Embracing the struggle

Deep breaths echoed around his appointed room and he just listened.

They were his own, it was relieving how fresh air sipped into his lungs after drowning for way too long.

Blinking warily Adrian stumbled up, the previous old rag that had covered his body, fluttered to the ground.

He was alone, the small room so seemingly big as he crashed to his knees. He had experienced pain before but the heartbreaking memories were still fresh on his retina.

Breath rigged as his muscles spasmed at the rigorous, sudden movement.

It was confusing, it was just moments ago that his body went to sleep. Confident in his own abilities and that of Aethelstan if something were to happen

Piercing hazel eyes, gleaming of boredom, had followed them the whole ride. Which left them with carefulness in its wake. Yet here he was, unable to stand as his own body broke down in just a night's time.

He couldn't help but feel disgruntled.

He had no idea how much time had passed or what had happened after he went to his dream-like state.

He was lost and there was no Dawn in sight to ask.

So he did the best next thing, letting his frustration rise and letting it flow through the bond. Confused mixed with it fairly quickly.

While his body had withered , the bond had grown stronger. Was more vibrant...more present then before. It was attached just a tad stronger to his own core.

He had felt it, Aethelstan's magic inside his dream like reality.

It was the only reason he had woken up, forced himself too.

Yet now that he was awake he was trying to shake away the feeling.

It wasn't exactly working yet and given a few more days he would be more accepting and actively working towards getting better.

Towards getting over it.

He would be fine...he sure hoped he would be fine.

Denying the fact he was messed up, broken and shattered was something he wouldn't do.

He was that because of people that were supposed to love and care for him.

He could see it in the way he prepared for everything alone, never asking for help even though he could. The fear that something would go wrong ,ever present in his past life, had followed him in his second.

And yet Adrina had only realised that when he had woken up.

He had come to love being alone and that wasn't a bad being. What was ,however, was him not seeing that he wasn't alone anymore.

The added anymore made his lips tremble, the dream made him feel everything like it had just happened. So now he went from unloved to loved all over again.

It was thrilling.

Loved people that cared for him so strongly that they got injured, just so that he would grow stronger. It wasn't like Aethelstan had much of a choice in the matter yet he never complained.

His mother and father never complained when he did something silly, they always let him know they would be there for him if he ever needed them.

His forever silent companion Dawn supported him from the sidelines and maybe he just realised that in one way or another the people of this world actually cared for him.

If it wasn't for the system and his own selfish desire to have access to all magic and races, he would have stopped, quit on the spot but he couldn't.

Heartfelt as their feelings for him probably were, he just wanted to experience everything and he won't let him stand in his way.

He won't live as a peaceful fly once again....he wasn't even that, he hadn't even been that.

Harmless, that's what he was, incapable of violence.

No matter what his second life won't be the same!

The floor beneath him was broken and rough ,just like him. Fingers gripped into it so harshly that woods splintered, the slight pain he felt made it all the more real.

He was real and noticeably hungry as his fangs glistened in the far off mirror.

He had almost fallen in the bottomless pit of his past life, so he just about deserved a snack.

And now that he was in the human world he could snatch some food for himself.

His mouth was already watering at the mere thought of it.

Maybe he could convince Aethelstan to leave some for him, he hadn't been allowed to eat from the already limited human food present in Aesteamore.

Something about a restrictive age limit and he was way too young?

He was older now so he should be allowed...if he played it right.

Adrian had gotten attached to his parents but also very much to Aethelstan, maybe even more.

Even ten years ago that was a known fact for him as in the dream forged by the marquis of hell he had turned Aethelstan into a statue. That person was someone he could never give up.

But neither could Aethelstan as he depended more and more on him, Adrian had been alone but Aethelstan had been alone for longer. That much was evident!

And Adrian was more than aware how Aethel felt, the bond an ever growing implication that the two of them were intertwined, together stronger then alone.

Now he appreciated Aethel even more, the way he saw things others didn't, was present in a way others never would be. It was quite literally a connection that would never disappear.

Even alone they would be together and that thought comforted him more than anything else he had ever known!

His head shot up as he felt Aethelstan come closer yet....this range?

That's new! The range where they could find each other was small but as proven right now it could grow larger.

At first it had been limited to the castle and with that a few exceptions.

But now even the immediate surroundings could be included! It wasn't astonishingly so but larger was larger and if it continued to grow like this in the future then no matter where Aethelstan was, Adrian could find him!

And Aethelstan in turn could find him,

A fact that would most likely prove useful in the future.

Maybe even while he attended the academy as eyes full of wariness and hatred would fall upon him.

He wondered briefly how he would react to that but before he could even figure out which stance to take the door slammed open.

Aethelstan had arrived.