The Second Edge – I

What is that? “Residing in between three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension, is a phenomenon that permeates all intelligent forms of life. Consciousness. No mortal entity can ever hope to truly grasp the nature of it. It’s neither, solid, liquid, gas nor plasma. It’s not physical, but rather an emergent property of the being in question. Conscious beings are unlike mere automata, they can make decisions not via a hardwared algorithmic program, but rather the actions and decisions are based on the free will of the being in question. Who is the being in question? That is not of your concern, on the contrary, it is you that concerns me. Who am I? Someone you will never truly be able to grasp with your constricted view of the universe. At least, not yet.” Those were the last words that I heard before being awoken from this weirdly lucid dream. I could see this strange entity in front of me, changing form as it spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. As I got up and got ready to face the trial of the Passione organisation, I smiled with triumph and got out of my apartment. The atmosphere was busy as usual, crowded streets and crimes occuring at abnormally high rates. Deaths occur in anomalous patterns that still makes me ponder about how the people have left the mortal coil, sometimes without a trace. At first I thought I was heading directly to the organization, but I was instructed to take a sharp right turn and move towards the prison. I chuckled at the mere possibility of me being arrested midway through my trial. But it could be likely, as Passione is among the most feared organizations in all of Italia. The door opened with two clicks in succession, with a burst of cold air rushing out of the facility, indicating that it’s air-conditioned. The doors closed behind me as I entered, and with no delay, I was faced with the guards. “Who are you? Are you visiting? Or are you here to set someone loose?” said the guard with one eye. Before he could ask any further questions, I read out from what’s written on my shoulder, “Nessuno può sfuggire dal destino scelto. Rimane il risultato che voi sarete distrutti. L’eterna cima esiste solo per me. Puoi cantare canzoni di tristezza nel mondo senza tempo.“ Although my Italian was a bit rusty, I managed to recite the phrase properly enough that the guards silently nodded and showed me the way to a cell. The area gets colder the further I go in. The guards must’ve acclimated to the cold, I thought. Alas, I entered the cell and was greeted by a new face. Not of the previous capo Polpo, but someone else. Someone new. I was confused at first, but continued anyway. It’s gonna be the lighter test. Keep it on for 24 hours? Not an issue for an isolated chap like me, I thought. The new capo in the cell began to speak. “Are you the newbie that our boss Giorno informed us about? You look scrawny for your age. And that attire, too formal for a meeting like this. Yes, you might be confused to why I said that so I shall explain. After Polpo commited suicide, the then existing crew of six, decided to save the old Boss’s daughter from the reckonings he created. After their successful return, I, Lorenzo, have been appointed the role of capo. Before we begin the trial, How can I be sure that you are trustworthy? Don’t answer verbally. Show me how you would answer once the small door opens in front of you. Your time begins once you have the item in your hand. You have 24 hours. ” A small pocket from the wall opened to reveal a lit up lighter. I grabbed it firmly and proceeded to get out. That’s when it hit me. How do I hide it while still keeping the lighter lit up? While thinking about this question, I walked forward and realized that my coat pocket absorbs smoke in the cold and releases it once re-exposed to proper ambient temperature. A fine work of art by my late mother. A great magician she was. I hid the lighter there and exited the cell. I was met with two new guards who wishes to check if I possess any item. They searched the outside and was unable to find the lighter, which was just barely exposed out due to them rubbing their hands on my coat. They seemed to notice something wrong, and I gulped. “You’re good to go.” said the guard as he let me go. I was relieved. Once I got upto approximately 25 meters from the prison building, I took the lighter out and started walking stealthily through the busy street, as simply a pedestrian. That was the case until a truck approached me. I was slightly late to notice its presence when the flame of the lighter made contact with the exposed end of the exhaust. With a loud bang, the truck erupted. I tried running away to safety as quickly as I could. People called the authorities and I could hear the cops coming after me. Mamma mia, how could I escape them while keeping the lighter intact? I noticed an unusual pole bent at a 90° angle and at that moment an idea sprung, quite literally in fact, as my plan was to spring off from the pole, into the narrow aisle between two buildings. I had little faith in my parkour ability, alas I managed to pull it off. I started smelling smoke. It was the lighter, I thought. That’s when I realized my mistake. The lighter was no longer producing a flame, but it was creating smoke. Black smoke. The smoke only grew thicker and thicker and that’s when I found out the reason why anomalous behavior occurs. Stand Name: Smoke on the Water Stand User: Lorenzo Accardi This was my first encounter with an entity like this. It showed itself through the thick smoke, as it grabbed me by my abdomen. With a vice-like grip, it pulled something that resembled a projection of my soul, outward. “Well well well, you couldn’t take care of the lighter. Prepare to face your intended path. You have 5 seconds to choose. Death, or live a cursed life. Your pick.” It was the same voice as the capo. Could he be remotely monitoring me? I decided to use my remaining strength to send a kick flying at the smoke. With a grunt, it let go of my soul projection, but it wasn’t grunting in pain. It smiled with an alien-like grin, as its face split into two, revealing a sharp object. Without a moment’s notice, I felt a sudden shockwave reverberate through my body almost in a straight line, like an arrow. No, it IS an arrow. I looked behind to see its golden point with various markings and other details. Then it hit me. I’m still alive. And if the projection of my soul is still me, whatever I do, he will do too. With this in mind, I did a pulling motion, which caused me to detach from the arrow and fall back. As I fell down into a hole, I was smart enough to grab the lighter. The smoke creature was no longer seen. The instant I looked towards the lighter, it was relit. Confused but with a sense of relief, I navigated beneath the ground until I reached a place near my home. I knew the path like the back of my hand as I’ve navigated through the tunnels on 5 seperate occasions. Once I found the manhole cover, I kicked it open, got out and was greeted with his face. The new boss, Giorno Giovanna. He noticed the lighter and the glare in his eye said something. It’s like he knew that the lighter went out at some point. Alas, he silently took the lighter from me and told me that I passed. “Well done, Lorenzo would be proud you accomplished the task. You still have yet to please me. After all, you were hit by the arrow. Show me what you got!” Giorno said as a yellow glow came from behind him. It seemed to shimmer like gold. Anyhow, what did he mean by what I got?

Originally Written and Posted in CreativeWriter on 14th January 2021 by Enchanc3.