Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

Ballo: Now, close your eyes... And focus.

Virno: Focus?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Release me old man, you tricked me into this!

Virno tries to free his body from Ballo's magical shackles, but it was no use. The more he struggled, the more paralysing his imprisonment became. Soon, it felt like his entire body was stiff. Only his eyes could still dart around.

Ballo: Silence, Virno. The more you fight it, the tougher this becomes.

Even his mouth had become frozen. Try as he did, he could not muster to speak a single word. His eyelids began closing against his will, as his skin became more and more sensitive to any outside stimulus.

Ballo: You will not see, you will not hear, you will not move... But you will feel.

From the sigil cast above his forehead, a single droplet of water began to form. It fell squarely on Virno's forehead, colder than anything he had ever felt. A painful shock travelled from his head all the way down to his toes, its impact magnified by Virno's overly-sensitive state.

Ballo: Almost all your senses have shut off by now, all but one -- your sense of touch. It has become heightened in response to the rapid cessation of your other senses, causing even the slightest breeze to feel as if blades are piercing into your very skin, evoking feelings of unimaginably sharp pain. Though your body will be safe... Your mind faces potentially ruinous damage.

Ballo's voice became more and more muffled, as Virno's hearing worsened with each passing second. Whatever momentary peace he could feel was perpetually shattered by the gelid droplets that irregularly fell from from the incantation looming over him, like frozen hammers dropping onto his head.

Ballo: You must focus... Or else your mind will break. Focus Virno, focus...!

Before he knew it, he couldn't hear anything any longer. Alone in the darkness of his mind hearing nothing but the sound of silence, try as he might to wake, his body would not heed his will. And then, pain. Again. Anger gave way to desperation, as the coming of each droplet slowly became his only certainty. How long had it been...? And how much longer would it still take? Each freezing pang caused him to spiral down even further, to the point where there was no longer space for coherent thoughts. Fear was taking over and, with it, the realization of how heavy his burden was. How could he protect those dear to him when he himself could be left so powerless...?

Greed: Snap out of it. You're pathetic!

He recognized the voice that spoke to him, yet he could not discern its direction. As he looks down, he notices that the ground beneath seems to be transparent. On the other side, was a young man who looked very much like himself...

Greed: I thought you were better than this.

The other him crouches down, grasping Virno's leg through the glass, as it bends and twists allowing for his arm to pass through. With a strong grip on his ankle, he pulls Virno through the transparent floor and into his domain.

Greed: Were you so desperate to return here...?

As he makes it to the other side, Virno sees what he couldn't from behind the transparent yet elusive glass: the cradle of the world. The buoyant water, the dark skyscrapers... He was back. But, he was still not himself... Not fully. His entire body trembled, utterly overwhelmed by terror. As Greed drops him into the warm water, Virno notices he still could not speak.

Greed: Well, you're here now. I wouldn't waste time, if I were you.

He tries to talk, but no sound comes out.

Greed: Last time I pulled that trick on you, you sliced your own head off. Why are you quaking in your boots this time?

This time, there was nothing clogging his throat. This time, there was no clear enemy. Why, then, was he so afraid...?

Greed: ... Who did this to you?

Virno did not expect Greed to determine so quickly that his current state had been the product of another's actions.

Greed: You're afraid, and you have no idea what to make of that. Haven't you been through enough to know better...?

He aggressively grabs Virno by his collar with both hands, bringing him close to his face.

Greed: He who lets fear steer the ship...

As he looks into Greed's eyes, he sees them light up with a bright green glow.

Greed: ... Ensures he reaches the shores of his nightmares.

As he says this, he holds Virno using only one of his outstretched arms. From the water beneath his feet, a large building surfaces, emerging from the depths of the black river and rising high into the sky. Contrary to the other ones that surrounded them, its windows were dark, not a single light to be seen inside. Greed stood at its very corner, holding Virno in the air, able to let go of him and let him fall at any moment.

Greed: Look down, Virno.

As Virno tilted his head downward, he felt his stomach drop. He had never been so high up before... Much less a hand's release away from plummeting down. He quickly extends his hand towards Greed's neck, grabbing him by the throat.

Greed: There it is... Those are the eyes I expected to see.

Fright turned to wrath, as Virno's fear for his own life was replaced by the unstoppable urge to put an end to the threat before him. Greed pulls him toward the building's roof, punching Virno's stomach with such force that it causes him to flinch, releasing his neck. Greed then hurls him towards the center of the roof, as he slowly walks in his direction.

Greed: You're no hero. You're not brave, you're not courageous... Deep down, at your core, you're a coward. Have you realized this about yourself...?

As Virno gets back on his feet, Greed stops moving. He opens his arms wide, waiting for Virno to come beat him up.

Greed: Come! It's what you want to do, isn't it?! Come and kill me.

Virno clenches his fists, running towards Greed with fury in his eyes. Greed does not move a muscle, he merely waits for him, smiling.

Greed: You mask your fears with violence, Virno.

Virno stops. His burning gaze locks onto Greed's.

Greed: That is what makes you a coward. You can't stand to look terror in the eyes.

Greed stops smiling. For a moment, all they do is look at each other. Virno relaxes his fists slightly, his unyielding eyes laser-focusing on Greed.

Greed: Every time you are terrified... Your instincts tell you to fight. Am I wrong...?

Virno does not move a muscle.

Greed: But what if you can't fight what makes you afraid...? What if you can't simply kill it, can't make it stop? What do you do, then...?

Virno eyes fall to the ground below.

Greed: You shrink. Shrivel. Dwindle... You become everything you try to conceal, when you take up arms in retaliation. You let fear consume you, as you did just now.

Greed turns around, heading towards the very corner of the roof. As he does, a monstrous roar echoes from above, causing the entire cradle to tremble slightly.

Greed: Do you recall when I told you to let go of those you love...?

His eyes dart around the cradle's landscape, searching for something.

Greed: The idea that life-threatening harm could come to those we love is one of the most overwhelming sources of fear... Even more so when you take it upon yourself to protect them.

Finally, Greed's gaze locks onto one of the buildings in the horizon.

Greed: By suggesting you let go, I don't mean you should stop protecting them. I mean that you must accept that their fate lies ultimately outside of your control. Not everything can be helped, Virno. Not every death can be avoided. If you haven't embraced this yet, you ought to give it some thought...

He signals Virno to approach him. As he does, Greed points towards one of the buildings in the distance.

Greed: Do you see that? All of its windows are lit... All but one. Inside, there is someone you should see. Brace yourself, our time is running short...

Greed grabs Virno by the neck, holding him upward and pulling him backward slightly, charging a powerful throw.

Greed: I apologize for this.

With all of his might, Greed launches Virno through the air with astonishing force. As he travels across the cradle and countless skyscrapers pass him by, Virno looks to the pitch black sky above. There, he could swear he saw something... Some type of flying creature, massive in size, looking down upon the landscape below. For but a moment, they lock eyes. He notices their glow was not unlike that of a golden moon, shining warm light down on the dark waters below. Before long, he smashes against the side of one of the buildings, tearing down the wall with him as he is hurled inside. Even though he expected to feel pain, whatever he sensed at the point of impact was nothing compared to the bone-chilling tear-shaped spears that seemed to be impaling him not long ago. Curiously, ever since Greed and him spoke on that roof, their pangs seemed to have ceased...

Greed: Follow me.

Just as Virno abruptly crashed inside, Greed materialized inside the room in a swarm of glowing green particles. He guided Virno past some strange furniture, crafted with such mastery and exquisite materials that Virno was sure they could only be the work of a much more advanced society. Except for the gaping hole that now decorated the side of one of the walls, the room seemed in pristine condition, it was well-furnished and stocked with enough food to last at least a couple of weeks. Greed stops near some double doors, behind which laid a set of wooden stairs. The stairs led down into what resembled a white silk womb, surrounded by the softest and most comfortable blankets and pillows he had ever laid eyes upon.

Greed: She is the last one remaining here, and she doesn't have long left...

Someone was sleeping soundly inside... Virno recognized her. At last, he manages to utter but a single word.

Virno: Faya...

Faya did not seem dead, yet she was sleeping so peacefully that anyone who is not paying close attention could be fooled into thinking as much.

Greed: If she wakes up in the cradle, the lights inside her room will turn on. Once all the lights are on in one a given building, it sinks to the bottom of the river. From that point onward, there is no hope for the souls inside to return to their previous life. Do you understand, Virno?

Virno stared blankly at Faya, trying to process the knowledge imparted onto him.

Greed: The cradle is a transitory passage for souls. Those whose fate treads the fine line between life and death sleep here. If they live, their room becomes vacant, and they wake up in their own bodies in the physical world. If they die, they wake up here in the cradle, where they will peacefully spend their final days until it is time for their souls to move on.

Virno furrows his brow.

Virno: So Faya is almost dead... They still couldn't save her... I couldn't save her...

Greed looks at Virno.

Greed: How does that make you feel?

Virno clenches his fists.

Virno: ... The same way I felt when my father died. Like I didn't do enough. Like there could have been something more I could have done to prevent this...

Greed shakes his head.

Greed: You're wrong, Virno. You went above and beyond, you even put your own life in danger in the process of trying to save her. Do you see how your mind operates...? What you describe is nothing short of both omniscience and omnipotence. To know and make happen exactly what is required to save another person's life... How could you possibly expect yourself to achieve that? It is an impossibly high standard to live up to -- one that cripples you in your darkest moments. If the path ahead is not clear, you either launch yourself into reckless situations, ensuring your defeat, or worse... You buckle under the pressure and let terror consume you.

He places a hand on Virno's shoulder.

Greed: It is a part of the human condition to respond with fear when you sense danger, or feel unsafe. That is a mostly inescapable reality. You have no say when it comes to experiencing fear... But it is still within your power to choose how to respond to it. To be ruled by fear for the lives of others is pointless, you have seen first hand how your best efforts to save them could still lead to failure when you are of sound mind, let alone when you are overwhelmed with panic... And it can be just as crippling to fear for one's own life. The consequences of choosing not to heed that fear in times of real danger, could mean the difference between the life and death of any common human... But not yours. Not if you become the bearer of the sword.

Greed's eyes glow once again. Virno peers into them, as visions of several locations become etched in his mind.

Greed: Claim it. Liberate yourself from fear's clutches, release yourself from its shackles once and forever, Virno. Become the sword's wielder and you shall gain incredible power, power that will enable you to protect the lives of those you love in ways you could never have before...!

Suddenly, the room becomes engulfed in a blinding light, as a deafening roar causes the entire building to shake. As they look behind, they see a massive, golden eye staring through the open hole in the wall. A piercing headache overcomes Virno as he feels the very air getting sucked out of his lungs. He could sense his essence getting expelled from the cradle, forcing him to wake up in the physical world, gasping for air.