Soulforge Legacy Series

For the next minute, he didn’t ask another question. We just sat there, staring at each other as if waiting for the other to crack. Not that I knew what to expect. It wasn’t like these guys were going to suddenly say that I was free to go. That this was all a mistake. That someone else was the killer.

Such a outcome was never in the cards. Not unless someone outright admitted to the act. Something that would never happen given how convinced they were that I was their target.

So we sat there. Waiting. It wasn’t like I was going to say anything more. Not when what I had said had been twisted to fit their narrative.

Something pounded against the door, breaking us from our standoff. As one, we looked at it as the person on the other side pushed it open.

In a crisp suit, the pale man bowed toward my interrogator as he spoke. “The Council requests your presence.”

As if he was shooing the man, he waved his hand as he spoke. “Tell them I will be there when I am done here.”

“I am afraid that I was ordered to escort you there.” That brought a sneer to the mans face.

“That is not the typical process.” The way he said it made me wonder as to who this man really was and why he thought what amounted to the rulers of this city should ask for some of his free time. As he stood up, he asked the man one question. “Did they at least say why they want me there?”

“One of the Council members was found dead this morning.” With those words, the man had everyone’s full attention. When I had visited the Council, I found that some of them looked rather weak, but something about how they acted, they were anything but.

This time, when my interrogator glared at me, it was full of more than just annoyance. I could see true anger. The kind that burned and flickered in the eyes of the person. With it came the obligatory rage.

The only warning I got was a single hand gesture before the mana threads encircling my head dove in. Not to feel around my brain, but to drill into the gray flesh. And while I knew I shouldn’t be able to feel it, something about whatever technique was being employed had me feeling every bit of those threads.

“You will tell me who you are helping and why they are doing this.”

“I don’t know.” The words came out strained. Almost like there was something holding me back.

The threads twisted. “Tell me!”

“I don’t know.” My voice came out quite a bit softer. Barely above a whisper as the pain only grew.

“I highly doubt you could kill a single person.” Boy would he be surprised. “You have to be getting help from someone.” The room reverberated with the sound of his hands slamming into the table. “Who is it!?”

I almost wondered how many more questions I could handle before my brain was turned to mush by the thread sized blenders. “I…” That was all I got out before the strength finally left my body. Whatever the man holding my head was doing, it had gone beyond what I could deal with.

Everything around me went fuzzy in places and completely dark in others. Thoughts refused to even make an appearance. My world was simply pain. Pain I couldn’t touch. Pain I couldn’t heal. Even if I wanted to, I was done. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was dying.

Or was I? It wasn’t like they needed to keep me alive for their…what was I saying?

God the pain.

Someone, anyone, help me.

Cold numbness crept into my feet and hands.

The fuzzy blob in front of me shifted around. Likely doing…what was it…

Whatever it was, the pain seemed to respond as whatever it was dug in harder. Twisted more.

Vibrations flowed up my body. From something hitting the ground or from my body shaking, I had no idea. All I knew was…something.

A flash of light filled my sight before everything went dark. Probably because my eyes had closed, but at this point, who knew? Not me, that was for sure.

Sound rang out. I mean, it wasn’t like I had been able to hear. But something about the noise that managed to filter through was harsh. Almost like someone was dancing.

No, that didn’t make sense. Who would be dancing at a time like this?

They couldn’t be fighting.

Or could they?

The cold continued to push in. Consuming not just the warmth of my body, but everything else as well.

God, this was probably one of those times I wished that someone would just kill me. Put me out of my mess.

Wait. Mess wasn’t the right word. Mission?

No. not that one either. Misery?

No, not that…wait, that was the word. Put me out of my misery.

To kill me.

It wouldn’t be all that bad. Probably. After all, it wasn’t like we wouldn’t come back.

But where would I come back to? I would be pretty fucked if it was this city. But if not here, where?

Or would the system let me choose? Was it that smart?

Something pushed against my face. Forcing itself against my skin. I pushed back. Not because I wanted to. It had mostly been out of reflex. Still, I fought against whatever they were about to try.

Whoever it was, they were persistent. They even managed to push closer. Mostly thanks to my lapses in concentration.

It didn’t help that the cold creeping thing had made it to my chest.

Whatever the reason for their attack, they managed to force whatever they had down my nose. Wait, not my nose, my mouth. They poured something into my mouth and clamped it closed.

I wanted to fight, but I was spent. There was nothing left in the tank. Sure, the liquid could spell my death. But it could just as easily spell my health. Either way, it wasn’t like I had a choice. Not if I wanted to breathe.

Their grip on my face had no loosened since they forced the liquid down my throat. The only thing that had changed was their holding my mouth and nose shut.

They were depriving me of the little air I had managed to take in even as every muscle protested the mere thought of moving.

Something roared nearby. Well, at least it sounded like a roar. But there was only so much I could hear over the sound of blood rushing through my ears before even that cut off.

Finally, the cold reached my heart. The muscle pushed to keep going.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then nothing.

The next beat never came.

Without it, my body grew heavy.

Nothing moved.

Not my arms.

Not my chest.

Even the sound of blood rushing faded to nothing.

Slowly, the weight holding me down lifted.

Vanished.

Was this what people meant when they talked about as they faced death? As they stood at the door between life and death. Where, with one simple step, they could leave this life behind to find out what was next?

While I had faced death a number of times, I had never been this close. I thought it would be scary. Especially as I still didn’t know what came next. Would I enter a waiting room? One where I had to wait for some god to decide my fate? Or would I simply cease?

Wait, there was the ability to be brought back. A perk of the system, or the gods, or….honestly I had no clue. And it wasn’t like I had the mental power to think too hard. Though, for some reason my mind wasn’t as fogged as earlier.

Something pressed against me. It wasn’t physical. Or at least I don’t think it was. Then again, how would I know?

Still, whatever it was, it pushed me out. Not up. Not down. But out. In a direction not found in normal three-dimensional space where words failed to work and descriptions simply didn’t mean anything.

Without any real choice, I let it carry me. Maybe wherever it was taking me wouldn’t try and kill me for something I had no part in.