Fate (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 15

Survivors' Side
"The players from our side for the upcoming BlackJack round is out! You guys! Check this out!"

William's yells towards the big announcement is the first thing all the survivors hear the moment they all ready to start the day.

Naib approached the still talking Forward, his Jake the Left pointing towards each of the names being displayed by none other than Jack the Ripper himself.

The green hooded mercenary felt a huge feeling of insecurity hitting him like a wave as his eyes scanned the whole thing.

"This can't be happening...." He mumbled, his eyes now focusing on the wall where the names had been displayed.

Naib closed his eyes, his heart feeling like bursting out. His eyes had started tearing when he felt Eli's owl Luke landing on his right shoulder.

"Oh, hey there, boy'o....." The mercenary said, giving the owl a slight pat. The owl, as what most pet birds do, chirped in joy.

He was about to question Eli's whereabouts to the owl when he finally noticed the seer standing right in front of him, his head on the wall. Naib swore he could hear the faint sounds of Eli repeatedly banging his head towards the wall.

The mercenary swallowed. He knew exactly why his best friend is acting this way. He had heard everything loud and clear, even Aesop's last words is still playing inside his mind despite the seer being the one that is treated harshly instead of him.

"Dudes, yo. Listen. So Em is currently unavailable for the moment, so I'm taking over her role now. BlackJack is starting in an hour and.... wow. Is your friend alright, Naib? He seems off." William said, his finger pointing at Eli.

"Never mind. I'm fine." Eli sighed.
"I'm just tired. Anyway, go on."

"Read off the names and be prepared, dudes. The hunters that will be our teammates will come to this place to gather with us before BlackJack commences."

"Okay, understood." Eli said before slumping to the couch. The only thing he is all up for grabs at the moment is to lie down and forget about everything. There are times that he would wish if only he was as ignorant as Aesop instead of the personality he has. But ironically, the one he had wished to be had gotten into some bad blood with that of him.

"Well, Eli, I'm going out for some fresh air. Luke, fly back to your master, okay?"

The seer said nothing but a faint hm as Naib reached for the door.

Just then, Emily showed up from Aesop's room, her hands holding an ice pack.
It only took a single second for the seer to understand that the embalmer had gotten sick again, all from that harsh fight they had.

"So how is he, Emily?" The seer asked, his lips trembling. If it wasn't for his blindfold, the doctor would notice that he is actually crying, the tears starting to seep through the blindfold.

"No need to worry, Eli. He is fine. He is awake now and is all up for matches again."

The doctor smiled as she signalled Eli for a fistbump, in which the seer understands.

"Emily." The seer said, his tone full of despair and hopelessness. He never expected he would be getting such harsh words from someone who barely says anything. Never would he expect that all those words happen to come out because of a hunter.

"Did I do the wrong thing? Did I do wrong to let him know that he would get into trouble?"

The doctor sensed the desperateness and uneasiness in the seer's voice as he talks. She is one of those who gets to fully understand the friendship between him, the mercenary, and that of the embalmer. Having his own friend to yell at him that way must have done that much of a mental strain on the seer, not to mention that Eli concerns those he treasure most than himself.

"Eli. I know you. You are undeniably one of those with a pure heart. You care about your friends. You care about Aesop and is willing to help him despite his anxiety. You want to protect him at all costs, just like how best friends do with each other. However...."

Eli stared into Emily's brown eyes.

"If it's Joseph that he chooses, what can we do?"

AESOP
Meds. Hours of rest. Having lots of people to come and check on you every hour and pre-post match moments.

Most of the guys here might look at it the positive way, with smiles on their faces the moment it all happens to them. But let me tell you that I really hate having to go through things like this everyday.

Yes. Every. Single. Day.

Too much social interaction is like kryptonite to me.

I was still lying down in bed when I noticed Emily's head poking through my door. To my surprise, she is not here with those kits and syringes like she usually does. Instead, she sat down on the chair that stood before my nightstand.

"I'm sure you have heard about BlackJack, Aesop. Have you?" She asked.

I formed a frown, recalling every bit of announcement the doctor here has made. If I am allowed to break it to her, she had said too much about all the match modes that my brain barely has anymore space for it.

But about BlackJack, there is something I can remember pretty clear.
"It's the mode where we will be teamed up with the hunters, right?"

Emily nodded, giving me a thumbs-up.

"Aesop, the match is starting and you happen to be playing in it. As what I had said earlier, the hunter that you have been teamed up with will be here to pick you up."

I said nothing as she kept talking. This can't be serious. Not after that day.....

"Oh and speaking of your teammate, he's here! Come down, Aesop. You don't want everyone to be waiting."

Decided to not give any response, I let her place her hands on my shoulder as we walked towards the lobby. How on earth does she know that the hunters are here?

Everyone, along with Jack the Ripper and Hastur the Feaster, had gathered and prepared themselves the moment I made it to the table.

I took this chance to note down the participants of this round. Naib, Vera, Helena, William, and last of all, me.

Wait. Where are the hunters?

"Do mind us getting all our way here!" Jack's heavy voice said, startling me in the process.
"I'm sure Miss Emily Dyer has given you all a heads-up on this match mode. The five of you will be teamed up, each survivor one hunter. Do not worry about your huntermates, for they will not hurt you. Worry about the opponents! Now, hunters, reveal yourselves! As for you survivors, you shall not know who your teammate will be--"

"Which is the main reason why all the chairs are backwards!" Hastur piped in.

The enormous curtain separating the two sides then moved open, the hunters  making their way towards our side. Exactly like Jack had said, the footsteps of five hunters walked in.

I wasn't expecting anything, so I just sat on one of the five chairs with my back facing the hunters. I don't care about being teamed up with whom. The only thing I want is everything to be over.

It was when I felt someone's heavy breathing from behind me.

Sweat trickled down my forehead.

Don't tell me......

"Alright! Everything is set. Survivors, you may now take notice of your teammates for this round."

I turned around to encounter the one I least expect to.
By now my heart was thumping inside my chest. It's him. It's really him.

"Hey, Aesop Carl." He said.
"You miss me?"