The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 56: Brief Respite

As Mono burst through the gates of Grimmore, the air was filled with the sounds of surprised Cultists, the ones in her path pushed out of the way. Her heart pounded in her chest, her grey eye filled with determination.

"M-Milady!" Rinys shouted, sprinting to catch up to her. Harold, Tanjin, and Muriel were following behind, the poltergeist and banshee not breaking a sweat as they floated through the air. "L-Lord Vao! H-he's been getting worse!"

Mono didn't want to hear that. Gritting her teeth, she smashed through the front door, knocking it clear from its hinges. Her footsteps slammed down the halls, her mind spinning. The Darkness was gone, the lights overhead filling the halls. Her heels scraped the floor as she skidded to a halt, shakily trying to push the key inside the lock.

There was no time for this. Tossing the key to the side like the useless garbage it was, she punched the lock clean off, and then punched her other hand through the door, her fingers curling around the handle. The Cultists who had followed her flinched when Mono ripped the door to pieces, throwing herself into the room.

"V-Vao! I've returned!" She cried.

But the First Vao didn't answer, his back turned to her. He was dropped into a squat, his back arched out and his head hung low, his raspy breaths visible in the cold air. Mono took a trembling step forward, reaching her hand out.

"Vao, p-please! Answer me!"

The First Vao turned his head, and the Cultists froze where they stood. He stared at them with hunger, with a bloodthirsty gaze. Mono flinched, but continued to reach, her hand growing closer. "V-Vao-"

"Who... Who are you!?" The First Vao snarled. "Stay away... Stay away from me!"

"Vao, it's me! Mono Chroma-"

The gleam caught her eye, Tanjin and Harold pulling her back just as Grimm Demise sang its deadly song through the air, the razor-sharp blade cutting into her chest. The First Vao hissed, his eye flickering with madness. His free hand grabbed the chains that contained him, and he began to pull.

Bang, bang, BANG BANG BANG!

SNAAP!

Shards of steel flew through the air when he finally broke the chains, his hand grabbing the Anti-Semblance System around his neck. His mouth opened into a shrill shriek, his magic curling around and crushing the device to pieces.

"My dream!" He screamed. "I can't let it escape! I'm SO BLOODY CLOSE!"

The wall exploded to pieces when the First Vao slammed his monstrous axe against it, the murderer sprinting through the street. Mono and the others gave chase, trying to catch up to him. But he was much faster than them, outpacing them with ease. Mono's eye warped into a clock dial, her teeth gritting together before opening in a cry.

"[Time Stands Still]!"

The world froze around her, the First Vao halted in his tracks. Mono continued to run, her arms almost wrapped around him. But just as she grew close, something she couldn't see attacked. Invisible claws tore into her stomach, forcing her back and breaking her spell. The First Vao ripped anything that stood in his way to pieces, person or object, and even as the gate closed he broke through, disappearing into the swamp. Mono coughed, the black Blood spilling from her lips. And then she heard it. The voice of a traitor.

"Oh la la... How ironic... The monoeye who stops time didn't make it in time..."

Mono spun around, her eye bloodshot with fury for the smiling man behind her. "Jack," she snarled. "Jack! What did you do!?"