Zoombieverse - Memory 2: The Knife

Part 4: The Princess and the Key - Chapter 4

He's standing somewhere. He didn't know where he was or what he's standing on. He couldn't make out anything other than that crystals were raining all around him. The crystals stung and cut him whenever they touched him. He ran but they were everywhere and there was no shelter anywhere.

The crystals are up to his ankles now. He was covered in cuts and his blood flowed out and fed the crystals. The crystals craved for more of his blood and sucked them out. He went on his knees and begged them to stop but they did not relent and continued feeding on him.

He's covered in crystals up to his neck now. He could feel them burrowing into his skin, climbing up and down through his body. They've already eaten his heart but he still did not die. They kept him alive to forever torment him for what he had done to them.

He gave up. He let the crystals do what they want in the hopes that it would appease them and they would eventually stop. The crystals laughed and told him that they'll never let him go.

A hand appeared and reached out to him, telling him to grab it. He shook his head, telling it that he deserved what was happening to him, and told it to save itself. The hand insisted and told him that there is still so much more in store for him. Reluctant yet desperate, he reached out and grabbed it. It pulled him out and embraced him. He realized too late that it was the Key.

He screamed and thrashed around to get out of its grip but it held him tightly. It pulled him in deeper and deeper. He felt himself slowly succumb to its embrace even though his mind kept screaming. It whispered to his ear, and he found himself agreeing to everything it said. It told him that he was its. He smiled and pledged himself to it. It told him that they will be with each other forever. He grinned and let it in deeper. It handed him the dagger and told him to show everyone his power. He laughed as he slashed away those who resisted him and those who didn't.

Suddenly, he felt a slap across his cheek. He lunged at whoever it was and aimed his dagger at their throat. He was about to slash them when he saw her symbol and realized who he was looking at. Stumbling backwards, he dropped the dagger and saw the ground strewn with crystals. Realizing what he had done, he cried out in anguish.

The Key rushed in to take him once again but she fended it off until it finally gave up. He clung to her as she embraced him. She held his face and asked him, "Until when am I going to do this?" He said that he didn't know and that he felt lost. She asked him, "Have you found me yet?" He said that he always knew where she was but couldn't reach her. She smiled at him and said, "You already know what to do, my love. You always did." He insisted that he didn't know and demanded that she tell him more. She giggled, kissed him on the cheek and said, "You're always so cute when you're frustrated like this." And then she disappeared.

The young god looked around frantically when he found himself waking up in a vaguely unfamiliar room. His head throbbed with a vague pain and his vision swam as his mind raced to figure out why exactly the room felt different. Spotting a familiar-looking set of tables and chairs in the same corner of the room where the one he had in his previous room usually sat calmed him down enough to look at his surroundings clearly. The bed he sat on looked similar to his previous one but the headboard and the bedposts had different carvings. The walls were also different and the window looked out to a different spot of the realm. Looking around some more, he realized that he was in a different room that was carefully set to make it as similar to his previous one as possible.

Thinking that it was some trick to win him over, he moved to trash the room again, but finding himself moving around somewhat easily gave him pause. A brief examination told him that he had not resurrected as he still had injuries that needed some tending to, but he was healed enough for them to not cause him any trouble even if he exerted himself to a certain point. Puzzled, he searched around the room until he found traces of the sedatives that must have been used to render him unconscious for a few days. His temper flared up again at being managed to this extent but he was far too weak from having been asleep for so long and the search already used up most of his energy. He sat down seething on his bed until his hunger became too much and he was forced to call someone to bring him food.

A few minutes passed and the ancient Lord's head servant came in with the young god's food. The young god sat silently as the servant made preparations, torn between being indignant that he was treated like he was incapable of fending for himself and being ashamed that he had made more work for the servants when he destroyed everything in his previous room.

"Um, Vincent, I'm sorry about the room. I was just-- Sorry," the young god finally said as the servant finished his preparations.

The servant smiled at the young god. "It's quite alright, sir. We all understand the difficulties you are going through right now."

The young god nodded unhappily. "It's just-- I mean--" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Why do you work for him?"

"My Lord is my master. I am bound to him and will serve him no matter what he does."

"But he's-- He's just-- He is--" The young god let out a low growl in his frustration. "Why won't he tell me anything?"

"My Lord holds many secrets even I am not privy to, sir. But I do know that he only has your best interest in mind. He speaks fondly of you when you are away."

The young god frowned. "I just can't understand him."

"My Lord has lived a long time, sir. I don't believe anyone can fully understand him."

"Even you?"

"No, sir. I simply do my best to attend to his needs."

"I see," the young god sighed. "Sorry, Vincent. Thank you."

"You're welcome, sir." The servant bowed and left the room.