Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 3

          "Marcus..." He heard someone whisper faintly, rousing him from a dream.

          Hellish creatures descended from the sky, slaughtering everyone in sight, but there he stood watching the nightmarish scene unfold before his eyes. In those moments of blissful ignorance, as he opened his eyes and wondered what time it was, he remembered that he had fallen asleep on his dad's air mattress.

          "I wonder when that roast will be done," he muttered to himself.

          "Marcus, wake up."

          The voice was closer now, louder and clearer... almost as if it was in his mind. His eyes shot open, raising to meet the metal panel with a painful thud. A string of curses left his lips as he raised his hand to rub his head, grimacing as something slimy transferred from his fingers, slowly rolling down his forehead.

          "Calm down," The voice was familiar, "It is only me, Marcus."

          His heart skipped a beat, a rush of memories all collapsing onto him, as he registered the origin of the voice.

          "Kou?" Marcus asked out loud, his voice slightly echoing off the metal exterior surrounding him. 

          "Yes, Marcus," Kou responded.

          "H-How are you alive?" He stuttered, the fact of Kou's survival stunning his thoughts.

         "Because of you, young Marcus. You saved my life..." Kou informed him.

         "Wait... How is that possible? I saw the Kryx-Loryde snap your neck and toss you aside like a rag doll. I know you died, Kou. I saw you afterward being dragged along by those monsters." The memories of the events flooded his mind, filling his mind's eye with the images of Kovekian domination. 

       "Honestly, Marcus, I do not know. I have to draw some similarities to the Rozan blood to make sense of this, and even then, I feel like it might be a stretch to assume my blood holds any answers."

          Marcus, unclear of what Kou meant, and growing ever more aware of his confined space, wondered what lay beyond the hull of the Rozan ship.

          "The Rozans believe... believed... that through the lines of blood, immense power flows freely, and even the essence of life itself is held within," Kou told him, speaking softly of his now-extinct race.

          "So, like your father in your subconscious or wherever?"

          Kou answered in silence, Marcus's regret on bringing up the topic flourishing.

          "I'm sorry, Kou. I didn't mean---" He started to apologize before Kou cut him off. 

          "No, Marcus, it is alright. After all, you are correct. Well, in a way, you are."

          Marcus raised an unseen eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

          "The ritual we undergo as children, around the age of twelve by your human years, passes on the knowledge of our family lineage."

          "Wait... you told me about that before. Back in my bedroom... before everything went wrong." Marcus interrupted, remembering pieces of the past.

          "Yes, that is correct. It is a rite of passage that allows the knowledge and history of the Rozan race to continue... hmm, I keep forgetting... or perhaps I just have not accepted it as my reality." Kou faded off, his tone matching the somber words.

          "I'm sorry, Kou."

          "I know you are, Marcus, and I do appreciate your sentiments. I believe that one day I will accept this and perhaps even move on. For now, though, I have to live my life as it is now, with you."