May 12, ####
I had thought that if I managed to escape that stinking place, I'd be able to turn my life around, to finally make something of myself...
The man, barely past his early twenties, stared at the open book before him, his eyes hollow and haunted, dark bags etched beneath them like bruises.
But you just had to ruin it...
Didn't you!?
Mike...
He lifted a can of beer to his lips, the cheap brew sloshing over his chin, dripping down onto the very pages he was writing on.
He didn't seem to notice, or perhaps, didn't care.
You chose the easy way out, you fucking coward.
And—
He drained the can in a single gulp, the metal groaning in his grip as he crushed it, the sharp edges digging into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it across the room, the empty can clattering against the wall before bouncing harmlessly off the overflowing bin.
He sighed, a long, drawn-out exhalation that seemed to carry the weight of the world.
You left us with this heavy guilt, a burden your father couldn't bear. He drank his life away, and now I'm becoming just like him.
Haaaah.
Another sigh, heavier than the last. He ripped the page he had been writing on from the book, the paper tearing with a ragged sound, and crumpled it into a ball.
He threw it towards the bin, a gesture of defiance that fell short as it landed on the floor, a crumpled testament to his failure.
I need to do something with my life.
He said.
He pushed himself to his feet, the chair scraping against the floor. He shrugged on his worn jacket, picked up the book and the rolled-up paper, and walked over to a tall shelf filled with books, the glass door reflecting his own haunted gaze.
He selected an old, leather-bound novel, its spine cracked with age, and clutched it tightly in his hand.
He left his tiny, three-room apartment, the lock clicking shut behind him with a finality that echoed in the empty hallway.
He took the elevator up, the slow ascent a silent countdown to whatever he was about to do.
As the doors opened on the twelfth floor, he stepped out and passed a couple locked in a passionate embrace, their hands exploring each other's bodies just inches from their own apartment door.
GET A ROOM!
He screamed the words in his mind, the frustration building within him.
He turned away, his jaw tight, and took the stairs two at a time, pushing himself to reach the thirteenth floor, the last level of the building.
He pushed open the heavy door leading to the rooftop, and was immediately greeted by a biting wind that whipped through his hair, carrying the scent of rain and distant city lights.
He stepped out onto the roof, and the sprawling cityscape unfolded before him, a breathtaking panorama of twinkling lights stretching as far as the eye could see.
The streets below pulsed with life, a vibrant tapestry of cars and colors, a stark contrast to the emptiness within him.
He dragged a small, rusted metal barrel to the center of the rooftop and stuffed it with crumpled newspapers and scraps of wood. With a flick of his lighter, he ignited the tinder, the flames licking hungrily at the dry material.
As the fire grew stronger, casting flickering shadows across his face, he tossed the books into the flames, one by one. The pages caught quickly, curling and blackening as the fire consumed them.
He watched in silence as his past, his grief, his failures, turned to ash and smoke, finally willing to move on, or at least, to try.
***
"Babe, you know I'd surrender everything just to be with you," the guy said, pulling his girl close and sealing his words with a lingering kiss on her lips.
"I will fight anyone wh—"
Agh-tsk!
His declaration was cut short, by a stray cigarette that landed inches away from him, the glowing ember bouncing off the stone railing and onto his arm.
"Are you okay, baby?" the girl asked, her voice laced with concern as she examined the small burn.
"I'm fine, babe, this is nothing. Tsk, that motherfucker who just passed us. He's the only one up there. I bet he did it on purpose because he's jealous and bitchless. I swear, when that fucker comes down, I will—"
But his bravado was cut short once again, this time not by a stray ember, but by something far more sinister.
A fast-falling shadow flickered in their peripheral vision, a dark shape plummeting from above.
Then, a split second later, a deafening thud echoed through the night, shaking the very foundations of the building.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!"
A bloodcurdling scream, raw with terror. shattered the silence of the night, rising from the first floor like a chilling omen.
***
Gasping, I coughed out a mouthful of snow, the icy particles stinging my throat as I clawed my way back from the brink of unconsciousness.
It felt like I'd been out for only a second, but the world swam back into focus with a dizzying lurch. More of the black humanoids were falling around me, a chaotic rain of bodies.
Reacting on pure instinct, I rolled away from the one who had pinned me, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain through my bruised ribs.
I lashed out with a kick, connecting with the humanoid's leg and sending it sprawling.
I scrambled to my feet, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
But there was no time to catch my breath. More of the black humanoid creatures surged towards me, their eyes burning with rage. We clashed in a whirlwind of desperate blows and savage kicks, a brutal dance of survival.
Every five seconds, I unleashed my skill, Frostneedle, peppering the battlefield with icy projectiles.
Then, during the brief cooldown, I traded blows with the relentless humanoids, a desperate dance of dodging and striking.
After tagging what felt like forty of the creatures with the frigid energy, I dropped to the ground, ducking low and shouted:
BURST!!!
The world erupted in a series of deafening explosions, the air thick with the acrid smell of ozone and the sickening spray of gore. Pieces of bodies, both frozen and mangled, flew through the air.
Slowly, cautiously, I raised my head, peering through the dissipating smoke and swirling snow.
What greeted me was a scene of utter carnage: limbs scattered across the ground, torsos ripped apart, and a crimson stain spreading across the pristine white snow. Then, I noticed it. the lower half of the giant, still frozen solid, unable to break apart and summon more of its monstrous offspring.
I knew this was my chance, the final opportunity to end this nightmare.
Stumbling, I slowly made my way towards the frozen remains of the giant, each step a monumental effort.
With the last dregs of my mana, I channeled Frostneedle one final time, focusing all my remaining energy into a single, devastating blast.
A blinding flash filled the air, followed by a thunderous explosion that shook the ground beneath my feet. When the snow settled, the frozen body of the giant was gone, reduced to a million icy shards scattered across the landscape.
...
"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves."
- Edmund Hillary