This is a serial, first part HERE

Chapter 46: Rerejection of Self

-See, right spooky, ain’t it director?!-

“Doctor?”

Unsurprisingly the sight of the ominous sigil had bestirred something within Doctor Bones’ head. Yet what came was not a memory. Not an echo of a time long past of a life long past, possibly his own. What came was but one thing only.

What came was pain.

The senses of an undead are not totally unlike a leper, though even a skeleton will have a slight bit more touch than unfortunate being such as those. The kinds of leprosy that rob one of touch in many dimension also affect the spirit. An undead skeleton has much flesh of spirit upon its bones.

What came was pain that made Doctor Bones acutely aware of this spirit flesh.

The wave of pain travelled through his body, bringing him to his knees, it focused on his skull, as if it was trying to drill through and release something. His horn began to shine with a blinding light as Miss Fern and the rocks panicked around him.

Then came memory, like jagged daggers in his mind.

He could not see them. He would not see them. They were there, but his very being was rejecting them. Denying them. He knew that within them were monstrous deeds. He refused.

He refused.

Not like that. He was not like that. It was not him.

…but it was.

There were no screams. All willingly. All willing to be tortured for the cause. Unbearable. Detestable. A betrayal of life, death. How could they smile while that was done. How could he?

Madness threatened to consume Doctor Bones, and he felt like his very being was going to split in two again.

Abruptly, it stopped.

His horn, normally like emerald, normally glowing such a hue, was instead as if it was made from flame. A phoenix-like cry sounded out from the seal in his mind, and then a voice spoke. The words could not be heard, but the intent and meaning were clear.

<Enough, it is not the whole, it will not be allowed to consume the whole>

The memories he could not accept were burned in fire. In there place, was a story of sorrowful flame.

Once there was a great doctor, as many did, this doctor despaired. Yet he was not alone in despair and many followed him. They became consumed by desperation. Such was the weight of their burden. So, they strayed from the righteous path and betrayed everything they were supposed to be. Even then they did not gain the results they desired. Rather they added to the wounds of all dimensions.

What hunted the doctor would have found them and laughed.

Do not despair, for when all should have been lost, there was a Miracle.

A life they wished to cut apart in futile search for solutions, they instead saved.

In turn, that life pushed them from their doomed path.

Life begat life, and so from death came life.

Doctor Bones did not understand. Sure enough, the living produce more of their own, but all are claimed in time by death. Not even the greatest of doctors could keep someone from death forever. Doctor Bones claimed that Miracle was people living when they should have died. The edge of life and death.

Though his current form was called undead, in truth it was not life from death. It was merely incomplete death.

All undead are just those who are closer to death than others. No person truly rises from the dead.

No such Miracle existed.

What utterly plunged the doctors of Latent Corpentsis into despair, what broke their will? What healed them. Doctor Bones did not know, but he was now certain, that at one point, Latent Corpentsis became a twisted mockery.

He was not so sure that such a time was the end of Latent Corpentsis.

“Well, at least you didn’t fall down this time. The screaming was very scary though”

-I never want to hear a skeleton scream ever again-

-I will dedicate my life to making skeletons happy-

-This whole business is way too spooky for me guys-

-I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m super scared right now-

A grin was Doctor Bones’ default expression, but hearing Miss Fern and the rocks, his skull’s smile matched his heart.

-Sorry for subjecting you all to that, but yes, this place is bad news. So we’ll get what the coffin needs if the stuff is there and then we’ll destroy the place completely.- he said.

-The worst thing about not having earholes is being unable to cover them-

-Don’t worry about it Director-

-Hurrah for destruction!-

-As long as you can’t eat rocks, I’ll be fine-

“Just glad, you are fine Doctor”

The rocks had successfully landed the coffin while Doctor Bones was having his episode. As everyone left Miss Fern crept up to Doctor Bones.

“You are fine aren’t you? That was very bad this time. The other times weren’t anything like that” Miss Fern worried.

-Whoever made me what I am now, if it was myself or someone else… they didn’t want me to crumble and fall. I’ll be fine. The memories were just a bit more grim, like what I purged from you-

“W-well, as long as you’re fine. I don’t want to be alone again”

Doctor Bones, Miss Fern and the rocks went into the depths of the dire laboratory, what would they find within?