1 Ego death

As my eyes slowly dimmed, each passing second felt longer and heavier. The once clear silver buildings twisted themselves into a spiralling tunnel. Now, with only the clear sky as the end of it. Dragging my tiring gaze further down, I notice the guy standing before my body.

The arrogant and aloof expression said it all. "Not so tough now, eh?" Trying focus his facial features in the little viewable space I have left, he finally became discernible.

The bald middle aged man let out a coarse chuckle while seeing me struggle this much. It made the hoodie he wore shake a little. That thing was definetly too big for his body.

"You can only blame yourself, boy. Even though the boss's brat is something else, you shouldn't have layed your hands on him".

I felt a second go by, letting the sentence sink into my mind. It cleared the dizziness slightly, disrupting the closing tunnel from continuing.

'What? What is this guy talking about?' Something within my head kept me in check, as to try and not remember what had happened.

However, thanks to the jagged and uneven concrete sidewalk, the shield which held me down was wrung away by the sticking pain. Allowing me to try and find out how I ended up here.

The thoughts in my head kept wandering away, leading towards a certain blurry image I seemed to hold some familiarity with.

'what is this?'

While trying to properly make it out, my brain found itself replaying it several times until the image turned into a small sequence. My sworn brother, which I had known since childhood was being brutally beaten by some shady thugs. And while this happend, I showed up and saved his skin.

However, why was I only seeing this? Why were they after him anyways? No, wait...Thats not right! This..This....

The attacker registered the pale, yet conflicted expression that grew on my face, and a smirked was formed in the corner of his mouth.

"Ha?" the smirk formed itself into something similar to a triumphant smile. "You want to know, don't you? Well, since you are a goner anyway, it wouldn't hurt..."

It felt like I already knew what he was going to say. However, why was I hoping he would tell me something different. Like if he was just some bored psycho? But yeah, too bad my wish was never granted..

"Your friend ratted you out. We didn't even need to question him much. He gave us all the information he had. And best of all, he was smiling as he did. Ha! can you belive it? Too bad you picked some trash as your brother, Mr. Michael Wiik."

Michael...? No, how did he get my name?! After all I have done, will my life be taken this easily?! Was all my suffering just some sort of joke!!?

...

As he heard the sentence, the luster in Michael's eyes grew more radiant as realisation came over him. Enlightenment seeped into every cell of his unmoving body. The white, lifeless skin regained some color, and his heavy, callus covered hands formed themselves into small clubs.

While rapidly converting his growing loath and regret into fuel for his body, he flung his right foot in the attackers knee. With that came a heavy *crack* causing the man to trip backwards.

"AAAAAAHH! S***, BOY!" the man roared venomously. his short silver hair waving back and forth a couple of times. "You really did it now!" He spat out with a hostile tone while covering his knee. Both eyes driping with resentment and confusion.

However, as the attacker was shifting his surprised and pained gaze from the cracked knee to Michael, he noticed that the boy which he just mocked and taunted was now stood in front of him. His towering and powerful frame blocked the sunlight from touching his skin, from reaching the ground. The aura emitted from the boy's body casued all the flight receptors in his brain to fire uncontrollably.

The once arrogant man now felt cold sweat run down his back, and shiveres of regret invade the bone. While weakly trembling on the ground, starring at Michael, he noticed the now red knife handle sticking out from the center of the boy's chest.

As if trying to comfort himself, he formed a smirk with his lips, covering the unease. Masking the pain and fear he felt. "You should just give it up!" the man laughed. Gaining more confidence back. "That knife is not just some cheap piece of grinded metal!".

Building up some of the previous domineering attitude, the man continued while letting out a shaking but fitting chuckle. "That's what you call a Tri-Edged dagger! The wound on your chest can only be closed by a number of surgeons working together. Hell, with the amount of blood you have lost there won't even be.."

*DUNK

Before he could finish, Michael glued the head of the man perfectly beetween his shoe and the cold yet slightly jagged grey pavement. The impact created a weak tremor, making the small rocks that covered the edges of the sidewalk to jolt like small dices.

Unfortunately, as the power dispersed, more blood flowed out from his wounded chest. It further staining the gray cardigan he wore.

In spite of this though, Micheal hardend is gaze and kept going. Slowly removing the sole of his shoe from the guy's face. The once arrogant expression now shared its appearance with that of a crushed clay brick.

Michael, now feeling reasured of his victory, breathed out a sigh of relief.

Sadly, it was followed by a small river of red liquid. And despite knowing he would not stand for much longer, the young man still nonchalantly smiled.

"I really did it this time, huh?" He tried to comfort himself. Mumbling with a shaken tone as he exhaled uneasily.

Still refusing to budge from where he stood, Michael took a moment to fully feel the emptiness of his surroundings. This was not his first battle, but it would be the last.

Feeling all his old memories start to come back, he looked up towards the sky once again. Seeing the pure sea of blue laying over him helped loosen up. This was relief, relieved over that the tunnel had not come back yet.

"Forgive me, father.. mother.. I could not keep my promise to you." Tears formed in his eyes as he reminisced of the times spendt with them and his younger siblings.

From the time he was but a child, to day he became an adolescent.

Remembering the memories shared with his sister Ingvel and younger brother Cinder, Michael felt warmth flow in his heart. The joy helped him move further through the pictures and films stored within the mind. His consciousness traveled like a warm breeze while he revisited the past.

Michael did not have many pleasent memories throughout his life. He had ignored his parents, thrown aside false friendships numerous times and always fought to become better.

Yet, even as he grew up without any sort of joy, there still seemed to existed something deep within.

He remembered his father, who meticulously supported him in every aspect possible. Wishing that his son would one day grow up to be better than he ever was, despite having been thrown into the ravine by this unfair world.

Even though they argued many times and had several fights, that man imprinted the emblem of pride in his mind. Fueling a desire to reach this world's peak.

"Michael, my son, you must become the best man you can become."

He repeated the words his father once told him while slowly closing his eyes again. One last tear fell towards the ground as they shit themselves. Traveling alongside a red drop which slithered of the handle sticking out from his chest.

Once again, the tunnel began to take over his darkened vision. While looking into its end, his mother appeard before of him, saying how much she loved both him and his younger siblings before dissipating.

"Both of them resembled mom. Both with their brown hair and green eyes, while I stuck out like a sore thumb with dad's gold eyes and gold hair."

The feeling of his life withering away ripped away the stupid smile plastered onto his mouth. Now remembering that he would never see his family again. Unable to repent for his past wrongdoings.

Once more, Michael was baptized by the familiar enlightenment which hammered itself underneath his dying pale skin.

Both his eyes violently threw themselves open like two raging storms, still shimmering like weak, but a dying candles.

The already angered expression twisted itself into that belonging to an enraged demon. Imprinting the face of his once sworn brother inside the flickering embers emitted from within the fading gold.

Unadulterated regret burnt up his body. The row of white teeth started grinding together like a bunch of saws being pulled against each other.

Despite being on his last breath, Michael's entire body began to violently shake. It convulsed and expanded wildly, ripping the stained cardigan he wore to pieces.

"JUST YOU WAIT!! I WILL NOT LET THIS GO!!! EVEN IN MY GRAVE!!!" he screamed with an unquenchable thirst of revenge.

The echo of his roar was the last ting heard before a weak ringing noise laid itself over his mind. The tunnel he starred at slowly neared its end, and his pupils dilated. And as his consciousness disappeared, Michael found himself in the embrace of the familiar cold concrete once again.

Though he was considered dead, the ringing noise he heard before passing was strangely nougg emitting from the body. The rapid ringing grew louder and louder, until visible vibrations formed around his corpse like a sort of cage. The ground began trembling and the surrounding building shook. But just before a small earthquake would seem to be born, the sound vanished.

Completely disappearing, as if it got what It came for.