The side that lost

Chapter 2

It was blazing red fire all around me. I get up and look around the room to find a way to get out. There is a window seven feet away on my left which I can reach without getting hurt. The ceiling of the room suddenly started to collapse, without a second thought I jump out from the window. I didn't have time to register the pain as the whole house was crumbling down and I started to get as far away from it as possible. After reaching a safe distance, I looked back to see last bits of what remained of that place burning away. 

My eyes were stinging and my throat felt cloaked from all the smoke I inhaled. I haven't broken anything from the fall and only have some minor injuries on my arms and knee. Now I finally have time to think, this is definitely not a simulation in my head as my mind is still clear. I start to walk and look around to find some clues to get answers. After walking for around an hour I see a very large tree which was completely black. It felt like I have seen it before. I walk closer to it and reach out my hand to touch its bark. I don't know why I expected that something would happen. I started to turn around when suddenly the roots of the tree grabbed my legs which made me fall down. The roots now had blue light flowing through them and the leaves where glowing. If it wasn't for my situation I would have been mesmerized by it.

The leaves started emitting small sparks and there was a faint fragrance of jasmine in the air. My eyes started to feel heavy and I let sleep take over without fighting it. I woke up back inside the field cage. There was no one around. They had cleaned me up and changed me into a loose white t shirt which smelled familiar, that's odd. There was food and water placed a feet away.

"Good to see you back Athena."

I look at the source of the voice and find it's that person again. How did he know my name?

"You were in the arena for about three hours.", he continued.

"What is that?", I asked him.

"It is a real life simulation ground.", he replied.

I didn't feel like commenting any further so I stayed silent. He sighed and started to walk towards the field cage.

"Why are you always so cold?", he asked while coming to a stop right outside the field cage.

"I don't think we have met enough times for you to say that I'm always cold.", I replied without looking at him. 

I looked up when I heard him laughed at my reply. 

"We have met before.", he said.

"Do you expect me to believe that?", I asked him.

He pulled out something from his coat and placed it on a transparent glowing sheet. The object vanished from the sheet and I noticed that something appeared in front of me.

This is impossible. I reached out to grab the ring and look at the stones in it and found that it had the same encrypted message as the ring I was wearing. It is the same ring but how. I looked back at him expecting some explanation but it seemed as if he was looking for answers from me.

"This is strange. It does look like you have no clue. I can tell you everything that I know.", he said.

I nodded my head to signal him to continue.

"I was working on building Era.", he said while pointing at the root structure above me.

"I was looking for new kind of energy source particles when you came up to me. You helped me find the particles and also helped me build Era. In return you asked me for a favor.", he paused and looked at me.

"What favor?", I asked.

"You asked me to kill you when I meet you again in future.", he waited for me to say something.

What? This can't be true. He is definitely lying. 

"Why would I want myself dead?", I asked him flabbergasted.

"I thought you would answer that question for me but it seems that you don't have the answers yet.", he said while getting up.

The ring disappeared from my hand and it was back in his hand. He kept the ring back in his coat pocket and started to leave.

"Wait!", I called out but he didn't stop.

"How did you get the ring?", I asked him before he could reach the door.

He turned around and gave me an odd look.

"I took it after I killed you sometime ago.", he left after saying that leaving me more confused than I ever.

I came to know that his name is Delmore after a few days. They have constantly send me back to the arena and made me face different situations and watched how I reacted to them. I have survived them all so far but I done know how much longer I can hold up. Every time I wake up to see that I am physically healed and cleaned up but my mind is slowly getting worn out from constantly thinking.

I was lying down with my eyes closed when I smelled faint fragrance of jasmine. I felt a little relax and fell asleep.

I woke up under the shade to the black tree. There was a lake a few meters in front of me which shimmered because of the starlight.

"Hello, Athena."

I look to my right to see a girl with raven hair.

"Who are you?", I asked her.

"I am Era. It is good to see you again.", she replied and giggled.

I felt something wet on my face and soon realized that they were my tears but why was I crying. Era came closer to me and hugged me while I broke down in her arms. The only thought on my mind after I calmed down was that she smelled like jasmine.