Ep.52: A Painful Betrayal, Part 1

drip

——*drip*

drip——*drip*

“Huh?” I say, trying to blink away the phosphenes in my eyes from the blinding flash of light as I look down at my chest. The book slowly tumbles out of my hand to land with a small splatter in a pool of my blood. “Huh… What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Master, but you should have seen this coming.” Cinder twists the spear into me deeper. “There are bigger things at stake here, and I can’t have you destroying them.”

I slowly turn my head around, my eyes following the line of the spear handle that is protruding out of my back, to the hands wrapped around it, hands that I know so well. Looking up into the face of my attacker, I question, “Cinder?” My gaze roams around as I try to take in and fully understand what is happening. “Why would you betray me like this? We were so close to realizing our dreams…” Blood that has made its way into the back of my throat forces me to cough and hack it up to clear my airways before I can continue. “And here I thought we shared the same dream?” Looking down at my hands, I can see there’s blood dripping through the cracks of my fingers and onto the waiting ground. “Ha…haha. Cough. Spit. You always were a fast learner, Cinder.”

Cinder closes his eyes. “Yes. I’m sure, at some point, we both did share the same dream, Master.” Cinder’s eyes open with confidence. “But somewhere along the line our dreams differed.” Cinder leans into the spear as he speaks, thrusting it further into my body. “And your dream, well, it lost its true focus a long time ago.” Cinder tenses his arm, readying to tear the spear out. “Goodbye, Ma-”

“Where do you think you’re going?” I grab onto the spear with an iron grip, and despite the pain my lips turn upwards in a smile. “You should have known, Cinder, that I’m going to do everything in my power to stop you!”

Cinder appraises me in silence.

***

“Fukai?! Where are you?!” Maka shouts.

Still blinded, I turn around and walk carefully, waving my arms until I grab Maka by the shoulder and announce, “I’m right here!” I squint my eyes to try and clear my vision so I can see my surroundings, then wonder aloud, “What the hell was that blinding light just now?!”

“I’m not sure, but did the doors fully open?” Maka asks.

“Professor, are you ok?!” Anaea is on her hands and knees squinting and feeling about in an attempt to make out where she is going.

I peer into the empty, multi-colored brightness trying to make out anything. Blinking away my failure, I shake my head and turn to where Anaea’s voice came from. “Anaea, follow my voice!”

“What?!” Anaea calls back.

“Never mind, I’ll be right there!” I say as I make my way towards her, bringing Maka with me.

“Whoa!” I spout after stumbling over a kneeling Ramsey who appears to be in shock. His arms are at his sides and his gaze is off in the distance. “Ramsey?” I turn to Ramsey and begin checking him for hurts. “Ramsey, are you…?”

“Hey… HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” Ramsey shouts in anger and Maka, next to him, falls to his knees.

“Noooooo… Professor Gwyn!!!” Anaea’s scream echoes throughout the temple entrance.

“What?” I rub my eyes and squint in the direction that Ramsey is staring to see what it is that he’s looking at. “Gwyn…?” I try taking a step forward, but can’t find the strength. “Cinder…? Damn.” I can’t believe what I am witnessing; this horrific scene of betrayal by Cinder to his master. “Wait…” I put my hand on my chest, “I… does this feel familiar?” My heart is racing inside of me.

“Fukai, snap out of it!” Ramsey shouts.

Glaring at Cinder as unbridled rage erupts and tears through me, I shout, “Cinder! How dare you!!!” I step forward.