A lavish theater, the kind most would only see in film. Light poured from above, illuminating its stage. A woman stood before him, the dress she wore highly inappropriate for someone her age. Right in front of her was a man in an expansive suit, kneeling with one hand on the floor as if he were preparing to lunge. In the corner of his vision, he spotted more well-dressed men, each carrying a weapon that seemed like it belonged in a museum. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

'Kill them.' He commanded himself. 'Kill them.'

Scenes played in his mind, showing him a sight he had seen only moments ago. A young girl no older than ten, her pretty visage distorted by glowing bumps growing under her flesh. She reached up to him with a trembling hand, her lips parting as she struggled to cry for help.

'Adel.'

That was it. That was her name. Adel. She was the girl he had failed to save. She was-

'It's all your fault.'

Hatred flooded out of him, swallowing the light in his surroundings. His body moved, and so did the enemies.

'It's all your fault.'

His mouth spread wide as he forced out a scream.

'A failure like you could never do anything right.'

He swung his fist and clawed at everything.

'Did you really think you could save her?'

Hatred seeped into rage, creating a fire that went on to consume him as he moved through the theater, ripping whoever dared to get close. Still-

'It was because of you that she got killed.'

No matter how many he killed, they just kept coming back.

'It was because of you that they all got killed.'

A blow to the chest halted his movement, sending him flying through the nearest wall. The world was plunged into the darkness once more, and before he could regain his bearings, the noise returned once more. The low, sharp ringing that got louder and louder, and louder still, banishing any sounds that might have reached him. He tried to force his eyes open, but they refused to heed his command. As he staggered out of the hole he found himself in, the dark blue shell encasing his figure was painted orange by an orange glow.

'What's wrong? You can't bring yourself to see it?'

He kept walking forward, one slow step at a time.

'This is what you get.'

Even though he failed when he tried before, his eyes seemed to open on their own, forcing him to witness the sight before him.

'This is what happens when you play the hero.'

Standing at the entrance to a gigantic furnace, he stared at the wall of flames. His breath hitched in his throat, his lungs refusing to take any air.

'It's all your fault.'

'A failure like you can never do anything right.'

'Everything you touch goes up in flame.'

'The girl who sought your help. The Sanctuary and those you helped escape. The Bowl of Fortune. The boy who looks up to you. The girl whom you claimed to be your friend.'

'Did you truly think you could save them? Protect them?'

'You couldn't even protect your sister.'

'You got the power you were looking for, but in the end, nothing changed.'

'You are still the same worthless loser.'

'You are still the same failure.'

'You always mess things up and leave the people around you to pay the price.'

'And no matter what you do, you will always end as a failure.'

The world was frozen still, and even with the fires in front of him, it felt unbearably cold. Dante took a step toward the flames, his mind desperately looking for a way to dispel them. He had done it before, and he could do it again. He needed to do it. He needed to put a stop to it. He needed to put an end to it.

The command stood before him like a door waiting to be opened. His right hand reached out, grabbing the knob and giving it a twist. As he pushed, his eyes were drawn to the floor at his feet. He failed to notice that he was out of his armor, or that neither of his arms was made from flesh. His attention was on the small stream he had stepped into at some point. It flowed from behind him, hitting the surface of the door before seeping through the small gap he had opened.

The flow seemed to get stronger, the water swallowing his feet as it gradually rose. The force it carried pushed against the door, widening the opening. Somehow, Dante felt the need to close it. He had to close it, and so he pulled on the knob. No sooner had he heard the click than a shadow moved in the corner of his eye, and when he turned to check what it was, he saw a fist heading straight for his face. The instant it struck, darkness swallowed the world once more.

~[ ]~

Dante drew in a sharp breath, his eyes torn wide open. He immediately broke into a cough and tried to push himself up. It was then that he noticed he had been lying on the floor, but for some reason, it didn't feel like it was by his own choice. Adding to that the dull pain in his head, he realized that he might be under attack, which is why he accelerated his perception almost immediately, preparing to retaliate before his assailant could land a second strike.

Before he could make any move, his guess fell apart as Absolute Awareness identified who it was that attacked him. Turning around, he saw a large, muscular man kneeling on the floor, his arm held by his side as if he were just done throwing a punch. Riot looked as white as a sheet, sweat beading his forehead as he stared at him with terror in his eyes. Though they tried to kill each other before, this might be the first time he had seen the big guy look afraid. Just as he began to wonder what it was that planted terror in the former gang boss, Dante realized that the two of them were still in the arena.