Guatemala

4,543 years since initial death
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No amount of words could ever possibly describe the pain.

Plummeting into the trees below, his legs were completely demolished by the strength of a hundred branches. Every single part of his body was violently struck as he found himself crashing through the forest. Despite overcoming his pain in the past, it was completely different this time. This was beyond detrimental.

Finally, his motionless body tore through one last branch before colliding with the ground. The storm around him had started to settle. It only left a light shower of rain that fell over the forest.

Lying on the grass, he was left paralyzed. His rib cage was broken, his limbs shattered, his skull fractured and he was bleeding out from the countless wounds sustained during the fall. But through it all, he lived.

He couldn't move. It hurt to blink. His breath was slowly decreasing, as was his heartbeat. Alone once more, he was left with nothing but his thoughts. He couldn't blame himself for this, yet he wanted to. It was because of these thoughts that his mind was beginning to shift.

Valerie was dead because of him, not that he really cared much. But he should have known this would happen. Valerie realized it far before he ever did, and his hesitation got her killed and stranded in a forest because of it. Was this God testing him? Was Mother Nature against him? Or perhaps this was fate. His final destiny.

Unable to move and left in agony to die alone. That was his fate. But after thousands of years, sometimes he has to defy his own destiny. There's a reason this happened. The forecast was clear, why else would there have been a sudden storm that crash landed him here?

He was meant to be here all along. He'll be damned if he allows himself to give up without a fight. Whatever unnatural force was behind this, he's not going to accept it. Instead, he chose to stand.

Because of his wrath, he shrugged his injuries off. Normally, it would take weeks to erase these gashes. But during his enraged state, even his own body rejected the wounds. His bones snapped back into position, his scars were healed. Leaves rustled by and were blown away by the sudden heavy wind. It was all because of him.

Immortals don't just revive after each death. They regenerate. All they need is to trigger it. In death, it triggers automatically after some time. But when an Immortal is still currently alive, all they need to do is awaken their sin.

All Mark had to do was simply turn mad. It wasn't hard, rather he already had a reason to justify his anger. Within half a minute, he was already back in pristine condition and he began to walk forward.

A familiar growl sounded right behind him. He knew what it is but didn't pay it any regards. 

Right in front of him was a stone staircase leading to the peak of a ruined stone temple. It was La Danta Pyramid. Trees had engulfed the entire surrounding area. He couldn't see anything, he had to make his ascent to the top first. It was crazy to think that while he fought for Sparta during his time in Greece, this existed in the opposite side of the world.

But he set those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to remember the past. He had a date with fate.

As for Valerie, she was free.

The fall had killed her. But even to her own surprise, she had resurrected within a minute. Her eyes opened as a few birds were flying over her. She dug her hands into the dirt, clenching it for the first time in centuries. Without even needing to look around, she knew exactly where to go. Her past time running through forests paid off. At least now, she didn't have to worry about the occasional jaguar appearing to rip her head off her shoulders.

Her feet took off, landing her in an immediate sprint. Nothing could slow her down. She leaped over extended roots, ducking beneath branches and keeping her pace steady as she maneuvered her way through the thick forest. This was where she trained her acrobatics, often climbing the trees and swinging from branch to branch. At this point, not even a jaguar could probably chase her down here.

Back at La Danta, Mark had reached the highest peak of the pyramid. From here, he could see the horizon. Endless forests of trees as far as the eye can see. Walking along the stone rooftop, he noticed several cracks in the floor and the walls. If he wanted to, he could brutally force his way through the cracks.

Turning his head around, he spotted the presence of his stalker. That damned growl belonging to the fearsome lion. Rather than trying his best to ignore it like he often did, he had a different idea in mind. He's going to confront this beast once and for all.

"Why did you force us here?" Mark glared at the animal, carefully watching its every step as it walked a circle around him.

When he didn't get a response, he continued, keeping his voice low and sinister. "What's so special about this temple that you crashed our plane? Obey me and give me an answer."

This is not my doing.

That distorted voice entered his mind just as the lion looked away from him. It approached the edge of the temple's heights and rested. 

Meanwhile, Valerie had felt his anger. Nothing about this was right. Her anxiety was rising. She was getting closer, parts of the ruins were becoming visible. But her stamina was dropping, her actions were becoming clumsier. As she continued, she was beginning to feel something burning her hand again.

"Then why did lightning strike?" Mark's hand began to twitch, bringing forth a familiar feeling he once hated, but now strangely welcomed. "I checked the forecast, it was clear. Yet our plane crumbles apart in the air. I've studied aviation, this is impossible."

It is not me you should be asking.

Valerie's left hand continued to burn. She hasn't felt this pain in a terribly long time. "Mark!" She screamed his name at the top of her lungs, hoping he could hear her. Alas, she never got a response. She still had a bit of distance left to run before she could reach the temple.

Mark stayed silent for a few seconds, raising an eyebrow towards the lion. "So this was Valerie's fault? It makes sense considering her connection with this place. But why would she cause a plane crash? Better yet, how did she cause it to happen in the first place?"

His mind was painting a dark image at the thought of every possibility. "Is she trying to kill me perhaps? I know the Mayans were famous for their human sacrifices, but she wouldn't; would she?"

You should know her by now. Whether you trust her or not, it is not my decision; only yours.

"I saw her hand shaking and glowing like mine used to do. So she caused this, and she's coming for me."

I will say nothing more.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Mark, you made it!" Valerie smiled, wanting to hug him. Instead, she saw his face. He looked back at her slowly, with his jaw slightly dropped. They shared a long stare, not moving or saying a word.

Valerie felt nervous again. "What's wrong?"

"Three people lost their lives in a plane crash, and you're happy." He spoke ever so softly, showing no emotion whatsoever. "You killed them."

Valerie was baffled. She couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. But she wasn't even given any time to respond.

Without hesitation, he punched her in the face so hard that she fell over. Before giving her a second to stand, he grabbed her and pulled her up, squeezing her neck.

Valerie reached for her neck in self-defense. Mark had completely lifted her off the ground. His grip was too strong, even for her to handle. She couldn't even scream or tell him to stop. He was trying to kill her, and he wanted to.

That was when she noticed his eyes changed. Somehow, his eyes looked red and blank simultaneously. It was a distant void of blood and hatred. Immediately, she felt a horrible sense of dread. The man holding her up was no longer her husband.

Mark was gone.

In front of her was all that remained of him.

The Ripper.

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