(A/N: the early parts of this chapter contains two people's dialogues, but they are not talking to each other, i.e. the minister who's talking to the congregation, and Code Weber who's talking to himself. To avoid confusion, "dialogue" Will be used for the minister, and 'dialogue' will be used for Code Weber.)
***
'Who is god?'
...
Flashback to Five Years Ago, Lancelot Orphanage, Old Kona Street, Hazen.
...
"To know is to grow...and to grow is to live," the minister, who stood by the altar, in front of the large congregation announced.
The Lancelot church was filled with many children and few adults, who sat in silence, as they listened to the Minister's sermon.
'Who created the world?'
"This world was created by our great lord - Aethrauzon - the father of fate and sorcery. He created a world of peace out of chaos. A safe place for humans and other creatures," the minister continued.
'I never for once acknowledged the existence of beings more powerful than humans... or beings that humans should revere.'
"We as humans, should live a life of purity, equality and total obedience to our lord."
'What really interested me was the insincerity and delusions of humans. The Aethric Tenet teaches that humans should live equally.'
"Between life and death is the spiral of return to our Lord!" The minister continued.
'But no one wants to live equally as others. Why are some rich, while others are poor? Why are some strong, while others are weak? Why should someone's smile mean another's sadness?'
I kept asking myself these questions. I kept trying to find answers, but my answers lead to more questions.
'Life isn't equal. Aethrauzon himself who commanded equality isn't equal. Why is he a god, while we are humans?'
'Why does Aethrauzon live forever, when he said life is bound by the rules of mortality and natality.'
'Why do I lack parents? Why am I a failure? Why does nothing work for me?'
'Why did I have to be the odd one out in the orphanage - the one without a friend, the one they called "monster". The one they wanted nothing to do with.'
"Monster."
"Stay away from him."
"Of course, he was the one who killed his parents."
"He might even be a demon."
I heard it all - their hisses, their whispers, everything.
Then one day, a question sank into my head. The cumulative of all my doubts:
'Why do I even serve god?'
'Why should I serve someone who creates rules and refuses to follow them?'
Then, I came to a decision. A decision that led to my exile - one that led to the destruction of the orphanage.
They said I was a monster. They said I was a loser. A failure. I didn't deserve to live.
So, I came to a final decision...
'The one who made me as a monster. As a failure. Who made me without parents...'
'... I'll kill him.'
"I will kill god!"
***
Back to present time.
***
"Hehe," Code chuckled, as blood dripped all over his face.
His body was smashed onto the boulder. His left arm was twisted, and his legs were bent.
Every fibre of his being screamed in pain, but yet, Code kept laughing.
"Code!" Elara screamed as she ran to him.
"Code! Are you okay?" Elara muttered, looking into his eyes.
"I'm sorry, the barrier was supposed to work, but I don't know what happened," Elara muttered, as her eyes watered with tears.
Code wanted to raise his head and say "Nah, it wasn't your fault," while waving his hand.
But his arm was to broken to move, and no voice could come, because his voicebox was shattered.
"Let me cast an healing spell quickly!" Elara said, as she closed her eyes, and begun praying again.
'Nah, it's pointless!' Code exclaimed, but it only sounded in his head.
'Aethrauzon's blessings only works for those that believe in him. I don't believe in god. So, there is no grace for me,' Code wheezed.
'Nemesis has finally caught up with me. For all my blasphemies and sins.'
Then amidst his thoughts,
THUD!!!
The demon's foot struck the earth again.
It was coming towards them.
"Lord Aethrauzon, grant me thy power..." Elara prayed, as a white light glowed from her palms.
She opened her eyes, smiling, but as the light came in contact with Code's body, it instantly extinguished.
"Uh?" Elara's eyes widened.
"What's happening? It's supposed to work!" She exclaimed, sweat pouring down her face. The demon was drawing closer, and her divine protection was running out of time.
She began her prayers again, mumbling.
'Shit!' Code hissed in his head. 'She's running out of time!'
"Lord Aethrauzon grant me thy healing strength..." Elara said, but the light fizzled out again.
THUD!!!
The demon was already right behind her.
"No, it's supposed to work! I'm sorry, Code, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry," Elara cried, as she clapped her hands together again to pray.
But as she was about to close her eyes, she suddenly felt a touch on her hand.
"Uh?!" Her eyes flickered open. "Code?" She whispered.
Code was holding her hand, his back raised. It was obvious he was taking all his strength to do that.
Code's lips parted, his mouth opened, as he tried to speak.
But no words came. Not even a sound.
'Tch.' Code gritted his teeth, as he tried harder and harder to speak, but yet, no words came.
'Why?'
'Why won't you sound?'
Code kept trying.
'Even if it's just a word.'
'I need to tell her. She's running out of time,' Code screamed in his head.
'Please...'
'If it is just a word... please.'
Code mustered all of his strength, and gathered it into his mouth.
'Just a word is enough!'
Then the word came.
"R-r-r...' Code stammered, clutching her hands tightly.
Elara's shifted forward, trying to hear what he was saying. She drew her ear closer to his mouth.
"R-r-run away...!"
Her eyes widened.
"I-I can't do that!" She exclaimed, as she cried. "I can't just leave you here, I can't-"
But before she could finish her statement...
Code cut in.
"I said run!!" He screamed with all his might.
"Please... run."
Elara drew backwards. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave him, however, the look in Code's eyes said otherwise.
He was begging.
"I-I promise to get help as soon as I get outside!" Elara said, wailing alongside.
Code's lips curled into a smile, as he released his grip.
'Thank you...' he replied in his mind.
With a jolt, Elara spun, and dashed away, passing beside the demon, who couldn't notice her presence again due to the divine protection.
She didn't look back. She knew she mustn't, because if she did...she'd feel guilty.
She ran into the darkness. Her gaze caught something sideways - white and humanoid, sitting on a tree branch, but she couldn't stop to see, instead she kept running.
Code watched as Elara disappeared into the woods.
'She was really beautiful...' he thought, smiling.
THUD!!!
The demon drew closer to Code, who could not do anything but watch.
'She doesn't deserve to die with a useless failure like me,' Code thought, as the demon drew closer.
The demon looked at Code, its eyes filled with insatiable hunger, as saliva drooped down its mouth.
Then the demon slowly raised its collosal foot over Code's face.
'All I wanted was to live. I didn't ask for anything else. I didn't ask for wealth. I didn't ask for peace. I didn't ask for happiness. I didn't even ask for death.'
'All I asked for was life...'
'Yet I don't get to have that?' Code asked himself.
'All my sufferings.'
Memories flashed through his mind.
The times he was stoned, the times he was rejected, the times he was laughed at, the times he was called "failure", the times he cried and there was no one to console him.
'All my sorrows.'
The demon's foot hovered closer to his face, as it hurtled towards him with massive force.
'And I still don't get to live?'
The demon's foot was few inches away.
"Life is unfair."
Those were Code's last words before he slowly closed his eyes, and...
Blammm!!!!
The demon's foot connected.
The whole forest shook. Birds scattered in every direction, trees quaked violently.
The forest fell silent back, as the vibrations ceased.
A chill cool wind blew through the leaves, as the moon's light penetrated through the trees.
'What's that?'
'Is this heaven?'
Then, in that instant -
Code's eyes snapped open.
He still could not talk, but what was in front of him made his eyes widen.
The demon's massive foot that was aiming to crush him, somehow, that same foot was standing few inches from his face.
Code was still breathing, though ragged, his body was still bloodied.
'What's happening?' Code tried to wrap his head around what was happening.
'I'm supposed to be dead.'
'Is this a dream? Or a flashback? Or am I watching myself from heaven?' Code barraged himself with questions.
It was as if time was paused.
Then suddenly, amidst his thoughts, a voice suddenly jolted him back to reality.
"Oi, are you finally awake?"
Code's eyes snapped leftwards - to the source of the voice.
'Uh?!' he exclaimed.
Beside him was a man. White hair, black hoodie and jeans, and his face - from the lower part of his eyes downwards was covered with a silver mask.
He was the definition of handsome.
But what was most surprising was that Code wasn't in heaven, instead, the demon's foot did not connect.
The masked man's had caught the demon's collosal foot with just one leg planted firmly against its sole.
"Yo!" The man whispered, waving his hand to Code.
***
To Be Continued...