JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Paradox

Chapter 8: Sonata of Destiny Part 2

(Violence and blood warning, so BE WARNED!)

I slowly walked down the stairs and peeked at the scene that was unfolding nearby the entrance area of the mansion. Their expressions are barely seen from afar, yet I could hear their voices portray as their emotions based on their tone.

"I'm afraid that I will have to turn you in." JoJo said with hints of heartbroken betrayal in his voice while Dio pouts with concern, "I'm sorry. You might not believe that, but I really mean it."

"Please, give me the time to turn myself in!" Dio cried with a false sorrow in his voice.

His confessions pierced my brain harshly as if the Devil was tempting JoJo with a lament. I groaned quietly so the two won't notice that I'm there to see the scene.

I have a bad feeling about what will happen next... I thought, If I could remember correctly, Dio was apparently begging to have more time so he could attack JoJo...wait...it's all coming back to me...!

My headache grew worse when I recalled my flashbacks before my eyes and made me barely faint from the pain. I caught my breath and gripped onto the rails tightly with my left hand as I hunched over to the side like I'm about to have a stroke. My teeth sank into my lip so I could silence my screeches; but the ache was so severe than the last time I had it, I let an anguished yelp slip from my throat and caused JoJo to look behind to see me harshly heaving my lungs out.

"Dmitri!" JoJo ran up to me, worrying about my distressed migraine, "W-why are you here?"

I panted with agony as I tried to speak.

"Jo....Jo....." My words parted before I fainted towards his body unconsciously. JoJo caught me in his arms and observed my ear cuff glowing again like a firefly in the dark.

Oh no... JoJo pondered with concern, his headache is devouring his mind like a snake poisoning its prey with its toxic essence. I should tell him to stay away from this incident; but if I do, that, the ache will still be tied to him...what should I do now?

Dio slowly got up and reached his hand towards his cast suspiciously as he went closer to JoJo like a tiger who is encircling its meal.

My pants worsen, tears began to leak out of my face, my ear cuff flickered with alert, my eyes slowly glowed, markings slowly formed on my face....wait....these markings....no.....these are my ascended markings that are forming on my face!

"H-help..." I muttered, "h-help me..."

"Dmitri..." JoJo looked at my leaning head on his shoulder, frightened at my unknown corruption.

"Please allow me to make amends!" Dio came so close to JoJo, almost to the point of being one foot apart from each other so he could plan an ambush until―

"Look alive, Master Joestar! He's trying to lure you in like he's not."

JoJo and I looked near the suit of armor and saw a man made his entrance by lighting up a match to reveal a light that reveals his face. Dio looked behind and scowled at the mysterious man with concern before the man introduced himself.

"The name is Robert E.O. Speedwagon. I had a hunch that Jonathan's run of trouble might not be done, so I followed him back home."

My pain subsided along with my corrupting features and became semi-conscious on JoJo's shoulder.

"Speed....wagon..." I muttered while I glanced at him before I blacked out.

A minute later, I snapped awake from the returning headache and shrieked so loud, it was enough to shatter a window!

"Dmitri!" JoJo heard me screaming in the chair before Speedwagon tells him to look ahead. Dio slips out the mask and the knife so he could pierce JoJo's torso for his crimson blood.

"I rejected my humanity, JoJo!" Dio yelled with vanity as I rose from the chair and let out a screech that caused time to stand still. I panted in fear and looked at my hands, witnessing what I've done with guilt and shock before my eyes returned to the scene. I saw George I rushing towards JoJo just when Dio was about to attack him for his blood.

H-how... I panted with a sense of pure fear as I internally panicked, how did I ... my words parted before I took out the spear from the suit of armor and yanked the curtains from the corner so the attacker can't see a thing.

There is no time for me to question myself; I have to save a life of a father. I ran towards the knife and threw the curtains at Dio before time resumes. JoJo and his father looked in front of me in awe while the attacker rustled in the fabric furiously.

"You have to get your father away from him!" I told them while my eyes looked ahead.

"But-"

"No time to ask! Get out of here!"

JoJo worries for me as much as I do, but he took father back to his chamber while I swung the spear directly at Dio's torso with a strong force. The doppel flung out of the window and fell to the ground in defeat.

I checked if he was moving a muscle until he kicked the bucket for good.

Thank goodness that I stopped him from killing father... I sighed internally until I looked down to my hands and questioned my unknown powers, but...how did I still have the ability to manipulate time even if I lost my divinity...? Was this a result of my  headache? No...I have no doubt that this wasn't even a headache anymore ― my corruption was actually causing me to halt the clock and experience this anguish as if someone were possessed by the servants of Lucifer himself!

As JoJo went back to see only me facing the broken window, Speedwagon turned to him and whispers why there were two Dios in this mansion.

"I'll get to that later," JoJo responded, "for now, father will be alright in his room."

I heard something piercing someone's flesh, but it wasn't the sound of getting stabbed; it's the sound of rejecting mankind for the sake of the stone mask! All of us jumped with shock as the light from the mask flashed and caused some of the officers to be flung out of the scene due to its immense force while the others shot the curtained person with a barrage of bullets. I covered my face from the bright blur and the pressure that blew almost half of us away.

"W-what is this power...?" I muttered out the words while the impact quiets my voice.

The light vanished and the inspector glanced at the attacker that was under the curtains.

"Stay away from him!" I yelled to him, "Even if Dio's dead, I believed that he was rustling under the sheets so he could put on the mask instead of unbinding the fabric from his sight like it was nothing."

The hidden figure rose up inhumanely and lets out a menacing wryyy before he yanks out the curtain from the torso. I startled in fear as well as everyone around the room when Dio reveals himself with long locks of hair and fangs exposing from his lips. There was no fault at all...even though I saved father, this doppel was no longer the same after he rejected his humanity with the same vanity that haunted me for the sake of my soul.

< To Be Continued |\/\|