Awakening Of The New Emperor

POV: Recruit 79

My body had finally tumbled over into the void, however I was just barely able to catch myself with my remaining hand on the ledge.

I knew I couldn't hold this long.

I tried my best to pull myself up, but to no avail.

No matter how hard I struggled, I just wasn't strong enough.

I was never strong enough.

The loud shaking became more apparent as time went on, as the statue appeared just before me not long after I had fell, probably to make sure I actually fell in the void.

Noticing my struggle, it reached for it's blade, a slight shine glistening across it's freshly bloodied tip, fresh of my own blood.

Just as it struck, I pulled away my hand out of pure instinct. The last thing I want to lose is a few fingers, let alone an entire hand or arm again. That would be misery. I was going to die anyway, and the last thing I wanted was more suffering just before.

I couldn't catch myself, as I had reacted too late to my actions.

Falling down, it didn't take long for my vision to become fully enveloped by darkness.

Complete darkness. Terrifyingly so.

It had become such a spectacle that I couldn't even see myself, but I knew my eye's weren't closed or anything. I also knew I was still alive, as far as I'm aware of at least.

I was stuck in this constant state of free fall. I was falling.

But to where?

Over time, the wind from the fall brushing heavily against my torn and bloodied clothes began to slow, almost like a jet propulsion but with the opposite effect, like I was slowly levitating, yet I was still falling at the same time.

Almost similar to if I had taken a long fall into an endless ocean, and the carried velocity from the impact kept dragging me downwards, even with the water resisting.

The pain had long washed away, however I couldn't tell if that was because of it's sheer, riveting effect, or if something in this void had been the cause of that. Either way, I was graceful to meet my end with a little bit of peace.

I found an odd sense of tranquility amongst these few moments here.

However, the falling intensified rapidly.

My stomach began twisting as gravity reclaimed me entirely, the tranquility I had felt for those brief moments now gone, an odd yet overwhelming sense of weightlessness filling my body, and yet, it was worse than I can imagine.

It wasn't like falling, no. It was like I was being pulled by something.

A very powerful force.

There was no end to this pit. No bottom, no up or down, just nothing, but it was also everything all at once.

Just—

I was interrupted as my body slammed into something solid.

For just a brief moment, I had thought I had died.

How that was it, my battered and broken, torn apart and lifeless body now finally gave up.

But that was far from the truth. I could still feel, I still... exist? Nothing felt real, but everything felt alive, I was surely not dead. The rough surface beneath me, similar to the stone flooring from above, was cold and unyielding. 

However, I finally regained some sight in the process. I could actually look around. While everything was mostly back, I was able to start seeing my body again.

The only thing abnormal is, wait—

Can it be?

There's no way—

My arm was back, and so was... my leg? How is this possible?

"I'm definitely dead," I spoke calmly, refusing to believe what I'm clearly witnessing right now. Both my arm and leg were crushed to a pulp.

I turned my head around, and the sight nearly stole what little breath I had left.

Red.

Blood-red petals, blooming in clusters around me at a rapid pace. Their shapes were unmistakable. They were red spider lilies. But how is this possible? The flowers of the dead, growing in this... void?

Nothing really grows much anymore during these times.

Let alone... red spider lilies.

The vibrant colors added a lot of life to this dull existence, despite it's deeper meaning. It was a nice contrast to the mysterious abyss that stretched onwards, yet their presence still felt unnatural, despite it being very real.

I felt it brush up against my clothes, which were still ripped, but the stains of blood had vanished, like they were just freshly cleaned.

Lacking any energy to really move, I couldn't help but fall back down to the 'ground.'

A gust of wind burst outwards from the slight impact of my head falling back, giving a nice, subtle breeze to the surrounding lilies.

The weight of everything still clung onto my skin.

Despite how fresh I felt, unscathed—like I never was in a fight, that didn't erase any of the horrifying memories that refused to leave my mind. There was no way to sugarcoat it, I single handedly got my ass beat in the matter of a minute against something that isn't even alive. 'A fucking stone statue,' I thought to myself.

"Man am I truly pathetic," a sigh finally escaped my cracked lips.

"Yes, truly pathetic indeed. What a marvel it is to see such a soul," a voice cracked through the void, echoing, almost like burning embers.

The voice, while ominous, was nothing like the voice that I heard after activating the scanner. This one, clearly a man by the sound of it, felt a bit more real, and a bit more like it had a sense of direction, rather as if it was talking inside of my head.

Almost on queue, a glowing white figure slowly began to appear into my view.

My gaze was in awe as I admired the mystical humanoid creature.

Yet, it wasn't a creature.

As time thickens, it began evolving into more of what it truly is, I suppose. And that was when more of the reference became clear. It looks just like the statue, down to the last details, without the sword this time around.

"A-Are you the one that killed me?" I stuttered.

"Killed? You don't look dead to me. Also, do I look like a statue to you?" The voice spat, almost irritated sounding.

I sighed once more, this time without any words to administer.

"Tell me. What is it you fear?"