You are a failure
A boy awakens, eyes blinded with harsh light as his whole body is wracked with debilitating pain. He slowly struggles, finding it hard to even blink yet adrenaline suddenly floods through his body as a single sound pierces his eardrums.
A young womans terrified scream.
The boy scrambles to his feet, pushing away rubbish and debris, his muscles barely co-operating as he nearly faceplants to the concrete but finds his footing as he stumbles out from the alleyway and his heart nearly stops.
His city is burning.
Gripping his blade, the boy slowly walks the streets, eyes scanning the destruction and fallen corpses. The echoes of screams and unanswered pleas for help ring through his ears, a single tear running down his face but he marches on steadfast, his focus truly on the towering inferno in the middle of the fallen level.
They died because of you.
Dozens of corpses suddenly surround him, trying him drag him down as the boy fights but quickly gets overwhelmed. Pinned down to the concrete as the figure inside the inferno emerges, wrapped in bandages.
You claim to be Arcadias savior yet so many died in spite of you. Just another boy out of his depth trying to fix a world that is broken.
The boys eyes grow wide for a moment, tears welling down his face but the tears soon turn to confusion as the bandages burn away revealing another boy dressed in silver. A mirror reflection of his own, the only difference being the hollow darkness behind his eyes.
Where were you when the Bleak died suffering in agony? Where were you when dozens of innocents were buried underneath burning rubble? All because you won’t do what is necessary.
A crowd gathers beside the demonic boy, citizens of the Bleak. Fallen gamblers and purveyors of sin. A young girl with fear and disgust in her eyes.
These are the people your pure code failed. Do you remember them James? Do you remember how you failed them?
“…No. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
A burning light emerges from the blade, sending the corpses flying and the demonic figure staggering back, eyes bleeding from pain as the bo…no the hero stands tall, pointing the blade at the figure with fire in his eyes.
“I remember every single one of their faces, all the people I failed. Everyone I couldn’t save, and even the ones I could only help temporarily. And they aren’t here. Because they know I did everything I could…and whatever the hell you are, you aren’t changing me”
“Because I might not be the hero they need but I will be the hero they deserve.”
The boy screams before rushing forward, the blade burning bright as light explodes all around, blinding the area for a moment before the boy wakes up.
Strapped tight and barely able to move, the boy struggles as he’s pulled from the water, blinking lights and machines beeping all around him as he sees a figure scowl in annoyance before nodding to a technician as the apparatus is plunged into the water once more, one single word the last he hears before darkness engulfs him.
Again