Karta Stryker

Chapter 6: Life's Greatest Lie

Blasting down the 52 highway would in other circumstances present itself to be quite the joyride, but the anxiety keeps on stacking. What if I'm too late to do anything for Arcadia? The Kites could've easily killed her by now. Or is her life continuing to be the huge lie that the Kites have tricked her into thinking? That's no life to live, I have to get her out of there. But how do I get back to that mansion? It's concealed, away from humanity's reach. No doubt to further push the practicality of this forged secret. I reached the roadhouse I was previously at to search for a way to get back to the mansion. Where do I even start?

'Look harder.'

That distant voice returned, now more clear.

"What? Who said that? What am I looking for?" I said.

'Not important, look. Look harder.'

It sounded more like my own voice.

I closed my eyes and clenched them tightly, and opened them to reveal a bright orange glow in my eyes. Everything is in shades of grey, black and white, and an ominous ambient ringing tone. I look around to see if anything is different, but everything appears mostly the same. Looking over next to the fuel pumps, there is a bright white tear in the air, glaring into my eyes. A heat wave surrounded the tear in a vibrant manner, and a deep, vibrating noise radiated off of the tear.

'Step into the light. What you seek is there.'

I stepped towards it, the glare continuously blinding me more and more as I stepped towards it. I reach my hands forward to pull it open, and I step through it. And there it is, the mansion. I must've used some sort of power to step in between realms, but I have no idea what it was. And that voice. It was definitely a woman, and her voice was gentle and soothing, yet very wise as well. The voice wasn't in my head, but rather it was speaking into my right ear, but no one was there. As I step towards the mansion doors, I can hear deep thudding noises, getting louder as I approach. Once I am feet distance away from the door, the thudding stops, leaving me in it's ominous wake. The silence is only rising the tension, a pointless down-time for what was about to happen. Finally, the door bursts open, a dozen of demons flying at me. 

Kites. Called it.

The Kite was a demon with a terrible turquoise skin tone, with black veins pulsating throughout the body. They were extremely scrawny, and were all around the same height as the women forms they took before. Their cheeks were teared, revealing the whole jaw from both sides of their face. Their fangs were thin and sharp like razors, which had a serpentine tongue hanging out of their mouth. Claws decorated their nails, both feet and hands, ready to tear anyone up. They seemed like a weak demon on their own, but their strength was in their numbers. All twelve of these creatures began to rip at me, tackling me to the ground. My hands were restrained, so all hopes of grabbing Stryker are gone. I threw a kick sideways, kicking 3 of the Kites into the gardens. They weren't dead though, for sure. Still occupied by another 4 Kites, my right hand is free to swing Stryker from my back down to the ground to connect my somersault, slicing the 4 Kites in half. Their corpses were decorated with guts colored like dark green food coloring, rich in liquor. Their intestines rolled out like pasta, making wet slaps against the ground. I'm not any expert, but I think that those Kites are dead.

"You're making a big mistake!" a demonic voice screamed. 

It sounded like Leanna, or whatever was pretending to be her. Either way, she sounded bigger than the other Kites, and could possibly be defending Arcadia. All I know for sure is, I need to move faster. Sprinting inside of the mansion, all of the glorious statues were now nothing but pieces of debris, crumbling to the floor. All of the candle-lit golden chandeliers were now made of bones, and emitted a green flame on each candle. A T-shaped staircase was at the end of the great hall, and a horde of Kites came flowing down it. I put myself into a battle stance, my left leg in front with my right leg over to the side, torso bent low with Stryker in my right hand, extended to my arm's full length. I began to feel a burning sensation within my heart, a true cry of passion being expressed as I fought. It's as if I can feel Stryker trembling, as do I feel the ground rumbling beneath my feet. I begin to sprint head forward towards the Kites, with no idea how I'm going to actually handle them. Usually, Trent would call this brash and irrational, but I have this strange sense of confidence. I put my feet out in front of me to spring me up into the air, bringing Stryker over my shoulder and twisting my body anti-clockwise, the momentum of which brought Stryker with it as I extended my arms. Stryker pierced the air and caught flame, lighting an inferno upon the Kites as they were shredded to pieces. I fell back to the floor, feet carrying me as light as a feather. I made my way up the stairs, following the source of demonic screams that sounded like Leanna. I see Arcadia's bedroom door, seemingly unprotected. I run into it, busting it open with my shoulder. Arcadia was at the opposite end of the room, eyes drowned in tears. Her hands were in braces, bound by chains to the respective corners of the roof, her screams muffled by the cloth gag wrapped around her head.

"Quiet, worm!" A tall grey demon stood over Arcadia, intimidating her into submission.

While the Kites were green, this demon was a smoke grey, with a fair amount of muscle with wider shoulders. The demonic wings it had on its hips naturally stood low and wide, withered without flesh between the folds. Its breasts were sagged, adding to the disgusting figure this demon was. Its head turned to meet eye contact, with horns on each side of the forehead.

"You been working out, Leanna?"

"That's Ohkram to you, mortal! The Water Elemental is ours, and this is much bigger than you!" The demon said, snarling as it shouted.

"What makes you the judge of that? She's just a girl!" I shouted.

"Because the might of Galgamere demands it! I have served the Keeper of the Seven Sins for centuries. He has so much planned, and he won't let the Elementals get in his way!" Ohkram screamed.

The demon charged towards me at blinding speeds, knocking me through a wall back to the downstairs area of the mansion, throwing me around the room like a ragdoll. Ohkram made a blood-curdling screech, as my entire body screamed with disabling pain. I couldn't move a single muscle without feeling like my bones were grinding on a coarse chisel.

I could hear her march through the hallway upstairs to the hole I made, scanning her malnourished eyes across the halls. I panickedly crawled to somewhere I could hide, my body feeling twice as heavy. My heart was racing and teeming with fear, an anxiety that sought to tear my mental state to shreds. I looked at the wall in front of me, but all I could see was grey. 

I've never faced anything this strong. Ohkram could tear this whole building down if she so desired. I've only copped one blow from her, and I don't think I can take another.

'You're hesitating.'

I could hear my voice again, now constantly ringing through my head.

Hesitation.

Reluctance.

'You were taught better than this. You just don't remember.'

"Hah... found you." Ohkram muttered.

All I could hear was her leap down from upstairs, and the massive thud she made when she landed next to me. 

I looked up and my pupils shrank with fear. 

I was ripped upward by my throat, held high above Ohkram's head. She spoke no words as she choked the life out of me. I could feel my consciousness slipping, my eyes rolling into the back of my head.

'Let me out. Let me out. I can't die like this.'

I can't die like this.

'I won't let him win.'

What is happening? I was on the brink of death, but my head was finally clearing up, although my consciousness was still slipping away.

Everything's going dark. 

My head involuntarily snapped downward, my eyes locking onto Ohkram. I could feel rage boiling through my hands, no longer ripping at my throat to break free.

'I'll show them. I'll show them all.'

My right arm swung across Ohkram's jaw, sending her flying through several pillars faster than my naked eye could see. My body felt like it shot out of an artillery barrel once I touched the ground, my control over my own movements still non-existant. 

"What is this..?" Ohkram muttered.

'She can see who I am.'

Images of a silhouetted man with large, feathered wings and glowing eyes kept flashing through my mind, although more violently than ever before. 

Is this the person that the voice is coming from?

My right hand reached down to Ohkram's throat, holding her the same way she held me. I felt my thumb slightly tense, and her neck instantly giving beneath it. Ohkram's dark, anorexic corpse slumped onto the ground, and I could finally feel my own breath. I looked down to see Arcadia, her whole body shaking with fear.

"No... no..." Arcadia was in a panicked state.

Part of me is trying so hard to comfort Arcadia, but the other part of me is saying I have no idea how to. What Arcadia's gone through would be too much to bear for anyone else, but Arcadia is still here. Anyone else would've rather died. Easing into Arcadia's embrace, I pull my arms up behind her shoulders, and tucking my head over her right shoulder. I hold Arcadia tighter, knowing nothing that I say will make things better.