Lonely Is Not Being Alone, It's The Feeling That No One Cares

A/N: I have just gotten an awesome idea for the ending fight and our mc's journey while brainstorming ideas and writing this chapter...it's cool but I am not gonna say anything but I am sure you are gonna like this...be warned it won't be revealed until the final fight if I get there :)

Eichii POV:

Pain...after awaking from my stupor all I feel is pain...why? Because some bast*rd is pushing a metal pole onto my skin! Before I can fully contemplate my circumstances, I am rushed away, my weak legs nearly snapping from the sudden push I received. "If that is all, we should be getting out of here," I heard, the owner was wanting to hurry something up.

I wanted to celebrate and rejoice to be out of that pit of despair but instead, I am being turned and thrashed around as I hear the sound of a door opening and shutting.

I look around to find myself in a dark alley, the shabby buildings look like bounding towers, their presence overwhelming my every thought. It was like a deserted area until I see cups and a few pieces of cuttelry scattered around...the only signs of life.

The two hooded figures quickly get me moving my feet once again, my whole body cramped up and stiff from the lack of movement I have had. I can only hear their muffled conversation as we continue to move. I make sure to remember everything about this alley and our travel, I will come back here soon...you can make sure of that.

The sky was black tranquillity married to the poetry of stars. It was the softness that called body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward, a restfulness above to calm the soul, though, for me, it just seemed like an extension of the box of resent I have been living in.

The now bloodied battered soles of my feet begin to slow down, resulting in more aggressive dragging from the two hooded figures. "Hey, kid, I want to give you a word of advice, when we arrive at our destination...you must show no mercy...nor have any belief whatsoever in how others judge you...for if you work hard enough...your greatness will silence them all..."

Without being able to digest what he said, I am forced to a stop, resulting in my legs giving out and falling to the floor with a small snap. I let out a shout of anguish as I once again become overcome by pain. It was the kind of scream that bypasses the ears to speak right to the heart. I look toward the point of it all and see a bone piercing through my skin, red water flowing over my leg and the floor.

One of the men, instead of tending to me, grabbed my waist and lifted me to his side, my arms and legs dangling down as he just holds me there, no remorse gave at all.

The pathway into evil begins as small acts of kind-heartedness, yet as with any journey, those small steps become more significant as they add up. So, whoever you are in that pathway of love and indifference, I say to start making decisions of love while you still have enough soul to redeem.

"We have arrived with the boy," a different voice said.

This voice sounded huskier and more assertive than the last I had heard. With the sudden announcement of his presence, I locked my eyes toward his figure and he held himself with a sense of pride and arrogance, much to the indifference of his partner. I had seen a lot of that before, from the men...who killed mama...sh*t...I'm thinking about it again...fu*k will I regret it my whole life?

The regret has done its job now...I should reflect and put those lessons to good use. Breaking away from my thoughts I am carried through the door into an interminable hallway. It seems forever far-reaching but regardless of my thoughts, we arrive at the other side in fleeting transitory.

Through the top corner of my vision, I see a hand reaching toward a door, its fingertips connecting with the wood, fingers and palm slowly spreading out. At that moment I began to become frightened at what would be on the other end of that door. Dread is a fear flag, it gives me a chance to reflect upon the opportunity to arrive and find real reasons to be at peace with that change.

I shouldn't dread, if I want to make this world a better place, if I want to keep the promise I kept with Ito and make it a reality, I can't dread, I should buckle up and brace myself for the impact...but I can't! I don't want to go through all of that again!

Promise? What promise?! I would rather be with mama in the fields, growing crops on the farm and feeding my friends and everyone in the village. I want to live! Yes! I want to live!... I want to live...but...who am I living for? I don't have anyone anymore...Everything is gone! *slap*

I am suddenly made aware of myself when I feel a sharp pain on my cheek and as I look around I see myself lay, sprawled on the floor, to my right are the cloaked men, with their hoods no longer down and I can see them. One of them seems slightly familiar. Black hair with scars sprawled across his face...scars?...Scars! "You!" I croak out, my voice breaking and quiet. "You are the men from that bar!" They were the two hooded men who left when I was magically healed by that overgrown plant!

"Well, that confirms everything," This time the voice was light and feminine, it held an ominous aura to it. "Tell me, child, if I was to give you this plant, you could heal yourself?" I looked up to see that she was suddenly stood in front of me.

Tall, thin, pale as the skin of a glass of milk, pale as the moon, pale as the chalk cliffs of winter in a full moon, still, vigilant, lurking in the shadows, staring, like a cobra seeking its prey, wide eyes black as inky pools, dark shadows under sunken eyes, hardened features, immobile face, gaunt, hair swaying down to her waist, dark shadows under protruding cheekbones, an evil glint in the eyes, slow movements, moves as if she has no bones at all, sinking, oozing.

She was strangely beautiful, her presence sent shivers down me, I felt like but a pebble in front of a mountain. "Y-Yes ma'am, s-some time ago, I-I became able t-to contr-control the nature around me...though w-when it h-happened, I d-didn't have a-any control over it," I never looked away from her empty eyes once as I said that her expression was unmoving through all of it, holding an empty smile, which now turned friendly, "Well this is good for you!" She said her face staying with her friendly but ominous smile.

"If you can heal your leg with this flower...you live!" her expression suddenly turned cold, "And I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if you fail," sh*t! didn't she hear what I said? f*ck! "O-Ok...I'll try," I said, my voice slow and wavering.

I stretched my arm out toward the small flower she held out in the palm of her hand. At this moment I realised something.

Our fears can be triggered by real threats and by memories of threats. Humans find it hard to unlearn fears. Thus when we realise we are scared we must ask ourselves how real the threat is or if we have begun to generalise fear and seek evidence to cement it rather than challenging it.

To remain well balanced and with a good perspective, we must always remain willing to ask ourselves these difficult questions, hone into our true emotions and see people as they are. The prize for doing this is a well-functioning society, the punishment for getting it wrong is run-away paranoia.

The former makes friendships, the latter makes enemies who could have been friends. That said, if after analysis you find the threat to have real force and impact, take action to protect yourself, protect those you love and call allies to provide support.

In summary, my love, fears can be real, ghosts of real fear, or entirely imagined. It takes courage to figure out your fears, to face them and question them, but it is worth it.

And so with my mindset and my will hardened, I stretch my gaunt, grove king arm out towards the flower and I rest my palm upon it. The petals on each flower slowly grow extra petals on top as they stretch and spread up my forearm. Where ever they touch a sense of gratitude and love overwhelms me.

The power of love brings hope, yet at times the steps toward love cause pain and those towards a life of loneliness are comfortable in their familiarity. We are born to love and with all necessary courage to walk the path to it, no matter the roughness, no matter the hardship.

The petals continue to cover my whole body until I feel like I am trapped, but instead of pain and fear like before, it feels like I want to stay here forever and never leave...for once I feel...comfortable...

General POV:

Covered, sheltered by a gathering of trees you can see a beautiful artistic piece of work, To the mountains in their timeless grace the manor house was but a spring flower in momentary bloom. On the downside the manor roof was alive with the compendium of the birds, for in their song was their rich emotional intelligence told to anyone capable of real listening.

From the great openings of the manor, the sky was ever-blue, for the schools of clouds that came were ever the fish and rather than the water. The manor had a way of belonging to the earth it graced. Of greys and browns were its walls of, the kind of stone that reflects sunlight into the ambient soul

The manor had long loved the land, for its stone carried the memory of its creation long ago. Thus between the big house and the trees that danced in the wind, there was a sense of belonging.

And inside the great hall can be seen a cocoon of pink and purple petals and a woman with two men stood aside from her. Suddenly, the petals begin to fall and crumble, their life-ending as the insides are revealed.

And inside is a boy holding a lost look, as if he was awoken from a nap. His skin was a beautiful pale and it was no longer the feculent grime from before. He looked in perfect health, his hair a split of black and white. He held eyes as beautiful as any crystal and flower more than any river. His face was a perfect sculpture though he is young.

But suddenly he dawned a terrorised face as his eyes landed on another pair, right in front of his own. In a situation such as this, it would be odd to not have anxiety. What you face is legitimately difficult.

"You are truly fascinating," the woman commented, it is the first time she has ever seen something as strange as this. "Though you told me you didn't have any control over when or how you do it...well...look what happened," she said with a smile that showed the opposite of what a smile should show.

"A-Ah no ma'am, I just suddenly felt a strong connection w-with the flower you held a-and well I followed what felt natural to me," he answered, afraid of what would happen if she suspected him of wrong-hood.

"Well, that is good, I wouldn't want you to lie to me when we have only just met each other, now, Akifumi, take the child, you should know what to do," she ordered one of the men, he swiftly obeyed her, an expression that fully expressed dread, his face quailing.

This seemed to satisfy her as she signalled for the other man to leave, as she was once again left alone in the room continuing to carve a pattern into a wood log, the previous events giving her great inspiration.