{White Rose} EPHEMERAL

Death's scythe chased rose petals around the victim alive.

An infinity of possibility, yet trapped in thy mind.

Let white and black lies create beauty ugly truth couldn't rival.

Finally, be existential about the present you've been lied to.

The first months since separation went by as quickly as the first few weeks. Feelings, of harbouring grief and loss and the urge, which only grew stronger, for freedom.

Oh, how every prisoner of Life yearned after that dream of freedom. How many selfless fools have given up themselves only for others to prosper in their place? Cherry wrote in his notes down with swift movement of his hand, leading the fountain pen to draw its ink onto paper. Next to the candles sat his cap which he treasured much. That organic feel, the texture of the pen brushing against the paper reminded him of today's match between Leigh and Master Rosh. Today, she had been able to block Rosh's bokken. Wood smattering against wood- but she had been driven back, Leigh.

Despite defeat, one was able to understand her growth. Her temper which did not seem to fit Leigh anymore, it was calmer than ever and she even accepted the robe Rosh had offered her and wore it with pride. Ever since she had been told to train with a blindfold her movement proofed to be more accurate to how her mind wanted her body to move. Dodge, step, strike, cut, stand, block.

And training with a longsword in each hand, made her strength fierce and elegant.

"What're you writing?", coming from behind was the one who was spoken of in his diary. Wrapping her arms around his body,

letting her head fall over his shoulder. "I was just taking notes of the day is all", he finished his sentence. "That's obviously a diary" "Mhmm, I prefer to think of it as a book, which keeps my memories." "Because this will book will stay even after you're gone..", Leigh thought to herself.

The warm, orange lights indicated eve and night which made the bed look only more desirable to the tires bodies and minds.

The diary was shut with a small clap which returned Leigh's focus adrift to the actual setting.

"Today was the day, I was kind of holding up well against her, don't you think?"

"Oh I wouldn't know, I didn't pay attention to the fight.."

"How could youuuu", she ran her fingers through his hair violently.

"I'm sorry my dear, I couldn't help myself from looking at you during the match."

"At me?", Leigh stopped the shaking to gently run her fingers through his hair.

"Has anyone told you before.. that your beauty shines brighter with each day? OW-", she didn't notice herself grabbing and pulling his hair- "Oh sorry..", she patted his head as if it were a little dog, "You know I'm no good with compliments.. let alone with your teasing.."

Cherry had to laugh. A heartfelt laughter caused by Leigh's new side. He wanted to tell her how adorable she looked right now, but he didn't want to make her feel more embarrassed than she already was. Deep down, in his heart, he felt nothing but appreciation for her, herself, her existence.

"You didn't faint today, at the waterfall, though!" "Yess, it's all thanks to the courage you gave me"

"Hah, when you said you were going to give it your all… Well, I have to stay I was kinda of scared,

so I really hesitated letting go of you" "No, no, don't worry- I mean, look at me, I made it, tomorrow, we could walk together in that pit, even-" "Tomorrow you could actually defeat Rosh" Leigh stopped her fingers, and considered his words one more time, letting them echo through her head's net of thoughts. "I believe in you, Leigh" "I love you too" "Oh", Walter tilted his head so he could look at her perplexed face. "Wait, did you not say-", she jumped sideways onto the bed, burying her face in pillows.

The light under the door which shone slightly into the corridor went out a while after. A peaceful nature came to, all lights out, everyone in their beds, tucked away for the night and awaiting slumber as Rosh's Will protected the entirety of the dojo from any enemy attacks, as she did every night.

The building in the midst of the mountains of the cold North.

As the snowstorms began to wander these snowy lands, covering the footsteps made hours prior,

the sun went down to make room for the moon to shine above. Time's passage was the alternating factor which made the differences betwixt your life and that of another. However you would choose to spend your time to your liking, be it positive or negative on your body and soul.

For, once your body has been destroyed, your soul will wander off without its owner into the realms of no time.

When the thunder roared, the dragon's call did too. A great and mighty scream travelled from mountain's tip to mountain's tip to Leigh standing on one. For the first time in a while her hand was holding a real blade again and so did her opponent on the tip opposite her. On her waist, Leigh carried a short sword, right now in her hand was a longsword she could move as quick and dangerous as a knife with. Snowy ground,

so she had to be careful not to slip and fall. But those aspects hardly gained her attention.

Lightning dancing inbetween clouds, jumping, expanding it's dance floor all around the horizon. Electricity. Master Rosh had noticed Leigh's growth and believed Walter's word when he told her she could withstand the waterfall and even walked in it with him. Impressing her and the other students who had been inspired by Leigh's hard work. They all pushed themselves some like Sonja even bit the bullet and cut loose from embarrassing past. Only the present mattered.

Leigh was dressed in a black traditional robe,

her hair tied in s high ponytail, the same as Rosh's was.

Tonight,

they'd fight without holding back. For her, that meant avoiding getting cut in half by Rosh during the first second of their match and win. She had never felt so tense during the life or death situations before this battle, but this only thrilled her with eustress, cleaning the black blade she had chosen herself with her left sleeve. The robe's sleeves were long, reaching down to her wrists, even. But the bagginess of her clothes sort of comforted her. The handle of both longsword and shortsword were

artistically crafted sculptures of dragons whose head lead into the blade itself.

The only white value in this scenery were the snowy tips of the mountains, the bits of the snowstorm and the occasional lightning- the rest: pitch black. The other students and Walter were waiting for them at the foot of the mountains, naturally everyone, including Sonja and the disciples Leigh had almost killed on her first time entering the dojo, were all routing for her to win. A couple of things had changed her. After all, it had been a year since she was staying at this dojo and Cherry seemed to get a little weaker approaching his limit but he would still stand here to watch Leigh's hopefully final match. The cheers may have not reached her ears but they certainly reached her heart. Her spirit could only grow stronger from here and so, she pointed her blade at her master.

A smile formed on both her faces. Sharp visions and high reflexes were going to be needed in just a moment. She had almost forgotten to flip her sword twice- a trait she had kept up for a year, now.

"Come on, Leigh. You got this", Cherry was whispering to himself.

Rosh thought back to when she called Leigh over to her room, revealing herself as another Godsent,

and proposing training her in the way of the sword… a deep breath for it had been a while for her to go all out with the true potential of her Willpower.

"For all the souls I separated from their bodies, this blade shall strike

through Heaven and Earth again!"

Rosh forcefully jumped, launched forward like a rocket aiming for Leigh- Ko Gasumi.

Lighting struck with Rosh, did Leigh's eyes locked onto her. Rosh resembled a real Godsent now, white hair, golden eyes, and a dragon emitting from her blade, being carried by giant wings.

Leigh was in Jodan no Kamae, time to put what she had learned and trained for to practice.

Contact of two great Wills struggled to push the other's Willpower away to cut their body.

Leigh tightened her abdomen when she let her voice roar, rebel against: "I am Defiant!"

Cutting through Rosh's dragon. She jumped and within a second she was above her, clouds encircled them from above, Leigh summoned a dragon of lighting to crash out of the Sky, breaking the sound barrier- In No Kamae- Striking downward in mid air, launching the dragon which split itself into two, and cut through the falling Rosh with light speed. They failed to knock her out, yet was the master wounded badly and was unable to fight further. Leigh's forearms were bleeding.

Her senses were driven out to the maximum of their potential right now. Hence, Leogh was still in disbelief oh her winning against her aunt. She quickly drew a line under her which created a thin platform for her to stand on, which was made of electricity. Arms so stiff. Catching her breath, she quickly heard warning words of Rosh in her eyes. Rosh had to told her about the true test.

The true enemy was the Dragon of the Mountain. She had to defeat to the dragon now for it was the ultimate test of whether she was worthy of Dragon's Will or not. "Whatever, I withstood the damned waterfall, I bested my master, come now! I will defy you Dragon of the Mountain!

I WILL STAND STAND AGAINST YOU!"

Everything turned so bright and would have made you blind, could you not rival it. The dragon's jaw passed through her body which was tiny in comparison to the body of the dragon which could cover an entire country. Static electricity passed through her body, upping the number of volts steadily, she still stood on her platform which acted as proof of how much her Will had grown over the year. Sha no Kamae. Was she gonna? "Leighhhhh!", screamed the people who climbed up the mountain to watch her from a closer distance. "We believe in you!", screamed the people.

Everyone was cheering her on. Everyone was here, even Cherry. She wasn't alone anymore.

Light blue and yellow particles surrounded her body and black robe seemed to be illuminated with electrifying energy, her own lightning she'd summoned was travelling from the other end of the world, passing through layer after layer of the Earth, she smiled for this would be her final attack, befitting of whomst she'd use it against. Even Master Rosh was mesmerized by the Will of that girl.

Once the foreign lighting met with Leigh's blade she jumped like she had never jumped up before, resisting the dragon's lightning as it's translucent body was being filled with Leigh's dragon herself.

She roared, the Dragon of the Mountain roared, their screams provoked black clouds to move in circles and cause a tornado of flashing lightning and growling thunder.

"Remember, don't slash,

just cut. A single cut will suffice if you want it to."

The Dragon of the Mountain was sucked in by Leigh's tornado and at the very top was none other than the Godsent herself, swinging her blade earthwards, sending a clean line to cut through the tornado and the Dragon.

Her silhouette afore the Moon.

She was so high up, and falling gradually downwards now. This fall had to have its end too. Her legs weren't bleeding as much as her arms did, but still, moving her body proofed to be rather difficult. Not to mention, now she had been upside down, seeing how the snowy mountain's tip were beautiful when they were not covered with a layer of a snowstorm afore them. Her mind didn't process much as fatigue started to kick in pretty fast after making the Dragon's Will her own. This was her life now,

and every bit of it was worth it. She wore the biggest smile in the universe right now.

"Honestly, what would you have done, if I hadn't been there.." "But I knew you'd catch me, Cherry", Leigh lied in bed while he was feeding her.

"You cooking's so good, I swear."

"I only learned from the best"

"Master Rosh?"

He shook his head: "Shanna"

"Oh right, you have a point. This does tastes is similar to her dishes"

"Well, thank you"

.

.

"You know, I'm really, really proud of you. Just wanted to let you know that", he said.

"Think I'm blind? You've been smiling at me the whole time", she chuckled.

"Oh, don't forget about your tattoo. Rosh even promised to do it herself, right?"

"OH. I almost forgot about that. Having her calligraphy on my back will be amazing..

almost a shame she keeps it all in her room.."

"Well, your back's gonna be the first canvas to leave her room"

"That's trueaaa", she opened her mouth for the spoon. She had to be fed as her arms were immobile.

Taking a brief moment to appreciate the craftsmanship of her two blades leaning against her bedframe. The carefully crafted scales of the dragon's skin, dark like the blade itself. Thinking back to her conversation with her Master one morning, a couple of months back:

"I think you're ready for the real deal, Leigh."

"Huh? Are you going to increase my training again?"

"No, no. But I will make you a blade. A real one, that is. And I will even let you design it for this sword is to be only wielded by your heart. So, speak your mind if you have any ideas ready."

Leigh hesitated proposing her mind at first, but then the thought of death and life reoccurred to her. There was no reason to hesitate, right? "Could.. we use my blood as the main material?" "Blood?", Master Rosh brows voiced scepticism. "A dear friend of mine, Leo- He. Yeah, he always used his own blood to fight his battles..

I was just wondering if it would be possible.." And after a few minutes of talking and considering, Rosh gave her consent and told Leigh to get ready for blood extraction. It took seven days and nights to forge the longsword, after a month, Leigh had asked her master to forge another sword, only now would it be a shortsword. Just as dark her longsword, with the same dragon design.

"I accept your request but let it be known that each blade will have to meet its end one day."

"I know, master Rosh", the white-haired held out her arm, awaiting the piercing needle for another extraction. Just because she were about to lose three units of blood did not mean her master would let her off the hook. Leigh still completed a practice match against her after breakfast, and went to challenge the waterfall together with Cherry.

A pitch black blade of blood mimicking steel rose from the dragon's open jaw.

The handle had the dragon's scales all around it and provided a tight grip for her.

The tattoo was next. The ink was thought of her as a symbol of cutting ties with the Godsent.

No black pattern was controlling her, so there was no pattern on her body. Therefore, Leigh had decided to get a mark of ink, which represented her own Will. The first thing in the morning, even 'fore breakfast, she had prepped her self the night before and was now on her way to Rosh's room, with Cherry. She had already prepared a special tool. One would simply recognize it as a calligraphy brush. But truth be told, it was a tool to scar the skin and paint it black, with masterful artistry, too.

Leigh denuded her upper body, letting her gown drop a little below her waist, then sat so that her back was facing her master. Closed her eyes and relaxed her breath as her hands were held by Cherry who was helping her to calm nerves and senses.

Different from a regular ink tattoo, this brush was infused with Rosh's Will-

Meaning Leigh's skin had to fuse with her willpower and not overpower it. Should she do that successfully, the ink wouldn't vanish and the tattoo wouldn't have to be renewed after a certain amount of time. The brush's sharp tip grazed against her skin alike a knife but a hundred times stronger. Her hands grabbed tightly onto Cherry's. She focused again and told her master to please continue. With no second wasted, the master painted fluent strokes all over her back, completing slowly the picture of what would be a cross on its head with two roses' heads placed there, where the lines would cross and emitting from the roses, there would be their petals encircling them in the symbol of endlessness, infinity, slightly tilted.

Rosh added small drops of blood to a few petals, symbolizing vitality which contrasted the idea of infintiy. Leigh had asked her to paint on her back something that would share roses, life and death.

There would be no such thing as waiting for the first layer to heal, this painting would be finished in one sitting.

"Yoyo, blondie", the tall man stopped Ray from getting to his friends who were waiting for him at the tables where they would usually sit at. The blonde looked up and reacted very well by drawing back his food tray before it had been knocked down. "Heey Nice reflexes.. How about you show me some of them in bed tonight..?", his ugly smile was accompanied by his friends' laughter, standing behind him. "You two want trouble?", some guards were coming over. Ray had been told and informed well enough not to mess with any of UKR's staff. Those who dared,

were simply put into the freezer which was the same size as a cell here. No food, nor water. It'd be only you and the cold. If you were still acting rebellious, you'd get executed.

So, thinking about what his friends had told him about Ray put up his hands innocently,

behind his head. As did the guy harassing him, still smiling at him with lusting eyes and breathing.

Ray did not feel disgusted, but rather felt sorry for that soul. Were they not at UKR, not 70.000 feet under water, Ray wouldn't have played nice. So, he simply smiled back.

"Hey Rico, what if I actually came by tonight, huh? Think you could handle me?" The muscle-pack laughed as the guards were distancing them from another. "I'd fuck you up so bad, blondie! I'd-"

The taller, muscular man with tanned skin and long hair and beard suddenly stopped talking.

Something about Ray's eyes filled him suddenly with angst so great he stopped barking

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..", laughed Ray as he got brought to his friend's table. Sitting down, he looked again not at Rico but Bruce. He had been ordered to act as a guard again for the last few weeks, but frankly speaking it was already hard enough to distinguish day from night as UKR had decided to remove all clocks which were openly available to the whole of 100 prisoners.

"What a dickhead, honestly.." "Ray, uh you had phone call you missed- someone by the name of 'Shanna' asked for you earlier. We were told to tell you", those words surprised the blonde, M was eating with utmost carefulness not to move his nose too much. It still didn't feel fully healed.

"She told me to tell you that they need to be out again" "Well, I'm glad you got to tell me that",

Ray took a sip, "Game of chance?" "Mmm, 'kay, bet he will spit out his water" "Bet he swallow so hard it'll have him coughing", two whispering voices.

"There might be someone waiting for you in Londinium-" M was silent after saying those words, accidentally getting his nose elbowed by Ray.

"Ouhh.." "Damn.." "Please, don't joke about that" "I'm not, dumbass." "Oh- wait, I'm sorry about breaking you nose.. again..", the blonde put the rest of his portion on M's plate.

"All of you hopefully still remember what I told ya'll a couple of months back." "Of course!" "It's what we been training for, after all", flexing their muscles mass. While everyone was preoccupied training their bodies, Ray had carefully studied the art of Hades. Touching his left arm, that rough texture, and shade stood for none other than Death. "Double Hades", he told the others, "Our ace seemed to work just now. At least, Rico saw it, I think." Their heads came together closer:

"ayo, we breaking out tonight?" "why tonight? Why not wait a couple more day to figure out a real plan?" "i mean it is a real jailbreak and this is the world's securest jail" "how about we strike-" "Today, right now!",

she stabbed her knife through the dry meat. It stood in it, like a lance impaling a dead knight.

"Don't be so loud, dammit.." "No, not today, we need to mentally prepare ourselves..", the blonde look at Bruce talking to one of the guards, "Savor the moment a little more, you know? But we can start at least a little right now. Ready?"

The dining hall was as loud as ever, napkins being passed from one hand to another the after having read the message of the upcoming jailbreak. Few had tried to break out of this prison but with no enough luck and were executed on the spot. No mercy for rebels of that caliber. No tolerance. The criminals would either have to settle with UKR as their home or death.

Once Rico had read the napkin's message, he tilted his head back to look at Ray and Ray looked back. The blonde gave a nod, indicating his seriousness about this operation.

In the showers, later after dinner, Rico walked to Ray who was immediately surrounded by his gang. Standing before the blonde like a shield. "Relax you clowns, I'm not here for fightin', I gotta talk to your leader." "It's about tomorrow, right?" Rico nodded: "Just how the hell do think you'll escape from here? We're 70k metres underneath surface level, you know?- There's a reason why they placed us prisoners in the lowest floor of this cylinder." "There's an advantage most likely only I can make use of. But I ain't gonna tell ya. You have to trust me and help all of us escape from here", Ray laughed as the water sprinkled from above, "This will be just another jailbreak like in any other newspaper., or..

did you forget what you saw today in the dining hall?" Rico scoffed, not believing him, turned his back and started walking toward his clique waiting for him.

"Tell everyone else, they can join if they aren't afraid like you! It's gonna be a ride!", he heard Ray. "Shut it, already!", yelled his friends back at him. "All we have to do, is power through everyone." "But we can't use our Will..",

one of Tharius' men said. "Yes, you guys won't be able to for the beginning, however.. I will make sure that you can so you guys back me up and together we'll escape from UKR"

"Won't the structure collide?" "Huh?" "Oh, shit.." "She's right, it's the UKR's staff that's keeping this place from being crushed by the water's pressure." "I've got this, guys. If I understood my powers, everything should go according to my Will. Though, it has been a whole year.", his back was patted by M: "Bro, you gonna doubt yourself now? You've got the whole UKR prisoners hyped for tomorrow" "I just hope they won't start a fight among themselves, you know?" "Oh that's most likely going to happen" "There's a couple of peeps here who have a fine bounty. Break out of here with their head, and boom- start-up capital", M exaggerated his words by using his hands imitating a widening gap. "Oh, great, I didn't consider that-"

"But. That lady earlier on the phone also told me, that once we got out,

she'd be there to pick us up."

"Oh, actually?"

"She said so, at least." "Well.. a life trapped in here is no life. Let's break out and live again. The freedom Leo gave us will not be wasted!"

"You never stopped loving him, huh?"

Ray smiled: "And I will continue loving him for eternity." All smiling faces around him, they shared his dream of breaking out of here and getting their leader to his love.

Cups were driving against the bars of cells, hindering everyone from falling asleep. The guards screamed at them to go to sleep or else they would take them to the freezers. "Do it, then!", the person running his cup along the iron bars screamed back. Voice with vigor in it! Prisoners in neighbouring cells shared a laugh to this spectacle. "I've had with you!", they came up, keys in their hand. Was it night, was it day, they did not care but every one of the imprisoned knew their time had come. Forcefully did the cell's door open, as the guards got kicked between his groins.

"Once you got the key, confine them, use your own cells and start escaping", the napkin stated.

The plan was easy to understand and Ray had it easy gaining the respect from prisoners outside of his group. He had the name of the Blackwoods, after all.

Naturally as Ray promised, he'd successfully replicated the trick via sweet-talking one of the guards, holding her down, telling M and the rest to get out. All the guards were banging against the iron bars, cursing and screaming. Their look was just as the prisoner's now. Now, Ray was freeing the rest of his gang, avoiding running into those who wanted to make a run for it already.

It became so loud, albeit no one being able to use their Will yet. People started fighting.

Well, the first place they needed to get to was the dining hall. And every time you wanted to move one floor up, you'd have to get a different security guard's key. That's how this place enabled moving between floor for the UKR staff-

Once arrived at in the dining hall, Ray saw a few maddened battle each other. "They'll fall soon, let's just use them as a distraction as long as we can, let's go! Stay close to me!", Ray and his gang ran up the stairs to get to the railing where all the guards were placed to watch the eating prisoners clothed in orange from above. Instead of eating prisoners, there was a storm of wild people storming this place from the inside. A couple more steps and Bruce and the other Blues would finally use their Will to bring everyone under their control again. Bruce and Ray recognized each other months ago. Back at the Res Novae War, they had fought and Ray remembered that Bruce was the man who had killed Leigh's mother. None of the guards nor the prisoners had died just yet.

As Bruce drew his sword, the blonde forcefully stepped on his feet- His black eyes lit up with lethal intention: "Blackwood!" "Only yours truly!", Ray's emerald orbs mesmerized the samurai. As noise seemed only to grow behind Ray and his team, a few looked over to the blonde who was taking on the tallest person in this room. A good two metres high but Ray couldn't let a small detail such as this destroy his passion and love and so he enchanted his eyes with the curse of Death and focused on Bruce alone. Black pupils expanded over the iris, over the sclera as the veins themselves seemed to be swallowed by the pitch black colour, they began to pop one after other in pure white. Like cracks in the mirror spread all over the sclera as the pupil itself became a white diamond. Bruce was standing alike petrified. He wasn't able to move an inch, Rays double Hades killed his Will and disabled him, didn't allow him to move while black and white flames ate his soul and made his body dead. Not a tone was spoken, not a sound or noise made. All's eyes were in disbelief. With the white-rank being gone all other guards had to make sure UKR wouldn't come down crushing.

"Dude!"

"Come on, let's go!", Ray screamed at his team, "Move!", orange flames pushed Blues away.

"Is this the power you've been studying all this time, Ray?"

The eyes of the one being asked were reverting to their normal state but they started bleeding a little. "Yeah. This is the power of Hades." "Those black flames came out of your dark arm.. Ey, are you alright?" "I'm fine, did you guys steal the cards?" "What cards?" "The keys, I'm sorry" "Yeah we got about uhh-" "Five!" "Five, yeah" The first elevator was just up ahead. The blonde looked back to check if any other cliques had caught up to them yet. "Great, there's no one, hey gimme the key real quick." He was handed the key for the first elevator. "With there being a fucking volcano above us, I might be able to get us to the surface just with my fire powers." "You sure?" "Even so, what're we gonna do with the key." "Leave them here for the others, of course" "Oh, you cannot be serious." "Are you for real.." After he had been handed all the keys, he simply dropped them onto the floor. "You guys backing me with your Wills?" "Ye-" "Good, then let's go, the guards are coming!" "LET'S GOO" The elevator's door was forced open by M, then Ray squatted, after his team had stood around him. Setting a flame ablaze beneath them, the elevator moved upward like rocket. "Whoaa" "Hold onto each other!", the blonde shouted. As soon as the reached the next upper floor, the plan was originally to get out and search for the next one, however Ray was unable to control the strength of his Will and hence catapulted the elevator all the way up.

"Shit. Listen, I'll just bring us up, then focus your Willpower to bring this elevator where it actually belongs. Think you can do that?" "Well…" "We'll never know unless we try, right?" A giant crash ringed through everyone's ears, as the elevator smashed through the final ceiling. "HOLY FUCK THE DOOR'S OPEN" "THAT'S LAVA" "STAY IN, STAY IN" Ray focused his palms placed on the elevator's floor and created one last flame that would push them out of the volcano's inside, whilst simultaneously absorbing the lava's heat so it wouldn't melt the elevator. There certainly was no time to think things through rationally. Ray just had to get his team so safety. That, and he wanted all the other prisoners to be free as well. In response to seeing a lot of ships surrounding the volcano Ray let out a relaxed sigh. Up in the air, he told everyone to jump out and land on the ships. After that they would make sure the others got the elevator as well. "But like, there are hundred prisoners. Surely, there isn't just one fucking elevator." "You know what? There might be multiple elevators- actually let me look at the map" The wind was a fresh reminder that they were finally outside again. One year trapped deep below the ocean's surface but finally, here they were. Celebrating while falling down, being bathed by the cold temperatures of the high wind. "Let me actually just-" "Oh no, Ray what are you doing..", Shanna bit her thumb's nail as she bore witness how Ray blew up the volcano with his Hades arm. A giant fireball was fired directly toward the giant harbourer of lava. "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS", he was laughing away. "Ughhh", the blonde was starting to get fatigued, "Look. now's they can come up to the surface without being burned alive.." "Amazing, he cleared the surface and all the lava's flowing into ocean", Shanna send a signal to Ray to tell him which of the ships was hers. A typical Observer thing to do, indeed. Ray was so glad to know that they a ride to get away from as soon as possible. He wouldn't want to fight someone like Rico, right after taking care of almost everything. He was lucky none of the flying rocks were hitting any ships. His team took care of that. Smiling he looked forward to the travel back to Londinium.

◆ ◆ ◆

"Have you stopped thinking? Stopped to use your intellect, to exchange, to consume the mindlessness of this place? The darks and the greys, the values of of Life and Death? Though, one must admit, no matter where you look around here, nothing smells more like death than this, eh?

Oh, Necropolis, you sweet paradise for the damned. It's almost been a year… the blonde has accustomed well, I must say. T'was an interesting person to watch, making himself a name in UKR, having people surrounding him as their leader, their beacon of hope- Just what a Blackwood he's become, a fine young man, I must say. Oh, and how could I forget that Godsent? The dojo she had found in anger and rage became the home she holds dear to her heart, with love and respect- The same aspects the other students looked at her with. Magnificent. A change for the better, aren't you happy for your friends? Do you still not wish to express some sort of passion.. or happiness for your friends, hmm?",

Death asked the brunette on the grey bed in this white room. Nowhere, but blankness too look upon.

Hair so long, it reached his calves, would the erstwhile king stand on his own feet.

But upon entering this city of the dead which was roaming with citizens like any other busy place, he felt not a single lust for life. No, terror and angst filled his heart and his head was constantly screaming at him. For each look he would take at his own body it'd fill him with the urge to vomit.

There were so many scratches, purple marks, dark spots littered all over his pale skin;

and scars. Scars of the past, which made him shiver and hate the present.

Death looked at the boy. Another paralysis. Leo was already carrying the look of a dead, but when his body tensed up so much, it'd stop every inch of movement- That's when one could not figure out what the deal with him was. There were people who knew of him, and the ones that did try to spend time with him but the brunette would decline every time.

"Wouldn't you say, it was about time to finally make do?", Death spoke. When the small boy could tilt his head upward again he watched what couldn't be seen by anyone on Earth.

Several metres tall, a black creature of gruesome character and build wore his invisible scythe on his back. With satisfying amount of trembling fear, you'd see your literal Death afore you.

"Life..has no meaning. I have no right to live, nor to die. I simply do not exist."

His head got pressed against the wall, a tight grip around his throat and sharp tips of finger driving into his flesh. But no blood would come. This was him. And Leo knew that. A materialization of himself, made up of his worst characteristics. Leo had no idea was he was talking about. He hadn't seen his friends in a year and lost the memory that would explain everything, his whole situation, of being here. But that was it. For Leo, there was simply to meaning in living. This reality did not contain him. He was non-existent. Yet, in Necropolis he was present. As someone who was deemed 'dead.' Truthfully, he did not want to live. As Death pressed him further for answers, Leo's eyes would start to cry although he was feeling no pain. "Do.. you. Honestly.. think that this.. is the worst I've been in?", Leo smiled like a lunatic. His facial hair was showing. The bags under his eyes only accentuated the pain he tried to convey. The spoken of pain the past had tainted him with. Ah, yes. "The Devil. Everyone's favourite little scapegoat", Death spoke, then squashed his delicate throat.

Masses of blood painted the wall red and the room turned bitter. Stark and bright white was no more. Only the sound of the dead reappearing at the other end of this room.

"Kill yourself..."

"Do you remember? How mom used to throw glass at us for trying out her clothes"

"Kill yourself..."

"Or how.. the used to beat us up 'cause we said we didn't care what gender our lover would be..?"

"Will you please kill yourself already!", Death screamed and started shedding tears since the big monstrous form turned into another Leo.

"Mom used to say that too.. do you remember..?" "Why?", Leo began laughing, "are you clinging to life so much?! We're dead, don't you get it, you stupid idiot?? We're dead, they have forgotten us, no one needs us anymore!" "There's no point in living, no dying." Leo's eyes were psychotically wide open. A death stare could not compare right now. Getting up from his knees, he slowly walked over to the Leo bathing in old memories. "Can we please stop this already?", asking with a smile.

As the Leo sitting on the floor looked up and replied with a gentle smile, he got smacked in the face. Again. And again. And again. Coughing up blood, finally. "Vitality. Haha. Hahaha.. I knew it.. you lousy liar, you're afraid of dying!" "Hurry up and kill us then..", a weak voice was contrasted by stronger arms. The Leo on the ground tried to get the one on top off but he couldn't do that. No.

There was not enough lust for life. "What?! Think you can escape me? I'm your depression manifested you little fucker! You won't ever escape me! Get it??" "Get off!", bottom Leo bit his arm and in response the top Leo's arm got hurt as well. A chance. A chance that wouldn't be missed. Leo pushed him off and got up to the other end of the room. It was white again. Contrast. Death stood up again, as well. "You pesky little shit.. you're not worthy.. not worthy of anything HAHA"

The brunette started to see multiple versions of Death and started crying blood. Coughing, smelling awful scents of puddles of bloody vomit. Was this his? Was this real? Was this actually what he had been standing in? Was is it even a year? How much time had pa- "You're so ugly, look at you...",

laughter in Leo's mind so loud and great he tried to scratch off his ears. "You're not worthy of being loved, yeah! Mom was right! They should have killed you back in the church after they rap-"

SHUT UP. He stood still. As ears, nose and eyes were leaking blood more and more. "Dear God, you truly have no worth. Don't think Ray really loved you. He just liked you 'cause you're easy to play." "That's not true.." "You know what else isn't true..? Your looks, Leo. YOUR. LOOKS."

Leo broke down. On his knees he went and saw his limbs controlled by tremble. Angst rose so much, every time he breathed it felt as if thorns were moving up down in his throat. "Using Will to fake your looks! How pathetic! You're not short! You're not hairless! You're not. NOT. Do you hear me, Leo, dear? You're not beautiful. You're simply a suicidal loser." "no… please stop.."

"You're better off dead!" The walls started coming down. Turning into black waterfalls, they filled this room with a liquid sure to suffocate Leo. He was again, still as a corpse. Wasn't he already dead? "i don't wanna die….." The liquid was reaching his chin already. As the brunette slowly realized the end was nearing him steadily, he wanted to stand up, but could not. Alike being glued down to the ground, he panicked about his state. "You're so weak. What has become of you?"

Death was above him. Floating and watching his counterpart reaching finality as Leo's head was now covered as well. Under. Or above? His senses could not comprehend anything anymore.

What he understood, however, was that he was dying for good in this moment. The eyes felt so heavy and he breathed in even more of that black liquid, his body felt like being etched away from the inside. All of a sudden, he understood. He wanted to die. The urge to have end all was growing more than ever. "STOP! NO-" Leo's perception changed, he didn't cling to Life, nor to Death.

Neither of them were what he desired. As the strings of Life and Death played vigorously Death's struggled to kill grew ever more. With Leo now understanding what this place was and understanding himself- or what he believed himself to be, he chose to die willingly. Swallow. Swallowing more and more of the black liquid he could feel his body and self decomposing further.

Until. Feeling freedom for the first time. He's drowned. But feeling more alive than ever he started breathing again, hearing Death howling in defeat. "Are you actually kidding me?", Leo walked up to Death. "You can't even kill me? You're pathetic, I think you should be the one to die. Have them send someone else if you ain't fit for the job.." "What the fuck.." The room snapped back, white and black flashing throughout Necropolis as Leo killed his Death. Now there was only one thing left to do, to break out of here. Being done with this place, with himself and all, he formed a rope out of his blood. Abundantly familiar with this tool, he wrapped it around his neck and intended to hang himself. This is the only choice to finally let everything end. Tying the know tighter, he jumped off of his bed. The breathing reflex was blocked by the rope. "Please, let me be happy at last."

The stagnant body didn't move. Only the face moved a little. A gentle sigh as realized the weigh of the blanket and… "Plushy..?" A raspy tone of voice. After a year of being silent, he would have to adjust back. "wait.. no.", the brunette finally realized upon seeing the room he was in. Tears immediately started filling his eyes. "why am I… alive…?"

Wishes ignored and unheard, he was sent back to the world of the living. Unhappy at that, his eyes cried as he remained mute in disbelief. "ungrateful..", Leo was shocked at why his lips moved on their own. That had not been him, he was sure. But could he be sure? I can't even move my own body, it's so stiff and stagnant. I can talk loudly, only whisper in this tone..

Why am I alive, I don't want to be, give this life to someone who deserves it more than me… please… Life has no meaning… Why is there happiness if it doesn't last for longer.. We all die at some point, so what's all this hard work for..? I hate life. I hate life. I hate life-

Silent tears, silent sorrow, drowning in depression. He gave up. And tried to pass out, not wanting to see anything related to life. "Leo..?" Eyes flung open, this voice could only belong to-

"Ray…." Naturally upon hearing those destructive words, he started crying. "No.. no, please, no",

afraid of this to be no dream, the brunette started to break out into tears.