The Threads That Bind Us: An AntiSepticEye Origin Story

Chapter Ten

Blinding crimson light flooded Jack's eyes as he stared up at the towering ceiling of an unknown room. He recognized the harsh, vivid colors from the dream he had earlier that month – where he came face-to-face with the other fragments of his existence.

Anti appeared out of the corner of his eye, towering over his body with a devious grin. He suddenly remembered why he was here and what was at stake – as his rival lifted his foot and attempted to crush his neck. Jack rolled out of the way in time, rising to his feet.

Still gathering his wits, he looked to Anti, "Listen to me-"

Anti interrupted, "Oh, you think you can talk your way out of this? Pathetic."

The room was completely empty, just like before – a void that housed the two in conflict. Anti lunged forward swinging his knife at his counterpart. Jack did his best to dodge the blade as it sliced through the air around him.

Dodge left. Step back.

The blade almost grazed his shirt.

He was unsure if, in a suspended, dream-like reality, he could actually be injured. If he was back here in this void, he likely wasn't conscious in the recording room. Yet Anti must have wanted to battle here for a reason.

Jack shook his head trying not to speculate. He learned from the past few months not to think too hard about the complexities of dimensions – especially when his nemesis was jabbing a knife towards him every moment he could.

Instead, Jack continued to serve as a voice of reason, "Do you really think after all the wreckage you've made that you're going to be happy in the end?"

"You don't understand how long I've waited for this!" Anti exclaimed with a maniacal smile.

Jack finally managed to gain enough distance between them. They circled each other, Anti's hand quivering with the knife.

"But that's the problem with revenge," Jack continued. "It just leaves you as empty as before."

"Nothing could make me feel as e̵m̴p̸t̵y̶ ̸ as I was watching my spirit slip away. M̴y̵ ̵o̵n̸l̶y̸ c̴h̷a̷n̵c̶e̵ ̷a̷t̷ lif̸e̵ ̸w̵a̵s̸t̶e̴d̵.̷"

"Why won't you consider any other choices?!" Jack yelled.

Anti's voice screeched, "L̸i̴f̶e̷ didn't give me any other choice, so w̶h̶y̴ ̸s̴h̷o̴u̶l̷d̷ I̵ b̴e̴ a̴n̷y̶ d̸iff̵e̸r̶e̷n̶t̶?̵"

"It's not your place to rewrite their stories!"

"I'm what remains of a s̴t̶o̷r̵y̵ t̴h̸a̷t̴ n̶e̴v̵e̷r̴ ̴w̵a̷s̸!" Anti shrieked, his eyes crowding with tears. "Don't you understand how much pain it brings me? To see realities where I'm alive... where I have hope? I see myself as a doctor, a father... things that I could never have. And y̷o̵u̸! Y̷o̴u̵'̵r̵e̵ ̴t̸h̸e̸ f̴u̵c̸kin̸g̷ w̸o̶r̴s̷t̷!"

"Bad shit happens! I'm sorry, ok?" Jack replied in a genuine tone. "I'm truly sorry things went the way they did in your reality. But that doesn't mean you should destroy the hope others have. There has to be another way – you must see that!"

"N̴o̵!̷" Anti screamed, pointing his knife at Jack. His eyes narrowed as he focused the blade in the direction of his rival's shoulder. Jack looked at him confused, until he felt a piercing sting in his left shoulder. He yelled, grasping the affliction and lowering to his knees from the pain.

It finally stopped long enough for him to look at it. Blood rushed from underneath his blue shirt, seeping out onto his hand.

Anti was still controlling his body from the outside, managing to wound him without Jack realizing it. He needed to be more vigilant – Anti was stronger than he thought.