Sequence Eight: Rampage
After I broke the antique looking vase and as that dark smoke enters my body, I suddenly felt an unexplainable pain that I passed out for a moment.
But soon after I regain my consciousness, I saw this.
As if I am watching someone else’s point of view, like a viewer in a movie theater all I can do is to watch even if I don’t even like what I see.
“Now, where is that old man just now?”
Strange, but I know that voice. But setting that aside, is what I am seeing right now belongs to this person? Weird, is this something that happens to those who recently died?
Wait, am I dead right now?! Again for the second time?
“Please… you are not.”
Oh, thank goodness. Hey, did he just answered me?!
The view I have is now slowly walking to the door and now we are on the corridor.
‘Where is this guy going?’ that’s what I thought, but it feels like the conversation we had recently only occurs in my thoughts, is this like a telepathy?
“No… actually you are… well let’s say you’re inside your mind that is also my mind that originally belongs to you alone before.” The guy answered me unsure of what to say.
‘My mind that is mine then it is yours and… I don’t get it.’ I said.
We continue to walk on the corridor and now that I noticed it, the corridor sure has a lot of expensive looking paintings that are hanging on the wall, are we heading to the staircase now?
Hmmm. I wish Stella landed safely on those bushes or else, anyway there’s no point on overthinking it, it’s better than that sure death situation we have earlier.
How far are we going to walk?
Wow… I never thought that they have a grand staircase in this mansion, wait… if I remember it carefully, I used this stairs up. How come I can’t remember it to be like this? Oh right! It’s dark back then, that’s why I can’t clearly see it. So is it morning already?
“It is still around midnight, but I can clearly see in dark places, which is why it is bright as daylight here.”
‘Oh… I see. Hey wait! So you did answered me earlier?! What’s happening here?!’
“Bingo, there he is.”
Wait, isn’t that the Gearfried guy who stabs me?! So he is still inside the mansion, does that mean he still hasn’t caught up with Stella yet? Thank goodness if it is.
‘Hey can I ask you something? Why do I see things like this?’
“Huh? ‘Why?’ you asked? Well because this is…”
The person turns around next to a grandfather clock nearby and stares on the glass that is covering the pendulum of the clock. That is when I saw it.
My own reflection on the glass.
‘What is happening here?!’
‘This is not what I have in mind! Why is there someone other than the young miss inside?’ Gearfried said annoyed that his whole plan was ruined because of an unwanted presence in the room.
“Damn it! I should have just killed her immediately that time!” he said, annoyed of what just happened.
“You worry too much for a man that is about to die.” A voice of a man said
As he turns around to where the voice came, he saw a familiar face coming down the stairs of the mansion.
“How? I was sure I stabbed you directly to your heart back then.” Gearfried said, startled of what he is seeing right now.
“Oh this?” Josh pulls down the neckline of his shirt, revealing a scar on his chest. – “It’s already healed.” He said, as he paused on one of the steps of the stair, midway before reaching the ground floor of the mansion.
“What’s important now is…” before Josh could finish his word, he suddenly vaporized into thin air and what is left from where he is standing is a black smoke slowly vaporizing.
“What was that just now?” Gearfried said, then suddenly Josh appeared in front of him and instantly grabs his neck tightly with his left hand.
Struggling, Gearfried pulls out the stiletto he used earlier and is about to stab Josh on his neck, but before it could reach Josh’s neck, Josh used the index and middle finger of his right hand to grab the stiletto.
“How cute. You think you can kill me with just that?” Josh said, as he snaps the blade in two with his fingers, afterwards he tightens his grip on Gearfried’s neck.
In a blink, Josh breaks Gearfried’s neck using the hand he is holding it with, creating a snapping sound just enough for him to hear.
“On second thought, I might have a good use for you.” He said, dropping the dead man’s body on the cold floor of the mansion. Laying on the ground, the corps was pulled down by multiple black hand-like shadows into the floor.
After absorbing the body, a magic circle appears and there on the center, Gearfried is slowly popping out of it in a kneeling position.
“What do you want me to do my lord?” He said, still kneeling.
“I want you to return to those people, I hope you know what I mean.” He ordered.
“As you will.” He answered, as he was pulled back again into the floor.
“Hey are you alright?” Josh asked the question as if there is someone beside him.
“Oh… you’re not used on something like that huh? Ha ha… Trust me, you will someday.” He added walking forward with a cheerful smile on his face, as he opens the front doors of the mansion.
“But before that, let’s have some fresh, clean, air.” He added
As the double doors opens widely, it revealed a ground filled with corpses and drying blood of both humans and orcs as it gives off a foul-salty scent that tingles his nostrils and he deeply inhales the air.
“Ahhhh, just like old times.” He said as he deeply exhales.
***
“What the heck is that light? Hey Anna, do you know what’s happening in there?” Cardel asked Anastasia, while still on guard to the orc in front of him that is mesmerized by the light that is coming out the window.
“Sorry but, I don’t” she said, but she knew deep in her heart that she has a slight idea of what it could be.
‘It couldn’t be ‘that’ thing right?’ Anastasia though as she starts to feel a shiver running down her spine.
As the bright dark-purple light continues on shining, Anastasia noticed something looming out on the side of the mansion, as it comes closer to their direction the image in now getting clearer and clearer.
“Stella!” she said as she runs closer to her in a hurry, she hugs her immediately upon their contact.
“Anastasia?” She said as she hugs her tightly with teary eyes.
“What happened to you?” she said, seeing Stella having multiple scratches on her.
“Anastasia, Gearfried is… he’s…” Stella stutters her words, but before she could complete her sentence the light gives off a final glimmer then fades away, while the orcs on the other side starts to attack the barrier desperately, slamming their weapons, even their own body on it, like they are in a rampage going berserk that they all want to get inside the barrier immediately.
“What’s wrong with them?” Cardel stated, looking at the orcs as they desperately attacks the impenetrable barrier.
“Something is wrong about this Cardel.” Cerise said, turning Cardel’s attention to her.
“What do you mean by that?” Cardel asked, to further asses to him the situation.
“I can’t clearly tell, but there is something odd about their reactions.” Cerise answered, as she stares on the orcs behind the barrier.
As the two continues their conversation, the orc inside the barrier resumes his attack on Cardel, dashing forward and swinging his ax wildly, as if he is in a hurry for something.
Cardel managed to dodge the first few attacks but eventually he was pinned down in a corner of the mansion’s wall, good thing Cerise is there to support him, piercing a pair of arrows on the orc’s back.
But the orc doesn’t seemed to be bothered by the arrows on his back, he continues on swinging his ax to Cardel, because in his eyes, Cardel is the only one that is capable while the others are easy prey for him and having him pinned down is a chance he can’t miss.
Swinging his ax with all his might, let out a horrifying scream upon impact a strong shockwave was felt all over breaking the wall Cardel is leaning with then it gives off a cloud of dust bursting towards them. While the other girls are both shocked and terrified knowing that no human could survive that attack.
But soon as the dust starts to settle down, both of them saw something weird on the settling dust that is covering their view of Cardel and the orc.
They saw three silhouettes, one is definitely the orc and the other one that is next to the wall is Cardel if they consider the positioning of the shadows, but what they see that is weird is that there is another in between them that seems like holding something up.
“J-Josh?” Cardel said, seeing the boy standing right in front of him, yet he is unsure if it is him.
“If his memories are right, I suppose I can say that I owe you one.” Josh answered, as he pushed back the edge of the ax he is holding while still not letting it go.
Everyone is shocked, including the orc. ‘How did he managed to stop that attack with only his bare hand?’ the thought of everyone who sees him blocking it with the palm of his hand.
“I Guess I’ll start with you.” Josh said, as he starts chipping off a piece of the ax’s edge that he is holding with his hand.
Slightly backing off, shifts to his battle stance preparing for an attack.
“Oh? You won’t run away huh?” Josh said staring at the orc with an evil glare.
“Is this what they call as ‘a warrior’s duty’?” he added with a smirk on his face while he scans for a possible weapon that is laying on the ground.
‘This’ll do.’ Josh thought as he picks up a saber and wields it firmly.
“Entertain me for a bit will you? Noble warrior.” He told the orc as he suddenly appears next to the orc in a flash, swinging the saber he has on hand.
The orc manages to block the attack using his ax but was tossed away by the impact.
Before he could regain his stance, Josh again assaulted him slashing his thighs, leaving a deep wound on it, making the orc scream in pain as he kneels down.
“I think the edge is not sharp enough… I was planning to cut your legs off but in only managed to cut deep enough to make you kneel.” Josh said, as he inspects the blade of the saber he is holding with a curious look that resembles a child.
“Well, as they say, make good use of everything.” He said as he decapitates the orc in front of him.
As the head of the orc rolls on the ground, he steps on it like a soccer ball stopping it from rolling further on the ground.
“Now, it’s your turn.” Josh said, looking on the horde of orcs beyond the barrier with a lunatic smile on his face. He again disappeared on a blink of an eye then reappear to where the orcs are, on the other side of the barrier.
“Surprise…” He said with a big smile on his face.
He greeted them with a slash, killing an orc on where he reappeared, knocking it down then disappears again leaving a speck of dark cloud on his previous position then appears again next to an orc. The process repeated again and again, until there are now a pile of orc’s corpses on the ground.
The orcs on the other side are now horrified on what they are currently gazing with their own eyes. Some of them tried to run away but before they could, they are either decapitated or stabbed to death by the rampaging man.
Blood and dead bodies are now covering the grounds beyond the barrier, as the man who is slaughtering them seems to be laughing while he does the killing. Every time blood splashes on his face he gives off a laud laugh, each time he slashes an enemy, he smiles. Josh enjoys every seconds of his onslaught.
Josh watched the scene carefully as the guy butchers the orcs, watching their insides tossed on the ground and their limbs scattered everywhere.
Why is he… doing such thing?
He’s mercilessly killing them… why?
Why?
Why…
Why…
Why…
Why can’t I feel anything even if it is happening right in front of me?!