“How is this even possible?” Zessica asked cautiously, keeping her guard up to its maximum calibre as she eyed her clone, Ivy warily. The girl with the two long ponytailed grinned back at her duplicate, not finding this bizarre in the slightest as Zessica grumbled silently. Even Arma was feeling as if he was lured into a trap, staring at his own replica who had a much more calmer air around him that Arma would ever had. His double, Seth seemed to be a lot more mature than him, having this some sort of grace around him. It was difficult to digest they were both staring at their genetic copies, yet at the same time, someone else entirely.

“We are nothing but data picked up on your Exoskeletons. You see, your Exoskeletons are a bit like armour that has artificial intelligence itself. Only it doesn’t speak like we do. It instead listens and processes your thought patterns and personality. However since the Exoskeletons can only do this much, the data it picks up can be inaccurate.” Seth answered, seeing that Ivy had no intention in replying back a question. Ivy pouted openly and huffed out a long scoff before turning back her attention back to Zessica again.

“So basically what you are trying to say is that even though you two are our copies, you aren’t exactly us?” Zessica asked again, trying to absorb each and every single detail of just exactly what she was dealing with. Arma could tell unlike Zatch, she was using great effort to believe what was happening right before her eyes. He couldn’t blame her, since he too, felt like he was walking in a surreal dream. Right as the moment the question left her lips; Seth shook his head negatively and smiled in a gentle and patient like smile.

“Not exaaaactlyyy~” Ivy slurred cheekily, her emerald green eyes twinkling in mischief. Both players turned their attention to the younger girl who was now smiling broadly with her white pearls showing. Arma could sense some sort of dark aura emitting from Zessica by then. Why? He did not know but he could only guess it was because this girl Ivy, who is supposed to represent Zessica, was doing exactly the opposite.

“What you see right in front of you are the people you want to be in your heart! Isn’t that amazing?!” Ivy cheered both hands punching the air as she skipped a few steps forward and a few steps back. Arma’s eyes widened, not having that much difficulty in believing that this girl before them was not Zessica. She was more...overly enthusiastic while Zessica was more of a...realistic thinker.

The moment Ivy confessed this; Zessica looked like she would die in shame. Both her cheeks were flared up in a bright shade of red which Arma wonder whether what Ivy say was true or not. Looking at his own replica, the guy with a serene atmosphere surrounding him, Arma would admit that was the type of person he had wanted to be back in the days where everyone loathed him.

Right now? He wasn’t really sure at the moment. However, does that mean Zessica secretly wanted to be a bubbly, cheerful and mischievous girl like Ivy? Was the younger Zessica, who she constantly tricked everyone, still there behind that heavy barrier of inhibitions? Judging from her fresh expressions, Arma was almost positively sure she was trying to deny it herself but was slowly coming to realisation that even that was false. She couldn’t decide.

“Well since you two are a little lagging behind at what you are supposed to do, I will gladly explain” Seth pitched in, his ever friendly going smile unwavering while smiling warmly at both of them. For a moment, Arma wondered what would his life would turn out if he was a person like Seth? Would it give him a better childhood? Or will everything stay the same? What would be the difference?

“Your final test for the Default Trial is defeating none other than yourself. Or in your case, the person you secretly want to be. For some reason our Master had modified your test because Master was sure that you would defeat it instantly. Master wanted to make it more difficult so it would really prove of your worth, and help you as well.”

Seth trailed off, before clearing his throat and tuning him back to the important point. Nonetheless, the last piece of information did catch both players’ interest and Arma could not help but feel that Seth had uttered it out on purpose. Wasn’t that sort of data confidential or something? Was it some sort of hidden hint? A hidden message? A code? What?

“So all you need to do is defeat yourself. You can’t fight the other person who is not yourself because that would be considered cheating. You can’t even help the other to fulfil the task. Only yourself. Once your opponent admits defeat or is unable to move, you will be able to move on.” Seth elucidated in a clear cut tone. It was so simple, that even Arma who had slow processing ability got it in a few seconds flat, which would have been a record if he counted. That’s when Seth smiled broadly, a kind of smile that gave chills down anyone’s spine or make your blood curdle.

“Since that is clear up, ladies first.” Both Zessica and Ivy stared at each other, the latter having the biggest cheekiest smile on her face while the other looked hesitant. Ivy looked as if she won the lottery prize while Zessica remained wary with her duplicate. Arma was sure without a doubt that Zessica was feeling extremely uncomfortable looking at herself who was polar opposite of her. Maybe they had the same fighting skills? Same strength and same speed? Surely there must be something that’s the same.

Zessica took several steps back, a good distance between her and her copy before poising herself to attack. Her silent message to her opponent was heard as it encouraged Ivy to do the same.  Out of nowhere, a transparent blue barrier appeared, separating the girls from the boys, as if to prevent anyone from the other party to interfere. Just to check, Seth slowly tried to touch the barrier, only to retract it when a spark was formed between them.

Wincing, he quickly blew on his slightly burnt finger as Arma saw two health bars appearing above the girls, one for each player. A countdown from ten materialised from the middle of the gap between the two players and the tall brunette could see that Zessica was not up in her game. She looked slightly nervous, heavily tinted with her expressionless face but after living under the same roof for so long, Arma could tell when she is calm and when she is to some extent, disturbed.

“You can do it Zessica.” Arma whispered, not expecting for her to hear but hoping that his words would reach her nevertheless. Zessica fidgeted lightly before she took a deep breath, and sighed as the countdown had now narrowed to three. Ivy was jumping lightly, apparently pumped up about the match. It was easy to tell since her defiant smile never left her lips. When the countdown finally reduced to zero, Ivy sprinted forward. 

Arma felt his breath hitched tightly on his throat when he saw Zessica clutching her arm, a deep gash now soaking her hand. Not distracted by this, she quickly spun around to catch sight of Ivy who was now behind her when she was right in front of her moments ago. It had happened so fast, it took Arma a while to realise what had happened.

The moment the countdown went to zero, Ivy quickly sprinted towards Zessica, with a sword blade in hand that wasn’t there in her hand a while ago. The other girl, clearly taken aback with the fact that she had no shield to defend herself, could only dodge before the girl could cut her torso. However, Zessica wasn’t fast enough and got a cut on her arm instead. Arma realised that not only Ivy had a different personality; she was fast too, way faster than Zessica, giving her a huge disadvantage. Plus, where had the sword come from? That was unfair! How is Zessica going to fight back if she had no weapon of her own?

“I didn’t expect my copy to be this slow. No wonder I am faster than you tee hee~” Ivy giggled, somewhat in a drunk yet at the same time, sane manner. It made no sense but that was how Arma could best describe Ivy’s expressions and personality at the moment. Zessica eyed the sword suspiciously, causing Ivy to catch her gaze and glance at it too. Ivy then smiled, swinging it nonchalantly while stepping towards the player with a deep cut.

“You really can’t remember anything can you? I didn’t believe it first when Master told me but I will give you a hint. This sword is something I made on my own. You can do it too! If you can remember that is~” Ivy mocked in a sing song voice while Zessica both grumbled and perked her eyebrows in interest. Ignoring her injury aside, Zessica took a fighting position again, this time seemingly prepared.

It was Ivy’s turn to perk her eyebrows, before coming to a vague realization and smirking evilly.  Ivy sprinted again while Arma could feel his heart beating in his throat. Never had he felt this worried to someone else before, especially to a person who he actually liked.

“Relax, I believe your partner knows what she is doing, well partially.” Seth comforted lightly, making Arma stare at him with wide eyes of disbelief. Wait, wasn’t he supposed to fight this guy here at the moment? Or was his battle with his replica is after the girl’s battle?

Deciding not to mull over it, Arma turned his attention back to the duel only to find Ivy striking a round hard shield. The shield disappeared into dust right before Zessica conjured up another one to which Ivy struck again. Once again that shield vaporised as Zessica conjured up another, confirming Arma’s suspicion that she was using her Minor of Illusion. What struck Arma as odd was that the sword seemed to actually hit the shield, which is nothing more than an Illusion. It feels as if he had seen it before somewhere, Zessica making her Illusions real, only for a short period of time. Now when was that? It feels like a distant memory, yet at the same time, somewhere in time where it was recent...

Of course! Back in the day he first talked to her, in Hallway of Horrors, Zessica had successfully made her Illusion of an umbrella become real, even for a short time. However, unlike her, Ivy seemed to have no time limit. Was it because Zessica was trying to break the limiter or somewhere within her capabilities, she has yet to awaken it?

Seeing that even though Zessica was able to defend herself, she was overwhelmed by the sheer force of attacks Ivy was striking with her real illusionary sword, forcing her walk backwards. She was concentrated on avoiding all the blows while her eyes wandered elsewhere, looking for a break through to get a head on offence herself. This was Zessica’s mistake as Ivy saw through and took her off balance by tripping her. Surprised and unable to react, Zessica’s illusionary shields disappeared altogether as she stumbled backwards. Ivy, releasing her illusionary sword which evaporated to flames, caught a fistful of Zessica’s shirt and pulled her forward, giving a knee-kick to the gut.

Arma winced as Zessica grunted lightly in pain before crumbling to the ground, grovelling before Ivy’s feet. Arma had expected Ivy to cheer loudly and jump in victory. However, to his amazement, Ivy just simply frowned and placed a hand on one hip, thinking something deeply while Zessica struggled to breathe against the pain on her navel. Sighing, Ivy then kneeled down before the player, cheeks resting on both hands as she eyed Zessica in a curious manner.

“Master was right. You really can’t remember anything can you? You were better than this. You fought way way waaaaay better than this.” Ivy commented in a sing song childish tone as Zessica grunted again, groggily getting up to her knees. She was breathing heavily, her emerald stone at the back of her neck already sparking out electricity to keep her heart beating from the after effects of using her Illusions too much. Arma felt helpless, watching Zessica struggling so much even though the fight barely started.

He didn’t know what to do; this barrier and the rules forbid him to help her. It was no secret that Zessica’s had too many weaknesses, having only her defences to rely on. It was becoming a one sided match. Zessica had confessed that every duel she accepted on random games, she lost. How was she going to endure fighting her own self who was stronger and faster than her?

“Oh wait! No wonder! Master locked it inside of you! I can sense your power have been unlocked once or twice but not fully yet huh? Well...Master won’t like me for doing this but consider this as a favour!” Ivy blabbered cheerfully, causing both Zessica and Arma to stare at her with a puzzled expression. It was almost like Ivy was speaking in another language, which Zessica can do but not very fluently. That’s when Ivy cupped both Zessica’s cheeks, making the girl more uncomfortable than she already was.

“What are you-

“Shh...it’s okay...Just try not to freak out” Ivy interrupted in a trickster like tone, making one wonder what she was up to now. Before Zessica could protest, Ivy gently rested her forehead next to hers, taking her breath away. She should have gotten used to it because there were many occasions when she and Arma would head-butt each other but that was between them. This was between her duplicate, only much gentler to be considered as a head-butt. Arma watch as he felt some sort of invisible power started transferring from Ivy to Zessica, making her eyes widen in revelation before losing all light in them, indicating she was mentally elsewhere even though she was physically here. Ivy’s own eyes were closed, her eyebrows furrowing together in concentration.

There was a brief silent moment when he felt something click inside of Zessica. He didn’t know why but he could sense the power inside of Zessica, which was pretty weak from the beginning, amplify to so much power, he could feel the hair on his arm rise in fear. The sensation was too great, Arma felt the ground rumble lightly, like a drum rolling, the calm before the storm. Even though the barrier prevented any one from the other party to barge in, Arma could still feel the power inside of Zessica growing all the more dangerous.

“Ivy, I don’t think what you did was the best plan.” Seth stated offhandedly, making Arma to stare at him in disbelief for the umpteenth time. How can he be so calm! If he was in his shoes, he would have been freaking out and scolding the Ivy girl by now, asking what in the world she was thinking by doing...whatever she did just now in five different ways. Ivy retracted her forehead and stared at Zessica, who still hasn’t moved a muscle since Ivy did something to her. Her eyes remained lifeless but the ground still continued to rumble restlessly.

Ivy frowned once more, observing Zessica when slowly, ever so slowly; the pupil on Zessica’s eyes altered its shape. Even Arma caught this from where he was, frozen from mind boggling change happening right before his eyes. The black pupil was no longer round; it was reallocated to the shape of a crosshair. She still didn’t seem to be conscious but Arma almost flinched when Zessica tilted her head upwards, basically locking her targets on Ivy, who was still ogling at her. Then the most absurd thing happened. 

Arma didn’t know how to describe it but the best way he could do was to say that the concrete beneath Zessica liquefied. Not only she was still sitting properly with the ground being flimsy, droplets of the molten concrete started hovering around her. Zessica then took one hand forward, resting it gently on Ivy’s chest right before Arma heard Ivy cursing under her breath. When Arma blinked, Ivy was no longer before Zessica. Instead, she was sent skidding back on the floor before using the momentum to prop back up again.

“Ha! Maybe doing that was a bad idea! She is going berserk! And she doesn’t even know it!” Ivy cried out, quickly wiping off the blood that was tricking from the right temple of her head, inflicted on her from skidding roughly on the concrete. Truth to be told, Arma could see her point. Zessica was now standing in an awkward manner with a dangerous air around her. She didn’t seem to be herself, more like on autopilot. Arma felt as if even if he called out to her, she wouldn’t hear him since she was too busy preoccupied locking her target with those cross haired eyes.

The liquefied concrete swirled around her, eagerly waiting for her order as Zessica raised one hand up, her palm bare. On cue, those liquid concrete whirled over her hand but that was not the last of it. Unknowingly, Zessica was turning more solid concrete to liquid, expanding the diameter of the black and white round puddle she formed under her feet. It was as if she was standing on top of water which was denser than her, making it possible. By then, Ivy’s smile was wavering on the borderline of hesitant and thrill as she sprinted forward again.

To Arma’s surprise, Ivy too, turned the concrete beneath her feet to liquid as well, making it swirl above her as she ran towards the robotic girl whose liquid concrete started merging together to form some sort of shape. Ivy too, merged the liquid concrete together, solidifying it in a huge blade. However, Ivy never got the chance to use it when Zessica’s arm was engulfed with the black liquid, solidifying to something huge and beyond extraordinary. When Zessica tilted it towards Ivy, still acting mechanical, the liquid had fully solidified into the shape of a mixture of a complicated looking bazooka and cannon. Ivy’s eyes widened in horror as she saw this, forcing her to slid to a stop, changing her weapon of choice at the last minute when Zessica fired.

It was almost funny since there was no trigger whatsoever to make it possible for Zessica to fire. Arma couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sudden turn of tables as Ivy desperately liquefied her sword only to solidify it back to a huge shield. When the canon struck the shield, the shield shattered into small chunks of concrete, sending her flying. Sensing she wasn’t going to have a soft landing, Ivy made one last desperate attempt by making the spot where she would surely land become liquid again. The gooey like substance caught her, like a huge hand cocooning her body from external damages before it opened again, revealing a girl who seemed to wish she was back at home than to deal with Zessica, who altered the shape of the concrete bazooka and canon to liquid concrete again, lingering around her like a mist.

“What’s going on? How are they able to do that? Why is Zessica acting like a robot?” Arma asked, suddenly remembering that Seth was beside him, watching the fight too. From what the tall lad gathered, Ivy and Seth knew something about this power and it seemed to have been locked away inside of her till Ivy unlocked it again. He just knew that Seth knew the reason why and he would have to force it out of Seth if he didn’t answer. Fortunately for him, Seth seemed wise enough to not keep him waiting.

“It’s an advance level of their Telekinesis”

“Advance level?” Arma repeated confusedly as Seth nodded.

“Telekinesis, in simple format is the ability to allow users to influence a physical system without any physical interaction. If a user is very well thorough with this ability, it escalates their power in a considerably higher level. Users can rearrange or disintegrate matter at will, hence how Ivy and Zessica was able to turn concrete to liquid and back to concrete again and how they made Illusions real too. Illusion may just be some sort of trick to fool people’s eyes but if you combine it with Telekinesis, you basically make the illusion real.”

“Okay...I got that...sort of. Anyway, why is Zessica acting like...that?” Arma asked, pointing out at the girl who now had a great quantity of liquid concrete around her, all prepared to be altered into different types of weapon. Ivy too, had a reasonable amount of concrete hovering around her but not as enough as to fully block out the attacks Zessica was giving her without hesitation. Oh how the tables have turned. Arma was right about the battle being a one sided duel but it seemed that now Zessica had the upper hand.

“Well, in order to get into the advance level, the user must be very very thorough in controlling Telekinesis. Ivy just made Zessica use it without her being prepared for it. You see, I believe you are already familiar to combine both your Minor and Major together, one must have a flexible mind like Ivy and Zessica right?” When Arma nodded, Seth continued to elaborate.

“It’s the same with using Telekinesis in its advanced state. You have to have a very flexible mind and full control with all your thoughts and mind. Meaning, that the user must not have any distractions and that he or she must be hundred percent focused. Otherwise, it will be too overwhelming and can make any normal person insane. What Zessica is doing, whether she is aware of it or not, is sealing away her conscious mind and allowing instincts to follow. It’s one way of dealing with the conditions of using advanced Telekinesis, or more accurately, to avoid it.”

Just as he said this, the ground started rumbling again, this time more vigorously. Arma turns his attention back to the battle to find Ivy struggling to get up from her defeated position and the liquid concrete gone. Zessica had ceased to use them and was standing before Ivy, looming over her, her eyes locking her target on Ivy in a scary fashion. Both of the emerald stone at the back of their necks were showering them with green electricity, indicating that they had strained their body too much with their Major.

However, Zessica didn’t seem like she was able to control herself. Arma watch as the sections of the ground which wasn’t liquefied, crack heavily, beneath them, moving all the way from the girl’s area to even the guy’s. Arma almost stumbled when he felt the ground somewhat gave away, making it imbalance and uneven. The cracks grew even further, expanding all the way to the furthest at what Arma could see of the ground. There was no area where the poor concrete was safe. All of it was into jagged pieces, all of it caused by Zessica. Ivy was now terrified as she rolled up to a ball, covering the back of her head with both hands as if to protect it from anything that would rain down on her.

“I need to get over there.” Arma spoke, realising that this was the fear Zessica was talking about in the fourth Test of the Default Trial. She had mentioned that she fears that the thought of not being able to know what she was doing when she is doing whatever she was doing was haunting her, and Arma had silently promised her that he will be there through it all. What was he doing right now? Standing helplessly behind the barrier that electrified them in a mere touch? He should be with her, calming her down from the fear that was eating her alive! Arma didn’t know why but he had a feeling that beneath the robotic stature, Zessica was crying out in fear.

“You know you can’t. If you do, it will be considered cheating.” Seth reasoned calmly, crossing his arms over his chest and watching Zessica lose her bearings while Ivy remained transfixed on staying wherever she was. On the contrary, it seemed Ivy was still sensible enough to defend herself by turning the ground beneath her to liquid again, moulding it to the shape of a dome and solidifying it once more, protecting her with Ivy being inside.

Seth continued to watch dismissively as veins started appearing at the edges of the emerald stone which was fused at Zessica’s neck. Her eyes still had cross hairs on them but there was this vine like green highlights forming from the corner of her eyes, over the cheek bones to the side of the jaw. It was the same design that was on her Exoskeleton too. If Zatch were here with him right now, Arma was sure without a doubt he would be interested in what it signifies instead of the danger the girl was putting herself in as some of the jagged pieces was now hovering from where they were originally from the ground, levitating above to the sky as the destruction unfolds.

“Please! I am not going to help Zessica win by beating your precious Ivy to a pulp. I just want to bring the rational Zessica back and stop this destruction before it goes haywire. Even I know that this won’t end well by looking at the future calamities!” Arma yelled, practically begging now. Before he could wait for Seth’s response, Arma tried to slam his arm on the barrier as forcefully as he can, trying to get a crack on it when he was almost sent flying. The tall lad cursed as he felt thousand of volts travelling through his arm to his body before being flung back, he wasn’t even able to touch the barrier!

Seth sighed as Arma made a renewed effort in breaking the electrical barrier again. Somehow, this sigh made the brunette lose his temper. Why he wanted to be this kind of person was beyond him. Arma didn’t like this guy at all. Sure he had this calm and composed attitude but he was too insensitive! Heck! Even when Ivy was having a difficult time, he didn’t seem at all perturbed or worried! What kind of partner would do that to his comrades?!

“That still counts as helping your partner and would disqualify you the moment you step to the other side.” As Seth stated this in an offhand attitude, Arma was very much motivated to pulverise this guy to something that is beyond identifiable. This guy really ticked him off. Why had Arma secretly wanted to be this kind of guy before? His replica, Seth was just too numb, too inconsiderate and too unsympathetic. This isn’t the type of person Arma wanted to be. He wanted to be the opposite of Seth. He wanted to care and help his friends. He wanted to protect someone and he wanted to worry about them when they were in danger. Not this, definitely not this.

But doesn’t that mean Arma was already fine with how he was right now?

“...SCREW YOU! I DON’T CARE IF WE GET DISQUALIFIED OR NOT! WHEN I SAY I AM GOING TO HELP HER, THEN I WILL HELP HER AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT WILL STOP ME!” Arma yelled confidently, reluctantly holding himself back with bashing Seth to a pulp. Even if he didn’t hold back, he wasn’t sure how he was going to do that, seeing that it would mean he was basically hitting himself.  Seth stared at him for a while before smiling warmly at him, as if noticing that Arma had finally came to a realisation that he was fine with how and who he was. Even with all the faults he had, Arma had longed accepted the type of person he was and had forgotten on trying to be the type of person that would please everyone. More accurately, he had given up on that way before he started accepting that he was fine with just being him.

“Congratulations, you passed this Test.” Seth announced indifferently, ignoring Arma’s bamboozled face and the electric shocks that was singing his hand as he touched the barrier successfully. Just as his fingertips brushed against the transparent barrier, the barricade quickly dispersed away into tiny dust particles. It was only then did he realise just how much power Zessica was unleashing uncontrollably. The barrier had fully blocked it but now that it was gone, Arma was almost knocked out of his feet. He strained his eyes at the small figure as he placed more force than necessary to even stand in the arena.

“Good luck at getting disqualified.” Seth said carelessly, hands in his jeans pockets, not at all minding the sudden force breezing at their way and having no intention on helping. Arma huffed and took great effort at rolling his eyes at his replica. He then reeled his attention back to Zessica and started moving forward from there.

To say that he struggled to even take one step would be understatement. It was as if he even moved one leg, the force would be enough to blow him away and go kasplat! somewhere. However, with newfound resolve and determination, Arma continued forth, ignoring the cuts and bruises Zessica unconsciously sent to his way by her uncontrollable Telekinesis, making objects fly here and there. By then, there was pretty much a tornado whirling around, with Zessica right at the middle of it and the surroundings were nothing but flying jagged objects and dust particles gliding in the wind.

“Zeeessicaaaa! Snap out of it! I know you can hear me! Zesssicaaa!” Arma yelled, his voice barely reaching the girl. The destruction was just too much, snatching his voice away. At one point, a large chunk of concrete was sent at his way, almost knocking him off. However, he wasn’t even able to dodge because there was too much force against him. The only thing he could do was quickly side step, leaving a large gash on his left arm but with his priorities straight, he ignored that too.

Eventually, after a slow snail’s pace, Arma was at least ten feet away from Zessica. The green highlights seemed to have grown, extending all the way from the face to the shoulders, arms and torso. It glowed so brightly, it was easily identifiable through her shirt. Arma hollered his name again and once again the demolition of the dimension they were in snatched his voice away, bringing them to deaf ears.

Seeing there was no other choice, Arma allowed himself to have an energy boost by activating his Minor. He placed a lot of force in his legs before he allowed himself to leap from where he was. Zessica didn’t even look up when he tackled her, albeit gently of course. She didn’t even react when Arma sat upright, forced her to do the same and shook her urgently, trying to snap her out of it. Unfortunately, Zessica was too far gone and Arma had no clue to how to bring her consciousness back.

“Zessica...Please...come back...please Zessica. After this, I will do whatever you say! Even go as far as to not pester about your choice of food and label you as the Queen of Video Games. I will do anything...just please...please come back...Please...” Arma felt his eyes sting as for the first time, tears threatened to fall. It was like back on that day when Ophelia gave her that poison present again. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, it was just too painful.

No one had ever made him feel this way; no one had ever made him smile again. No one had ever meant the world to him and certainly, no one had ever, in a million years, made him feel human. No one... except her...and the fact that he couldn’t do the same to her was tearing him apart. Arma embraced her tightly even though he was basically hugging a shell of proof that the girl who changed his life for the better.

“Please come back...Isis...”

***

Zessica had never known true fear until she was reminded of it. She never really knew what happened after Ivy; her replica started seeking deep within herself and unlocked the demon that was clawing inside of her with rapidly weakening chains. She wanted to push Ivy away, to stop her from doing what could be the end of her normal life but it was too late, the chains were snapped and everything became dark.

Even so, she felt like she was falling, falling at impossible speeds through sounds and light. It was like she was falling through fear, falling through freedom, just endlessly falling as if she would never land. Closing her eyes, she kept them clamped tightly shut, willing herself out of the madness, willing herself away from feelings she would never understand and everyone she cherished as a result of them. For what seemed like an eternity, that was how Zessica stayed, until the rush died down and she began to regain her sense of gravity.

That was when she heard a sound of crying by a child, pulling her to immediate concern. She opened her eyes, interested at the sound when she found herself in a familiar room, a place she knew before Blessed Combat, a place she knew when everything in her world became vivid and made her feel alive. Here she was, at the hospital, before she became the broken girl she was.

A little girl with the brightest green eyes she had ever seen lies on the bed, sobbing silent tears and wallowing up in misery. She cannot be older than the age of eight, yet Zessica still see something of an adult struggling to keep composure. She wants to grow up before she is ready in order to escape the pain which had her in her current mess of tears. That’s when she sits up abruptly, angrily throwing a vase on the table next to her against the wall. The shatter hardly eases her pain because as they both knew, there was nothing in this world strong enough to heal the scars whenever they were struck with the heaviest doses of reality. Right now, she is too young to understand but by the age of twelve or thirteen, it won’t be clearer, and that’s when the cracks will form.

“You know... you will always be a burden to others because this illness will never... leave us alone.” Zessica stated impassively, slowly walking up to the younger girl. She didn’t even seem to flinch when the older one sat on the bed, already too deep in her misery to care about a stranger close. However, daggers shot through the younger girl’s bloodlust eyes.

“What do you know about it? I will recover. I will be normal and by then, I will go out like any normal girl.” The younger girl spat, causing Zessica to scoff which was devious of humour, unthreatened by such a familiar look.

“We never do.” Holding her tiny fist at her side, the tears in her eyes welled until she couldn’t keep up with the burning strain any longer. The younger girl took Zessica by surprise when she broke down, thrusting herself into the older girl’s arms where she buried herself to her chest. Sighing, Zessica wrapped her arms around her small shoulders while she let it all out. She never really dealt with kids. All she knew was that kids didn’t have the knowledge of the world and all of its imperfections and sins. However, this little girl, she should have taken care of her all along. She should have known better than to leave her alone all this time when she knew it was the very last thing she wanted. Nobody deserved this; it was the worst possible way to suffer.

Wasn’t that the reason why she had blindly forced gave this girl misapprehension that the world was all sunshine and rainbows? Wasn’t that the reason why she forced this girl to believe that there were all good in this world and no bad? That there was always that light in that endless dark carve? Wasn’t that the reason, why Zessica had made this girl believe that in the end, everything would be alright? Wasn’t this the best way to protect this young innocent girl?  

“Then what’s the point in hoping?” The young girl wailed as Zessica gently raked her fingers gently through her ivory black hair in a fond and caring manner, slowly calming the younger girl down.

“I have been asking myself that same question lately. Everyday actually, but I remember that there is someone who is my hope. He always shone radiantly in the dark, pulling me out in my darkest hours. To that, I owed him, by becoming his shadow. I thought I would help him but there are times I feel like I am a burden to him because of this...curse...this illness...Even then, he still continued to give me hope.”

“Who?” Wiggling out of her arms, the young girl stared at the older with eyes large as orbs. She asked this question sceptically, her eyes glittering at the last of her hope of the future in those ornaments. Sighing once more, Zessica tried to think, but everything was just so foggy, it was almost impossible, like staring at a deep black hole.

“I don’t remember...” Zessica answered; carefully brushing the younger girl’s cheeks dry of tears. It wasn’t a good enough answer, not for any of them. Zessica knew this before she even asked.

“How can you just forget someone who makes the sun shines?” The younger girl shot, encouraging Zessica to chuckle. There was no humour in her tone and even the young girl noticed this as she frowned lightly.

Zessica glanced around the room, remembering it like it was yesterday. Even though she couldn’t recall anyone’s faces she knew some people visited. She remembered the books in the bookshelves in which her father had placed there in case she got bored. She remembered the window which showed the view outside where small kids at this young girl’s age would play in the park or the basketball court. There were toys too, placed almost every single place so the girl could see it before she wished herself goodnight and sleep peacefully, knowing that her ‘treasures’ would be safe.

“...Then you should go back to him...” The younger girl spoke, her voice just barely above a whisper that Zessica almost didn’t catch it.

“I should...but I am scared...” Zessica admitted honestly, because that was how she was raised. Honesty was the best policy, even if the situation doesn’t call for it; justice will be served that way and it was the key to escape from the consequences she would have to face if she had lied.

“But you are older now! You can do anything you want!” The young girl declared, desperately wondering whether if life wasn’t all she expected to be when she was older, wondering whether this was how she would come out as in the end, a weak girl who had to rely on others to make herself worthy as a person.

“I am not half as perfect as I would like the world, even myself, to think I am.” Zessica smirked lightly, causing the younger girl’s frown grow even deeper.

“Do you need him?” The girl asked, as Zessica could see the hope shimmering in those eyes, a final thread of hope barely hanging in there, very weak enough to snap but strong enough to hold on a little longer. Zessica knew what the girl wants her to say but then again, Zessica herself wasn’t sure whether that was the right answer. Did she need him? Did she?

“I don’t even know who he is...” Zessica sighed, soft tears pricking at her eyes. She almost laughed uproariously for being such a fool she was. As the tears surfaced, tickling as they escaped her eyes, the young girl realized the truth and settled down beside her, hugging her lightly as if to comfort her. The close and warm embrace only made Zessica realise how exhausted she really was.

“You should go back there before it’s too late...like in those action movies...You should go now...You should go...” The girl mumbled lightly, her voice heavily induced with sleep. She snuggled closer to Zessica, resting her head on her chest again with her ears pressed against Zessica’s abnormal beating heart. They were both emotionally exhausted, in need of a solid rest before they could even consider taking on the monsters in them.

“Go...” The young girl spoke, her voice barely audible which was merged with an oversized yawn. Zessica giggled lightly, gently raking her fingers through the other girl’s ivory hair again.

“Yes...I should go...and I will.” Zessica agreed, gently placing the sleeping girl back to the hospital bed. She made sure the blanket covered the young girl well and stepped towards the door. Placing her hand on the doorknob and turning it gently, she took one last glance at the young girl who was sleeping with tranquillity on the bed, unaware of the dark yet bright future that was to behold. Smiling, Zessica turned towards the door again, pushing it open and stepped into the light.

Author's note: I put a lot of passion in this chapter so ofcours it's long. These days I have a hard time whether I placed a cliffhanger or not xD If you see any mistakes please point it out.

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