Dust filled the air as Vince gasped for breath, stumbling backward from Estill. His body was a wreck. The skin from his chest upward had been eaten away, exposing patches of raw flesh. From his waist to his knees, his clothes were shredded. His fingers showed bare bone, and his face, from the chin up to his lower eyelids, was blood-red, with cheekbones visible beneath torn skin.
Estill lay motionless on the floor, mouth open, the sharp end of his cane driven deep into his stomach. Blood coated the weapon's tip, and his arm bones jutted through his mangled flesh. Looking at the scene, Vince felt like throwing up, but the rush of adrenaline left him hollow instead.
How the hell did I actually kill him? I won… but how am I still alive? My head's pounding, something's not right. What kind of supernatural crap is this?
He glanced down. The blood that had been dripping from his body was gone, leaving only red muscle and exposed tissue. The pain still hurts like hell! Vince thought, gritting his teeth as he touched his face with his bone-white fingers. Instantly, agony shot through him.
"AH!"
He stumbled back, trembling as the pain raced through every nerve. It burned so much he could barely think. I need to leave, or maybe wait for Adam? No, I need to get to my room. Now. He limped forward, his vision hazy, breath heavy. Then, something shifted. A powerful, hungry aura filled the air, so heavy it made his knees weak. Vince turned sharply.
Far ahead, Estill was moving. Slowly, impossibly, the man rose from the ground. Thick, red-black smoke poured off his body, eating away what little clothing he had left until he stood bare.
"You-you crazy bastard!" Vince shouted, backing up fast.
Estill tilted his head. His hair had been devoured, his face unrecognizable. Gluttony had eaten away his entire skin, leaving a writhing figure of blood-red meat. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, his white teeth the only thing still human.
"Roe! Roe! You look at me with those eyes and dare call me crazy?" Estill's voice cracked with laughter before it dropped into a low, steady growl.
"You're so clueless, Roe."
He paused, then spoke again, his tone chillingly serious.
"No Stacker is sane."
The air around him began to twist. The mist thickened, forming around his fingers and crawling up his arms, consuming what was left of his flesh.
Vince felt a horrible pressure building and broke into a sweat. He remembered Keith's words, the warning that echoed in his head.
"Keith! Keith! KEITH! HELP! PLEASE!" Vince shouted, voice trembling through the mansion.
Then, with a deafening crash, the roof above him shattered. From the floor above descended a man with radiant golden hair and bright aquamarine eyes, wearing the same flawless blue tailcoat as before. He hadn't aged a day, and his wide grin was unmistakable.
Keith dropped down right in front of Vince.
"Wow, hello Roe! You look like you could use some help! Also, maybe get your face checked out, it doesn't look too great!" Keith's voice rang out, bright and annoyingly cheerful.
Why do you have to be so fucking jolly all the time? Vince thought, rage boiling beneath his skin. He pointed toward Estill, whose mist still spiraled wildly around him.
"E-Estill! Protect me or something, damn it!"
Keith followed Vince's finger and glanced at Estill. The mist seemed to react, swirling faster as if alive. Then Keith turned back to Vince, shrugged, and gave a carefree smile.
"I can help you, no problem, Roe! Though it's kind of a pity you're losing to a one Stacker. I really thought you could handle a three! But oh well, I'm not at full strength either, but I can lend a hand! Close your eyes, Vince!"
Hearing that, Vince looked once more at Estill. The mist gathered thickly around Estill's bony fingers. Then, without warning,
WHOOSH!
A massive wave of red-black mist roared forward, swallowing everything in its path. Walls, floors, furniture, everything vanished into nothingness. Vince's eyes widened, and he quickly shut them tight.
Keith turned slightly, a faint smile crossing his face. Around his neck, a faint light began to shimmer, mystical and vibrant, glowing in every color imaginable. From afar it looked like the endless night sky, a galaxy of drifting stars. Up close, it was an infinite swirl of colors and lights.
In an instant, a necklace appeared around his neck. Its cord shimmered with white, purple, and pink hues, and at its center hung a massive, radiant star. As the mist surged toward them, the star began to spin clockwise. A wave of brilliant, glittering stars burst outward, filling the air with light beyond human imagination. The first set of stars collided with the oncoming mist, holding it back with dazzling force. The mist rolled and clawed against the barrier, but more stars appeared, layering over one another like a shield. They moved in elegant, shifting patterns, surrounding Keith and Vince completely.
Then, as Keith's necklace star rotated counterclockwise, all the lights froze in place.