The Cycle

of Agony

With those words everyone stopped in their tracks. The deafening silence was unbearable. There was a strong presence in the room, ready to reap what it had sown. Ena trembled as he finished telling the tale he learned, still unable to believe his fate. Rolf peered at his hands that had gripped Ena minutes before. We all looked at each other, unsure of what to do moving forward.

"S-seven people?" Orella shuddered.

Ena nodded, knowing that the number was fairly large. We had never killed anyone outright, there was no telling if Ena had the courage to murder seven. There was also no way to figure out who he would kill, nor when. The clock was ticking against Ena, and it seemed as if everyone's life was on the line now.

"There's... no way to control that, is there?" I asked.

Ena shook his head softly. He knew that not only his own life was at stake, but everyone else's. There were four people in our team, so the odds were clearly against us. Ena's new ability was more of a curse than anything else.

"Elder Sambodh, what happens to Jyn wielders when they die?" Orella inquired.

"They fade out of existence, leaving their artifacts behind. From the knowledge I have, there is no way to break an artifact, other than another Jyn," he replied. "Once a Jyn is destroyed, then all of the abilities―"

"Will disappear, right?" Ena replied, hoping for a good answer.

"...Yes," Sambodh confirmed.

We all looked at each other in anticipation, knowing the great cost of destroying Ena's Jyn. His life would be completely changed, but at the very least he would have a life.

"How can we destroy Ena's dagger?" Rolf asked.

"Unfortunately, the only way is if there is an equal or greater artifact. I believe the staff is the strongest one," the Elder chuckled. "However, Ena's greatest ability is the harbinger of death, and if one of you have any such power, I'd love to see it," Sambodh smirked.

Everyone knew there was nothing that our abilities could do. But it seemed unsettling how Sambodh responded. He didn't offer condolences, nor did he send us to find anyone with a Jyn to help us. We were simply on our own.

"I think it's best that we head out to try and find someone to help us," Ori suggested.

"Are you sure? If someone actually has that ability, they could easily kill us all," I acknowledged. Both leaving Ena's Jyn alone and finding a potential candidate for its destruction could yield all of our deaths. There was no guarantee that Jyn users would be on our side, considering Dhari and Sigu. The question now was if we were willing to take that risk.

"There's a high chance that we'll die anyway. If we want to act then the time is now," Rolf replied. He looked over at the elder. "We'll be taking our leave. Can you give us any supplies to help?"

Sambodh smiled. "Of course, my children. I suggest scoundering throughout the libraries here. They still hold knowledge that you all may need in the future."

I began to feel more and more uneasy about everything. Something just didn't seem right about this entire situation. If the elder had the strongest Jyn, wouldn't he be able to help us? I headed out with the rest of the team, with a heavy and uneasy heart.

"Please be careful out there!" Sambodh shouted. "Be careful, because once that curse activates, I'll be there again."

～

We went out to see the renowned libraries of Koung with Sambodh's blessing. All of us were quiet while walking, not wanting to address the elephant in the room. There was almost a weight in the air that made it harder to breathe. We tried to exchange small talk, but it made it even more awkward. Our friendship nearly devolved into nothing more than strangers.