MISTY MEMORIES

╭──────•◈•──────╮
Chapter Thirty-Two
The Sacrifice
╰──────•◈•──────╯

❝My body will remember that anger that will not leave me until I die.❞

YOU ALL WERE PINNED against the wall by the nine headed demon, leaving only Mk free. You groaned in pain, feeling blood soaking your uniform and your shoulder ached.

You couldn't struggle against the object holding you back. Mk twirled his staff and took a step forward, "Let them go!" He demanded and shifted to his monkey form. The nine headed demon or better yet Xiangliu teleported behind Mk, "I'm not good at this indeed..." Before he could finish, Mk moved to hit him with his staff. However, Xiangliu teleported away. Mk frowned as he kept his guards up, "This is all your conspiracy!" Your friend exclaimed, feeling so helpless as he didn't know what to do.

"Yes." Xiangliu replied casually.

"It was you who stole the memory scroll! It was you who took advantage of Azure, to...."

Mk couldn't finish his sentence when the nine headed demon appeared behind him, "That's right, the Jade Empreror should rest, right? Azure worked hard, but I'm also very busy. I have been planning this for a long, long time." He taunted while teleporting behind Mk again when the boy turned to him. Mk froze in place as he heard how Xiangliu used Azure as if he was a pawn, "You're a monster..." Mk said and glanced at the monster behind.

"No, l'm not."

"Look at you... the crimes you committed! Everyone was used by you, everyone was been harmed by you!"

"I ALREADY SAID I'M NOT A MONSTER!"

Xiangliu yelled in frustration, using his powers to slam Mk on the ceiling and then ground then dragged him all the way to pin him on the wall, his mouth was covered. The demon teleported to stand on the wall right above Mk's head, letting out a deep sigh, "Well, let's tell a story while we still have time." Xiangliu snapped his fingers and everything went quiet.

"There was once a group of people living in caves. They have never seen the sun before. But they knew that there is sunlight. And they were afraid of it. They regarded everything out of the darkness as "evil". One day one of them walked out of the cave. At that moment, he felt the sunshine and knew the beauty that came from it. He also uncovered that the world is much bigger than the cave! But he also knew that he had to go back to the cave, he couldn't leave the others and enjoy this alone. So he said to them: "Let's go out! and enjoy the sunshine together!" But people called him "the devil". They didn't believed that the world outside the cave is good. Not much better than the cave. So they stayed in the cave, and he couldn't get out. I've seen the sun, seen the chaos, seen freedom! BUT HE'S BACK!"

Xiangliu got frustrated and slammed his fist right beside Mk's head. He let out a deep sigh and proceeded to continue, "I'm tired of being a hero." He moved away to calm down, "I... l'm sorry Mk." The nine headed demon let go of Mk and approached him again, "If l did do anything wrong." The moment he said that, Mk seemed to recall something from the past. He looked up as if he solved a mystery, "It... turned out to be you! it was you who woke me up!" Mk pointed out as you and the others listened to their conversation.

"It was only a matter of time before you would've be awaken. I just hoped you could feel more! Instead of following the established path, just sacrifing... just accepting fate!"

Macaque surprisingly managed to free his hand, but Xiangliu pinned him again. You noticed that this had effected him in some way, "I got to free myself." You thought and grabbed the solidified mass of dark energy, trying to pull it even though it hurt like hell, "There's no turning back! Whatever you choose, it has nothing to do with me. As long as it's your own choice! My last mission in this world is to let you control your own destiny! Your friends can't do it, people in heaven can't do it, and she can't do it either! I'll break you out of the cage." It was obvious that Xiangliu was trying to manipulate Mk to get him on his side. However, Mk's resolve wasn't easy to break when it comes to facing his enemy.

"I only have one choice."

Xiangliu sighed and snapped his fingers again, allowing the others to speak, "This chatterbox finally shut up! Are you done?!" Pigsy shouted angrily.

"He's full of nonsense! don't listen to him Mk!" Tang joined him.

"What sacrifices are needed? What is he supervising?" Macaque asked the question everyone was thinking of. Mk was looking at the Pillar of Heaven, "The Pillar of Heaven hasn't completely repaired yet." He said, his voice held a slight monotonous tone.

"What? but... Isn't it said that as long as you collect the five-colored stones, you can repair it?" Mei asked and looked up at Wukong who had a look of fear on his face. Just like Monkey King, you realized what was going on, "Mk, it couldn't be that..." You trailed off, not wanted to say what you had in mind. Mk looked at you and gave you a faint smile before looking up at the Pillar of Heaven, "It needs me. This is my destiny." He finally said it, making you all worried about him.

"The stone from which MK was born was created by Nuwa. That was in the beginning of the chaos. Just like the five-colored stones, he's the finale." Xiangliu explained shortly.

"No!- There must be another way! There must be another way!" Wukong refused to believe that Mk had to sacrifice himself to repair the Pillar. The nine-headed demon shook his head, "If he doesn't become the pillar of creation, he will be destroyed along with everything else. If he sacrifices himself for justice, the gods will help him to repair it."

"Mk, don't do this! What will happen to you after that?" You exclaimed desperately, but Mk gave you another small smile.

"This world is really precious, isn't it? The only way to keep this world alive, is keeping everyone alive... I... no longer exist."

"No!" You shouted when you saw him turn into his monkey form again and jump into the pillar. You had to free yourself before Mk does this reckless thing.