Only One Choice (Completed)

Corrupted Game

«Every hard choice requires a sacrifice.»

I look both in astonishment and awe as my body disintegrates. But I feel no pain, even as I dissolve into the purple mist. The world outside seems to spin, whirling around...

The last thing I see is Al. He finally breaks out of the stranger's grip, pouncing towards the portal, towards me. He screams, a sound that almost makes me want to return to him, ruffle his hair playfully as he buries his head in my shoulder.

"Fris! No!"

But its too late. I'm.

Gone.

***

I wake up to darkness and light from beneath me. I glance around, finding that I'm sitting on a patch golden flowers that glimmer like yellow glitter, mini suns that shine radiant rays of light. For a moment I wonder if I'm sleeping, then I pinch my leg hard. A stab of pain travels up my leg. Well, its real enough.

Which begs the question. Where am I?

I get up, stumbling a little as I squint forward. Everything seems to be dyed a black colour. Seems like I need to leave this place if I was ever going to find out my surroundings. I remember the bracelet, but when I touched my wrist, it as gone. Oh well. Slowly, too slowly, my eyes get used to the darkness. Still, even with night vision, the darkness is so complete that I can barely see my hands as I wave them before my face. I continues walking forward, trying to get my bearings.

That's when I see the faint light that emanates before me, a tiny wavering, flickering light, but hope nonetheless. I start to walk in the direction of the light, bracing myself for impact, for anything...the light grows brighter, and...

A loud child-like scream pierced the air. Immediately, spurred by instincts, I rushed forward towards the blinding light...I come to a field of flowers, where a pair of gaudy butterflies dance around each other. The scream occurs again, and I pause, then turn my head around to look at it. A scene of horror met me. Her long blonde hair whipping in her face as she twisted to dodge a pounce from some kind of wolf, her frightened eyes darting from one wolf to another. There were three gray shaggy haired feral wolves, salivating from their razor sharp, fanged mouths. And all of them leaped towards her, three pinning her to the ground as she writhed. One lifted its paw, claws outstretched to give a killing blow...

"No!"

I leapt for one wolf, wrapping my arms around it as it snapped to face me. I held onto it tightly as it bucked, trying to escape from my grasp. Then, a force violently shoved me, and I lost my grip, tumbling to the floor. One of the animals bounded towards me, but I ducked its attack in the nick of time. It skidded to a halt, turning to face me. From behind me came howls and howls of pain from the wolves as the stranger battled them ferociously. The wolf leapt at my this time, but though I manage to avoid its slashing claws, it pounced at me again, pinning me down to the floor. I writhed like a fish out of water, but the wolf was too heavy and I wasn't strong about to push it off.

It slashed at me viciously, and I brought my arms up in time to defend myself. A intense pain shot through my arms, and I cried out in alarm. A scarlet liquid dripped from my arm as the wolf leaned in to deliver a bite to my throat...

Blood spurted onto my face, and I spat it to the side as the wolf slumped on me, slipping off to the side as its limbs weakly thrashed, locked in the throngs of death. The stranger pulled a dagger out of the wolf's body, and stretched a hand out. For a moment, I hesitated. What if its a trap?

I'm probably kidding myself. She just saved my life. Who am I kidding?

I took her hand and she pulled my up right, strong and confident.

I took a good look of her, glancing at her leather blood stained shoes and her also red stained shirt. She looked as young as...Al. The thought of him brought tears to my eyes, and I blinked hard to clear them. I'm not going to show any weakness. Not in front of this person. Not ever in front of anyone.

"Thanks...for saving me."

"No worries. It was the right thing to do."

Her expression changed a little, and she took a step back from me. "The right thing to do...how humorous, don't you think? Just doing it?"

Something went wrong. I can tell. Her dark tone, shadowed eyes. She turned from a grateful person into a haunted husk of a person. What?

A little cautious, I held out a hand to touch it, reassure it, but it took another step back.

"What's...what's going on?"

It fell silent. Trying to change the mood, of the mournful and awkward silence between us, I tied for a simpler question. "What's your name?"

Surprisingly, it answered. "Astriel."

Stunned by this sudden change of heart, I tried to get it talking,"Tell me what's the problem. I could help you."

Aatriel's expression almost immediately changed. Now, it maliciously scowled at me, a malevolent smile spreading across its face.

"Help? No one can help me. Not anymore."

Fear wrapped tendrils of darkness around me heart as I stood there, staring dumbly, clutching my arms which still throbbed painfully from my scratches. I was a fool. Foolish. It's a...

"No...In this world, its KILL or BE KILLED..."

Trap. Astriel stretched out one hand, palm facing upwards and flaming knives exploded to life around me. I turned in a circle, eyeing the row of razored knives that glinted a menacing silver. If one hit me...it was game over for me. My blood turned to ice as Astriel condemned to my fate.

"Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this?!"

The circle closer in like a gaping jaw, hungry for blood. Closer...and closer...until it was merely a whisker away...until one of them singed my sleeve and I moved away, only to be restrained by the ever closing circle....

Is this...the end?

"DIE."