They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I suddenly found myself clutching my heart. A strange ache squeeze my chest, making it harder to breath.

Foreign sensations swept over me. Something is stuck at the deepest part of my mind. A memory.

Locked away by olden years and flooding other memories. But I'm sure. The image has me and Seven on it. Sitting inside a room, red curtains are draped at the glass window, we are situated right across each other. Pile of books stood between us. I can see her face.

The light aura of life blooming around her. I want to reach out to this Seven. Ask her what is this? Am I really reincarnated?

Is this my past life? Then who am I really? Who is the me who go by the name Lancelot? Suddenly, the pleasure and intoxication I felt from absorbing life force is gone.

My mind is suddenly clear. I can breathe and sense of doubts washed over me. Why did I raise my dead bones again?

To fight? Fight what?

Seven?

I look at her. She back away from me. Her eyes refusing to look at me. Yet I stared at her openly. Struck at the shameful behaviors I've been showing to her since this morning.

She did not necessarily ask me to kill. It was her, begging for help. And after I confide to her all the things I could never tell myself....I really am shameless.

"Seven...I -" I stretch my hand, hanging in the air. Would an apology suffice? I can feel Magnus and Sam stare at the back of my neck. Almost as if urging me to go on. Apologize.

Now that the intoxication effect is gone, I felt so drained and tired. It was one of those feelings after you finish working on your assignments. My blessing squeezes the juice out of me.

I realized why Seven and Magnus are so adamant in not letting me raise a dead army.

"You were right. I'm sorry." I look down at my hands. A flicker in the air made my heart pump all the blood flushing to my brain. I just saw my hand, in skeletal form. A shiver went to my spine.

Maybe she's really right. I was unstable. I was reckless. I let my blessings overwhelm me. Now I'm experiencing the aftermath. Maybe my blessing is not really a friend. Maybe I need to exert control on it. Before it overtake me.

This power must love messing with people's lives. I was suffering the side effects. Because I was negligent. I was too trusting... That this power won't crank up my reasons so bad, it will cloud my ability to think.

"If you're thinking this happened because of your blessing but you're wrong." Seven murmur.

"What?"

"Just please....don't use it too much. Raising the dead bodies with unsettled grudge can wear you off. Because the moment you decide to tap your powers on them, their burden will become yours. Their grudge will be your chains. Their hatred will be their hold to tie you towards them, sticking their selves to you... forever."

I was taken aback. "That...is that even possible?"

Magnus walks and stops between us. He study Seven. "It is true." He cock his head.

"How did you know about that Seven? As far I know, that information is only seen and recorded in the journal of Lancelot." He gestured towards me.

"There's no way you can have knowledge about it. Only the Rank Elders have. And believe me the current Rank Elders now are the only people who discovered and knew the contents. Except me."

Seven and Magnus have a stare down contest. I backed away. Mindful not to get caught in their silent bickering. Sam skidded awkwardly beside me. Jesper is on his side.

"Hey, bro. You okay?"

I nod. "Sorry. I just..."

"Lost it?"

I blink. "I uh... I don't know. I just can't get it out of my head. That feeling..." I look down at my hands.

Even now I can still feel it. The remnants of life force dancing at my palms. Is this really my blessing?

If I don't take control of it, it will control me? What kind of f*cked up logic is this? First it abandons me because I'm too brash and use it like. 

LANCE

I suddenly found myself clutching my heart. A strange ache squeeze my chest, making it harder to breath.

Foreign sensations swept over me. Something is stuck at the deepest part of my mind. A memory.

Locked away by olden years and flooding other memories. But I'm sure. The image has me and Seven on it. Sitting inside a room, red curtains are draped at the glass window, we are situated right across each other. Pile of books stood between us. I can see her face.

The light aura of life blooming around her. I want to reach out to this Seven. Ask her what is this? Am I really reincarnated?

Is this my past life? Then who am I really? Who is the me who go by the name Lancelot? Suddenly, the pleasure and intoxication I felt from absorbing life force is gone.

My mind is suddenly clear. I can breathe and sense of doubts washed over me. Why did I raise my dead bones again?

To fight? Fight what?

Seven?

I look at her. She back away from me. Her eyes refusing to look at me. Yet I stared at her openly. Struck at the shameful behaviors I've been showing to her since this morning.

She did not necessarily ask me to kill. It was her, begging for help. And after I confide to her all the things I could never tell myself....I really am shameless.

"Seven...I -" I stretch my hand, hanging in the air. Would an apology suffice? I can feel Magnus and Sam stare at the back of my neck. Almost as if urging me to go on. Apologize.

Now that the intoxication effect is gone, I felt so drained and tired. It was one of those feelings after you finish working on your assignments. My blessing squeezes the juice out of me.

I realized why Seven and Magnus are so adamant in not letting me raise a dead army.

"You were right. I'm sorry." I look down at my hands. A flicker in the air made my heart pump all the blood flushing to my brain. I just saw my hand, in skeletal form. A shiver went to my spine.

Maybe she's really right. I was unstable. I was reckless. I let my blessings overwhelm me. Now I'm experiencing the aftermath. Maybe my blessing is not really a friend. Maybe I need to exert control on it. Before it overtake me.

This power must love messing with people's lives. I was suffering the side effects. Because I was negligent. I was too trusting... That this power won't crank up my reasons so bad, it will cloud my ability to think.

"If you're thinking this happened because of your blessing but you're wrong." Seven murmur.

"What?"

"Just please....don't use it too much. Raising the dead bodies with unsettled grudge can wear you off. Because the moment you decide to tap your powers on them, their burden will become yours. Their grudge will be your chains. Their hatred will be their hold to tie you towards them, sticking their selves to you... forever."

I was taken aback. "That...is that even possible?"

Magnus walks and stops between us. He study Seven. "It is true." He cock his head.

"How did you know about that Seven? As far I know, that information is only seen and recorded in the journal of Lancelot." He gestured towards me.

"There's no way you can have knowledge about it. Only the Rank Elders have. And believe me the current Rank Elders now are the only people who discovered and knew the contents. Except me."

Seven and Magnus have a stare down contest. I backed away. Mindful not to get caught in their silent bickering. Sam skidded awkwardly beside me. Jesper is on his side.

"Hey, bro. You okay?"

I nod. "Sorry. I just..."

"Lost it?"

I blink. "I uh... I don't know. I just can't get it out of my head. That feeling..." I look down at my hands.

Even now I can still feel it. The remnants of life force dancing at my palms. Is this really my blessing?

If I don't take control of it, it will control me? What kind of f*cked up logic is this? First it abandons me because I'm too brash and use it like

Five no!"

I did not listen to Seven and Magnus screams. I pushed through. His essence is so delicious I can feel the flavor offered to me.

I swallowed the fruity energetic taste. His was the most different to the life force I've ever absorbed. Plants can energize my muscles and double up my energy but Blue Man can fill the hunger stirring inside me.

Satisfy my mind and heart. Set me at peaceful 'full stomach' ease.. I couldn't want anything any longer.