Rocot: Reborn

Avril, or rather, the thing that occupied Avril's body, looked down at Rocot, who was lying limp on the ground. She smiled contemptuously, picked up a strand of Rocot's hair with her fingertips, and twirled it between her fingers, like teasing a dying prey.

"My love, you seem surprised," she said in a voice that was sickeningly sweet. "How come you don't recognize me after just a few hundred years? You are so forgetful."

Roccod gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words from his throat: "You...you are not her...Avril can never..."

"Shut up!" The woman interrupted him impatiently. Her smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by a murderous look. "Avril? I'm tired of playing with that weak and incompetent skin! If it wasn't for you, do you think I would have endured it for so long?"

She pulled her hand back suddenly, and Roccod felt as if his heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, almost suffocating him. He struggled to breathe, but could only groan in pain.

"You should feel honored," the woman looked down at him, with a crazy light flashing in her eyes, "You are the only person in the world who made me spend so much effort. I will let you witness my return with your own eyes, and witness how this world... turned into a scorched earth under my control!"

The battle in the laboratory continued. Caesar and Lei's figures turned into two phantoms. The golden energy collided violently with the black dagger, and every confrontation set off a gust of wind. Ying was waiting for an opportunity to move. The black dagger was like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, cold and deadly.

But all this became vague and distant in Roccod's eyes. His consciousness continued to sink into the dark abyss, and the woman's malicious laughter echoed in his ears, like a death knell from hell.

In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the war-torn era hundreds of years ago. He saw his younger self, full of vigor and ambition, willing to do anything for power. He also saw Avril, the kind and gentle girl, who was like a ray of light in the darkness, warming his cold heart.

"Lockold..."

Avril's gentle voice came to his ears, and he opened his eyes suddenly, only to find himself in darkness. There was an endless void around him, no light, no sound, only endless loneliness and despair.

"Lockold, don't..."

Avril's voice sounded again, with a hint of pain and pleading, but it was more ethereal, as if it came from another world. Roccod tried desperately to catch the source of the voice, but failed again and again.

"No...Avril! Where are you?!" he roared, his voice echoing in the empty void, but no response was received.

Suddenly, a tiny light appeared in the darkness. The light became brighter and more dazzling, and finally turned into a huge beam of light, swallowing up Roccod.

He closed his eyes painfully, waiting for death to come. However, the imagined pain did not come, but was replaced by a strange feeling.

He felt like he was floating in a warm ocean. Countless pieces of information emerged in his mind. Those long-lost memories, those dusty secrets, drowned him like a tide.

He saw Avril being devoured by the dark power, saw his own desperate roar, and also saw... the black hand hiding behind the scenes, the one who controlled everything...

"It's you..."

Roccod opened his eyes suddenly, his eyes burning with anger. He knew who was behind it and why Avril became like this.

"Wait for me, I will be back..." He gritted his teeth and said, his voice full of deep hatred, "I will make you pay the price... Everything you owe me, I will take it back with my own hands!"

In the dark void, there seemed to be a sneer, which disappeared in an instant.