cath and Athena, and had always been there when they needed.

Every time they were in trouble.

Every time they needed someone to help.

Neo had been there.

In return, they left him to die when he needed them the most.

Neo, the big sentimental sap, held Abyss back from making all of them suffer.

Out of all of them, Abyss wanted to torture Cath the most.

She could have-

She should have-

He walked for days on end.

He did not stop to eat.

He did not stop to drink.

He did not stop to sleep.

He did not need rest.

His sole purpose was to find her.

Eventually, he came across signs of life.

Finally.

He had arrived.

"Cath, Cath, Cath. What did I tell you about leaving too many trails..."

"Now, since I'm here, I might as well drop by."

---

The perimeter alarm had gone off. Someone was closing in on her location. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt a stab of fear, but it immediately faded. She checked her readings, once, twice, a third time. Too late to turn back now. She carefully calculated all possibilities of error, ending with a result of less than 0.001%. N-30 had given her a positive recognition. She smiled, a truly terrifying sight to behold. Her plan had worked.

She sat down, facing her desk, her death? and watched the intruder's progress on the monitors. She wondered if he knew she was watching him. After all, he knew how she thought better than anyone else. Once upon a time, he knew her better than she did. She waited.

N-30 was back in her lab now, and silently took its place by her side. Wordlessly, she inserted the new programming chip into it. She breathed deeply, keeping her heart rate low. Absentmindedly, her fingers traced the scar on her face; the only sign of her worry for what came next.

She had been... busy... since the rumors had reached her ears. Never had she imagined that her clandestine inquiries would raise so many red flags. She couldn't think about what she had found for too long, or else she would be overcome by her rage. There will be time for that later. And so her quiet fury simmered just beneath the surface. She hoped that her work in three days could make up for three years. It never could.

Caerthynna Elysium was broken. In forty-eight hours, everything she believed in was shattered. Ever since they came, she had never been able to trust people like others had. But allowances had been made; without some trust in her comrades friends? and the Resistance, no one could succeed. But even that had been a mistake. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Not good enough, not strong enough, not smart enough.

After all that she had learned and everyone she'd lost...

...the Professor of the Ruins wasn't quite afraid...




But that didn't mean that she still wasn't prepared to live.

A cheeky grin was Mei's reply to those eyes that fell upon her. She couldn't deny that she was surprised as well, but the fact that this guy was shocked at her sudden approach thrilled her. Her 'shadow jumping' costed her a large amount of energy, more than she wanted to give, but she'd do pretty much anything to obtain momentary enjoyment. It was annoyin, however, that her body would just give up this fast. At her peak, she could've clouded an entire town in darkness, traveled miles without a sweat, but Hell just... ruined her. That, or the pain of getting older was catching up to her.

"You seriously aren't running?"

Well... no? Why would she? Yeah, it was the smartest move, but Mei hated smart moves. "Nah, running is for cowards, and why would I be in Hell if I was a coward?" She snickered, watching as Aster lunged out to grab her. Did he really not understand what she could do? Did he think she planned that whole situation in advance? She sighed and slightly shook her head, sinking into the wall behind her. It hurt a little bit, made her light-headed too due to how taxing it was, but she could still do it. She wasn't physically showing signs of fatigue yet anyways. Mei laughed from the strange realm she had plunged herself into, making the sound echo in the hallway Aster was in, watching as he almost faceplanted into the wall. After waiting a few seconds, at just the right time, she moved to the floor and reached up to grab the demon's feet, attempting to pull him down, or at least make him stumble. She couldn't exactly do much, since it was hard to move anything heavy in this position, but she'd figure out a way to make this work.

She had finally returned to the camp. Everything and everyone seemed to be where she had last left it. The food she left behind layed untouched and the couple she found were still huddled together, their eyes wide with terror. The fire she had set up was starting to extinguish. She silently throws in a few sticks and carefully watches the pair. They somehow looked more terrified compared to when she first found them. Did something happen during her absence?

Her eyes widen when she catches the sight of blood on the man's cheek. When she first arrived, she had noticed that he had a fresh wound. The two claimed that they were attacked by a demon, and it had feasted on his face. Somehow, they managed to stop the bleeding, but it was still badly infected. She notices blood on his fingertips and frowns. He had been scratching it?

The three would already be walking targets to demons, but his blood would lure them in like sharks. She moves towards him and he visibly flinches. He tries to smack away her hand but she was faster. She uses a free hand to grab his hand and uses the other to grab his uninjured cheek. She forcefully turns his face and inspects the wound.

It was bad. She could re-close the wound. But they would have to start moving to the closest Resistance base. The poor man already looked weak, she wasn't sure if he was at the point where he was past saving. The two were obviously traumatized and gave little resistance when she grabbed a small first aid kit from her pocket and began closing the wound. She had very limited supplies and preferred to save her stiches for emergencies only. She knows better. She should save these stiches for herself. Then again, she hunted demons for a living, so doing the smart thing wasn't exactly her strength. When she was done, she offers both a hand. They hesitate, but accept her hand and allow her to help them up.

"Nightfall will be upon us soon" Nox informs. Her voice sounded raspy. She didn't talk to people often so that was to be expected. "We should get moving now. We have a few hours of walking ahead of us. Pack lightly, this is going to be a long journey."

She eyes the man's wound again and presses a hand to her chest where she has her own scar. She lowers her head slightly, feeling caught up in all the emotions tied with it. Pain, agony, loss, rage. There would be a time to properly unpack it one day. For now, she would continue fighting. "Let's go" she snaps and begins leading the way.
...
Mei's move had done as intended. While he had gotten lucky the first time and avoided crashing into the wall, Mei's unexpected move caused him to lose his balance. He painfully hits the wall, but catches himself before he could slide down and crash to the floor. Thank you fate, that would've been embarrassing.

A furious and animal-like roar bursts out of Aster when he hears Mei's mocking laughter. Okay, now he was angry. There would be no 'bring Mei back alive.' His mind was made up, he was going to kill her. He slams a fist into the ground. Blood splatters onto the wooden floor as Aster tries to dig Mei out of the ground, thinking that, that was where she was. "Come out and fight!" He challenges. He punches the floor again, his arm nearly snapping in the process- his knuckles on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Fortunately, his bones would mend rather quickly. Blood and splinters coat his arm, yet he was still unable to locate Mei.

---

Abyss was on the hunt.

He prowled through the halls, searching every door with methodical efficiency.

He knew she was watching his every move.

He knew her better than anyone else in the world, after all.

The memories surfaced as he walked.

Laughter.

Sleepless nights he spent working with her.

The times Athena would force her to stop working so the three could have some fun.

How he had promised always to be there for them, just as long as they were there when he needed them.

The last memory left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He recalled the sleepless, freezing nights he spent.

He recalled the pain of having your bones crushed by a fall of 45 feet.

He recalled the heartbreak that came from the revalation that...

His family.

The two people he thought of as family.

The two people he trusted the most.

Had believed the lies.

Had believed them and hadn't sent a single person or machine to even look for him.

Even if he were dead, shouldn't they have tried to look for the corpse so he could have a proper funeral?

The fact that his family cared so little for him made him want to lie down and die.

But, he wanted revenge first.

And Cath?

She had made him suffer the most.

The greatest inventor in the entire world didn't even send a sjngle machine out.

Abyss made it through almost every room.

Of course, until he reached the lab.

He knocked on the door.

"Oh, is this where you've been hiding? I mean, you always have stuck yourself in your work."

He knocked once more.

"Come on out~ "

With a last knock on the door, he kicked it open.

"Don't you wanna see how your best friend's been?"

He walked into the room, brandishing his daggers.

"Don't you wanna know how much I've suffered because of you?"


"Don't you want to know how much I missed you?"

---

She fought back the wave of nausea that came from hearing his voice. Memories like scars and needles. She turned and faced him, with a swish of her lab coat that would have made her old Professor proud.

"Hello Neo. Or is it Abyss now?" Her voice was even, but she still set a steadying hand on N-30. That rover could have stopped it all before it began.

"Would you like excuses, explanations, or reason? I can provide all three if you'd like, but you know my specialty has always been reason." A grim smile. "You're here to kill me of course. Is it for revenge? Or have you been contracted?"

She stared into his eyes. Not quite soulless, but close. It was her fault. "If you put away the sword for a minute, we can have a civil discussion. See? I've even brewed tea. And it's not poisoned or anything. But I guarantee that I have enough... information of interest to you that I'm worth more alive. For the moment. If you want to... kill me... later, we can discuss that too."

She had missed him too.

---

"Don't call me Neo. You've lost that chance already. For you, it's Abyss.

"The world's greatest inventor, huh?"

"... go ahead. Give your reasons. Give your excuses."

Abyss sheathed his daggers. His tone was light and joking, but his gaze was ice cold.

"Say what you need to say. I'll listen."

---

"Well then, Abyss, I made an executive decision when I joined the resistance to trust them. I relinquished some control and skepticism for what was hopefully to be a profitable relationship. You know from experience as well as I do that you need to trust people to have your back in a fight. So I trusted the resistance implicitly, taking for granted that we were united in our common goal. My first mistake."

Stupid idiot, not smart enough, not good enough...

"When you... disappeared, I... I didn't give up. Not at first. I began to build. I sent a fly-by drone over the coordinates they gave me, and found absolutely nothing. I was confused. So I began to create something else. A heat-seeking rover that could survive sub-zero temperatures. The resistance declared the area you disappeared a danger-zone, forbidding any operatives from entering due to the climate's volatility, but they cautiously approved my design. I became... obsessed. I barely slept for three months. It took me so long. Between the long range capabilities I needed to rig, the materials that I needed to gather, and the fact that things just seemed to go missing... I thought that I was losing it. The resistance thought so too. One day, they visited my lab, and told me to let it go. To accept that you were dead. To realize that you were one individual, and there were so many more that needed our help. I had let orders slip, I was so far behind, drowning in work. I held out for a little longer, refusing to build."

Gave up logic, gave up loyalty, worthless, stupid idiot...

"But then there was another battle. Because there's always another battle. Athena was among the wounded, she almost died. My tech could have saved them, turned the tides in the battle. I felt... so guilty. So I put the rover aside. I only devoted a few hours a day to it, but I was still behind. The resistance values efficiency, because efficiency saves lives. As long as I had hope, I was inefficient. So they sent the one person that I could never question to talk 'sense' into me: Athena. We spoke for hours. By the end of the day, I had given up on the rover. It was four months after your disappearance."

So blind, so ignorant, so stupid...

"I could never forget. Neither of us could. We missed you, so much." She took a deep breath. "i know you don't want to hear it, but I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." She held tight to her plan, a crumpled flicker of hope, and hoped she would live long enough to explain the rest.

---