What's Going On...?

Yuuki brought everyone to the same site, starting with Andres and Shayna, then Jessica and Marquise. The chaos started a mere few hours ago, but it clearly took its toll. Jessica is the only one with the energy to stand, while the others are scattered on the concrete in a circle.

No one knows the best questions to ask to understand this situation and keep to themselves. They knew there would be an end, and this most likely is it.

With his back up against the cold steel, Kahler pushes himself to sit up, having slouched since the last conversation. As dark clouds fill the sky, he goes over what has been avoided,

“In addition to cleansing the city, saving your lives was part of the mission. To stop the human sacrifice.”

The discussion just began and Jessica already had to do a double-take. ‘Human sacrifice’. She read many historical books explaining the wide array of reasons humanity chose to sacrifice their own; whether they had a wish or simply wanted to please the Gods. There was no proof this had any effect, but the faithful followers had no doubt. People pray the Gods will answer their call and give them salvation, with some believing it necessary.

There are too many elements for this to be the practice of a modern cult; abilities, souls, and two seemingly inhuman forces. All making it hard to believe.

“Every number of years, this ritual occurs to erase humanity of its sins and bring world peace, or something along that line. That’s the basic explanation at least.”

Why should so few be unwillingly sacrificed and therefore unable to enjoy the prosperity that supposedly follows? That’s what Kahler’s kind believes and is part of the reason they continue to interfere with Michael’s plan. The ritual has been done for centuries, but this is only their 9th attempt to stop him. However, with no results to show, this also means they failed all 9 times.

Kahler groans at the thought of their constant failure. It’s not unusual for his kind to be outmatched by Michael. It’s a ridiculous match-up, and this round was made more difficult by the continuous death and destruction. Even when faced with all of that, Kahler refused to give up. He’s sure there was more he could have done, but it’s now too late.

“Did you already know about this?” Jessica asks Yuuki who has yet to say a word.

Although she would rather not, Yuuki tells a bit of her past, “My mother was one of the previous sacrifices. I was forced to watch it all happen with my own eyes.”

At a loss for words, an uneasy silence washes over them. What could be said in this situation? You were just told you’re about to die, be sacrificed for the world. Do you cry? Wish for more time? There is no clear answer.

After a few minutes pass, Jessica notices everyone’s content expressions. Looking back on life, they may shrug their shoulders, accepting this as it is. Accepting the death that already followed them every day, having finally arrived before them. Growing up in this city, they were made aware there was no guarantee they would live long nor accomplish anything, perhaps making this easier to take in.

But not to Jessica. Even after moving here, she didn’t care much for her own life. If this happened earlier, she probably would have felt the same as they all do now, despite having a different upbringing. However, after receiving her ability, she wasn’t given the same chance to fight as everyone else did. She sat on the sidelines, stuck watching instead.

This leaves her wondering; what was the point? Why was she given an ability, other than to meet the same ending?

All of a sudden, Shayna and Andres react simultaneously, sensing the souls that now surround the building.

“We’re stuck already, why send more?” Andres complains.

“The souls aid in the ritual,” Kahler says, “This city was the perfect feeding ground.”

“Sounds like it was hopeless from the start.” Shayna says, feeling discouraged.

“Not at all. Releasing souls means Michael can’t use them for the ritual. It may not sound like much, but all your hard work these past months played a major part.” Kahler reassures them.

Yuuki glances at Jessica who looks annoyed just like she did when she was left behind at the school. She can tell an apology won’t be enough, but there is still something she can do.

Yuuki holds up her sword, pointing the hilt toward Jessica. When she notices, she begrudgingly looks at her and asks, “What are you doing?”

“You’re not okay with it ending like this, are you?” Yuuki says as if reading her mind. “Then take this sword and release the souls around us. Let out all the frustration you feel towards me and anything else that brought you here.”

Jessica grabs the sword and is surprised by how weightless it is. A typical samurai sword is upwards of 3 pounds, yet this feels the same as holding a stick.

She removes the scabbard and is almost blinded by the sheen of the blade, giving off a truly otherworldly vibe. Not to mention it’s in great condition. Either it was rarely used or cleaned regularly.

All of their lives hang in the balance and with that in mind, Jessica considers, Will I be able to prevent this? … Probably not, but I can at least try.

Without warning, she runs out of a small opening in the tarp and is immediately met with souls, bumping into a few, causing them to disappear. The area between the building and metal fence is filled to the brim, and she notices some souls holding weapons like before.

Undeterred, Jessica starts attacking. Although she never used a weapon before, she swings it with ease, dispersing the souls in droves. She won’t deny the fact that them being mostly immobile helps too.

When she’s around the corner, she spots a familiar head in the short distance. She turns the sword horizontally, with the blade facing front, and rushes through the crowd. Fast and steady, she holds the sword in place. Even the resistance from small blades does nothing. Once she reaches her target, she swings the blade up as if to slice off one’s head.

The familiar person is Michael. Initially caught off guard, he is able to form a small shield to protect himself and leaps back in an attempt to escape. She manages to keep up with him using superspeed and successfully pushes him, swinging back and forth as he continues to block. Jessica uses all of her strength, making him feel a heavy blow with each hit

Believing he’ll have a chance to retaliate, he doesn’t try to run, but quickly realizes it’s futile. He can’t match her speed. Once he’s had enough, he flies to the sky after blocking one last attack.

Jessica stops and watches him rise, shouting with all of her rage, “Coward!!”

Finally in the clear, Michael dusts off any debris on his clothes.

“Who wouldn’t choose to run away from that?” he says, admitting the difficulty of the assault.

Lacking the ability to fly, Jessica flings the sword in the air to attack as if throwing a lance. He looks down to see it suddenly flying in his direction. Although annoyed by her persistence, Michael calmly uses his right hand to create a shield by his neck and, as the blade reaches him, he guides it around his head to fling it back to her at a faster speed.

He knows he should hold onto it and destroy it while able, but couldn’t resist the urge to attack in return.

Jessica raises the scabbard and to his surprise, the sword lands back in place as if magnetized. She retains her glare toward Michael.

Two precise attacks both aimed at his neck. If Michael wasn’t able to react in time, he may have been fatally injured. That very idea strikes fear in him. The first he felt fearful during this cycle. He doesn’t show it, though. He simply meets her glare until she walks off.

There are still a few souls in the area, but that battle was enough to quench Jessica’s thrust. It also makes her wonder, why didn’t anyone else do the same? Did no one have the courage to face Michael, simply accepting they were outmatched due to his powerful presence?

Jessica used so much energy while attacking that her stamina is drained. Otherwise she would attack more since he was generous enough to give her weapon back. She then rejoins the others.

Noticing the satisfied look on her face, Andres greets her, “Welcome back, feelin’ better?”

“As much as I can be.” She says, referencing the current state of affairs.

“Ain’t that right.” Andres chuckles.

Jessica approaches Andres and sits beside him, placing the sword on the ground. He leans against her shoulder and holds her hand, taking in every second of these last moments.

“This really is the end, huh.” Marquise says.

Shayna nudges his arm and he looks at her tranquil smile. They didn’t know each other for long, but supported one another through difficult times in school, bringing a small amount of relief that resumes even now.

Although he isn’t as content as the rest, Kahler says one thing he feels he should, “I hope you’ll believe me when I say I wanted to save each one of you.”

He isn’t trying to make himself look better or anything of the sort. If it was his choice, he would try to end this by himself, without having to rely on anyone. That just wasn’t an option.

As Michael rips away the worn tarp, Kahler creates a forcefield around them. This won’t protect them, but helps him feel better and hopes it comforts the others.

Looking at each of them, Michael can tell they have no fight left and the ritual can safely begin. Without warning, a flash of light pierces the clouds and engulfs the building.

Before disappearing, Kahler says to Yuuki, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Yuuki lets out a big sigh, “Yeah. It’s nice to know I can finally rest.”

Jessica closes her eyes. She won’t deny she wanted to do more, but she’s happy with what she received since arriving, and was even able to hold her own against Michael, making her believe this ending isn’t so bad anymore.

The light gets brighter and brighter. Everyone says their last goodbye, waving as they become less visible, then disappear without a trace.

After mere seconds, the light disperses and Jessica feels her hand hit the hard ground. Her eyebrow twitches from the impact. She never imagined what it would be like after death, but this is no different than if she were alive.

Jessica opens her eyes to see she is indeed at that construction site. What’s going on? How did this happen? Those thoughts race through her mind while she tries to avoid what is right in front of her.

Panting, she looks down where she should be holding Andres, then to her left where Yuuki and Kahler were sitting, her right toward Marquise and Shayna, and lastly to her feet as her brain tries to comprehend what happened.

She’s alive and they’re- - -

When she’s about to grasp the answer, Jessica shakes her head and grabs the sword before taking off. She escapes the building and rushes to the sidewalk. Even though she has superspeed, she’s unable to concentrate and runs like normal, letting out a huff and puff with each step.

Raindrops start to fall. Once she reaches the apartment, Jessica leans on the glass door, trying to rest, but it does nothing. The panic has taken over. She uses her shaky fingers to input the code and the door opens. Deciding to take the stairs, she uses the railing to help her ascend, focusing solely on breathing. Her drenched clothes are dripping and leave a trail.

At home, Jessica stumbles back and forth to her room. She looks at the sword in her hand, but it brings about anguish and she throws it on the ground, with it sliding under her bed. She isn’t even sure why she took it with her.

Feeling nauseous, Jessica opens the screenless window and sticks her head out. The rain turns into a downpour and the wind causes the droplets to smack her face, but she hardly notices. Watching the stormy tide of the Delaware River, she utters,

“They’re…gone-”

“Wow~ that’s quite the drop.”

Suddenly hearing Michael’s voice from behind, she swings her arm around to push him away, but he jumps back, swiftly dodging like he did earlier. Though now, Michael is in better condition. Unable to hide his satisfaction, he displays a loathsome grin.

Dejected, Jessica slips to the ground and asks, “What do you want?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to take your life. The ritual is over, there would be no point.”

Those words are gut-wrenching to her, but he’s not done talking yet.

“I just wanted to be sure the sword was gone. If you threw it into the river, then it’s sure to wash out to sea.”

Jessica lowers her head, “Why am I still here?”

“If someone holds that sword as the holy light engulfs them, they survive. Somehow.” Michael explains in a questionable manner because he doesn’t understand it either.

Is this why Yuuki gave Jessica her sword? It wasn’t so she could put up a fight, but for her survival?

Noticing her continued silence, Michael preaches, “Well, you wouldn’t have contributed many years anyway. Those who are sacrificed have little worth in the world and nobly give their life so everyone else may live in peace.”

Finally understanding their connection, Jessica is astonished.

-A girl stuck in foster care.

-A boy with a critical illness.

-A boy whose family has been prosecuted.

-And a girl who was shunned by her own parents.

They could be considered ‘worthless’ in the eyes of many and explains why Kahler tried to give them a sense of purpose.

Though it’s not like they didn’t have aspirations of their own. Does that mean Shayna was never going to have her own family? Marquise was never going to become a professional football player? Andres was never going to get a steady job?

She raises her head to state her thoughts, “Does that mean they were never going to accomplish anything in the future?”

Nonchalant, Michael answers, “Why would the future matter? Prophecies are one thing, but we have no way to know how anything will end up. It’s all about the now.”

The devastation continues to pile up. Unsure of what to do, Jessica folds her legs and places her hands on her head, wanting to shrivel up and disappear.

After observing her reactions, Michael contemplates whether or not he should say anymore. He had no qualms about taking advantage of her and disliked their actions in general, but leaving the lone survivor with feelings of dread and guilt that could lead to taking her own life, that has no part in what he set out to do.

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you this.” Although he isn’t sure if she’s listening, Michael continues, “The sword seems to grant its user eternal youth. Judging from when the last ritual occurred, that woman was well over 100 years old. Same with the shapeshifter. Perhaps you can take solace in the fact that both of them dedicated their lives to protect your own.”

Michael motions his arm to shrug and leaves in a flash of light. There was no reason to see if it had any effect since whatever she decides to do next is a part of her ‘fate’ as well.

Jessica lowers her hands and turns to the bed. Michael is unable to sense the sword so he had no idea it was still in this very room. Was he so elated the ritual was over that he didn’t think it was worth searching for? Or did she look so miserable that he assumed she would only throw it away?

Judging by what he said, she was most likely entrusted with the sword not just so she would live, but to continue the fight before the next ritual. At least, that may be what Yuuki hoped for.

Feeling a splitting headache, and not wanting to think anymore, Jessica lays on the old, hardwood floors, falling fast asleep.