“Round two, Jayden.”
I bolted upright, grabbing at my chest as I looked around to be greeted by the dim and dank surroundings of what appeared to be a storage room. The dusty boxes of cleaning products, some old moldy boxes of only God knew what and an old, musty mop confirmed as much.
This was still better than being stuck in Rift I guess.
Using a shelf for leverage, I pulled myself to my feet but took a few moments for the world to stop spinning before patting myself down. I didn’t seem to have any injuries aside from the annoying throbbing in the side of my head.
“How’d… I get here?”
The last thing I remembered was walking alongside Runihura with the given task of investigating the sudden increase of Umbras in Rift. According to Omega, the rise in their numbers was going to be a hindrance to us reapers and our charges. Even more, the sudden organization of the Umbras had left a rather bad taste in Omega’s mouth – one of which the brat didn’t feel particularly chatty about.
“Runihura…?” I called, listening as the name bounced off the walls. “Runihura!” Silence greeted me. “Goddammit… where the fuck are you?”
Taking in my surroundings, I turned my sight upwards as the lights flickered erratically. Sucking my teeth at the thought of being in a dark room in some unknown place, I made my way over to the exit.
Even as a grown man, I did not like being in the dark. I’ve seen more than enough shit in my short time to try to avoid it at all costs if possible.
However, not seeing an immediate handle, I scowled before glancing up at the faulty lighting as it flickered. Rapping my knuckles along door, I tried ramming it with my shoulder before opting in kicking at the barrier when my shoulder became sore.
“C’mon…” I grumbled as I kicked for what had to be the tenth time before the lights went out. “Dammit…”
Sighing as I leaned against the door, I raked his fingers through my hair before hanging my head as he continued to swear under my breath to calm down. I even tried taking deep breaths as Runihura had suggested at one point.
To my own relief, the lights returned though it was short-lived as I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Lifting my gaze, I stared out at the dark mound currently sitting in the center of the room.
It could’ve passed as a speed bump…or a burial mound would’ve been a more fitting description.
As the lights flickered, I noted how the mass steadily got closer before a golden spot rolled into view.
‘Oh, c’mon… not this shit…’ I thought bitterly. ‘Not now…’
A second spot came into view before a sickening gurgle filled the room as the gold spots blinked, allowing two slits to appear in them. I then took a slight step back as the gaping hole filled with rows upon rows of teeth was put onto display.
“He was right~” This thing’s voice had a grating edge to it. “He said the blonde reaper would be here~”
“Who’s he?” I asked as I felt around for something – anything – to get this freaking door open.
“You don’t know~?”
“Wouldn’t be askin’ if I did, you dumb mound of shit.”
Catching a glimpse of red coming from the back of its mouth, I braced myself before hitting the deck as the thing lashed out. Looking over my shoulder as the thing began to eat through the door, I rolled back onto my feet as the thing withdrew.
I’ve had the misfortune of being caught by something like that before and I’d be damned if I happened again. I didn’t have anything on me to combat or deter that thing’s tongue.
“He said you were supposed to be easy~”
“On the eyes maybe,” I scoffed as I lined back up to the door, “but you ain’t my type so get lost!”
I moved just in time to watch that thing lash out again to strike the door behind me before pulling back into that abyss it called a mouth. Tossing a box its way when it tried again, I kicked my foot against the door to have it fall off its hinges. Hearing that beastly snarl behind me, I wasted no time into running out into what appeared to be an old warehouse.
“Get back here~” I looked over my shoulder to see that thing slinking out of the room “He said I have to eat you or he’ll eat me~”
“He’ll eat you?” I turned around to face it as it reared up. “What… who is ‘he’?” I griped as I took a step back.
“Round two, Jayden.”
That throbbing in the side of my head caught me off guard when it intensified, making me stumble back into a shelf.
Who was that?
“Fuck…” I grumbled as I held the side of my head before dodging that horrific tongue.
I listened to the hissing of cardboard being broken down before looking over at the thing attacking me.
“He said I’ll be even stronger if I eat you.”
“I’m not on the menu,” I griped as I started to back away, “but you can do me a favor by telling me who the hell told you to eat me.”
“Round two, Jayden.”
I staggered before dropping down to one knee as the throbbing in my head turned into a stabbing pain. Even more, I had caught a glimpse of something unsettling but what I saw couldn’t have been right.
“It won’t hurt… for long~”
I lowered my hand to see the way its mouth curled upwards. It gave me a chill, but even more chilling was the fact that I hadn’t noticed how quietly or quickly it had closed the distance between us.
“You – let go!” I snapped as I was hoisted up by that ungodly tongue wrapped around me. “Put. Me. Down!” I wiggled around more before steeling myself as my skin started to burn. “Runihura!”
“Just us,” it chuckled, “but not for long~”
“Fuck…”
I looked down at the tongue at my waist and seen that it had already eaten through my shirt and I could see my skin reddening and blistering.
I needed something – anything – to get this thing off before it split me in half.
Moving, however, was much harder as the burning continued to increase. I had to put that aside as I looked around. The only thing around me was storage shelves lined with boxes. Reaching for one, I was slammed against one of the shelves, but I got a hold of one it then dropped it down onto the thing.
Runihura wasn’t here.
God knows I wouldn’t rely on Sairix to help me.
I had to get this off myself.
‘C’mon, Jay…’ I told myself as I made a grab for another box. ‘You can’t get done in by this piece of shit…’
I grab another box and threw it down, listening to a hiss before being thrown into the opposite shelf. As it went to pull me down, I grabbed onto one of the steel shelves and pulled upwards, trying to gain some leverage. Climbing up to the next shelf then the next, I felt around for anything before feeling the burning at my midsection.
I didn’t want to look at it.
‘C’mon…c’mon…’ I pulled myself up to the next shelf before latching onto one of the steel bars as I was yanked downwards. ‘Fuck…breathe, Jay…’ I knocked a well-weighted box down onto it. “Let go, dammit!”
I tried prying the tongue away with one hand before yanking it back as I felt the skin on my palm peel. Glancing at it to see it starting to bleed, I could only imagine what my midsection was going to look like.
I managed another few shelves before a snarl had me glancing down at the thing below me. Its mouth had expanded and from the way it was looking at me, it had grown tired of trying to let me escape.
“Time's up~”
‘Time’s up?’
A forceful tug had me slipping down a level but the accompanying pain in my midsection made me grit my teeth to keep from crying out.
I’d be damned if I gave this thing the satisfaction of beating me so easily.
Another tug had me grasping the railing to keep from slipping further. Another growl escaped from the one below before a yank pulled me and the shelf down altogether.
“Goddammit…”
I shifted before rolling onto my stomach, wincing at the searing pain. Looking around to see that one of the steel railings had snapped, I grabbed a hold of it before making a jab at the part of the tongue not wrapped around me. The first stab did nothing aside from eating some of the steel. I tried a second then third time before the tongue severed and wasted no time in removing the other piece as that damn monster reeled back yowling like an injured beast.
Climbing to my feet, I grabbed onto a nearby shelf to keep from falling over as agony wracked my body. Glancing back to see where that thing went, I started trying to find my way out while it was preoccupied.
Unless I actually killed that thing, it would be back soon and even more pissed that its potential meal had tried to make an escape.
‘How do I get out of here?’ I looked around to see what was almost endless rows of shelves. ‘Dammit…’ I glanced down to see what was left of my shirt was red. Chancing a glance over my shoulder, I saw the same color leaving a trail behind me. ‘Dammit…’
This wasn’t good.
My midsection was killing me and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run if that thing was going to actively chase me.
‘Shit…this isn’t good…’ It was starting to hurt to just breathe now. ‘I need a way out of here and back to Central…’
How was I supposed to get back if I didn’t know where I was and where to start?
Something ringing then pulled my attention to one of the nearby shelves. As it continued, I hurried towards the sound because the last thing I needed was for that thing to find me in this state. As it rang once again, I reach up to a higher shelf before pulling down a cellphone – my phone.
“Hello?” It was silent. “Runihura?”
I pulled the phone from my ear to see that it had no service. That couldn’t have been right though. It just rang. I heard it ring.
I stared down at the device, opting to chuck it before the hairs on my neck started to stand on end. I had to keep moving. I had to find a signal.
‘C’mon…’ I held the phone in the air with one hand and held my midsection with the other. ‘C’mon…’ Even a bar would do but after almost five minutes, I still didn’t have anything. ‘This isn’t good…’
I had to take a knee.
My body hurt.
My head was pounding.
It hurt to breathe.
I was going to be eaten at this rate.
Buzzing then turned my attention to the phone in my pocket. I saw that I didn’t have any service, yet I had received a text message.
I see that you’re still alive…
I looked around slowly before looking down at the phone again.
I’d be kinda disappointed if you died so early on in Round two, Jayden~
“Round two, Jayden.”
That stabbing pain was back again, and I swear it was like getting hit by a freight.
Tell you what, I’ll even tell you where the exit is. If you can get there in the next three minutes, you won’t get eaten
I looked around slowly before feeling the hairs on my neck stand.
If you make a right turn and go up twelve rows, you’ll see an emergency exit to your left.
I tried getting my feet under me before collapsing back down to the floor to see the growing puddle of blood steadily pooling around me.
Tick-tock, Jayden. My friend is looking for you~
I heard boxes topple over a few rows back before looking down at the messages. Pulling myself to my feet, I grabbed onto one of the shelves before making my way down the row. Making the indicated right, I held my midsection tighter to feel blood leaking between my fingers.
I stumbled for a moment before bracing myself against the shelf. ‘Body, don’t you give up on me, dammit…’
Boxes falling over then had me freeze before I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see that mass of teeth staring at me.
“I have to eat you to get stronger~” It crept closer. “I have to eat you before he eats me~”
“Oh…fuck…” I turned and ran, stumbling as I did so. “Three…” I glanced over my shoulder to see it steadily catching up. “Eight…” I knocked a few boxes into the way to at least slow it down. “Ten… eleven…twelve!” I skirted the corner, making a left before coming up to a wall. “No!”
I looked over my shoulder to see that mass of teeth slowly coming towards me. Did I miscount? I looked around to see a green glow coming from the next row over.
Looking at the monster for a moment, I slipped between the space in the shelves to see the exit. I pulled out my phone to see that I had a few seconds.
“Yes…”
A burning around my ankle then had me looking down to see that godforsaken tongue. As it tightened, I grabbed a hold of the handle as it tried to pull me back into the other row. Kicking my foot at it was enough to get it to let go but also enough for it to turn over the shelves that were separating us in a rage.
“I have to eat you before he eats me~” it rumbled as it approached.
Pushing open the door, I ran out before feeling that tongue wrapped tightly around my waist.
“No!” I pulled at the tongue, ignoring how it burned the skin off my palms. “Runihura!” This thing was going to split me in half. “Let go! Let go! Let g-!”
“Wha~?”
I looked back into the doorway to see that beast looking back at a humanoid silhouette giving a wave in my direction before flashing a leering smile full of teeth. The shadow then grabbed the monster that had been chasing me, making it elicit an ear-splitting screech and making me cover my ears to keep from going deaf. All too soon did the tension around my waist fall away as the tongue was severed by the door swinging shut.
“W…what…?”
I looked down at my phone to see that I still had no service though I had a new message.
Sorry, I meant row thirteen…
I took a step back as I glanced at the door then down at the phone again.
Try to stay alive long enough for our round two, Jayden~
I took another step before dropping to my knees as the burning pain in my midsection flared up along with the headache.
In the meantime, try to play nice with the others, yeah?
“O-others?” I looked around slowly to see several other warehouses. “There’s others?” I questioned as I tried to get back on my feet. That endeavor was short-lived as I slumped back onto the ground while the corners of my vision started to go dark. “Fuck…”
Name: Jayden Gwennette876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBedT8q9pM
Age: 27876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHxeerA5Bj
Sex: Male876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6gX6MbUSA
Race: Human876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKW5GsEmLA
Preference: Men876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnVgR9Zbqt
Status: Deceased876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOGzPPmanF
Eye/Hair Color: Green/ Dark Blonde876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk59l3dWJL
Current Occupation: Reaper 876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPxdicifp3
Previous Occupation: Actor876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQyb3tYmyM
Class: Dimidium Animae (Soul Half)876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESoUD1qSpS
Weakness(es): Hates the dark, inability to summon his weapon, reliance on his partner, Runihura, his mouth876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjRaCf0CCr
Strength(s): Determination, versatility, resourcefulness876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xV1pkS7Zq
Personality: He can be very dramatic due to being an actor in his previous life. He can be loud and a bit stubborn, making some situations difficult but does his best to handle the new circumstances surrounding his new occupation. He has a bad habit of questioning almost everything he encounters and generally takes him a while to trust new people due to this. His curiosity sometimes get the best of him but he does his best to use what he learns to better his situation. When he's not in a bad mood, which is half the time, he's generally easy-going and sometimes flirtatious.
876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI09cWFQE0
Honorable Mentions: The monster who Jayden encounters is called an Umbra. There are five classes to these creatures with different attributes but that will be explained in later episodes.876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJaS82yr8d
876Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcX7vEX6hBZ
Picture credited to https://www.zerochan.net/1124149
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