"Your human too?"
Slowly this Corrupted turns fully human. A man who puts his arm out for me. I grab his hand and he pulls me up. He seems just as amazed as I am.
"Y-You're... Just like me."
"..."
"Come quick, we must return to shelter before long! More are sure to come with the scene we've made."
I follow these two Corrupted... Human? I'm not sure.
The man reverts back to his Corrupted form and runs. I can't... I can't turn. I'm afraid if I push myself any farther I'll turn for good. The voices are louder than ever and the scar on my back is burning like hell.
We eventually make it to this hidden cave down a hill and between two giant mountain-sized crystals.
The man slowly turns back into his human form while one stays Corrupted.
"Welcome to our home."
He is somewhere around six foot and has a soft shaped face. He looks to be some sort of Asian with hazel eyes. His hair is a light brown faux hawk. He is very muscular and looks to be in his twenties.
"..."
"So, you can control it too?"
"Yeah, I have for a long time."
"Oh... Who is that over there."
"It's someone you know I'm pretty sure."
"Who?"
"Alice."
"Uhm... No, I have no idea."
"Oh, nevermind, I think I'm mixing you up with someone else then."
"Yeah, I have never seen you in my life before."
"..."
It's very awkward. I don't know why. We should both be ecstatic to see another who is just like us. For some reason, I'm just at unease...
"I thought there was nobody else here. I didn't think anyone else could control Corruption like me."
"What about her? Is she shy? Or- it's because of the clothes, huh?"
"No... She's fully Corrupted. I don't think she's alive since she doesn't react to the sight of humans she would normally recognize... She kept herself pure of sin or whatever it was. I think that's what keeps her Corruption still, quote on quote, human. She still hates Corrupted and doesn't thirst for human blood."
"Oh, so she's gone then... Well, do you at least know why we aren't Corrupted?"
He sighs... He sits on the ground and puts his head down...
"I don't know, man... I mean all that shit I said about her is just what I've come up for reasoning. I'm not a doctor and I don't run tests... I have no idea why anything happens. I don't know why I had to be the one who survived."
I sigh...
"Yeah. It's not easy having unanswered questions. Especially with this shit. Everyone outcasts you and thinks your a monster."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah, I mean... You know, everyone at home base."
"I haven't seen them since I've been Corrupted... Wait... You mean you've been home since you've been Corrupted!?"
"Erm... Yeah."
"So? What happened? How did everyone react?"
"Uhm... Well... As I said, everyone treats me like an armed bomb. Everyone I knew changed and became scared of me. Well... There was someone who protected me... She was scared to... But she had faith and trusted me. Without her, they would've killed me on sight... and I guess they wouldn't have gone back down for me at the helicopter either."
"The helicopter? So it is you."
"Huh?"
"I was there when y'all were attacked."
"Huh? I didn't see you?"
"You knew Ashild?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Oh. Jumped out of the helicopter for me... I loved her... and now she's dead because of me."
"Oh, you mean Becca!"
He looks at me confused. I didn't realize how rude that came off...
"No, I mean Ashild."
"No, listen. They all nicknamed themselves after their codenames. They did it for you. It didn't quite make sense to me at first but I understand it now. To them, you died. When they lost you, they all lost a part of themselves. They wanted to keep that part of themselves with you; they died with you. You... You're Quade. The Quade!"
"..."
"Huh. I really never saw myself as that much of a story to tell. I... I'm surprised I'm really remembered."
"How? Everyone loved you."
"I guess I just thought that they would see me as less for submitting to Corruption."
"What do you mean?"
"I told them to go without me. It was selfish of me. I basically took my life. I guess I just thought they'd hate me for it."
"No, not at all."
"..."
"So... Who are you?"
"Nathaniel... Or, some people know me as Zsen here recently."
"Nice to meet you then, Zsen... So... Why are you here?"
"Oh... Yeah... I don't fucking know. Shit's gone crazy back at home base. The General has been overthrown by Mallory. Her first order of business was to have me executed. The whole place is under hell now. I ran and ran... But then my Corruption I guess took me here. I don't know how much happened or how long it's been, but, that's how I got here."
"So... You don't know how to control it then I assume?"
"No... I've gotten better I think... There are just so many voices and my scar is killing me the more I use it."
"Let me see it."
I turn my back to him...
"Hmm... That's pretty huge... Hmm... Three? Uhm, what did the Corrupted look like?"
"It was Claw."
He quickly falls back on his ass and inches away.
"Come on, dude. I'm like you. You were Corrupted by him too."
"Actually, no! I was hit by another Corrupted first. Claw then tore me up, but I escaped into this little cave."
"What does it matter then? You still are Corrupted by him too."
"No... Whichever soul Corrupts you, that's the soul that stays with you. After that first hit, you're immune to the effects of Corruption. Claw see's everything and hears everything you do. You're gonna kill us! He's probably coming right now, fuck!"
"Woah woah. Slow down. That can't be true. He hasn't shown any sign of knowing-"
"He is smart! He isn't just an ordinary fucking Corrupted and now he realizes why the fuck I'm the Corrupted that acts differently."
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly the Corrupted at the other side of the room gets up. It walks right past us and outside. Quade turns Corrupted and walks with her.
"What do I do?"
"..."
They continue to leave. I simply follow.
...
As we walk outside I notice a horde of Corrupted approaching quickly. Damn! Maybe he was right. Fuck, I need to turn Corrupted even if they recognize me as human. Whew, okay. Breathe... Fuck!
"Ack!"
I drop to my knees and start coughing up purple blood. Damn... My stomach feels horrible and these voices are growing louder, damn!
The Corrupted get to us and surround us. It's too late now to keep trying to become Corrupted... Holy shit! Claw! H-He's here! He steps to us letting out a roar. None of the other Corrupted come any closer yet they all look ready to feast. Claw begins to speak.
"You... Trespass... You... Imposter... You... Die!"
Suddenly, all of the Corrupted attack Quade! I stand shocked and frozen. Alice jumped in there with them. Claw, with heavy slow steps, walks toward me. Corrupted completely skip me and pile up on Quade. Claw is staring dead straight at me. Oh, fuck! I'm going to die!
We are face to face. Oh no. Can he read my fear? Can he tell I'm frozen and spineless right now?
You defy my blood... For far too long... Become one... With our kind.
"Ack! Ugh... Shit."
(Nathaniel is impaled then clawed by Claw. He drops to the ground. As his vision blurs, he notices Quade and Alice running in the distance. The Corrupted begin to clear around Nathaniel's corpse... Nathaniel begins to wake up hearing thousands of lost soul voices in his head. His wounds burn an imense scolding heat.)
"Ugh... Fuck!"
I cry.
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
"Shut up! Get out of my fucking head!"
I clench my head and lean on my knees. This can't be real. There are so many voices. They are all so loud, dammit! Ugh! Fuck! What is all of this? My blood? I'm sitting in a huge puddle of my blood! Fuck! I... I... I just feel so helpless... I can't help my tears from rolling out. Why am I shaking so much? Damn... Why am I still alive? I don't want this anymore!
...
I haven't moved...
I-I can't!
I feel so weak. I feel so unhappy. My tears dripping in my blood. I... I can't handle anymore of this. I don't want to be one of those... those things! I need to do this.
(Nathaniel pulls his bayonet out. He puts the tip of the blade over his wrist... He then slides it down his arm.)
"Argh! Fuck!"
Ow, ow, ow! Shit! My breathing gets heavy and my vision gets blurry. So much blood gushes out. My tears are pouring out... I need to do this!
(Nathaniel weakly swaps his knife over and slices open his other arm.)
"Argh! Ugh!"
I can't stop weeping and moaning. Fuck... This hurts so much... I lay my back on the ground in my blood... My arms stretch out as I'm too weak to move. Why? Why won't I die? Am I meant to just live a life of pain and torment? I feel... Lightheaded... I feel...
.......
What the... What is... Where am I? As I sit up, I see Quade. He's in his human form. He is saying something in my face but his voice isn't quite clear yet. We are in some sort of crystal cave again...
"Nathaniel. Nathaniel!"
"Huh?"
"Wake up man... Hey, can you hear me?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah... W-What's going on?"
"We're safe for now?"
"Where's Alice?"
"Look, listen to me. Claw is going to come after us again so we have no time to waste."
He picks off a crystal from the ground. He starts carving the wall... He's writing?
"What are you doing?"
"Claw cannot read."
"..."
"Oh!"
He starts to write out...
I will train you how to use Corruption
Get you back home
Report Claw has passage to time machine
"What?"
"Just do as I say. I gave it thought and I saw something when we were running from the Corrupted... They need you, man. We need to complete those objectives I wrote there. You do not know how to use Corruption, I do... Erm... You know."
"Yeah. So how do we start?"
"Well, we will need to constantly be on the move. With Claw knowing this place like the back of his hand and our lives constantly being hunted... We have to leave after each session."
"Okay... Well, let's start."
"You need to promise me something first."
"Erm... Uh, okay?"
"Don't... Don't ever do anything so stupid as you did... Whenever that was. Don't let yourself get down like that. People need you... and I'm sure there is someone out there who needs you more than anyone... Someone who cares."
I nod my head. I feel horrible all of a sudden. It's different than all of the physical pain I'm feeling. Different from Corruption. It's in my stomach. It's like a sickening feeling...
"Okay, get up!"
"I feel too weak-"
"I don't want to hear it. You will always feel like complete shit with Corruption. Always feeling pain, weak, burns, depression, sick, and worse. This is something you'll have to learn how to live with from now on. Now, get up!"
I do as he says-
"Ack!"
He hit me back down!
"What the hell was that for?"
"Get up!"
I get up-
"Ack! Stop it!"
"Get up, already! Claw could be here any second!"
"Huh? What?"
I get up-
"Ack! Okay... Fuck!"
I start to cough up blood...
"Stop! This hurts-Ack!"
He keeps hitting me down! I'm laid out on the floor...
"Get up."
"You keep hitting me."
"Yeah? Get up!"
"I can't you keep-Ugh!"
He stomps on my spine!
"Fucking stop!"
"Nah... This is fun."
"This isn't a fucking game!"
I form my right arm into a claw and sweep his feet and attack his torso. He forms his arm into a giant bone plate, like a shield, and deflects me as I fall. I revert my form. Oh no.
"I'm so sorry, I-"
"That's good... But you still haven't gotten up."
He puts his foot over me. I get up-
"Ack!"
Shit... Wait... I understand it now! I form my claw and swipe his legs. He quickly jumped over them as I expected. Performing the same move twice is always expected to Warriors whether the action is performed again or not. I then form my torso to my left arm and form it into a sharp spear-like bone. It feels fluent like water. It flows through parts of my body. I roll over and shove my left arm through him. He, last second, forms his abdomen into Corruption. The bone blocked it and pushed him back.
I stand up...
"Hmm... Good job."
It makes sense now. With my anger, I had the strength and motive to do what I wanted. He was showing me that I need to control it, not let Corruption control me. When I let myself weak it attacks and I lose control completely.
"You learn fast... Good to know. Do you understand how this works?"
"You needed to show me to use Corruption and not let Corruption use me."
"Good... You need to practice this before we can train you on anything. You need to understand that, yes, when you use Corruption by your own will, you're the one in control, however, Corruption still can control you. It's like when it tries to take over you. You fight back and it loses charge. It's the same the other way around. You try to take charge and it can fight back."
"Oh. So I need to learn control?"
"Yes... As bad as this is about to sound, think of it this way. Your body isn't yours anymore. You share it with another, fifty-fifty. You're constantly butting heads with your Corruption for control and power. You need to learn how to be stronger in both.
"Yeah, I get that-Ack!"
He punched the hell out of me!
"Now."
"Get up!"