Awakening.

Chapter 1

"Where...where am I?"

Victor woke up in a strange dark void, he couldn't see anything couldn't feel anything...

"Oh yeah...I ...I died" Tears streamed down his face upon realization of his predicament...

"Heh, at least nothing hurts anymore, I'm free right? I don't have to fight Riven anymore, Hehe, I don't have to protect anything or anyone, Hehehe, I died without fulfilling a single thing, Hehehehehehehehahahahahahaha!"

His laugh mixed with emotions, everything going through his head all at once, his laughter stemming from the joy of him being free from the shackles of his promise and obligations in life and weeping from the sorrows of dying without fulfilling either one.

"Now what? Do I go to heaven...or hell?" He sighed "Why am I even asking? I know where I'm going, might as well brace myself for all eternity, "

Victor closed his eyes.

"I wonder if there's a God here? Would he pity me and let me see my family one last time? I'm sure I can talk it out..."

"....Would my sister forgive me for breaking my promise?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" A loud laugh echoed from the abyss.

"Who-Who's there?!" Victor frantically shook his head from side to side looking for where the ominous voice came from.

"I WAS too rough with you, after all, next time I'll kid gloves, Hahaha," The voice said.

"Wait...I know that voice!" Victor's voice filled with rage and fear "Riven!"

"The story does not ends nor does it begin here, it is still far into the distant future, get stronger or I'll take you away for good... " Riven.

Riven appeared behind him.

"Y-you!" Victor stammered.

Victor's POV

His bigger, I can't see his face under the hood, He's holding a scythe, He-He looks like a spitting image of the accurate Grim reaper!

What did he say...? About a second chance? I can't hear anything well.

"Return to the land of the living, Victor for you have much to do...Victor... Victor... Victor..."

Riven disappeared into the darkness.

"Why's he repeating it?!"

"Victor.... Victor.... Victor..."

"Stop it! STOP IT!" Victor.

"Victor.... Victor.... Victor..."

"Riveeen!!"

*******************************

Victor screamed and woke up in a cold sweat.

"Ahhh! *Heavy breathing* "H-huh? I'm alive?" Victor.

"Victor...? Victor! You're awake?!" Jane said and hugged him tightly.

"Huh? where...am I?" Victor.

"I... thought you died...never do that to us again!" Tears streamed down her face as she hugged her previously departed friend.

"Everyone! Victor's awake!"

She ran out the door and called everyone.

Alice, Anna and Ignatius rushed in, but Anna stayed behind everyone as they were talking to Victor.

"You're alive, I'm glad we made it on time, " Alice sat on the bed next to him.

"H-how am I alive anyway?"

"I healed you up completely, but your heart wouldn't start up again I was so worried," Alice said.

"You weren't breathing, we were scared that you might never wake up again, " Jane.

"How long have I been down?"

"Three months" Alice.

"Three months?! It's August?!"

"Yes, Riven did quite the damage on you, you were lucky to have been alive as long as you were, and even your early awakening is still unbelievable," Ignatius said.

"That doesn't make me feel better, "Victor.

"...I want to apologize for putting you through all that, you weren't ready for this mission yet, and I put you on the most dangerous one on your first time, I am truly ashamed of that" Ignatius.

"It's no problem, It's my fault for not training hard enough...I guess that's what I deserve, I...I lost an arm and a leg so I can't work for you guys anymore"

"But you DO have them back, " Alice.

"Huh?" Victor.

Victor checked his arms, they were both attached and his legs were perfectly fine.

"I'm fixed?!"

"My grace is healing, I can heal all mortal wounds, I used my power to heal you and grow back your appendages" Alice.

He hugged her.

"Thank you so much! I'll never be able to repay you for this!" Victor teared up.

"Hehe, you don't need to repay me, just be safe that's all," She said.

"So what happened? Can you give me a report on what happened to you?" Ignatius said.

"I... don't remember anything... nothing at all" Victor.

They stared in shock, but Anna was more dumbfounded than the rest.

"We'll have Anna check for us later then. Could you do it, Anna?" Alice said.

Anna walked forward.

"I will..." She glared at Alice.

"Wait, I do remember something!" Victor.

"What is it?" Jane.

"It's about Anna," Victor.

Everyone's eyes fixed on him.

"I remember Riven saying she's my "Lover" a lot or something about that we were dating, and I have a vague memory of him showing me kiss her" Victor.

Everyone in the room remained quiet. Anna's face turned red.

"Er, is that all you can remember?" Ignatius.

"That's all I can remember with Riven" Victor.

"Well, then *Cough* maybe you can discuss that with Anna later" Alice.

"Wait, Where's Briggs and Kelvin?" Victor asked.

"There at the front lines of the war" Ignatius.

"War? What war?"

"Three months ago after Briggs and Anna brought you back here, those two got infuriated about what happened to you, so they were about to head back to the hotel and fight Riven, I stopped them of course because we don't need to cause problems, then two months later Grace Carriers started going missing-"

"Missing? But why?" Victor interrupted.

"I was getting to that, but first do you still have memories of Dr Enoch?" Alice

"Yeah, I remember him," Victor.

"Well turns out he leads an organisation that hunts down grace carriers, week after week more and more people went missing and were never heard from again but then agents came about using the powers that were previously given to the chosen, We've noticed that they have connection within the governments of the world, with that they secretly ordered a worldwide manhunt on all grace carriers but to keep the world from going into chaos they did it in secret, more and more people went missing, three weeks later we caught one of the terrorists and Anna extracted his memories of what's going on, she found out that these men were members of a group called the "Grace Exterminators" or "G.E" for short, their purpose is to rid the world of Grace carriers, " Alice.

"That's awful...Why would the government want to rid the world of Grace carriers? They didn't do anything" Victor.

"They most likely aren't even trying to kill them, they may be taking them alive to extract their powers from them and create super soldiers to control the world, every government of the world are after grace users so we deployed some of ours to Aid those in need" Alice.

"I'm getting dizzy from all this info, in this story, where's Briggs and Kelvin?"

"They were sent to protect innocent grace carriers and other people being harassed by the G.E, and since this counts as defying government orders we were made an enemy of the world" Alice.

"What the...?"

"We've been fighting for weeks in secret and in the open, we have lost many of us, but we're still holding strong, with Briggs and Kelvin and their backups we are managing to be on an equal field" Anna.

"This all happened because of me, didn't it? If I did my job at the hotel well, this wouldn't have happened"

"It would have happened either way, with or without our interference, Victor," Anna paused and touched his shoulder, "Don't feel too bad about it, " Anna said in a subtle voice.

Victor smiled.

"Why didn't you two join in the war?" Victor.

"It should be obvious dummy, we were worried about you and wanted to be with you til you woke up" Jane.

"Thanks..."

Victor's POV

I could have been down for years.

"Well, we'll leave you alone to get some rest," Ignatius said then walked out the door.

Alice took Jane and left as well, Anna was about to leave when...

"Hey, Anna, wait up a sec," Victor said.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"C-can you stay with me for a bit?"

"Sorry I can't I have to..." She glanced at his disappointed face "...fine, I'll stay, " She said.

She sat on the chair next to Victor.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"That seems different from how you usually act"

"How do I usually act?"

Anna's POV

I checked his memory of what Riven showed him, It was everything that I did to him...he doesn't seem to remember any at all.

"I meant that you sounded nicer, a bit cheery if I can recall"

Anna's POV

His memory's in scrambles, should I...tell him...?

"I don't even know what I'm talking about, I just had this vague image of us kissing and I can't seem to let it go, I might be confusing my fantasy with reality, sorry if that grossed you out, " Victor.

"You're not, Listen, Victor, I..."

Victor touched her face.

"You seem hot, are you having a fever?"

Anna's POV

He's...hand... it's warm...when last have I felt this? His hand has also grown bigger than I remember.

These warm hands, if I ever told him of what I did... Would I feel this again? Would he ever speak to me like this again? Would he ever forgive me?

Victor put both his hands on her face.

"Your temperature is getting higher, and your face's turning red, " Victor.

Anna stared back into his eyes.

"Er, sorry, I didn't mean to hold you like this, I, " He tried to remove his hand from her face but Anna held onto them and smiled.

"I'm not sick, I'm just reacting to your touch" Anna.

"Er..."

"Victor, how do you feel about me now?"

"What do I feel?" Victor.

"Do you find a part of yourself hating me?" Anna.

"Of course I don't, I don't have any reason to hate you, you saved me, and brought me back, I would do anything I can to repay you," Victor.

"...then kiss me"

"Huh?"

Anna kissed him.

Victor's POV.

She's...

The lip lock ended a minute later.

"Now you've repaid me" Anna.

"Er...?"

"Bye, Victor, get better okay?"

She smiled at him and then left.

"I will..." Victor.

The door closed.

"I can't believe I have a girlfriend, and I don't remember how it happened," *Sigh* "That aside, what did Riven mean by:

"The story does not ends nor does it begin here, it is still far into the distant future, get stronger or I'll take you away for good"

He's coming back, isn't he... I swear the next time I see him... I'll end him."

"But, as of now I'm still very weak and I have no idea how powerful Riven truly is..."Grim Reaper" huh? He's a God of death if we fought right now, I'd die, Riven is going to be in trouble if I can't find a way to kill him...Heh, until this year, I wouldn't think I'd be fighting a "God", Please real God, help me with this"

Victor stood up from the bed and grabbed an apple on the table, He threw it into the air.

"Time Lag" Victor.

The apple stopped in the air.

"Phew, I can still use my powers, that's a relief...Looks like Victor Edosa is back!"