Taken Horizon Origin, volume 1, Duality

Episode 4 ; battle of reincarnation

"[I am grateful to be in your presence, homunculus who conquered the nine hells.]" The restrained titan had a longing look across his skinny face with his jaw bones completely visible under his greyed skin, leaning as far forward as he could to look closer at me.

The giants frame was deathly thin. His skeleton could be seen easily through his green skin and starved state with not a shred of muscle on him.

Not wanting to humor the gigantic man i paced across the cold tundra towards the being that tossed me in this prison and demanded aloud, "what was that!? Was it a memory from another time line?! What was Cayde doing there!?"

This chained titan is the reason for my torture! The being that put me through hell was standing right in front of me!! So easy to kill but I needed answer so I could only wait until I had them to kill him!

"[I am sorry.]" My feet froze in place atop the frozen landscape as the apologetic tone entered my ears.

The person that ended my life in more ways than I can count apologised? My captor that did nothing to help me escape from my pain was sorry? Why did he only watch me then if he is sorry?! Why didn't he at least give me a chance to live like a human?!?

My eyes that were filled with anger resonating from Thorn calmed slightly as I waited for the titan to continue speaking. "[I am sorry. For everything I forced you to experience when you were only just created months ago.]"

The sad and lightless eyes of the grey titan looked down at me. The me who was just waiting for an excuse to kill him, to fulfil several millennia's worth of waiting for revenge right at this moment.

"[You experienced far too much, in a frame too short, making it so you nearly feel no emotion at all. But I had no choice. You needed to experience hell to be strong, so your created purpose can be achieved.]"

Hatred filled me from Thorn as he seethed on my shoulder, permeating my voice with my lamenting pain. "You had no right! Just because I was forged to bring back a dead man does not mean you can torture me in the name of training! I died, HUNDREDS, of times! Why is my mission so important to you!? Huh?!? Why do you even care about an idiot you have never met!?! Why is someone no longer real worth more than me whose a fake?!?"

As my wrathful voice echoed into the cold and lifeless distance, the titans once downcast expression turned into a playful smile. "[You are still as curious as when your eyes first opened. Once so eager to experience life, yet to only learn pain is all you will experience.]"

"I'm in no mood for games!" My voice exploded, shredding my vocal chords with my shout. "Tell me or i will figure everything out on my own and leave you to rot here! Death is not a mercy you deserve from me!!"

The titans figure relaxed slightly, rattling his chains as he heard my hateful words disappearing his smile, "[I will show you then. I only wish that I could show it all to you.]"

The titan blew his nose and a white mist came gushing out like a fog immediately covering the entire area.

"This is suicide, Cayden!" the titans same voice came shouting out of the mist but it didn't sound as dead as it bursted with emotion as i was dragged towards it through the mist.

The scene of Cayden standing outside a cave entrance while six others opposed him came into view after the mist broke broke to reveal i was now standing on open plateau with the vibrant view of mountains and silver trees i had never seen before in the distance. Dazzling light diamonds under the light of the raging war of explosions happening in the sky

The thing is it wasn't even seeing the other Cayde that shocked me so much. There was a fleet of ships all floating in atmospheric combat as the sounds of distant explosions sounded out brightening the sky. It was a war. A war on a scale that i had not imagined possible. "What is happening up there?" I asked but no response came.