[[Valares POV]]

The Devil.

The Devil has come for me. And Selena brought him here herself.

I had always envisioned hell to be much, hotter. With intense flames licking your feet and screams of sinners flooding your ears. The reality though, was much crueller. It was just an endless void of white, with no sense of time or space. And yet, the famous quote came to mind. “I think, so I am.” I think, so I definitely exist, and yet nothing else seems to prove my justification.

Then, came the reprieve. The shining hope from an endless extension of nothingness. They say that people see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that it serves as their guide to salvation. Light is all I see right now, and that window of darkness seemed to shake my mind, telling me that, that is the way out of this madness.

I was pulled from the void by invisible forces. I was not even sure if it was merely my consciousness, or my body that was moving. So much time had passed without being able to feel, hear, see, smell or move anything that I was on the verge of assuming I was without form.

As I was pulled through the window, I saw the moon, and the stars and the dark night sky. I wept instantly, knowing that I had been saved. I could hear the sound of waves, I could feel the wind on my skin, smell the salt in the air. I could breathe again. I had almost forgotten what breathing felt like for it was not a privilege I had within the white void. Then, I heard a voice.

It took me some time to register where I was, or even what I was. The voice kept rambling on, but I was too focused on orientating myself to care. I was floating in mid-air, in the middle of the night, high above the sea. Sea. That right, I was a pirate, and the Devil sent me to hell. Now I’m back. I escaped the Devil’s clutches.

The voice kept rambling on, and it started to sound aggressive. Abruptly without any indication of what was to come, I was suddenly thrust back into the white void. No. This cannot be happening. My paradise. It was too short. Why am I back here again. Nononono… LET ME OUT!! I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. I did not even know if my mouth worked, or my lungs. My head was fixed and I could not even blink, forced to stare into the blinding white light once again.

Seconds turned to minutes, then into hours, days and what I thought might be weeks before I saw a glimpse of my paradise once again. Yes. It’s finally here once again. This time, I will grasp it to my best ability and never let it go. My nirvana approaches as once more, I was pulled through the dark window, to be granted the view that I so longed for. The dark night sky and the bright white moon lifted my spirits to heights I never knew possible.

“…. Ole?? … … the mole!??” (voice)

“Wha.. what?” I spoke, ecstatic that I could finally hear my voice in my ears and not my head.

“WHO IS THE MOLE!?!” (Devil)

I focused my sight from the sky to the man who was floating at eye level. It’s the Devil. What is he doing here? As I open my mouth to scream, I was once more thrust back into the white hell. I now knew what was happening. I was being toyed. The Devil is using me as his entertainment, watching me suffer. Watching my mind break in the hellish prison that he’s cast me into. 3 times, he’s sent me here. 3 times he’s watched me suffer, torturing me. What does he want from me? What should I do to end this, to appease the Devil?

What was he asking me again? Something about a mole. Who is the mole? What mole? Mole. Mole mole mole mole mole. The word kept repeating in my head in an endless cycle. What the hell is the devil talking about? I did not have any moles with me. Why did he want a mole?

Wait.. He said WHO is the mole. He is looking for a person. But who is so daring to betray this devil? I had no idea what he was talking about, and I had an eternity to think it through once more.

Almost losing my mind, I saw the dark window open again. This time, I’m prepared. I failed the last 2 times, but now, I am sure I can escape this prison for good. I embraced the invisible force once more as it pulled me through the void and out into the same night sky.

“Are you ready to talk yet?” The devil asked, yawning as if this was boring him.

“Yes.” I replied succinctly, afraid anything more will anger him. It would be best to keep him relaxed as he is now. I saw him smile, which could be a good sign.

“Tell me, who ordered you to attack the fleet? Who is the mole within Palmer’s fleet?” The man asked. The seriousness in his tone was deafening.

“What fleet? I don’t kno – noooo wait wait wait!! Nooooo” I screamed as I was shoved into the white prison once more. As soon as my mouth entered the prison, my voice ceased to exist, as I caught one last glimpse of the devil’s smile before the dark window shut in my face, for the fourth time.

I cannot take this anymore. I will die of insanity if he pulls the reaches of paradise from me again. If he throws me back in here once more. This void. It toys with my mind. Breaking me slowly from inside. I will not let the next chance go. Who is the mole? I need to answer the devil’s question. This is but a game for him, but for me, it is a torturous hell unlike anything.

Once again, I’m back outside, staring at the devil. I’m pleading him to let me go, not to push me back inside that eternity of torturous silence.

“I will give you one last chance.” The devil reminded me. I smiled! He’s giving me a chance. A chance to keep my mind, a chance to keep my sanity intact.

“Aa.. any- anything.” I stammered, trying my best not to incur his wrath.

“I only want to hear a name. The name of the mole. Anything else, and you will go back to suffer in your mind.” He threatened.

“Wha- what mole…? I- I need more informa – NOOOOOO!!!! PLEASE!!!” My scream was cut off once more as I plunge into the depths of my mind, losing my sense of reality and self. I think, so I am? No. I don’t think I exist anymore. Traces of words barely float into my mind as the silence grappled my consciousness for the 5th time.

Mole? What is a mole? Who is a mole? Mole of what? Of Who? Fleet? Attack fleet? Mole.. mole… Armstrong. He hired me. He attacked his own fleet. He is the mole. Armstrong. The devil wants Armstrong. If I give him Armstrong he will let me go. I will carve this name into my mind, overwrite this silence.

Armstrong.. Armstrong…

Night sky… moon… Devil… Speaking… mole? Name the mole?

“Armstrong…” I whispered, barely collecting my mind from the shambles it’s crumbled into from the time spent in the prison. “ARMSTRONG!!!” I screamed. He is the one responsible for my suffering! I will give him up to end my suffering. Surrender him to the Devil! Free myself!!

“It’s Armstrong! He hired me! He’s the mole!” I yelled, making sure everyone in the world knew who was the one responsible for making me suffer.

The devil smiled. He carried and pulled me through the air and landed on a cold metallic ship. I never thought feeling something physical could be so calming and exciting at the same time. I can feel my mind piecing back together. Ship. That’s right this is a ship. And that is a human. Then, I looked up and saw the Devil once more.

Is he not done with me!? I gave him what he needed! I need to hide! I quickly grasped the pants of the human who seemed to be facing the devil, trying with all my might to hold onto him, hoping that he will not let me be taken again.

I know! Armstrong. He wants Armstrong. Armstrong. If I say Armstrong, he will not put me back inside his prison. Armstrong.

“Armstrong. Armstrong. Armstrong…” I kept mumbling, trying to repeat the word that saved me the last time.

The devil seems to be distracted; talking to the human I’m cowering behind. Is this human on the same side as the devil!? I need to get away. I shrieked as the devil took a step towards me. Scrambling on all fours, having forgotten the sensation of using my limbs, I backed away into the furthest corner from the devil, bracing myself to return to the void once more just for his entertainment.

Thankfully, he left soon after. Armstrong kept him away. I’m never going back again if I keep saying that name. Armstrong. Armstrong. Armstrong.

[[End of Valares POV]]

[[Armstrong POV]]

Tch!! Who the hell was that guy!? He completely ruined my plans! And that Valares! He sold me out so quickly. To think I even got myself shot on purpose during the battle to romve any suspicions of me being the mole.

Now there is a whole manhunt for me. I already shot my first mate and dumped his body into the depths. There is no way he is going to take the fall for this. He is definitely going to sell me out the second he gets the chance. My only chance is to bide my time in this wall space until the heat dies down. Then I can easily commandeer one of the speedboats and get away.

I’ve been stuck here for almost a day now. It looks like the heart of the hunt has moved from the Dauntless to the other destroyers. I guess now is as good a time as any to make my getaway. I might as well go and see Selena. From what I’ve heard, she has a new megacarrier that can control a formidable number of harrier jets. I guess I’ll just have to offer her more than what I did for Valares to attack the fleet once more.

Good. Everything is prepared. The boat is fully charged and I have spare reactor cores to last me till the French archipelago. It shouldn’t take long, but at least I have something I can trade with if I do end up not using the spare reactor core. It is the dead of the night, the search party is a minimal at this time. If I can mingle in with the civilian boats, I will be able to get far enough before anyone notices.

I start my engine and hear it come to life with a soft hum, sending ripples into the water. With a sudden acceleration, I shoot out of the side of the Dauntless, into the … day… light? No, it was night time just moments ago. How is everything so bright? Is it searchlights?

I look around. Huh? I can’t look around. I can’t move anything. Am I dead? Did I get shot the moment I left the dauntless? Where is my boat? Where is everything? The sea, the moon, the sky, the air! All gone!

If I’m dead, then what am I now? A Spirit? Is this what the afterlife is? So quiet, so serene, so void of… everything. I can still think, I can hear my own voice in my head. My head… do I still have a head?

…

…

…

…

Moving… I am moving… It’s been so long. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t. I have stared at this blinding white light for all of my spiritual life. Now, I can feel myself moving. I see some greenery, in a small window far away.

I know I’m moving towards the window, not the window to me. I can feel the motion, oddly though since I can’t move. I can now see the lush greenery of a forest canopy. The air is warm and my head is filled with the sounds of the forest, which is a refreshing relief from my own voice.

I can move my neck, but strangely, not my body. Am I paralysed? Looking down, I can see my body, finally after an eternity. It is however, wrapped in silver threads, restricting my movements. I follow the threads with my eyes and see a man, floating in the air, next to a young girl and a beautiful lady.

I see his mouth move, and the young girl smile, before she transformed right before my eyes into a monstrosity that resembled a huge winged serpent. This is it. I thought I was dead, but now I really am. I can see the mouth of the serpent slowly creak open as the huge gaping maw came straight for me.

Darkness. That’s all I see. I feel the slimy fluids around my body as I feel my body being crushed. I scream, in agony and frustration. That is all I can do before I accept my fate. My last memory will be off the foul stench of corroding flesh and the ear piercing scream of my own voice.

[[End of Armstrong’s POV]]

“Master, Thank you for the meal. It’s been so long since I’ve eaten a proper meal.” Sher licked her giant serpent lips with her forked tongue as she gulped the traitor in a single bite.

“Ahhh... It feels so great to finally be able to use our skills again.” Isana breathed, taking in the well missed feeling of mana infused air. She transformed into her titan dragon form and soared through the skies in circles, Sher following closely on her tail.

“Well, I better get going now.” Rashael chimed in as he waved to Kiefer. “I want to try implementing what I’ve learnt to my home. So, if you want to find me, you know where to look.” He said, as he leapt off Kiefer’s mana platform and sank straight into the ground.

“Lets’ get going shall we?” Kiefer asked as he rose through the air and sprinted alongside the 2 titans who were enjoying their freedom of movement. “Let’s go home.”

With that the 3 of them shot through the sky, homeward bound, half excited to finally be back home, and half curious as to how much it has changed. Meanwhile, a small dog that was trailing behind a patrol group of adventurers looked up into the sky. He was not certain, but he had a feeling that finally, after 5 years of loneliness, his master had returned.

Hello y'all. Sorry for the missing update yesterday, but it was my BIRTHDAY!!! YIPPEE I am now one year closer to the grim reaper. anyways, i took the day off to enjoy and had a wonderful cake with my family. So here is today's chapter. It was a little grim, but i feel it adds colour to my story if i tell it from another person's POV. Hope you enjoyed it.

PS.. please if it is not too much trouble, give me a rating and review, an advanced one if possible so more people know about my fiction. I am such an attention whore. haha. I would say that I write to bring my characters to life and whatnot, but i know that is not true. I know that all your comments and reviews are actually what keeps me writing and not bottled up inside my head so i would feel very alone if you stopped reading my fiction.