Ipseity

The Beginning - Leo

❝ I'm so far behind, I thought I was first ❞

~*~

My back against cool stone, breaths ragged, wound bleeding ichor.

It cornered me, I had lost.

The silhouette leaned above, taunting me, prodding at all my weak spots.

"Oh come on, is that all the lion can do? Oh wait no, silly me. I've must've mistaken you, after all the mighty Leo wouldn't be this weak. The 'Warrior of The Sun' could never be like this!"

It was right, but it hurt to be faced with the truth. I was insecure, that was all there was to it. My pride had diminished, what was left replaced with fear.

If the others saw who I really was, what would they think?

They can't, they won't.

I would always be the same old Leo. Boastful, wild, confident, prideful.

Without noticing, the figure had it's claws against my neck. Scraping them across my nape, leaving cuts everywhere it went. Sure I felt it, believe me if someone was cutting you with knives you would feel it. But that wasn't what scared me, not that, no.

It was her.

She would never admit it, but she was fragile. Always stubborn, always getting in harm's way. Her body laid across the grass, dead. All signs of life gone. I knew who it was, but why? Why was she disappearing? Why was she going away? Why was she leaving me?

Screams wanted so desperately to escape from my throat. They scratched, bit, tore at their muscled cage. It was so tempting, so, so, tempting. To just open my mouth, to show the world how scared I was, to show them how weak I've become. That I'm just a simple fool afraid of losing face.

But I wouldn't let them escape.

Control, I needed to get control. I began to search my mind for anything, only one very Leo like idea surfacing. Gold was starting to pool under me, my mind growing muddy. If I was going to do this, it needed to be done quick before I could lose conscience.

Flames started to race up and down my body, causing the various plants around me to wither into ashes. The world around me melted into a brilliant crimson, the sun seeming to grow brighter behind me as I stood back up. The silhouette released it's spindly fingers in mock surprise.

"You," it hissed, venom dripping off it's words. "You're sick."

"Pfft, that's what losers say!" Though something didn't feel right, the way it looked at me. It's satirical sneer growing larger.

"You can smile while your own lover is burning in the flames you made?"

What?

Turning around, I had saw that it was right. Her corpse was slowly burning, bringing a sickly smell to my nose. For once, I could feel the searing heat burning my skin, the pain spreading across my body. The fear that nestled within me finally hatched.

This couldn't be real.

A high-pitched shriek, hot tears slipping down my cheeks, the smell of burning flesh.

"Cut off Dike now!"

Everything started to disappear, my wounds, the blistering heat, the mocking smile. It was all gone.

Instead I was met with the stinging feeling of icy cold water. My eyes flying open and body jolting awake.

"Σκατά!"