DUELS
Damages
Duels
Puddles, reflected worn out homes, the moon although bright in the dusty night sky; made every burden immense. Sitting on a bench, at high end restaurant, eating a full meal, was the least of his problems. The Awakening was happening in a short while; Jongdae wasn’t prepared for it, but was more scared of hurting his foe than anything. The young man, sat, on the lush stool, swirling his whiskey in his glass. His name had never been called before, and he hoped that streak would continue; but something pulled at his gut, a part of him he always trusted.
Looking for the time, he called on the bartender and asked for it, “It is ten to the Awakening, if that was what you meant?” Jongdae’s mouth became dry, a tremor plagued his body and although nothing was said, no names put against each other; the feeling in his gut grew. Shaking off the feeling, the best he could, he gathered himself, and paid for his drink and meal. Leaving, he thought to himself, will I be chosen today? Will i die today?
Walking along the wet sidewalk, to the town center, where everyone was gathering, a dull aura lingered heavily. The piercing sound of a mic, whistled like a siren through the open air; although the energy remained lethargic. A woman, not much taller than five feet, and six inches, with a long silky black ponytail stood there, her small frame, elegant and intimidating. She lifted the mic to her lips and though the situation was depressing, Jongdae was drawn to her melodic voice.
“Hello, everyone, my name is BoA and I will be your leader for this day of the awakening.”
She went on explaining the rules, and he listened closely, “you will be put against someone, and can only use your powers to fight. Either until the opponent perishes or can’t rebound well”. Jongdae winced at the word perish, but quickly collected himself, knowing who was going to stop a person from killing him. With this view, he tried to thicken his skin, but not before she announced the first name.
“Minseok, of region eleven, user of frost”, she reached into the glorified gauntlet again, pulling another piece of paper out.”
Jongdae, watched with a dry mouth and uneasy stomach, as she lifted the mic to once again.
“Jongdae, of region 19, the user of thunder.”
He froze, a cold sweat ran through his fading corpse. He stood there, in utter shock and fear, looking at his opponent, who was staring sharply back at him. As he tried to collect himself, it was as if Moses himself, had traveled to this part in time, the audience parted, leaving him alone. “ Do you know what you are to do?” Jongdae nodded, stumbling over his words, “I-i understand”. He didn’t want to make anymore eye contact with his opponent; the energy around him was dripping with blood lust, like a pit bull in a fight. Knowing he couldn’t fight this man, he let that thought wonder, but decided he would give it his best shot.
Frost, was a power that only the strong really could master, and Minseok didn’t look like someone to mess with. His sharp upturned eyes, watched his frame carefully, Jongdae felt like he was being hunted. As soon as he exhaled, Jongdae took the first shot, in hopes he would blind side his opponent enough to injure him and walk out of this fight, not a winner, but alive. But to his amazement, his opponent, dodged and struck Jongdae with a powerful ray of frost; frostbite ripped at his shoulder and fingers.
Although his fingers were going numb, he mustered enough courage to send another stream of thunder his direction, this time pulling it from the sky, where Minseok wouldn’t see it. Minseok, growled in pain, as his shoulder steamed, but shrugged it off and struck Jongdae again. He weakened, as he was cocooned in a swirl, much like a twister of snowflakes, that looked like glass shards. They cut at his weakening body, and he fell to one knee, wincing in pain and shuddering from his body freezing.
As quickly as splintering whirlwind came, it dissipated and there before him, stood his foe. Crystallizing the blood on his body, as he yelled at him, “Do you wish to die that badly!” Something broke, in Jongdae and he no longer felt his weakness, or fingers. Internal war happened, as he pondered on the words. Maybe it was because he was dying slowly, or that he was going to die quickly; but where he found the courage to yell back, was a surprise to him. “I don’t wish to kill anyone, but”, he felt his power, heat up in his body, and as if he watched lava pulsing through cracks in the earth as it traveled. His power shot through his veins and out of his palms.
“I want to live!” he exclaimed, shooting a sporadic amount of lightning strikes at Minseok.
The latter, fell to the ground, steaming, and crying in pain, trying to freeze over the burns on him, before jongdae zapped him a few more times, waiting for Minseok to stop moving. Eventually, he seized and twitched, before falling unconscious. Jongdae stood there smiling. He hd won, but he was more happy no one died. As he went to check the pulse of his opponent, it was as if hell erupted in his body. Fire ripped through his veins, and his vision ceased, other than an immense light, as if he was watching the sun in the middle of day. His throat burned, limbs became numb, stumbling to his knees, turning his head in the darkness.
“Someone helps me!” he cried out, no one came close.
Unaware of what he was facing, or if anyone was there or near; he cried in pain, as his heart sped up and thudded harshly in his chest. Withering in pain, unable to point a finger at the source of this hell, he gave into it, and faded into the bottomless darkness.
Ϟ
The sunlight, poured into the room, through the softly swaying curtains. Flickering upon his eyelids, waking him from his sleep; wincing at his body. Turning his attention to the left side of his room, and around, unaware of his surroundings.
“Infirmary.”
“What, huh?” Jongdae wheezed out, as he sat up.
“Thanks for not killing me, but also helping me unlock a new stage of my power.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“During the Awakening, we fought, and you won, I was rendered unconscious”. Minseok grabbed his head and side as he sat up, “I don’t know what happened to you, I heard your screams and shortly after passed out”.
“I honestly don’t know either, it was hell though. I didn’t die?”
“You are here, stupid, we have matching burns, friends?” Minseok's eyes although still sharp were softer as Jongdae looked into them.
A mirror caught his attention and he gasped, frantically running to it, stumbling to the ground in front of it. A mark like sea foam, in the shape of a lightning bolt, marked his chest and neck. It glowed, gold before fading into a relative color to his tan complexion. He stared at it in confusion and wonder, turning his attention back to Minseok who was watching him, his eyes wandering about him.
“Friends!”
A/N: This is a One-Shot to test if you would read a fic about this if made. If you do please leave a comment, upvote or subscribe and I will be happy to respond and keep writing :)
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