Reversing Death

Chapter 4

“Alright, so, where should we start?” Coby asked. “How should we do this challenge thing?”

Terrence clasped his hands. “I think we should split into groups. Ida, Jasmine, and I will try to find out how to do the tournament.” He said, pointing to the two girls. “Eugene, you, Coby, and Vixen go and search the place- try and see if there's any way to get them out of the tournament.” He decided.

Eugene nodded in agreement, “Alright.” Jasmine nodded as well, though it still seemed weak. She stuck her hands in her pockets, muttering something that no one could quite understand.

“Alright, let's go.”

The group split up, going off in different directions.

~~~

“Okay, so, the best way to find out how to get the time wishes would be-...” Coby thought aloud.

“Fighting them!” Vixen encouraged, grabbing Coby's sleeve and smiling.

He just laughed nervously, looking up at Eugene as if asking for help. He did not know how to deal with tiny, violence-craving children- not that he assumed Eugene did either.

Eugene thought for a second. “Fight the wishes? How would that work-?” He frowned.

“Anyway, we need to find where that tournament is. Chances are the Time Wishes would be close by. So the real question is, how do we find out things if no one can see us?” Eugene sighed softly, looking around.

“I meant fighting people.” Vixen said bluntly, crossing her arms- pretty much ignoring everything else Eugene said. “Ask people and attack them if they don’t give us help.”

Coby sighed, leaning on a nearby wall. He was already irritated by Vixen, and Ida had left only just a moment ago.

“I mean, a giant coliseum for death matches shouldn't be too hard to spot. We don't need people.”

Eugene nodded in agreement. “Let's just try to find these wishes…” He sighed softly and crossed his arms.

As the two talked, they fell silent. Wanting to keep some sense of- well, he couldn't quite tell what he was trying to keep a sense of. Sanity? Comradery? Spirits?

Coby wasn't sure.

Still, he asked, “So, what do you guys wanna do when we come back to life?”

It was a question that he desperately wanted to have an answer to. As anxious around people as he seemed to be, he enjoyed understanding people.

“I'm gonna let Isabelle know that I shouldn't have left her.” Eugene said. His eye darted around as he nervously fiddled with his fingers. “I shouldn't have left her in the first place…”

He sighed softly as he thought of that moment again. The people he thought he could have saved…

“You had a good reason to stay for a bit longer, though.” Vixen said, tugging at his sleeve. “I saw what you did.” She said in an encouraging tone- though everything she said was quite ominous-sounding.

She continued, “I'm going to see my brother. We're… We're meant to be twins, but I guess we aren't anymore…” She sighed a little.

Eugene took a breath, slightly smiling at Vixen. “I'm gonna get her out of that awful orphanage too, become her legal guardian like I was planning. I was- My birthday was in a week when I died…”

Coby smiled at Eugene. “That sounds wonderful…” He awed. “I guess all three of us are doing this for sibling reasons.” He half-laughed. His smile faltered for a moment. “I had- have a sister, too… She should be in her forties by now.” He said thoughtfully.