New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

*Bang! Bang!*

*Tink!* *Ping*

Two gunshots resounded in the penthouse, immediately followed by two ricochet sounds, one duller than the other.

Alexander turned his head toward the source of the gunshots. The suited woman, Constantine’s assistant, who was looking at him with eyes wide.

The bullets had bounced off Alexander’s demonized skin, on the base of his right horn, and the other off the side of his cheek, leaving barely a mark.

“Sit down,” Alex growled, his voice almost modulated from the demon’s voice coming out over his.

The woman took two steps back, only to collide with something behind her. Turning her head, all she saw was a burning fist smack into her jaw.

It sent her sprawling onto the couch to her left; her face burned on the right side, and howling in pain. When she tried raising her gun to fire at the angry Kary who was stepping toward her, she howled in pain again.

In her hand, where the firearm had been, was now a melting puddle of slag, which carried away with it her skin, as it dripped to the ground.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Kary clicked her tongue.

“You brought a gun to a magic fight. Not very smart of you.”

Alex looked at her and grinned.

“I’ll let you handle the assistant. Constantine and I have to talk. Be right back.”

And with those words, he vanished in another puff of black flames.

Alex and Constantine reappeared in a cloudy sky, very high above the penthouse and the city. Under them, the building looked like little grey boxes, and Constantine immediately understood his intentions.

But it was too late.

Alexander released his hold on her neck, and gravity asserted itself, sending her tumbling to her impending death. But he wasn’t done with her.

Plunging next to her, he made sure he followed on her descent and spoke to her, over her panicking shouts.

“I wonder if you can fly. High-level mages usually figure out how to, so you should, right? You have, well, had, thirty thousand feet to figure it out. That gives you approximately forty seconds to figure it out. I think you should stop panicking and start thinking.”

Constantine’s mind was already too far gone to register his words. All she saw in him was his demonic grin, as she fell to her death.

“Stop this! If I die, everyone will die!” she screamed, flailing helplessly.

Alex frowned and stretched his arm out, grabbing her collar. The falling halted so suddenly that Constantine felt her body crack in places that weren’t supposed to crack.

But she gritted her teeth and endured the pain.

“What do you mean, everyone will die?” Alex asked, gazing at her sternly.

“I mean, I’m humanity’s only chance at survival! You can’t let me die. If I die, no one will survive!”

Alexander huffed.

“If this is how strong you are now, I think we don’t need you. Plenty of people in the world will soon surpass your strength by leaps and bounds. You won’t be saving anyone with your paltry magic.”

He started loosening his grip on her collar, and she felt it. So she hung on to his arm.

“Please! Stop this madness! If I die, Gaius will know something is up, and he’ll start his plans much sooner! We are not ready!”

Hearing this, Alex’s grip clenched up again.

“Gaius? What does he have to do with this?”

Constantine felt relief that he hadn’t dropped her again, but now she was in a pinch. She couldn’t talk about Gaius’ plans to anyone because of a curse he put on her.

Mentioning the plans at all was already a risk.

“I can’t tell you. If I talk, I’ll die, and then we are back to him starting his plans early,” she begged.

“Tch. No wonder he picked someone like you to follow his every command. You’ll try to weasel your way out of taking responsibility till the end, won’t you?”

Constantine’s eyes widened in fear.

“Please! I swear this is not what I’m doing! Humanity is not ready to face the demons! That is why he asked me to help prepare it!”

A sharp pain in her stomach cut her words off, and she coughed blood.

It was only fleeting, as she hadn’t said much, but it was enough to remind her to keep her mouth shut, and enough to show Alex she wasn’t lying.

He looked at her with disgust.

“He’s made you into his loyal little puppet, didn’t he? Unfortunate.”

“I want to help,” Constantine said, wiping her mouth of the blood she had just coughed.

“We don’t want your help. Your help would have been to warn people that playing the game is what saves them. Keeping this from them will only end in tragedy.”

“I can’t do that! I would have if I were allowed!” she shouted, trying to plead her case.

“It doesn’t matter. Keep your secrets. Khalor and I will make sure we prepare the world while you sit on your laurels and mountains of money. People like you will be the first to fall when the end comes, anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gaius ended you personally, simply for what you know.”

The thought had crossed Constantine’s mind more than once, and she knew it was a possibility.

“Please. Just let me go. Let me help while I still can.”

“Oh, I’ll let you go alright. But your help is not needed, nor is it welcome. Just stay out of our way. If you make waves in our plans, I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you do, even if the world isn’t ready. Understood?”

Constantine reluctantly shook her head yes.

“Good. See you back on the ground, then.”

“What? Eeeee!”

Alexander smiled at her and released his grip, shaking her off his arm, and watched as she resumed her plummeting to the ground.

He heard Asmodeus’ voice inside his head.

‘I like this new you. No hesitation. There might be potential in you yet.’

‘Shut up. I’m not letting her die. She just needs to understand that she isn’t pulling the reins anymore. A close brush with death will drive the point across.’

‘Tch. How boring. In that case, you can join her in her fall.’

After saying these words, Asmodeus forcefully retracted his powers, sending Alex tumbling down as well.

‘You shit! Morpheus, come!’ Alex called out mentally.

Within seconds, wings had sprouted on his back, and he curled them around himself, sending himself into a full dive.

He originally planned to teleport back to Constantine and catch her, but with Asmodeus’ powers gone, he now had to reach her before she turned into paste.

“Motherfucker!” he shouted as he dove.

It would be clutch.