Chapter 159: Chapter ??? : Heaven And Hell

*Step*

He strode forward with joy bubbling in his heart…and how could it not, he was in paradise after all. Despite it snaking all the way to the horizon and beyond, the stone path the man walked on was perfectly paved, free from blemishes and shiny, as though having just been polished for the sake of his outing. The same could be said about that which lay on either side of the three-metre wide path.

The sea of grass that the path split was short, not to the point of being a golf course, but long enough that the passing breeze could cause them to frolic about. The greenery pleased but the flowers even more so. There was an abundance of them, of various colours and kinds, giving off pleasant scents and swaying in the winds, all seemingly arranged to match his personal preference. He appreciated their beauty for a while longer before shifting his gaze skyward.

Today was a fine sunny day. The sun showed its proud face but wasn’t overbearing about it, sending down a gentle warmth to the mortals below. These rays met with little obstruction along the way. Blue dominated the sky’s canvas as blotches of white clouds roamed about, directed by the pleasantly cool winds that blew south to north, the direction the man was travelling in.

Today was perfect. The man truly felt this way. One might look to the surrounding vista and conclude that his feelings were the way it was because of these sights, but this wasn’t the case. The flowers, the wind at his back, the clear skies….all these things were merely nice additions, the 0.01 % needed to reach the full 100%. The 99.99 % that accounted for the rest of his feelings could be found beside him, split equally between two individuals.

After having his fill of the sky, the man dragged his gaze down and to his right, to meet an even more entrancing sight, his lover.

Her fair skin, her cherry lips, her black eyes that seemed to suck one in, her short black hair, and her overall tomboyish style that even motherhood couldn’t purge; the man loved every last inch of her.

Her exterior was noteworthy, but it was hardly the reason he fell for her. If looks were all he was after, there were several people in his close circle whom he regarded as better looking overall, with a certain male companion seemingly out-shining all of humanity with his Radiant Face. No, it was her insides - not that insides, which truly collapsed the earth beneath his feet forever to come. Smart, confident, brave, selfless and filled to the brim with both conviction and cheekiness; she was everything he could ever want and more.

Taking in her side profile delighted the man to no end. Butterflies filled his stomach anew and the desire to smother her in a hug overtook him. He restrained himself though. His lover had her hands full at the moment, carrying something precious…and fragile.

The man moved his gaze down and took in the second love of his life, his newborn baby, Crystal. She was wrapped up in a white blanket of sorts, cradled in his lover’s arms.

His lover had hogged Crystal, stating that the baby preferred the comfort of her breasts more than his more muscular chest. The man couldn’t argue with this reasoning, while not huge by any means, his lover’s chest was something bliss-inducing - as he had many times experienced.

Also, while he loved to hold his child, he also loved the look that overcame his lover’s expression every time she did. She relished every moment of her parental duty. Even now, she was humming a tune and even gently bouncing up and down as she walked. Crystal could be heard releasing soft giggles from within her blanket.

The man’s heart warmed. He was the luckiest man in the world; he truly felt this way. Everything was perfect - no, not quite. The angle his lover cradled his baby at made seeing Crystal’s face impossible. To correct this singular flaw in his otherwise perfect world, he slowed his steps to get behind his lover before picking up speed and circling to her other side.

His hands moved to his face as he prepared to deliver a ‘boo’ to surprise his daughter.

But…in the end, he would be the one in for a surprise.

No, this was but the initial emotion. Shock followed immediately after it before a deep dread overcame the man. His heart sank and his body froze in place as an influx of negative emotions paralysed him.

Where his baby’s face should have been, he saw nothing but chaotic black, as though a collection of slithering shadows. No matter which part of her face he looked at, only darkness greeted him.

Why? he questioned in horror and confusion.

The latter emotion didn’t persist too long. When the truth that he had kept confined to the deepest recesses of his mind sprang into awareness and understanding dawned on him, an ocean of despair crashed into his being and sent him toppling downward.

Yes, that’s right, he thought as crimson tears poured from his eyes. You can’t remember what you’ve never experienced.

He had never seen his daughter’s face - not once, nor could he ever know what she looked like…and it was all his fault.

Regret, despair, anger…

The once heavenly world took a sharp descent into hell at the weight of these emotions. The flowers which had previously represented every colour on the rainbow became red, blood red. They bled profusely, speedily spreading the red across the plain to form a blood sea.

At the same time, the land tore itself apart as cracks and fissures emerged. Blood fell helplessly through these gaps, seemingly entering voids of pure darkness. The stone path came undone. It was split into countless segments and the many stones making it up became stained and dislodged, even worse, their sharp ends now pointed up, becoming thorns to any would-be traveller.

The winds picked up to become gales, slooshing the blood, and turning dirt and stones into deadly projectiles. At the same time, the sound of voices could be heard in the swirls. Wails, curses, pleas, death throes; all belonging to those whose blood now made up the blood sea. They questioned and cursed in equal measure.

The man looked up during this whole ordeal, hoping to find some solace there… but even the heavens weren’t spared destruction. The sun lost its lustre, darkening until it was maroon in colour. The sky was visited by cracks as well, as it too turned red. Clouds appeared in mass, dark clouds, which began raining down blood. Down the droplets poured, with some joining the tears that flowed from the man’s face.

Why cry? A voice sounded from the man’s rear. He turned back and met with a man standing only a metre away, shadowing him.

The newcomer would be considered quite handsome by most. Not to the point of turning heads, but if one captured him in their sights, one certainly wouldn’t rush to look away.

His skin colour was a warm beige, a shade darker than the usual inhabitants of the Central Region. He had longish brunette hair that flowed down his face and dark brown eyes that at first glance could be mistaken as black. More than his handsome features, his demeanour provoked a sense of mystery about him, that naturally drew others’ attention.

Looking at the newcomer, the downed man felt like he was looking at a mirror - a cracked mirror. Yes, for while he bore an incredible likeness, there was one important difference between himself and the newcomer. The newcomer was smiling, delight clear in his eyes.

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Why cry? The newcomer shook his head as he repeated. This is exactly what you wanted…so smile.

I never wanted this...

The smiling man’s smile widened. You say…but deep down, you know the truth. This is what you wished for. All of this was your doing. Saying, he pointed his finger to the front.

The man followed his other self’s finger and turned his head to capture a sight that would never leave him.

His lover and baby were barely recognisable. They had been reduced to a red mushy paste, crushed under an enormous weight and spread across the jagged stones. If not for the lone arm, torn at the elbow, laying on the ground and the pieces of white fabric, one wouldn’t even be able to identify the goop as being once part of a human.

The man’s tears flowed quicker at the sight. Even knowing that none of what he was seeing was real, he couldn’t help but be affected. His eyes zeroed in on his lover’s arm.

I never wanted this…

I never wanted this…

I never wanted this…

I never wanted this…

While muttering these words on repeat, he crawled towards his lover’s outstretched hand only metres away, sharp rocks piercing his hands and legs as he did, bringing with it a vivid pain. He didn’t care though. His only desire was to reach her side, to hold her hand once more.

But as he neared her, the smiling man’s voice sounded from his rear.

You’ll never reach. That gap is unbreachable, and you know it.

The man paid no mind to these words and stretched out his hand. But true to the smiling man’s words, he could never reach her. Just before their hands could touch, his arm, starting from his hand, suddenly twisted up and then off as it became a bloody goop itself.

Argh!

The man didn’t give up. Desperate to see his desire’s fruition, he thrust forward with his other hand but again…that too destroyed itself. Without arms, he lost his balance and collapsed onto the bloody jagged path. A blood puddle soaked his right eye red and a sharp stone stabbed into his left eye.

Blinded and in pain, he cared not. Only one desire remained. He had to overcome the gap, no matter what. He put power into his legs to propel him forward but this too failed. Now limbless he lay, face down in the blood and dirt, pain ravaging him from all directions.

I told you, right, that gap can’t be breached. Cease your pointless efforts…for it’ll only bring you suffering.

The smiling man approached while echoing these sentiments. Unlike his other self, he walked the path without issue or discomfort. Once beside the limbless figure, he lowered himself and with a grab, flipped his other self over.

Now on his back, the man captured the smiling man’s face with his one good eye, through a crimson filter.

The smiling man was glancing at his surroundings. Something strange happened next. The man expected to see the smiling man continue to smile as he had been so far, but that didn’t happen; instead of the delight he showed previously at the deteriorating landscape, agitation and anger began colouring his expression. It was strange and yet seeing these signs, the limbless man didn’t feel that it was out of place.

Suffering, the smiling man spoke up with a darkened face. You bring nothing but suffering. This…all of this is your doing. You wanted this, you wished for this sight and got it in the end.

The smiling man’s gleeful look faded entirely and was replaced by a visage of wrath, which he pointed towards the limbless man. All of this is your doing, never forget that. Without you, none of this would have happened…You, you didn’t deserve her love or their trust. She loved you with all her heart and yet you betrayed her….you betrayed everyone…for what, this?! So foolish, so damn foolish! You had everything, everything, and you traded it for what, this hell…look at what you’ve done, look! This is all your fault…

The limbless man remained silent at the fiery rebuke. He couldn’t deny it, the smiling man was right about everything. This was all his doing. He had made the choice that day and now he had to live in this hell till the day he eventually died.

As he accepted that this was his fate and responsibility, the limbless man’s face tugged up, becoming a smiling man himself.

The previous smiling man/ now scowling man’s face scrunched up as he caught sight of this. Anger boiled within him and he raised his right boot high. It hung in the air for a second, blood dripping down from the heel, then descended to deliver a most fitting death.

The stomp landed on the man’s head, crushing it. The crimson world became black in an instant as the man’s consciousness entered void-like darkness. In this darkness, his other self’s final words echoed loudly.

I’ll never let you forget…ever.

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