Lockeroom's Pandemonium

Chapter forty five: Closure

“I never thought I will have this instance to see you again, Mary,” said Silver.

He finally found the courage to step his feet, to move his own body, so that he could lessen his distance towards his own sister.

Mary’s smile grew wider as she saw how her brother took the first step so that they could meet.

“I never left you, brother. I am always beside you. I am always watching you, guiding you, protecting you,” Mary said.

Silver sighed. If only all of the things that he had heard was all real, he could declare his self as the happiest man on earth.

But he knew, since because they were inside this unpredictable game, everything could be possible.

He wished that everything could be real. Or perhaps, he could stay inside this illusion, and live happily until of the last breath he would heave.

He can see Mary; he can talk to her, joke to her, and even touch her.

Silver bit his lip and fight the urge that is building at him. But he cannot. H

He ran fast towards where Mary is standing, and threw a hug at her.

The familiar petite built of the body he use to take care of, the familiar scent, that familiar warmth—every single detail of her had made him reminded of her.

Of real Mary.

“You know how much I love you, my dear sister,” Silver said.

Mary moved her head up and down, sign that she was nodding.

Silver again sighed.

He summoned an ordinary knife from his inventory.

The sharpness it bears was shining with the light from above. He just then realized that the whole place suddenly changed.

They were not inside the white room anymore, but now of his own room: that room he had rented so that he could be alone, after that traumatic incident that he have suffered.

He can see his own reflection at the metal knife. The tears kept running out of his eyes as his lips quiver with the thought of what he will be doing next.

He will kill the Mary whom he was hugging right now.

He know, killing this fake sister of her would be hard.

It felt like he will be killing her own real sister for the second time. But he have no choice. He have to do it, for he was certain this was the test that the room had given to him.

He had to move and act faster. Or else, his comrades would be in much bigger danger.

With a deep breath, he started gaining force on his hand.

Then he motioned a stab to her.

However, just before the knife could touch Mary’s skin, the young girl hugged him tighter, and called his name.

“Silver,” she said. “I know you are aware that I am fake.”

Silver stopped. His chest heaved series of short breathing, for he was trying to contain his cries.

“But I have her memory. I have her own emotions. I knew how much the real Mary loved you. How much she treasured you. And I can't stop myself to feel that kind of love as well.”

Mary then released him from hugging.

“I know, the system told me to kill you. And that you were planning to kill me as well. But . . . are we having the same kind of death I once already suffered?”

Silver stared at her, through which her eyes were filled with painful tears.

“We could choose happiness, my big brother. We could live happily. We could live as if the old times. Here, inside this illusionary room. You and me, no hardships, no evils, no murderers. And, I will try my very best for you to accept me as your real sister. As the real sweet child you hold big space in your heart.”

Silver dropped his knife. He stared at the ground, at Mary’s shoes.

He swallowed the lump on his throat. He spaced out.

What Mary told to him was tempting.

A merry life to live with Mary, here in this place. Here inside an illusionary room.

It was okay for him.

Long as Mary was there, long as he could hear her talk and laugh, long as he could see her smile, long as he could feel her warm hugs, he would welcome that offer to him.

After all, his life fell into the pit of senselessness when Mary died.

It would be the best offer to alleviate his own melancholy.

But he thought of Alina, of Yohanna, of Jiero. They were all suffering and battling this kind of temptations.

And he should not do anything, but to survive. To help them survive the challenges of the game.

With the deepest inhale he had done, he picked his knife which he had dropped just a while.

He looked at the copycat of his sister. “I'm sorry, I can't,” he said.

Mary then wiped the tears that was falling in her cheeks. She then nodded, sadness was written in all over her beautiful face.

“Then I have no choice but to fight you too.”

She took a few steps away of Silver. She jumped backwards, and just before she could land, a thin longsword appeared in her hands.

Silver then nodded. ‘This is the right thing to do,’ he told himself.

He unsummon the knife, and equip with his main weapon. The Muse of the Vine’s Whip.

The room then changed. From his own personal room, the surrounding turned back into being the white room.

“Just remember, Silver. If ever I have the chance to kill you, I will do it because it was what was originally programmed in my system.”

Silver then nodded for the second time. Then he said, “same with me, Mary. If ever I am the one who may kill you, I will be doing it for the sake of my life. For the sake of those people who needs my help. We have to survive here.”

Mary nodded as well.

“You are still the same brother I have. But I have to kill you.”

She disappeared. From beside Silver, she appeared again, swinging her sword, aiming at Silver's torso.

Silver managed to dodge it. He jumped and made a tumbling stance in the midair. He then perfectly landed at a far distance.

He tried to wield and gain force for his whip, but his sister moved fast. In just a blink of an eye, Mary was now at her front, swinging an upward arc with her longsword.

Silver took a step back, before the sword could cut his body into two.

He slashed his whip and it deflected the incoming attack from Mary.

He slashed it again, but Mary had already made her move.

He appeared above Silver, and gave him a hard kick at the head.

Silver received it, and painfully crashed his back at the ground.

Mary was standing above him, looking down, with a blank expression on her face.

She then moved her arm, and the tip of her longsword was displayed at his front.

He closed his eyes. Darkness welcomed him. He nodded and smiled.

‘This must be my end. But at least, I have paid my sin for her. For my beloved sister,” he thought.

He heard the sound of the piercing sword.

But he can't feel any pain.

He can't feel its cold metal thrust in his flesh.

He opened his eyes.

At the side, near his ears, is where the longsword was pierced. The floor met its sharp tip.

Then he saw Mary. She was crying. Her eyes were filled with sadness. Yet, a smile on her face was plastered.

“Live, my big brother. You are worth of more years of living,” she said in between of her sobs. “Please, do that as a favor for me. And I'm sure, the real Mary would do this kind of thing to you. I'm sure, she would be willing to sacrifice her own self just for your sake.”

Silver’s tears rushed out of his eyes again.

Every sobs she made, he felt the pain.

That pain of Mary's tears. That pain of once again, he would be witnessing her own sister's death.

But this time, that death was with closure.

He screamed. An ugly, coarse cry by which it was harmonized with melancholy, sadness, and despair.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!”

He moved his arm, and made a slashing motion with his vine whip.

The last thing he could see is the smile of Mary, the tears rushing out of her eyes . . . and her head that was falling out of her neck.