--Rememberance--

Chapter 7 - 1

All the odds were clearly stacked against me but I had decided to disregard that long ago. I had to do this-- I've already gone so far.

I accelerated towards the tree, quite easily passing the Dendro Archon as she didn't try to stop me, because the Wanderer was already prepared to fight me. He threw the sphere of Anemo towards me at astounding speed.

My feet were swept by it, and I fell painfully on my chin, although my hands were still clutching the box with all their strength. Wanderer yanked the back of my clothing with great power and my body jolted up against my will.

"I'll be taking that," he sighed, snatching the record out of my hand.

"NO- STOP IT!" I screeched like a dying goat, helplessly sprawled on the floor.

"Please understand that this is for the greater good," the Dendro Archon professed, turning to leave with Wanderer.

This wasn't going to end just yet.

I grabbed Wanderer's ankle forcefully and quickly stood up as he turned to face me again.

"Come and fight me," I hissed, my breath hitching, "Come and kill me. I'll show you how much this man mattered to me! I'll show you with my blood and flesh! SO FUCKING KILL ME!"

I reached for the box. Somehow, I managed to take it out of his hands. I sprinted towards the blue tree with all my might, but of course it was no use.

Wanderer grabbed me by the scruff and smashed my face into the floor. I coughed loudly, feeling blood trickling down from my likely broken nose. I was seized again, by the neck this time. The grip around my airway was so tight even my strongest efforts to inhale weren't enough.

The record still stayed in my grasp, and I was never going to let go. I struggled and kicked, trying to exit Wanderer's chokehold. I spat in his face to waver his attention for one moment. Just a few milliseconds was enough for his grip to loosen ever so slightly. I inserted the fingers of my free hand into the space between my neck and his hand to free myself.

I fell onto the floor, readying myself to accelerate but Wanderer had seized me once again. He grabbed the back of my hair and smashed my bloodied face onto the ground once more, twice more, three times more. I could barely breathe out of my disfigured nose and it felt as if my whole face had fallen apart.

But I couldn't stop. I just couldn't. Not even my battered body would let me.

I slowly heaved my body upward only to be met by a knee in the forehead. This time, the allegoric record of Cyno finally broke from my grasp.

"...That was a bit overkill, Wanderer," the Dendro Archon muttered, slowly lifting the box.

And I had lost it all again. No emotional determination could ever surpass physical strength in the bitter end. I felt no more strength rushing through me. All the voices in my head and heart were begging for me to get up but my limbs had given way.

Nobody was going to save me now-- not even myself. I'd just be left to starve and rot in the silent soul of the world.

...So this was it. The end.

I felt my swollen eyelids shut on their own.

Acceptance.

(548 words)