Dream - 006
Roland remembered this place. Why wouldn't he? It felt like ages since he'd last walked through it, but there was no mistaking the Lokapala's underground base. Old familiar faces walked past him, but they avoided crossing paths with him. Not that he could blame them, what with how he was now.
When Greg joined him at his side, he hardly batted an eye. He already knew this couldn't be real, so why not add his most well-known ghost?
"You look a bit pale," his dead friend asked. "Are you feeling all right?"
Unable to help himself, Roland smiled wryly. "Is that a joke?"
Greg chuckled, a deep and comforting sound that he missed more than anything. The two of them walked side by side for a while, the streets having mysteriously cleared of their comrades. As they went, Roland couldn't help shake the feeling that there was something else off, aside from the obvious. Something had him uneasy, a force churning in his gut.
"You know, we never got to talk like this." His friend's voice had changed, and Roland found himself walking next to a giant three-headed creature. Greg's, or rather Lupa's, demon form. It was like walking an extremely large dog that could devour him at any minute. "Do you regret that?"
"Do I regret not knowing you in the Junkyard?" Roland frowned. "I don't know how meeting you there would have been possible. I regret your death, but I can't regret something I couldn't have made happen."
The beast turned all three of its heads to him. "If I'd been alive, do you think I would have allowed you to take that mark alone?"
The atma on Roland's hand began to glow, causing him to inhale sharply and cover it with his other one. Red lines had begun to spread along Cerberus' body.
It started to walk forward again. "Do you think I would have left you to your hunger?"
There were so many 'what ifs' in that scenario that Roland couldn't even begin to argue back. What was he trying to say?
Cerberus stopped and once more turned to him. "You are hungry, aren't you? Why don't you just devour me. It won't make any difference."
Roland staggered back, appalled at the very idea and yet unable to deny the sudden desire to feed he'd been overcome with just then. The streets were suddenly filling up again. Lokapala members who'd taken on the virus for the sake of fighting against the Karma Society stepped forward, changing into their demon forms and offering themselves to him.
You're hungry, aren't you? All your sacrifices are here.
Clutching his arm to himself, glowing yellow lines now winding their way up his arm, Roland continued to back away from the slowly approaching group.
"No, this... isn't necessary..."
He wanted to turn tail and run, but his feet wouldn't move. He could feel Indra taking over and it was only as he finally began to change, as hunger took over and he lunged at his approaching comrades, that he was allowed to wake up.
--
Roland sat up in bed immediately, fumbling around for a package of supplements in the pocket of his jacket nearby. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding, and the mark on his hand glowed faintly. He couldn't help the fact that his dream had just been broadcast to most of Somarium, but he could help the hunger. For now.