[Gift] I Am Reborn

When the gunshot rang out, Anna fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Clutching at her throat as crimson blood poured out, she looked to Redivi, hidden from the intruder’s view, shock and horror plastered on their face. She wanted to tell them to run, but choked as the blood entered her lungs as soon as she tried. The sound of heavy footsteps approached the dying caretaker, stopping in front of her face. 

Anna stared up at the hooded figure, his face obscured by a mask and dark sunglasses. He took aim, pointing the pistol directly at her head to finish her off. “Plea-” She tried to beg, but the choking and pain made it impossible. The blood pooled out from her mouth and neck, coating his shoes in the process as a final shot thundered throughout the whole mansion.

“Anna! YOU BASTARD!” Redivi’s voice boomed in the mind of the intruder, simultaneously startling and causing them to slip on the fresh blood flowing from Anna's deceased body. The gun fell out of his hand, firing harmlessly into the wall. The Paralogos lunged at the intruder’s face, clawing viciously, knocking the sunglasses off just as Kruos entered the room. His usual calm demeanor quickly went from despair to pure rage, as he too lunged at the intruder, biting viscously at their arm. 

They thrashed and screamed as Kruos, despite not having the teeth for it, ripped large chunks of flesh from the arm, their other hand preoccupied with trying to shield themselves from Redivi, mercilessly digging any sharp appendage they could into the face of Anna’s killer. The fiery Paralogos suddenly jammed their claw straight into his eye socket, causing the most agonizing screams Redivi had ever heard. And it pleased them.

“Hey fellas, turn that movie down! I can hear it all the way from…” Hoya stopped at the scene before them. Two of the calmest para’s he’d ever known were violently tearing into a stranger. Then they saw it. Hoya felt his body run cold as everything seemed to fall away from him. No sounds of screaming from the man, not the smell of porcelain flowers, just the sight of Anna’s crumpled body laying lifelessly in a puddle of her own blood. He wanted to scream but found that they’d lost their voice too.

In a desperate attempt to save himself, the intruder somehow managed to grab Redivi and toss them straight into a vase. Hoya jumped, startled, and ran over to the fallen para to check on them. The broken shards would have left them heavily injured, if it weren’t for their rejuvenation skills.

“I’m fine.” They said. Kruos landed a few feet away from Redivi just as they stood up to face the man once again. He’d covered his deeply wounded eye and stared them down, a mix of rage on both their faces.

Redivi charged as the man desperately went for his gun. As they closed in the intruder managed to grab hold of the pistol with his bad arm. He aimed it at the Paralogos, shaking from the immense pain, and fired right as they lunged to slash his throat with their back claw.

The talon dug deep into the flesh of the man, smoothly gliding through his throat like butter. The attack left a deep cut from one side of the neck to the other, completely lacerating the jugular in the process. Clutching desperately at the wounded area, the intruder fell back as blood gushed out. Landing on top, Redivi stared into the murderer’s eyes coldly. “How does it feel to die?” Their voice only sounding in the intruder's mind. He sputtered, launching speckles of the crimson liquid into Redivi’s unyielding face. “Does it hurt? Is it cold? I hope it is.” They said as the intruders one good eye began to close.

“No no no.” They said in a calm, almost comforting voice as they forced it back open. “Don’t close your eye just yet…” Something sinister spread across their face as they leaned in closer. “I want to watch you go.”

2 Weeks Later

Tar sulked through the long halls of the mansion. She still couldn’t believe that such an amazing person such as Anna could be easily taken from them in a matter of minutes. Her thoughts drifted back to that day after it all went down.

 Hoya had been the one to run in to tell them the terrible news, bawling their eyes out. Everyone reacted differently to seeing Anna. Dust Bunny tried denying it at first, Pop curled up in a corner sobbing about the fairness of the situation, and Bubbles grabbed at Anna’s hand getting blood all over themselves. The worst had been Thomas’… he clung to his daughter, wailing while rocking back and forth, Kruos trying desperately to comfort him.

Redivi simply stood by silently, almost like the light had left their eyes. Glancing at the body of the intruder and then back at Anna. Before anyone managed to collect themselves, they’d already run off towards Anna’s room, not wanting to come out. Thomas would leave Redivi treats and books, while the others would go and visit them. Of course, Tar would stay the longest, curling up next to them on those lonely nights. Talking to them had proven difficult, but Thomas felt it best not to push them.

But today was the day of the funeral, and Redivi still hadn’t left the room. So, Hoya told her that she needed to get their butt out of Anna’s room. When Tar approached the door, she noticed it to be ajar. Pushing it open, Tar called out.

“Redivi? Are you still in he-” Tar froze, her words snuffed out as soon as she spotted her friend. Redivi stood in the center of the room, staring down at their hands and grinning wildly. Flames licked at their fingers, dancing in the darkness of the room. Tar stepped forward cautiously.

“W-what are you doing?” Her voice shaky despite being purely telepathic. Redivi whirled around to face Tar, still grinning.

“I can bring her back! I really can!”

“Wait, no! Redivi, you can’t go back from this! This isn’t what you want! It isn’t what she would want!” She tried running to them, but the flames only grew throughout their body.

“To hell with that! I was a fool, Tar!” Their face fittingly switching to burning rage. “I can do this.” Their face then took on a sinister look as the flames grew larger. “I will do this.”

“NO!” The room lit up with an explosion of flames, sending Tar into the wall. An unholy amount of fire swirled around a pile of dust where Redivi once stood. Tar stared in horror as a long boney hand emerged from the ashes and grasped at the floor. It pulled itself forward, revealing the beaked skull of a Paralogos breathing in the hot air. Muscle and skin seemingly wrapped itself around the rising skeletal body, with exception to the scorched black tail. Feathers of pure flame burst out from their back, making a sound similar to the crackling of burning wood. 

The fire died away, leaving cinders and ash all around Redivi. They turned to Tar. Now towering over her, she heard them utter something terrifying.

“I am reborn.”

***

Redivi tore through the skies of Sermos, cinders and ash trailing behind. Those who noticed the para ran in terror at the sight of them. They mattered little to Redivi, anyway. After all, their true goal lay ahead.

“There.” Redivi grinned and dove to the ground, landing with a hard thud, scaring more people and other Paralogos. “Out of my way!” Their voice boomed in the minds of all in their way as they charged through street poles, hydrants, and even a few cars. A few policemen quickly entered the scene and immediately began firing their pistols. Yet Redivi charged on, the bullets doing nothing to their body. 

Funny how a weapon such as this caused all this pain and sorrow. It no longer mattered to them. They were eternal! They were reborn! “Move!” Their roar resonating like a low and powerful trumpet sound. The officers lunged out of the way just as Redivi rammed into the police cruiser.

Stopping for a brief moment, the para had finally reached their destination when the sound of a vehicle screeched to a halt. “Redivi!” Thomas shouted, stepping out of Keith’s cruiser and limping towards them. Kruos hopped out, holding Thomas’ cane in his mouth. “Redivi, what have you done? You don’t want this!” Thomas collapsed, scraping his hands on the pavement. Keith quickly ran to his side to help him up.

“Are you OK, Thomas?” He asked.

“I’m fine.” The older man nodded.

“What’s done is done!” Redivi whirled around to face Thomas. “I’ve become something new! Something better.”

“This is not better! You know it’s not-”

“Shut up!” Redivi went to strike Thomas, but a few random strangers all tackled them at once, with Stalwart leading the charge. Xaimazure went to go help, but Keith stopped him.

“There’s nothing you can do for them.” Keith turned to Thomas next. “Thomas, I’m sorry, but it’s far too dangerous to try and stop them.” The older man looked at the deputy desperately, but deep down, Thomas knew Keith was right. 

Taking the cane from Kruos, Thomas stepped into Keith’s cruiser. Keith managed to wrestle Stalwart away from Redivi just as they regained their footing. Scooping up Xaimazure along the way, he jumped into his vehicle. “Sermos Sheriff's Office.” He commanded, causing the vehicle to do a 180 and speed off.

“No, we have to save them.” Tar protested as the car drove away. “Thomas, make Keith turn the car around!” She tugged at his sleeves, but he just sat there with his hands in his face…sobbing.

Redivi watched them drive away, then turned their attention back to the funeral home.

“Finally.”

***

Anna grimaced and awoke to the most intense headache she’d ever felt in her life. Admittedly, this lasted for all of two seconds since the pain quickly subsided. “What happened? Am I in the hospital?” She blinked a few times to clear her vision and saw that this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Anna looked down. It appeared she’d been laying in something soft. “Is this a coffin?”

“Yes, it is.” She heard a familiar voice say and gasped at the sight. Redivi towered over her, flickers of ash and cinders radiating off their body, behind them a sea of red and blue flashing lights. In that moment, it all became clear.

“Redivi, no! What have you done to yourself?!” Anna reached out to them, falling out of the coffin and cutting her hand on the way down. Grimacing, she looked down at her palm to see the damage. Her blood ran cold as she saw it almost instantly heal. Anna touched her throat, smooth… no signs of damage. She did this to her head next... the same result. No wounds, not even evidence of a scar. Redivi’s arms wrapped around her gently, startling her slightly.

“Don’t worry now, Anna. You will live.” Redivi flew upwards, crashing into the ceiling just as the entire Sermos police force burst through the doors. 

“Forever.”