Chapter 16 - CHAPTER 16 THE BROKEN MEMORY

K started walking slowly behind A, who was still running."A, you can't run away from me or from this reality. I will always find you. Run as much as you c—"K suddenly fell into a void that appeared beneath his feet."So you still managed it," he said calmly as he fell into the darkness. A continued running without looking back. K showed no fear."So you are really becoming powerful, Executioner."He landed in the blood garden. K stood still."So, what do you want now? Come out. I don't have all day to spend with you."A stone flew toward him. K caught it just inches away from his mask."Do you really think you can hurt me with this?" K crushed the stone into dust. "Now come out before I lose my patience."The Executioner ambushed him from behind, trying to bind him with chains. K countered instantly by grabbing his neck and crushing it with no delay."Like I said, stop playing games."The Executioner's body fell to the ground. K sat on a nearby rock."You keep repeating your mistakes," K said.The Executioner coughed and replied, "Your reflexes are still sharp." He tried to stand up, but K waved his hand. The chains holding the Executioner tightened, pinning him to the ground so he couldn't move."Oh, so you really think this is enough to stop me, K?" The chains began digging into his flesh. "If you think I will cry in pain, then forget it, K. We both can't kill each other. But look at you…"The Executioner barely managed to point a finger at K. "You are becoming weak. Come on, we are brothers after all."K walked over and stood near his head. "So you still think I am your brother after everything you have done in the past? You think I can forget it so easily?"The Executioner laughed. He managed to sit up and adjusted his hat. "You are becoming weak. Remember those days when we walked side by side? Our goal was the same, and it still is—even after all these years."K leaned back, looking up into the darkness. "Those days are gone. Our goals are the same, but our paths are different. That's why you are here, locked away from the rest."The Executioner took a long breath. "K, my ideology is completely right. Even you agreed with it in the past."K continued looking upward. "At that time, I was still learning. I was a fool who agreed with your ideas. You think killing all humans will solve our problems?""So what? That is the right way to create the world we dreamed of," the Executioner replied. "Think about it. If we do it my way, we only need a few years and then…"K cut him off. "Like I said before, your plan is rejected." He started walking toward the exit. "You and I are different now. I learned, adapted, and gained more knowledge. You are still stuck in your old ideology."K was about to open the door when the Executioner said, "We were brothers. We trusted each other."K grabbed the doorknob."K, how much you have changed. Is it because of that girl?"K stopped for a few seconds. Then he turned, reached the Executioner, grabbed his neck, and punched him again and again."DON'T YOU EVEN DARE TO SPEAK ANYTHING ABOUT HER!"The Executioner tried to block the punches. "W… what… your anger… justifies my…"K stopped. Blood dripped from his hands. The Executioner smiled. "You are really becoming weak. That girl gave you the mask, and you still have it. The best part is that girl never existed."K released his grip. "I know that girl never existed. But still, that was the day I realized our ideologies were incomplete."K finally took off his mask and held it in his hand. His eyes still burned with the same fire, but his face looked a little older now."I killed my past self. And here I am—a better version than my past self."The Executioner, holding his hat, said, "K, we are both abominations. You can't deny it. Let me meet A."K didn't reply. He kept staring at the mask. The Executioner walked over and sat beside the rock. K sat on the rock as well."Yes, we both are abominations," the Executioner continued. "We both can't kill each other, yet look at what we are doing—still trying to kill one another even though we know it's impossible."K coughed a little blood onto his hand. The Executioner noticed it."You are still holding back even though you know what we will get in the end. Just because of that girl, you left me here alone. What do you even remember about her? You don't even remember her name, her face, or her voice. A…"Chains suddenly snapped and ripped through the Executioner's body. Blood splashed everywhere. K didn't even look at him. He continued holding the mask in his hand, his eyes cold.With a cold voice, K said, "I still remember her words. Yes, I don't remember anything else about her, but her words are enough for me. Even if I have to sacrifice everything I have left, I will make it happen. I am not going to leave this path. Even if I have to kill A, my only priority is my goal—to create a new world. I will keep trying until I find a way to finally create a peaceful world. No more crying, no more war, no more crime."The Executioner laughed as his body began regenerating. "Still, you think humans have time left for that? They are standing on the edge of their end, and you still believe they can change. Even after two world wars, they are heading for the next one. Is there even an end to it, K? They have everything they need to change this world and protect nature. You know why I hate humans so much? Because they never change—even after all the destruction they cause to nature. You can stop me, but you can't stop nature. Soon they will all die when nature wakes up."K put his mask back on. "Yes, I can't go against nature, but I can try until the last moment."K took a deep breath and looked at the Executioner. This time his voice was calm. "I understand how much you love nature. Even this garden—you have taken good care of it. But our time is nearly over. Soon A is going to meet the Master, and then our dream will finally become reality. I remember how ruthless we both were back then. But I changed with time… and you didn't."Meanwhile, A, who had been running, ended up in a completely different area. In front of him was a door. He took long breaths due to exhaustion."I… where am I?"After a few moments of hesitation, A finally opened the door and walked through it. He found himself in front of a massive iron door."What is this…?"A looked at the door. His watch suddenly started working again."Why did it start working?" — END OF CHAPTER 16 —