The Sorrow struck out with a fist. The knuckles hit my cheekbone. I felt searing pain as the spinal needles punctured my skin. I didn’t care. With a scream of rage I struck again and again at the soul eater. Every time I connected, sections of its armour fell like dismembered limbs. More of the deep darkness was exposed — a living abyss. It curled and shimmered in rolling shadows.
The Sorrow carved its sword towards me. The tip ripped through my left shoulder. I felt it slice through my tendons. The arm sunk lifelessly to my side and unbearable agony filled me up. I tried to make it heal, but couldn’t.
A burst of lightning struck nearby. I was temporarily blinded and only heard the heavy whoosh of the sword as it arched through the air. I jumped back and felt another burst of pain as it sliced away the flesh from the side of my leg. Still half-blind, I roared in fury and drove upwards with the Crimson Twin. I felt it hit something and stick.
When the spots had cleared, I saw that the blade had sunk right into the Sorrow’s chest. It disappeared into the gloom. I stared at the thing. Its hollow eyes seemed to glare back at me. Then it made a strange huffing noise — a kind of laugh. It pulled the blade from its chest with a sharp tug. It rested its own sword against its body and took mine in both hands.
Then it snapped it in half.
At that moment all hope of defeating The Sorrow vanished. It was just too powerful. Lafelei’s words were wrong. Gabriella, my soul mate, had died in vain. Now I was going to be killed…or worse. The rage retreated and my despair became absolute.
I gave up.
The Sorrow lifted hand towards the flame scorched sky. The thunder became a deafening cacophony of sound, as if hidden Gods were yelling in fury. The clouds blazed as the supernatural lightning gathered. The Sorrow pointed his arm in my direction and I only had a split second to witness the biggest single bolt of lightning in human history, before it smashed into my chest.
Everything went into slow motion. I felt myself being lifted up, as if gravity no longer existed. The ground rushed underneath me. A cool wind ruffled my hair and suit. Through dimming eyesight, I watched The Sorrow shrink in size until it became a dot on the horizon.
Clang!
I was partially aware of distant pain as my back connected with something.
Clang!
It hit another something.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
More and more of the metallic objects struck my back. Finally one refused to give way. It jolted me to a stop. I hit the ground like a rock.
Scaffolding poles lay scattered around me. I heard a loud groan above and then an entire construction of beams and ladders collapsed down around me. Bits of wood and metal punched against every part of my body. Then everything became still.
I noticed my jacket lying in a tattered heap a few feet away from me. The lightning had cooked it to a cinder. A burning butterfly escaped the pile. It floated through the air, before dissolving into ash.
Dads photograph.
34
The Depraved appeared in the distance — hundreds of them, scuttling, jumping and crawling their way through the pouring rain. A sea of evil, surging towards me.
It had all ended so fast. I looked down at my twisted, broken body and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.
Some hero I turned out to be.
I was meant to protect the world; I couldn’t even protect her. My eyes welled up as it dawned on me that I would never hold her again, never smell her sweet hair.
I could taste blood in my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but had no energy left. It just dribbled pathetically down my chin. More came up to take its place. Not a good sign. I knew I should get up, should fight to my last breath. I was just so worn out, and without her, what was the point anyway?
The stench of smoke and scorched metal filled my nostrils. An intense throbbing in my side drew my attention. I discovered with a flash of nausea that a scaffolding pole had speared through my ribs, pinning me to the ground. I wasn’t healing anymore; I couldn’t even summon the will to try.
This is it then, the end of the road.
I’m going to die here.
I closed my eyes, trying to let the images of her face occupy my mind. I wanted my last thoughts to be of her as I died. For some reason I couldn’t make them stay shut. The curiosity in me needed to see how it all ended.
The creatures surrounded me. There was a crescendo of baying and twittering laughter as they studied me. Standing in the centre was The Sorrow. Even though the iron mask covered its face, I knew it was wearing a sick, triumphant smile.
It crouched down, pressing a metal knee against my chest. The weight crushed all of the air from my lungs. I had to use all of my remaining strength to gasp the next breath.
The Sorrow lifted an armour clad arm up to its artificial face, the screech of the metal joints like rusty door hinges. There was a click as it unlocked the straps. The mask dislodged with a wet pop.
So this is how it’s going to be.
The excited chattering rose into an ear-splitting roar. There was no escape. It started to pull the iron face away, wanting to show me what lay underneath. I let out a long, final sigh.
Now comes the end of everything.
I felt a sensation like an electric current rush through my body. Losing my soul didn’t feel how I’d imagined. It felt…familiar.
Alex.
The softly spoken word filled my mind.
Faru?
Yes Alexander it’s me. Listen, you must close your eyes.
There’s no point. It’s over. The Sorrow won.
It is not over. Please close your eyes, there isn’t much time.
The Sorrow loomed over me, the mask hinging away from its face as I closed my eyes.
It doesn’t matter. Gabriella’s gone. Faru, it killed her.
She’s not gone.
I felt hope bloom inside me. What do you mean?
I can still feel her link, its weak, but still there. If she were completely gone, then it would have been severed. Alexander, there may still be time.
But I tried to heal her, it didn’t work.
I believe your gift is rendered unusable when you are near The Sorrow. If you were able to defeat it…
The despair came back. Faru, I can’t, it’s too powerful. Even the Crimson Twins didn’t work.
Alexander, there will be a way. There has to be. Think!
I racked my brains, but couldn’t grab hold of anything. A sensation of crawling spiders prickled across every inch of my skin. I could sense that The Sorrows true face was exposed. I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as they would go. I knew if I opened them, that my soul would be taken. I could feel The Sorrow leaning closer. It would be a matter of seconds before it prised my eyes open and everything was over. My life-force would be devoured and used to fuel its own retched soul.
Its own soul…
Faru, give me your Farsight!
Instantly, I felt the psychedelic rush hit my mind. The world became a swirl of colours; the scaffolding around me shimmered as if not completely there. The Sorrow became a moving mirage of black and red. The holes where its armour had once been were darker than black. Unknowable creatures with crimson eyes scuttled about in the darkness. Where the soul eater’s face should have been was a swirling vortex of purple and black.
As soon as I saw it, my jaw locked open. Something deep within my chest began to unfurl and move towards my throat. My body grew cold. My mind began to waver. I could barely collect any thoughts. A blue beam of light pushed out of my mouth and floated towards the vortex. The Sorrow rose up, drawing my soul with it.
I had no time left. In seconds, I would become a Depraved, just like all the others that had stood against The Sorrow. Another hideous, mindless slave.