Discarded Past

Cold…

Dark…

Empty…

Those were the thoughts I had when I opened my eyes. I was in an area where the sky was pitch-black and the entire floor covered in snow. I looked up at the sky and falling down was snow.

My feet felt like they were about to freeze and I could see my breath. I felt weak and I knew that if I was hit even with a stick, my bones would shatter into a million pieces. That was how cold I was.

This is weird. Where am I? How did I even get here? The last thing I remember is fighting a… what was it called… a wyvern? I think I was also severely injured after that.

My memory is a bit fuzzy. The pictures in my head were a bit blurry.

I remember saving Aurelia from the wyvern. I wonder if she is ok.

As I was musing on my thoughts, I noticed that there was a small but bright light ahead of me. I managed to spot it as it was a blue light. Glad to see something that wasn't black or white.

I took a step forward but it was like lifting a boulder. I immediately fell to the ground face flat, a freezing feeling engulfing my face.

I tried lifting myself up but my arms were shaking and I fell face flat on the ground once again. Then when I tried again, I couldn't move anymore. The only thing I could move was my neck.

Why… why can't I move my body? What the hell is wrong with me?

"Don't move, it's useless to try. Furthermore, even think about moving," said a voice in front of me.

I lifted my head up and crouching down looking at me was a boy. The boy had white-no, silver hair, and deep violet eyes. The aura he gave off was almost similar to that of death. It was suffocating, heavy, and cold.

He somehow looked familiar, even though I've never seen him in my life.

"Who… are you?" I asked. The boy made a slightly surprised face and pulled back. He would rub his chin and looked like he was thinking.

"I'm you. Just better," he said in a child-like voice.

After that, I saw the pictures in my mind clear up and I knew exactly what was going on now.

Now knowing what was going on, I felt a boiling feeling inside me and yelled at the boy, or me.

"Where the hell am I?! What the hell did you do with me?!" I fumed.

The boy crouched down and slapped me right across the face. Even though he was small, it felt as if I was just hit by a hammer.

"Quiet."

The boy got up and walked towards the blue light. Wait a minute. That light wasn't that big a moment ago. Did that thing come towards us?

The boy reached out and the light came floating towards his hand. The blue light began to glow brighter upon connecting with the boy's hand. Later, there was a small glass orb in his hand.

"Let's see what's going on right now."

The boy looked at the orb. I focus my gaze at the orb and there was a bright light.

"Tch, not another one," said the boy.

I squinted to get a better look; it looked like it was some sort of projecting device. But what was it projecting?

The boy noticed that I was trying to take a look and he smiled. He walked up to me and hovered the orb in front of me.

"You want a better look? Here you go."

I looked at it and there was Aurelia thrusting her rapier at me. I actually flinched when I saw the approaching rapier and the boy laughed.

"What is happening? Who is she fighting?" I demanded questions and the boy closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Who else would she be fighting?"

Who else? Well, the only person I could think of is Katelin. But why am I in Katelin's perspective? Why am I in another person's perspective in the first place? Unless…

"Yes, it is exactly what you are about to think. Seiya, you are looking at your own perspective."

But why, why am I fighting Aurelia?

"That's because I've taken over your body. Right now, you could say you are technically fighting her."

"No, you are lying. I would never fight her."

"Exactly, that is why I'm fighting her for you. And you want to know why?"

The boy leaned in closer to me and grabbed me by my hair. Then he pulled me closer to his face.

"You and I are one. I am your past self, the one who has limitless heights while you, on the other hand, have already reached his pitiful peak."

"What do you mean past self?"

My former self cocked his head and kicked me across the face. It felt as if I was just hit by a hammer.

"Ough! Ough!"

"You've become weak and dumb. Are you really me?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You've become a soft, sympathetic fool. And it is all because of the girl."

"Aurelia has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this. After all, she was the one that triggered this. You thought all hope was lost after being rejected, am I right?"

"You-"

"I am correct, I can sense it inside you. You know I am. We are two beings inhabiting the same soul. I am you, and you are me. We are one and the same, but it seems that currently, we are at odds."

"Of course we are, I left you behind for a better life."

"And where has that led you? You've degraded yourself and became a student? What has happened when we were a student? You know how that ended."

"This is different."

"Just because you were reborn doesn't mean you pass nightmares will haunt you. You've really changed. We were once cold, heartless, ruthless, we had no weaknesses. But now that we are facing each other, it seems I am the only one who has retained those traits. You've dulled."

It's true, I've soften. But I only did it because I didn't think it was going to be necessary in this world. I thought I could leave my old life behind and live a new one, but it seems not everything can disappear.

"But now you know it is not. I am your past consciousness created when you discarded those feelings. But deep inside, you know you need those feelings back. So-"

My former self crouched and stared into my eyes.

"Accept me."

He held out his hand and I could move my right arm.

"Accept me, and I will rid you of your suffering."

A dark violet light appeared in his hand. I gulped. I was tempted. But I knew if I took his hand, my current self would disappear along the way. I'd be throwing my life away.

I looked back at the orb and I saw Aurelia on the ground with bruises all over her body.

"SEIYA!"

I heard Ordos' voice emit from the orb.

"She doesn't have the bracelet. You'll kill her."

I'll... kill her?

My former self looked at the orb. I looked at Aurelia's wrists and the bronze bracelet that was supposed to be on her arm was not there.

"Oh... well that is unfortunate," my former self said, "But oh well, I guess I can end her first."

...what?

"IF I take her out, then that would free you. You see, this whole thing wouldn't have happened if you hadn't had feelings for her and you confessing to her. Woe has clouded your mind and you can't stop being head over heels for her. So... if I take her out, you'd be free from your misery."

"No, you can't. Please, just-"

"Silence! I am doing this for you. You want a quiet, peaceful life? I will give it to you."

"And how?"

"By eradicating this world. Everyone will be gone. No one will be spared, not even children."

"No... you ca-"

"I can and I will. With your body, I will be able to decimate this entire world. No one will be able to stop me, not even a god."

"But what is the point in that? Why must you kill everyone?"

Suddenly the air felt different and intoxicating. My former self looked down at me and his violet eyes glinted red.

"Not only did you discard your feelings, but you've also cast aside your infinite bloodlust. I have an uncontrollable urge to kill and it is your fault!"

My former self stomped his foot and the ground shook.

"So, in order to satisfy my urges, I will kill the one person that will return you to reality. I have been patient and waited till the right time where I could meet you. So, release me, I need to spill blood."

My hand began to slowly move on its own and it crept up towards his hand. I tried resisting, but it was futile.

"You know you want to accept it. You have the same urge after all. We were trained to build our bloodlust, it is in our blood."

Damn it, I don't want to, but my body is moving on its own. If I accept it, then Aurelia will die. I need to resist but there was a feeling inside me telling me I don't have any reason to, and it may be right. That was until I heard Aurelia's voice come from the orb.

"I'm sorry for not answering you. Seiya, I love you too."

That sentence was enough for me to control my hand, not just my hand, but also my body.

"NOOOO!!!!!"

My former self yelled into the orb. I noticed that he had lost control as my body right now was moving away from Aurelia. I heard a yell come from the orb, but it was covered by my former self's voice.

"Damn it! DAMN IT ALL!!!"

I picked myself up and cautiously walked towards my former self. My former self threw the orb away and it shattered into pieces. Then he turned around and glared at me.

"Just because of a girl. She is lying. She probably just said it in order to... to..."

He was flustered. Even though he was rejecting it, I could sense that inside he also wanted to accept it. I know that because of what he said earlier. We are one and the same, so that means we know what each of us is thinking and our feelings. We share the same soul after all.

"Give up. You heard her. You can't win anymore. I've thrown you aside because I wanted to move on."

But when I said that, he burst into laughter. His laughter echoed through the air and I felt my body tense up.

"Foolish. Not only have you become weak but you also assume everything too quickly. Seiya, you really think just because you and her feelings are mutual that you think you can escape from me? I am you god damn it! You can't escape from your past self! You give me no choice but to do that."

"What can you even do to me now? My consciousness will return me to my body. It's-"

"It is not what I can do to you, Seiya, but what I will do to you."

He then wore a sadistic smile.

"Seiya, I may have lost control of your body, but what you don't know is that if no consciousness inhabits your body in an hour, you will die. Both here and in the real world."

His tone sounded very happy. In an hour? I don't like where he is going with this. Why does he act as if he just won?

"When you die, I will take over and I will be able to release my bloodlust upon the world."

"No, you wouldn't."

"I will, and in order to stop you, I just need to waste as much time as possible till an hour is up. Maybe while I do that, I can release my bloodlust as well."

"So you-"

"Yes, Seiya. It is exactly as you think. You will be fighting me."

Then the snow in the air stopped falling. To be precise, it froze. Little white specks were hovering in the air, waiting to descend.

"But, let's see if you can survive this," my former self said as he pointed his finger at me.

A weird feeling came from my back. When I turned around, there was a portal ripping open in the shape of torn wings.

When I turned back to look at my former self, he was in front of me and kicked me into the portal.

After that, all I saw was darkness.

.

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