"WILLEM!? WILLEM!?" Mortuus screamed, his bandaged face coming into view as Willem opened his eyes. He groaned in agony as his vision cleared, but he wasn't sure whether it was from the pain or the fact that he was alive again. His head did actually hurt from falling to the ground.
Many people seem to think that Willem and Mortuus's immortality was a blessing, but it was very far from it. Not being able to die seems like a dream until you are brought back with your disease. Willem's "life" was just hell, constantly being brought back to a world that hates him.
"Oh, my God! Willem!" Mortuus cried out, relieved that he wasn't gone. Willem sat up and stared ahead with wide eyes. "God's a woman," he uttered in a fast tone that Mortuus was barely able to understand. He looked at him, confused. "Huh? God's a woman?" Who else but a woman could create such a beautiful thing such as life? It made sense.
It was a weird thing to say, but it made sense almost too much sense. Mortuus didn't really care whether God was a man or woman, mostly because he felt that a deity's gender didn't make a difference in how powerful they were.
Willem sat there, his mind cloudy but clear of the usual thoughts. He spoke up; Mortuus was kneeling beside him as Willem stuttered. "Subjec... Mortuus, what are we?"
Mortuus looked at him, unsure how to respond. He sighed and tried to think. It was like answering a child's question about where babies came from. "We're the ones born again. Our blood runs with The Cave of Souls." He exclaimed.
Willem nodded and stood. After that weird experience, he was shockingly stable on his feet. He took a deep and long breath. His pack glowed as he breathed in and gently faded as he exhaled.
Mortuus stood beside him, unsure what to say. "What now, Willem?"
He stood there, unsure how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I want out of this, Mortuus. I'm done hurting people." He finally said, his hand shaking.
Mortuus opened his trench coat slightly and looked down at a book in a large inside pocket. The metallic MJM on the cover seemed to glimmer knowingly. He silently shed a tear as the letters on the book showed back at him in the light as if telling him it was the right thing to do, hard or not.
Holding his coat with one hand and pulling the book out with the other, Mortuus spoke softly, slightly heartbroken. "There is one way we can leave this immortality, Willem..."
Willem looked at him with hopeful eyes. The look on his face told Mortuus everything he needed to know. This was what he wanted. Mortuus opened the book and flipped to a page with a rock drawing and lots of scribbled notes.
"The only way to end the subject's 'immortal life' is to have them be impaled with their soul's essence or breath in soul dust." Mortuus read aloud from the book. There, in Mordecai's very own words, was the solution to their problem.
After all this time, he'd finally found a way to kill himself. It was the one thing he had hoped and prayed for, but for once, Mortuus was saddened to see it. For once, he wanted to live, not die. And he definitely didn't wish for Willem to die.
Willem looked down at the crystal heart in his hand. Before Mortuus could say anything, Willem slammed the crystal against a rock and shattered it. The shards flew as they collided. Pieces of it flew up into Willem's face, cutting his cheek. He collected the dust in his palm, which was also bloody from the stone shards, and handed it to Mortuus.
Willem tightened his fist around the pieces and looked over at a large dead tree. It was overturned and hollow. "This is where we part ways, Mortuus."
Willem lifted the log and threw it to the ground. It split into two perfect halves. He picked up the one half and placed it in the water. It bobbed a bit as he laid down on it. The trunk bobbed more as Willem lay back with his head rested against it.
He crossed his arms, the crystal heart's remains wrapped underneath. Willem looked up at Mortuus, "Don't let them know the truth behind us. Some things are best left in the dark."
Mortuus smiled, trying to stay strong for Willem's sake, but it was hard when all he wanted to do was cry. He popped Willem's pack open and poured some dust into its filter.
"Whatever you wish, Willem." Mortuus gently nudged the trunk with his boot and watched tearfully as it floated down the cave river. He knew Willem had seen the end when he passed out. It was clear this was what he wanted, and while he was sad to have lost him, he was glad to have met him.
He stood, watching it disappear into another cavern, "You were the first friend I ever truly made in this crazy world, Willem. Goodbye, friend," Mortuus cried silently, his hands over his eyes as he fell to his knees. Seeing the log boat float away, Mortuus finally lost the strength to keep it inside and broke apart right there.
Willem rested in the log boat, his mind drifting into numbness as he felt his life dissipate; the soul dust was indeed killing him. In the silence of the cave, Willem spoke softly, his voice echoing off the walls, "Just like the water ripples, now I, too, shall fade..."
A tear trickled down his face, rolling over a joyful smile as he felt himself leave. The soul dust was now in his lungs and slowly killing him. At last, Willem was at peace: no war, no violence, or hateful stares- only blissful silence as the gentle kiss of eternal slumber lay upon his cheek.
Shutting his eyes, Willem wished for one last thing before he finally departed- Vindication.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJjZ4lky7V
