Rising Power (#1 of the Canton Chronicles Series)

A Test Of Fears (II)

When Mike's name flashed on the screen, the wrenching in his guts intensified. Despite his general optimism and excitement about his newly-obtained status, he had a bad feeling about this whole mess.

Those stupid nightmares, he thought as he entered the stage, dragging his numb legs towards the centre of the room. Denver and Missy, being engulfed by a dark ominous mist, screaming as they came in contact with two long-rotten, bloated corpses.

Got to be strong for my little monkeys. I just have to.

The stage flashed and, as if being summoned from the memory of the hideous dream, his greatest fear appeared. It had taken the form of two giant creatures merged into a grotesque figure with two arms, two legs, one torso and two heads, one male and one female. Their whole body was oozing with black pus and was covered in veins that looked like black rotten wines.

"Hello, my dear boy," the creature said with its croaking voice, making his fine hair stand up. "We missed you and our little ones so much."

It laughed then, a sound coming straight from the depths of hell. "Did you miss us, too?"

Mike's vision turned red, the anger he had tried to kill for years resurfacing. No, you fuckers, I didn't miss you one bit. You lead yourselves to your own death, driving drunk in some dark alleyway. Never once thinking about your babies, never once thinking about me.

"The both of you can go to hell!", he screamed, not caring about the spectators one bit. The monster's features changed and it opened his mouth, growling threateningly. Mike laughed, welcoming its rage, as his palms turned into two tight fists. It was payback time.

***

Seb saw more than a few people averting their gazes to the mayhem taking place inside the room. Most of them wowed and shouted wildly, astounded from Mike's anger. Seb was no stranger to his best friends' raw strength but still couldn't get his eyes away as Mike obliterated the creature, tearing his large rotten body apart with his bare hands. When the hologram finally bent to its knees, Mike's connected fists found its head with incredible speed, turning it into a mushing pulp. It was bloody, disturbing and magnificent at the same time.

The VI announced his victory, but Mike's eyes were sad and hollow as he exited the stage. He disappeared into the shadows without saying a word, despite everyone cheering and clapping. Amy looked like she had been punched.

"This... thing. It looked like two people... Mike really had it rough at some point in his life, didn't he?" she asked, suddenly melancholic. Seb saw John and Val turning their heads to the ground. He passed his arm around Amy's shoulders, trying to comfort her.

"Just give him a little space. He'll be back to his normal, wise-ass self in no time," he said jokingly and Amy smiled at him. There was not enough time to savour the moment since his name flashed as next in line.

It's all just an illusion.

The room felt asphyxiating as Seb stood still, waiting. Until he heard a clicking sound and turned his head towards the source. He saw it from the right far corner, a cooper-red, gigantic centipede, fat and slimy, its huge body full of little holes, blood coming out of each one of them. It had no arms, but many small, straw-like legs and four tumours protruding from its long, filthy body. The tumours looked suspiciously like human heads, laughing maliciously at him, as he tried to calm his racing heart.

You know this was going to happen, he said to himself, as he backed away slightly. Seb had never been more scared than that cursed day on the dead end alleyway. He had survived back then. He would survive again, with the one thing he had always been good at. Running.