Part 4: The Hero is already dead

The finger I used to navigate the blue panels of light trembled. I looked at the screen, and the message contained within it. It was a mistake, right?

CONDITIONS PAGE

[Marked for Death]

This System was a mistake, Hero.

It... what...?

It... had to be a bad joke, or something right?

My head felt light, and my instincts began to tell me to run and to hide somewhere. With a shaky finger, I closed the panel. My breathing stopped at some point, and I wasn’t even aware of it until I started gasping for air desperately.

I shook my head, and took deep breaths. Maybe this was all just a figment of my imagination or something. The words written – they never proved anything. It was just that; numbers and words.

Yeah. I hit my head, maybe when I was sleeping, and now I’m simply imagining these kinds of things. Yeah, yeah. That sounds way more likely that whatever those panels showed me, and whatever was written in that.

“Hey, Marcus—”

Within a fraction of a second, before I realized it, my body moved at incredible speeds. In my hands was a stick I found earlier, sharpened by a rock, and pointed to whoever spoke. It was Tobias, and he seemed to be dazed. Then his eyes focused, and he looked at the sharpened stick I was holding.

“Ah.” I finally said, letting out a breath I didn’t know I held. I lowered the makeshift weapon, before turning to him to apologize.

But he spoke before I did. “So you felt it too, huh?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The ominous feeling in the air. That’s why you’re on edge, right?”

“Ominous...?” I trailed off, before I felt like laughing. It was certainly one way to put it. So with a chuckle, I nodded. “Ominous indeed... Remember what I said earlier?” Tobias nodded, and in his eyes, I could see that he somehow had an idea that it was related to whatever my power or hallucination was.

“On the Conditions Page... the only thing I saw was a Message.” I said, grimacing. I could not forget the message, especially with how long I stared at it, and how frightening it was. “’Marked for Death’ it said, ‘This System was a mistake,’ it said.”

In my mind, it sounded like some cruel joke played on me. So I laughed. I laughed, and laughed, and when I was done, I looked at him. “Funny joke, right?”

Tobias’ lips were pursed together, and his gaze was worried. He said nothing for the longest time, and for a second, I thought that he already deemed me insane. Then he spoke, and his words gave me hope. “We should probably tell your father.”

Then I paused. That... made sense. My father was probably the strongest person I knew, and maybe, just maybe, he might stand a chance at whatever wanted me dead. But even then, I didn’t know how I was supposed to convince him in the first place.

And not the mention, I didn’t know if we had the time to do that in the first place... But it was worth a shot. So I nodded in reply.

Tobias nodded back, and patted my back. “Glad to see your sense of reason back.” He said, and I couldn’t help but grin back.

“Try staying calm when those messages appear.” I replied, and then without any warning, I broke into a sprint towards my house.

It was all-or-nothing in this plan, and I really hoped it worked.

***

My suggestion should have worked... it should have, if we were allowed to reach the village in the first place. But as it was, there was someone... no, something blocking our path.

It was something clad in shadows, and hooded in a gray, wispy veil that I could only describe was made out of souls. And with that, my body instinctively understood that it was an embodiment of death.

With a wordless stare, I looked at it... but it didn’t look at me. Instead, its attention was focused on Marcus, and I realized that whatever this thing was, it was going to kill Marcus. It started to drift closer to him, slowly and carefully.

“Analysis.” He whispered tonelessly, before his eyes moved once, then completely stopped. And when he did... all of the energy in his body was seemingly drained away.

He was completely frozen; his eyes were glazed over as if he accepted his fate, and he only stared back at the thing... No, at the air ahead of him. Those unseen panels of light... it must have brought another ominous message, and it must have broken his will.

.. But not on my watch, at least! I slapped Marcus, and his eyes regained their focus. “Run away! I’ll keep it busy!”

“What about you?!” He asked, although I was already pushing him away towards a direction. “That’s... I don’t even know what it is! You won’t win!”

“It wants you! Don’t worry about me!” I snapped back, and finally, he heeded my words and proceeded to run towards the direction of the village.

The shadowy figure of death started to move, slightly faster than before, but I jumped at it, intending to restrain it, even for a second at least. Just like how Marcus saved me from that battle field, it was my turn to save him now...!

My arms reached out to grab it—

-̵̢͈̯͎̳̗̱̞͉͉̗̮͈̓͛̋̓͠-̴̡̛͔̩̗̦̟̠̮͉̭͓̥̽͑͊̉͋̆͊̈́̎̓͘͘͝͝-̷̺̬̖̗̪͍͇̇͌͐̅́̈́̚̚͝-̸̹͇̜͈̆͒͐̏̃̍͐͑̚͝͝-̸͙̮̈̉͊̐̎̑̈́͘͝-̴͓̗͖̣̻͉͂-̸̦̜̞̙͕̗̣̟͉͒͑-̶̧̟̌̾̊͑̑́̈̀̃̃͘̚-̴̱̲̠̗̻͇̈́̊̆́̕͜͜͝͝-̴͕̪̗̼̩̮͚͒̈́͌̈́̉͌͐̚̕͜͝͝-̸̥̼̖͉͔͓̼̲͈͒̎̆͛̇͌̅̄̌͂̔̐͌͝͝-̸̰̯̯́̉̈́͐̈́̒͂̈́͌̕͜ͅ-̵̡͈͎͑-̸̨̫̞̖̻̟̘̟̱͇̙͙̰͈̠͆̋̽̃́̊͒̅̾̕̚͘͝-̷̲̗̮̣̟͇͍̃͆̑͊̄ͅ-̸̧̛̳̤͎̠̥̝͚͚̠̰̱͎̓͋̀̌̀̽́͠͝͝͝-̸̨͈̺͚͚͔̯̭̋̒̍̅-̵͍̞̼͚̺̬͚̥̒͜-̶̫̰̦̘̰̹͂̔͂̔̂̆̍̈́̆̀́͆̚̕͘͜ͅ-̵̱̮̫̿̔̀̽-̷̢̩͉̯͈̝̼͈̪̖̱̝͔͊͜-̸̨̡̻̻̹͚̄͛̄̀̂̆̿̅̿̿̈́̚̚͠͝-̶̢̘͍̦͑̄͋̍͘͘͜͝ͅ-̸̦̫̮̰̙̰̞͚͆̾́̍̓͆̈̃̊̕͝͝-̷̢̩̤̰̱̳̤͎̞͕̩̲͓̩̓̍̌̅͌̓̌͑̒͘͜͠-̸̡͔̘̻͇͇̰̤̋͗̈́͊̎͗̌̀-̶̟͎̮̥̥̆͗́̽̚-̵̩̜̒

-̵̢͈̯͎̳̗̱̞͉͉̗̮͈̓͛̋̓͠-̴̡̛͔̩̗̦̟̠̮͉̭͓̥̽͑͊̉͋̆͊̈́̎̓͘͘͝͝-̷̺̬̖̗̪͍͇̇͌͐̅́̈́̚̚͝-̸̹͇̜͈̆͒͐̏̃̍͐͑̚͝͝-̸͙̮̈̉͊̐̎̑̈́͘͝-̴͓̗͖̣̻͉͂-̸̦̜̞̙͕̗̣̟͉͒͑-̶̧̟̌̾̊͑̑́̈̀̃̃͘̚-̴̱̲̠̗̻͇̈́̊̆́̕͜͜͝͝-̴͕̪̗̼̩̮͚͒̈́͌̈́̉͌͐̚̕͜͝͝-̸̥̼̖͉͔͓̼̲͈͒̎̆͛̇͌̅̄̌͂̔̐͌͝͝-̸̰̯̯́̉̈́͐̈́̒͂̈́͌̕͜ͅ-̵̡͈͎͑-̸̨̫̞̖̻̟̘̟̱͇̙͙̰͈̠͆̋̽̃́̊͒̅̾̕̚͘͝-̷̲̗̮̣̟͇͍̃͆̑͊̄ͅ-̸̧̛̳̤͎̠̥̝͚͚̠̰̱͎̓͋̀̌̀̽́͠͝͝͝-̸̨͈̺͚͚͔̯̭̋̒̍̅-̵͍̞̼͚̺̬͚̥̒͜-̶̫̰̦̘̰̹͂̔͂̔̂̆̍̈́̆̀́͆̚̕͘͜ͅ-̵̱̮̫̿̔̀̽-̷̢̩͉̯͈̝̼͈̪̖̱̝͔͊͜-̸̨̡̻̻̹͚̄͛̄̀̂̆̿̅̿̿̈́̚̚͠͝-̶̢̘͍̦͑̄͋̍͘͘͜͝ͅ-̸̦̫̮̰̙̰̞͚͆̾́̍̓͆̈̃̊̕͝͝-̷̢̩̤̰̱̳̤͎̞͕̩̲͓̩̓̍̌̅͌̓̌͑̒͘͜͠-̸̡͔̘̻͇͇̰̤̋͗̈́͊̎͗̌̀-̶̟͎̮̥̥̆͗́̽̚-̵̩̜̒

***

“[Analysis].”

[???]

I ran, and ran in great strides. That thing... That thing which was not supposed to exist... I knew it was out to kill me. And I was paralyzed with fear, until Tobias snapped me out of it. I didn’t know if his plan would work or anything, but I trusted him nonetheless.

It wasn’t as if I could come up with anything better in my panicked mind, anyways.

There were still some people standing around the paved-stone streets, as I slipped and dodged past these people. In turn, I could feel some of their gazes focus on me, but I ignored it.

And in the far off distance, I saw the ever familiar house I called my home. With a half-relieved grin, I sprinted even faster than before, and thought to myself that maybe I might survive after all.

So I opened the door –

Only to be greeted by the face of certain Death. And with its existence, time seemed to stop, and everything was silent and monotone. I looked around, only to find the trees eerily still, and the people outside looking like statues. Even my father, who was sitting in front of the fireplace – he only sat in place unmoving, and it was as if I was looking at a painting.

“Greetings, Hero.” It said, and I froze again. This time, it wasn’t fear... it was surprise, and shock. “You already know who... what I am, correct?”

“...” I said nothing, glaring at it. When it did nothing and said nothing, I spoke again. “You want to kill me, don’t you?”

“Kill is too crude of a word, don’t you think... But by all accounts, that is not wrong.” It commented, and I felt my patience run thin. Did it want to torment me as well, before it killed me? But before I could say anything, it spoke again. “But the circumstances right now are... strange.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“There is a certain... price for the System you have. And somebody had died for your sake, so I have the option to leave you be if you want it.”

I narrowed my eyes, and glared at it. “What do you mean someone else died in my stead? What price are you talking about?”

Rather than feel offended, the entity in front of me seemed to laugh, the sounds coming out like a harsh, wailing noise that can only be performed by the souls of the dead. I glared at it even harder, and when it composed itself, it spoke once more. “You see... A sacrifice to pay for your heroic abilities... paid by none other than your friend.”

I blinked, processing its words. Then I paled, when I understood what it was saying. I felt my eyes widen, and my hands curled up in anger.

And as if to sense my distress, the entity raised a skeletal finger, and the air around its finger distorted. Then, a body fell down to the floor with a sickening crack. I stared at it, and felt my eyes widen when I realized who that body belonged to.

“This is the consequence of trying to stop This Being. It was a mistake that your friend had made, entirely for your sake.” It said, and I only felt my hands clench tightly into fists, my nails digging into my palm with stings of pain I ignored. “But make no mistake... I am but merciful, and this can be averted.”

“What... what do you mean...?” I grit out.

“This person was a brave soul to try to stop me from claiming what is due. But if you willingly give me your life, I will return this person to where he rightfully belongs.”

I stared at it. Hope blossomed in my chest, but it wasn’t for me. It was for my friend who willingly gave up his life to try to stop certain Death itself from killing me. But... “Why are you offering me this? What difference would it make?”

“Indeed... What difference would it make if I just claimed both of your lives...” It chuckled, and I felt myself pale. Stupid... stupid...! I shouldn’t have tried to ask, and just accepted it right away! But even so, it kept speaking. “But no. It would make a difference, just one that you would not be able to understand... But you realize, do you not? This friend of yours tried to stop me for your sake.”

“But it depends on you now. Would you rather become the Hero the World wants, or would you become the Hero your Friend needs?”

At those words, I was only speechless. But because I didn’t want to offend it any further and potentially retract its statement, I gave a nod. No hesitation whatsoever... and to think that only a few minutes ago, I was desperately trying to live.

Maybe hearing about Tobias’ selflessness inspired something in me. And just as he threw away his life to try to save mine, I will offer my life to save his.

And with that, Death nodded to itself, and reached out with its skeletal finger, touching the body on the ground. A subtle glow from its finger appeared, and I could understand what it was.

It was Tobias’ soul, and just like its subtle glow, it reflected his subdued, introverted nature, and the bravery in his heart.

That person who stood by himself in the forests alone, after being shunned away by his group of so-called-friends... The person that became my best friend. The appearance of his soul was so, so very pretty, and only matched him, if nothing else.

And after that, the subtly glowing soul was placed into the body, before it dispersed into a thin, misty layer which surrounded the body, and finally got absorbed as it sank beneath the skin.

“And with that, your friend among the living once more.” It said, and I nodded. Then it offered its hand to me, and I looked at it. “Come now. It is time for you to join This Being into the next plane.”

And out of respect for its kindness, I took it.

I’m sorry Tobias, but it’s up to you now. I know that you looked up to me, and you probably thought that I would make a great hero someday, but...

That is impossible.

Because at the end of this day, the Hero is already dead.