Mystic Guardians: Time and Space

Chapter 4: Torture and reason for survival

A force pulled Alyssa to her knees, her doppelganger sent a punch to her stomach, hitting hard and making Alyssa cough harshly. Her doppelganger stood to its feet and reached out towards the wall taking a knife she knelt in front of Alyssa and began to carve markings in to her skin the knife was incredibly dull which made the pain then times worsen. Before Alyssa knew what happened she had died from blood loss and to much pain. But instead of losing her life she woke up tied to a chair a table pact with surgical tools were placed next to her. Alyssa's doppelganger smiled a sadistic smile and took very thin wire from the table and twisted it around the neck of the girl on the chair. The doppelganger tightened the wires until Alyssa's head rolled on the ground. She woke up still strapped to the chair. (The doppelganger is gonna be called 2 from hence forth.) 2 began her work on Alyssa once again this time slowly injuring her by leaving the tools she uses in Alyssa's body. Alyssa grunted and mentally screamed. Is this a test of will? Damn it this hurts. After about seventy deaths, Alyssa began to feel numb from the pain her will wavering as 2 stepped further from her a bow and a knocked in arrow at the ready, 2 aimed at Alyssa's wrists,she narrowed her eyes and quickly looked around. She had had enough, though she knows that if she were to fail she would die but if she just sat here and let this torture continue she would die in any ways mentally at least. There was both invisible and visible bonds keeping her from moving her head kept in place by chains that were impossible to see along with her arms and legs. Moving around rapidly trying to struggle desperately. The chains dug in to her skin drawing more blood then the doppelganger could ever do without killing her. A bone chilling scream ripped through her lungs as she struggled harder ignoring the pain as she did so. With a sickening crack her spine, arms and legs broke due to the constant strain. But as if unaware of this Alyssa kept on struggling as images of her parents who were in the hospital due to old age who would surely be very aggrieved if she were to die here without any goodbye or explanation. Even as her body became completely numb from the pain the restraints brought on she was not ready to give in. The doppleganger dropped her arms confusion written all over her face.

"Why are you struggling still,even when you are in pain? What drives you?" She asks curiously. Alyssa glared at 2 ignoring her completely. 

"Why? That's all I want to know and I swear I will stop and release you if you answer." 2 asks again. 

"Because dying is not an option I can afford! I know I am supposed to endure this because of the test but I can not be mentally injured! I know I can make this, I know I can! But I need to be completely whole! So that I could fight at full strength so that I could survive better! So that I could return to those who love and would miss me if I were to die. It doesn't matter if this is a test of will, no one can survive sixty rounds of torture and still be sane when they come out of it. Because no matter how great the will I am still human!" She shouts and broke free from the chains and restrains. 2 grinned. 

"Good answer. Now fight me!" She shouts and charged at her. Twisting around she sent a kick for Alyssa's bleeding neck. Ducking down she swept her leg underneath 2 and swiftly backed up her arms raised and bloody. 2 arched her back and jumped back on to her feet smiling wickedly she tried to punch Alyssa's gut, but was blocked by arms in an ×. Grunting Alyssa pushed 2 and rapidly swung her leg down in to the lower chest area of the doppelganger. Who proceeded to roll away. Suddenly with a speed Alyssa had previously though to be impossible 2 appeared in front of her in an instant her arms sticking out at the other end of her stomach, sadistic smile in place. Surprised by not falling to the ground dead Alyssa watched as her doppleganger backed away and started to preform a roundhouse kick. Blinking she blocked it and frowned in confusion.

"How did you do that?" She asks 2. 2 merely smiled. 

"You'll find out as we fight." Came the reply. Like before 2 appeared in an instant braking Alyssa's newly healed legs. She fell and grimaced before standing up shakily but found that her legs had once again healed. Alyssa paused in thought. Is it instant transmission? No. Wait! Zin! We are both the same which means we both have a Zin! Alyssa's eyes sparked but dimmed in realisation. Her doppelganger knew how to bend time to her will but she did not. Like 2 had said she would have to gradually improve as the fight progresses. Frowning Alyssa focused on 2 as she disappeared and reappeared beside her her left arm broken and her neck aching slightly. 

"A hint would be appreciated." Says a hissing Alyssa who backed away and circled her mirror like self who smiled smugly. 

" We are timelines." 2 states simply. Alyssa narrowed her eyes confused by 2's words. But before she could think about it further 2 struck at her again this time with a sword in hand, panicking Alyssa grabbed one as well and rouse it up shakily as 2's sword descended upon her own. It broke upon contact and sliced through Alyssa's shirt. Shocked with the strength of the swing she stared wide eyed at the sword in 2's hands before her hands clutched her necklace which glowed under her fingers. She gave a crooked smile as her necklace warped in to a mirror sword of 2's. They launched at each other as Alyssa kept track of 2's movements while reciting her words from earlier. We are timelines, we have beginnings and we all have ends. A never ending circle of life and death. We age with the passing of time and we learn from the passage of it. Alyssa blinked and stopped in her tracks. 

"You're saying that time can be manipulated through us if we use the time within us?" Asks Alyssa. The doppleganger paused and shook her head.

"Not quite, but almost there. We manipulate time through using the time around us stilling it or like I have done slowing it down." The doppelganger states. 

"Eh? How?!" Yells an incredulous Alyssa. " If that is the case than how? Wait! This test was originally a test of will, right? But how does will have anything to-! Oh, I see." Alyssa smiled brightly. Time is manipulated by using your own will to control the dials of the clock within others or sometimes in yourself. She was about to test it out when her body began to glow and the doppelganger dispersed. Hapësirë appeared in front of her with Zin by his side both of whom grinning.

"And that is basically how you control both time and space though space is a bit more complex, we'll get to that later. For now though let's get to the other guardians." States Hapësirë. As another necklace intertwined with the one that had turned back in to its original form. Alyssa's eyes opened under water,quickly swimming upwards as the ice began to recede she gasped as soon as she broke through the surface. Arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her in to a dry boat. Smiling thankfully at Richard she sat down shivering.