Burning Decisions[]
Before I could react, his hand shot forward - faster than my eyes could track. In an instant, the whirligig was ripped from my grip.
"HEY-" I shouted, but my voice cracked against the heavy, oppressive air.
His laughter, glitchy and warped, bounced off the walls like overlapping static. "You really thought you were safe, Mario?"
I gritted my teeth. "HAHA you’re SO FUNNY bro."
He glitched, his expression stuttering like a broken frame. "What- "
I leaned forward, voice sharp and mocking.
"Do YOU make me feel safe? Do YOU think I can feel safe in such ENVIRONMENT? Yeah man, I DEFINITELY feel SAFE in a place owned by DIGITAL BEE, bro…"
He froze for half a second, then rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh, glitching slightly as if even that motion couldn’t stay stable.
"…Bruh okay bro, shut up. It’s just for the effects."
The ground beneath me fractured, glowing shards of light peeling away like broken glass. The floor gave way entirely, and I plunged into the void. The heat hit first—a stinging, suffocating wave—then the impact. I slammed against cold iron, breath knocked from my lungs.
I scrambled to my feet, eyes widening. Rows of iron cages hung suspended over rivers of molten lava, chains glowing a threatening red. The air hissed, the heat roared, and the place smelled of fire and molten metal. A prison forged from nightmares, where every step felt like a trap.
And then… I saw him.
Slumped in one of the cages, alive but chained, was DvH2. Not purple. Not corrupted. Just him. His eyes snapped open the moment they met mine.
"Mario…? You’re here too?" His voice was hoarse, urgency cutting through each word.
Before I could answer, a cold, warped voice boomed from above, dripping with malice.
"Welcome to my prison. Let’s see how long your hope lasts in the fire."
The chains rattled violently, lava bubbling and spitting beneath the cages. My pulse raced. I looked back at DvH2, determination hardening in my chest.
"We don’t have long," I whispered. "But I have a plan…"
I dug the second whirligig from my pocket and held it out. Our eyes met, and the realization hit us both - only one of us could use it.
References[]
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