Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 74: A Dragon's Dream Part 4

"To make me suffer the same way Irene did..."

"...Haven't I suffered long enough?"

Erica looked on groggily, allowing her single eye to focus on the shadow of death casted before her. Never in Erica's entire life did she ever think that someone covered in so much blood could look so beautiful.

Erica's gaze remained fixated on Marionette, unable to look away from her not even for a single moment. There was something about Marionette that she found captivating, although even Erica wasn't entirely sure why that was...

With a couple of steps Marionette made her way towards Erica slowly closing the distance between them. While Marionette walked she adjusted her own grip on her dual blades, spinning them in her hands playfully.

At the end of the day this was nothing more than a game to her.

With a group of people taking on roles of both heroes, and villains...only for neither side to truly win...

There was something about Marionette's blades that Erica found appealing, it may have been their shape, or even dull colors that they held.

Or perhaps, that it would be these two blades that would bring an end to everything that she knew...

...and to finally bring an end to her suffering

The world grew cold in that moment, and the winds of death soon greeted her, but even then Erica didn't fight against it.

With a slow turn Erica stared back only to see Ruriko laying on the ground motionless. Billows of smoke were forming from the base of her stomach, bringing forth a smell that reminded Erica of Ashe city.

"I am sorry..." Even in that moment Erica's words felt meaningless, Ruriko wouldn't be able to hear them, and surely even if she was listening in from the other side Ruriko wouldn't forgive her.

Just like Irene, Erica was the cause of another Hero's death. It was her brash decisions that led to Ruriko's downfall, and there wasn't anything she could do to change that.

"I really am..." Erica felt her body shudder, giving her a sense of life that she thought she had long lost. Erica winced slightly, reawakening the pain from her eye socket...

Erica slowly closed her eye, forcing out a single tear with the strength that she had left.

"I am a failure" 

If Erica continued on from here she knew that she wouldn't have the strength to face them. All of the people who had placed their faith in her, and the people who's promises Erica had now broken.

The promise Erica had made to Fujin, ensuring him that she'd keep Ruriko safe.

The promise Erica had made to Nyssa, that one day they'd go home together.

And the promise Erica made to Irene, that she'd keep her children safe. Out of all the promises that Erica made, Erica knew that this one she fucked up on the most. Not only was Erica unable to find Natsumi and Ren for over a decade, but the damage to Natsumi had already been done.

Natsumi hated Erica with every fiber of her being, and there wasn't anything that Erica could do to change that...

And surely now even Ren will probably have to suffer as well...

Erica finally fully turned her head, choosing to face Marionette head on with a distant stare. The warmth in Erica's eyes had now faded, only being guided by the coldness of her heart.

A faint moonlight casted itself upon both Erica and Marionette, illuminating the stage that was surely to be their first and final duel. 

Erica looked on solemnly almost as if she were content with her inevitable fate. With a short glance Erica eyed Marionette, noticing the glare casted by the light as if god was also trying to hide her face. With the simple swings of Marionette's swords Erica could sense the eagerness within her. The bubbling resentment that Marionette had for her...

No the resentment she had for all Heroes. The emotions she had were clear, and were felted perfectly from her aura alone. 

"Surely I'll be the third..." Erica thought briefly about Stephen and Cameron, the two heroes who also died by the hands of Marionette. "I wonder if they felt this as well..."

"Did they try to fight...? or did they give up nearly as easy as I did?"

"Either way I suppose it doesn't really matter, because I'll be seeing them soon enough..." Erica's last thoughts were grim.

With a final sigh Erica's gaze stiffened allowing her to look upon Marionette ready for her to deliver the first blow. 

"...?" 

But to Erica's surprise she witnessed something else entirely.

Marionette had vanished, and the only person standing before her was Irene. The prominent figure who set Erica down the path of Heroism to begin with.