Here you will face yourself
The steel shackled around his arm were weighted and heavy. They squeezed and crushed down on his wrist like a boulder.
They escorted him through a corridor. The walls had been made of hardwood, the entire place was eerie, the lights were nearly completely useless and only ever flickered.
The corridor that never ends. Many rooms were boarded off and covered in yellow tape, it looked identical to the cabin he was captured in. This is when it hit him. He never left the murder house.
The Jester [Ahh i take it you realised the true location in which you are. How exciting]
The jester lets off a vile gentle laugh while covering his mouth with his palms.
It felt like he had been walking for hours. The same scenery kept appearing as if he was in a loop.Until eventually it changed when the entire place was engulfed in darkness. All that remained was a shining red door with an illuminating light pointing to it.
The bunny [open your mind to repent and ye will be fine. The light is shining bright in ye]
The leader slowly opened the red door and the light almost blinded ??? so much he had to shield his eyes he couldn't see anything but light but felt a shove on his back. A slamming behind him. Once he finally was able to grasp his vision he found himself in a new area.
He shot his gaze around the room. He was in a place that could only be described as some arena. It was a big circular plate made from bronze metal. The only thing holding it up was metal chains that came from below. All that was underneath was an endless void.
The leader [tell me your name boy]
He was too distracted looking into the blank abyss; it was then the fear shot up through his body. There was no escape, how could he escape from an isolated area? The only salvation is the void. Who knew what was down there
The Jester [what are you deaf answer the damn question]
??? shot back to his senses and looked towards the Leader. He lowered his head for a second and let out a pitiful sigh.
??? [i dont have a name]
The Jester lets out a hysterical laugh
The Jester [You don't have a name that's the funniest shit I've heard all year. So your just a nameless sinner]
??? [Thats right]
The Jester places his palm on his forehead and turns away to the side. He then pulls out his sharp knife and shoots his body back towards facing ??? only the top half of his face is covered by his mask. He drew a smile so wide it was almost bursting off his face. But he had no tongue, just a deep void like the pit before him.
The Jester [i say we cut out his guts and let them spill down the side. I've already judged him a pitiful pussy]
He raises the knife upwards toward ??? and walks in front of him. He continues to walk, forcing him to step back to protect himself. Until he was at the edge his legs were about to give out shaking and sweating.
The Jester [all it would take it one tiny push]
He had seen up close then there was no soul in that face. The smile, the bottomless bit he called a mouth, was evil incarnate. He tried so hard to keep calm but he had been caught in the crossfires of evil itself. He could fight back but there was no way he could even leave a scratch on him like before. He had become the pray
The bunny stepped forward and grabbed the jester by the collar and pulled him back.
The Bunny [would ye stop the ceremony aint even began yet]
The jester brushes him off and signals a knife towards ???
The Jester [i have my eyes on you]
The leader slams a sharp pointed staff into the metal floor. It sends shockwaves across the entire area. down the void. But the Bunny caught him just in time.
The Bunny [ye light aint been snuffed yet it still shines bright in you]
??? [thanks]
The Leader [i will ask you again what is your name]
??? [i have none]
The Leader [very well then]
He plucks his staff from the ground back into his hands. He turns to the centre of the room and announces himself.
The Leader [Welcome to the ceremony today, we have a nameless sinner who must receive judgement]
He turns himself in and points the staff at ???
The Leader [he has committed many sins such as. Painting himself a false prophet leading others to rise. Just to abandon them and kill them to save himself. A great deed of sloth and deception. Now its time for his judgement]
He throws the staff onto the floor next to ???.
He looks at the staff in utter shock.
He is giving me a weapon? Why would he
But he didn't have time to question it. He lifted his legs and sprinted towards the staff and held it in his hands. Aiming it up and in a defensive position he raised it.
All of the syndicate followed him over to the corner. The leader placed his hands on the floor and slammed his fist into the ground.
A thick dark mist begins to cover the entire arena. He could not even spot the leader through the fog. It was so cold he began to shiver. But he didn't let his guard down for even a second. He could hear twisting and turning limbs, breaking screams of agony. It reminded him of back then. The bodies he left in his wake screamed out they begged for him to save them but he was the only one who killed them. He was the reason their fingers were torn, their limbs were smashed and broken beyond repair. Why whenever they tried to breath it was blocked by their own blood. Clawing towards him scraping to escape blood overflowing.
"Save us"
"Help us"
Your promised us
"It's all your fault"
"You did this"
"We died because of you"
"It should have been you"
His head began throbbing but not from physical pain. Once again the voices scratched through his brain like razor claws. They became so loud he couldn't even make out what his thoughts were anymore.
Like a child avoiding the blame he repeated to himself,
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
ITS NOT MY FAULT
The staff slipped out of his hands and he planted himself on the floor. To shut out the voices he covered both of his ears and continued repeating to himself.
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
It's not my fault
The fog began to clear and the picture was as clear as day what he saw. Lifeless corpses missing limbs and cuts covered their entire body. Many were missing legs using only their arms to crawl forward shards of glass stuck between every gap of their body. Even piercing through their eyes. This was his punishment.
He couldn't do anything he thought maybe it was fitting to die to them. His victims, his sin, the punishment was just. But at the same time he didn't want to die, he wanted to live, he wanted to continue on. Become perfect, detach all this useless grieving and become ideal. Defeat the angel, the one who had caused this. But he was a coward he couldn't move; he was frozen, reassuring himself that the paper angel did this and not him. But he knew well his cowardness caused all this pain.
ITS NOT MY FAULT
He couldn't feel his fingers. He wanted to raise the staff and strike them down but everything was stiff. He tried to push his bones to its limit stretching out his muscles and reaching for the staff but they always froze up. But that's when he heard a familiar voice
? [i will protect you after all its my job]
He looked up as if it was the hero, the one who had saved him against the doll. The one who swore to protect him whenever he needed his saving grace his hopelessness vanished and he was left with a new sense of hope. He reached out his hand to touch the hero. But his hand went right through him. The hero was not there.
He had only hoped the hero would show and protect him; he was too scared to fight himself. He had never fought his own battles; he had always been the hero. By himself he was worthless which is why he needed a hero in the first place to fight those he could not himself.But him being there was just a pathetic dream he had. He ran away from the hero which is what led to the confrontation with himself who sent him here. If he stuck with him then he would never have to face this. But he remembered what the others said to him.
"Go find your courage"
He finally realised what the true purpose of his visit was. It was to find his courage. If he had stayed with the hero he would never change, never evolve, he could never become perfect if all he did was rely on his protection. He had to build his own. This was all necessary for him.
I will show you my courage.
He held the staff firm in his hands. The deceased all continued towards him. He placed the staff into the ground and used it to lift himself up. He stood upright and faced them without fear.
??? [It's all my fault, but I owe you all. To become who I made you believe in. I will become the true prophet]
He pulled the staff from the ground and raised it on the offense. He charged in towards them and struck the staff down on the head of the first. It faded to dust. The next who was covered completely in glass shards raised its hand to strike. But he jammed the staff through it, reducing it to dust. Each one he stuck down he remembered vividly from that night but he struck them all down one by one. His guilt had not been erased every time he turned one to dust the images of them cursed through his mind. But he made a promise he would become the hero and their deaths will not be for nothing.
He swung the staff around more until there was nobody left but him. He stood tall as the fog disappeared and he stared down the syndicate with fire in his eyes.
The Bunny [theres that light i saw in ye]
??? did not respond triumphant but full of rage his fight was not over until he struck them down. He walked forward as the fog was still clearing still with the staff in his hands. With a new set of determination.
??? [Your next]
The jester and bunny looked with utmost shock; they did not expect him to come for blood. But the leader remained calm and calculated.
The Leader [your next sin was thinking you could decide if you atoned for yourself]
He gives a nod to The Jester and the jester lets out that same smile and grips his knife.
He sprinted towards ??? knife in hand and slashed out at his throat. He raised the staff upwards and deflected the blow sending the jester back slightly. He shoves his knife down his throat as if he was going to lick it but he still had no tongue.
The Jester [Oh you do have some fight in you. I've been waiting since I first laid eyes on you for this, I have to admit I'm impressed. Nameless sinner.]
The jester charges towards him once again this time the knife pointed at his chest. He jolts it forward but just before it pierces him ??? raises it upwards sending the jester flying upwards
??? [Your the one who sinned]
The Jester spit out blood in the air. The blow was so strong it even sent one of his tooths flying in the air. While airborne he grabs his knife swiftly which had been knocked out of his hand and soared down towards ???
He gets ready to shield himself but just as he does the jester drops his knife down into his other hand and slices across ??? forehead, leaving a tiny cut across it luckily for ??? it only grazed him, not cutting deep enough to do any serious damage.
The Jester [now please do not underestimate me]
As the battle rages on the Leader and the bunny are still watching from afar.The Leader watches carefully observing every movement each of them makes. While the bunny watches with disgust. He ponders on it for a minute before speaking out.
The Bunny [this is ridiculous he has been judged and he atoned. The light in his eyes he passed the judgement why are you letting this rage on]
The Leader [you always were incompetent he has not atoned not yet. We still have much more to do]
Back on the battlefield The jester launches his leg into a spinning kick. Knocking the staff into the air and catching it with his own hands. Instead of using it as a weapon he tosses it into the void.
damn it that clown dismantled my staff. Little does he know thats not the only one i got
The Jester left no room for thinking, he stabbed his knife swiftly into ??? stomach He shot blood out of his mouth right into the empty one of the Jester he gargalled on it like an energy drink. ??? Quickly reacted by smashing his fist into the side of the jester's head with all his might it made him stumble back. But unexpectedly this felt all too familiar to him.
Suddenly it brought him back to an old fight he had. He was smack center in the middle of the woods. A spot known as the rumble ground back in his childhood it was always a spot people fought to settle their disagreements. He was fighting this kid and he did not remember why or how he ended up there. But he threw a punch just like the one he did. The kid whipped out a knife and stabbed him in the shoulder. He tried to brush it off as best as he could. In the current fight against the jester the exact same thing had happened; he had been stabbed in the shoulder. Something about this fight was so similar to the current one. Even the boy's smile was just like the jesters vile and cruel as if evil itself had been smiling back at him.
But he had no time to dwell on the past. He pulled out the knife he stole from the bunny from his pocket.
The Jester charged him right onto the floor. When did this happen ??? slammed his head briefly upon the metal ground.
The Jester [I wasent quite satisfied with your earlier answer so why dont you tell me who the fuck are you]
His words gave him such deja vu he had heard those exact same words from the boy from back then. His response back then was faded; he couldn't remember the name he gave. So he came up with his own response.
??? [i am The Prophet]
The prophet spiked his knife right into the jester's left eye. A volcano of blood erupted out of his eye flowing everywhere The jester stood up and covered his eye up with his hand. He screamed out in agony while he attempted to ease the bleeding with his hand but all he did was paint his hand red.
He collapsed onto the floor and the blood began spraying around. Painting the floor red, the knife had still been inside his eye. His screams only got louder.
Once again it brought the prophet back to that night he had also taken the boy's eye when he swung at him. Much like how The Jester was rolling around in pain, so was the boy. However where these scenarios broke away was when another boy ran out to the prophet, and questioned him.
The other boy [?????? What did you do to him? Why did you do it]
Any mention of the prophets true name was erased from his brain
The Prophet [He came at me with a knife so i gave him punishment]
The Other boy [go easy on dante he has had it rough]
Back in present the prophet walks over to The Jester who is still rolling over in pain. He turns him over and plucks the knife from his eye which leaves more blood and pain.
The Prophet [you fought well dante]
The Jester still covering his eye withdrew his screams for a second and rose up on his feet.
The Jester [so you remember my name, yet you have no recollection of your own]
The prophet gives him a tiny nod. The jester collapses to the ground and falls into slumber.
The leader walks forward
The Leader [dont worry he will survive, but there's one more thing left for you]
The middle of the floor opens up and a figure rises from beneath it is chained up on a small slab. It's a boy around the same age as the prophet the boy turns around and the prohet recognises him in an instant.
Its kekkan
No kekkan die i killed him. I shoved him aside and fed him to the angel how is he still here
Kekkan [you dont understand yet do you, false prophet]
The prophets knees give out and he flops down to his knees. And places his hands on the ground. Weeping in sorrow
Kekkan [me and you we are the same person]
Tears overflow on the floor almost creating a puddle.
Kekkan breaks off his chain and hunkers down next to the prophet, and places his hand behind his ears,
Kekkan [so that would mean your true name is kekkan]
The prophet [No your not me]
Kekkan [why do you refuse me. Why do you deny my name? Who you truly are]
The prophet [its because i hate you]
Kekkan plasters a smile across his face
Kekkan [finally your telling the yourself the truth]
The Prophet [kekkan is everything weak about me. What a pathetic pitiful existence that name it carries such cowardness. Always relying on others, Kekkan cant do anything for himself. Kekkan can never be perfect]
Kekkan [But if we are the same cant the same things be said about you seeing that you are also kekkan]
The prophet [ i am not kekkan. I am the upgrade, the one who will become perfect will become flawless.]
Kekkan [even if you discard your name you will always be kekkan. You don't just get to start over with a clean slate. Ever since you erased my name you still have done the same thing I do. You still cower in fear, you're still terrified even now you're shaking. You still let everyone die when kekkan was gone.]
The Prophet [your wrong kekkan represents everything bad. The coward that pathetic thing. The one i hate with all my heart the part of me that plagues you. Infect everything you ruin everything. Everything would be so much better if you were gone. I know better then anyone the failure that is kekkan]
Kekkan [then its true the one you despise is yourself]
The Prophet [ i am not you. All you are is a parasite who leaches on to me trying to corrupt me making me less perfect. I'm the one who stood up and destroyed those monsters playing the deceased. I struck down the jester with no fear heroically. I am the one who will become perfect what have you ever done you haven't done a single thing worth mentioning except holding me back]
Kekkan [ you can run from me but you can never fully destroy me. I am you i will always be you, you cant just erase parts you deem not perfect cause each part makes up who you are. Who kekkan is. The version of you The Prophet is not you but only a fragment of kekkan. No matter what you do nothing will change]
The Prophet [im sick of your preaching wont you shut up and disappear already]
The prophet grabs his knife tightly, grits his teeth and shoots himself up. Knife in hand he walks towards kekkan boosted by his undying hatred.
Kekkan [ you act strong but i can see how terrified you really are]
He ignores his words and stamps his feet towards him.
He lifts kekkan off his body, making him stand upright.
He draws the knife behind his back ready to strike him down with one cut.
Kekkan [you threw me aside back then also. When the paper angel attacked you tried to erase me then but I returned and I will never stop coming back. I called you out for what you are, your no prophet all you are is a false prophet trying to prove to himself he is worth something.]
Before he stabs the knife into him kekkan wraps his arms around the prophet and rests his head on his chest,
This doesnt change The prophets mind nothing can change his mind he strikes the fatal blow into kekkans chest.
No blood comes from the wound. Kekkan begins to slowly turn to dust and the prophet speaks out his final words to kekkan.
The Prophet [goodbye kekkan]
And with that kekkan was gone. All that remained was a pile of dust floating endlessly to the void.
Only The Prophet remained