In The End

Section 1 : Chapter 1

'Another shot of Fireflower Cordial.'

The aged bartender stared at Silvana Crow. One shot was enough for most people. But this girl had just downed shot after shot after shot. Somehow, she didn’t look drunk, just a little unsteady. This was one girl who was used to a lifetime of drinking.

"What's the deal?"

He said, pouring Silvana another shotglass of the amber liquid. Silvana downed it in one swig and put the glass upside-down on the table, as steadily as if she was sober.

"Rangers rejected me today. "

She said, smiling and swaying slightly.

"And drinking makes me so happy. I’ll be going now."

She waved, and promptly walked into the wall. She fell to the floor, looking slightly stunned, before seeming to effortlessly bounce to her feet.

"Shorry.. "

She muttered, before wandering around, arms outstretched. She hit a table with what sounded like a painful crack. Completely unfazed, she looked at the bartender and smiled,

"Where"sh your door?"

The bartender grabbed her and pointed her towards the door. Silvana smiled, and walked out, into the night. It was a new moon that night, the stars barely visible through the branches of the trees. Silvana shouldn’t have been able to see anything, even when sober. But just in front of the inn was a shiny silver pool-like thing, which lit up the ground around it with an unearthly glow. Silvana, now too drunk to think clearly, smiled and took a step towards the pool.

"Pretty.."

She touched the shimmering surface of the pool. She thought she could hear otherworldy voices. But that may have been the alcohol.

"Should I.."

She said, looking into the silvery depths of the pool. She thought about the rejection she'd just faced, how she'd been unequivocally banned from being a Ranger. If it killed her, maybe that wasn't too bad. It's not like there was a lot to live for.

Silvana took a deep breath, and half-jumped, half fell into the silver pool.

...............

Naoki held his rifle tightly, hiding behind a tree.
Another mission.
Another battle.
Another chance of dying.
Not mentioning the countless casualties, including fatalities. He didn't like it, but was forced to it by his contract. And here he was, in the heart of battle once again...
He heard screams nearby, a signal of another fallen soldier. He quickly moved to a spot where he thought they wouldn't spot him. But boy, was he wrong.
Two pairs of arms grabbed him and he was disarmed quickly. He tried to fight back when another two soldiers joined and the four held him tight. He tried screaming for help, but when he saw the silver, 6-inch hunting knife in one of his attackers’ hands. He knew it was far too late. He struggled some more, trying his best to escape. Get away, and not get killed. But he was so afraid. Soon he gave up.
The silence was broken by yet another agonising scream. This time, his very own.
When he felt another wave of pain, he couldn't scream anymore. Again and again. Until they finally let him go and he fell to the ground. The small group ran off to take up their position, letting him die a slow death...
This was too cruel. To leave him like that to bleed to death.
And for once he truly wished to die, but didn't have the luxury or privilege of getting a bullet in the head... He did nothing, but tear up at the thought this was it. Nothing more, nothing less. His life was finished.
Just because he knew it was over, he believed he was hallucinating as he saw a beam of light nearby...

...........

Silvana Crow stared at the dim, shadowy forest. Somewhere in her head, an alarm bell was ringing, telling her that she'd done something wrong. But all her drunken, slurred mind thought was that at the bottom of the silvery pool was another forest.  Just her luck. The next world was the same as the previous one. Silvana struggled to her feet. She'd somehow managed to drink herself more or less sober. She got up. The tree seemed to come out of nowhere, and her nose smashed against the bark. Silvana groaned.