Split Seconds

"At last, your end has come!" [[//Huh?//->Realization]]

You wake up from a sleep-like state, feeling very dizzy. You're standing in the middle of a crater in a large city square, but can't remember how you got there. A sharp voice brought you back to your senses, and you raise your head to the direction it came from. An ominous, but familiar-looking figure is standing at the edge of the crater. They are drawing energy from their surroundings and forming it into some kind of an orb. [["What do you mean by 'my end'?"->Reminder]] [[Keep observing->Perception]]

You try to listen to the figure, who's still yelling something at you. You can barely hear their voice through the rigning in your ears, but on the other hand your vision is slowly shaking off the blurriness. You slowly begin to see again, and you find yourself in a massive pit some distance below ground level. The whole city around you appears ruined. Buildings have large cavities, cars are smoking, streetlights are bent and blood is flowing along the cracked pavement. There's not many people around, but one thing is for sure; the only one who isn't upset in the least is the lanky spellcaster before you, who keeps channeling magical energy with a crooked smile on their face and who keep shouting in your general direction. [[Look closely at the ominous figure->Perception - Knowledge]] [["Did you cause all of this!?"->Fury]]

"I'm finally going to end this! I've waited for this moment for so long! You will die here and now!" You begin to remember things. How you dueled across the city with the ominous figure, causing damage to both each other and the environment. Judging by the giant pit you've found yourself in, the murderous spellcaster dishing out threats has gained the upper hand. [[Respond to the threats->Memory]] [[Try to remember more->Reminder - Knowledge]]

You can hear the singing of birds. You are finally at peace. [[Play again?->Awakening]]

In a state of panic, you start running away from the orb as it approaches you. But after losing the mysterious aura bestowed to you by rage, you start feeling dizzy and your head starts to hurt. The world starts spinning and as you turn your head to look behind you, a pipe sticking out from the crater trips you over. As you're falling you see the darkness approaching behind you, and upon reaching the ground you hit your head on a stone. Everything goes black. [[//Agh--//->End]]

You stand quietly next to the unconscious body of the ominous figure. Just to have peace of mind, you uncover their left leg, which is bruised and feels broken, just like you predicted. It's hard to tell if it broke as they fell to the ground, but you want to believe you were right about it being injured earlier. You are unsure what to do next, so you choose to sit down and relax your tired body. A smile begins to form on your face. Even after losing your consciousness and memories, you overcame your adversary and claimed victory in this battle. The city is also saved from further destruction, but for one reason or another, that's not the most important thing to you in the moment. You still don't remember much from before you woke up a while ago, but somehow this victory means the world to you. It feels like you've brought something from a long time ago to a close, redeemed yourself or something of the sort. Without being able to specify the sensation you're experiencing any further, you lie down on your back and look at the sky. The orb of darkness can still be spotted as it drifts away to the distance. [[//I'll figure out who I am another day. For now, I'll just savor this liberating feeling of victory.//->End]]

As the orb is almost within your reach, you release the spell with a savage shout. The magic takes the form of an orb half the size of the one coming at you, and is launched towards the figure behind the darkness. It all happens in the blink of an eye. Your spell bolts towards the figure, ripping a hole in the darkness and closing the distance between the two of you in an instant. The spell pierces the unprepared ominous figure's body, and they quietly tumble down along the edge of the crater. You don't have a lot of time to look at them however, as the remaining darkness keeps travelling along its trajectory. The empty space in the middle that's caused by your attack lets your body pass through, but the bottom part of the now circle-shaped mass dissolves your legs as it passed you by. Your torso falls to the ground while you are still in a state of shock. As the dark orb begins to vanish behind you, an excruciating pain takes over you as you can feel your blood escaping through what remains of your thighs. With a lot of effort you raise your upper torso on your elbows and lift your gaze towards the ominous figure. Their smoking body has rolled fairly close to you along the edge of the crater, and now that they're closer you can be fairly certain that you've taken them down. They're dead, and the city is saved. As your vision begins to get blurry, you realize how dire your own situation is. Your legs are gone, and you can't remember if you know of a spell that could save you. Your strength is disappearing, and your upper body collapses on the ground. Everything starts getting darker, but you can't stop yourself from smiling. You proved your skills to both yourself and to your enemy, and the figure responsible for the destruction of the city has been defeated. With your memories still mostly clouded, you close your eyes. [[//Heh... I wonder if I'll be remembered... as a... hero... ...//->End]]

Since the figure seems to have the advantage in the situation, and you can't remember anything, you decide to talk back to the figure. "I have no idea what you've got against me, but I'm not going to let you kill me that easily!" Still feeling confused, you pull off a brave bluff while also trying to seek information about why you're the target of such animosity. "You ruined my life, and now you're gonna pay for it!" [[Ask for more information->Advantage]]

The bolt flies towards you even faster than before, and before you have time to react, it hits you. You feel intense pain as a shockwave is sent through your entire body, and you collapse to the ground. "Damn... Sure would've been nice to remember they can do that..." You're clinging onto your consciousness as you're lying on the ground. You find your senses to still be intact as you can hear the orb of darkness slowly getting closer to you. You put all fo your remaining strength to an attempt to get up, but only manage to get up on your palms and knees before falling down again. You fought valiantly, but it wasn't enough. The darkness catches up to you, and envelops you in it. The ideals and regrets you still possess dissolve into nothingness until you're erased. [[//Heh... Called my bluff...//->End]]

Not long after pushing the orb back at its conjurer, you can see it vanishing. You can't see anybody behind it after it's gone, so in relief your feet give in and you fall on your knees. You feel relieved for satisfying your desire for payback and for saving the city. You notice that under the intense rush of adrenaline, the burning sensation had never left your body. The pain is getting worse and worse, and as you look at your hand, the aura is still there. The skin has turned bright red, and cracks have begun to form. You look at the other hand, which is suffering from the same symptoms. The pain becomes immense as your hands begin to crumble, and you can't help but scream as your hands are being reduced into a crimson pile of hardened skin and flesh. The aura begins to fade, and after you've lost your hands, the pain starts to recede. You fall on your back, gazing at the clear skies as all the fatigue finally gets to you. You feel tired. You close your eyes... [[//Maybe I overdid it a bit... but at least... I got them...//->End]]

The abstract mass of energy begins to shake the ground beneath your feet, and the noise it makes has occupied every frequency you can hear. Your every bone is shaking from both the vibrations and out of sheer fear. Soon you realize that you can't hear anything. You can only see the gyrating mass of antimatter now, and it's not long until it explodes, sending a shockwave through both you and the ominous figure. You see a brief flash of white before the rest of your senses fade away. In your last thoughts you lament your choice of spell, but take solace in managing to take the culprit down with you. [[//Mission... accomplished.//->End]]

Fear takes hold of your mind as the remains of the shield sparkle in the air and nothing remains between you and the darkness. Moments like these feel like they could last forever, even though the darkness will reach you in a matter of seconds. You always thought the concept of your life flashing before your eyes was a myth, yet here we are, experiencing it before the end. Time is not completely subjective though, and so the darkness finally reaches you, and everything goes black as it consumes you. While drawing your final breath, you regret not being able to save everyone, but you take pride in fighting bravely until the bitter end. [[//This doesn't... feel so bad... after all...//->End]]

"Enough talk! Time to die!" With that, the magical orb the figure is holding stops growing in size. They have gathered energy all this time, and the dark orb has grown to be at least ten times the size of the figure themself. Fearing the worst with little time to prepare, you reflexively assume a combat stance. "Your murderous magic is crooked and evil! I'll show you what a real spellcaster can do!" The figure launches the large, eerie ball of darkness at you. It's time to act. [[Use light magic->Memory - Sacrifice]] [[Conjure a shield->Memory - Fatality]] [[Use a detaining spell->Memory - Counterattack]]

You glance at the figure, and try to find as many details as you can. They are a skinny person wearing only a bathrobe, and they're speaking in a childlike manner. They have long hair and a long beard, seemingly never shaven. Nothing else about them seems too out of the ordinary, but despite having some distinctive features, you can't remember the person at all. They do seem to remember you, though. The ringing in your ears is starting to fade away, and you can make out what the figure is saying again. [[Listen to the ominous figure->Perception - Weakness]]

"No, WE did! I blew up a lot of buildings, but so did you! Lots of people have died today! Hooray!" You are stunned in disbelief. You cannot remember what happened, but you're certain that causing damage to the city and its people was not your intent. Besides, can you really trust what they're saying? "I blew up more stuff and killed more people than you though, so that makes me the winner! And your punishment for losing our little game is death!" The spellcaster seems to consider whatever happened a "game". They've destroyed this city and killed its residents for sport. While your memories are still unclear, your emotions are stirring inside you. You can't help but feel furious about the ominous figure and what they've done. With your reclaimed sense of justice, you are determined to stand your ground. [[//They must pay for what they've done.//->Determination]]

"Enough talk! Time to die!" With that, the magical orb the figure is holding stops growing in size. They have gathered energy all this time, and the dark orb has grown to be at least ten times the size of the figure themself. Fearing the worst with little time to prepare, you reflexively assume a combat stance. "You may think you have the upper hand, but there's no way you can defeat me! Prepare yourself!" The figure launches the large, eerie ball of darkness at you. It's time to act. [[Blast the ground beneath the figure->Knowledge - Counterattack]] [[Shoot at the dark orb->Knowledge - Sacrifice]] [[Aim for the figure's body->Knowledge - Fatality]]

"Enough talk! Time to die!" With that, the magical orb the figure is holding stops growing in size. They have gathered energy all this time, and the dark orb has grown to be at least ten times the size of the figure themself. Fearing the worst with little time to prepare, you reflexively assume a combat stance. "You've caused enough harm already! It is you who will lose their life today!" The figure launches the large, eerie ball of darkness at you. It's time to act. [[Gather more energy->Fury - Fatality]] [[Go for a quick assault->Fury - Counterattack]] [[Assume a defensive stance->Fury - Sacrifice]]

The figure seems agitated, and you decide to use this chance to press them further. "What did I do to ruin your life?" "Don't you remember? You said my magic was bad! That it was dangerous and unpure! You caught me and put me away! Nobody liked me anymore! So I wanted to show everyone how dangerous I can be! And show them that I'm stronger than you!" More memories start flowing into your head. You remember working as a law enforcement officer in this very city, and you have encounter the same figure standing over there before. They were using magic in the streets for fun without realizing that their spells were draining the life of nearby people to sustain itself. You managed to capture them, which was easy, since the culprit was just standing still with their spell even when they saw you coming. You took the thrashing figure in, and that was the last you've seen of them. You remember using magic in the past, so there's a chance you could do that in the present as well. Suddenly you snap out of your memories, as the figure starts talking again. [[Back to the present->Memory - Action]]

You decide to put and end to the ominous figure's rampage. Your blood is boiling and a peculiar form of energy is starting to gather around you without you noticing it. "You've killed who knows how many people and destroyed an entire city. I refuse to let scum like you have their way any longer!" The figure seems to be pleased with your reaction. "Ooh, tough talk from a loser! Reminds me of old times!" You don't understand what they mean by that, but you stop thinking about it as you finally notice the energy surrounding you. Is this... magic? It feels familiar, yet you don't think you've ever done anything like this before. The energy simply came to you. You feel a lot better and overall very powerful being clad in the bright red aura, and regardless of where it came from, you can use it to put that murderer in their place. Suddenly, your focus shifts back to the figure as they begin to yell again. [[//They can't stop me now.//->Fury - Action]]

You delve deep into your memories, and try to remember what happened. You remember clashing with the figure using magic, but most of the action escapes your mind's reach. You had a tough time keeping up with the ominous figure, and you suffered some damage. Try as you might, you can't even remember where you were hit or how you got into the situation you're in now. Suddenly you remember one instance, where you managed to land a hit on the figure, but everything about it is hazy, save for the feeling of accomplishment. Maybe the figure is still wounded? [[Return to reality->Reminder - Weakness]]

"This has gone on for long enough! I'm gonna start killing you real soon!" How has it gone on for long enough? Are they in a hurry? How long have you been here? If you two have been at this for a while, maybe they're as tired as you are? The figure shifts their already odd posture and continues to channel energy into the dark orb floating above them. Whatever it does, it's clear that it's bad news and they're going to use it against you. You have to do something, but your head is still spinning and it's hard to even move anywhere. What can you do? If the figure can use magic, maybe you can too? You instinctively begin to focus energy into your right hand, and with all of your effort, you manage to gather a glowing, blue sphere around your hand. You now remember being capable of magic, and are aware that just now you've conjured a simple spell. As soon as you've done that, the figure begins to yell at you again. [[//There's gotta be something I can do...//->Knowledge - Action]]

You turn your head quickly and lock your eyes on the figure. You're certain that you managed to land a hit on them before, so there has to be some sign of struggle! You scour the ominous figure with your eyes, but you can't find anything more severe than small bruises, shallow cuts and ragged clothing. The figure is channeling energy into their dark orb in a weird, asymmetric pose, but nothing else stands out. They're limbs seem intact, and they're not bleeding much from anywhere. Could they have healed their wounds while you were blacked out? Or maybe they're hiding their injury somehow? You notice that your right hand is glowing with a blue aura. You remember having a slightly weird feeling in your hand ever since you started thinking about wounding the figure earlier, but didn't pay attention to it until now. You're certain that this is magic, but you don't remember how to use it. You try to remember, but can't think of anything. Suddenly your train of thought is disrupted as the figure starts yelling again. [[//C'mon, think, how do I use this...?//->Knowledge - Action]]

Seeing the large ball of dark energy flying towards you, something awakens inside you in the life-or-death situation. All the knowledge you have about magic comes back to you. On instinct, you begin to cast a spell. You remember the magic of the ominous figure being associated with darkness, and you also remember your own magic comes from the light. On intuition, you begin to charge a light spell. Even when under such immense pressure, you are able ready your spell in no time. Without time to think, you concentrate the energy you gathered and release it towards the orb in the form of a ray of light. "No! No no no, are you crazy!? Aaahh!" You can hear the figure screaming behind all the noise, but you ingnore them in the moment and focus on the spell. The ray collides with the orb, and as soon as they touch, they begin to meld with each other and form a vibrating, abstract-looking substance. [[//Uh-oh.//->Duality]]

Seeing the large ball of dark energy flying towards you, something awakens inside you in the life-or-death situation. All the knowledge you have about magic comes back to you. On instinct, you begin to cast a spell. You choose to go with a defensive option. As long as you can survive the dark orb, you've practically won, as charging up another one will take a long time. You begin to channel energy for a shield, and considering the intense situation you're in, you succeed in doing that fairly quickly. A dense-looking shield of ethereal energy has formed around you, and through it you can see the orb flying closer to you. "This is it. Either this shield can take their attack, or I die. Bring it!" The orb grows closer to you, and finally it comes into contact with your shield. It begins to flatten against the hard surface, slowing down in the process. You see a crack appearing in the shield, but the orb is still pushing hard against it. Another crack appears as the orb keeps spreading along the surface of the shield. Another crack. The shield is now completely surrounded. It feels like time slows down. //Smash.// The shield shatters into a million pieces. [[//So it wasn't enough, huh...//->Darkness]]

Seeing the large ball of dark energy flying towards you, something awakens inside you in the life-or-death situation. All the knowledge you have about magic comes back to you. On instinct, you begin to cast a spell. The memories you found proved to be vital to winning this battle after all. You begin to conjure the detaining spell, which you manage to do surprisingly quickly while under immense pressure. You unleash your magic on the figure, who's standing still with a confident expression on their face. The still figure is an easy target for your spell, which manifests into ethereal chains around the figure. Before they can react properly, the chains wrap tightly around the ominous figure. Remembering the shock of being captured in the past, they instantly crumbles into a state of distress and panic, losing their focus on the spell. The orb fades away before it can reach you, and the figure is left wriggling hysterically on the edge of the crater. You managed to learn from the past and take advantage of your enemy's weakness, and before even 10 seconds have passed, you have brought justice to the culprit and captured them. [[//I did it. I caught them again.//->Retribution]]

The large ball of dark energy is flying at you, but you're not afraid of it in the least. The anger and determination in your mind fuel your sense of justice, and those feelings have brought great power to you. Confident in your abilities, you make your move. Knowing nothing about the sudden power you've acquired, you decide to make this quick. You focus your anger, put all your weight on your right foot and spring into a sprint. Before you can register what's happening, you've already passed the orb from the left side and closed a third of the distance between you and the ominous figure. You're stunned by how much power you're in possession of right now, but manage to keep your focus on the target. You take another powerful step, flying blindingly fast at the figure. They're turning their head in your direction as you clench your fist and prepare to attack. With one more step in the between, you've almost reached the figure. Using the momentum to your advantage, you focus energy in your right hand and unleash a swift, high-speed punch on their gut. The figure, who still hasn't realized what's happening, is sent flying by the blow. You land gracefully on your feet and watch the figure tumble further along the pavement. They left a long, bloody trail on the ground and are lying lifeless at the end of it. You have knocked them out, and the dark orb has evaporated. [[//How do you like THAT, punk!?//->Vengeance]]

The large ball of dark energy is flying at you, but you're not afraid of it in the least. The anger and determination in your mind fuel your sense of justice, and those feelings have brought great power to you. Confident in your abilities, you make your move. One at a time, you slam your feet on the ground to assume a sturdy position. The more you stare at the approaching mass of darkness, the more determination you gain. You raise both of your hands towards the ball, ready to take it with your bare hands. Your aura keeps growing. The orb keeps getting closer. As the orb reaches you, it stops in its tracks and begins to push itself against your hands, which are clad in the mysterious aura that's burning even brighter than before. You feel the immense force of the orb pushing you back, but you manage to stand your ground. Under the immense pressure your arms begin to hurt, and every fiber in your body begins to shake. You keep pushing, and begin to scream as a way of both relieving pain and gathering more strength. Growing more powerful by the second, you manage to take a step forward. Then another step. You start to walk towards the ominous figure while pushing the orb back at them. The figure is starting to have trouble controlling the orb, and they begin to sweat and grunt through their teeth. You feel the aura burning your body from the outside, but you won't give up. As the pressure of the orb and the aura become unbearable, you throw one more shout from the top of your lungs and push the orb back with all of your remaining strength. The force sends the orb flying at the ominous figure, and soon after that you can hear screams of anguish from behind the orb. [[//Take that... you monster...//->Overload]]

Seeing the ball of dark energy flying at you makes you scared, but you manage to keep your mind calm. You still have the magical concentration in your right hand, and using it correctly will be the key to victory. You have only one shot, and you have to make it count. Thinking back, you realize something was odd about the figure after all. You might've just found a weakness in them, and you decide to go all-in on this chance. As the orb of darkness approaches you, you leap to the side, and decide to fire the one attack you have up your sleeve. You focus energy on your hand, take aim, and fire the magic bolt. Not at the figure themselves, but at the edge of the crater they're standing on. You took note of their earlier posture, and thought that they might have a leg injury, which would've lead to them standing in a different way. Though you have no way to know for sure, it's all you've got right now. The bolt you fired travels blindingly fast through the air and collides with the ground beneath the figure. Just like you predicted, they didn't make an effort to dodge it, as their leg is likely hurt and they're focused on their own spell. The bolt creates a small blast and crumbles the ground, leaving the figure without a foothold. As they're falling, they accidentally swing the orb upwards before losing focus and control over it. They figure falls on their back and starts to scream in pain. You quickly rush towards them and when in range, punch them in the face. The figure is out cold. [["Told you there's no way you can-- oh, they can't hear me anymore."->Overcoming]]

You step out of the crater and approach the figure, as they are screaming and writhing on the ground. "NO! I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO PRISON! I DON'T WANNA! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!!" You find it impossible to reason with the figure for now, so you decide not to. You sit down and let all of the fatigue and stress leave your body. After resting for a while, you start to remember more things until everything has come back to you. You pick up your phone, report the situation to any authorities and colleagues you can reach and keep an eye on the figure until help arrives. [[//Finally... everything's come full circle.//->End]]

The ominous figure is lying silently some distance away. You're convinced that they're unconscious, if not worse. Seeing them reduced to such a state has satisfied your fury and sense of justice, and your mind returns to a calm state which feels a lot more natural to you. As the adrenaline begins to go away, your legs and your right hand begin to hurt a bit, and you notice that they've turned a little red. As the odd aura begins to vanish from around you, your limbs slowly turn back to normal and the pain goes away. After all that action you're left in a confused state. "What amazing power... did I really do that?" You still don't remember what led you to this conflict, but you feel like you head is slowly clearing up. You do remember the sensation of the aura feeling familiar, and you did instinctively recognize it as magic, but you don't remember how to use it anymore. You make your way to the ominous figure. You carefully turn their limp body on their back, and see a large pit in their stomach where you punched them. There's blood everywhere, and the figure doesn't seem to be breathing anymore. You realize that in your anger you have killed the ominous figure. You begin to remember the life you've forgotten. You recall yourself being a kind person, who wanted to protect those close to you. Even though your actions just now have saved the city and a lot of lives, you feel regret for doing what you did out of a selfish motive. Worst of all, you felt good about it in the moment as the fury and vengeance overtook your mind. Out of the blue, you notice a child standing next to you. You're visibly startled, but before you can say anything, they utter a single sentence. "Thank you for saving us, officer!" Officer. You look at your outfit, and remember being a police officer. You remember everything now. The words of the child warm your heart and remind you of what you've fought for. You reassure the child that everything is well now, and also convince yourself that despite your moral sacrifice you're still a protector of your people. [[//I'll keep watching over this city. I swear that on my life.//->End]]