King Make Believe

Chapter 57

Hirokazu

I didn't care anymore. I tried to bring him back. I pleaded with his face. He was in there. But there was another's power—more powerful than my love for him. I didn't even think that that was possible until I saw the light die from his eyes as he told me he didn't know what I talking about.

I dropped to my knees, I would rather the mask of his face kill me than anything else. I let the Mist fall away from us as he struck at me, again and again.

From the corner of my vision I saw someone strangely familiar holding Jae in a death grip. I heard Jae choking and sputtering out my name. But I was tired, so very tired. I couldn't even stand up anymore. I guess my link with my Keeper was still there, just that it wasn't reversed.

I coughed up blood, let out low gasps as this stranger kicked me and punched me and cut me with swords of blood. I was slightly grateful for the distraction.

I'm sorry Jae...

The remade Archer slashed a sword against my back, right across my scars from that fiery night. I cried out in pain, I didn't need to hold anything back in my last moments.

I turned onto my back and opened my eyes, they blurred slightly, I didn't realise I'd been crying. I felt the tears fall icily down my temples and into my hair.

I looked up at Archer's face, I knew he was in there, maybe I had to die for him to come back. Maybe I wasn't meant for him, maybe it his love for me that kept him tied in the grasps of his so called 'Mistress'. Maybe I really didn't need to exist.

I watched him, waiting for him to plunge his blood crafted blades into my chest. I wanted him to. He lifted them higher and one of them morphed into nothing. Only one to kill me with, seemed appropriate.

He kept it there, and I had to look closer, blinking tears out of my eyes. Our gazes locked and I finally saw the internal battle behind his eyes. It was a battle between to souls. Two Archers. I shut my eyes in defeat, I just wanted to no longer exist. To disappear. Surely he could grant me that.

"Exxo!" A voice shouted. I flopped my head over to Jae's direction. My gaze widened as I saw who held her there.

"An...ja?" I murmured, rolling onto my side. "What're you—" I couldn't finished my sentence before familiar bubbles burst form my throat. I began to choke on my own blood. Even the Mist'd had enough of me.

"Exxo!" Anja shouted, her voice determined and fierce. "You must kill him, he will destroy everything you stand for if he gets away!" I frowned slightly and breathed in shallow, rasped breath of air.

It didn't matter whether the Archer under Anja's thumb killed me or not, the mist would do it anyway. I pressed my cheeks against the cool concrete and wondered if this Archer could do it, with the other one still in there.