Heroes to Hunted

My eyes snapped in the direction of the noise, and I hoisted my knives forward for an attack. Only there was none, just more darkness.

A creeping angst filled my mind, freeing the thoughts I tried so hard to shackle away. 'Shit, is he waiting? Is he attacking? Where is he? Goddamn, this smoke! SHOW YOURSELF!' My eyes rapidly darted in every direction, and my breath quickened.

When my thoughts were at their loudest, a powerful stimulus halted them. A new heat was pinpointed at a single section in my body, the side of my right leg.

Vincent's rapier deeply penetrated the skin and sinew of my ankles. Then, a sudden jolt of electric agony shot up my nerves as he tore it out.

'You son of a-' I turned as my wounded leg buckled to its knee, swiping my knife in Vincent's direction. Again, my attack missed its mark; its edge only splitting the fog ahead.

'Fuck! I'm getting tired of this!' I clenched my teeth in anger, jerking my gaze in every direction. Though I tried to maintain a calm demeanor, paranoia and fury thwarted me.

"C'mon, Sato. Get a grip!" I mumbled in a growl. My expression periodically twitched from the frustration rumbling inside. It was reaching a boiling point, threatening to assume control.

'Stay focused, stay calm,' I repeated, willing the unruly beast within back to its cage.

My exertion to maintain a relaxed demeanor succeeded but was ultimately pointless. 'Unless I can clear this fog, I might as well slice my wrists myself,' I sighed with a tinge of hopelessness.

From what I could tell, the mist was some mixture of his blood and magic. If that were the case, an intense heat would no doubt disperse the molecules and/or incinerate them...hopefully.

That's when an insane idea plagued my mind. Not one I actively concocted but an afterthought of my subconscious. 'What if I used my affinity?'

My heart tightened, and my mind dizzied. The fear of the notion spread weakness within my body like a foul disease. The sensation cascaded throughout my muscles in a series of apprehensive shivers.

'No way...  There's no way you can control it, you fool. No damn way!' I snapped at myself, bringing one wrist to wipe the foolishness from my brow - it took the form of cold sweat.

"I need another way," I gritted my teeth and shook my head, reconstructing my shaken resolve.

Then, Vincent's voice yanked me from my thoughts. "I truly do admire you, Sir Sato," he echoed from within the shroud.

I threw up my knives in a panic to see the fog's unaltered positioning. 'He's not attacking?' I skeptically twisted my head, scanning every direction.

Vincent's calm and suave demeanor sharply contrasted with my trembling as he spoke, "You're terrified, I can tell. Your heart is racing, your breathing is erratic, and sweat soaks your skin to its entirety."

I pivoted, analyzing the smoke surrounding me for Vincent. It was a fruitless endeavor since his voice seemed to bounce across the fog and obscure its origin.

"Yet, even as death looms close... Even as your wounds drain your life away, drop by drop. Even as fear engulfs you like this fog, you remain unbroken. You are steadfast in your defiance. That is why you impress me."

'Might as well keep him talking...'  I thought, figuring it'd grant me time to search for my next move. I was steadily losing blood, so a battle of motionless attrition was a losing one.

"Isn't that obvious?" I retorted, moving from my spot and searching through the darkness for anything I could use. "I told you from the beginning that, no matter the chances, I'll fight with all my might."

"That you did. It's just a tad difficult to believe."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" I feigned interest while feeling my way across a wall. I hadn't forgotten about the oddly silent three injured guards, so I placed my back on it and traveled opposite their direction. I simultaneously watched the smoke for any traces of movement.

"It's just..." Vincent continued. "There were many I've struck down, all of whom once shared your sentiment. However, when they faced the prospect of certain death, all faltered at that final moment."

"Some begged for their lives, using their children's and family's wellbeing as a sort of 'moral shield.'"

"Some panicked in rage, cursing me for my abilities and promising swift vengeance in the afterlife.

"Some cried, lamenting their fate as one too soon, believing their youth granted them some form of invulnerability to life's inevitability."

"Is there a meaning to this?" I impatiently intoned, then found the room's corner.

"Of course," Vincent replied. "The point is: all were different, yet each bore the same failure - the failure to maintain that promise of unbreakable opposition. Only one other, that hero I spoke of, has defied that pattern. That's why believing you would be any different is difficult."

"Well, I do pride myself on going against the flow," I said sarcastically.

"It would appear so," Vincent reservedly laughed. "It would appear so..."

His voice faded. Then, he appeared from the shroud, lining up his rapier straight for my right eye.

Luckily, I angled my knives upward, parrying his blow, followed by a volley of sparks and a resounding clang. His sword's momentum carried it upward, eventually piercing something with a hollow thud.

"Wonderfully executed," Vincent praised, then tore his rapier away, receding back to obscurity. "But you've backed yourself into a corner, Sir. And I can smell death on you. Your blood loss is palpable; I can taste it on my fangs. I imagine you must be feeling quite exhausted by now."

"Exhausted? I've never felt better!" is what I said, but he was right. My body ached and stuttered from the wounding. Just the act of standing was taxing due to the leg wound I received in my ankle.

Unless some streak of hope shined through this blackened void, this would truly be my final stand - the closing chapter to my second life.

That's when, by some miracle, hope literally shined through to banish the darkness. From Vincent's small incision with his rapier, a bit of sunlight leaked through a window's wooden boarding.

That sole, lonely bright strand cut through the darkness with absolute precision, creating a small path through which I could see.

Upon witnessing the phenomenon, I realized an important fact. I didn't know why, I didn't know how, but the sunlight... 'it clears the fog!'