Capítulo 13: The unbearable weight of grief
There was something unsettling about the darkness he found himself in, he fainted and before he knew his core was getting destroyed piece by piece.
It could happen to anyone, a part of the journey to become stronger.
He knew his time would come and it seems this was today.
So...why?
Why was he back?
Breath...in and out, in and out.
It took a few seconds before his mind started to concentrate, before the tower fully entered his view and with it the surroundings. The plants he had chosen and grown and used in way too many experiments.
"What..what's happening?"
Wind whistling left his hair moving back and forth, the sun dimmed on the horizon as the tower bathed in blood once more.
He had done this all before so while his mind was in terror, his body moved the path walked times and times before.
It was however only the second time his shoes got engulfed in the real texture of blood, the smell metallic yet it intertwined with the fresh scent of fallen rain.
His feet stilled in front of his smallest, way smaller than the others, student.
It wasn't the first of his students he had come across but he was the youngest, only eight yet just like the other's his body was burned and broken.
His sister, his twin of minutes older just a little farther ahead. Their older brother and girlfriend, 18 and 20 respectively, were just another body in the mix of hundreds.
He had failed them all, a lot of them not even close to being adults. Ever since his own breath lay curse upon curse upon him. Self pity and misery had become a part of him, never vanishing just simmering underneath his surface.
It was all the same so it didn't surprise him when a voice came from behind him.
"Dad!! You're back!"
"Dad?"
"Dad, is something wrong?
Why are you sitting there so dazed?"
His body turned on it's own, following the same actions as the evening years ago.
This isn't real, all that happened, all he was looking at was just a memory. Something that already happened and a heart that had already shattered was beating in his chest.
"....WhAt have YOU done?!!"
Even his voice spoke the same words, heavily laced with horror. One of the few moments his emotions actually was hearable.
He looked like his son, the hair shades darker than his. His son with almost the same face that stared back when Aethelstan looked into the mirror.
Clothes darkened with his comrades blood, eyes shone brightly with greed. Unnatural, not his son, not Asaki.
The more he listened, the more that fact became clear, he didn't sound like him at all.
"-re you sad? I did this for you, only you. Why do you not like it?
If we take out the others-'' he went as far as licking his lips, afterwards grinning wildly as he walked in front of the youngest corpse-'' then you will be strongest. And then you!ll teach me and later I can protect you.
Father, I can protect you. We will be the strongest, no one will be able to stop us ever again....''
Time passed in a blur as Aethelstan just listened to his possessed but beloved little boy.
"Asaki."
Tilting his head in confusion at being cut off, his eyes gleamed in curiosity as he stilled.
"Your name..it means little morning blossom and moon.
We loved you very much.''
''Dad, I know that. Don't worry and I love you too.
Now why don't we go to the next?"
"...How about a hug first?"
He stood, once more following the moment from years ago as his hands wrapped around the smaller boy.''
He didn't know how long he hugged the frail body but soon there was movement, his heart felt the same feeling from years ago as his magic rose.
"Wa..ait father."
It was too late, how he wished he could close his eyes.
First time was torture, he never wanted to relive that moment yet here he watched flowers sprouting from every cut and open wound.
Every organ was replaced with them and soon he could see his boy struggling to breathe.
Coughing out flowers, he was soon gripping the flowers in a desperate way, eager for breath.
It didn't come, never would as every part was becoming his flower, his eyes shone a rose colour for just a second until it also blossomed into a flower.
Asaki had seated himself, cries of despair barely audible as he muttered incoherent words.
It had broken his heart, still did yet he only watched as the last breath turned into a flowery wisp.
He would forever be a flower statue, laying in the midst of the carnage he had created. The blood of his friends filling puddles around him as the sun went down with him.
Once more he stood there, watching the unmoving boy, his boy for who knows how long.
It was only when the same hand from that night placed itself on his shoulder that he awakened to the sound of Adrian calling for him through their bond.
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