Seven Chances In Another World

Chapter 17: The Last Boss

"Now we have three people missing." He glanced at Fahd. "Let’s focus on the last boss, now. Any ideas where she might be?"

Fahd nodded. "Probably at the spot where I was about to k… I mean… where I first talked with Shadi."

Zain closed the gate and nodded. "Let's go there." He then stopped and pushed Fahd against the wall. “Where you were about to k… what?”

Fahd’s eyes widened slightly. “Wh-What?” He looked away, avoiding his gaze. “Nothing… Nothing!”

Zain stared at him for the next few minutes, and then Fahd cracked. “Where I was about to kill myself.”

Zain’s jaw dropped and he was about to say something. He lowered his head and rested his forehead on Fahd’s chest. They stayed like that for a while then Zain walked ahead without saying a word.

They walked in the silent hallways, avoiding spots where people were fighting.

"You're… You seem so different from the first time we talked," Fahd attempted to start a conversation to ease his fear from the darkness and loosen the tension.

Zain turned to him and pursed his lips. Fahd saw the shadow of melancholy in his vibrant green eyes before Zain looked away. "I'm not a very stable person, psychologically I mean."

"Th-That's fine! I'm the same, actually. I understand."

"Do you?" Zain smiled and continued walking. "I always believed that nobody can truly understand another. It's because we're so different. Another factor is language; it's so imperfect and limited. It is man-made after all. Words are not enough to describe what we feel. That's why we end up depressed. We cannot diagnose our feelings, and that is frustrating. We were created ignorant, and only death will bring the truth. Until then, we struggle with ourselves, what we can see and what we cannot. We fight until death brings peace." He inhaled deeply and sighed. "But too much fighting might make us insane," he whispered, "Too much fighting will make us wish for peace, and peace is death. However, as long as we're still alive, as long as we wake up every morning and reach dawn every day, it means we still have things to do. We must survive no matter what if that's the case. Even if life seems purposeless, then it becomes our duty to find a purpose and not wait in silence for death. We must never surrender even if it kills us without killing us." He stepped on a corpse without batting an eye and reached the stairs. "What do you think?"

"I agree." Fahd glanced down at the dagger in his hands. "As long as we're still alive, it means we still have got things to do. Even if we don't know what to do, there is definitely something out there. We must search for it."

"I'm still searching." Zain smiled again. "I didn't find anything yet. For now, I found one thing to do, and that is to get out of this game. After I do that, I don't know where fate will lead me. That's probably the thrill and the challenge of being alive."

He stopped walking. "It is, in fact, to remain alive."

Fahd stood next to him and stared at his sister, cutting the corpse of someone she killed and dismantling it. Fahd frowned. "Rania… What… are you doing?"

Zain equipped his blades and watched in silence.

Rania smiled brightly, seeing her brother. "Brother! You're awake! How was your near-death experience? You came to thank me, didn't you? I put the love of death back in your heart and brought you back to your senses, didn't I? I made sure you never wake up, but those evil people stopped me. You only slept for four months. I'm sorry. Come with me, I'll put you back to sleep and give you the best death! You will become the most beautiful person in the world!"

Fahd clenched his jaws and closed his eyes. "Rania. Stop saying nonsense and come with me. We must get out of this place."

"Why?! I love being here! It's so fun! I can drink all the blood I want and dissect as many corpses as want!"

"ENOUGH!" Fahd punched the wall, teeth gritted. "YOU ARE AN INSANE SADIST MANIAC JUST LIKE MY SHAMEFUL FATHER WAS! STOP BEING ANNOYING! I'VE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH YOUR CRAP FOR ENOUGH TIME! If you don't come with me, I'll have no choice but to force you."

"Take it back." Rania grabbed a knife from the floor. "TAKE IT BACK! HOW DARE YOU INSULT DAD?"

Fahd sighed and pressed a hand against his face. "Just stop it… Stop this madness. Think. Use your brain a little, please. I don't want to hurt you, Rania. Please, come with me. We need to get out of this place. You will cool down after we leave."

"I WILL NEVER TRUST YOU!" She went berserk and ran towards him. He grabbed her wrists, stopping the knife an inch away from stabbing him. "Stop it. Please…"

"I know what you did," she smirked. "You killed my father because he was beating your b***h of a mother. I will never forgive you for killing dad. I know what you were after. You wanted his wealth. THAT WEALTH IS MINE, FAHD. You will never get it. I put up with your w***e mother when she took it, but I will NOT tolerate you taking it."

"You can have it for all I care." Fahd stared at her in disgust and pushed her away. "I don't need any wealth, and I never spent anything from that dirty money I inherited. You can have it, in fact, PLEASE have it. I wanted to get rid of it for a while now."

She straightened. "That doesn't matter. I was going to get it anyway because now you are going to die."

Zain looked away, annoyed. "Fahd. Move aside."

He pushed Fahd behind him and ran towards Rania. Fahd's eyes widened. "WAIT! DON'T KILL HER, PLEASE!"

Zain blinked, his blade stopping at the last moment, pointed at Rania’s forehead. She smirked. "Mistake, pretty boy."

He gasped, feeling a blade sinking in his abdomen. He gazed down at his belly and fell to his knees, throwing up blood. Rania grabbed him by his hair, moving her dagger up, and he bit his lower lip, trying to ignore the pain.

"You're so beautiful like this. It would be a shame to kill you. Die slowly!" She let go of him, and he fell to the side with a gasp. She moved her gaze to her brother, who watched Zain in shock.

She licked her lips. "Ahh! That look on your face, brother! I have changed my mind! I will not kill you. I want to hurt you in the worst ways possible instead! That is what my father would have wanted!"

She laughed hysterically and ran away. Fahd jumped to Zain's side. "No… Please… Talk to me."

He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and glanced down at his bleeding belly with round eyes. "I… I'm… I'm sorry… I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!"

"Shhh…"

He saw Zain's lips curving in a small smile as blood ran from his mouth. "D… Don't… s… scream…"

"No…" Fahd removed his shirt and gently pressed it against Zain's wound, which made him gasp. He breathed Fahd’s name and clung to his shirt. "I’m… th-the one…" he whispered, "Who… mu–"

Fahd shook his head. “No… Wait…”

“Must…”

“Wait!”

“Die…”

“WAIT!”