City of Sinners

Chapter 45

The blood that has showered to me and Valour was warm. With the storm of ghosts that was surrounding us, it has made the surrounding chattering cold, making the sensation of the horrifying blood enveloping our body to be warm.

It was a warmth that I never wanted to have. A warmth that I never badly wanted to experience. Yet, here I am, screaming from the horror.

Damn it! So this is the way how we’re going to be killed by those ghosts? Those Carnal Malefactors?

I suppose, if I wasn’t able to find out that the thing happening between me and (impostor) Valour was just a fake scenario, I would have been enjoying that same fate the Vulture member was experiencing. My body would have been shaking uncontrollably while lying on the ground—headless. Damn it.

I wanted to cry or to get mad at someone. But this fear restricts me so. You see, crying is normal, and getting mad at someone, with of course a valid reason, was definitely okay. However, with the fear that is now, again, creeping on my chest, is making my mind both groggy and blank. I don’t know what to do. I am supposed to do something. Because they say I am strong. And in this situation, I am the only one that can help them. But what shall I do?

Though I kept my feet on the ground, standing firm, my knees were locked and expensively frozen.

“Sitri.”

Something in me felt alive when I heard familiar voice. I quickly looked at Valour to check on to him, and there I saw him damn awake but still confused of what is happening in the surrounding.

“Wh—What happened to you, Sitri? Why are you covered in blood?” he asked me.

“You are too,” I answered. “Well, It’s because of the Vulture beside you.”

The moment he looked at the man, and noticing that its head was gone, he jumped away from shock. However, I intricately warned him of not letting go of the dead man’s hand, or the fortified composure of the gang will lose; that if by ay chance, he would let go of his hand, few of our group can be now dragged by the pressure of the ghost and brought at who knows where.

Good thing, he always listens to me. However, because he is holding a dead man’s body, he is uncomfortable. This is funny: we have killed and seen a lot of gross things when we found ourselves here inside the hell. We have even severed a lot of heads on our own—but seeing a dead human’s body is hitting on us differently. Perhaps it was because we are real humans, and seeing horrible things happening to our comrades makes me afraid that I might perhaps suffer on the same fate that they had. That is why it is more of horror for us of being killed by the demons, sinners, ghosts, or whatever creatures of hell, rather than just plainly killing them.

Yet, this time, our main focus is how would we be able to wake other of the Vultures from being asleep?

I turned once again to Valour. “What shall we do? We need to help the Vultures. They are surely in the midst of their death sentence. We need to do something.”

Valour hasn’t answered me yet. His stare was on the ground, spacing out, and by means of that, I know that he is thinking of something.

“I have a theory of what was happening. This swirling ghosts in the area has the capacity to make a illusion; a room of dreams; of fake scenario that would awaken the call of the human flesh. They will be churning your libido.”

Valour has nodded. Then, as if he had remembered something, he suddenly looked uncomfortable, and his face turned flush of red. I wonder what has happened inside his dream? Who was the figure who had tried to control his s*x drive?

However, I guess we have no time for that to be acknowledged. We have to help others.

“And then, if you were able to surpass that s****l desire, if you were able to neglect the temptation for your flesh, you will remain alive. Just like what happened to us. But, if you totally devoured your desires and enjoyed it cursing in your flesh, you will suffer the same thing that has happened to the man beside you.”

Valour again nodded. “I see.”

“So what shall we do?”

Valour sighed. “For now, I have no idea. I was able to notice that the place I was in, was just an illusion when someone whispered that it is not real. And so, I realized that it was. That’s how I got rid of that temptation dream. So I guess, the only way for them to get out of that place is for them to realize that what they are experiencing, was just a mere false world.”

“Which means?”

“We cannot help them. It is on their take whether they would be controlled by their lusts or desires. It is up to them whether they will save their own lives or not.”

“Damn it.”

At the other part of the circle, I’ve seen another Vulture’s head being plucked out by that unusual child-like ghost. Is there really nothing to do in order to help them? Were there no other possible things?

“Sitri.”

I jumped from shock when someone, again, called my name. I looked at the left side of me, and there I saw Agos looking at me weakly.

“Agos! You’re awake!”

“What happened to you? Why are you …” he looked at Valour, “… and Valour covered in blood?”

“Long story. How were you able to survive?” I asked, glad that he is alright.

“I realized that it was just a dream when beside my ears, someone was whispering. And, that whisper was telling something to uhm, Valour. I guess it was your voice, Sitri? You’re calling Valour and constantly telling that everything was just a dream.”

Bewitched, I quickly looked at Valour. With shocked expressions, we have both communicated.

We know; we realized … that even though we’re on that made-up dream world, our subconscious thoughts is awakened in the real world.

As if we have agreed onto something—even without speaking—we started shouting in sync. “That is just a dream!”

Agos, though clueless, started following what me and Valour was doing.