The Cheat Seed

"The door will open in..."

"3..."

"2..... "

"1..... "

*FLASH*

.....

The huge towering clasps and latches vanished, making the massive chains plummet a few meters away from the duo below.

'That's Big!!' (That's what she said...)

Marcus thought as his eyes widened at the size of the steel chain beside him.

The system ambled forward and tapped on the door. Reacting to his touch, the door creaked and squealed as it slowly unlocked.

Marcus caught sight of flickering lights in his eyes through the narrow gap as the door opened, which was gradually expanding as time passed.

The thought train once again wrecked Marcus's psyche as it railed against him. What the system wanted was him to be cool, calm as he possibly could be. But he certainly was relinquishing the only mandatory capability he required to make it through this... hell, and that was composure.

But No... Marcus was lost in his thoughts. He was panicking and it was to that extent that his thoughts were gradually giving rise to a mysterious entity inside him...

'What'll happen to me?'

'Will the system self destruct with me??'

'Will I die?'

*Crack, Crack*

'I was supposed to die two years ago right?'

'Why was I so weak back then??'

'Even though I can adapt to things...'

*CRack, CRack*

'Why was I not able to adapt to being a Fielddust back then?'

'Able to adapt... my ass'

'I tried to suicide...'

'How pathetic can I be?'

'....'

*CRAck, CRAck*

'Or will I survive this?'

'I might be able to right?'

'I am the guardian, they can't seriously kill me off like this!'

'But one of the previous guardians died'

'...'

*CRACk, CRACk*

'I just want to see my family again'

'And My Friends'

'I want to see Dave, Luca, Cloy, Melova, and Kerin again'

'I want to see them so bad'

*CRACK, CRACK*

*PING*

*ECHO*

{But are they your friends??}

A mysterious voice retorted inside him. It was not his system though. His eyes traced the look alike figure in front of him who was still typing on the window tab.

'Who's it?'

Marcus could only think as he was restrained from talking.

{I'll introduce myself later}

The mysterious voice said.

{Don't worry it'll happen soon}

It laughed. The laugh held up a menace at every bar. The voice was very raspy, which sounds almost as if it was a demon laughing at him. It was simply, if termed, a cacophony of laughter.

{What do you mean it'll happen soon?... Wait, demon... Pyraze?. Is it you Pyraze??.}

Marcus inquired. He had almost forgotten about the Flame Berserker inside him.

{Ah... I'm not him... He's still sleeping. But it's thanks to him that I'll be able to do what I've been planning to do for two whole years}

'What the hell??. I am already neck deep into this mess and Pyraze you are kidding around?. You are joking, right? Your voice is so... not... as it used to be'

{KEKEK}

'Hear me out, this is not the time to joke!!'

{Shut up delusional bastard, I've gotten tired of your shit}

'*Gasp*....'

{I said I'm not him, can't you just accept it you fool?}

'...'

{You are 18... start acting your age... how mentally retarded can you be?}

{The system has been pampering you all this time and I've simply grown tired of you acting like a 13 year old}

'... I don't understand, tell me, who are you?? and what are you doing inside my body??'

{Patience Fool, I've let you reign for 18 years, now it's my turn}

'But..."

{Well don't you worry, I'll be tutoring you about maturity from now on...}

{after all, we have 6000 years on our hands}

'.....'

Marcus found himself speechless, even though his mouth was already chained, even his thoughts had ceased operating. He didn't comprehend a single word the mysterious voice uttered. But somehow deep inside his heart, he realized they were connected to him.

It was all just a hodgepodge of mystery. The lingering tension in the air nevertheless, kept on orbiting Marcus.

He wanted to call out... scream out to his system. He yearned to shut down this entire scenario. In just a matter of minutes, Marcus had a year's worth of dilemmas and anxiety.

And now a new being posed in front of him mantled inside a cloak of mystery.

"Marcus?..."

The system spoke.

His eyebrows were perched as he asked Marcus.

"You can hear me right?"

"I am sorry for chaining you like this, but If you can hear me, then blink your eyes"

Marcus could, as the system inquired, hear the system. Marcus blinked his eyelids in reply to the query.

"Confirmed, Marcus if you are ready please blink your eyes again"

The system continued. The window tab on which he indexed before was now on his hands in the form of a clipboard.

Marcus thought...

'Am I ready?...'

'Come on Marcus, You are the Guardian'

'Show some bloody courage'

............

*Blink*

Marcus did as his system asked him to do. He blinked his eyes, and along with it, he wiped off the mysterious voice which rang inside him.

'Huh?'

It was unexpected, but Marcus felt alleviated. It was as if something menacing had abandoned his body. It was as if a huge boulder on his shoulders had crumbled down to fractions.

"Confirmation Acquired, Let's start with ... th.. Zaat ... Confi.... Acqyeer...Le..t"

The system quivered. Marcus gaped at his look alike system tremble and tumble on the barren ground. It was similar... similar to what he had seen before in comics.

That indistinguishable contour in which an electronic entity stammered and stuttered. If he remembered it correctly, then that specific action was called a... Glitch!!.

His system was glitching when Marcus glanced at his look alike sprawled on the ground.

'WHAT'S HAPPENING?!!'

Marcus shrieked inside his thoughts.

'SYSTEM!!! SYSTEM!!!'

"SHUT UP BASTARD"

*Silence*

A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He watched as the system go lifeless on the dirt. But just as it went motionless, the inanimate system on the ground attained movement.

First rose his hand and then his legs. With a push-up, the system was on its feet.

That was when he noticed. The figure before him had changed.

His system was not his system.

(Yeah Panda Is Not A Panda)

Instead, the once fair skin began cracking and crumbling. The system's skin broke apart and fell loose on the ground analogous to the act of a snake shedding its skin.

Under the skin appeared black, rock hard scale, very parallel to Obsidian, through which multiple tears ran across the body. The live scars glinted red like lava as Marcus stared at them wide eyed.

The face had crumbled as well, at least the skin had. It was still identical to Marcus's detail but was made out of Obsidian. Similar lava red scars ran across his face on which two glinting white horns permeated out of the forehead.

"So we meet at last Marcus!"

"Told you I'll introduce myself in a minute"

"Kekekekekekek"

The figure laughed menacingly as it ran its eyes through the levitating, chained figure of Marcus.

Its gaze finally ceased at the shivering eyes of Marcus.

"It's me, Marcus....."

"Just like every human has..."

"You have one too and that's me!!!!. KEKEK"

.............................

.............................

.............................

"Behold... Your INNER DEMON"

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