72 Pillar

I held my arms up in defense as I watched the bronze mannequin run at me like it had a personal vendetta.

Secretly, I was praying this lifeless thing couldn't punch as hard as Madelyn. But as it got closer, I began to think otherwise, and I was right.

The mannequin stopped abruptly in front of me, pulling its fist back almost out of view. I knew what was coming and braced myself, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

I couldn't even see the fist move as it raced towards me. I only felt the impact as the metal fist made contact, forcing my arms back into my chest.

"Ahhh!" I yelled as I was thrown backward. I rolled against the stone-covered ground, skipping like a rock on water, which hurt like hell.

I lay face down, not moving, my arms throbbing. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were both broken.

"Get up, Ethan," I heard Madelyn's voice from afar. I lifted my face slightly from the crushed dirt that acted like a pillow.

I saw her sitting on top of a huge boulder at least ten feet in the air. She looked down at me, not amused by my predicament.

"Your training isn't over yet," she said, her voice low and serious.

I turned my gaze away from her and looked toward the mannequin, which was now walking toward me, its metal steps creating a small "CLANK" sound as it came closer and closer.

I slowly began to rise from the ground, my arms shaking as I used them to help me stand. As soon as I stood fully upright, the mannequin began running toward me again.

"Oh, come on, give me a break!" I yelled, turning and starting to run.

It felt like I was in a war zone, running through a minefield. Right behind me, I could hear explosions going off, dust and rocks flying high into the air.

I turned my head slightly to see what was going on. The mannequin was jumping toward me, its fist raised. Each time it landed, its fist hit the ground, creating a small explosion that left a crater.

It was hard to maintain my balance as the ground shook, but I kept running.

"Madelyn!!!" I yelled. "Call this thing off!"

I was met with silence, which wasn't a good sign at all. I turned my head right and left in rapid succession, trying to find Madelyn. It was then that I fell backward as something grabbed my collar.

As my back hit the ground, I looked up to see the bronze mannequin holding my collar.

"Shit!" I yelled as it lifted me off the ground and threw me high into the air. I screamed as I flew through the air like a bird without wings.

I hit the ground hard, rolling a dozen times before coming to a stop on my back.

I could barely breathe as it felt like all the air had left my lungs. I looked upward at the painted sky on the ceiling, and for a moment, it was peaceful lying there on the ground, even as blood trickled from my forehead.

That peace soon vanished as the blurry figure of the mannequin came into view, jumping high in the air. It fell toward me at a fast pace.

"Oh no..." was all I could whisper before a steel-covered fist plunged into my stomach.

I felt my ribs cracking and tasted blood in my mouth as the ground beneath me seemed to yield to my body.

"I'm going to die," was my last thought before everything went dark.

***

He found himself in a dark space, the same black void he had seen before.

"Hello," Ethan called out, looking around for the familiar black-haired, crimson-eyed girl, but was only met with chilling silence.

He floated there, suspended in the dark void, fear coursing through his veins.

Ethan's breath came in shallow gasps as a chilling sensation began at the base of his spine, spreading rapidly through his entire body. The cold was unlike anything he had ever felt—it was as if the darkness itself was freezing him from the inside out, turning his breath to frost as he exhaled.

Ethan's body shuddered from the chill, and without warning, an invisible force gripped him.

"What?!" he yelled as his head snapped back, and his mouth was pried open wide. "Let go of me!" he screamed, trying his best to struggle, to move his arms and legs, but they were pinned by an unseen force that felt like claws against his skin. Panic surged as he realized he was completely at its mercy.

The darkness around him began to move, converging toward him like dark water mixed with black mist. It swirled and twisted like a living entity, its liquid tendrils reaching out toward Ethan's face.

"No," Ethan said, tears in his eyes. "No!!!" he screamed as the tendrils began forcing their way into his open mouth.

His body began to shake violently as the darkness poured into him, an overwhelming, oppressive force filling every part of his being.

A silent scream became trapped within his throat as the darkness invaded his mind, his thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm. Then, a single image invaded his thoughts.

The image of a smile, a sharp-toothed smile surrounded by long black hair.

I opened my eyes and smiled, looking up at the mannequin that had its fist deep within my gut.

I laughed as dark energy began to surround my body, filling me with newfound strength and stamina.

"Sorry," I said between laughs as I grabbed the mannequin's arm, tightening my grip until the steel began to bend. I yelled out in joy, throwing the mannequin high into the air as I stood up. "But l'm afraid I don't feel like getting beat up anymore!" I shouted, holding the mannequin's severed arm in my hand. "Now, shall we start round two?"

***

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