POW!
Runnulf staggered back and clutched his jaw. Jace glared at him, his expression furious and his fist still outstretched. He had punched his father out of nowhere.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Runnulf shouted. He childishly cracked his knuckles and spun his arm in circles, making it like he was winding up a devastating punch. "I thought we were having a moment!"
"Fat chance!" Jace shot back. "You can't expect me to just hug you like nothing happened! You abandoned us in the Axis!"
"Huh?! Are you an idiot, you bastard?! I had a reason!"
"That's not an excuse!"
Runnulf's eyes widened. Around him, the red-haired strangers began to murmur amongst themselves. "Jace… I—"
"—We always wanted to meet you, you know. Me and Aleximus." Jace cut in.
Jace lowered his chin and hid his puffy eyes so the others wouldn't see. Runnulf could tell he was hurt. He attempted to step forward, but Jace's tight-lipped expression warned that he stay back. Instead of lashing out, the boy continued with a shaky voice.
"Uncle Matsuda would read us stories about dads and their kids; how they'd play and hang out together… How they'd be the ones to read them stories, train them how to fight and take them to all sorts of cool places…"
A crinkle formed in the crease between his eyebrows, casting a shadow over Jace's nose. "We wanted that so bad!"
Runnulf lowered his arm and shifted his gaze to the floor. I see…, he thought, …so that's what this is about.
There were no words that he could say to him that would make him feel better; There was nothing he could do that could make up for the lost time they never had. He decided then that what was best was to remain silent until Jacender had vented his frustrations. It was the least he could do.
Behind him — atop the second-floor guard rail — came a loud snicker that turned Runnulf's head. "Well, well, Runnulf!" the man named Vincent laughed. He tossed his half-red hair behind his shoulder and incidentally revealed a large scar running from his collarbone down to the left side of his neck. "...It seems your brat doesn't like you all too well, eh? Not that I blame him!"
He posed dramatically and made a throat-slitting gesture. "Perhaps you should join him outside the manor and feed yourselves to the Codex!"
"Shut up, Vincent," Runnulf said as he rolled his eyes. "You may not like me all that well, but my son is a whole nother story. He has the power to change his fate. He'll survive. I know it."
Jace drew in a sharp breath and clicked his teeth. "Stop acting like you know me — like you raised me! Uncle Matsuda did that! And he did a great job at it!"
As his father fell silent, Jacender assumed that he was hurt; that he'd finally said something capable of hurting Runnulf's feelings; Something that could make him relate to — on some level — what Jace was going through.
Jace opened his mouth again and looked away from him. "Uncle Matsuda was a better dad than you could've ever been."
A cold stillness took over the room for what felt like an excruciatingly long period of time. A bead of sweat ran down Jace's neck as he wondered what his father's face looked like. Is he mad? he asked himself. What's going on? Say something you stupid dad!
Finally, curiosity got the better of the boy. He slowly turned his head towards the staircase and did a double take. On his father's face, instead of the anger or sadness he'd assumed he would see, Runnulf wore a faint smile.
One of gratitude.
"I see," he grinned, scratching the back of his head. "So old Mat' kept his promise after all, huh? That's great!"
Jace nearly staggered with confusion. He unknowingly took a step forward and pointed accusingly at his father. "What's there to smile about?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?! You failed us!"
"I dunno," Runnulf laughed. "Maybe it's cause I'm happy to see you all grown up, but… I could never be ashamed of a choice I've made, Jace. No matter who disagrees with it, I will always stand by what I say and do. That's just the way I do things."
He proudly placed his hands on his waist and stuck out his chest. "Plus, my son grew up safe, tough, and loved. What more could I ask for as a father?"
Jace's uncomfortability slowly slipped away, like thick shutters had been removed from his eyelids. He could tell that his father was speaking the truth. Every word he said — every movement — was assured and strikingly powerful. Yes, Runnulf was the definition of conviction. His confidence was akin to a raging fire.
Is he an idiot? Jace asked himself. He could feel the wetness welling up behind his eyes again. Why isn't he mad? Or upset with me?! Why would he just take it?
Runnulf stepped forward and opened his palm. "Because you're right," he said. He thought back twelve years in the past; he remembered the moment he had handed Matsuda his newborn twins. Jacender had refused to let go of his finger in his sleep and held tightly onto his father. It was Aleximus who, in his sleepy daze, had thrown his arm over his brother's chest, as if protecting him in Runnulf's stead.
It was then that Runnulf felt content with surrendering his children to Matsuda. They'll grow strong, he had thought. They'll protect each other well without me. I know they will.
He remembered turning his back to them, his somber smile hidden from his friends. Matsuda had sunken to his knees, yelling, "This isn't fair!! They deserve a father!"
"They'll have one." Runnulf had responded. Whatever they did from then on, would be their choice, he hoped; That they would grow into powerful young men capable of instilling their own change into the world.
Runnulf's eyes traveled to Jace. He was done reminiscing now. "I…" he started as he extended his arm. "I can't make up for all the time I lost with you and your brother, and I understand that. But I am proud of the boy you have started to become and have absolute faith in the man you'll eventually grow into, son. I swear to always be by your side from now on, no matter what happens. And when you develop your powers, all you need to do is call on me, alright?"
Jacender realized what the extended arm symbolized. It was awaiting his own hand to clasp Runnulf's and shake it. His father respected him. Could he do the same?
Jace's lips trembled. "T-This is stupid…" he sniffled, unsure of what to do. "I'm just supposed to trust you out of nowhere? That's stupid…"
"Maybe so," Runnulf smiled. "But my hand isn't going anywhere this time. I'll always be here, Jace. The decision to take it is yours."
Why… Why do I want to take his hand? Jace asked himself. It's like a warm fire… Except being near him doesn't hurt at all… It feels… Good…
He reflexively took his father's hand and swung his head side-to-side fast enough to get rid of his ebbing tears. "Alright!" he shouted, eyes burning. "But you only get one chance, got it?! If you mess up, I'll kick your ass myself!"
"Why you little..!" Runnulf started, ready to pounce on him.
"Now, now," a sultry voice chuckled from behind Jace. It belonged to a woman as far as he could tell. He and Runnulf both turned towards the newcomer and staggered back. "That's quite enough, boys. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Or have you forgotten that he is still in the middle of his Emergence test?"
The woman looked to be in her mid-thirties, with an old-timey black leather jacket that revealed a bit of cleavage through her dark red, off-shoulder frilled drawstring blouse. Her lips were colored with ruby red and her hair was short with red streaks and bangs just barely going over her earlobe. Whoever she was, she gave the impression that she was much younger than she let on.
"Z-Zena," Runnulf stuttured. He averted his gaze and coughed innocently into his hand. "Cover up, would you? There's a child present..."
"Oh?" Zena smiled seductively, pushing her chest closer to his face. "What's the matter, Runn'? Can't keep your eyes to yourself? Or do you like what you see?"
"AS IF!" Runnulf thundered childishly. He threw up his hands and strained his neck so hard his veins became thick as rubber. "Like I told you before, I am happily married, dammit! Stop trying to make advances on me, you old creep!"
The others around the imperial staircase began to snicker and talk amongst themselves.
"Looks like Zena's at it again, eh?"
"You might as well just give in, Runnulf! Bwaha!"
"Pity," Zena muttered before she faced Jace again. She smirked and cocked her head to the side as if inspecting the boy thoroughly. "You are an interesting one, aren't you? Well, that is to be expected from Runnulf's progeny."
Jace stepped closer to his father. "I, uh… I don't understand—"
"You must have questions. All things that will be explained in time. For now, I will answer the most pressing of your concerns. Is that fine?"
Jace had no choice but to nod.
"Excellent," Zena said. She made a waving motion and introduced him to those who filled the room. "Welcome, Jacender, to the Ashfield manor."
Once she said that the floor beneath Jace hummed and grew bright red. Vincent jumped down from his balcony and assumed another weird pose. "This place exists beyond time and space — its own separate universe if you will! The only ones who reside here are the past and present owners of the Ashfield Codex. You have accepted the commandment instilled within its pages have you not? We are here to oversee the transfer of power of the Codex to you!"
Not only was Vincent's odd way of speaking disturbing his thought process, but too much information was flooding Jace's mind for him to form a coherent question. "A-Ashfield?" he asked. "Codex? I don't get it — what —"
"—In the Axis," Runnulf interrupted. "You were on the verge of life and death. Didn't you hear a voice call out to you? Something strange, yet familiar? Like it was a part of you?"
Jacender thought back to the Forbidden Area — when he was bleeding out in the waterfall's grotto. A voice had called out to him then. "AXIS SEALER!" it had yelled. "DO YOU ACCEPT YOUR FATE?"
His father was right. A sense of familiarity did come over him then. He'd put unwavering faith into that split-second decision. Though he hadn't given it much thought, everything that was happening now had started to line up.
Jace's eyes widened as he spun to Runnulf. "Wait, does that mean you were the one who let me take over the Codex?!"
"...Yes."
A whirlwind of questions surged through his head. His father had been watching! He was the one who saved his life that day.
"Wh—Why didn't you meet me before, when I first got this thing?"
Zena shook her head. "We only exist here as energy, child. One could say we are the Codex itself. Other than those who share our blood, we cannot communicate with the living; And even with those people, it must only be with chosen successors of the Codex. Many weeks ago, your father broke that rule to save your life."
"Indeed," Vincent added. "We have been waiting for the day you began your Sanctum Chamber Emergence to speak with you. Since you were not chosen as a successor beforehand, you must prove yourself to the Codex as capable of carrying its power. If not, those winds outside will not only tear you to shreds… but your father as well."
The hairs on Jace's neck stood still. Dad did all that without us knowing? Then that means… He looked to his father but found only a blank expression as Runnulf picked his nose. …If I don't pass my Emergence test… he'll die?!
Runnulf flicked away his booger and gave him two thumbs up. "No pressure, buddy."
Is he stupid?! There's nothing but pressure here!
"How?" Jace asked Zena, "How am I supposed to prove myself to the Codex? What even is an Ashfield?!"
"Hrmm," Zena mused. "To put it plainly, it is our surname. We're an ancient family with roots dating back further than every other on this continent. As for who we are… I'm afraid we cannot tell you."
"Huh? Why?"
"The Codex is designed in a way that certain information cannot be disclosed until its current user has the powers to handle the repercussions of whatever they'd like to know. Look around; You've noticed the red streaks in everyone's hair, yes? It's a measurement of power. We have a rare genetic trait that measures our capabilities through the amount of red hair we grow. The stronger you become, the more of it will fill your head."
Jacender tried to imagine him and Aleximus with red hair and drew a blank. The prospect sounded ridiculous.
"As for how you're supposed to prove yourself… Well, that's on you to figure out." Vincent finished for her.
"W-Wait, that's not fair—"
Without warning, Runnulf grabbed Jace and threw him over his back. "We'll figure it out, won't we, Jace?"
"Runnulf!" Zena called sharply as he climbed the stairs. "Don't worry," he said without turning back. "I won't tell him anything else. He's already gotten all the help he needs."
She smirked and crossed her arms. "Best of luck to you," she murmured. Vincent whipped his hair back with a "Hmph," and watched them go.
Around them, Jace heard the other Ashfields clapping and cheering him on with whistles and raised voices.
"Good luck, kid!" one said.
"Don't let Runnulf get you into any trouble!" said another.
"Make us proud!"
Jace was bewildered. He had no idea what was happening and where he was being taken. "Where are we going?!" he gasped, amazed at his father's physical strength. His body felt like it was trapped underneath expertly tucked bed sheets.
"Just trust me." Runnulf chuckled. He ruffled Jace's hair and grinned as his son blushed. It was a gradual process, but Jacender could feel his heart swelling more and more with heat as if his father's vigorous energy was flowing into him. Was this love? If so, he thought, it was a wonderful feeling.
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[ALEXIMUS]
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Aleximus roared, delivering a kick to Hatagi's jaw. This was the fourth time his leg had slipped through the apparition's face. Whatever this was, it wasn't actually happening. Aleximus knew that, but he tried again anyway.
Not again! he begged, releasing an impressive roundhouse kick. Normally, that kick would have been good enough to bend someone's neck or even snap it entirely. However, this was not normal.
Not again! Not again!
Every kick and punch phased through the sinister man as he approached past-Aleximus and Anna. The RotVenom was gnawing away at her and causing her leaking blood to become ash and mix with her body's dust as it spread away.
"Damn it, fall!" Aleximus boomed again. He rose and lunged with his back turned to past-Aleximus and launched one final roundhouse kick to Hatagi's jaw; this time — with all his might. snarled, rising again.
THUNK!!
Surprisingly, Hatagi's eyes narrowed with shock, as if he had felt the attack and he staggered, his body beginning to fall over. Yet, just before he did, he swiped haphazardly for his waist and made a quick slash in the air with his dagger. Aleximus instinctively dodged by jumping back and rolled closer to his sister's side.
Did that work?! He moved!
He watched Hatagi straighten his posture. On his face was an annoyed look and a bead of blood running out his left nostril. That was when Aleximus noticed. Hatagi's eyes were not fixed on him; they were only in his general area. He turned behind him to find that someone else had landed in front of Anna, as opposed to Aleximus who had landed beside her. That person was his past self.
His eyes were more hopeful than his and he wore a cocky grin as he stretched out his arms in front of Anna. Along his exposed right leg ran a thin, fresh, wound. A scar that could only have been made by Hatagi's dagger.
It had been he who had connected his attack with Hatagi's chin. Not current Aleximus.
"Not yet," he intoned daringly. "This isn't over yet!"
Aleximus saw something in him that made his heart flutter: A powerful and unrelenting will akin to Jacender's. It was something he wished he had possessed when Hatagi had first attacked them all those weeks ago.
A trust in himself that it would be okay and that somehow, he and Anna would survive. It was something he'd lost when she was taken from him. All he had now was his anger. And even that was unfocused.
"Were you," a chilling voice whispered in his ear, "About to lose that hate of yours, brat?!"
RRDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!
Before Aleximus could even spin back around, the faces of his past self and Anna instantly became blank, white states. Their eyes, lips, and noses were gone. All that was left were black circular orbs where their eyes would have otherwise been. "Wha—" He flinched, ready to jump away from them, but a hand pressed tightly against his shoulder and kept him in place.
Aleximus froze, just as he did once when he had first come across this dangerous pressure back in the Axis. He hadn't even considered that Hatagi could hear or see him after phasing through his attacks before. So how was it now that he was behind him, keeping him in place with nothing but a few words? How could he be so unnerved to the point that his hair wouldn't stop rising as he felt Hatagi sling his arm over his shoulder?
Another chill climbed up his waist and settled near his nape as Hatagi leaned in and blew on his ear. He was taunting him. Trying to fill him with fear before Aleximus could gather all his thoughts. Aleximus knew all of this and yet…
Why..? Why won't I move?!
Hatagi's mouth curved into a smile. His full face was still hidden from Aleximus, but he could feel the sadistic man's grin without needing eyes.
"What's the matter, kid?" Hatagi asked. He followed Aleximus's line of sight and stared at the blank mask of past-Aleximus.
"Oh!" he gasped excitedly. Then, as if not being able to control it, a raucous laugh spilled from his lips and filled the empty night sky with howls. "Oh this is perfect!" he cackled, patting Aleximus hard on the back. He stopped and grabbed the boy's head, pulling it closer to the white-faced children. "What? Can't recognize yourself?"
"Gah!" Aleximus finally yelled and pushed him away. He scrambled back onto his rear and crawled away as quickly as he could. The darkness hid Hatagi's face from him, but his eyes continued to shine, even in the shadows, like a spectral figure. A ghost.
"S-Stay away!" Aleximus warned, "I'll kill you damn it! Stay away!"
Hatagi chuckled again. "Come on kid! Don't get like that!"
Aleximus huffed loudly and pushed himself back with his hands. Because he could hardly see, his fingers accidentally dug into something slimy a few seconds after he began retreating from Hatagi that let out a squelchingnoise. Hesitantly, he raised his arm and looked down. Below him, spread everywhere in a disgusting mixture of blood, skin, and water — was the leftover remains of Dopi's body. It was a gooey paste of blood, bones, water, and clothes that had been a result of the imploding waterfall.
Aleximus's mouth opened, ready to scream, but Hatagi's slender fingers clamped hard around the jaw and stopped him.
They were blistered and burned and had a putrid smell of rotting eggs coming off of them. But nothing shook Aleximus more than what he saw as Hatagi shoved his face into the light.
A deformed mixture of skin. That was all Aleximus could describe it as before erratic fear ran through his body. Exposure muscle bled and squeezed out of Hatagi's bruised cheek every time he spoke and his greasy skin hung sloppily off his face. The only thing keeping it from peeling off was that it was still attached to his hairline, and even there, large, jagged gashes were apparent in his forehead and temple, spluttering out blood whenever he moved his head.
Aleximus could see spots of missing skin and dirt in his neck and felt something akin to trypophobia. The rocks! He realized. The rocks that fell on him in the Axis! Did they do this?!
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Hatagi said with a chuckle. The meat under his bones squelched and flapped until it splattered and splashed onto Aleximus's confused face. A panicked yell escaped his lips despite the muffle from Hatagi's hand.
"Oh shut up," Hatagi growled. "If anyone should be complaining, it should be me! After all, it was you who did this to my poor face!"
As if to disgust him further, Hatagi raised his dagger and dug the tip into his own cheekbone, fishing as far as its length allowed. Aleximus prayed he would stop and yet he didn't. Instead, Hatagi wiggled the weapon, almost like scratching an itch, and then removed it from his bleeding jowl and wiped it on Aleximus's cheek. He applied pressure, making sure it would leave a cut on his face and allow both their blood to mix together.
Aleximus nearly threw up but held his composure. He focused his efforts on escaping Hatagi instead. He threw a surprise left hook, catching him off guard and knocked him away with his free foot. Then, Aleximus jumped to his feet and ran towards his past self and Anna. "Hey!" he shouted. "Come on, you two! We gotta go! Uncle Matsuda will be here soon and—"
"HAHAHAHA!" Hatagi cackled.
"You still don't get it, do ya?!" he continued, standing. Past Aleximus grabbed Aleximus's arms and held tight. His grip was like Jacender's.
"H-Hey! Let go!" Aleximus struggled.
His past self paid him no mind. In fact, he squeezed tighter and raised his fingers to the cut on Aleximus's face. The blood seeping from it rose off his cheek and floated in the air until it soaked his past self's hand. Aleximus watched with terror as his past self's mask turned darker and darker red. Finally, after he had absorbed all the running blood, he lowered his arm and let go of Aleximus. Blood was spilling from the eye slits in his mask and was rolling down like tears.
"You're pathetic," Aleximus's fractured voice spoke. "You ran when things got tough and lost Anna. You're the reason Jace can't see his uncle anymore."
Aleximus couldn't even lunge in anger. He was too stunned to even open his mouth. That left his guard open.
SHHLT!!
A freezing and piercing pain shot through his abdomen, making him wince. He spun his head quickly and spotted Hatagi behind him; his dagger driven through his side.
His dirty fingers were coiled around the back of Aleximus's neck, forcing him to watch his past self's streaming tears.
"Did you think that if you couldn't handle your own problems, that someone else would eventually turn up to help you? How fuckin' selfish!" he sneered at him. "You even had the nerve to say you'd hunt down and kill off the Eclipse Guild, right?! Someone like you… Someone who thinks he's willing to kill people he's never met, just for being affiliated with someone he hates…"
"…Is so deliciously pathetic, don't you think? You don't deserve salvation or justice. You don't even deserve a human death. You're nothing more than scum. A coward who thinks he's tough — That's all you are." Aleximus's past self added.
"No," Aleximus coughed up blood. "You're wrong… I prepared myself..!"
His eyes drifted to Anna's mask. She was the only one who hadn't moved. For some reason, the RotVenom had ceased and her body had returned. It was almost like she was waiting for something to happen.
"Prepared yourself?" Hatagi scoffed. "The problem is… That you're gonna lose some more people along the way right?"
Past Aleximus pulled his face closer. "It's why you don't want to get attached to Hidemi, right? You know deep down that you're going to lose him too."
"You're wrong!" Aleximus groaned. The wound itself didn't hurt, but it felt like he was being pulled apart by the two forces of Hatagi and his past self; like he was being absorbed. The discomfort made him wheezy.
"Wrong?" Hatagi asked. He pushed his blade deeper into the boy's abdomen and snickered. "Then why are you still thinking about me after all this time? Don't tell me it's some kinda sick crush!"
His face became serious and darkened with shadows. Above Aleximus, darkness had begun to consume the Forbidden Area and eat away at his inner world.
Hatagi showed no care. He simply pressed his lips closer to Aleximus's ear and whispered, "Just face the facts, kid. I…"
Just as it happened with his past self before, the red that had spilled from Aleximus's body was flooding out and emptying him faster than normal. It ran along the ground and air, like the darkness above, and slowly tainted the forest and all things standing in it. The crescent moon in the sky started to slowly fade as his blood and the darkness battled for supremacy. Now, almost half of his body had been covered.
"…Will always be a part of you." past Aleximus echoed.
Aleximus held back a tear from falling but was losing out in endurance. They're right… he thought, and let his arms go slack.
I'm not in any position to want revenge… Someone like me..? Someone like me who loses people to his selfishness doesn't deserve to protect people.I should… Just give… Up…
He locked eyes with Anna's mask as the darkness ate at his face. She continued to watch him curiously without a sound and studied him with her eyes. Black and red rose past his chin and submerged his nose, leaving only his eyes left for a few moments. Behind Anna stood the fading moon, drenched in red and shining beautifully.
So bright… he thought, Even when it's dark… Just like Jace…
And then it happened. The cessation of Aleximus's dreams was brought about by the darkness. It devoured him whole, eating his figure along with his corrupted self and Hatagi before he could say a word.
However, Aleximus Ashfield was not a boy who's ideals could be so easily snuffed.
BWOOSH!
Aleximus's hand pierced the darkness and emerged into the air, where the moon rested. As if in resonance, the crescent moon that had faded, sprang back into existence and blew away the darkness surrounding it. In another instant, all the red that had bleached the area was lifted in seconds and soaked into it, transforming the satellite into a full, red moon.
With this change came the parting of the black waves. The thunderous energy knocked back the eerie night sky and altered the very place they were standing into a golden-red meadow. The same sun-kissed meadow Jacender and Aleximus would often spar in.
Hatagi's nose crumpled with disappointment. He had been freed from the night as well, but it had not been his intent. He scanned the area carefully for Aleximus before a bead of sweat ran down his temple. "Impossible!" he cursed.
"Shut up." Aleximus's voice commanded. An invisible force blasted Hatagi away from him and knocked him down several feet down the hill.
Hatagi jumped back up and assumed a fighting stance, but stopped dead in his tracks once he saw what awaited him above. It was Aleximus standing atop the hill embracing someone. His corrupted self.
Aleximus ignored Hatagi and held him tighter. "That's enough," he said. His eyes were closed but his expression was fierce. The mask on his past self began to crack down the middle and split at the sides. "Aren't you sick of pretending? Take off that stupid mask, you idiot."
The mask fell, revealing a confident grin — the same one his past self wore when his kick had connected with Hatagi. His red eyes sparkled as Aleximus stepped back and extended his hand. "We're not here to second-guess anything anymore. We have a promise to keep. For ourselves."
Past Aleximus grabbed ahold of his hand and evaporated into pure Sanctum Essence. He swirled for a moment before drifting into Aleximus's palm and becoming a circular orb.
Hatagi's face nearly turned white. Aleximus brandished a new power now. A dark red orb similar to the full moon above them pulsated in his palm, emitting small waves of darkness at its center.
"How did you get out?!" Hatagi demanded. "Answer me brat! Dying would've been easier!"
Aleximus lowered his arm with a look of hesitance and then brought the orb closer to eye level. It was a miniature moon; exact with the same presence and pressure as the moon above.
"…You wouldn't understand…" he started, taking Anna's hand. He smiled at her and thought back; Back to the first day Jacender had woken up after they had escaped from the Axis; To the day he had to decide what it was he would fight for.
Back he went, to that mountain ravine.
[SANCTUM CHAMBER EMERGENCE [II] ]