1 MONTH AGO

02.04.1642

The City of Above

36:52

"...I told you before I left that I will stay in the City of Above for some time to investigate the city on my own, didn't I?"

"Yes... You did."

"Good. Because that's what I was doing that day. I was around the north area when the soldiers were suppose to start patrolling over there at that time. I was watching the city from the above like I always do. But what I didn't know is that the soldiers weren't there only to patrol, but also to negotiate with one owner of a slave about the price. And the reason I knew it was because... I heard her screaming, even from far away."

And He doesn't lie on that one, that's for sure. There is a screaming that seems to wander around this area, of a child, almost even possible to traumatise you the moment you hear it. So, by curiosity, He decides to follow that horrifying sound of terror, starting to jump from a building to another to get to His new destination.

"...The screaming was getting louder and louder the more I was getting closer to it, and I had to see what was going on. I rushed towards that sound of agony, but it was so far away from where I was. In the end, it was too late when I arrived at the location of the scream..."

[MBorn]-STOP SCREAMING, YOU BRAT!

"...as I saw a man with a weapon in his hand, and around them, the gas being spread. There was blood on the floor... and on the kid that was standing in front, held by that man. The screaming didn't stop, and the man didn't either, as he hurt her even more... and more."

CHE5TER looks at the young girl who was being tortured by the man. Out of anger, He doesn't seem to be Himself anymore. As the man beats the girl heavier, He got into the apartment without being noticed by anybody, taking His weapon, a sword, and penetrating the man's body in a blink of an eye. But He doesn't stop there, as He isn't acting conscious this time. He cuts the man's body piece by piece, as anger takes control over His mind. All that was left was Him, standing with His head looking at the floor, while pieces of flesh could be seen everywhere around the room. Blood flowing from that man's body, and He was the cause of it. But as He looked more, He seemed even confused now, like He didn't know what happened at all, as He shakes a bit His head to come back to reality.

"...The next thing I woke up to was a room all covered in blood, and I, too... had this part of river on me. In front of me was standing a young girl, no more than 6 years old, from whose mouth was flowing the red river too and her whole body was covered in cuts and wounds. She was crying in a corner of the room, terrified, as she was covering her head with her hands, trying to protect herself.

I walked towards her to take a small look, but I realised that she wasn't terrified of that man anymore, more like... she was afraid of me. I tried to get closer to her, to help her calm down, but she was trying to avoid me completely, moving away from me as much as she could."

[CHE5TER]-...Hey, it's alright... Don't cry... It's over now...

The girl covers her head even more as she is scared of this man that got in the room out of nowhere, murderer of a simple being that was guilty of her fears, but He too is a sinner in the end.

[CHE5TER]-I won't do anything to you, I promise! Look at me, little one...

She opens her eyes and moves her head slowly to see this man's face. A face that could terrify any kid that was like her, but same face which didn't seem to tell a lie. A scar is nothing, as it can't hide the fact that CHE5TER is concerned about her.

[CHE5TER]-I'm just like you. You don't have to fear me... You are not the only one who suffered.

He shows her slowly His right arm, a damaged hand of His, covered with black bandages and a missing finger, almost even impossible to move properly. He hands over His arm so she can understand that He truly means no harm to her, showing her His weak side.

She puts her arm slowly on His hand, unsure, and then looks at Him in the eyes, eyes darker than the void itself, yet at the same time, brighter than the suns. Her mouth was a bit opened and He did notice something strange. He then tries to move His left hand gently to her face but she gets scared in the next second.

[CHE5TER]-Don't worry, little one. I'm not doing anything. I only want to see something.

She doesn't have that much trust in Him yet, but doesn't seem as she can do anything now. She lets Him touch her face as He moves her head slowly from right to left. Then He puts a finger on her down lip and pushes it a bit down so that she can understand to open her mouth. But as she does, CHE5TER sees blood everywhere, as her tongue was cut by that man, and it seems like it hurts her a lot too.

He takes back His hand gently and looks a bit down, unhappy that He didn't come earlier, and starts searching for something in His equipment. He takes off a small holster that was attached to His belt around His stomach and which seems to contain some Energy Killers.

But before He gives her a shot from these, He takes a part from His bandages from His right hand out and rips that part out. He starts cleaning her blood around her face and her body from all her cuts, then rips more parts from His bandages to cover them up. And when He is done, He finally gives her the shot of Energy Killer, which makes her cry a little, but feels better after some time.

But now she finally trusts Him, as He helped her with all of her wounds. As He packs back His holster, she gets closer and starts hugging Him when He wasn't expecting, still crying. He looks a bit at her surprised by this reaction, but takes her in His left arm in the end.

[CHE5TER]-...You suffered, didn't you? They were all mean to you all these years... but now everything is over. No more suffering, I promise.

"...She was abused, raped, everything you could imagine as I looked and analysed her more. All these years since she was born, she was used by that man as a slave, he used her for whatever he wanted without mercy. Even if I slaughtered him with my own hands, a slave remains traumatised for the rest of its life, unable to enter society that easily. But this is the unfortunate fate of those who are called "slaves" in the City of Above, isn't it?"

They stay a bit more on the ground as the girl tries to calm herself down, and CHE5TER being lost in His thoughts of guilt. But they can't stay forever, as He hears a sound that was coming towards the entrance of that apartment. There are the soldiers, coming to negotiate about the price of the little girl. Seems like He stood too much and forgot that He was at duty. The sound gets louder as the soldiers arrive in front of the door and knock.

[MOfficer]-Hello? We came to negotiate the price of the slave which the owner of this apartment has. Open the door, now!

CHE5TER gets up immediately and looks at the small girl sitting next to Him, who was terrified of what was about to happen to her. He then tries to whisper to her.

[CHE5TER]-Listen to me. I will carry you on my arm, but you have to hold yourself as much as you can, alright? I won't be able to carry you that easily with one simple arm.

He takes her in His left arm and she starts squeezing Him by His throat, holding herself close to His body so she won't fall. It isn't comfortable for Him, but He can't do anything about it.

[MOfficer]-I said open the door! Do not make me repeat myself! I know someone is in there!

They were running out of time now. CHE5TER tries to pack everything He left behind, like putting His sword back in its sheath and started moving towards the window from where He came from. But the soldiers destroyed the door before He could even set foot outside. And as He looks back, the soldiers realise who He was.

[MSoldier]-I-It's S-Seven Two!

[MOfficer]-GET HIM! NOW!

He then rushes outside the window, as bullets try to kill Him. He climbs up the building, but the soldiers looked out the window for Him, finding Him struggling as He can only use one hand, and not even the functional one. The girl is barely keeping herself not to fall as well, and it isn't easy for Him the bonus weight He has to carry.

A soldier, as he looked up the window, tries to shoot after Him, even being close to hit Him. But from that angle is a bit too hard to aim. He climbs a bit more until He pushes with all of His powers His body towards a building nearby, as the building He was climbing was too tall and didn't have time. He landed safely on His feet and started running towards the next building, as the chase has started, the chase for the price of the Great Leader's head.

"It was not long after that I found myself being chased down by the M soldiers, as the Officer who was with them called for help and more people came after me because, well... I'm Seven Two after all. They want my head at all costs. I started running around like a maniac trying to lose them behind, but as I ran further, even more soldiers were coming my way.

They've started shooting everywhere to get me as I was trying to lose sign of them, even started blasting with explosive all over the city only to get me. In the end, I found myself surrounded and with no escape, hanging from a building as I was looking at the soldiers who were ready to kill me."

The soldiers stop for a second the rain of bullets, as an Officer launches one of the explosive right at CHE5TER's location. Fire and smoke everywhere, even a rain of blood spreading around the damaged building. When the smoke evaporated, there was nothing left but a red pond in the middle of the damage, but only a few pieces of a body which you can barely use to see who this person that died was, so they were useless.

From behind that building though, where nobody was looking, CHE5TER was hanging on the wall that... seem to be strangely damaged. But it was no damage from the explosion, but rather... from His right arm. He was holding Himself with His wounded arm on that building, as the colour of the hand was getting darker and darker, even until His wounds got black completely, but also... instantly healed.

Before, He was looking down with His eyes closed, as He thought that Death was about to take Him. But when He opened His eyes again, He saw that He was no longer in danger, yet... in the second He looked up, He got in a shock seeing His arm, seeing that He used it even without knowing. Or maybe it was because He didn't use it at all, rather something else that took control over His body and saved Him from His death.

"...Or that's what I thought at first, as I managed to survive from that whole thing. I... don't know how I actually survived that day to be honest, I even question this until now, but my communication device seemed broken ever since then. The screen wasn't working anymore and some pieces were falling apart. But I vanished in a second the moment I knew I was safe and rushed towards our city."

That was a lie. It's true, His device broke that moment, but He knew what saved Him. He knew it from the beginning. What He didn't understand was... how could it possibly take control over His body that easily without Him knowing at all? And the answer from His saviour isn't that much of a help either, as another voice starts talking, but only says one word.

...Liar.