Abyssal Awakening

Feris’s pupil’s trembled.

Her fists slammed against the barriers of her prison.

Her voice unable to reach the other side.

Noah slowly glanced down with a shocked expression.

Ciel held his heart.

Without care of what they may think, she clenched her first and ripped her hand out.

A bitter smile formed on Noah’s face.

Yama and Tobi ran towards them but their speed was too slow.

Even Yama, the fastest of them all, couldn’t do much at this point.

Rika panicked, her legs lost strength.

She was unable to comprehend what was happening.

No... She knew.

But her mind refused to accept it.

’So this is the end... This is death...’ Noah stumbled a few steps. He tilted his head up to glance up at the sky, afraid that if he was to look down now, he’d fall.

And once he did, he’ll be unable to stand back up.

His breathing became laboured. His vision turned hazy.

Chaos unfolded around him but his mind was focused on one thing and one thing alone.

*Step...

A single step seemed so simple. So effortless.

But now, just a single one took everything he could muster.

He could see Yama trying restrain Ciel to no avail.

’Sorry... You guys need to run...’ he thought in his mind. But they couldn’t read his mind could they?

Selfishly, he continued towards the girl trapped in the fragment.

Perhaps it was due to the effects of Last Stand, but his fire was clinging on tenaciously. Such feeble embers... such tiny sparks...

Fighting against the wind, refusing to disappear.

But with no kindling, how could they persist?

So with the little warmth he had left, there was only one thing that Noah could do.

’Sorry I couldn’t be by your side...’ He apologised, taking another step forward as blood dripped from his chest.

’Sorry I couldn’t fulfil my promise...’

Another step.

Each one felt like it required the effort of uniting the heavens and earth to carry out.

’Sorry I have to leave you alone...’ Noah kept apologising.

Though he understood that most of this was his own selfish desire.

He wanted to be by her side.

He wanted to fulfil the promise they made together.

He wanted to show her the world.

He wanted keep her company.

All these selfish desires... drifting like ash in the wind.

His own lifeforce nearing the end...

Yet strangely... there was a sense of acceptance. Such is life.

Factors that he couldn’t control, intentions that he couldn’t predict.

All he could do was blame himself for not being strong enough.

Even so...

He enjoyed the life he’s lived till now.

The days where he slacked off with Yama and Tobi, the trips he would take showing Feris around.

The training he would give to the others...

All of it was required for the story of Noah to reach this stage.

He didn’t want to change any of that.

He didn’t want to lose the time he had with them...

Noah reached the fragment. His bloodied hand pressed against its surface.

Feris pummelled her fist to no avail. The barrier refused to drop. Her tears that rolled down her cheeks, ruining that beautiful face of hers.

A sad smile hung on Noah’s lips.

"Feris..." He forced himself to speak.

"Things might get a bit scary for you... You might have some dark thoughts..." Noah mumbled, wiping his fingers over where her tears would’ve been.

Yet all that accomplished as a trail of blood.

Regret. He wanted to touch her one last time.

To reach out and hold the girl close to his chest.

"You’ll curse me for leaving you all alone in this world..." Noah struggled, his strength rapidly depleting.

"But... I believe... That somewhere... out there... there will be people who understand you."

*Bang...

Noah punched the fragment. A faint ripple.

"You’ll become stronger than most... But I don’t want you to be in danger... If you... enjoy your life... That’s all I can ask for."

*Bang...

Another punch.

"But no matter... the hardships... No matter what kind of... trouble you might run into... I want you to live." Noah forced himself to grin.

*BANG.

Another punch, stronger than the last.

"I want you... to control your own destiny. To live... however you want."

All of these were the earnest thoughts of a boy who once saw a curious girl sitting on a boulder.

Her eyes that shimmered while looking at the stars were more radiant than anything he had ever seen before.

Eyes that captured his heart.

Opening his mouth, Noah wanted to speak but couldn’t.

His stamina had reached- no, it had gone far beyond its normal limitations.

Resignation appeared momentarily in his eyes but he shook it away.

Don’t fall yet Noah.

There is still one more step.

Don’t fall short, don’t give up.

Not yet, not now.

Carry out what you must do.

*BANG!!!

A firm punch against the barrier.

His left arm had turned grey, turning into ash that drifted into the wind.

His body was crumbling, a fire with no fuel.

But with what pitiful little he had left, he must carry out his final duty.

Looking Feris in the eyes, there was only one thing he needed to say.

Live.

*BANG!!!!!! CRACK!!!!

A final punch, one that spread cracks across the fragment’s surface.

One that took all of his strength.

The world fell silent. His body fell forward, past the edge, past the fragment.

His final sight... the final things these eyes allowed him to see, was Feris’s face as the barrier shattered.

Ah... How beautiful...

###

Ciel flicked her wrist, blood splattered against the ground.

She hadn’t planned on making a move against her ’children’. After all, it was a mother’s job to watch her children play in the garden.

But Noah had touched something oh so dangerous. Something she couldn’t forgive.

Thus bad children needed to be punished.

Ensuring that his body scattered to ash, she let out a sigh of relief.

Anyone who could force the Cogs to turn in such a manner must be dealt with swiftly and quickly.

With precision and without hesitation.

Next two her, two scared children couldn’t move properly while their older brother stood as their defender. His arm may be ruined but he still tried his best.

How... adorable.

But being adorable didn’t stop her from doing what must be done.

The ascension of the Realm Ruler was almost complete.

She turned her gaze towards the girl collapsed in the cube. The barrier now broken thanks to the actions of that boy.

Initially, she wanted to wait for the ascension to near completion before absorbing the newly birthed authority.

But with the Guardians defeat amongst other factors, the absorption had slowed down to a degree where even Ciel wasn’t sure if the ascension would complete.

There was a significant chance that the girl would somehow overpower then give up the power that had fallen into her lap.

If that was to happen, the Void would suffer unnecessary damage due to a lack of a ruler. How long must she wait for the process to begin a new?

Far too long for her liking.

A motivation was needed for the girl.

She was still shocked by the boys death. Another push was needed.

###

Ciel was saying something, that much Feris was clear about.

But her ears were deaf with a constant ring.

Noah... Why did he fall?

He fell trying to save her.

He fell, he fell, he fell...

Her gaze looked up slightly, her head forced to turn because of an invisible energy.

She could see Yama, Tobi and Rika at her mercy.

No matter what they were shouting, Feris couldn’t hear them.

Her mind preoccupied with the confusion of seeing Noah fall.

The tears refused to stop, she felt as though a hot knife had just been plunged into her chest.

This pain, this rage, this sadness.

Emotions she hadn’t felt to this degree before.

All bursting out at once, consuming her.

She screamed. A silent scream.

Unable to breathe.

Feris panted, she could feel the blood rushing through her new vessel.

What are they doing, why aren’t they rushing to help Noah? If they let him fall he’ll-

Ah...

No that can’t be. Noah promised her.

He promised that he’ll be with her.

He promised that he’ll take responsibility.

He promised...

Feris clutched her head with trembling hands.

Why did he leave her?

Liar... Liar, liar, LIAR!!!

...

But he didn’t. Not really.

He didn’t lie. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to be by her side. Someone else stopped that.

Someone got between you and him.

Someone that’s in front of you.

Ciel.

She ruined the promise. She ruined the time you had. She took it all.

And she...

Killed Noah.

...

?

Noah is dead. Noah is dead. Noah is dead. Is dead. Is dead. Is dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. DEAD. DEAD. DEAD.

.

.

.

Noah is dead.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

###

*CRACKKK!!!!

The most vile cracking sound that Ciel had ever heard echoes out as she froze in her actions of giving Feris a *push*.

Behind Feris, space was torn apart as though a giant demon had dug it’s nails into the cloth known as reality and pulled.

A twisted, hate filled branch of energy burst outwards, dying the world in her rage as the Void rushed outwards with her in the centre.

The scream of the girl in pain had long fallen on deaf ears as Ciel stared at the fissure.

This shouldn’t... Be possible.

Her authority shouldn’t be complete yet.

The ascension hadn’t finished. There were still people alive!

The heart wasn’t ready!

Ciel’s heart beat unevenly. Panic creeping in. Doubt filled her mind but in the next second, doubt quickly turned into fear as her hairs stood on its end.

She was witnessing a calamity like no other. The end of days.

Behind that fissure, behind that rip in space...

Oblivion.

Her composure broke. Her smile faltered. She had taken the precautions to avoid things going wrong but now...

She understood.

The turning of Cogs wasn’t Noah.

It was Feris.

Ah... What have I done...

Ciel was scared.