The Deadman

Something went wrong.

No, even if the Agents stopped the scraping process.

It should be fine.

Let’s think. No, was this world seriously lacking? I tried to make up for it by using the explosive force of a nuclear device. Nuclear-tipped, but still got the job done. No, was there something off with my formula?

There isn't. The process worked as intended. The ones marked as scorned dragged their power through my vessel and then strengthened me. But the process, no, it’s like unguided by a lighthouse. It can’t find a destination.

Variables. Time and space needed to be calculated. No, ripping through the layers, not even possible in the later tech. No, this can’t be the end, this can’t be the end.

The vomit flowed.

I’m so sorry. But it needed to be done. I am so sorry.

You got to focus. Break down the problem. Try to break down the problem. Understand what went wrong. You got years to make the schematics. Gather all the pawns and variables. What went wrong? 

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing came to mind.

The exact amount should be able to summon a creature, provoke it, and then use the vessel of the creature to travel through the coordinates. No, no, you have to understand that there is something wrong. I got it correct. I knew I could do it. Made myself strong. Made myself able to live long for it. No, no, should I have worried about the millennium bug first?

What if it can’t be done? No, it should be possible. How many lives? How much more is needed until then?

Got to think.

Got to think.

Everyone’s not suspecting anything.

Good. Too much information. CASE is careless. Always so lacking. Rest of the magi families are inept and too proud. Lionhearts don’t care about the state, they see the death of magic as their time to shine. Lupus are good, but greedy, have wolf-bloods, they’ll die so it doesn’t matter.

Rest of the families should have been halved after this. Got nothing to lose. They forgot to think about the coming world. Changing like new water in an aquarium.

Plan’s dead in the water. Can’t find any broken arrows. Spells are esoteric, they don’t have any sign of improvements for a hundred years. Too late to study more, further it more, allow it to break through things.

Spells showed no progress. Can’t even shorten the distance. Unstable and trying it without any real power. No tech right now. Need more years. Soul does not cling to machines, if the millennium bug rids it all, then it will be closed for eternity. It can’t be reached. An eternity will not reach it.

Husks are spread all over the city. Emptied bodies of flesh. No souls cling to them. None of the scorned survived. They are fed to that. The AGENTS of CASE are beyond explanation. They held power, but they faded away by absorbing the blast to their bodies. Sharing the blast. Their numbers are thin, and yet I find no satisfaction in this.

Was Yaga caught? No, that fool can’t run away and he was scorned. His soul should have been fed. All witnesses are taken care off. Everyone that was branded has been fed to the spell.

But why?

Why?

Why didn’t it work?

The calculations are correct.

It should have been able to connect through the place.

No, I’m missing something.

It can’t be that, right?

Mentor told me that the spell works if there’s an anchor it clung to. Like a bridge that needs solid foundations. But the place isn’t solid. No, I can’t be sure about that. But what if there is no ground in the first place?

No place for the spell to anchor to?

It can’t be guided.

It can’t be found.

There are many possibilities.

Then it isn’t possible?

No, don’t cry, not yet, tears are saved later. Need to find a way to correct it, only a few years until then. I have to try. But assets are gone, so I need to draft a new plan, sell items, and if possible create more scenes to make sure that the fog doesn’t show. Nothing is foolproof, even these magis have their own methods to track me down. I closed the methods, the Solar Temple is still the prime suspect. Ferric is too careful.

No, don’t cry yet you damn fool.

It can still be done.

Just need to work hard. Concoct a plan before the millennium bug fades away everything. It’ll be harder. Need to think. Make a draft again. Back to zero. Just need to stay strong and rock solid.

Need to keep it in.

Oh, how I hate this.

I hate it.

But you need to be strong.

Escape his hell.

You can do it.

This is nothing more than a test.

A test to get back.

All of them are just pawns to this.

I just need to break something.

I’ll be able to escape this.

Free myself from this prison and get out of this space.

It can’t end like that.

It just can’t end like that.

I refuse to believe that it just ends like that.

Too vivid.

Too real.

It can still be worked over.

I need to do something.

It can’t be over.

I can still find a way to get out of this mess.

It’s been years already.

I need to get out of this prison. I can still do it. Just need to focus like I always do. Try to keep it clean. Make sure that none can find out about it. Discretion will be my greatest tool to live on. Get it done. I have nothing here. I can do it. I still can do it. Oh, this isn’t me, no, this is simply not real and there is no need to feel remorse. It’ll be over once you get out of this sick space. I just have to find a way and maybe they’ll release me. That’s gotta be it.

“Miss Gia?”

“Oh, is there something wrong?”

“No, you look lost.”

“I’m fine.  Things are pretty bad, isn’t it?”

“It is. Some of our Enforcers have been struck.”

There were many Enforcers coming in. The elevator opened and there was a group of strangers that gathered the attention of the members. On their shoulder was a familiar face. Simone carried Enforcer Oswald with a stranger they didn’t know.

The americans… were they working with Enforcer? Was Oswald hit by the spell? I’m sorry… so sorry. But it’s needed to be done. Need to learn if Yaga survived.

Gia rushed to where Oswald was.

“What happened?”

Her gloomy face was reflected on the infirmary mirror.

“He got affected by the spell?”

“Possibly.”

He should be dead. No, from the looks of it something protected him, no, he endured before the spell took his soul. He survived the cult below, Lesnik, and then Marbas’s words. Must be his resistance? Got lucky? No, he doesn’t have any of the marks of the scorned so it must be luck.

The American that was carrying gear looked at Enforcer Oswald.

“How’s Kato doing?”

She raised a brow and asked.

“Who?”

“Oh, I mean, how’s Oswald doing?”

The American pointed at the Enforcer lying unconscious on the bed.

The doctor examined Enforcer Oswald.

“Not good. Something knocked him into a coma. Don’t know if he’ll wake up in a day or two, but it knocked him out. I’ll examine him for now.”

The three left the infirmary. The American that was with Simone left. Gia approached with a curious expression.

“What happened? Got the target?”

“We did. No, the spell that blew up got to him first. We barely survived… Maybe it’s because we’re far away. How’s the situation outside, Miss?”

“Terrible. Lot of people are dead… sacrificed. Ther souls are fed to that spell.”

“We saw it. Who’d do something like this?”

Gia stared at Simone who was clenching his fist. Before Gia could say something, Simone left with his fingers still balled up.

He isn’t a bad person. I’m sorry. I hope you’re okay.

Gia stared at the infirmary before climbing up to the rooftop where there was no one around. The spell lingered. Traces of it pollute the air of Saint Lucius.

She lost her strength for a moment.

A huge part of her wanted to scream.

She held her palms on her face and moaned softly. Body-shaking sobs came out of her. The guilt that stabbed her soul overwhelmed her, but she instead hardened her resolve.

I just want to go home.

Fight hard.

Never let go.

You can end this nightmare.

Break this space.

Her kind soul hardened.

The gloom on her face reflected the gloom of her soul.

A soul that cries out for salvation.

A soul that wanted nothing more than to escape this cage she found herself in and returned back home.

It crushed her kind soul.

And yet her desire spoke more than her guilt.

She was a stranger to this strange world.

It was a kinder world.

A much better one that she knew.

But it wasn’t her home.

It could never be her home.

And so her kind soul hardened once more.

Filling it with a terrible resolve.

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