章 99: Haunted

"Ah wait, Kazuya?"

Kazuya didn't know why she suddenly called out his name frantically. He didn't get a chance to as he felt something heavy hit his head, and he fell in the ground, immediately losing consciousness.

...

Everything around him was drenched in shadows, dripping to the ground, forming dark streams that twisted into symbols he did not understand. Grey lightening seemed to split apart the sky, blinding him onto the ground and fading in a matter of seconds. Kazuya looked around, where was he? Just a few moments ago he was speaking with Lyn, weren't they on a date?

"Kazuya."

Somebody was calling for him, somebody who did not deserve to say it. Kazuya turned around, even amongst the darkness he could not mistaken that figure. A man with long pale hair, it belonged to the man whom he was the best of friends with once upon a time. Belonged to the person who he saw as his sworn brother. The man was smiling, like he usually did. He always smiled even when he was scolding someone. However just when Kazuya was about to open his mouth, that illusion quickly dissolved into thin air.

The atmosphere became heavy, and the man stood there with a poisonous smile on his face. The man seemed to be dragging somebody's neck, the sound of a sword being dragged across. Kazuya could recognize that dainty figure from a distance, it belonged to Lyn. His Lyn. Fear struck across his face, and he lunged forward. However, the moment he tried to reach out for her, it felt like something was shackling him down onto the ground.

That man raised his sword and it came down in one swift motion, he wasn't fast enough.

'You were always slow whenever it came to defending the one you love.'

There it was, that same mocking voice like back then. Yes, moments before his life changed before his very eyes. He heard it. Kazuya watched helplessly as Lyn collapsed onto the ground, her eyes met his and even right at this situation he saw she was struggling not to cry. She smiled at him, 'Don't cry,' he could almost hear her say those words and then the next second she was no longer moving.

Grey hair stepped over her body, and wiped the girls blood from his sword with a cloth. Her blood slowly transfered to the cloth, and he watched as the nan brought it to his lips.

"This is the blood of the royal family? Of the next heir, it does not taste very good."

He screamed.

He lunged forward, at least that's what it looked like to him. But of course he didn't move an inch, of course even now it felt like something was shackling him down. Of course once again that man wouldn't kill him, he would be the last one surviving. Once again he would survive and have to live with the pain that came from seeing his loved ones days. No matter how much he fought back and resisted, he still ends up helpless like this.

Suddenly a sweet voice snapped him out of his trance. But how was that possible? Just moments ago, did she not die right in front of his very eyes? But there was no mistaken it, as he hears it again, "Kazuya, say Kazuya?" It was a sweet and reassuring voice. Whenever he listened to her voice, it felt like spring and the last fireflies of summer. A warm hand pressed against his cheeks, "Kazuya? If you don't wake up, I'll cry."

Kazuya immediately shot up then, and saw her there - his girlfriend Lyn. Seeing her there right in front of him, he calmed his beating his beating heart. It took him awhile before he could calm his beating heart. After experiencing such an odd dream, he didn't know what to think.

Lyn hovered over him with a concerned look in her eyes. Normally whenever Lyn touched him in anyway, he would marvel at the feeling of the girl's hands on his. But right now all that mattered to him was that she was alive, that she was safe. He drank in the sight of her, just laying eyes on Lyn felt like a blessing to him. Her delicate fingers like silk brushing across his skin, "Are you alright?" Lyn whispered. Kazuya realized how she didn't remove her hand, and simply left it there.

Her hands are so small, whenever they hold hands - he always has to ensure he's holding her hand tightly. It was during these moments where Kazuya recalled how fragile his little Lyn is. While she had gotten a stronger, but even the strurdiest of trees that fight through a heavy storm can only last so long. Every single day that passes by, brings them closer to their fate. A blood stained fate. Just thinking about it, made him feel him such agony than any physical wound could give him.

"I heard..you say his name," Lyn bit her lip, he could tell that she was trying to avoid prying too much with the way she vaguely worded her sentence.

Kazuya however wanted to avoid speaking about that man. Those were deep wounds, deep scars that will never heal. A darkness that will never leave him, even with that mans death. He didn't want Lyn to get affected by those words. Lyn was about to say something, when he grabbed her wrist and pulled the girl towards him. She seemed surprised but when their bodies made contact, she simply wrapped her arms around him. Kazuya did the same and pulled her so closely, so he could hear her soft breathing against his chest. He could hear the rhythm of her heart, her warmth. He lowers his head and buried it into her shoulder.

"Kazuya, I'll protect you," Lyn whispered.

'Protect? That's his line,' but Kazuya kept that to himself.

...

' I'll go get something, stay there okay?' were the girls words before she left him moments ago. When Kazuya looked at his surroundings, he noticed he was back at the inn - and he wondered how that happened. Did she carry him all the way back here? Did she carry him, with her small and fragile body?

Such an an idiot. He kicked a pebble, and found himself lost in his own thoughts. He used to dream all the time, dream about pointless and insignificant things. Dream about Lyn being his, about the girl wanting him. Kazuya paused. Isn't she his now? The two of them are dating each other, and he doesn't mean to boast but their relationship is going well. But can he really say that? As long as he is haunted by the past, Kazuya knew they could never be in a proper relationship with each other.