Forsaken

One

Another storm began in the middle of my battle against the Broken. My withered sword could not defend me as well as it used to. During combat, I found myself forced to be creative. I would convince myself that every fight was to preserve humanity, but I wasn't so sure anymore.

I swung my cracked sword against the beast, screaming the words that activate its powers to eliminate and cleanse the broken soul before me. As the creature disappeared into a clouded sparkle, the rain began to pour harder.

My platinum blonde was completely soaked, as well as my clothes, which clung to my skin— a feeling I had always hated but had grown accustomed to in the heat of the war. I stabbed the tip of my sword to the ground, using it as support, my heart beating faster, which it normally did after fighting the Broken. It took everything in me to find shelter from the rain. The storms that poured into the world were much different than what has been occurring for many years.

History repeated itself, over and over, and that was how I learned of the tragic future that may as well befall humanity.

I locked my sword back in place behind my back. It was an item I could never depart with— something my father gave me before he passed. It was all I had left to remember him by.

Father, I wish you were still here. Maybe, a cure would've been found.

My eyes gazed at the ground, then all around the neglected building. Sadly, so many of the worlds buildings were left in that shape. Those people either ran away hoping to find another home away from the Broken or they became one themselves. Then, they were killed... by me.

There were times where my mind would roam the outcome of my decisions, that by allowing myself to cleanse the world of Broken, I was murdering people— people who had family, friends, children, and others who loved and cared for them.

My heart would ache at the thought, even when I tried to train myself to separate my task from my feelings. It couldn't be helped. Even after years, I thought it'd get easier, but...

I wish I knew a way to save humanity without taking away their lives. Why was I granted a life like this, when many others were not?

A rainbow of colors flashed in the sky, causing me to look through the window. People called them neons. They would flash in various different colors, such as red, gold, and even violet. The mesmerizing lights would create an array of beauty. How could something so beautiful be so deadly? The flashes were seen hitting buildings and the ground beneath our feet. And rumor had it, even people, killing them on the spot or turning them into Broken. The atmosphere of the storm must've be doing something to them, but I never figured out what made them change.

I took this opportunity to take a nap before I had to go out and fight more Broken. Everyone hid from the storm, hoping they wouldn't get caught in one of the flashes, but that was false. These people believed that places that were struck or had Broken residing in them was considered cursed. Most buildings ended up staying abandoned or destroyed.

Neons continued to flash outside, distracting me from my rest. As soon as I turned to try and hide my face, I heard footsteps. They were running— all I could hear was the sound of their feet splashing in puddles.

"Mommy!" A little girl shouted. "Mommy!" Her voice cracking as she cried.

I hopped out through the window and walked toward the little girl. She was in a panic and I had to calm her down to get her to safety, at least. She was completely drenched from the storm. The girl must've been too young to realize that being out in weather conditions like this was the worst thing she could do.

"Hey, sweetie?" I said, kneeling down before her. She stopped to look at me and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Mommy. She... she. She's gone," she replied, sniffing.

"What happened?"

"She left me," she cried even harder.

"Okay, sweetie. I need you to come inside this building. I will find your mommy for you, okay?" She nodded, still in tears as I led her to the abandoned building. "Do not move until I come back, okay?"

She nodded again.

I went back out in the rain, knowing full well of the dangers, but I had to. This may not have been a job assigned to me, but it was my choice to help these people as much as I could. I had to free them somehow.

I ran for what felt like hours. How could someone get so far in a short amount of time? But I kept going.

Until I finally saw a Broken. It was almost impossible to recognize their features. When the storm got them, their body and appearance change. Most of their skin became covered in patches of dark colors like maroon and charcoal. Some resemble creatures of myth, but in my eyes they weren't myths in the end. The Broken standing before me had wings for arms and legs like a dog. Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads like an undead.

My hand instantly flew to my sword and I pulled it out, holding it firmly with both hands. I tightened my grip and charged forward. They managed to dodge, causing me to only slice off a piece of their wing. They screeched and ran toward me, I swiftly dodged, remembering the training my father taught me and the years of experience that was put into fighting the Broken.

I used my sword to shove them, causing us to both stumble. Shocked, I threw myself against a building for support. My body was growing weaker with each fight, but... I had to fight them.

They charged forward again and I didn't react until the last second. Stabbing their chest with my sword, then slicing it all the way up, splitting part of their body. The Broken fell to the ground, fading away just as the others did. There were no remains of who the person was before the change.

I fell to my knees on the cold, wet floor, letting the rain soak me for a few minutes. When I opened my eyes, I saw the sky full of dark rain clouds and... something I had never seen before. The sky's neons were not striking the ground like usual. Each color formed and swirled around the clouds.

That's new.

After getting the energy to move, I headed back to the abandoned building. I climbed in through the window and jumped. Checking my surroundings, I did not spot the little girl that I left here. With no knowledge of her name, I couldn't shout for her or ask once the storm cleared.

"Sweetie?" I called out to the empty building, knowing well that the little girl was gone.