Creak
Mary suddenly heard a creak and saw cracks forming on the spikes, she immediately pointed her wands again.
But it was too late, the Giant screamed again, letting out its last bit of strength, it's tenacity grew, breaking free from its binding, and hastened its approach towards Mary faster than before.
The Giant with its fist raised high in the sky, Mary stood frozen due to fear, her eyes locked at its figure.
BOOM
With a powerful crashing punch aimed at Mary, the landscape trembled and changed once again.
However, due to a bit of luck, she wasn't crushed completely and was instead thrown away due to the shockwave produced from the sound where near her position, the monster aimed its strike at.
But Mary wasn't left uninjured, as she got her body flung with such force, her body crashed toward's the mountain side, crashing trees along the way.
"GAH!" her body ached in pain, she vomited in the process, injuries and wounds all over her body.
"Oh no, the princess- the princess!!!" The reporter exclaimed in fear and shocked.
Henry's eyes widened in pure pressure and anxiety, so unlike him, sweat keep sliding down his face, he suddenly unknowingly, instinctively made a dash outside, with considerable speed, faster than the average human due to his Conqueror physiology, but not as fast as Mary, he made an escape from his company building and tried to run as fast as he can towards the direction of the commotion, his coworkers and manager unable to catch up or even have their voice reach his ears.
On the street, where heavy traffic occupied the roads, enforcers trying their best at current situation, a young man in a white shirt can be seen running faster than most with a heavy and scared expression on his face.
(No, pls, don't do this to me, don't let her die, take my life instead, I can't bear to see this, pls, don't!) Desperate pleas and cries overtook Henry's mind as he continued to run.
(Mary did nothing wrong, she deserve to live more than me!) Covering large distances by the minute, memories flooded in Henry's mind.
It was a time when he and a red haired woman can be seen together, from childhood to highschool to the present day, tears escape the side of Henry's eyes.
(She was my first love, my childhood friend, we both grew up very close together, we we're almost inseparable back then, but as we grew up, I made a terrible mistake, we grew cold to each other, and the proximity we shared and cherished, due to my mistake, the distance between us grew wider, but still, it's pathetic of me to think like this, but I still love her!)
The sky grew darker by the minute, as if accomodating the current feelings of Henry.
(So pathetic, so pathetic, I'm a loser, I'm a pathetic fucking loser!) Henry's face distorted ugly in shame.
His feelings of long lost desperate love that he should've buried a long time ago due to his unfortunate situations and circumstances growing up came rising back again with Mary's life seemingly in danger.
—
Mary sat herself with her back against the wall, straight looking at the monster with her hazy eyes, her body battered and bruised from the previous attack, she eyes losing hope and life.
(Henry... Where are you? Please, save me...)
As death approaches by the second, the last thing she thought of are the memories and image of the man she once love, with that, she's ready to close her eyes and take her permanent rest, when all of a sudden.
Light twinkling across the sky, a pillar of light suddenly emerges from it and engulfed the monster.
"GUOOHHH!!!" Screams escape from its mouth as pain took over its whole body, the monster's skin was peeling off.
A figure suddenly descended from the sky.
With one swift downward slice aimed from head to tentacles of the monster.
The Giant was then immediately split in half with the pillar of light engulfing it and evaporating all of its existence.
With the gush of wind, the smokes cleared, Mary eyes opened hoping for the figure that saved her to be the man she's been dreaming of.
(Henry...?) With light pleas from her mind, Mary's facial expression slowly distorted, as the man who she wished to saved her wasnt the one who appeared in front of her.
It was a blond haired man with a very noticeable large frame, a white outfit, carrying an beautiful design golden sword in hand, the person offered a hand at the fallen and injured maiden with a smile on his face.
—
"Huff... Huff..." Henry finally arrived at the place, but the battle was already over, and the monster was nowhere to be seen.
(Mary-?) Henry's facial expression suddenly distorted thinking of the worst outcome, but he noticed a large amount of people by the side of his view, and saw reporters surrounding some people.
Amongst them, he heaved a sigh of relief after finding that Mary was amongst those being interviewed.
(Mary...) Smiling, seeing that his former lover is still alive, the smile on his vanished bit by bit.
"Yes, thanks to Mary, my partner coming in firsthand and engaging the monster, I managed to arrived just on time to kill it, although, it pains me to see her reckless, as her fiancee, I am proud and very happy for her!"
The Blonde Haired Man who's taking the bulk of reporter's attention, proudly boasted their appearance and achievements.
Mary right beside him, with a hand on her arm, looking down, suddenly noticed the figure of a man drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
Her face turned into a mixed of shocked, and surprised.
A familiar face that she's so desperately wanted to see since earlier, but now that it's here.
The reporters noticed her gaze, and traced it, they saw the same young man drenched in sweat, and white shirt dirty.
The Blonde Haired Young Man in a white outfit, also took noticed of Henry's presence, he smirked upon landing his gaze.
"Red Haired Princess, do you perhaps know that man?"
"Why is your eyes locked upon him, you usually don't cast your gaze on anybody unless they're important."
She raised her delicate but bandaged arm from all the bruises in front of the reporters, then took the arm of the Blonde Haired Man beside her, smiled for the camera and said.
"He's a nobody."
Hearing those words, Henry's heart felt like being stabbed, insteading of feeling anger and frustration, his feelings and mind came crashing down.
Reminding him of the clear distance display by their status and relationship.
A revered person throughout society that reporters fight over just to get a few words, and a nobody seemingly just passing by, not worth an ounce of attention.
—
Back in the office, coming in so dirty and so messed up, Henry was heavily scolded by the manager inside his office for suddenly leaving, his words was very harsh and full of insults, but Henry didn't seem to hear any of it.
Henry walk back to his cubicle with a pained and heavy expression, his eyes on the ground, his coworkers still making fun of him, some minutes passed by, Henry then continued on with his work as there was nothing he could do but work.
—
Night struck, stars and the moon dominated the clear sky.
Henry was walking through the city square, the place is brightly lit up, people on the streets happily going by, if one glanced up, the source of light was coming mostly from the screen on the sides of the buildings, there's a lot of them, hosting commercials and advertisment, and they're mostly dominated by showing Conquerors flaunting their powers and abilities.
But specially, some people are particularly focused on the image of Mary and her Blond Haired Fiancee.
The image of a powerful imposing red haired woman and a beautiful partner by her side, working together, as a couple, the image of a perfect pair accompanied by juicy headlines,
People would be jealous and dream of such a thing, tis a common fantasy.
Henry is feeling extremely depressed and down that his head has been looking down ever since he got back to the office, clocked out, and still his neck is down at this moment.
(He's a nobody.)
Hearing those words from his childhood sweetheart crushed his already depressing and broken heart.
(I shouldn't have come there in the first place, I have no place or right to be even near her.)
Amidst the loud vehicles passing by, chattering of the people, the office worker named Henry was the only one silent in the entirety of the square.
Taking the train back home, surrounded by other tired office workers no different from him.
Walking down the silent neighborhood, where normals houses are established around, and the tall buildings stood across the distance, Henry opened the door to a small house.
"I'm home, mom..." Coming back, and walking to the living room to announce his presence, trying his hardest to even greet his parent.
Henry's mother warmly greeted him back from her seat on the dining table.
"Welcome back, son."
"Henry, come and eat here with us, you were a little late, but the food is still hot."
His father with a smile on his face, also did the same, but Henry.
"I'm sorry, mom, dad, but I'm gonna take a shower, and go to sleep, I'm too tired."
His aged mother and father look at him from the dining table with a pained and worrying expression.
"Even just the soup, pls Henry, eat, you're getting even skinnier, we can't have you being sick."
"Okay... Mom, just bring it to my room later after I took my shower." Henry's voice was slow and weak, but his Mother nodded anyway.
Silently basking himself in the shower, drowing himself over the incident earlier by the day, Henry screamed to let out his frustration in the shower.
"AAAAHHHHHH...!"
His parents unable to do anything, just watch quietly from the side line as they listened to his scream.
Finishing his shower, dressing up, and eating his soup inside his own room which his Mother brought.
(I'm so stupid, why did I even bother, it would've been better if I just disappeared right now, right? Mary would be much happier with me gone! Why am I still alive, why am I still holding on for her to forgive me, I'm a huge fucking scum, a loser, a cheater, there's no second chance for me!)
Crash
With such dark disturbing thoughts rising, and swelling over his mind, he suddenly stood up from the bed he's sititng on, with the bowl of soup on his lap, it crashed down.
Henry then search through his closet, his eyes laid upon the sight of cross guarded sword, incased in a scabbard.
Sheath
Taking out the sword from the scabbard, and immediately putting it against his neck, ready to slice himself, with the purpose of ending his life he calls pathetic.
(With this, Mary would be finally free from her burdens!)
At such a critical moment, and a completely made up mind, Henry tried to push the blade towards his open neck.
But, his hands stopped as they laid upon a picture frame by the desk, a potrait of his young self with his parents, happily smiling together, his hands trembled from fear, cowardice emerged within him, for he even after making up his mind, faltered and failed to deliver.
(Coward! I'm such a Coward!) Welling up over himself, tears escape his eyes, sliding down his cheeks nonstop.
He cried non-stop, over and over again, guilt and pain took over him.
His parents outside, worried for their son, unable to open the door for fear of retaliation and the possibility of making him even sadder and pathetic.
Time passed, the exhaustion and tiredness finally took over Henry's body and mind, eventually falling asleep on the floor with tears streaming down his face.
—
Back at the heart of the city, where large buildings stood tall, at the top of the most glamorous one that's even more eye-catching than any other, Mary with her beautiful red hair allows it to flow along with the wind, bask herself in serenity, finding peace and clearing her mind.
The wounds and injuries she sustained earlier have been treated, allowing her skin tone be beautiful and smooth once again.
"You've been worried since earlier, something on your mind?"
Mary who stood near the edge of the balcony, wearing a beautiful red night gown, overlooking the beautiful city skyline and citylights, turned around to see another woman of extreme beauty, close to her age, with purple hair in her wake, sitting by the pool, also in a nightgown, with a book in hand.
"It's nothing."
"Ooh... Don't think I didn't notice, it was that passer by, right?!"
Purple head teased the Red head with her words, Mary's shakes a bit upon the mention of the passer by.
"He's a nobody, just a memory of the past, I suggest you stop talking about him in front of me."
"Hmmm..." Despite her protest, purple head smirked akin to a child finding a new toy to play with.
The balcony's door suddenly opened, Mary and Purple Head casted their attention towards the door, and a handsome Blond Haired young man accompanied by other beautiful ladies barges in, a man enjoying the luxury of being with multiple woman, the image of a playboy.
"Ladies, ladies, one at a time, hahaha. Oh, Mary, Sofia, you're already here, great timing, let's just get on with it, what do you say?!"
"Gosh, control yourself, we have a meeting tomorrow early morning." Purple Head said.
"But, whatever, Im a bit pent up anyway, and I need this." Throwing the book by the side, she looks back at Mary hinting at her to make a decision.
Mary hesitated.