(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

The regrets piled on with the weight of a mountain, howled with the fury of
a storm. My mind began buckling from the pressure - so MUCH, all at once,
so much damage done to others... so much so an entire FORTRESS may be
built from such pain. I had to focus, had to keep my center... but the tears
were flooding down my cheeks like blood, the pillars of my mind were
beginning to crack...
And suddenly, through the torrent of regrets, I could the first incarnation
again. His hand, invisible and weightless, was upon my shoulder, steadying
me through the storm. He didn't speak, but with his touch, I remembered
my name.
...and it was such a simple thing, not at all what I'd thought it might've been.
A deep comfort settled in me, of something becoming complete. In a way,
I'd regained the most important part of myself.
Somehow in knowing my name I knew myself finally, knew there was
nothing I could not do. The first incarnation's hand lifted from my shoulder,
leaving a lingering warmth. He watched me with a slight smile.
"That was my name all along? But if I was-"
He held his finger to his lips, silencing me. He nodded at the symbol at my
arm.
The symbol - the symbol of Torment - seemed brittle somehow when I
looked down at it, as if it was only barely holding itself to my skin.
Unconsciously, I reached out and peeled it from my arm. It gave way with a
slight resistance, like pulling off a scab. It seemed to pulse quietly and fall
silent as I held it, and I knew I could harness its power. It no longer ruled me.
"I no longer wear the symbol. Does that mean...?"
Halfway through my question, I realized a heavy silence was all that was left
within my mind -- I could no longer feel the presence of the first incarnation
within me.
~~~~~
The incense smoke curled through the air, smelling of ash and finality. There
were no mournful chants, no dirges for this in the Mortuary. The Dustmen
1180