Chapter 43: A Peek Into the Heroes Past, Part 1

Axel and Iris both closed their eyes and focused on their individual energy while keeping a grip on each other's arm.

Is this actually going to work? Axel thought as he could feel his divine energy manifesting around him. I mean if it was this simple why doesn't everyone slayer try this to elevate their power?

Their energy radiated around their bodies and began to clash against each other.

"Now, release it at the same time!" Admin shouted.

They both released their energy causing it to swirl and envelope them both. The combined energy bounced off of the invisible barrier created by the candles and instead swirled against the barrier as if it was creating a whirlpool. They opened their eyes and saw the rush of energy zooming around both of them. It was like they had been locked away in their own world and suddenly the feel of each other's arm no longer seemed to bother them as much anymore.

"Incredible..." Admin uttered. Even though all of the other 'clones' of Admin were monitoring all the God Core System connections, she still received real time knowledge from each of them as if she was the one actually doing it.

So she realized the transfiguration that happened to each of their connections to the One Core - a secondary branch had jutted down from one connection to the other.

So, for the time being at least, they had a connection to the One Core that was one in the same. The Divine Connection had been an success.

"Now remember!" Admin spoke up. "Once inside of each other's energy, the point is to find the source of your emotional regrets or anything that you've been holding onto! You must sort through the things from your past together in order to cleanse it or you'll never achieve a Pure Connection.

The energy within the circle converged in on itself and released a very bright light that washed over the two of them as they continued to hold each other's arm as Admin had instructed them too. Then their collective consciousness was taken elsewhere.

Admin watched as their bodies slumped over against each other like dead weight. "I know I told them human emotions were powerful. But even I can't express in words the power emotions hold in a human, especially one with negative connotations. And that breeds dark things within them. But, they'll figure that out for themselves."

"Gasp!" Iris's eyes popped open as she found herself in a very dimly lit room that looked like someone's unfurnished basement. She glanced around and saw that it was in very poor condition - the walls had scratch marks all over them, there was trash all over the ground, and a random box of different clothing items. It looked like a lost and found box of the most random things people would lose: purses, shoes, jackets, glasses, belts, you name it.

"Did the connection work then? I don't recall this memory.."

"That's because it's mine." Axel said as he sat in a chair on the other side of the room. "Bout time you finally woke up."

"Apologies for not bringing my alarm clock with me....what is this place, Axel?" She said cautiously moving around the room.

Axel chuckled. Iris noticed there was a lack of animation to his reaction which is not good when it comes to Axel she figured out. "Well," he started, "this is my childhood home."

"Wait, you lived here? In your house's basement??"

"Not quite." Axel got up from the chair and walked towards her. "More like a shelter my parents dug up and built in the backyard for when we misbehaved. I mean, you can't have some brat messing up your evening shows, right?"

Iris didn't know what to say. She looked a little closer at the room and saw dried blood stains on various parts of the floor and what could've been urine stains against the wall in the corners of the room. "....how long would they keep you down here?"

"Time fits the crime, as my Dad would say. I think my longest sentence wasssss....about 3 months."

"Um...I...I'm so sorry, Axel.." Iris said stepping a little closer to him. Axel swung his arm between them causing her to quickly back up. "Hey, what the hell-"

Axel looked at her with a cold look, "I don't need your pity. After all, this is what made the hero you all know and love. My past has shaped me."

That can't be healthy, Iris thought. I can only imagine what could've happened...down...here...

Iris's thought process trailed off as she noticed, for the first time, a silver door bolted to the wall with a crank dial connected to it. It looked very much out of place compared to the rest of the room.

"And what exactly is that?" Iris asked pointing to the sleek door.

Axel seemed to tense up as the conversation shifted to the door. He quickly walked in between her and the door. "It's nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"Exactly."

"You expect me to believe the same parents that wouldn't even leave a futon down here for you, installed this expensive looking door down here? I feel like this is something you conjured-"

"I SAID IT'S NOTHING!" Axel shouted as the entire room to shake at the gravity of his words. This memory was a mental construct created by him after all - so any instabilities could very well warp their current reality.

Iris looked at Axel with wide eyes as a twinge of fear had echoed around in her mind as he stood over her with a look of a person who was at the end of his patience. "O....ok. We'll leave the door alone then. Geez."

Axel scoffed and walked away without saying another word.

This is already going bad, Iris thought. We're supposed to be facing our hang ups but Axel doesn't seem too keen to share with me.

As Axel walked off, a black fog began to populate around the room and cover anything it touched.

"Okay, now what?" Iris said backing away from it. However, it had quickly surrounded both of them and they, along with the room, vanished. Iris could've sworn she saw Axel look at the door with an uneasy face just as they were swallowed up.