A World Of Decree: And The Seven Laws

Slowly, Atlas managed to open his eyes. At first, he thought they were still closed in a nightmare, but after looking around, he realized it was much worse than that. Darkness stretched from left and right to down and up. Atlas could feel as if he was underwater, but breathing didn't seem to be a problem. Or perhaps there was no need to breathe in a place like this, either way, there was no true way of knowing.

Although it was dark, he could still see a fair distance around him. There were waves and curves separating some shades of dark colors, but the feeling of hunger and deprivation couldn't be masked by any external factors.

Atlas looked up, seeing a tiny white dot of light far above him. It was small, almost unnoticeable like a campfire in the woods. However, it was the only thing he could see that brought any sort of hope into this dark, abandoned place. He was in a place of no return, lost dreams, and forgotten souls; the Abyss.

No matter how hard Atlas struggled and tried to force his way up, his body struggled to even move an inch into a any direction. He could move his limbs, but gaining any sort of distance seemed impossible. The longer and longer he struggled, the less and less his chances of escaping became viable.

Even though Atlas didn't make any progress, the tiny dot of light seemed to have traveled further away. That tiny dot was all that Atlas had going for him, and it was being pulled away further and further.

Atlas stopped struggling, relaxing in the gravity-free Abyss, and letting his body aimlessly travel through the darkness like a corpse in a river. However, something suddenly bumped him on the shoulder, and he turned around without a single thought telling him otherwise.

When he turned, that bump scared him more than the Abyss ever could. It was Hendrix. He was sleeping, letting his body travel around like a cloud on a windy day. He seemed to be alive, but any sign of him waking up wasn't showing itself. Hendrix's body floated away before Atlas could grab on, continuing the cycle of emptiness and despair.

Fatigue hit Atlas like a train, and despite his will to keep pushing and fighting, his eyes couldn't be stopped from closing. The lines and curves he saw earlier finally appeared more clearly, revealing nothing but other competitors and other innocent people Atlas has never seen. However, his eyes were already closed, and his mind went into a deep slumber.

It didn't feel like he went to sleep. It only felt like he blinked and reappeared in the abyss. This time, there was no white dot above, no other souls but Atlas, except for the one approaching him. It was a man, walking freely on what seemed like nothing with an expression of sorrow and hate twisted together. The man had medium-length black hair, almost causing it to blend in with the surroundings. His face had years of loneliness, but his eyes wanted nothing more but to see the ones he loved.

Atlas tried to struggle and swim away, however, his limbs wouldn't move this time, and all he could do was watch as the man stopped a few meters away.

"Hello, Atlas." The man said, soothingly.

"Who are you?! Where are we?" Atlas asked cautiously, staying on guard to the best of his ability.

The man gave a lovely smile, "We're in your head. You're dream. Everything around you is nothing more but your imagination."

"But I saw Hendrix…" Atlas didn't believe the man, but loosened up the tension between them anyway. "I was swallowed by that man's magic. I saw it happen. I felt it."

"And you did. Your friends watched you disappear into the Abyss, that I cannot deny. But you've given up far too easily. There is much more to fight for than just a victory."

Atlas relaxed again, feeling the fatigue hit him even harder. "What's the point… I'm in this place, this darkness, and clearly all the other competitors lost too…"

The man walked closer to Atlas and placed his hand on his shoulder, "I gave up once. I gave up on my beautiful wife. I gave up on my only son. I gave up everything, and at what cost?" The man chuckled. "There is a big difference between giving up and losing hope. If you give up, you've stopped trying. If you lost hope, you're not trying hard enough." The man took his hand off his shoulder.

Atlas gave him an apologetic look, "Even if I get out of here. Nothing awaits me on the other side. My friends gave me all their beliefs and hope, and I lost it for them. I don't even know what I'll say to Calvin or Rina when they come back. I've never even met my father… I just don't know what to do. Everything just seems so cruel." Atlas could feel his emotions forcing him to tear up, but in the Abyss, emotions were impossible to display.

The man smiled, "Seems to me like you have a lot to keep fighting for. Friends who believe in you. Emotions that thrive on love and compassion. A lovely mother who wants nothing more but for you to be safe. A father who disappeared, deeply regretting his choices every night of every day." The man flicked a droplet from his eye, and walked away into the darkness.

"Wait!" Atlas yelled, "Who are you!"

The man made one final stop before disappearing, "Whoever you want me to be, Atlas. Goodbye, and may we meet again."

The man disappeared, and atlas propped his eyes back open from the dream. The bodies around him were still drifting about, and the white dot seemed a little bigger than before. However, although he could move his limbs, his body wouldn't move any closer towards the light.

Atlas continued to struggle within the darkness of the abyss. Nothing seemed to work until a sudden nudge was made in the right direction. Atlas pushed his right hand away from him while focusing his energy into it, enabling his body to shift to the left. It was exactly like being underwater.

He quickly reached both his hands above him, and plummeted them down white focusing as much as he could. "Augment." His body instantly flew up as if he reached the bottom of the pool and used his feet to push off back to the surface. His spell didn't cause him to reach the dot, but it was closer. It was reachable.

"Augment." Atlas went upwards again. "Augment." Again, and again, until finally, just one more push would do it. "Augment."

...

On the surface of the labyrinth, where the exit stayed and the Reaper approached, all hope was lost. Time moves a lot slower in the real world, and the Reaper was well aware of that. After sinking Atlas into the darkness, he made his way towards the exit, and all the people watched as he made his ascent through the gates.

He was just a few steps shy of the exit when he suddenly stopped. No one knew why, and his expression seemed to become irritated. The Reaper grabbed onto his clothes as of his life depended on it, squeezing them with all the strength he had. He was trying to cling on, erase the exit, diminish the escape.

"GUUAGH." The Reaper coughed up a large portion of dark blood, weakening him, and making him even more frustrated. He tried to take another step towards the exit, but he dropped to his knees after another cough of dark blood spilling from his mouth. Another cough occured, but this time, it was more of a scream rather than a grunt of pain.

"AAAAAGGGGHHH!" The Reaper yelled, bursting open into an explosion of dark matter. With the massive explosion scattering trails of black corruption around the clearing, bodies of innocent victims from the Abyss came flying out as well. Everyone was unconscious, but they still had a heartbeat from first glance.

In the stands, the crowds of people riled up in either screams of confusion or cheer. Whatever the case, nearly every person watching was yelling off the top of their lungs.

Rina was still frozen in shock from before. Her eyes scouted the arena, but all they could see were poor victims on the brink of death.

The dark matter on the Arena started to shake, and after a few moments, it was all brought back to the center, recreating the Reaper's human form once more. The Reaper aimlessly began searching the clearing for the one boy that caused this mess. His eyes scouted, wandering through every single person on the field. Not a single soul bore a resemblance to the black haired boy, sending the Reaper into a flurry of rage and consumption against the previous unconscious victims before him.

Just as he got to the first body, he felt him. He could feel the pressure coming from the boy. He could hear his heart beating. He could smell the sweat and pain radiating off his body. The only thing he couldn't do was see him.

From the dark clouds above in the hazel blue sky, the final strike was approaching. By the time it did, it was far too late for the Reaper to react. He could sense it, but no matter what he did, the outcome would be the same.

Atlas came scourching down from the sky with his face locked onto the Reaper's, and his fist ready to erase this being from existence. Atlas could feel the evening breeze of the spring air brush through his hair. It was just like at the entrance exams. No matter the height of the fall. No matter what awaits. He must give it his all.

In the blink of an eye, Atlas came crashing down onto the Reaper like god's gift from the heavens. "Fracture." Atlas whispered beneath his bread, driving his fist straight into the Reaper's face.

At first glance, nothing seemed to happen. But as the pressure escaped Atlas's touch, and the spell activated the force, there wasn't a man alive who could withstand such a blow.

Instantly, a colossal wave of pressure burst through the entire labyrinth. The wave even rose all the way up to the stands, knocking any hats or loose clothing right off some of the people.

Clouds of dust and ash lifted into a fierce storm off the ground, blinding the view of anyone keeping their eyes open. The walls of the labyrinth come crashing down immediately, only adding rubble to the fierce storm.

Since the entire Labyrinth collapsed, the announcer was forced to call the end of the stage automatically.

"THAT'S IT! THE STAGE IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. THEREFOR, THE RESULTS WILL BE CONCLUDED MOMENTARILY!"

Booing and screams barked back at the announcer as the storm began to settle. The sand and ash slowly began to layer down, and the medics came rushing onto the arena simultaneously.

The unconscious bodies from before were seen being taken off the stage as only one black-haired boy remained in the center. He was standing tall, hair covering his eyes as he looked down. However, his fist, covered in dust and scr.a.p.es was raised up high towards the clouds above. It was his sign. Whether he won or lost, he knew he would remember this day as if it were his last.

Atlas kept his fist raised high as the arena became clear of the fierce winds and pressure. He could feel two droplets of rain escape his eyes, washing the dust off his cheeks as they gently rolled down. He stayed silent, crying tears he didn't know the meaning of. He didn't know if he won, lost, or perhaps got disqualified. Either way, it was a perfect time to cry.

The audience stared in silence, waiting for anyone to say even the slightest word. Luckily, the announcer had finished conducting with the Bureau men behind the scenes, breaking the silence within the arena. "ATTENTION PLEASE! Since no competitor managed to exit the ever-changing Labyrinth, no Guild will be granted the 50 points for passing the stage." Boo's and angered screams came rushing back at the announcer, but he didn't care. "However!" The audience's attention peaked, as did Atlas's. "Because all other competitors were rendered as 'unable to continue,' and one competitor remains standing in the Throne… Atlas Bright, due to your acts of destroying the round's intended sequence of events while simultaneously putting a stop to the endangered lives of other competitors… You have earned Endless sun a total of 30 points, crowning you and your Guild in fourth place after today'd round! Congratulations! This leaves the top five Guilds entering the next stage as Golden Eagle in fifth place with 30 points. Endless Sun in fourth place with 42 points. Haven Eclipse in 3rd place with 45 points. Fallen Angels in 2nd place with 47 points. And last but not least, Elementalist in 1st place with 50 points. Thank you everyone for joining us today! And we hope to see you all next week in stage 2."

The crowds went wild. The sounds of clapping and rumbling nearly shook the entire Throne as people got up to dance and celebrate either for their routed Guild or to join the others. The applause was like thunder after lightning, echoing the sounds of screams for miles on end. The streets went crazy while watching the projectors, the guild members of the top five laughed and yelled, and even some of the bureau men cheered in their own corners.

However, Atlas remained standing in the Arena. He watched as everyone cheered, nearly blinded by all the sounds and screams that lingered through the air.

There was one scream in particular that stood out to him. It wasn't far, possibly the closest one he could hear. It came from behind him, and it called out his name, again and again. "Atlas!" The voice was too familiar, almost unimaginable.

Atlas turned around, forgetting to wipe away his tears, but as he saw who the voice belonged to, more were on the way. "R-Rina…" Atlas stuttered in a beaten voice. At that moment, his throat gripped tightly onto any breath it had, and his glance battled with Rina's as if they were sharing a silent moment.

Rina stopped mere inches away from him. Her breaths rapid and shallow, not just from running, but from the tension as well. They both stayed silent for a moment, observing each other as if they were both on display for the other.

Atlas saw the tears shaking above Rina's soft, elegant cheeks. They were blushing a shade of red Atlas hadn't seen before, but he didn't mind in the slightest.

Rina noticed the tears dry up on his dusty cheeks, almost making it seem as if they were a tiny river in the midst of a dessert. She smiled, and gently pressed her lips against his.

As her lips melted onto him, he could feel his body loosen as if they were sitting on clouds drifting in the sky. The taste of her strawberry-sweet lips as she grappled her arms around his neck was perfect in every way imaginable. Her hair folding over her shoulder gave his cheek a little tingle, adding a tiny pinch of spice to the elegance of the scene.

She felt his hand rest below her ear, and his thumb slowly began curresing the tears off her cheeks as their breaths collided. As payback, she sent her hand down his back, wielding him closer, feeling his heart beating against hers like a ticking time bomb.

They could feel the audience cheering on. They could sense the stares pointing straight at them. They could hear Cartuja's quiet laughs in the distance, but they didn't care at all. Their lips fit together perfectly, as if they were a puzzle piece meant to match.

Rina let go, smiling as her tears ran down her chin. She grabbed his hands softly, and placed them in hers. "I-"

"I love you…" Atlas cut her off unexpectedly. He could hear his heart nearly skip a beat as he said it, but something about confessing his emotions made him feel warm. A feeling that's unexplainable through words alone, "I always have."

Rina wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks with her sleeve, keeping her dazzling smile shining brighter than ever. "I love you too…" She kissed him again, and the applause seemed to get even louder.