Nine Pillars

I want you dead.

EPISODE 9

My body starts convulsing in uncontrollable fear. Huh?

I cannot allow Master to make his first mistake. He is too great, too important, too majestic, too make his first and last mistake. As his friend bound by Jigoro, it is my duty..

..to prevent him from making mistakes..

..like this.

"No.", I whisper, my voice almost fully gone. I start to run as fast as I can away from the bridge.

NINE PILLARS. 

"What?!". I turn to look behind me and there they are - nine pillars that seem to go infinitely high, all blood red. I start getting sucking back in to the bridge, going right in the middle of it. 

"NO!!", I yell. To death, maybe? Or to whatever will to live I had left. For some reason, even though I used to think otherwise, I..

..was afraid to die.

Blood Infusion - Jigoro Transformation.

The void encapsulates me as I get launched, suddenly, into the sky, going fast and faster up.

"What the..", I breathe, not being able to process what was happening. I keep on falling upwards, my entire body convulsing as the G-forces of gravity begin to hit my body in shockwaves. 

"Stop..STOP!!", I yell, now struggling to even stay conscious.

Red Spiraling Thorns.

Huge red vines start flying towards me at blinding speed from the middle of the Eye's pupil. It dilates to create thinner ones. 

I'm gonna die.

I accelerate indefinitely. I didn't know how high I was. I didn't know where I was. All I knew..

..was that I was about..

..To die.

"Hiacho."

I blink. Once, then twice. Then I stare. Stare at her. My brain floods with memories. Not just any memories. Those memories. The memories that I had been trying to bury along with myself. For the last two weeks..

That day..

The thorns are less than 20 feet from me now. 

The Eye stares at me, unblinking. Shaking hands with murder. The devil. I stare at it in shock, wondering how could someone be so cruel? What did I do..

..in this life..

..To deserve this?

"Mother, come with me!"

"No..Hiacho! Hiacho, listen to me!"

"The fire will get to you, mama! Get out of there and come with me, please! PLEASE!!"

"I'm sorry, baby..but I..

She gives me a smile. A smile that pierces my heart sharper than any blade. It feels like it's killing me. Because it feels like murder.

"I can't".