Okumura Syndicate Ending 3

Chapter 190: Last Chances

Further across the plains of Vox's conjured dystopia, Shiva laid down, bored of the word. He couldn't believe it was already the end of the day, it felt like years. Even Shiva's own sense of time was beginning to fade. He watched the unchanging backdrop and hoped that his exhausted body would make him hallucinate soon, so he'd have something to hold onto when he inevitably died here in a few centuries. Hopeless, he raised a hand in desperate need for it to be grabbed.

The darkness around him suddenly darkened. In a blinding flash of light, Shiva felt two hands wrap themselves around his body, supporting him, and he found himself looking into speck that was almost definitely fictional. Even so, he approached it, begging that it was company, someone to talk to. However, upon getting closer, he became more certain that the speck was real, and wasn't someone else that had been subjected to his fate. Ahead of the pleading man was a crack, all black in contrast to the sprawling white of the world.

Shiva put his hand to the rift between limbo and freedom, and felt a surging force within him. Within an instant he pushed against it, his body moving faster, he was returning to his normal state again. Almost instantaneously, he focused on the wall before him, hoping his theory would be true, and with all his might, a portal, very small compared to his usual vortexes, materialised in his hands. "Guess this is goodbye, void of nothing.", he declared, throwing his access to the world, the universe towards the rift, finally fading from his prison entirely.

However, Craaq's corner of the dreamscape remained active with the rapid fire of his thoughts as he beheld the creature in front of him. "Who are you?", he questioned, almost sounding rude with sheer cluelessness. "Craaq, it's me, Ghozi...", the hooded presence responded. The anthro bunny had heard that name in months, and his smile faded at the sight of them as they lifted their hood, the same brown fluff atop their head and ears to contrast the white of his.

"W-what are you doing here?", Craaq shuddered, a few tears rolling down his cheek. Ghozi smiled with pity, cupping the cheek of the agitated soldier, "Craaq, we're at the academy, just like yesterday. Are you alright?". Craaq's fists clenched, Vox knew about his torture and seeing Ghozi here, not in the world they disappeared in made him writhe in pain. "No, no we're not...", he muttered. This was the dreamscape, not real life, he needed to remember that.

Ghozi looked at him with a puzzled glance, "Come on Craaq, you need to get some rest, I bet learning that new technique was really tiring for you...", they said with a soothing voice, caressing his arm slightly. Craaq shook his head, "No! We don't get to rest, because you're not really here!", he bellowed. His words silenced Ghozi completely. For a moment neither of them moved, Ghozi simply stared at him and Craaq looked away. "I'm sorry...", he murmured.

With those soft words, Craaq was met with the world fading away before him into green. Ghozi remained still, becoming less visible with each second, with one final glance, Craaq looked into their eyes, etching their features into his mind. Internally, he said goodbye, goodbye to all the memories they had, and any chance that he'd ever see them again. He waved, but by this time, there was no sign of Ghozi, no sign of his past as he was being pushed into the present.

Further into Vox's creation, Kiara followed her brother to the bright, almost alluring flames down the dank alleyway, water dripping all over her body. "This doesn't seem safe...", she murmured, but Curtis quickly silenced her. "We will never be completely safe, Kiara, but I think I know someone who will protect us...", he insisted. Kiara's limbs shook, the anxiety welling up inside her at the mere mention of his mysterious benefactor and remembering the danger they have to endure after this. Curtis stopped short, glancing at his sister beside him and sighing. "Don't worry", he smiled reassuringly. "He's very kind and wants to meet you..."

Before long, they had reached the end of the alleyway, the flames now brighter than ever. Amongst the blazing inferno, a figure stood silhouetted against the light and heat of the fire. Kiara's mouth fell open as she realised who it was, and the fear she had previously felt was ripped away from her and replaced with undying devotion. His red hair moved with the embers, glowing gently with his presence and Kiara could feel the energy coursing through him. "You're...Lin...you're...", she stuttered, before realising this was supposed to be their first meeting. "So you've meet before?", questioned Curtis, rather baffled at his sister's reaction. Kiara could feel her head bursting with emotion, yet didn't want to mention anything she'd witnessed in the years to come, "No...yes...I...".

Lin sauntered over to Kiara, not hesitating to cup her cheek. "I'll take it from here Curtis...", he said, his voice the most soothing in the world to her, but her reaction changed completely upon remembering his fate. She shook her head vigorously, staring right back at Lin and shaking her head even harder, her face pale. The tall man smiled at her, taking both her hands in his, staring into her emerald eyes. "Listen...nothing can happen, because I'll protect you and your brother. You have my word...", he promised.

As the vow was made, the floor was ripped beneath Kiara. "Wait! This didn't happen before!", she said out loud. The world was replaced with a vivid green. "Please, I want to change!", she called out, once again begging to stay. The dreamscape collapsed, becoming pieces of hopes, fears and sorrow, and as each member of the syndicate received inklings of why they joined in the first place, they were thrust back to where they came from, to it's current, wretched state.