A Heart of Roses and Stars {Elisop}

A New Beginning

Two Weeks Later
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It had been quite some time since the new survivor had arrived to the manor. That being Aesop Carl, of course.

After his recovery from his first match, he was thrown right back into his personal hell. Aesop quickly learned that it was the survivors jobs to be playthings to the hunters.

Give them their chase, watch as they inevitably get knocked down and dragged away, trapped between itchy leather and barbed wire unless someone happened to pity you enough to save you instead of themselves. And sure the short relief of escape was nice but it didn't matter.

The cycle repeated anyway.

Aesop continued to think back to what his first hunter told him.

"Stuck to play an endless game, trapped as predator and prey".

The photographers cold words kept repeating in the embalmers head.

This was what was expected of him. Not only by the hunters, but the survivors as well. So many times he heard the others tell him how important it was to escape.

But there was nothing to gain from it. There were no threats if they didn't. Sure the occasional injury and pain would follow but only for a short amount of time.

He had no purpose here in the manors wall. He was avoided by most everyone, not that it bothered him, he just knew that they all found him strange. There was no one here to help ease into the afterlife.

How can you embalm those who can't ever die?

This all continued to build within the man. Not once was there a moment where he didn't feel the need to grasp for death once more.

What he wen through was awful. Nothing but a cloud of pain, surrounded by a pool of his own blood, mercilessly being ripped from his body, screaming to no one.

But it wasn't ever supposed to happen like that. That day, what happened to Aesop, that was his decision. Not Naib's, not Helena's, certainly not Eli's.

For once in his life, Aesop Carl finally had a little control. For once it was him who got to decide his fate.

So why not do it again.
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"He's a nightmare"

As Eli walked by the dining room, he heard the quite murmurs of the other survivors.

"It's not fair that he gives up so easily when we all try hard"

The doors were closed, but that couldn't hide the gathered whispers of everyone else.

"He's a suicidal maniac"

"We don't know that for certain"

"Then how the hell would you explain it?"

Eli stopped as he heard more of their voices overlap.

Meetings like this weren't uncommon. Usually everyone in the manor would gather every now and then to discuss topics such as strategies, new arrivals, and whatnot.

However there were the select few who didn't bother attending. Eli himself was one who didn't feel as if he'd add much to the meetings.

However this time was different. Everyone in the manor seemed to agree something had to be done with Aesop Carl.

"What does he even get out of constantly being in pain?"

"Maybe he enjoys it?"

Eli leaned into the door, putting his ear up to the wood.