Found You.

Gruesome

I felt that his request was more of a command, especially since the mechanical eyeballs floating around him were staring directly at me.

This is awkward, can those disfigured puppies break eye contact already?

Daring not to show any emotion on my face, I got up slowly to avoid making any sudden movements. I felt hundreds of eyes leave Mary and stare towards me, boring into me as if i were under trial, I could feel the suspicion and interest in the air. I heard a whisper behind me as I got up, barely audible.

"Good Luck."

With my hands to my sides, I give a slight unnoticeable thumbs up to indicate I got the message.

Thanks, I'll need it.

I have a plan, I know I do. This feeling was unmistakable, it was similar to when I was about to remember a detail about 'Paradise Lost'. It felt similar to forgetting something you were just thinking of or losing train of thought. Which made me wonder, did my amnesia apply to present memories as well?

With every step I moved closer, the priest and his entourage followed me with their eyes. I felt like I was already proven guilty and was heading towards the guillotine. The pressure caused my palms to get sweaty, and I felt like there was a mental pressure pressing against me. Surely that psycho didn't go through the same pressure?

Huh.

Suddenly, without even realizing it, I was in front of the priest, eyes down in a trance. The past 30 seconds blurred together - I didn't even remember walking up the steps onto the podium. The only indication I was on the podium was the Emperor's massive sword looming over me to my left, casting a shadow on me and the priest.

Did he cast some kind of spell on me?

I could feel myself slightly shake under his gaze, hoping that he wouldn't pick it up. I could feel the pressure of the moment, and not just the mechanical eyeballs were staring at me. I could feel the crowds gaze the moment my lack of last name was mentioned.

Curiosity, intrigue, worry, but most importantly...

Disdain.

I learnt to adapt to the cards I was given, and because I was a commoner, I was prepared for such looks. But on this stage, in front of so many people waiting to see my fate, I felt kind of sick.

I can't believe I'm acting like a child doing his first presentation, but I can't help but feel like I don't belong here.

"Kneel."

As I heard this command, I quickly kneeled in a similiar fashion to Mary, and awaited my so called "Judgement". If it came down to it, I'll just be labeled a black sorcerer. It would suck, but I could deal with the contempt, I always did. But I just have this nagging feeling telling me that's not how this is going to go.

"Damian, who has no family. I talk to you now in private, no one shall hear us. Is there anything you'd like to confess before our lord. This is your only chance. Once you walk the path of the divine, you will face corruption at every corner, madness on every avenue. Many lose themselves, and many die."

Wow, talk about heavy. Should I confess that I'm a black mage? Or should I gamble? Shit, I can't decide.

In the middle of my existentialist crisis, the priest spoke in a more authoritative town.

"You have 6 seconds, before I decide your fate myself."

Quickly, in a panic, I finally responded in a composed tone.

"No, I have nothing to confess."

I could feel the priest in front of me start to move his hand, his fingers still wet with blood.

"We shall see about that."

Fuck, think think think. What do I do. Please let this gamble pay off.

I suddenly felt a wet and warm sensation touch my forehead, but nothing happened. No flash of black, my head was still on my shoulders, everything seemed to be frozen.

No, wait. Everything is frozen.

Looking to my right towards the audience, there was no movement. It seemed as though I was frozen in time. I could see Arthur even, his eyes still frozen in apprehension.

Suddenly, I felt the wet fingers on my head move down slowly, down my face drawing a line of blood across it, except this time, the blood ran cold.

Wait, hes still awake, this was never described to happen like this, what in gods green-

Suddenly, the wet cold sensation reached my neck, and I felt a hand slowly tighten around my throat, constricting me of air. My eyes started to water a bit as I struggled to breathe, from the way I was looking downwards, I could see an arm dripping blood, as crimson painted the floor and puddles seemed to rapidly form, bubbling from the ground.

W-what the fuck is happening-

Suddenly the gripping sensation pulled me up from my neck, lifting me in the air, the strength from his arm was strong, but the air felt like it was pulling me up as well. I tried to grip my hand against the force around my throat, but I could barely move my arms, as if they were strapped to my sides. The blood around my neck started to pool down my clothes, soaking me in an ice cold sensation that caused me to shiver, and my nose was assaulted by the smell of sulphar and iron.

From the angle, I could see that it was an arm, the priest's arm, that was holding me in the air, and I felt as though the air was tightening around me. From this angle I could finally see under his hood. But before that, another smell, this time of rust and rot met my nose as I struggled to gag. My eyes started to water as the air felt poisonous, and the little breath I could muster felt acidic in my lungs.

Finally, I got a proper look under his hood, and his enigmatic visage crumbled under my gaze of horror. My whole mind screamed at me to move, and I wanted to physically scream, yet I had no limbs, and I had no voice.

Under that hood, the 'mans' left side of his face was machine. The candlelight from the three candles to my left reflected a cold sliver metallic structure. Steel coated and surrounded a glowing eye that stared deeply into me. I could see metal cogs move around inside, as if I could see into his head.

But my eyes drew to the right side of his face in horror and fear. I could only describe it as an otherworldly abomination. Mucus, pus and organic matter mixed in a disgusting dance, bugs crawling and burrowing in its 'skin'. I felt the urge to vomit and pass out, but felt the hand squeezing my throat force it down as it forced me to face it.

Suddenly we were eye to eye, in a flash my face was mere centimeters away from it, and its eyes started to change color, both unnatural and hypnotic. Both metallic and eldritch horror mixed together in a deformed temperament to produce a monstrous form.

Its eyes finally transformed into a blood red, its irises started to move in its socket, and my eyes couldn't move from its place, and I felt myself slowly falling into a trance as I chocked out a final whimper.

"P-please anyone help m-"

Then the 'priest' started speaking, causing my mouth to squeeze shut as if needles were being sewn into my skin. Its deformed mouth of half machine and half organic slowly broke out in a twisted smile, its eyes still not blinking as it uttered its first words, breaking the sickening silence with its poisonous and sickly words.

"Found you."