54th Tick: Normal World
1020 Words
Episode had lived his life fighting for survival, he was like a beast, his instincts would always push him to survive. Against military demons, against an entire army, even against other demon generals, he had always come out on top simply through his will to survive. He had never lost the will even after passing down his memories from generations to generations. Nothing would and could change him, he was a survivor.
Still, he was on his knees after a single encounter. His eyes were wide as his memories flashed before his eyes, all the years of existing. But he realised something, he never was immortal, was he? He had only brainwash other demons to make believe he had been reborn, he was already dead. Besides, he had already lost meaning and purpose. The Devil did not ask him for more, he was only there. There were no more wars to be fought, no more realms to be purged. To him, he had nothing to do.
Episode knelt there, frozen in place. He scratched his neck, his face and eyes, drawing blood.
He wanted to die.
He was only seventeen, how was he a hundred thousand? He did not have any meaning left, rather he did not have one to begin with. He had only done it to fulfil the wishes of some old demon. Episode wasn’t even Episode to begin with. He grabbed his face, who was he? What was his name? What was his family? His birthday? His purpose?
What was he doing with his life? The demon grasped his throat, feeling difficulty in breathing. The darkness below him started to tremble as he shook. For about seventeen years, he had been gaining the memories of some random demon from that long ago, he had done so against his will. Just what was he doing? He could have led a normal life instead of doing all that. What was his reason to battle? Even the instinct to survive was not his, it was all his imagination.
Wish appeared nearby, but cursed. There was no way for him to help the demon anymore.
Wish sighed, he simply would not get to battle with Thomas anymore. Probably the worst outcome for all of them. Thomas would get his abilities back, but Episode would die. Wish would not get his fight with Thomas because Episode died. JoyRide would be put back in his cage because Episode died. Truly, the worst outcome. Wish disappeared with a gust of wind.
Episode fell over, having scratched his throat out.
Somewhere else, Thomas was just standing around with Rose still lying down on the platform of The World Clock.
“What are you doing?” Rose asked Thomas.
“It’s a walking stick.” Thomas replied.
“But why?”
“The previous ClockKeeper used it as a weapon, so he left it behind. I never really found out what it was though.”
“Why would you need a weapon?” Rose asked, puzzled.
“Have you seen my previous battles? I’m extremely weak, okay.”
“You actually admit that?”
Thomas swung the walking stick on his finger and tapped the ground with it. He tried swinging the walking stick, it could probably make a good blunt force. He sighed and sat back down.
“How long has it been since the worlds merged?” Rose asked.
“A day or two since you woke up.”
Thomas tapped his fingers, obviously impatient. Rose noticed him and asked, “Did you do anything to remove the cuffs?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like ask someone else?”
“Nonsense.”
Thomas swung the stick again awkwardly before throwing it back into the timeline the previous ClockKeeper had kept it in. He needed a method of self defence, but that walking stick was just not for him.
“So you just plan to wait until I’m alright?” Rose asked him.
“More or less.” He replied, sitting down. “What? Do you want me to die?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be immortal?”
“Without my powers, how am I supposed to be immortal? If the ClockKeeper was really immortal, the previous one wouldn’t have been able to commit suicide.”
“Sounds complicated.” Rose sighed.
Thomas looked at her, then noticed something. He pointed at her hair and asked, “How long have you had white hair?”
“I don’t know, a few days? Not too sure.” She replied, trying to shrug but failed.
“You stressed?” Thomas joked.
“I had to take care of a child.”
“Guess not then.” Thomas said. “I pulled you back from Heaven, so I guess you were there too long.”
“What happened to Heaven?”
Thomas was silent. He then said, “Who knows? Probably happened before I existed.”
Rose laid there, she could tell Thomas was hiding something from her. But she decided not to push for information, after all, he must have had a reason for wanting to do what he did. She was lying down on the platform, Thomas was sitting down, kind of doing nothing in particular when the cuffs on his hands just disappeared. Both of them stared at his wrists, surprised for a few seconds.
Without any hesitation, Thomas said, “Second Hour.”
The clocks on The World Clock paused. Thomas had a clock in front of him, pointing to the second hour. The clocks around him turned backwards rapidly and in a few seconds, they stopped. Thomas sat back down, Rose looking at him.
He shook his head and reversed time on her body too, healing her. Rose stood up and extended her arm, trying to see whether she was actually okay.
“What-” She started.
“I don’t know.” Thomas replied, stepping out of The World Clock with Rose.
Indeed, the world was back to normal. However, to ensure that Episode did not just resume the merging from that time, Thomas only reversed time on the world itself. People who died would stay dead, the memories from the time was also retained, that was how it is. Thomas gave Rose a look and pointed forward, where there was a lot of nothing. “So... you want to continue?”
“After all that happens, really?”
“I mean, yes.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Rose said, already walking forward.
Immortal Episode Arc (end)
- Writer
