The strain on my wings made it hard for to fly.
The Akasha shone behind , illuminating the entire island.
My wings fluttered as my gaze shifted towards the ground below.
...Sothing caught my eye.
Sothing that crushed my heart.
Sothing that numbed my pain.
[... Don't let emotions get the better of you.]
El's solemn voice echoed in my head as I lowered my body.
'...No.'
Corpses.
Corpses of different students lay below as I slowly unwrapped my wings to gently land on the ground.
The green grass and everything around were now dyed in the hue of crimson.
'...No.'
My heart slowly dropped, a sickening feeling erging within as I moved the branches away from my face.
My body trembled violently as I looked at the boy.
...The boy with black hair taking his last breath.
"OLIVER!!!"
No, no, no!
This can't be happening!
His head slowly moved up, body resting against sothing as he looked at .
...A sword impaled in his chest.
I dropped to my knees in front of him as I checked his condition.
"...Hey there...buddy," he whispered softly, smiling as he looked at .
"Don't talk!" I yelled, glaring at him as I brought my hand close to his chest.
Neplh!
"ARGHH."
Oliver groaned in pain, a thin layer of mana started to cover his wound.
It covered the muscle around his chest, blocking the blood leakage.
"...That hurts, man," he whispered, letting out a haggard sigh.
"...Stop talking," I mumbled, inspecting his injury.
And it didn't take long to notice one thing.
...His heart.
The sword was implanted through his heart.
"...What happened?" My mind turned numb as I asked him, "...Oliver?"
But he didn't reply.
He kept his mouth shut, his eyelids barely open.
I bit my lip to calm my raging mind as I placed my hand over his chest.
Ruah.
A cluster of green light illuminated the area around his chest, his wound slowly closing.
Okay, he will be fine.
He will be fine.
I tried to comfort myself as I looked at his face.
He was pale.
Abnormally pale.
Cracks filled his entire lips.
"Hey, Oliver!" I yelled as I felt him turning silent, "Hey, idiot, talk to ."
"...Stop shouting." He whispered, eyes slowly moving to look at my face.
I tried to smile to not show the distress on my face.
I tried...
I tried my best, but I couldn't.
"...Who did it?" I asked, my voice breaking, cracking as I gazed upon his chest.
He coughed before slowly straightening his back, his dull eyes staring at .
A cluster of white started to erge from his hand, making both of us turn our heads towards it.
It slowly turned into a grey cat.
"...Hey, little grey," Oliver whispered softly, reaching out his hand to pat the cat.
The cat let him do it as it snuggled close to him without a sound.
'Huh?'
Only now did I notice a dagger in his hand.
He clenched it tightly in his other hand.
"...Az." I turned to look at him, my own heart feeling like it was stabbed by a knife, "...Stop it."
"...What? No!?" I snapped, glaring at him as I increased the output of Ruah.
"...It won't work," he whispered softly, "...You can't save —"
"Shut up," I mumbled as I thought of sothing.
Without thinking much, I tried using my life source.
[...No, Az, please—]
'I will be fine,' I interjected El's pleading voice.
...Just one year.
Just one year worth of my life, and I can probably repair his heart.
[...Stop it, Az.]
I ignored his words as I focused on myself.
My mind felt like it was hit by a hamr, stabbed by needles as I once again tried to use my life source.
The pain of losing my life started to register soon.
But my eyes abruptly opened as I felt a hand grabbing mine.
"...Stop it," Oliver mumbled, throwing my hand away from his chest, "...Don't try whatever you are doing."
I bit my lip in frustration as I glared at him.
In return, all he did was smile back, his eyes slowly starting to close.
A flicker ran through them, his once-black eyes turning golden for just a mont.
"...Hey, I have a wish," he whispered again as I brought my hand back to use my life source again.
"...What?" I asked, focusing on breaking a huge chunk of my life.
"...Na your child after ." I felt a tremor of pain within my chest as I heard his words.
"...No," I replied, shaking my head as my body started to break from the inside, "...I don't want my child to be retarded like you."
Just a bit longer.
He chuckled, but it soon turned into a violent cough. "...Fair enough."
"...Do it on your own," I whispered softly, "I am not doing it for you."
Fuck!
Why is it taking so long to fucking break my life source!!
"...Az," he mumbled softly, leaning forward towards , "...I need a hug."
I stopped for a second, my mind turning numb at the sight of his fragile body.
"...Please," he whispered again.
'...El.'
[...His heart will stop beating any second now.]
"..."
I gently wrapped my hand around his neck, leaning his body close to .
He remained like that for a few seconds before his head moved.
"...Rember you promised sothing," he whispered, his voice barely audible, "...If necessary, you will take care of her."
"...I do," I replied, feeling his breath slowly start to stop, "...I do rember that."
"...I will take you up on that offer." He whimpered silently, and I nodded in response.
"...Protect Aimar from Edel." Placing his chin on my shoulder, he whispered in my ear, "...And I am sorry, man."
"...What?" I whispered, slowly breaking the hug.
I looked down, his hand along with his cat now placed on my chest.
A gale of wind rushed past , my body involuntarily pushed back to a portal opening behind .
"...See you soon."
He smiled at one last ti as the portal collapsed on its own.
...And I sat there blankly looking at the place where the portal was once present.
It took a long...very long ti for everything to sink in.
"Hahaha." I let out a self-loathing laugh as I looked down at the ground, "...What the fuck happened?"
A girl with red hair lay there, a cluster of purple around her.
The sa purple that Oliver uses for his portal.
A clear mark of sothing sharp etched on her neck.
"...Aaliyah?" I whispered, slapping her face to check on her.
She didn't reply, her chest heaved gently.
She was alive but unconscious.
"..."
I felt like my world was crumbling as I looked around the place.
The sound of footsteps echoed, making turn to my side.
Two boys walked towards .
"Az?" Aimar mumbled, walking closer, a sigh of relief escaping his lips, "...You are fine."
"..."
I just blankly looked at him as he helped stand up again.
Keegan stood close but still maintained his distance from .
Aimar's gaze landed on Aaliyah and then on the cat lying in my hand as he confusingly asked, "...They are with you?"
I...Couldn't reply.
My lips refused to budge even an inch, my eyes staring at him.
My heart burned with pain as I slowly stood up, gently giving the cat to him.
Still confused, he took it from as I turned around.
"Hey," Aimar grabbed my shoulder, "...Where is Oliver?"
I forcefully walked, ignoring his confused words.
"I am asking sothing, Azariah!" He yelled, his voice filled with anxiety, "...Have you seen him?"
Crouching down, I picked Aaliyah up in my arms, my body hurting with pain.
Glancing back, I looked at Aimar, whose chest heaved uncomfortably.
"...You are scaring , Az," he whispered, cracking a small smile, "...Tell where is he?"
"...."
I parted my lips to say...
...But I couldn't.
I wish it was easy to tell him.
"Hey, Azariah!" He yelled as I turned my back towards him.
SWISH!!!!
But just as I turned around, sothing flew in my direction at high speed.
It was so fast that I didn't even have ti to react.
And before I knew it, the sound of bones crushing and blood spilling on the ground echoed.
But the pain that should accompany it never ca...
I slowly lowered my gaze to look at Aaliyah.
"...."
And imdiately, my knees gave out as I fell to the ground.
"...No."
...A knife was lodged deep inside her skull.
I brought my face closer to check.
...She wasn't breathing.
"Aaliyah!" Aimar's scream echoed in my ears as he pushed aside.
I fell back, my body turning cold as I stared at him trying to check if she was alive.
"Bullseye!!" A cheerful voice echoed from the forest.
My head slowly turned towards my side as a woman erged from the shadows.
Two horns adorning her head, black hair highlighted by red in the end.
A playful smile on her lips as she looked at .
Her lips parted as she cripped, "How have you been, young master.?"
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