Hubris: Vol 3

Chapter 68: Glutton For Punishment

The scene opens with Zeldris trying to shield his eyes from the nightmarish projection..but it was too late. Zeldris was caught in a nightmarish world, he was back in school. The atmosphere was red and the halls were leaking crimson blood. Zeldris walked like it was nothing but he began to hear voices

Voice: "It's your fault..."

Zeldris: "What?.."

The scene changed and Zeldris was at the roadside, Annie was sprawled out on the floor. Her eyes were leaking blood along with her mouth. Zeldris's eyes bulged as he began to shake, an overwhelming feeling of dread washed over him as he saw the woman he loved dead once again.

Fear: "Good...my dish is being prepared properly..I cannot wait to taste the irresistible blend of flavours."

Zeldris fell silent but what broke his silence was the voice he missed so much.

Annie: "It should've..been you..why did I have to die?...it was your fault for not protecting me
Zeldris..."

Zeldris began to breath heavy, suddenly Zeldris was slapped across his face. A house formed and two adults stood before him saying in a grim voice.

???: "You are weak..you are useless for not being able to protect my daughter. If you sacrificed yourself. My precious little girl would still be alive. You're a disgrace boy."

???: "How dare you live on like nothing happened? Why couldn't you protect our daughter?! It's your fault she was taken from us!"

Zeldris froze as he looked down at his hands. His vision began to become a blur as he felt his heart pound against his chest.

Annie: "Zeldris...just die..this world would be a much better place without someone as useless as you...you couldn't even save me...I wish I had never met you."

Zeldris began to shake more and more, his breaths became deeper as he looked up letting out a shout. The projection began to shake and crack, a white aura exploded out of Zeldris, his eyes became dark as he felt the unbearable weight of his rage consume him. The visions of Annie and her family began to fade, the blood red projection shattered and the scene changed. Zeldris broke out of the projection, fear gasped as his expression changed. A sweat drop streamed down from his forehead as he said.

Fear: "He..broke out of the projection?"

An ominous aura engulfed Zeldris, it was black and magenta. It swirled inter-lapping as Zeldris let out an enraged shout.

Zeldris: "DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK ANNIE WOULD FEEL THAT WAY?! SHE WOULD NEVER SAY THOSE WORDS TO ME?! SO DON'T YOU EVER FUCK WITH ME!!!"

The scene changed and Cosmo became more violent, he banged the bars and let out a roar. Tabitha screamed in pain but held him back.

Phoebe: "I heard Zelly!"

Tabitha: "Zeldris must be enraged, it looks like Cosmo is reacting to his emotions."

Phoebe: "I have to check on Zelly!"

Tabitha: "Phoebe don't! If you run down there, Zeldris might not be in the state of mind to not attack you. If Cosmo is like this, then what about the person that's causing this? I want to help him too but right now we need to keep anyone from going down there."

Phoebe fell silent. She nodded before staring forwards at Cosmo.

The scene changed and Zeldris began to transform. Black tendrils sprouted from his back, they moved creepily and eerily. Zeldris's eyes had turned red as a dark shadow covered his face.

Zeldris: "Fear..."

Fear laughed before saying.

Fear: "What is it?..."

Zeldris: "You will..receive judgment...for your sins."

Fear let out a laugh as he looked down upon him.

Fear: "OHOHOHOHO..is that what you desire?.."

Zeldris didn't respond, in a quick flash he was in front of his opponent. Fear was caught off guard as a punch had connected to his face. Fear slammed into the ground due to the sheer crushing blow of Zeldris's fist..but Zeldris wasn't done. Zeldris grabbed fears spine and swung it around before throwing him into the wall. Zeldris's hands were stabbed and impaled due to the sharp pangs of Fears spine but Zeldris muttered in a deep voice.

Zeldris: "Repent..."

As he did so, his hands were instantaneously healed. A twisted hair raising laugh was heard from where fear had landed. He ascended from the ground before saying.

Fear: "Curse of fear: Fright night!"

As Fear chanted his curse, the chewed bodies came to life, they stood up not making a sound as they charged toward Zeldris. Zeldris hunched over before saying.

Zeldris: "Curse of death: Torture of the damned."

As Zeldris chanted his curse, black tendrils sprouted from his body from all over. They made soulless groans as they impaled the dead corpses. As the corpses were impaled white spirits left them and ascended into the night sky.

Hundreds more of the half eaten bodies rushed toward Zeldris. Blood splattered from their chewed wounds as they got closer. In a low voice Zeldris said.

Zeldris: "You're in the way of his punishment."

Zeldris then raised his hand and said.

Zeldris: "Curse of death: Chains of torment."

Suddenly, jet black chains waved around sporadically hitting all the corpses and wiping them out in an instant. As the bodies fell, Fear was no where to be seen. He had ran away, his body was gone also meaning he had returned to his body. Zeldris inhaled before shouting.

Zeldris: "YOU MAY RUN FROM YOUR PUNISHMENT FEAR! BUT ALL THOSE WHO ARE TO RECEIVE THEIR PUNISHMENT WILL ATONE. ALL COWARDS MUST FACE THEIR FATE!!"

Zeldris began to move forward toward the stairs. Fear used the hole in the roof to skip floors to get to the top. When he had seen his allies had met their end, he scoffed before making his way to a very large wooden door.

Fear: "This castle will fall down. I must evacuate our leader before I make him my meal!"

Fears appearance changed, he was more humanlike..he had quite a handsome face, different from the face he retained when he was utilising his curse. Fear banged on the door. The sound of caws were heard from the other side along with the flapping of wings. The door opened and revealed Jack was unconscious on the ground by a oak desk. A jet black chair was facing the window..but someone was sat in it.

Fear: "My queen, you have to go evacuate!..The castle is going to fall!"

The air was silent.

Fear: "We'll take the boy! His curse is useful to us. The others, Marié, Alexandre and Martin have been defeated. We're the only ones left and you cannot fa-."

A murder of crows suddenly swarmed Fear, Fear covered his head and hunched over.

Fear: "Forgive me!..but I-"

A crow suddenly knocked out fear and it pecked him on the head. The crows swarmed his body before picking him up and throwing him out of the room.

???: "Do not..disturb my crows..."

Chapter end!