Ego University [Season 2]

Chapter 84- Shadow's Stone

I found myself laying on the bed of an empty bedroom. I slowly sat up, choking on the black smoke that poisoned the air. I got off the bed, stumbling over to the door and down the small hallway... no... god no. I looked around the opened living room and kitchen, bright flames eating the walls. I ran over to the door, still choking on the poisoned smoky air before falling to the ground... now struggling to breathe. I grabbed the doorknob yet the lock had been reversed, I'm locked in here. I started pounding on the door "Help! The house is on fire!" I yelled, coughing a bit as the flames got brighter "Please... help!". My vision had started going blurry, lungs filled with smoke as I leaned against the door "My light..." I turned my head towards the couch being eaten by flames, there was a blackened figure, they looked as if they've been burnt yet they were a combination of shadow and ash. "W-who..." I could barely speak "I'm d̸̙͐à̸̪ṙ̷̝k̴̬̈́n̶̯͂e̴̢̋s̵̓ͅs̵̩̆... remember?" the figure asked, I slowly shook my head. They walked over to me, kneeling down beside me, caressing my face with their left hand, their skin felt like hot embers "You fell for me, your first love... your only love" they spoke gently as I continued to cough and choke on smoke. "Does t-that... make me... shadow?" I struggled to ask "No, you are light, you are no one's shadow" they answered. The blackened figure kissed my forehead "You can't have a flame's inner darkness without its inner light" they pulled away "In a world on fire... you are its light"-

(No One's Pov)
Erik slammed a textbook down on Gamer's desk, waking the fallen who jolted at the loud sound as a few of his classmates laughed a bit. Gamer looked around the classroom before looking up at the teacher standing in front of him, realizing that he had fell asleep in class "S-sorry sir... I didn't get much sleep last night" Gamer tiredly apologized as Erik picked up the textbook he had slammed on the student's desk. "Well go to bed earlier than, as long as you're not sleeping during class, then I don't exactly care where you 'power out' " Erik stated, walking back to the front of the classroom "Now can someone 'update' Gamer on what we've just talked about while he was in dreamland?... Isra?". "How and why a human may pick or carry out specific virtues or sins" the other shadow walker answered "Yes, but keep in mind... every person can perform an act of any virtue or sin yet there will always be one that they'll be 'labeled' as" Erik stated "All demonic and angelic egos always try to guide their humans towards virtues". The teacher placed the textbook down on the teacher's desk "Yet sometimes pushing them towards virtues can also push them onto a path of a sin connected to that virtue- "Can Gamer Shadow please come to the principal's office" the speaker announced as Gamer signed. Erik motioned the fallen to leave, and so he did. Gamer packed up his things into his bag, stood up and walked out of the classroom, slowly making his way down the corridor.

(Gamer's Pov)
I turned off into another corridor, only passing a couple of classrooms "Gamer" I stopped, turning around to see Li, fading out of shadow as they walked closer to me "Li?" "I've been waiting until you were completely alone-" I poked them in the arm, feeling the fabric of their shirt. Li rubbed their arm where I poked them "Seriously? the poking? again?" they questioned as I narrowed my eyes. "You're not suppose to be here or anywhere near me" I told Li "Does it count when no one's around?" "I... I guess not..." I turned back around, walking away from Li "I only said that stuff so you'd regret it" I turned to Li, raising a brow "What?" "You had to regret putting off the deal" I took a step closer to Li. "What do you mean that I had to regret it?" "Just trust me Gamer..." I looked at the ground "You're gonna be a lot happier with him than with anyone else, you're gonna end up deeply hurt by anyone else you trust your heart to-" "Li, just stop" I looked up at them "I'm not interested in being with anyone, I've got too much to worry about already". I started walking again "Gamer, I'm serious-" "Drop it" I snapped before continuing to walk down the corridor, ignoring Li. I turned off into another corridor, stopping in front of the door of Ianthe's office. I hesitated for a minute before knocking before hearing a muffled "Come in". I turned the doorknob and opened the door, walking into the room to see both Ianthe and... oh crap "A-Aristomache? Why are you here?" I asked, slowly closing the door behind myself "Your soul stone" Aristomache said, motioning me to come closer. I walked over to the principal's desk, seeing my pendant laid on dark blue fabric "You... you fixed it?" "Black Councilors of the Threat and Eclipse Wing fixed it for you" Aristomache answered "C-can I-" "Of course, it's your soul stone after all" Aristomache reminded me. I hesitantly picked it up, holding it in my hand as it glowed brightly in its unique green... something feels different.... incredibly different "How did you fix it?" I found myself asking, not even bothering to look up from the stone.

"Gamer, that was a bit rude-" "It's alright, Ianthe" Aristomache assured the angel before turning back to me "We collected the broken chips of the stone yet they were dead and the stone wouldn't take them" Aristomache started as I pulled my eyes off the stone to look up at her "Black Councilor Rochelle then suggested a risky solution that had never been carried out before yet seemed to work with your stone perfectly". Aristomache looked as though she was forcing herself to tell the truth, as if she didn't than something 'bad' would happen "Rochelle took a chip of the clear quartz god stone, melted it down and filled the cracks of your stone with it" Aristomache explained as I looked back down at my stone. "...why would you waste a chip of god stone on me?" I asked "You're special, Gamer... and I wanted to make sure you had a complete soul stone-" "There's nothing special about me" I interrupted, looking back up at the queen of Hell "I'm only a fallen angel" "Well actually..." Aristomache hesitated a bit as I raised a brow. "That's another reason why I'm here, see-" the door of the office slammed open, making the three of us jump as Anti, Dark, Skyler, Akire, Death and Angel rushed into the room "Gamer did absolutely nothing wrong" Dark started "I mean, the whole 'Li' situation is a little confusing but it's completely under control" Skyler chimed in as I signed. "Guys... I'm not in trouble" I told them "You're not?" Anti questioned, raising a brow. I held up my pendant "Oh cool, you got your soul stone back-" Anti was mid-sentence when Erik appeared at the door, tired and out of breath as he leaned against the doorframe "I'm sorry Ianthe... they just ran out the classro- Ari? what are you doing here?" Erik questioned his cousin as she signed.

"Well now since everyone's here..." Aristomache took a shaky breath before turning to the others "I-" "Why have you been ghosting me the whole year?" Angel interrupted, glaring at Aristomache "Angel-" "I get you're the queen of Hell, but there is no way you've been that busy" the reaper snapped, surprising a couple of people. "Angel, I admit... I've been avoiding all people, including you, but it was for good reasons" Aristomache assured Angel yet the reaper just folded her arms, not buying it "I was scared, afraid of this very coming day where I finally say my truth" a couple of people raised a brow, looking at Aristomache in confusion. "But I have made myself promise... and even assured Lucifer himself that I'd finally tell you children" "Tell us what?" Death questioned as Aristomache looked at each one of us before answering "The secret we've kept ever since you arrived in Hell".