Some minutes earlier...
Clack clack clack.
Footsteps echoed off the walls, as red flames blew past.
"Ahh ahh!" Nara breathed raggedly, as he landed hard on the ground with a soft thud.
He looked back, staring at the darkness, punctuated by a thin ray of light.
"Sigh..." Nara shook his head lightly.
"I'm sorry, Ken," Nara whispered, as he trudged on.
...
Flashback.
...
Nara's breathing was heavy, as he carried an unconscious Alpha behind his back, and ran through the enclosed way, using his flames to hasten his speed.
In the background, there were loud thuds and explosive sounds.
"That must be Ken and that demon fighting," Nara whispered.
Then suddenly, far in front of him, a bright light shone, barely visible, but as Nara got nearer, the light got brighter, as he blocked his eyes.
Nara looked out, and before him was the moon, trees, grass, and a large ramp over a moat, connecting where he was standing and the rest of the forest.
"Woahh!!" Nara's eyes widened.
"Am I seeing things? Is that the outside?" He muttered, walking forward suspiciously.
And as he got to the exit, it was really true.
However, he was still suspicious.
"How did it get opened?" he asked himself.
From his recollection, the entrance closed behind them when he, Code and Hina entered the cube.
But now...it was open.
Nara grabbed his chin, contemplating going out or not.
'What if it's an illusion?' He thought to himself, but suddenly, amidst his thoughts -
Bashhhhh!
A loud air-renting shockwave, and an huge outburst of wind hit the domain, as it shook violently.
"Eeeh!" Nara shook, as he jumped backwards.
Clang! Clang!
He could now hear the striking of swords from above, as sand and debris poured from the ceiling.
"That must be Ken...this stuff's not going to stand," Nara said, placing his palm on the wall.
"Ahhh...guess there's no other choice."
With Alpha behind his back, Nara stepped out of the cube, eyes adjusting to the outside light.
He walked through the ramp, creaking slightly beneath his feet.
Then, he got to the other side of the moat.
"Ahhh, finally on forest land," Nara said, as a slight smile crept to his lips.
Then suddenly, it hit him. His smile faded, as he remembered.
"Someone...Code!" Nara exclaimed, eyes widening.
"Where's Code?... I haven't seen him since we separated, don't tell me..." Nara shivered, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheeks.
"... he's still in there..."
"Shit!" Nara clenched his fist, gritting his teeth.
A part of him wanted to go in, but a part didn't.
Then...
THWOOOOOOMMPH!
The cube shook again, as another shockwave hit violently.
"Tch." He bit his lips.
...
"What if he's trapped?" Nara said, as he fwooshed through, flames roaring behind him.
"Hina..." he whispered, flames reflecting off the walls, as a loud Booooomm!! rent the air.
"I better don't get in his way," Nara muttered, as he turned a corner, headed to another room.
"Now, where could he be?" Nara whispered, slowing down.
Silence filled the room, the only sound - his steady footsteps against the solid bricks.
He walked through a long hallway, leading to a turning to another hallway by the left. He turned, eyes wide and scanning for any signs of life.
Fwooo..
A little fireball came to life over his palm, casting a dim glow over his sorroundings.
Taka taka taka...
His footsteps echoed, as he walked.
"Where is he?" Nara whispered.
Then, suddenly-
Tap!
He stopped, eyes fixed ahead.
He gulped.
Tap!
They were slow, barely audible, deliberate steps.
"C-Code!" Nara shouted, but there was no response.
"Code! Is that you?" Nara asked again, but there was still no response.
Tap. Toe...
The shadow of the figure materialized.
"Co-" Nara started, but couldn't finish his statement, when -
The figure materialized. Tall and gaunt. An eyeless face, with only a wide mouth with rows of sharp teeth.
"Isn't that-" Nara muttered.
As the demon noticed Nara's presence, it jerked backwards slightly.
"Uh?" Nara exclaimed. Something seemed strange about the demon.
The demon's mouth curled into a strangely nervous grin.
"Gyaaahh!"
Dash! Dash!
The demon lunged towards Nara, mouth opened wide.
Then-
Fwoooo...
A bright red reflected off the walls, as flames engulfed the demon, burning it to crisp.
Nara watched, between his outstretched arm as the demon's dust fell to the ground.
"I knew it!" he said. "It's the same as the demons I fought earlier."
(A/N: He was referring to the hordes of demons he fought with Alpha a while ago.)
But something still baffled him. The demon, the way it acted, the way it looked...
It was scared.
A bead of sweat slid down Nara's cheeks.
"I just hope Code's okay," Nara's voice hitched, as he walked further, this time much slower.
Then, he reached the end of the hallway. All that remained was to turn the corner.
And as he was about to take the next step...
...he froze.
The ground felt strangely soft.
He slowly shifted his gaze...
Something was flowing. Thick, red, viscous. Reflecting his face faintly on the floor's surface in a dark mirror.
Nara's eyes widened.
"Blood!" he screamed, as he quickly raised his leg, jumping off the puddle, as he landed at the entrance to the next room.
"What the hell?" He gasped, his mind reeling from the view he just saw, as he grabbed his knees, breathing raggedly.
'Where did the blood come from?' he thought to himself, and that's when it hit him.
"Wait...don't tell me-"
He slowly raised his head, eyes twitching.
As he looked upwards, from few centimeters from his feet, his gaze followed the massive pool of blood, eyes widening simultaneously.
And as he looked further -
Nara froze.
Before him was a large pool of crimson, and bodies, but not just any bodies. All the bodies had the same faces, wore the same clothes, and looked alike.
They were Code's bodies.
Nara raised his hand to block his mouth and nose in trepidation.
"What the hell is this?" He muttered, gulping repeatedly, as he stared at the many Codes laying dead on the ground.
"How did - Code - how did?" The words weren't coming.
Then - twitch.
Something moved.
Nara swiftly shifted his gaze to it.
Amidst the pool, amidst the viscerals, stood a twitching object...
An eye.
"Is-is that an eye?" Nara muttered, staring at it, as it rolled over the pool.
His breathing grew ragged, nerves pent-up, hair standing on end.
Swooosh...
Nara walked through the pool, one hand still blocking his mouth, as he walked towards the eye.
He slowly bent to his knees, watching as the eye rolled.
Then, he stretched his hand.
Slowly, and steadily towards it.
'What is this?' Nara thought to himself, and Grab!
He took it with his two fingers, and raised his steadily towards his eyes.
The eye rolled, the thick black pupil within it also...
Then...click!
They locked gazes.
Then suddenly -
---
"Nara!"
A distant voice.
"Nara."
The same vision: a boy waving at the end of the river, calling his name flashed through Nara's mind, but this time, the river was a sea...
...of blood.
---
"Gasp! Arrgh! Arrgh!" Nara's heart hit against his chest, as he jolted back to reality, the eye still in his hand.
"That vision, the same vision..." He wheezed.
"Arrrgh arrgh arrrgh..." His breath hitched
Then suddenly-
Pam.
He heard a sound. He stopped breathing.
Pam.
Behind him - something was behind him.
"You know..."
The voice was low, hushed and ominous.
"...you shouldn't look death in the eye."
Time seemed to slow, as Nara turned his head, every part of his being screaming "run!".
And as he turned...
...all he saw was red. Dark red strands, before...
SPLURCH!!
Blood splattered, as Nara's being - from his head to his thighs - exploded instantly.
All that was left of him were his legs. His disintegrated parts slammed into the wall beside him with a wet thud.
...
Then, he stepped onto the other side of the river.
...
His legs and the eye he held fell to the ground with a soft sound, after which she spoke...
"Don't touch my Lord!"
Hina stood, cold and emotionless, gazing at what was left of Nara.
***
To Be Continued