91. Zen

The town was always quiet when the sun began to set; and only the alleys and back streets were beginning to come to life.

One place in particular seemed to bustle with party and festivity, fuming with the stink of cigarette smoke and the overwhelming odor of air freshener. A battle had definitely gone on in the day-- and presumably, the reek of blood was too pungent to be left alone.

Knocking on the grills twice, Zen Cite lifted the shaft with one arm and invited himself in.

His presence made the joyous celebration happening inside come to an anticlimactic halt, wherein all eyes swirled to him and all cheers ceased to be.

Zen stopped in front of the Boss, a man only known as Truth, and their eyes locked.

"Hey, we've been expecting you," the man greeted, the look in his eyes unfaltering, strong, confident. The Boss and the Leader-- he was the one man Zen had yet to be able to match in strength. "A pity what happened to your sister, but sadly enough our group is much too large for us to find out who leaked the information to our enemies."

Zen simply nodded.

"Are you here to investigate?" Truth didn't sound serious, "Or are you here for..." his eyes drifted to his closed palm-- "Revenge?"

Opening his palm, Truth showed Zen a gem. A bright red pendant, which undeniably belonged to the older brother, Eve.

Zen was silent. 

"If not, would you take his place as my second-in-command?" Truth had the gall to offer, "If you desire to inherit this gem, that is."

At the offer, Zen perked up. His eyes widened in a sense of anger he rarely felt-- his blood boiled in a sort of anger, blood lust welled in his stomach, quickly suppressed by his instincts.

"I'll do it," he said, sudden and unhesitant, "If that's what it takes to get that gem back."

If it was to get his brother's final keepsake, he'd stay here.

He'd stay in this building, with the people that killed his most precious.

Closing his fist, Truth smiled.

"And what will you show to prove your absolute loyalty to me?" it sounded like a taunt-- "Mera left his studies and threw aside his day work, threw aside his social life, even, to earn this place. What will you do for me?" Truth teased, smug and degrading, but Zen felt there was something beyond those eyes. 

Absolute loyalty.

What was Truth trying to imply? That Zen would betray him? That's impossible, Zen had always been one that obeyed the boss without hesitation-- and Eve was too. Zen was quite sure the boss needed no extra confirmation.

Will Zen betray Truth, like what the gang did to Eve?

Zen had always excelled in reading between the lines, and as such he had come to believe his instincts. Truth's gaze--  what those eyes meant.

Do you desire a chance to break down, to release all that blood lust of yours for something?

Turning back towards the crowd, Zen's eyes sharpened. He knew exactly what Truth was implying, and he didn't know if he was liking or hating it.

Truth was truly a fearful man. 

Truth was the Boss-- and truth knew that, as the Boss, he himself could not act on emotions. He could not personally take hold and take matters into his hands. Truth could not hunt down his own gang for the sake of something as petty as revenge-- revenge for the man that was his best friend.

And thus, using Zen's emotions for himself-- he initiated this.

"I'll take everyone on," Zen declared, his voice louder and stronger than he'd ever raised, "Everyone in this hall, aside from Truth, and I will win."   

Was Zen's decision a blessing, that now he would have a chance for revenge?

Or was it a curse, that now he had to bear this war alone, like Eve?

-

Crunching one man's neck, and twisting another man's foot--

Zen never liked to fight.

Blood pooled his hands. Bright, bright red that did not suit Zen at all was soaking the sweater that Eve washed; thoroughly staining those warm, warm hands Drew loved so much-- 

But what was the point anymore? Neither of them were here ever longer.

Zen found himself unable to cry. Unable to shed the tears that did not exist in his system.

Zen lost himself in destroying bone after bone, pulling apart skin from skin, bathing in the warm liquid he despised oh-so much.

Biru.

Blue, because that's was everyone was before him.

"Now that I think about it..." he mumbled to one man, one arm broken and blood at the corner of his lip-- "...Giving information to another gang... that's a reach of our rules, isn't that?"

The man was unable to speak-- but Zen didn't really mind.

"Which means whoever that was, I can kill him, right?" Zen asked.

His voice was surprisingly cold-- his tone had always been stoic and empty-- but now it just feel like ice. What little emotion that was 'nothing' instantly became 'bloodlust'-- With the next instant, one loud crack to the neck meant the man wasn't lifting that head anytime soon. 

"Since we don't know who it was," Zen decided, standing back up and facing the rest of the people he hadn't defeated-- fifty? A hundred? 

"Well, I just have to kill everyone of you, I guess."

Huh? When did my motive change so drastically? What was I doing before this?

....Well, does it matter?

-

It came suddenly. 

One hard strike that sent his world into colours that didn't exist-- he staggered, caught himself-- and straightened up. Spinning was his vision, and an irritable, piercing throe rang in his head.

Looking back, he caught someone with a bat.

Ah, he could only think, Should've brought a weapon too.

People were yelling orders at each other, clutching their own weapons as they widened their eyes, finding some opportunity-- Zen couldn't register.

Oh, I stopped fighting for a moment. I better...

And from behind him, an explosion of pain, stronger than the one before. 

This time he was thrown forward-- and landing on his hand-- his arms gave up in less than a second, and he dropped to the ground.

...Huh?

Desperately pushing himself up, he couldn't make it.

What's...?

His sight was naught but a pool of blurry, coloured lights, it took him a while to realize-- the ache in his head was no longer dismissable as a throb-- it was a rupture. A constant, searing pain, as if someone was clawing his entire brain out with sharp nails--

His ears rang a high-pitched shriek that muddled out the cacophony-- and eventually the ringing was all he could hear.

His sight was full of red-- 

And, with a shiver, he realized he felt cold. But somewhere under him was a very warm feeling. Cold warmth-- and a warm coldness.

the reds darkened out into a maroon-- then dark red-- and finally black-- and he felt his eyes droop slowly downwards.

No-- no, not yet-- he realized, and there was a painful prickle at the back of his eyes. A warm substance escaped the corner of his eyes-- no, not yet, I can't...

I can't, I still haven't... I still haven't done anything yet.

He still hasn't-- He still hadn't-- 

I can't- can't- Please, not yet.

Just a little longer, please.

I can't just go like this.

They took my sister, they took my brother; they took everything I had, everything I ever treasured! I didn't even have the chance for a proper goodbye. The last thing I did to the both of them was quarrel, and--

This isn't fair, this isn't fair, this just isn't fucking fair-- 

Please, you can't fucking do this to me! 

Please, just let me go at it one more ti

-

-

-

-

Zen woke up with a gasp.

Taking in what breath he felt he had to catch-- he breathed heavily, gasping and panting for air-- sweating profusely, drenched in it.

"Wha-"  he had to gather. 

It was pitch black. He felt a ground beneath him, a flat surface without a single bump-- a smooth flooring that wasn't cold nor hot.

He recalled his last moments. 

My eyes, he reached up to touch his own face, am I blind now?

"Not quite."

Jumping at the noise-- he was stricken with confusion.

The voice didn't come from before him, beside him, or in any direction in particular-- In fact, it seemed to have come from every direction.

He was not quite blind? What could that mean? Is it just the room that was too dark? Was all that dying shit just a really lucid dream? That may be likely, but then there's this place to consider. Is it just one big dream?

"You're a special one," the voice chuckled, "It's been a really long while since anyone came in here with amnesia. Much less, with a retaining lost of sight."

Zen felt himself pale. The sweat on his body-- it seemed to feel not just sticky now-- it felt-- dried-- 

"No way..." he mumbled to himself, "Are you telling me--"

"Well, if you could see yourself," the voice was irritatingly lackadaisical, "You're covered head to toe in crimson, coagulated blood."

Everything just came back.

"Well, boy," the voice said, "Sorry, but you're dead."

Everything, in a pool, flooding to his head, incredibly real, lucid, and painful. Everything assaulted his senses again-- and Zen found himself wanting to scream.

He controlled himself, he didn't scream, "Are you god?" he instead asked, sounding angrier than he wanted to. 

"Huh?"

"I'm asking you if you're god," Zen repeated, louder, and sharper, unable to keep his pace of cool now. "Because I want you to send me back down right now."

The voice seemed appalled.

"Well, I'm unfortunately not 'god', as that is what you humans would register as the Highest One Above." the voice explained, "I am but a gatekeeper, at the border."

Zen's fist tightened, "Great, whatever. Send me back now."

"Now, now, calm down." the voice soothed cheerily, "Even if you go back now, you won't achieve a thing. Your wounds are open and you have a broken skull. As a human, that ensues you impossible of any further action until it is fixed well. What's more, you're blinded now."

"I don't care!" Zen raised his voice, "I just-"

His voice got stuck. Cracking sharply, it just stopped coming out completely. He lowered his head-- and felt nothing but absolute agony, remorse, mourn, grief for his own self. 

"What is it that you desire?" the voice asked again, his tone strangely soft and gentle-- but held a bit of cheer. "I can grant just one of your wishes, with my authority."

Anything?

He'd grant... anything?

"I--" Zen was now intoxicated in that promise, "I want power," he said, "Power to fight stronger than anyone. Power to never lose anything precious to me. Power to never lose to anyone."

"And?" the voice urged him to go on.

"I want," Zen swallowed, "I want power for Revenge."

I want to kill them all.

-

The Void smiled, "Well, well." his smile stretched as wide as a Cheshire Cat, both in joy and with the ulterior motives of an evil mastermind-- "I hope you have fun with that."

-

-

-

Zen woke up again, and this time he heard clearly. His sight was still blacked-- but as he pushed himself up quickly, with newfound strength and incredible ease-- he heard screams. 

His body felt unnaturally light.

"What the fuck!" someone yelled.

"Get away, it's a-- it's a fucken' zombie!"

"He's a monster!"

Zen may not know it-- but with a gaping hole in his skull and blood caked all over-- he definitely wasn't supposed to be alive. 

Finding someone at his left as he reached out an arm-- with one squeeze--

He heard a very crinkling crush, followed by an agonized scream come from the man.

"My shoulder!" the man moaned as Zen let go in surprise, crumbling down to his knees, "It's broke-- It's broken," he couldn't even speak-- 

Huh? Was Zen ever that strong?

He heard the swing of a bat at his left.

His left arm pulling up, he caught hold of that bat, and he found that his catch and crumpled the wooden stick down into a bent piece of spare wood.

He heard the swing of a bat?

Everyone was now backing away, whispering words of 'monster', 'run', 'open the door', 'get out'... Zen took a moment to regather his understandings of the situation.

Oh, right, he realized, I came back to get my revenge. I can't let them get away now.

But what was this strength?

The voice, he realized, That thing must've done something. Something that gave Zen the power to do this, This power to take his revenge.

Zen found himself uncharacteristically smiling.

Well, he was liking this situation a lot.

-

-

-

The Void sat down, looking through to the world below, and watched the one boy he had just sent back out. 

Lazing around, with a bunch of rabbits all around him, he simply watched with an elated smile on his face.

"This one's the most interesting thus far," he mused. "Well, I hope he enjoys himself more, even after he realizes he's never going to die." 

Void smirked, rubbing the back of the little rabbit in his lap.

At the corner of his eye, he spotted one rabbit in the distance hopping toward him. 

A rabbit with a bright red coat, and pretty black eyes.

"Wow," he mused, "It's a new one in the realm!" Picking up the little fella, he lifted it to eye level. "Welcome to the Void, also known as Animal Afterlife!" he greeted childishly, "What's your name, little one?"

Spotting one silver earring at the bunny's left ear, Void's face fell. 

One silver-black, human-sized ring slung around the rabbit's left paw.

Taking the ring and putting it aside, Void brought the smile back up into his face. Placing the rabbit down on the ground, he smiled at it again.

"Welcome back to the void," he greeted it in a softer, gentler tone this time. "And by the grace of the Highest One Above, I guess this is where you remain, Eve."

-

-

One stuck forever on Earth, as an immortal Demon cursed by his choice on revenge; one stuck in a fantasy, made-up world, to live out his life well so he'd end up in Heaven properly-- and one stuck in the borders of the Afterlife, as an animal in Animal Afterlife.

"Yeah," Void realized, "I guess they're never going to meet again."