Chapter 6~ Brother

Nightmare. A horror that is also a dream.

Strange concept, isn't it? That a dream can be something horrify and blood-chilling. But from the moment I got here, I realized that none of those night terrors was a real nightmare, because right here, right now, this is the real Nightmare. And I'm part of it.

The moment I came here it's like everything has been something out of a nightmare. And the prize given to the final winner who's cleared every game.

'Life rebuilding'.

If it was any other day I would say this was a crazy idea, how could you rebuild your life from scratch? I mean, you can't, right? But... Now I'm not so sure. Because now I know this is real. And if I win, I can bring everything back. Even them.

I rub my eyes as I walk, I won't cry. I'm never going to cry again.

I clench the cold metal of the staff as I walk away from Zack. I'm going to survive until the end, I'm going to win this game. I clench my jaw in determination. I'm going to survive.

I'm going to survive. But I'm not only going to survive, I'm also going to win. Even if that means everyone else has to die for that to happen.

***

Zack pov

I cough as the cold air rushes to meet my blood. After a moment when I see the coast is clear I work on getting myself into a more comfortable position, I press onto the open wound with my hand, it comes away bloody, I scoot over so that my back is up against the wall of the hallway.

I look down at my bloody hand and smirk, "Well... Look at this, I guess it does counter everything. Pretty lucky for a passive skill I'd say."

I unbutton my shirt completely so I can see the damage, dark red blood pours from the outline of a circle on my stomach. "I heard they sometimes give advantages to new users... But still, isn't mirroring a little too overpowered?"

I look down at the gaping wound and try and focus on it, after a moment the skin starts to knit together again. "Well, I guess I'm not one to talk."

'How are you still alive?'

"..." I button up my shirt again, besides the blood on it you couldn't tell that she almost killed me. I get up and dust myself off, not too much I can do about the blood right now. "Smart-ass."

I look around to see if she's still anywhere in sight; she's not. "Hmm... I didn't expect her to wait for my attack and use the mirroring to counter and kill me. That was a fairly good move I give it eighty out of a hundred."

"She knows what's going on, and she makes good decisions," I reach into a pocket on the inside of my jacket, "I knew I could spot a talented player."

I pull out her starter card, it's the same black paper with the red N on it, "There is something I must point out."

I flip over the card, in white lettering on the other side it gives her name along with her passive skill and what it does. "She leaves important things behind."

I feel a laugh escape my mouth, "So I hope... We can still be a great Pair Miss Young..."

I stuff the card along with my fists into my pockets and walk off in the direction that she left.

***

???

Blood. Blood covers the floor as the last of it bleeds from two dead bodies lying just outside of the last of the midday light.

Sitting over the side of the clock tower were two people, one a boy in his late teenage years the other a girl in her early teens.

The girl holds a black card with a red cursive N on it while the boy has a staff much like Zack's slung over his shoulder, except his is black. The girl was dressed in a yellow skirt with a white dress shirt, the boy had black jeans, a white dress shirt and a red varsity jacket with black accents.

From where they are sitting the boy notices a girl walking far below them, she had red hair and wore a uniform but it wasn't really the girl that caught his attention, maybe at first but not once he looked closer, it was that she was carrying an item he was very familiar with.

"Hmmm..." He mutters, a single eyebrow raised under his raven black hair, curiosity sparked in his red eyes.

"Kat," He says tapping his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Yeah?" She says, turning to see where the boy is pointing to.

"Look there," he says, pointing down to the girl walking through the grass down below them, the red crowbar like object slung over her shoulder.

The girl narrows her eyes slightly, "Zack Morningstar...?"

She then seems to realize her mistake, she tilts her head slightly as in thought. "I don't think so... Then who is thi-"

She's cut off midsentence by the boy. "Well well well... Do we finally get to see you again, little brother?"