The Lazarus Project No, 1: Scopophobia

## The Story

A great mansion is dim, almost no light besides the Ether’s glow though the windows. Foots stomp on the carpet aiming towards a room with a large door, a scythe dragging across the ground, tearing up the floor.

The door opens, being a library with a woman with an eye for a head peacefully floating. Peering at the books. She looks down to see her daughter, holding the black weapon and sweating, furious.

“Rayo-... What did you do.”

“It hasn't been done, yet.”

Soon Rayo jumps, slamming her scythe down but missing, with her mother screaming at her.

“WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?!”

Rayo doesn't speak, but swings violently, giving off the impression she doesn't know how to use the weapon fully. Her mother punches her in the stomach, then grabs her arm and slams her down.

“Where is your fighting honor Rayo?! What has caused this?!”

“FIghting Honor? FIGHTING HONOR?!”

Rayo’s mother recoils in shock at what has changed in her daughter.

“I've spent my ENTIRE life fighting with honor, what gives you the impression i'm here to SPAR.”

The scythe appears in her hand again, slicing sideways and catching her mothers stomach, tearing it open and having golden ichor spill onto the ground.

“Goodbye. Mother.”

Odinya wakes up violently while she was floating, slamming into the ceiling and back onto the floor, waking up Elliot.

“Odinya, Odinya what happened-”

“I've DREAMED Elliot!”

Elliot sits there confused for a second, tired, before his face turns into shock and worry. He holds her as she shakes violently, scared. Elliot says he’ll check on Chloe to make sure shes okay too. He walks up the stairs, peering into her room to see shes completely asleep.

He thankfully sighs, and steps back downstairs, going into the kitchen and making some cereal before going back to see Odinya. He opens the door to see her still shaking on the bed,

“What's going on Odinya, its starting to freak me out”

“I fell asleep honey!”

“You- ah- that doesnt make any sense, what happened in the dream”

“My mother, my sister”

“Oh shit I forgot about your sister, do you think she's still after you?” He exclaims as he puts another spoonful of Cheerios in his mouth.

“I know she’s still after me.”

“It will be fine alright, she's got the entire cosmos to search in, when she gets to us we'll probably be old and dying, hell I know I am.”

The door opens with Mitsumi walking in.

“Hey whats up,”

“Hey M, Odinya here is uhh…”

“I hade a dream, Mitsumi!”

“A dream!?”

They fire off one another for a few minutes, retelling the story as Elliot stands there eating his cereal quietly. Eventually, they stop worrying about it, seeing it as maybe she's growing a little bit older.

They all go back to sleep…

Skipping is heard in a hedge maze, with a little girl singing,

“La lum, la lum, the air, it hums, a soft, but striking tune. And when, it's still, there's still, a thrill, for the air will move, once again. La lum, la lum, la lum, la lum…”

A young Odinya. She brushes her hand against the flat leaf wall towering over her. She reaches a massive fountain, with a statue of her mother at the top of it.

Odinya turns around to see Rayo, covered in golden blood.

“Rayo, who did you win against this time” She says in a calm and happy manner.

“Thesief”

“Father said he never stood a chance”

“And father knows ‘everything’ doesn't he”

Rayo dips into the fountain, running the ichor off of her body.

“You can go to father and see who you will win against next-”

“I don't need father to tell me what I could do, Odinya.”

Rayo peers over to Odinya, holding her hands together and looking down. Rayo turns and hugs Odinya in, saying sorry and leaving back into the woods, telling her she'll be back soon. Odinya walked back, walking though the hedge maze like she walked though it a million times before.

She reaches the back door, a giant glass door with yellow light spilling out between the eched pierces of paned glass. She reaches the handle and opens the door, being enveloped in a gorgeous mansion.

She walks past giant kitchen table and into another hallway, reaching a door labeled ‘Study’. She opens the varnished wooden door, skipping in and reaching a desk.

“Hello father!”

The giant turns around, being a 4 armed humanoid creature, with only an eye, his head and horns going off the chin and sides of the head.

“Hello Odinya!”

Her father picks her up and spins her around before sitting back town as his table.

“What is it you want me to tell you.”

“This one is special Father!”

“Oh, is it now? Well, go ahead.”

“Who will I spend the rest of my life with” Odinya says happily

“Ahh well….Yes…A man, human, with something over his face, you will find yourself caring deeply about him, more then anything in the universe.”

“A..human?”

“Indeed. You will find many friends with him, ones that will be your own.”

“Are you making this up, Father?” She says in a questioning tone, unsure to believe him.

“Not at all Odinya, as I always say, you'll understand the feelings when it is that time.”

“Thank you father”

“Any time darling, and remember.”

Odinya turns around

“I love you.”

Odinya wakes up again, crying and shaking, hitting the floor again and not getting up. Elliot wakes up again and picks her up, putting her back on the bed and holding her as she shakes again.

She tries to make out a sentence, but continues to mumble and slur her speech between crying. She begins to calm down, telling Elliot she dreamed again, this time about her father, and how much she misses him.

Elliot gives a stern face,

“Cmon, lets do this.”

“Wha- what do you mean Elliot.”

Elliot leads her to the front of the house, and holds her hand out.

“You never tried going back, so let's do it now, ”

“But, I cant Elliot, it's too dangerous-”

“You don't know that baby, you never tried to. This is your chance, settle everything without living forever with fear. And these dreams are plaguing you, It HAS to mean something”

Odinya looks worriedly at Elliot, but tries to hold her hand out in an attempt. She closes her eye…

A dark hallway, the only light seeping through is the Ether’s glow through the window. Odinya walks through the hallway, cheerful and admiring the grand architecture. She can see a figure in the far end of the hallway.

“Hello? Mother?”

“...”

“Anyone there?”

“I'm finished with you, i'm done." says Rayo spitefully as she picks up the pace in her walking. Odinya, having no idea what she is talking about, steps back slowly.

"I've always wanted to rub the stain of ALL of you, out of my name, it's a PRIVILEGE for you to even share my blood. "

"What has gone mad with you?” Odinya responded, hurt by her words.

Rayo quickly starts running down the hallway, manifesting her scythe and slashing up. Pure fear takes over,  not knowing what to do at the realization her own sister is trying to kill her. She runs away as Rayo is cackling madly, slowly chasing after her as her scythe rips through the carpet.

She hits the end of the hallway with nowhere to go, as death grows closer. Odinya starts to panic, huddled in the corner crying. Rayo lifts her scythe up in the air,

"Finally, i've waited so, SO long for this!"

Odinya sobs, not even understanding what she had done to deserve this.

“Rayo! Stop! Please!”

But she doesn't, and brings up her scythe, ready to strike down.

“Goodbye. Sister.”

Odinya screams, and opens her eye, having a portal in front of her. She looks back at Elliot, who has a comforting smile on his face, still holding her hand. She lets go, and walks wtords the portal that had first brought her here.

She stands in front of it, then gives one last look at Elliot.

“You got this baby.”

She walks in.

She feels dizzy, looking down at the floor to see tall grass at her feet. The sky turning it a blueish gray. She looks around, seeing no one in sight. Hills that uses to inhabit her kind now barin, like walking in an empty mall.

She moves slowly, then picking up the pace and floating, She reaches a great all, filled with bodies. Worse is that none of them are decomposed, the blood is still dripping from them.

She walks though massive cathedrals, castles and towers, wandering until she finally found her home. There isn't any light coming from the windows or doors, instead being pitch black. She floats up to the back door, and turns the handle, letting the door swing open.

She steps inside, looking up, seeing a dark abyss above her that once was an elegant ceiling of color. She grabs a candle off the table and puts her finger tip to it, lighting it. Her bare feet thump on the hardwood floor, wandering aimlessly in old memories.

She puts a candle up to a sign, ‘Library’. Her heart sinks. She stands in front of the door, scared of what she could find. He pats the door open and peers inside, seeing a hand on the floor covered in gold.

Her mother.

She runs and kneels down at her dead body, her eye dull and gray, void of life and her stomach ripped open. Her body was emitting elegance, even after death. Odinya has a cold stare, one of hate more than sorrow.

She picks her up and takes her into the garden and lays her body down on top of a bed of flowers. And then floats back inside. She wanders again, this time with a determined expression.

She walks though the mansion, coming upon her old room. She lingers at the door, but decides to go into Rayo’s right next to hers, opening the door to see that it has been completely destroyed.

Clean tear marks going through everything. She decides not stay in that room for too long.

She walks up and down until she finds a door with light seeping from the bottom.

Her heart races, she looks at what the room is,

‘Study’

She waits outside the door,

‘Is this too much, i shouldn't be here, i should have never came back, something is wrong, i'm in danger, im, I-’

The door opens slowly.

She hides behind a pillar in the darkness, looking on to see who it could be.

“Odinya.”

“F-Father?”

She turns behind the pillar, her father towering, many feet above her. He looks unchanged by the carnage that has ravaged everyone.

“Did, did Rayo really-”

“Yes my daughter, she did.”

“Why didnt you stop her Father. Everyone would have been saved!”

“That isnt my job in this cosmos-”

“You let Mother die!”

“I-”

“You let all of them die! You let Rayo kill them all?!”

“...How is the human , and your daughter Chl-”

“Do NOT speak her name Father! You do not deserve the satisfaction of even knowing! And throughout all that time I thought you were dead!”

“And I am sorry, but my place isn't anywhere else but here.”

“And why didn't she kill you.”

“She never tried, she threatened me after your mother died to tell her where you had gone, but I denied”

Odinya looks down, then back up again.

“Is she still hunting me?”

“Indeed she is.”

“Will I win, Father?”

“I will continue to fulfill my duty Odinya, if that means hiding the truth. Knowledge is powerful, knowledge you shouldnt know is chaotic.”

Odinya sighs and starts to walk away,

“I will give you one thing.”

“That is?”

“Move to the right.”

Odinya steps carefully to her right, getting out of the way from a scythe plowing through a wall aimed at her. Odinya looks back at her father, but he's no nowhere to be seen, along with the candle, making the room dim and black.

She looks forward, and shutters.

Rayo, holding her black scythe walking toward her,

“Sister, how you have made me run in circles…” She cuckles.

“Rayo, you fucking bastard-”

Rayo dashes to her, Odinya catching the hilt of it with two extra arms, just about to hit her eye.

“Don't SPEAK to me in your new rotten tongue sister, life on that planet made you softer than you already were.” Rayo laughs,

Odinya stares coldly at Rayo,

“Give me the fight I deserve sister. I've waited a very, very long time.”

Odinya and Rayo battle, dealing blows in the chest by fist, just like how they used to when they used to spar. But Rayo was holding back, gabbing Odinya’s arm and pulling her body into her rising fist.

Odinya holds her chest as Rayo strikes again and again. Odinya falls to the floor,

“Just FIGHT! TRY! I didn't spend years searching for you to fall on the ground! GET UP!”

Odinya shakes on the ground, barely being able to get up.

“You are so weak, and to think you have Fathers blood in you, what a waist of life you are. Say goodbye, Odinya.”

Odinya looks up, the scythe pointing to her body, before Rayo could make the slize, a portal appears behind Rayo and Odinya tackles her in.

They hit the green grass, Odinya looks up, its her front lawn.

“That trick isn't going to work now!”

Rayo raises her arms, putting her fists into a ball to get ready to pummel her insides, but as she's slamming down, time seems to slow.

Mitsumi blocks the attack, laying on the ground to catch it, blood starts to trickle down her arms and onto the katana.

“What…well, looks like this just got more fun…”

“Rayo gets up, taking her hands away from the two of them.

“Odinya! You okay girl?” Mitsumi holds Odinya up as she grips her chest. Mitsumi lifts up her shirt, revealing a battered and bloody stomach.

“Shit Odinya, go inside I got this-”

“No! She-ll fuck-in-g kill you-”

Mitsumi looks at Odinya worriedly, then back at Rayo, who is standing with bloody fists,

“I'm not going to wait forever.”

Mitsumi gets into a running stance, then slashing, appearing behind Rayo, cutting her in the back, but she doesn't even move. She does it rapidly, slicing and cerating her back, causing almost no motion from Rayo.

When Mitsumi starts to wear down for almost just a second, Rayo pounces, catching her neck as she teleports, throwing her into a tree at insane speed. Mitsumi hits it and falls to the ground, knocked out.

Rayo turns back to Odinya, staring with a blank eye, almost like a robot.

“Well, I'm quite done playing with something that can't protect itself.”

Rayo jumps and crashes down at Odinya, slamming her into the ground then picking her up again, throwing her in the air and landing multiple hard punches before hitting the gras once more.

Rayo picks Odinya by her neck, gripping it tightly then manifesting her scythe, aiming at her stomach.

“Do you want to see how I killed Mother?”

“Put her down!”

Rayo slowly turns to the front door, a small little child with blinding white hair. Odinya starts to stutter.

“Go back inside Chloe! Now!”

Rayo turns back to Odinya,

“Is that, your spawn? You have a child? Oh ho…” Odinya puts Odinya down and floats towards Chloe,

“Who are you!”

“I am Rayo Ariiella, her sister. Your aunt.”

“Why are you hurting her!”

Rayo kneels down closer to her, Elliot moves behind her, filled with fear bust still holding his daughter in front of a god. She looks up at him and down back at Chloe.

“Well, she deserves this you understand? Like a punishment! So! You could watch! Or you could go back inside for me to deal with later.”

Chloe’s eyes widen, fear stricken.

“YOU BITCH! GET AWAY FROM HER!”

Odinya rips Rayo away, grabbing her arm and tossing her into the forest. And crashing into trees.

Odinya tells Chloe to go back inside, and lock her door. Elliot runs up and hugs her, huddling her inside.

“You think you got this baby?”

“I don't know yet-”

“La lum, la lum…”

Odinya looks back at the forest hearing the earth tear apart from her scythe grind across the ground.

“Baby, get somewhere safe.”

Rayo continues to sing from the forest, passing Mitsumi who is still on the ground.

“I'm done with the fool playing Odinya, I've waited far too long, now come here, come back to big sister...”

Odinya lifts up her arms, then dashing towards Rayo, hitting her back and catching her leg, slamming her into the ground. She picks her up, lifting her feet in the air.

Mitsumi wakes up with the help of Elliot, dizzy and broken. He helps her up and hands her the katana.

“M! Cmon you gotta do something!”

She looks up to see Odinya holding her own against Rayo, but she doesn't know how long she can go on. She points it in the air, aiming the point at Rayo. She pulls her arm back like a javelin as sparks and lighting start to fly off the katana.

“Stand back El.”

She leans back, and throws it as hard as she can, rocketing towards Rayo, ripping through the air and piercing her stomach, getting caught

Rayo lurches and looks down, seeing Ichor spill out of her vest. Odinya looks at Mitsumi falling on the ground, putting all of power into that one throw. Odinya kicks the katana back through her. Making a clean hole though Rayo,

"You have to use your HUMAN TO KILL ME!?"

Rayo throws punches, but Odinya moves, grabbing her arm and tossing her down and throwing her to ground before landing on top of her, punching her in the gut over and over again.

“Get the FUCK,”

Odinya slams down, making Rayo urch in pain

Away from MY,”

Odinya’s knucks sink deeper into her stomach

“FAMILY!”

Odinya puts all of her force down, having her arm go straight through her body.

The two dont make a sound, as Rayo grips onto Odinyas body, quiet.

"Hehe..hehahaha..."

Odinya looks horrified at her long lost sister, seeing her arm on the other side of her. Odinya begins to weep, broken by her actions.

"Odinya...you...will not...win, that....easily..."

"Wh- Why! Why did you MAKE ME DO THIS SISTER!"

Odinya screams, holding Rayo as her arm twitches though her sisters body.

"BECAUSE I DESPISE YOU!!! I ALWAYS DID! Mother HID you from the rest of Caria because YOU where WEAK!"

Odinya looks at Rayo without words.

"That look...OH THAT LOOK!! How could I forget it!! Your terrified, pitiful look! I will HUNT! I will KILL! I will feed your soul, to the Darkest! Pit of HELL! That is, MY. PROMISE!”

Odinya’s eye wides as she gasps, she looks down, seeing a black edge pierce the inside of her stomach.

Rayo starts to pull her scythe, slowly cutting through Odinyas torso.

“Sh-shit!” M starts to run, trying to grab her katana before Odinya dies.

Mitsumi leaps onto Rayo, stabbing down with her katana through her neck, the tip piercing from her side.

Odinya rips her arm out as Rayo staggers back. Gripping the hilt and pulling it out.

Rayo wields both weapons, slowly walking towards Odinya.

She struggles to make out a sentence from how battered she is.

Mitsumi tries to kick her down, but shes a brick wall, and Rayo turns around, throwing it though a tree 4 times the speed of M threw it, and grabs her hand, twisting it and breaking it instantly, M recoils in pain and shock, giving Rayo a change to cut down at her.

A hand flies though Rayo, pulling her back, just missing Mitsumi as she falls to the ground in pain.

Odinya takes the scythe before Rayo could think of anything, sticking it through her and lifting up, lifting her from the ground.

The scythe dissapears, making her fall on her knees,

"Hehehe....hahhahha..."

Odinya stands in silence.

Rayo pulls herself off of Odinyas arm and shoots up into the air, leaving them in silence as what to do now.

Odinya falls on her knees, gripping her chest. M and Elliot appear in front of her, trying to help her up, but soon Odinya falls uncousious.

She opens her eye, seeing a hospital room, she looks down to see a huge bandage, across her body, Elliot gets up from the chair,

“Odinya! Fucking-A baby, you did amazing”

She tries to take in her surroundings,

“..Human…hospital?”

“Yeah, we couldn't do anything at the house, you were too fucked up, but hey, you made it.”

"Where-s Chloe"

"Right here baby"

He picks Chloe up and onto Odinya's lap,

"Mom! The fuck was that!"

"Woahhhhhhh!" Elliot and Odinya say concerned,

"You taught you to say that?!"

"You? Dad?"

Elliot looks at a frusterated Odinya,

"Go uhh, go get Mitsumi or something sweetheart"

Chloe waddles away into the hospital and into the next room.

"How is M anyway?" Odinya says groaning, trying to sit up

"She keeps yelling at the doctors, what else did you expect"

‘Haha… ahhhh. when can we get home..”

“Soon, probably today, until then…”

Elliot gets a remote and turns on the TV, flipping it to Spongebob. Odinya’s eye widens, looking at Elliot lovingly as she stairs into the yellow sponges adventures.

\*After Credits Page\*

Odinya's father walks into the forest past the hedge maze, he maneuvers his large form though the tall trees until he gets to a hatch in the middle of nowhere, opened. He steps down into it, soon making it to this insainly large open carved out cave, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a giant maze with huge walls. He walks though it calmly, like hes done it a million times before.

He turns a corner, finding a body strapped to a lush green wall by chains, with three eyes in place of a head.

"Sisters.."

They all take over each other, cursing and yelling at him.

"What happend to Rayo!"

**"What did you do to her!"**

*"You're a MONSTER Anodus!"*

"My daughter is not dead." His voice echos and booms "But your daughter is."

They all shreak in horror, and pain, the body squirming to break free from his chains.

Anodus walks away peacefully, ignoring the screaming behind him. He walks up the stairs and shuts the door.