Chapter Text
“I often ponder the notion of whether it is a sin to have been born the way I am. As my life comes to a close, I anticipate that only a small group of people will be present to bid their farewells.
I imagine that in the end, when I am liberated from the binds of my past and can finally find a sense of contentment, this will be the conclusion of my life's journey.”
Zacharie felt a strange unease as they entered the room; the lighting was brighter than it had been when the door shut behind them. The bedspread seemed to be flapping in some unseen breeze and the walls were painted white, yet there were no windows in the room, and only the sheer fabric of the curtains allowed light from outside to filter in, producing an unsettling glow.
Something. Zacharie felt a grip on their hand, tugging them down towards the unearthly light and warmth. When they looked back, they saw themselves staring at them through each other, the red light reflecting off their face and making their skin appear pale and almost translucent. There weren't any visible veins or signs of a heartbeat, or even a twitch indicating breathing.
The light simply poured... onto their body, like water pouring over a cliffside, flowing into their pores and feeling like an opening in Zacharie’s flesh.
“I will not repeat myself." A voice cut through the stillness like an arrow through cloth. “Don't scream. Don't shed any tears. Don't say anything until I ask you to, and don't beg for salvation or your existence will end here."
Zacharie gave a single, brief nod in acknowledgement as the figure approached until they were standing mere inches apart, their eyes locked in a mutual, emotionless gaze.
“What is your purpose in either killing me or assisting me in this endeavor?" Their words flowed faster now. “Don't lie. You know what to do. Speak.”
Prior to issuing any statement, Zacharie presented a certificate that showed his name, rank, and occupation. This document indicated that he had been hired as a mercenary and, in order to proceed with the contract, a confirmation of this was required. The address listed on the certificate was the same as the building he was currently in.
"I was instructed to come to this location with the intention of slaughtering the individuals residing in the building." His tone betrayed nothing. Despite the close brush with death, Zacharie's demeanor remained calm, leaving the person standing in opposition to him surprised at his composure.
"There is no one here. No living thing. It's just you and me," they said flatly. Then, with a hint of curiosity in their voice, they asked, "Do you not understand why you are here? Do you feel as if you have a false objective and you are clueless as to how you arrived at this point? Just… Who are you?"
Zacharie could sense a calculating glimmer in their eye, as if they were trying to assess the situation.
"Zacharie," they replied softly, his voice tired and distant. He was aware of the underlying danger of the situation and the fact that the building appeared to be rigged. "My name is Zacharie. Who exactly are you, anyway?”
"I am Relz, the sun. I am what could have been the city's sole hope." A pause. "You came here before I could reach my goal. If you help me now, we can finally put an end to these wretched things once and for all."
Relz looks at Zacharie. A feeling of dread comes over them both as their eyes meet. Zacharie isn't sure why this creature, this radioactive being, wants them near him, but whatever his intentions, Zacharie doesn't care, because at this moment he has made up his mind. If it wasn't for the slow and gruesome death they were about to experience, Zacharie wouldn't mind dying, but if it was necessary, it was okay with him. And he didn't know why he wanted to die — maybe something inside him, something deep inside him, longed for closure and relief from this hellish life.
Relz's gaze was stern as they spoke to Zacharie, "You will purify this city. You will restore it to its former glory and release the life that has been tarnished. You will bring back to me something that I have lost: my wings. Do you understand?"
Zacharie nodded in agreement. “I would not care to sacrifice myself to a pointless act of murder. I cannot be certain that you are trustworthy, but regardless, I will carry out your orders."
The two of them stayed in silence for a few moments, each studying the other with a discerning eye. Zacharie could sense that Relz was not a person to be taken lightly, that beneath the facade of a seemingly inconsequential figure was a powerful individual. He began to ponder how Relz had come to be in a position of such authority and power. What could one gain from ruling over a city that was doomed to destruction? What kind of person could control so much? As he reflected on this, Zacharie wondered if he had been mistaken. Perhaps the city wasn't really in the midst of a plague, and this was just a normal day.
Relz moved closer, their breath smelling faintly of ozone. "If you are intent on becoming a mercenary, you should go out into the city and gather information from those filthy parasites," they said. "They will be able to tell you which one you should target.”
Zacharie took in a quick breath of air, his eyes widening in surprise, and yet he managed to remain composed. Relz loosened their grip on Zacharie's hand, allowing them to proceed to the exit. Just before Zacharie left, Relz spoke up again.
“If you fail, I will kill you.”
***
As usual, the city looks dreadful. The streets, which used to appear to have never witnessed a store, have now been covered in graffiti. Bloodstains, which could be attributed to Zacharie, were still visible, prompting one to imagine that an innocent person had just passed away there. However, it was known that nobody had ever made it out of the city alive. It was unsurprising that nobody wanted to be in the city, due to the nauseating odor and the unsteady ground beneath their feet. The sun too, seemed to be reluctant to make an appearance today.
The sound of a ringing phone suddenly disrupted Zacharie's thoughts. Reaching into their pocket, they retrieved their phone, flipping it open. Although the screen of the phone looked dusty, it was still intact.
Zacharie's voice rang out in greeting. "Hello? Zacharie here." After a brief pause, the line was filled with muffled noises. Unfamiliar with what was being said, Zacharie inquired, "I don't understand what you're saying. Is this some kind of joke?"
No response was forthcoming. Bemused, Zacharie assumed the call was a mistake and prepared to hang up. Just as he was about to disconnect, a strange yet familiar voice rang across the line. "Oh, wow, are you so blessed to have this fabulous connection? I mean, it's just amazing how quickly it drops out, how often it fails to connect, and how slow it is when it does work.”
Zacharie was completely baffled — who was this person and how did they even know his number? As they squinted, straining to understand the situation they were in, they realized yet another opportunity to meet their demise had arisen. Wonderful.
"How do you even..." Zacharie broke off, unsure whether or not to ask the question that was on their lips. They sighed and asked, "Then Identify yourself. Explain how you get my number. Why should I be aware of your existence?"
“Hmmm, let me think... Oh, I know, why don't you just tell me what you're thinking? That would be so much easier.” Zacharie was met with a slightly mocking tone when he questioned the other person's motives, but they allowed him to continue without interruption. Despite his seemingly honest demeanor, Zacharie could have been harboring some dubious contacts, so it was best to remain vigilant. "Speaking of, I had almost forgotten what it was like to be a lowly mercenary. You know, the kind that wants to kill citizens without having the slightest idea who they are or how to go about doing it. How quaint.”
Zacharie was able to intuit the speaker's sarcasm even without being able to read their lips. “It makes me wonder if the world really is going to end, if we'll all get to leave this miserable little place, because then I suppose all our hard work would be worth nothing.” the speaker said, their words dripping with irony. Zacharie chose not to respond and remained silent, in part due to their inability to communicate and in part out of fear that the speaker would be able to perceive their discomfort.
“But enough of my depressing musings. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling you,” the speaker continued, sounding somewhat disappointed as if expecting Zacharie to be more sympathetic. “To put it bluntly, I'm aware of some people who desperately want to be freed from their current circumstances, which they feel are unbearable. Would you be kind enough to help them?”
"I don't give a damn about anyone else's problems except those of their own making. And yes, I'd would," Zacharie replied flatly. The speaker scoffed in response, clearly finding what he heard more amusing than surprising. "Now, what can I do for you? Do you need my services or are you just trying to trick me?"
The person's chuckle sounded rather hollow. "What makes you think I'm trying to trick you? That's not a difficult question for someone like you to answer, I'm sure." After a few moments of awkward silence, the person continued. "If I wanted something from you, I wouldn't just ask you like that, would I? You'd already assume the worst of me before I could even ask."
Zacharie sighed, resigned to the fact that they were not leaving until they got what they wanted. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "What is it that you want?"
"Ahh, that's more like it. Now we are getting somewhere," the person said gleefully. "First things first; I am going to send you a list of names, all the names of certain people in this city," his tone became serious as he spoke. "They will not be alive anymore once they die."
With that declaration, the caller hung up without further hesitation. Zacharie was left staring at their phone dumbfoundedly after the conversation ended.
.
Zacharie's smartphone suddenly started to make a loud ringing noise and a notification flashed up on the corner of the screen. He quickly realized that the message was from the same caller as before, which meant that the list of citizens had finally been sent to him. There were many individuals present and Zacharie was aware that their fate would not be favorable for each of them.
[REDACTED]: Alright. This is it.
[REDACTED]: Call me again after you're done.
Zacharie glances at the texts he receives but he does not respond. He keeps on strolling along the street towards the intersection that lies ahead. The view of the street is like an antiquated and run-down warehouse district. Most of the buildings here have a similar look to them. Moreover, the roads are void of any people; it is strangely quiet.
He comes to a stop at the corner and peers across the street at what appears to be a desolate road. There is a large hole in the center of the street. A vast number of corpses, most likely human, lie inside the hole. Some of them have had their heads ripped off, while others have been ripped apart.
The phone vibrates in Zacharie’s hand once more.
[REDACTED]: Look over there.
[REDACTED]: One is still alive.
[REDACTED]: Go over there and kill it.
Zacharie's eyebrow twitched as he perused the last message. A brief moment of hesitation ensued before he proceeded cautiously, careful to avoid any piles of human remains. As he meandered through the rubble, he eventually arrived at the spot where the creature lay. It is a male humanoid, likely around his mid twenties, wearing the same type of uniform as the other men there, although it was mostly torn and stained with dirt and blood. His head was propped up on a small hill, and his gaze appeared distant and glazed. Zacharie can smell his blood.
The man is in tears and Zacharie is watching him with a stoic expression. The man is overwhelmed with grief and emotions, his face is blank and his eyes are red from crying. Zacharie cannot understand why the man is so sad and his cries seem like a plea for help. Despite this, Zacharie cannot allow himself to be affected by the man's suffering as he is there to complete a job.
The man's pain is unmistakable and it appears to be never-ending.
"I know that your fate is sealed, but please, let me go out on my own terms," he was stared at by Zacharie. The man felt as if he had nothing left to lose — his life was already forfeit. However, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that Zacharie was referring to when he mentioned the freedom that the man had once felt.
Despite his fear and despair, the man's curiosity got the better of him. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Zacharie let out a sigh, as if he was disappointed that the man hadn't already figured it out. "You know what I'm talking about. That feeling of freedom that you had before you became entangled in this mess."
The man's mind raced, trying to piece together what Zacharie was getting at. He suddenly realized that he had been living a life of constraint, one where he had been unable to do what he truly wanted. It was only when he was on the brink of death that he realized the true value of his freedom. However, now he was left with no choice but to express his anger towards the person who was about to end his life.
"I don't care anymore! Just get it over with and kill me!" The man wept, feeling his breaths becoming shallower. He knew he couldn't endure this for much longer. The city he despised was nearing its end.
Zacharie, with a grunt, drew a heavy black metal baton from his belt and applied pressure to the back of the man's neck, just behind his ear. Despite the man's cries, Zacharie was barely able to hear him over the sound of his own breathing. Zacharie increased the pressure until the man's screams ceased and he stopped moving. He then stepped away from the body and surveyed the blood that had now stained his clothes and boots.
He is no longer alive. Zacharie glances at the corpse he has just slain for no apparent cause and feels a weird sensation of calmness wash over him. Zacharie glances around, but all he can make out is the corpse that is sprawled out on the ground in front of him. Nothing has changed. It feels like any other day. As if he is not responsible for this horrific act.
He remained motionless, deep in thought as they deliberated their next step. Once more, he retrieved his smartphone and dialed the same number he had called a short time earlier. After several rings, a rough sounding voice was heard on the other end of the line.
“You have achieved the impossible, conquered the unconquerable, and truly made history. Who would have thought that you would actually be able to do it?” The sarcastic tone is clear in his speech and is unmistakable.
"Well, I am doing it, aren't I?" Zacharie asked indignantly. "And don't pretend like you wouldn't want me to succeed, because you knew exactly what I would choose to do."
"Oh really? You would go against your morals?"
"What moralities? They weren’t even important before." Zacharie replied, his voice devoid of emotion, despite the fact that it is evident that he is clearly annoyed.
The caller conceded, before asking, "Can you send me a picture, by the way?"
"What? A picture of what?" Zacharie asked confusedly.
"Send me a picture of your new companion. I want proof that you have accomplished the impossible, after all. I might need that someday."
"Okay… fine." Zacharie sighed, clicking on the link and sending a random file to the caller before abruptly ending the call. He walked to the other side of the street with a grim expression, gazing down at the remains of the building. Sure enough, his phone soon buzzed once again.
[REDACTED]: Woah. You look like shit.
Z: thanks
[REDACTED]: Anyway finish the rest of the people off on the list.
[REDACTED]: Will contact you again when I deem it necessary.
[REDACTED]: Also. Go to District 7 if you wish to keep working like this. I know someone who is certainly annoying as hell, but he is not a bad person.
Z: can i at least know your name?
[REDACTED]: Holy shit. Fine. My name is Carmen.
Z: oh
Z: alright.
Z: see ya later
Zacharie put his phone back into his pocket and began to walk in the opposite direction. As he looked down to the deserted streets below, he couldn't help but feel the weight of his surroundings. It was no secret that the city was in a state of disarray, and the news reports of destruction seemed to never cease. Yet, despite the dismal atmosphere, no one seemed to be able to bring themselves to leave.
This thought brought something to Zacharie's mind: Relz. He could understand why someone would despise this place, but he was curious as to what it was that Relz was so afraid of. After all, they were supposed to be the city's source of hope and inspiration. What was it that provoked such hatred?
There have been rumors that they have gone out of their senses. But if the sun has to endure, shouldn't everyone else?