Folly & Agendas & Talulah

Chapter 51

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Out on the deck of the Rhodes Island land-ship stood a Draco, Kaiser Rye, weary from battle. His hand rested on the rails as he gazed at the sun sinking below the horizon. The smell of smoke released from the ship's exhaust, paired with sweat dripping from his head, mixed together and formed a putrid stench. The air felt, at first, humid, but it cooled as the last vestiges of light vanished, replaced by the cold, ephemeral breezes of night. 

He used his hands to touch the burn scars carved into his face; each one shaped like a crooked hand. Two fingers –index and middle– reached the bags beneath his eyes. The surface felt like a cluster of scabs; a solid carapace resting on his once handsome face. He picked at it, watching thin flakes of maroon fall to the ground, like snow floating from a winter sky.

Within a heartbeat, a white flash pierced the sky, rendering the night sky alight. He looked up and saw the clouds part, vanishing into thin contrails, flowing away from his sight. The smell of spring air imbued a sense of relief and sorrow inside him. The lights above danced around for a few moments, until they subsided, funneling into a trail of gray until they reached their ultimate demise. 

Kaiser Rye released a rueful sigh, as he knew about the light's source. And in his ears, he heard a peculiar voice, known to him as a manifestation of all of his mistakes –and his faults. He covered his ears, hoping to block out all the words flowing into his head, but his effort was futile.

"Dadee~ where are you?"

A voice filled with such joy inside his ears, now spoke with haggard breaths. He clenched his hands on his head, as tears rolled down from his eyes. 

"I'm scared."

An urge to fight –to go back– bloomed in his chest, but he can't do anything; everything happened in the past. For whatever reason, his eyes remained open, staring blankly ahead of him. An aimless stupor overcame him, until a violent tremor shook his organs. 

He watched as the land-ship he stood on warp into a wasteland littered with corpses. Countless fires raged on, scorching the ground and the nearby buildings. A cloudy mist saturated the air, dyeing the world a repulsive red. Streaks of black lined the ravaged dirt; bones were discarded on their erratic path. Trees erupted in flames as the calamity played on in front of him –but he was motionless.

"No! This isn't right!" He screamed.

An unknown being crawled inside his skin, his Oripathy –jutting out from his neck and throat– twisted and turned; the skin on his body ripped apart, exposing his flesh underneath. He limbs rendered immobile as the pain inside his body grew unbearable. The crystals on his throat suffocated him, as they pierced deep inside neck. He couldn't scream; letting out strained puffs of air, before he fell on his chest, half-dead. Blood oozed out of his mouth as he moved his head to his side. 

"Dadee! Help me! Waaaah!"

The cries of a little girl echoed through the place. He couldn't see her, if she was even there in the first place, from the red mist in the air. From what he noticed with his remaining vision, the place around him was fake. And with one final breath, he yelled –in fear...

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"That didn't happen," He said. "It's not the right place."

But that yell escaped in a strained whisper, inside a cafeteria belonging to Rhodes Island. Kaiser Rye rubbed his eyes with his left hand, hoping to relieve himself from his nightmare. A bowl of thick soup sat untouched in front of him on the table he sat next to; its expected delicious aroma has long disappeared. The lights above flickered, grabbing his attention as he groaned in frustration.