Rebirth (A Rainimator Fanfiction Finale)

Chapter 30: Meeting Akuji

Ember's POV

My eyes opened and I started to gasp for breath.

"Ember!" Jun shouted. "Are you alright?"

"W-what happened?" I asked.

"After you came back," Jun explained. "The world seemed to have flickered, as if something had changed. Then, there was a bright light and you collapsed."

"Kyllian..." I said. "He's not dead."

"But how? You killed him." Jun asked.

"I'm... not sure," I explained.

Nina sighed. "So... was this all for nothing?" She asked.

"No Nina," Jun replied. "We still have the Rebirth Relic, and we still have a chance."

"Kyllian..." I said. "H-he said that he has something planned. I'm afraid that he'll try to corrupt my friends."

"Don't worry, Ember," Nina assured me. "We'll stop Kyllian and free everyone from his mind control."

Jun sighed. "I hope we're not too late to save Akuji." He said.

"Too late?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"We learned that after a while," Nina explained. "That the corrupted person won't be able to survive after they're freed."

I was confused about that, as I had a memory of one of my friends being corrupted before. "But my friend, Stella, she was..."

"How long was she corrupted for?" Jun asked.

"About a month," I replied.

"Your friend was lucky then," Nina told me. "Not all of them were."

I sighed. "Damian and Tsuki already lost their lives because of him," I said. "I won't let him take another life!"

"We'll be there to help you, Ember," Jun promised. "Both of us will."

The three of us were walking, keeping a look out for Kyllian, when suddenly Nina stopped and pointed to something ahead of us.

A giant portal, unlike any other that I've seen.

Which to be honest, isn't a lot. But still.

But somehow... I felt like I've seen it before, at least, not in the waking world...

"Um, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Nina asked.

"Yeah, I definitely see that giant portal," Jun replied. "Kinda hard to miss if you ask me."

"Where does that portal lead to?" I wondered out loud.

"I'm not exactly sure," Jun replied. "Looks very unfamiliar though."

I closed my eyes as I realized where I last saw it. "In my dream," I said. "I saw a portal that looked just like it. Something tells me that I'm supposed to go through it."

"What?" Nina exclaimed. "Ember! Are you-"

"Crazy? Stupid?" I suggested. "Yes and yes. I know. Everybody tells me that. But, what if I'm supposed to go in there. I know, this is classic Ember, I'm being stupid, but sometimes being stupid can save someone."

Jun hesitated. "Shouldn't we come with you?" He asked. "It... doesn't seem safe."

"No, I mean, yes, I want you to come," I replied. "But I have a feeling that this is something I have to do by myself."

"Ember, wait!" Nina cried out. "What if it's a trap? What if you enter and you can't return?"

"Nina is right, Ember," Jun said. "Maybe we should think this our first."

"I don't think I have much time!" I replied. "I have to stop Kyllian!"

Jun sighed, shaking his head. "We can't stop you," he said, reluctantly. "But please, try not to die."

I hesitated, remembering my fight against Damian. "I can't promise that," I replied. "But I'll try."

All of a sudden, somebody appeared out of nowhere, holding a corrupted relic.

"A-Akuji?" Jun gasped.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," Akuji said. "Especially since you're not getting anywhere."

"Then we'll just have to hold him off!" Jun shouted at Nina.

Nina nodded before turning to look at me. "Ember!" She exclaimed. "Go through the portal! We'll take care of him."

I nodded, and ran into the portal.