Chapter Text
Entrati looms in front of Drifter as The Hex lay dead, bearing an almost condescending yet inquisitive grin. Like a scientist watching a freshly dissected living creature squirm on the operating table. He raises his gun and speaks, but Drifter can only think about the tragedy around them and its mocking laughter in the back of their mind.
Aoi, who desperately tried her hardest but was ultimately overridden by radiation.
Amir, chest rapidly blooming with red thanks to a fatal gunshot wound.
Arthur, inside the core chamber having fought to his last before succumbing.
Quincy, choosing his friends in a final brave, selfless act that costs him everything.
Lettie, having always looked out for others to her detriment and eventual demise.
And Eleanor, sacrificing herself in an attempt to hopefully turn the tide, only to be lost.
No. Not like this.
A shot rings out. Drifter falls and lands with a loud, meaty thud, down but not out through sheer defiance of will. Pain had long since been a familiar friend and to them this was nothing, a fraction of what they've had to deal with. After all, pain is a reminder that they're still going. Coughing, blood begins trickling out of their mouth leaving with them one final move to get out of this situation.
Extending a hand to form a fist, they can hear the roar of the void buried deep within the pit of their soul ignite as they slam it down. It feels like every nerve ending in their entire body is set on fire, burning with this power as they smile through the pain. This isn't the end. I refuse it. Stubborn determination overwhelms their blazing body.
Everything begins sliding off the edges of their consciousness as the world disintegrates into sand, their thoughts scattered grains in an hourglass trickling down as it's turned over. A swirl of black and white takes over Drifter’s vision, like the pages of a book being flipped in reverse as they struggle to keep a grasp of themself.
Not
o
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m
y
w
a
t
c
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B
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N I A G A
(The echo of two voices are heard overlapping as they speak the command.)
B E G I N
I
A
G
A
Drifter wakes to the start of the year made anew. They groggily rub their eyes as music plays from the mall loudspeakers, a somber tone accompanied by the strumming of an… instrument of some kind. An electric one? It’s tough keeping up with the tech of the era, being so accustomed to their own. Nonetheless, they look around to see that their power worked. Thank fuck it worked.
Being from a different timeline, they weren't 100% certain if they could pull off a rewind here. The fact that it did could be either a good sign or a bad one in terms of how much reach the Void and Void entities have here.
As they shake off sleep their mind starts running to drag up the gruesome images of the previous events to the surface, ones they immediately pushed down and promised internally to never let those things happen again. Right, back to work. They have a responsibility to these people after all and there's no time like the present.