A Blood Red Top Hat

Chapter Thirty-Five: Moon Thief

"There's must be a reason for this." Swimming said, she ruffled her fur with fury and rage. Rolled her eyes as Wretched just stood there.

"What if...Julian2 just wanted to get rid of me?" He finally choked out, as soon that sentence leaves his lips, Swimming's face lit up in surprise and her ears stood up.

"And why is that?" She questions.

"Well...it's because..." Wretched took in a huge breath, feeling that rock within his chest. How heavy the true is, a heavy stone stored within his mind, corrupting his mind. And he don't know when he will go insane by keeping this secret in his mind.

"Is because what?" Her words hardens, and so did Wretched's heart.

"I am... A hacker."

Yet Swimming's expression was not what Wretched hoped for. She laughs.

The high pitch chime she once have is now a ugly scream, the gold vibe around her become a twisted void. And the girl once know as Swimming. Gone.

"I know." She said with a small giggle, "This is why I lead you to here. Poor Wretched Jungle wanted to be loved again."

Wretched gasps at his full name to be called, a cold trail spikes behind. No one has really talked about his name, except Beanz who knows. In which it could leads to more problem. But just by Swimming, how?

Did the game masters code that in? Or she already know all the way through-

"Now now." Swimming continued, slowly walking around the tiny room. Examining each cracks and notches on the ground and the walls. She continued to giggle a bit each step she take, like she is plotting something.

"Julian2 doesn't know that I know you are a hacker. So now I get one step in front of him." Now she turn towards Wretched, those stone cold eyes piercing through him. Knowing everything, every detail of him clearly.

"What do you mean." Wretched uses his best to hide his curiosity about this situation, but also fear. Which is was surprised at how coward-like he is right now.

"What if I don't tell you what it is. After all, the author don't want this part to be cliche."

"Wait what?"

The wolf sighed. "Never mind, forget I said the second part." although Swimming looked defeated but returned her dark stare soon after. Still, the knot within Wretched's stomach doesn't untie itself, instead. It twist and turns, making the tiger more and more noxious. "I wonder what's it like Wretched without his 'magical powers' to create or delete stuff. A real pity." She laughs. Still the room was quiet, and an unpleasing chill carves through his ribs.

"You are not gonna do what I think you're gonna do." He takes in a weak breath, and remembered the first experience he had the moment he stepped into this vicious land of the Lost Temple.

---

"Here we are~" Swimming exclaimed as she hop down to the grand doors of the long lost temple of Zios. Her face seems brightened by the sunlight sprinkling down from above. Unlike the monster she is now, those two bright blue eyes. Maybe lighter the crystal like ocean beyond the horizon.

Even though she is long gone within the void of ones and zeros.

But then a sudden tug within my chest, it burns like flames from the burning inferno, yet it's cold as the tall giant resting at the north side of Jamaa. And it's tugging the strings, harshly.

Something in there isn't right, a power is slowly eating away my gateway to the code. Like thousands of fish hooks grabbing onto my heart, and hooking them towards one central point buried within these forgotten stone. It wasn't pleasant, but I still can handle the heat raising from my chest and the fear that is blooming through my bones. I trail my eyes forward, to the large gate ahead of us, it slumps lifelessly on the ground with patterns that can only define one individual. Zios.

No one really know where he is, or how he even disappeared. But...

I breath heavily, I never wanted to come close to this place. Many things hang from my chest, pulling me downwards into the dark abyss that I am trying to avoid. I even out my breath also making sure no one sees me doing so. I can't make them find out.

But I know exactly why Swimming take me here. She want me to return what I have stolen.

---

"No one likes a thief." Swimming exclaimed, her head lifted high with pride about this. "You shouldn't have it. And that include all those secrets you are hiding from Spirit." Sweat drop from Wretched's forehead, and his heart pounds like thousands men hammering down one single nail, the flame burned in his chest and the falling ashes was like his shield that protect the dark secret.

"You do realized you are the bad guy here." Swimming continued with her deep speech, "I am just coded this way."

"Then why are the game-masters forcing those 'good' and 'innocent' people into the dark dream?" Wretched finally speaks, but midway a crack breaks out within his sentence, making him seems tiny and vulnerable.

"How am I suppose to know, I am just a small AI in this large world of codes." She wriggled her eyebrows in entertainment.

But the fear still stays. Now I know what Julian2 is up to. But how am I suppose to get out of here-

"Wretched."

A new voice said, and of course. It was the 'calming' voice of Julian2. "Come with me, and don't think you can escape." The tiger turn to the door which was originally block off by the writhing vines of Beanz, now it is now in the door way was the brown haired main and his friend that only left with his eye socket. Wretched turn back to the tiger, yet met with an innocent face. To his surprise, she didn't seems like she is acting it.

Somethings wrong with Swimming, maybe she is just another victim in this cruel game of whoever's out there.

But now, he must try to maintain himself.

Before they taken back what's theirs.

OKAY OKAY GUYS GUYS.

Please don't be mad at me of my late updates. It's because I already written this chapter, but then my brain's like:" Wait, this chapter doesn't make sense and doesn't fit in."

So I rewrite this chapter. So sorry if I posted late.

Blame it on my stupidity.

Also I rewrite Chapter One, go read the MUCH MUCH MUCH more better version of Chapter One.

-Phantoms Edge.