"You're going to let me redeem my life?" Nika says looking Syb in the eyes.
"Yes." Syb replies. "Here's how it works. When you're ready, I'm going to send you back moments prior to your death and all you need to do is not die. Easy right?"
Nika gives Syb a puzzled look.
"You have three tries." Syb says to Nika. "If you fail all three times, you pass for good."
Nika swallows. "So I decide when I'm ready?"
"Yeah." Syb says as he scoops more ice cream.
"What if I'm not?" Nika asks.
"You stay here, in the Rift." Syb says. "The rift is really just your world up until your last second of being alive. Time doesn't continue because the world with or without you doesn't exist yet."
Nika turns to look around again. Even the flies that fly around the street light outside was locked in place.
"Whenever you're ready." Syb says as he puts a spoon of ice cream into his mouth. "Just say. There's no time limit or anything so you can stay here and chat with me or do wha-"
"I'm ready." Nika says.
Syb chokes on his ice cream.
"Already? You're still fresh from dying are you sure you wanna jump-"
"I'm ready, Sidmond." Nika says
"It's Sybaris." Syb says as he pulls his cane up. "Good luck, Nika."
"Just don't die, right?" Nika asks one last time
"Don't die." Syb replies.
"Dont die." Nika repeats.
Syb taps Nika on the head with the cane. Everything flashes white.
Don't die.
Don't die.
Don't die.
Nika stands alone on her apartment rooftop, staring at the bright city lights. The cold wind blows.
Nika shivers. "Yikes. Time to go back indoors."
She turns to look at the bright city lights one more time, all the powerful bright colors making her feel so small. She walks closer and stands on the ledge, her eyes full of wonder. She glances back at the notebook she's holding and sighs.
"It's actually so pointless..." she mutters to herself.
"Don't die." her voice echos in her head.
"Woah, okay." Nika says to herself, surprised.
Nika steps off the ledge and backs away.
"Don't die." her voice echos again
"Okay, away from the ledge." Nika mutters to herself. "Where's all this coming from?"
Nika turns around. A bat flutters past her.
"HOLY FRICK!"
Nika steps back as fast as she can, her heel hitting the ledge.
Nika loses her balance. . . and falls.
SPLAT.
"There was, an attempt." Syb says as Nika opens her eyes.
"I didn't remember anything." Nika said "I just kept telling myself don't die."
"Well you only remember the last thing you thought of when you left the Rift." Syb said as he pulled her up. "If you actually dodge your death you'll just forget it too since your time in the Rift ceases to exist."
YOU ARE READING
Redeemer
FantasyNika died even if it wasn't her time yet. With the help of Syb, she can return to life and undo her death. But the time they spent together and the feelings that came with it make her question if she really wants to. Nika and Syb try to learn what...
