The Shadow Man

Seven

I open my eyes, weakly clinging to life.
"Why haven't you killed me?"
I ask.
My body dangles from chains wrapped around my wrists.
They pour icy water over my head.
I remain unfazed by the sudden shift in temperature.
"We need you alive."
The voices whisper.
"Why haven't you done it already? Just open the gate. Kill me."
I say, my voice is barely audible.
I lack the strength to shiver, instead I move slightly, trying to shake the water from my shirtless body.
"Because I want to savor this."
Replies the voices.
"All Of the trouble you've caused me.
And now you're at my mercy."
I furrow my brows.
"I don't know who you are, but everything I did, was for the betterment of mankind. I stopped Keepers from taking anyone else. I stopped Dāku from taking over the planet. And I tried to save everyone I could."
I declare.
"But you didn't save me."
The voices growl.
I look up, expecting to see one of Keepers's old soldiers.
But I don't.
I don't see a face I recognize.
I don't see a face at all.
I just see a wall. I must be going crazy.
I'm hearing things.
"Your pasts come back to haunt you."
The voices are a whisper in my ear that makes me want to shudder.
"Who are you?"
I ask.
"I am someone who saved you. You did nothing to save me."
They say.
"I am someone you forgot about. Someone who died in your name.
Someone who gave their life, so you could go and forget about me."
I shake my head.
"I don't know who you are, I'm sorry."
I say.
I hear the voices growl.
"It wasn't just you."
They mutter.
"It was all of them. Rone. Kree. Judger. All of them. I want all of them to face the same thing I did."
The voices call.
"I want them to face the same impossible odds I once did."
I think back, trying to bring up memories of anyone who gave their life for me.
Daunte Sans? Johnathan Pillar?
No. they both gave their lives willingly, and I remembered both of them.
I fought to avenge them.
I like to think I did.
No this is someone else entirely.
But who?
"You left me to die by the hands of a great beast. A monster You All knew I couldn't fight. And you let me die."
The voices almost sound mournful. Saddened.
"That is why, I am going to kill all of you."