Snippet #2254863

Darius slowly rose to his feet, wiping the water from his eyes. He stepped out of the pool, and looked around.

"Where... are we?" he muttered to himself. "The crystal didn't show me this..."

He raised a hand to his head, memories surging back into his mind. Memories of a dream...

***

Darius walked slowly around the pool of water, one of his fingers casually trailing in the cool liquid. He sighed.

"You see, that's just not good enough," he said, coming to a stop in front of the quivering figure before him. "You have failed me."

"Sir, I'm so sorry," the man whimpered, sweating and sobbing profusely. "Please. Give me another chance."

Darius was silent for a moment, letting the man grovel. He knelt down and put a finger under the man's chin, lifting the man's face towards his.

"A riddle for you," Darius said, smiling. "How many times is a man born?"

The man shook his head slightly, unsure.

"Answer the question," Darius said, still smiling, talking softly and calmly. "It's not a trick."

"J-just once," the man stammered. "Only once."

"Good," Darius soothed. "How many times does he die?"

"S-sir, I..." the man started, but Darius' finger pressed upwards painfully. Darius' eyes were ice.

"Answer the question," Darius said, his voice harsher.

"Once," the man sobbed. "Once!"

"During that lifetime," Darius said, using his other hand to smooth back the man's hair. "If a man were to do something that led to his death, could he start over? Does he have a second chance?"

"I-I don't..."

"Of course not," Darius said, patting the man's cheek. "No man is able to overcome death."

Darius stood, and began to walk away. The man stared after him, wide-eyed, his breath sucking in as Darius stopped a short distance away.

He turned back to the man, smiling.

"I'm afraid," he said, spreading his hands. "You have done something that has led to your death. Perhaps you can break this fact of life. Perhaps you can restart your chance. By coming back from the dead."

The man shrieked as his body tore itself to pieces.

Darius watched the gore fall to the ground, smiling.

He turned to one of the other men around the fountain. "Clean up the mess."

He walked away, still smiling.

***

Darius shook his head, trying to clear it. He turned back to the group. It seemed that everyone was all right. And... they seemed to have others who were in the pool as well. Darius frowned. They hadn't been in the temple... Who were they? And who was this man who had saved them?