Modern Reaper

Two Broken Minds

"They are broken. They are not dead. And like all things, the broken can always be mended... Or replaced."

Akita

When Hero's neck broke, it seems like a flip was switched inside of Linc. Her bright eyes became brighter, but there was a peculiar lack of life in them that anyone would find disturbing.

In a blink, Linc revealed her bloody red snake like dragon eyes. But it was different this time. Over the noise of the breaking Earth and the burning city, I found it difficult to see what Miles was saying as I continued to peek beyond the neighboring house. He slowly backed away, dropping the collar and grabbed Danny to run with him, only to be punched by none other than Shirley. The quick betrayl caught Miles off guard, but he did nothing in response to it, and continued to run away.

With Miles gone, Linc dropped to her knees, painfully struggling to fight back for the control of her body. She ran her hand through her disheveled blonde hair, unveiling the marks growing on her skin.

Mysterious red tribal marks had been growing across Linc's skin, creating smoke from where it was burning her. She cried out, slamming her fist into the concrete only to smash it beneath her. "No." She growled to herself, but it was such a strangled noise that it caught even Shirley off-guard. It was then that I realized that the markings were an expansion of her Dragon Tattoo. Slowly, gradually, it was taking over. And she was trying her best to stop it.

Was it still too late?

"No! No!" Linc hollered, raising her hands to cover her face. Barely managing to pick herself up, she staggered away from Shirley, Danny, and Hero's body.

It was as she did this that I finally noticed Danny, a second blade pointed at her throat. She sobbed uncontrollably, claiming that life wasn't worth living without the one she loved. I gladly watched the blade pierce her skin and draw blood. She must have killed our Hero. She deserved to die.

When Shirley slapped Danny silly, I withdrew from such dark thoughts and focused on the situation. If Danny didn't die now, I'd just have to survive this ordeal, wish for Zeyphr to be returned to me, and hunt her down for even thinking of laying her hands on Hero.

Seeing Linc distance herself, I decided to take a gamble and join the party.

Linc noticed my presence but ignored it as she grappled with the demon inside of her. It was almost as if she was half unconscious, one half keeping her mortal body alive and the other half fending off the Dragon King from obtaining her body. Danny and Shirley began to back away when I moved into the scene, but remained frighteningly quiet. I went to Hero's body, face first in the dirt.

Picking him up, I felt the acid at the bottom of my throat burn as it tried to resurface. Coughing, I reached my hand in my pocket and took out a small tear shaped glass bottle. I popped the cork and roughly holding Hero's hands, I traced the oil on the twelve wishes on his palm. I did this just as Linc's will to continue her futile fight against herself seemed to falter. She screamed so powerfully, I realized that it was mere luck that the powerful scream was directed at a house. Or at least what was a house.

I looked back at Hero and looked around frantically, feeling myself hands shake as I reached around for a sharp object to cut myself with. I was running out of time. I had to hurry. If he was still here, if Linc was still here, there had to be a reason behind it.

Grabbing a sharp rock, I slit my wrist and winced. Pushing my pain aside, I dropped my blood over Hero's wishes and heard Linc continue to screech ahead of us.

If I could mix our blood and the potion on the wishes, the gods would consider appearing to the wounded human reaper. But would they choose to ignore us?

Linc grabbed her hair as if to rip it out, and swung it wildly as if she was a blinded bull. Her screams were so tortured, so full of pain, my heart became heavy in my chest. It was when her red tears became thick on her eyelashes. It was when her eyes failed to convey the life that was behind them. It was when Linc no longer was Linc, but something much more sinister instead.

Her transformation began at once. Fire seared in all directions from the tribal marks that had completely enveloped her skin, and I barely had the time to save myself.

So I did what any person would have done. I don't feel bad about it. Why should I? I'll shamelessly take accountability for my actions.

I used Hero's dead body to protect myself from Linc's searing hot flames.

To this day, I never figured out what happened to Danny and Shirley. Presumably, they went back to their organization like dogs knowing they'd receive punishment.

As for me?

I'm alive.

And I feel absolutely no regret for using Hero's body to save myself.

Yet I wonder. If things hadn't gotten to that point... if things didn't become so horrendous and tragic...

Would Linc and Hero have ever had a chance convey their love?