A Story of Evil

Chapter 40: The Executioner

"WAKE UP YOU MAGGOTS!"

"AHHHH!"

"WAA?WHUU?WHUZZA?"

It was a peaceful evening. Ethan and Jake were sleeping soundly in their beds until the door banged open, the light went on and, the voice of Colonel echoed throughout the room.

"YOU'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL TRAINING TO DO SO GET UP AND GET DRESSED!"

The two followed the command without hesitation. They were messy in their movements but, that much was understandable since they just woke up. They wore their training uniforms and, with eyes that were red on the sides because of the lack of sleep, they were finally prepared.

"Good! Now follow me, the king wants to speak with you."

Both Ethan and Jake weren't actually told of the execution. Alice thought that they didn't need to know such a thing since they may just drag her down. Hence, both were excited, thinking that they may just be pardoned from the Culling.

"Hey Jake what will the king give us?"

"I don't know man but, both Sol and Alice seem to be missing."

"That serves them right! The king probably saw how stupid they both were in that last level of the maze. They don't deserve the same honor we'll be getting." Ethan said in a mocking tone.

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"Hahaha that's right! Sol's strategy was so stupid that we were nearly killed."

"Yeah. It wasn't my fault at all! It was all Solomon and that big head of his!"

Colonel was right in front of them, leading the way towards their destination. He actually pitied them. Both their mentality and their lack of talent in the battlefield. After all, these were the reason why their lives were going to be cut much shorter.

They arrived soon in another dead end. Colonel used a crystal hung around his neck instead of the one in his hand. It was white and, as soon as he stuck it to the wall, a door opened up for the two.

"The king will be waiting for you on the other side." Colonel patted the head of both boys. Surprising them altogether.

"You boys have made your domain proud. Remember that."

"Hey are you getting all teary eyed now man?" Ethan said.

"Yeah, don't cry on us." Jake furthered.

Colonel didn't say anything more. He pushed both boys through the door and, with that, he walked away.

"See no evil, hear no evil." Colonel said to himself. The motto of the slums which he held on to at that moment - walking through the dark and silent hallways of Pentagon

Alice has only ever killed two people within her whole career as a thief. The first one was during the initiation to finally enter the league of thieves. She was ten back then and, her opponent was a teenager five years older than her.

It was a gruesome battle, with her waist actually getting stabbed and leaving her bleeding. But the difference in their resolve caused a shift in outcome of the fight. Her opponent hesitated and, in that moment Alice gouged her opponent's eyes out. Finishing the fight by slitting his throat open.

A week of nothing but puking, shaking, fear of blood and distaste of any meat soon followed for Alice. She would have dreams; haunting her of the person that she killed. All while experiencing an ache on her waist where, a scar was permanently marked. It was then that she knew that, killing was the easy part because, her soul will always bear the lives of those which she reaped before their destined time.

The next one she killed was because she got cornered. She did it as quick as she could and, though there was the same effect that came after, Alice simply learned to live with her demons.

It was the same with Ethan and Jake. The two have just entered Pandora's Box and, as soon as they did, the exit disappeared. Before they could even ask what was going on, weapons were generated based on their likings.

"Alice? Where's the king?" Ethan asked, refusing to register what was truly happening at that moment.

"Pick up your weapons." The girl commanded in an indifferent tone.

"Hey why are you being so rude to us? We're your seniors you should be "

*Bang*

Alice pulled the trigger on her gunblade. Waking the two up to the reality of what was happening. For reasons unknown to them, Alice was going to murder them.

"You know, the funny thing about this is that I actually wanted the two of you dead. You have no strong trait that could complement either me or Sol. You lie in front of our faces and murmur ill behind our backs. We've done nothing but save you over and over again yet your ungratefulness knows no bounds."

"What are you talking about? It's Sol that jeopardized our lives!"

"Sol? Are you stupid or something?"

"What?" Ethan retorted.

"Nevermind. You've placed us in so many countless dangerous situations and, well, you have no idea how many times I've thought of just ending you two."

"Hey come on Alice, let's talk about this." Jake said, refusing to take the weapon lying right in front of him.

"Yeah. Don't be a bitch about this bitch." Ethan furthered.

"This is getting annoying. MY LIEGE CAN I START NOW?" Alice's words echoed throughout the room. There was nothing but silence for a while but, sure enough, King Jubilee's finally spoke.

[Yeah. Remember all the details of our deal. If you miss any of that then, I have no responsibility to keep our promise.]

"MY LIEGE! WHAT ABOUT US!"

[Oh you two? Frankly speaking I have no interest in such useless warriors such as you. The maze has already messed with your heads so you're as good as dead to me.]

"MY LIEGE!" King Jubilee cut off the communication. He was watching them from the monitoring room together with Onyx. The knight found the king's decision to be too cruel and irrational but, he was in no position to speak up.

With this all the pieces were finally placed on the board. Pandora's Box stayed in its white appearance. Aside from the weapons, no other alteration was done to reality.

"You heard the king. Now pick up your weapons."

"Alice what are you doing? Aren't we supposed to be teammates?" Jake said.

"Y-yeah, we're gonna help you win the Culling right?" Ethan's tone sounded like it was begging.

"Help? I think you guys are overestimating yourself if you think you can help me." Alice walked towards them, with her bloodlust oozing around that small space.

"You're not gonna survive the Culling! Why are you even doing this?" Jake finally took up his weapon and so did Ethan.

"That's not important. You can think about it in hell for all I care." Alice said, and with that, the two finally accepted their fate.

"We're gonna take you with us!" Alice only smiled at the provocation, dashing towards the new souls that'll bring her more nightmares.