The Absolute: Humanity's Second Chance

It was one of the days when I used to live by the woods. Grandfather was out, and should be coming back at anytime right about now. He usually does.

And indeed, he appeared. He placed down the logs that he cut off from his work, and walked unto me to pick me up, and cradled me on his arms.

"Aww~ is my willy lilly baby hungy? Is he hungy?" He nudged me with nose playfully, and I laughed at his antiques. I was but two to three years old at that time, yet he treated me like a baby as usual.

Grandfather loved me dearly, and I was sure about that.

He then put me down and began making something for me to eat. In the meanwhile, I played at the living room, and threw the small splinters from the wood into the chimney fire.

I was always mesmerized by the flames. It always felt like they were calling out to me, and seeking my affection.

Yet I never understood that feeling.

And while I was busy doing that, I felt a ruckus within the kitchen, then saw grandfather rushing towards me with fear written all over his face.

He held me for his dear life, and hurriedly hid me behind a decoration within the living room, where it made it hard for me to be seen from multiple angles.

My heart beat raced, and I did my best to keep quiet. I wanted to ask where he was going, what he was going to do, or what was going on.

Yet nothing left my mouth.

I only watched as he hurried out of the hiding area, then heard him speak to a few people within the dining room.

His tone was hurried and in panic, yet he never let out the fact that he was hiding something. That was so, until I heard dull sounds, ones that I thought were the result of fighting.

Then later, I head more and more dull sounds, like a group of men stomping down on the ground with might and fervor.

It even caused the house to tremble.

I silently cried, as I did not want to believe what was going on. I thus cried, and prayed, prayed with all my might that they stop.

"Stop..."

I prayed to any gods that were listening.

"Please stop..."

I prayed to anyone kind enough to listen to a little boy's desperate cry.

"Please... stop... stop..."

I prayed to things that I did not even know existed. I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. Until I seeked help from the flames that I grew accustomed to.

I didn't even understand why, but it felt like the flames were calling out to me. It felt like they heard my desperation.

"...Please, save my grandpa... please, stop them..." I did not even hear myself at that time, but I prayed. And by a stroke of luck, my prayers were answered.

The room suddenly caught fire. It was unexpected, and I myself did not see how it happened.

I did not know how, or why, but fire began to burn everything, and quickly spread to cover everyone within the dining room.

Screams of pain and suffering could be felt from within their souls, as they cried and begged for mercy, but all I did was pray.

And as I prayed, they burned even more.

But it was at this moment that my heart fell apart. I heard the heart wrenching scream of someone I wanted to save instead. My grandfather.

"Aaaaahhhh!!! Aaaaarrgghhh!!!" He cried out in pain as flames burned the entire room.

I hurriedly rushed out of the hiding place and there, saw flames so red, they were redder than blood itself, burning everything within my sight to cinders.

The people burned, and the only thing that I could see, where black humanoid shadows cloaked in flames. And it seemed like the flames were eating at their souls.

But I ignored that, and watched the single figure that I presumed belonged to my grandfather. He was also burning in pain and agony.

Tears welled up within my eyes as I cried. Stop. I silently cried, yet the flames got bigger. Stop. I thought, yet to no avail.

Stop. I murmured, but nothing changed. But I did not give up. I continously cried. Stop. Stop. Stop stop stop stop.

And even to this day, I still cry. Stop. I am forever haunted. Stop. Nothing ever changes. Stop.

For I shall forever be the cause of–

"STOOOOP!!!"

BOOOM!!!

The memory Fragments shattered alongside the explosion that burst out of my body, kicking up flames everywhere around me.

A pillar of red flames erupted out of my head, in the form of an endless rising waterfall of hair. In the meantime, I held my head and fell down on my knees, seemingly in mental pain and agony.

But the masked man besides me did not mind that. He just stood there, his cloak dancing along the strong winds kicked up by my powerfully erupting flames, and his armor protecting him from the intense heat.

He then said, "That's your problem. You let yourself burn to feed the flame of its power, instead of burning the flame, to feed yourself with its power."

I immediately disagreed in irritation, "Burn the flames?! How do I even do that?!" I roared at him. "You just don't understand. So stop talking. Stop. Stop. Stop!!"

The masked man did not seem to hear me at all, and instead continued his words. "You're letting the flames control you, instead of controlling the flames yourself."

"I said shut up!! Stop talking!!" I roared at him in anger and agony, the flames around me kicking up in intensity. Yet the man did not keep quiet at all, whatsoever.

"You are being controlled by fear. Just face it. What's the worst that could happen?" He said, and I felt my teeth shatter due to how angry I was at his words.

"What's the worst that could happen? What's the worst that could happen?! I could kill you!! I could burn everything to cinders!! I could be the cause of everyone's death... again." My voice got lower at the end.

Pain could be felt within, enough for anyone to sympathize with me. Yet what was standing before me... I doubted was an ordinary man.

The man was completely unphased. And this time he also seemed annoyed with me, and just blurted out a single statement. "Let it burn." He coldly said.

"What?" I looked up at him in shock.

"Let the flames burn." He repeated.

"No. No!! I can't can't do that!! Why don't you just understand?!" I roared at him, my eyes flashing a golden glint of light, but his words were still the same. "Let it burn."

"Why you–"

"Let it burn." He repeated.

"You will–"

"I'm not afraid of you." He finally changed his words, and I was surprised once again. The flames around me lowered in intensity. "What?" I questioned.

"I do not fear those flames. If you're so much afraid of them, let them burn, and I'll put them out." He further explained, and I only laughed out loud at him.

"Fucker!!" Then I cussed. For once, I was so angry I cussed. "You don't understand. Nobody can put out these flames. They only leave once they are satisfied with burning everything else!!"

"And I'm not afraid of them." He said. I retorted in anger and frustration, "Dammit!! Why don't you understand? I am telling you that I cannot do that!!"

"Why? Are you afraid to kill your loved ones?" He asked, and I denied it. "No."

"Are you afraid of being a murderer?" He pursued, and I denied once again. "No."

"Can't bare to kill another loved one?" He incited, yet despite knowing that, I was getting angry by the minute. "Stop. Stop talking right this instant!!"

He was mocking me.

"Afraid to experience absolute helplessness once again?"

"I said stop!!"

"Are you really that useless?"

"Stop it already. I'm warning you!!" The flames around me spread to cover my body, and my eyes took a completely red shade with a golden glint, including my sclera.

"...Alright. I should really stop, Lest I become your next innocent victim." He added, and this time, my strings of rationality and sanity snapped as I roared out at him.

"I said, STOP!!!"

BOOOM!!

Another explosion burst out of my body, as the flames spread all over my body, causing my skin to crack up, and releasing extreme vapor from within.

I was cloaked in both fire and vapor, red eyes glowing from within, making me resemble a Doomsday Apostle, or a Devil, than a normal Falsarian.

This was clearly not me.

I felt my consciousness leave my body.

The thing in control of my body lowered its upper body, like a beast ready to pounce on its target. Then after that, flames burst out under its heels, propelling us forward at faster speeds.

We were faster than before, hence faster than the masked man. Yet he had managed to hurriedly use his arms to protect his face from the instantaneous knee strike it tried.