"A spirit?"
'Bullshit. What the hell is this nonsense now?'
Thomas, lost in his thoughts, was slapped again by his guard and forced to move forward.
"YÉ BABUTARD!" the guard shouted.
'Fuck, can't he leave me alone for two seconds?' Thomas thought, shooting a dark glare at the guard.
"Yes, you — what kind of spirit are you?"
Thomas kept talking while walking toward the other side of the chasm.
"What do you mean, spirit? And how do you even know my language?"
"All spirits can understand each other. I've never seen a spirit with a physical body before — how strange," said the orb in a curious tone.
The orb's voice was androgynous, adding to the mystery.
"Hey! I'm not a spirit, alright?!"
Even though he didn't fully understand the direction of the conversation, Thomas was genuinely happy — finally being able to talk to something made him feel less alone.
"Yet the green aura around you proves otherwise..."
"Huh, the aura? Wasn't that some weird disease?!"
"Yes, the green light coming from your body is a sign that you truly are a spirit — however, just like your physical form, I've never seen a green-colored spirit before..."
"Yeah right, now I'm a spirit too — what's next?"
"Yé batou grâ ciats!" the guard shouted again, pulling harder on Thomas's arm.
"Whatever, we don't have much time, human spirit. We'll talk later."
"What?"
"If you want to live, you must get rid of him before reaching the other side of the chasm."
Its gaze suddenly turned serious. Truth was, Thomas already knew he had to do it and had mentally prepared himself — but he never found the right moment… The orb's warning only amplified the tension he had been feeling for a while.
'Tsk, there's no better place than a goddamn hanging bridge above a chasm?!'
Ba-dum! Ba-dum!
Thomas stared at the guard who was pulling his arm to make him walk faster. He had a vague plan in mind, to be executed once the guy was down — but it was too risky, too uncertain. Still, with the orb present, his plan had a slim chance of success.
"Alright! I'll take care of this guy, then we'll talk!"
The orb remained silent, watching Thomas.
Without warning, Thomas quickened his pace, freed his arm, and kicked the guard right in the knee joint. The guard staggered. Not wanting to lose the initiative, Thomas used the shackles on his wrists like a hammer to try to knock the guy out. The guard dodged the strike with a simple forward roll.
The bridge shook, nearly throwing both of them off balance. Thomas didn't waste time thinking and rushed straight at his opponent. The fight wasn't in his favor — he was starving, untrained, and had no combat experience. After all, to him, his life had only begun seven days ago.
'I have to take him down before he pulls his sword — or I'm dead.'
Thomas was right — how could he win against a blade with his hands tied?
Clasping both hands together, he aimed a strike at the guard's stomach, but the blow was deflected. Using Thomas's momentum, the guard grabbed his arm and drove a knee into his gut.
"HRARGH!"
Screaming in pain, Thomas dropped to one knee and coughed up blood. The bridge trembled again.
'Shit! Why are his hits so strong?! He's not human!'
Another knee was coming straight for his face. Thomas rolled backward and narrowly avoided it.
'What?! I actually managed to dodge a blow that fast?'
"YÉ BABUTARD — YO BITRUTE KANO MI!"
Thomas didn't know it yet, but even though he remembered nothing of his past life, some of the reflexes gained through experience remained. And those very reflexes were starting to adapt to the guard's style.
That dodge came at a cost though — the guard took the chance to draw his sword.
"Shit! BASTARD!" Thomas screamed as he charged.
The guard slashed toward Thomas's neck. In response, Thomas used the chains of his shackles to block the blow — with any luck, the links might snap. The impact tore into his skin.
CLAAAANG!!!
Seizing the moment, Thomas kicked the guard's side with all his strength. Keeping balance on a shaking bridge while fighting was so difficult that both of them stumbled to the ground.
'We can't keep fighting on the bridge…'
Getting back on his feet, Thomas ran back in the opposite direction as fast as he could. The guard followed.
huff! huff!
'Faster, damn it! How is he running this fast?!'
Once he reached solid ground, Thomas grabbed a rock with both hands. Swinging his body, he hurled it at the guard. But the guard's sword lit up white and sliced through the rock like butter.
Thomas's face twisted in horror.
'What the hell did he just do?'
The next second, the guard was already on him, and the fight intensified. Thomas could only defend himself as his body took more and more hits. The guard was simply too strong, gaining ground with every clash.
'I have to disarm him.'
With that thought, he tried to disarm the guard using the chains of his shackles. Blocking another charge, he wedged the blade between the links — spun, locked the blade under his armpit, and pulled with all his strength forward.
"RAA—AAAAH!!!!!" Thomas screamed.
Pulling and using the sword like a lever, the guard finally let go of his precious weapon. He stepped back, wincing from a sharp pain in his wrist, while Thomas now stood armed. The tide had turned.
The fight resumed, more violent than ever. Thomas, with no finesse in swordplay, wielded the weapon like a savage tool of persuasion. Like a madman — swinging in all directions. The guard dodged every blow, but Thomas was gaining ground.
The two fighters dangerously approached the edge of the chasm. The guard, realizing the void behind him, tried to shift direction but tripped on the uneven ground.
Now on the ground, the guard didn't get a second chance — Thomas stabbed him straight through the head with the sword.
He had just killed a man. Nothing stirred inside him. No panic. No horror. As if it was… normal.
"Ahhh… ahhh… ahhh… oouufff…" Thomas exhaled, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"I need to hurry, the blood's already staining his clothes." he muttered, looking at the lifeless body.
Time was short, so he quickly unlocked the shackles with the guard's key. Finding the right one took a few minutes. His hands trembled from stress.
Click! Click!
Finally freed from the weight on his wrists, he swapped clothes with the guard — he was the guard now.
Without hesitation, he shoved the corpse into the chasm.
THUD!
The orb, which had witnessed everything, floated closer.
"Good. Can we talk now?"
"No, it's not over yet," Thomas replied coldly.
He remembered there had been another prisoner behind him when he finished washing. That prisoner and his guard could arrive at any moment. And clearly, this cave wasn't a place one could just stroll into. He had no way to explain what he was doing here.
"Come on, follow me, little orb — by the way, what should I call you?"
Thomas hid behind a large rock, watching the tunnel entrance.
"My name is Floyd. And yours?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said:
"My name is Tho— AIE!"
"Uh, are you okay?" the orb replied.
A sharp pain suddenly raged in his head, then he said:
"My name is Zelvirah. Nice to meet you."