Darkness.
Then a pale crimson dot at the centre of that darkness.
Because everything has to start from something.
The crimson dot began emulsifying in with the black background, a combination of a painter's swirl and the rough edged cuts across the canvas until the canvas transformed into a scarlet horizon.
Red clouds spun into existence, shielding each inch of the sky with a foreboding sense of disaster. The air turned acidic and burdening, as if each breath from Jay took every last sap of energy he had left. Soft grey ash materialized as the trial's flooring, his boots sinking into the sodden earth, which was not made of earth at all, but rather the leftovers of every Dreamer who had failed this trial before him.
This was the seventh step - the last trial that you had to climb to reach heaven, a realm where any wish or desire can be granted. It was the culmination of all of Jay's efforts, all the years of training would pay off in this very moment. That or he would simply perish, a consequence that justified the reward of stepping foot into the heavens.
A suffocating breeze of ash lifted Jay's long, messy raven hair as the final pieces of the setting erupted into existence. A large gate appeared at the edge of the horizon spanning the entire horizontal endlessly, a demonic creatu- no a being would be a better description at what stood at its center.
Jay: "The Coward King…"
A soft mutter that felt too confident compared to the sheer horror of the nightmare standing before him, a grotesque amalgamation of jagged plate armor filled with crevices of exposed innards and raw flesh between its cracks.
How disgusting.
Jay winces.
I really have outdone myself this time…
The nightmare has taken the life of every dreamer that has stepped foot into the gritty ashes of the seventh step, forged from god's rigourous expectations on their creations. A blade of dark steel materialized to the side of the being, its six digits wrapping around its hilt. It was too big to be called a sword, rather it was more like a heap of raw iron.
A deep breath, then silence.
Jay's mag crackled in his veins, the electrical energy sprouting out from his skin spilling out into the space around him. A marvelous and rare sight, the black lightning only wieldable by those who has dedicated their life to dream, a testament of Jay's determination.
I won't lose in speed!
Jay moved first, his first step digging deep into the grey then exploding to the exposed side of the Coward King.
However the King expected it, slashing his sword cleanly through where jay should've been on its left but an afterimage was the only thing that the blade connected to.
Perfect.
Before the nightmare could react, Jay condensed a ball of pure electrons into his palm, its vigor radiating. The impact of mag and body as it connected to the armor of rex caused an instantaneous eruption, sending Jay and The Coward King flying in opposite directions.
An impressive display of acrobatics was performed by Jay, a mix of flips and twists before skidding on the ground, the friction keeping him upright. He stared towards the dust of the ashes, expecting the King to stare back.
Did tha-
The sword grazed Jay's front bangs before cracking the ground beneath his feet and was succeeded by two swift swings at Jay leaving him with no time to reset. He flipped over the cuts by near inches but the damage has already been done.
Liquid that matched the sky began spilling out his left tricep, seeping into and solifying the residue beneath him.
FUCK
Shit shit shit
Think think
I have t-
From a distance The Coward King swung his sword, its slit decimating the sound barrier as a sharp gust of wind mag rushed to take Jay's life.
This didn't phase him however.
Jay snapped his fingers.
A bright flash of black parted the crimson clouds, its charge devoid of all impurities effortlessly struck upon rex's left arm. The King roared, its cry reverberating to Jay's very fingertips but he was already on the move again.
Several electric arrows emerged at Jay's side as he simulatnesouly launched them at rex while dashing in, the arrows buzzing through the battleground before connecting to The Coward King's abdomen.
The nightmare howled again but not in pain.
The King looked at Jay with a glimmer in its eyes.
It was in amusement.
What a sicko.
But this thought was Jay's downfall. In the split second his mind wandered, his hesistation allowed for an opening too rewarding to pass up for the nightmare.
The King dashed towards Jay and swiftly severed his arm, the limb flying dramtically through the air before it met the ground.
Then again, the nightmare brings the heap of iron down before him, Jay struggling to block with his remaining arm. Only a trivial ball of electric mag separated his hand from the sword.
The force was excessive and never-ending, forcing Jay down. He buckled to his knees as they thud onto the solidfied ashes, his nervous system firing on all cylinders to just for a sliver of a chance to protect himself.
Jay's vision began blurring.
It appears that he has lost too much blood.
This pressure…!
get up
get up
FUCK
Through sheer willpower, Jay forced himself back onto his feet, his last arm unstable underneath the relentless weight of The Coward King's downswing. With what little strength he had left, Jay jolted to the side, relinquishing his voltage as the sword grazes by him.
But the onslaught wasn't over.
The nightmare followed up with a twirling assault, making use of the momentum that he had to catch Jay off guard but the sword was met with a mag shield Jay conjured at the last moment.
At this rate…
For the latter half of the fight Jay realised that he had only been forced backwards and it dawned on him that he would be a dead man if he let this continue any longer.
Everything would be all for naught if he get cut down here.
However contrary to his dilemna a small grin began forming on his dirtied face.
The King lunged forward, its bloodlust leaking out of its pores but Jay didn't move.
Not even a slight twitch to react to the nightmare's strike.
Jay just stared into The Coward King's eyes with a look of determination, though behind his gaze something about it wasn't genuine.
Jay: "Disappear."
The murmur stopped The King in its tracks.
Then it started disintegrating, the prickly armor and rotten flesh vanishing from the battleground.
Creakkk.
The gate to the next step slowly unlatched as it swung open, bright golden lights now overshadowed the crimson background.
Jay gritted his teeth, one hand floated over where his left arm used to to be. He scrunched his eyes at the marvel of what stood before him at the end of the trial.
Jay: "It's over."
The words echoed in the false space of trial, the vibrations bouncing between the clouds.
Then it didn't echo at all.
?!?!
Jay stared at the nightmare, its lower half of its body frozen while decomposing, shards of the King floating mid-air.
Something is wrong. Why did it just pause? Why can't I-
Without warning and to Jay's surprise, the ashes beneath his boots began to solidify, the blood shot clouds waning to grey and his vision started to warp as the background in his vision began to blend.
Nothing about this made sense to Jay, who frantically looked around then tried materializing his mag.
…
…
It did not heed his call.
The gate in the far distance didnt open wider nor did it close.
Nothing around him answered.
Then the ground shuddered, knocking jay onto his back as the scenery morphed into something completely new. The stasis was broken, like someone was listening in on Jay and finally decided to respond to his inquiries after messing with him.
What the fucks happening?
The battlefield stretched and turned, like a painter styling their canvas, each stroke painting something new into existence. The clouds transformed to grey. Ash became a rocky concrete. color began spilling into the sky, the crimson to a light blue. These events dawned a sudden realization on the front of Jay's mind.
The setting fractured into shards of memory that Jay was all too familiar with.
This makes no sense, I should be in control of this dream!
Jay tried his hardest to rewind this episode, like how he always did when something went wrong but the dream didnt acknowledge him like his previous ones.
Shoes now replaced his boots, the modern soles gripped the asphalt with a loud thump, the smell of acidity absent but replaced by the fumes of a nearby exhaust. Erected buildings started shielding the sky and cars warped into existence stalled in the middle of the road.
Impossible…
Lastly people sprouted into Jays view, all with identical expressions and their face tilted upwards. It was an uncanny sight that would confuse anyone.
They were looking at the sky.
Jay's eye blinked in disbelief, his hand slowly curling up into a fist.
No way, am I dreaming of the revelation?
I'm no- I'm not supposed to be here.
Then a voice spoke in jay's mind.
Though everyone was looking up at the sky the source of the voice wasn't coming from above.
Rather it came from everywhere, within and everything in between. The air in Jay's lungs. The blood cells that carried oxygen to his brain. Even in the deepest parts of his mind that he could never talk to himself.
???: "Do not be afraid."
It was calm yet infinite, neither kind nor cruel.
This is supposed to be my dream, why am i getting a vision of the revelation?!
???: "I am god."
It was a thousand years ago when God first and last spoke to humanity. Many tried but noone could block or deny its existence.
God: "I understand the shape of your desires."
Then concepts began forming within Jay's mind.
Strength.
Fortune.
Power.
Change.
Its exactly like what the historians said!
The concept took the form of symbols that Jay had never seen in his life. Yet he somehow understood what they meant, startling him.
God: "My creations, I have graciously bestowed upon all mag, a power that will be drawn from the depths of what you yearn for the most, for you to earn what you truly wish for."
The people around Jay all reacted differently to this voice. Some fell to their knees, other screamed their lungs out. A couple waited in silence.
But Jay couldn't hear any of them as he looked around.
It was completely muted aside from God's voice, an isolated vacuum for each soul so he could talk to each person individually.
God: "The power of mag does not belong to ordinary life, for it exists for you to overcome trials beyond your imaginations."
Jay tried summoning his mag again but to his discouragement nothing formed in his palms.
God: "You must face these steps my creations. Throughout the realms and planets I have created. Through the challenges that my fellow deities have prepared."
The pressure of the moment began overwhelming Jay, dropping him to his knees. His hands instinctively covered his face trying to calm himself down.
He already knew the rest of the speech.
God: "Climb. Overcome the Trials. Reach Heaven. At the end, any wish may be fulfilled."
God: "Dream my creations."
There was a loud blip before everything turned colorless, the painted canvas now returning back to its initial state representing the void.
Jay jumped up and sat upright, gasping for air as he tried to recollect what sense he still had left.
Desperately, he tried scanning around himself again in hopes of something that could ground him in reality. Fortunately, past his long black bangs that had always been obstructing his vision he was finally met with something he was familiar with.
Morning light found its way through the cracks of his curtains, lighting up a bedroom wall covered with manga posters that he has collected over the years. His sheets were twisted around his legs, the accumulated sweat across his body started to cool as he brushed his blanket aside.
In contrast, his heart continued to heat up.
For a long moment Jay laid in his bed focusing on slowing down his breaths so he could assimilate himself back into reality.
Jay: "The fuck was that…?"
Muttering underneath his breath Jay rubbed his eyes before sluggishly swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. He stared at his figure collection that sat in front of him on a neatly organized shelf in anticpation that one of the figures would come to life and start speaking to him. That would feel more realistic than that vision he had.
The dream didn't dissolve when Jay wanted it to but rather it lingered like an afterimage that would be burned forever into the corridors of his memories.
Maybe this is how dreams work for normal people huh?
Normally in Jay's dreams he would be in total control. He could dictate landscapes and settings like an author, they would simply shift to whatever he pleased. Events would happen the way he would write them and if an outcome occured that he didn't like, he would simply rewind it. Time and consequences were simply concepts that he could manipulate at will.
That along with waking up is something that he could dictate.
Simply put, he was a master of lucid dreaming. Until last night atleast.
Jay frowned and dragged his hand down his face again.
The revelation had shattered society milleniums ago. A massive collapse of economies worldwide as religions splintered. The new god destroyed the beliefs of millions and implanted a completely new ideology in all: to dream. People abandoned their lives to hone their mag and climb the steps to heaven.
Some took up the climb for wealth while others desired power. A handful wanted the thrill of the challenge. Though each had a different reason, all who had answered the challenege were called dreamers, the 'gifts of god' who have commited to follow his path to reach their ambitions and goals at Heaven.
The dreamers called it their destiny to climb the steps.
But Jay?
He felt like he was good where he was at.
That's what he told himself atleast. Unlike his dramatic and high stakes lucid dreams, in reality Jay was pretty much a nobody.
He couldn't wield mag nor had a destiny that he could set his heart ablaze for. There was no reason for him to climb the steps.
In reality, his days moved quietly and peacefully. He would wake up, go to work, maybe hit hte gym in the evening before burning his evenings with manga. The lucid dreams would be something that he would mess around with after work, a little fun with a power that he could only imagine to have.
His days were comfortable and predictable.
He didn't get why people threw themselves at the steps, training themselves to overcome trials for a fight they'll inevitably lose. After a thousand years, noone has managed to reach Heaven after all.
Why not just relax and do your own thing?
But sometimes…
Sometimes when the world gets a little too quiet, when time slows down to a suffocating tick, unwanted thoughts would seep into Jay's brain.
What if? What if he was meant for something more?
Jay clapped his hands on both sides of his cheeks leaving a red mark, trying to push the thought aside.
What am I doing? I got work today, I gotta get my ass up…
Jay redirected his thoughts, got up from his bed and began his daily routine once again.
That afternoon, during his shift at the fusion place downtown voices drifted form a nearby table. Jay, the nosy guy that he is started listening in as he was prepping some ingredients for the next order.
Patron 1: "Did you hear? Bones had just cleared the fifth step! Noone has ever done that before!"
Patron 2: "Yeah what? Most don't even make it past the first step... that's one of the strongest Pathwalkers for you!"
The customers spoke in hush tones, the awe in their voices leaking through their sheer excitement of the accomplishment.
Patron 1: "Apparently he can wipe out an entire planet with just a snap of his fingers."
Patron 2: "Man fuck wiping out planets, if I was that strong I'll use that to be rich!"
Patron 1: "Man if you were rich then pay for my damn food then! You suck at using mag anyways!"
The two laughed out the joke.
Bones huh? Sounds like some guy. I guess there people out there who existed on a completely different plane. Must be nice.
Jay pondered a little before tilting his head back down, refocusing on not accidently shaving off his fingers while mincing through the onions that piled up in front of him.
When his shift finished, the city looked unchanged. Stepping out the restaraunt he was hit with a the crisp evening breeze blowing past the same old neon signs flickering across the street. The humming of blended converstaions and foot traffic reminded Jay that everyone living their own ordinary lives underneath the shadows of the gods.
It was the same old way home.
Exiting out of his work attire, Jay donned back his favourite hoodie and sweatpants that loosely dangled from his frame. Comfort was the most important afterall. He kicked a pebble across the sidewalk out of boredom and started his journey home.
Thankful woman: "-glad we don't live on Satis… did you see the footage? How many lives is the war going to take over there?"
Concerned man: "I don't get how the Tianshi are getting so bold… They're literally terrorists! It's like the Path Order is useless there!"
Thankful woman: "I mean Earth's way safer because of the Path Order. Thank Fibolo!"
Concerned man: "Thanking the god of bread for safety is ironic don't you think?"
Thankful woman: "It's not my fault that Fibolo is Earth's god…"
The chatter from the nearby couple who happened to head in the same direction as Jay annoyed him. He just wanted some peace amongst the chatter of the beings around him.
Looks like the dream from earlier is still pissing me off…
He reached for his headphones with a practiced motion, lifting some of the weight of the world that he felt had constantly been resting on his shoulders and raised the volume of the first song that shuffled on his walk home playlist.
The soft, welcoming echoes of Girl With The Tattoo Enter.lewd by Miguel washed over him, reassuring him that music will always be there to soothe his thoughts.
Better than hearing news of Tianshi attacks on faraway planets atleast.
The love songs spoke of warmth and connection - a stark contrast to the universe's brutal conflicts. And Jay's mundane life.
The soulful melodies would wrap around him like a blanket and there was a real serenity that kept him sane from the chaos and unknown of others.
The swaying rhythm moved in time with his footsteps as Jay cut through the dimly lit alleys, past the 24 hour bodega where the same adorable strays always hanged out, past the recruitment propaganda to become a Pathwalker. Nothing about the familiar sights changed in years Jay notes, feeling content.
A stray cat darted from the alley beside the bodega, and Jay crouched to give it a quick pat before it scampered off, a soft smile on his face.
He then looks at the alleyway briefly and reluctantly cuts through it.
If only I had the bike tonight. If it wasnt in the shop I wouldnt have to go through here and could've been home already.
But whether he liked it or not, it was his only option. Jay exhaled through his nose and kept moving, letting the soft guitar of the song to continue guiding him his way home.
Against the chords of the soulful tunes about love, some more unsolicited thoughts found their way into Jay's consciousness. Jay didn't really have dreams like others climbing the steps or even a specific things that he wanted to get out of life. But.. a girl would be nice.
Living alone for pretty much his entire life, just someone to sit beside him would make everything a little brighter.
Like someone would try to steal his fries after insisting they weren't hungry or someone who would listen to his rants on his favourite manga series or someone that would just be there with him during the lonely times.
A sigh was forced out, nudging his glasses to the bridge of his nose. Jay wanted to push away this feeling as soon as possible.
Fuck man. I'm pathetic.
These daydreams gotta be a waste of brainpower.
Jay wanted to conclude that it's better to stick to reality, though his shallow resolve was quickly broken by Miguel's voice whose articulated relationships that were sweet like honey, painting a picture of lazy mornings where two souls would be tangled in sheets with one another, too satified with each other's precense to leave. Unfortunately, this only further depressed Jay.
Reaching his apartment Jay took the stairs two stairs at a time. A habit, but tonight his foot caught the snug edge of the aslphalt due a lapse in judgement of distance.
Jay stumbled before barely catching himself on the railing.
Old lady: "Are you alright young man?"
An elderly lady nearby asked Jay concerned, her hands holding what appeared to be groceries.
Jay: "I'm good, thanks."
Jay straigtened himself back up and tugged his headphones to lay on top of his shoulders.
Jay: "Need a hand with those bags ma'am?"
Jay reaches out for a bag but the lady pulls her hand away.
Old lady: "Don't worry about me, I live just down the hall. I think you should worry more about yourself so you won't trip over yourself!"
Jay nods his head and the old lady gives a small chuckle and leaves.
Upstairs, he fumbled with his keys, dropping them twice before the lock clicked upon.
The door revealed a cramped little apartment, but it was cozy and acquainted. There was a worn pullout clouch placed far too close to the TV, stacks of manga filled a nearby bookshelf and the place smelled faintly of last night's spicy noodles.
Jay dropped his bag near the doorway and slouched on the couch, staring off at kitchen which was surprisingly well kept right now.
I skipped the gym today so maybe I'll actually cook something tonight…
His daily routine was almost over.
After feasting on the ground beef slop bowl he had concocted with the leftovers he had for the week, Jay flopped on to his mattress face first. The springs creaked under his weight as he rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling fan that lazily spun back at him.
Jay reached for the latest volume of One Piece that he bought earlier this week that was resting on his nightstand, its spine slightly creased from when he glanced over the chapters in curiousity on the way home from the bodega. His fingers traced the edge of the cover as he flipped it open, careful to not crease the spine any further. The pirate king's journey felt so captivating to Jay, Luffy's ambition was so simple yet absolute. He had only one goal and let nothing get in his way, whether it be the corrupt world government nor by the dictators that threatened his friends. There was nothing in the entire grand line that would've pulled him away from working hard to acheive what he wanted.
Jay let another sigh slip by which was followed by a quiet humourless laugh.
What was even his dream? So many others are risking their lives to have a taste of what Heaven could offer, what was the thing that he would chase to the ends of the universe no matter the consequences?
His fingertips relaxed as he released the volume, it falling soundly onto his face.
God is real and so is Heaven.
He could literally wish for anything.
A flicker of embers heated up in his chest as thoughts of strength, confidence, and purpose - all things that could make his life more interesting - would be possible for a regular guy like him. His life won't be just a long sequences of half-hearted decisions and opportunities that he let slip by.
But then what?
Unlike everyone else, he couldn't use mag. There was no way he can leave Earth and train hard on a gamble where he didn't even have the starting odds to even have a chance. Completely talentless whatsoever.
Typically others are able to conjure up a single element and control mag outside of their bodies to use as weapons or projectiles but Jay can only use Visus, the base form of mag manipulation that could only be applied to one's body. On top of that, Jay was already somewhat satisfied with what he has now - the simple pleasures of flipping through the pages of his manga, the weight of his guitar in his hands or the feeling of accomplishment after he cooked an extravagant meal.
As Jay turned to the next page he sees Luffy finally reaching Laughtale, the one piece insight… but it ends on a cliffhanger.
No way. Are we fucking serious.
Jay sat up, tossing Luffy's story onto the side as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes. The clock on his wall ticked steadly and everyday at this time of day that tick on the wall was always too loud for Jay's liking.
11:47 PM.
Nearly midnight.
Looks like another day over.
Jay reached for the charging cable tangled that draped over his nightstand and plugged in his phone, the vibration signalling that it was time to prepare for a new beginning ahead. He collapsed backwards on his bed, reflecting that he was oddly more introspective than usual today.
Must've been the dream.
He began to wonder if he was the main character of his own story or some background character that was destined to fade into the chapters of another. Though Jay felt more introspective today, this thought was a recurring idea that followed him through the years.
Maybe that's why stories always stood out to him, regardless of genre. To Jay it didn't matter if there was insane power ups in a fight, or if it was a cheesy confession from a rom com. The way that the characters each had their own stories was so exciting to him. How their lives intertwined with others felt like the plot was inevitable, like the universe had bent itself just to make sure each character fulfilled their respective destinies.
Jay's eyes slowly shut out the moonlight that found its way through his blinds as he returned to where he started his day.
Tonight he decided, he'd dream of himself in one of those rom com stories and find love. Maybe he'd be the one who tripped over his own feet in the hallways, sending books flying everywhere, only for the girl of his dreams to help him pick them up. Or maybe he'd offer to share an umbrella to a childhood friend who was prepared to run off into the downpour by herself.
To Jay, it didn't matter if it was cliche or corny. He just wanted anything, anything that would make him feel something. Something that was real.
His last thought settled over him, carrying him into hypnagogia.
Soon Jay found himself in the dream world once again.
There's no way… again?
Again, his mind accepted a terrifying lack of control.
The world distorted into a concrete jungle that was different than the vision of the past that Jay had experienced of the revelation.
However different, the setting was still very well-known to Jay. The air was sharp, the neon signs were flickering, and the bustling evening rush hour told Jay everything he needed to know. This time, his dream put him at the front of the restaraunt.
Jay instinctively reached for his left pocket in search for his phone, feeling like was a gurranteed way to draw a conclusion on his current situation.
His phone's wallpaper, an image of Marin Kitagawa with her vibrant blonde hair and cheerful smile was an unsettling contrast to the reality that he was trapped within. The date startled Jay as it read '8:05 September 2nd, 3000'.
That's tomorrows date.
He raised his hand trying to manifest mag, then closing his fists attempting to stop time.
No luck huh?
Fuck man… normal dreams suck. I was supposed to be balls deep in a love story right now!
Seeing that everything remained the same, Jay unwillignly accepted his circumstances and dropped his hands back to his sides.
8:05… given the time and where I'm at, I'm probably heading home from work…
Might as well ride this one out until I wake up like the last one.
Jay shoved his hands into the pockets of his loose sweatpants, their deteriorating quality an indicator of how far past their lifetime they have been worn. As he started to head home, seeing all of the familiar sights that's he's walked past everyday surprised Jay. He couldn't believe that he remembers all of the details to create such a vivid dream.
This led Jay to a funny thought, what if he did something out of the ordinary? If it was a dream then he could still do some dumb stuff without any consequences, like run around butt booty naked or start flipping off strangers… but he dismissed the thought.
Though it's just a dream, I feel like that would still be too embarrassing to do…
There's noone to make fun of me anyways…
Jay's social life was a revolving door of faces blurred together from the past, the shallow connections he had made never lasted long enough for him to remember nor matter. Born as an orphan until a retired old man from the Path Order had taken him in. Though his adoptive father meant well, he was always absent, only sending money so Jay could take care of himself.
Thus Jay had the responsibility of raising himself without relying on others.
Jay looked up to the sky warmly, the nearly set sun felt oddly nostalgic despite the false landscape that he found himself in. There was this charm of strolling through an imatation of your world without needing to worry about the actual struggles of living. Jay then brought his perspective back down to the bustling downtown, the bodega popping up in the corner of his vision. Its precense acted similiar to that of a marker for Jay on his walk home, a cue that he was halfway there.
Seeing that a new volume of One Piece was releasing today, his feet instinctively drifted towards the store's entrance.
What if I could find out see how One Piece ends?
Then Jay pauses a bit as he reaches the store entrance.
Wait whats the point of the getting the release if it's just a dream? It's not like I know what the one piece is…
A smile grew on Jay's face, excitement and adrenaline building within him.
Man, I actually can't wait for this dream to be over, then I can see what happens!
He twisted his feet in the opposite direction, preparing to continue his trek back to his humble abode as a sudden loud thud interupts his bliss.
His head snapped up. It was far too loud to ignore.
The fuck was that?
The thud, coming from the nearby alley, echoed across the street. And Jay in horror spotted the source of the noise.
A girl was slumped against the grainy bricks of the backstreet, her long, slender legs splayed awkwardly on the concrete. One arm was desparately pressed tight on her right side, her fingers curling into the fabric of her caridgan like she was trying to hold herself from falling apart.
It was oversized and light, something that was cleary not suitable for the nightly chills that x was known for. Worst of all, the front strands were soaked through with a spreading stain that not even the poorly lit alley lamps could not cover up.
Blood.
And far too much of it.
?!?!
Jay's thoughts split into millions of pieces, first trying to make sense of the incident in front of him before each one of them began desperately searching for something that could be of use.
Do I call for help? Shit where's my phone?
Jay fumbles it out of his pocket, his hand shaking and unsteady but his eyes couldn't avoid flickering back to her leaking abdomen.
I can't leave her. But she's also losing too much blood too quickly….
FUCK FUCK FUCK
His heart began vibrating while he scanned the street. No suspicious figures or movement around, nothing out of place. It was just her, the girl bleeding out just thirty paces away.
Jay took a deep breath.
I gotta go!
He lunged forward, skidding to his knees beside her.
Jay: "Hey… HEY!"
His voice cracked as he desperately tried to get her attention while his hands hovered over her shoulders, unsure where to touch her so that it wouldn't cause her any further pain.
Jay: "You're gonna be fine okay? Just… shit…. hold on!"
The bleeding was only getting worse.
???: "…it's okay. it's already too late, don't worry about me."
The girl gave Jay a weak smile, her voice rasp and oddly soft for someone who's on their dying breaths, like she was already accepting of her death.
Her hair, a pure and beautiful white was matted to her forehead with sweat, a few strands clinging to her soft cheekbones. She was pretty in a way so remarkable that she captured Jay's heart within a second of meeting, the face that would belong on an actress capable of winning the hearts of the soul.
But her striking features couldn't cover up her far too pale skin, the way her lips parting awfully shallow breaths, and the way her body was already too still for a living being.
???: "… jay—"
Jay: "Hey stop talking! Fuck man what do even I do…"
Then a sudden realisation hit him.
Jay: "Wait, how do you know my name?"
Adrenaline bursted through his veins as he could barely keep himself together. Nothing made sense anymore. But in the end he concluded there was more important thing at stake than the reason why she would know him. Jay reached out to her hoping to comfort her but she let out a weak, guttural sound as her slim fingers interlocked his instead.
???: "… hk-"
A sudden fire was lit in her eyes for someone who looked half-dead. But rather her perspective landing on Jay, they dilated and snapped past him to a shadow that swallowed the alley's lamps, looming over the two like an eclipse.
Jay's instincts flared up. He didn't need to turn around to understand that the person behind him wasn't here to help.
MOVE!
But before Jay could react, white-hot agony combusted throughout his back. The impact of the jabs caused his body to stumble forwards as the air from his lung were forcefully expelled. Jay gasped as he released the girl's hand to try to post up on the pavement, pivoting to see the attacker.
A short figure, face obscured in a ski mask stood over him, a terrifying scarlet glow from his irises pierced through Jay's mental like an attack on his amygdala. The man carried a short dagger in his left, his arm twitching as if it craved to carve another hole within Jay's flesh.
His body moved before he could react, a consequence of his body short circuiting as those crimson eyes implanted a fear in Jay that he had never felt before. Jay spun on pure reflex trying to avoid the incoming blows but to his disbelief, the knife was already six inches deep into his right abdomen. In rapid succession the blade found its way to Jay's arteries and liver with ease, the brutal shanks reverberating within his body.
The pain was searing and his vision began whiting out.
Soon his legs followed, going slack.
Jay collapsed beside the girl, the back of his head sliding down the cold, brick wall, his left shoulder brushing past hers. Moonlight streamed down from somewhere above, pale and fractured as if god was trying to remind Jay that he's in his last moments.
Her every breath sounded as painful as it was, her fingers slipping past his sleeve before closing back in onto his palm again. The girl's grip was dejectively weak but it was deliberate, as if she was trying to latch onto something.
The last thing Jay saw was her face, her lips forming words his ears couldn't pick up, the faded strands of white falling forwards veiling her expression. His eyes slowly start to shut, everything fading to black as the last sensation that Jay could feel were her cold, delicate fingers.