Since Atticus had been reincarnated in Eldoralth, he had felt many emotions. Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, excitement, pride, bitterness, hatred… The list was endless.
However, despite experiencing this broad spectrum of emotions, Atticus had never once completely lost his composure. He had always maintained his senses and made sure to react accordingly to the situation.
But now, he was feeling something new, something he hadn't encountered before: horror. It was like an upgrade of the feeling of fear—a fear that had come to pass.
Atticus knew deep down that this was a lie, but something kept messing with his mind, something he couldn't understand, making him believe that it was the truth.
Regardless, Atticus's mind was overwhelmed by this feeling, and because of that, the composure he had kept since arriving in Eldoralth crumbled.
Atticus screamed from the depths of his soul.
"YOU BASTARD!!"
His horror was instantly replaced by an overwhelming desire for retribution. He would make that bastard pay for this.
However, the man was nowhere to be found. Atticus's gaze swept around the space, but he couldn't find him anywhere. His head snapped to the side, only to see that Avalon was no longer on the ground.
Before Atticus could comprehend the situation, the same scene replayed itself. The darkness receded, and Atticus saw the same man pointing the gun toward someone's head.
But this time, it wasn't Avalon.
Instead, it was the battered figure of Ember, her doll-like face twisted with intense anger.
The man flashed Atticus another maniacal grin before he could process what was happening.
And then,
BANG!
Ember fell to the floor, lifeless.
"W-what…"
Atticus's mouth trembled, his mind unable to form a coherent thought.
"Em-Ember?" he muttered after a few seconds, but this time, two streaks of tears fell from his eyes.
Atticus didn't have time to feel any other emotion before the scene changed again, and Caldor appeared in place of Ember, another loud bang echoing.
Atticus's heart froze, his whole body paralyzed as the scene continued to change, with the figure being shot and killed switching every moment.
He saw Aurora, Zoey, Nate, Lucas, and the other Ravenstein youths getting killed in front of him. And each time he saw that maniacal grin and heard the gunshot, it felt as though something inside him shattered.
Atticus felt his grip on his mind slipping, as if something was trying to engulf his will.
But he didn't try to fight it. There was only hopelessness in his eyes. All his efforts, all his sleepless nights and hard work to get stronger, were meant to protect those dear to him, no matter the cost.
But it was as though everything was for naught. He couldn't do a single thing while everyone got killed in front of him.
Atticus didn't resist. He could feel his will being taken away from him.
But then, he saw the next scene.
It was just like the others. A gun was pointed toward the battered and bloodied figure of a person, and the man flashed Atticus a maniacal grin. However, there was a slight difference this time.
This time, the figure was his mother, Anastasia. And unlike the other people, she had a warm smile on her face as she stared at Atticus despite her terrible situation.
Only one thought came to his mind at that moment:
'It's just like her.'
It was just like Anastasia to act like a caring and loving mother to him, even though she was at death's door. She would always, without fail, put him as the priority in every instance.
She was his mother.
It felt as though a flame lit up within him, a small light amidst an endless darkness. The lifelessness on Atticus's face began to fade, and his arms tightened so hard that blood dripped from them.
What was he doing? What the hell was he doing? His family loved him just as much as he loved them. None of them would hesitate to sacrifice themselves for him.
Why the hell was he here brooding while they were being killed? So what if he had no power to stop it? He would get that power!
A palpable red aura erupted from Atticus, the entire space trembling. It seemed as though the darkness around him was a barrier encompassing the whole space, and something was trying to get in, slamming against it repeatedly.
Soon enough, the barrier crumbled, and an intense red wave burst into the space.
For the first time ever, the man holding the gun showed a different expression, his face becoming serious.
However, Atticus had already moved.
A streak of blue blitzed forward, reaching the man, katana slashing horizontally with intense momentum.
The man only had time to show slight surprise before a small smile appeared on his face.
The katana struck through, and his head was separated from his body. Atticus sheathed his katana as the body dropped to the ground, the head rolling lifelessly away.
The red wave continued to engulf the space, and Atticus turned his gaze toward Anastasia's kneeling figure on the floor. She still had the same warm smile on her face.
The cold expression on Atticus's face melted, and he smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Mom," Atticus muttered as he saw Anastasia's reassuring nod before she scattered into motes of light. She was just a figment of his imagination, and yet, she acted exactly as she would have in reality.
Atticus took a deep breath. Both Anastasia and the bastard man had already disappeared, and the red wave was filling the space around him.
He replayed everything that had just happened in his head, trying to solidify his newfound mindset. Atticus had gained something valuable today.
Something important—a symbol. An image he could imagine anytime he felt unsure about anything. Something that would keep him fighting no matter what. Something that would remind him of what he was fighting for.
Atticus envisioned the perfect image of Anastasia smiling, and the remaining parts of the darkness barrier shattered like broken glass.
The red wave engulfed Atticus entirely, and he felt his mind clearing.