Chapter - 16

The air was still. Cold. Filled with the stench of burnt wood and blood. The sun was low in the sky, it made the sky glow a mix of pink and orange as it slowly started its journey high into the sky, it was early in the morning and the sun had started to fill the air with warmth. I felt none of it. The sky to me was but a distraction. I stood outside my house's door, Asta close behind, I clutched my stomach hard. I felt pain crawl through my body with every breath I took. My breathing was heavy. "You need rest, Hunter. Please. Go back to bed." Asta whispered to me, her voice was breaking as she said it, tears began to well up in her eyes. "I cant Asta. I need to see him. They told me I have to. They keep telling me I have too", my voice sounded distant, " they keep telling me too. I need to find him. He knows something." I mumbled on. "Who!" Asta shouted. I stopped a few steps in front of her "I don't know" I clenched my fists, "I don't know who or what they were... They came to me. I am scared, Asta..." My hands began to tremble and I hung my head low "there were thousands of them. They were dead. They were all around me. I couldn't move. I couldn't scream... And the big one. His voice... Asta his voice!" I felt Asta's hand grab mine. Everything went silent. Tears began to fall from my face. I felt broken. I hated it. All I could think about was that voice. It rang in my mind over and over and over again. My mind went numb. I grabbed my head and pulled at my hair. My mind was in so much pain. I felt as if someone were stabbing at my head with a spear. My body ached as my mind screamed. I was in Hel. My vision went blurry as I fell to my knees. It felt like whatever was happening would go on forever.

After a few agonizing moments, I felt something on my shoulders. I felt two arms wrap around my head, I closed my eyes, I felt the tears slowly stop pouring from my eyes. Then I felt a head being placed on top of mine and slowly my mind began to start calming. My breathing started to slow. My head was turned up and I felt a warmth. My face hit her neck, I could feel her heartbeat through her neck, I could begin to smell her. A calming, relaxing, peaceful smell... Asta. I could feel her begin to wrap her arms around my back and pull my body against hers. I began to forget about the pain that coursed through my body like wild wolfs. I forgot about the voices that screamed in a thousand different voices in my mind. I forgot about everything. All I could do now is feel her skin against mine and feel her intoxicating scent fill my lungs. My breathing was steady now. I looked up at her with tears still welled up in my eyes, ready to burst like a dam, her eyes met mine. Her eyes were filled with tears, they ran like rivers down her bruised cheeks, our eyes locked and I felt as if her eyes were absorbing all of my pain and suffering. "Hunter," She said with a broken, sorrow-filled tone, "I don't know what the Gods have shown you. But please. Please... Come back to me. You're scaring me. I can feel your pain and I hate it so much... I HATE IT!" She screamed as she burrowed her head into my neck and scratched my back trying to get as close to me as possible. "Please, Hunter! I need you! I need you here with me! I need you back! You promised you wouldn't leave me! I already almost lost you once! I want you back! I need you back!" Asta screamed as she cried, her tears dampening my bandages leaving a river flowing down my back, her sobs filled my ears. I tried putting my arms around her. But once more... My arms wouldn't move.

I felt as heavy as stone. The sound of Asta's cries still filled my head. That's when I felt it. I felt an ominous weight all over my body once more. I was scared. I tried with all my might to push myself up and run away. I wanted to run away with every fiber of my being. I wanted to get away from whatever that feeling was. I needed to getaway. I tried to scream. I tried so hard... But nothing came out. Then suddenly my body began to move on its own. I dammed every movement my body made. I tried to stop it but it wouldn't listen to me. It was refusing to listen to me just as a wild stallion refuses to listen to the shackles of a lasso. My body stood up. Asta slid down to her knees. She looked up at me with tears streaming violently out of her eyes. I wanted to apologize to her. I tried to reach for her but my body would still not move. I screamed in silence. "Enough. I am sorry my child." A voice boomed from all around me. That same haunting voice I had heard. My chest tightened as I heard it. I was paralyzed. My body began to walk away from Asta. I was scared... I wanted to move back to her. I needed her. I need her. She looked down to the ground and began to weep, her tears dampening the grass below her, I wanted to have her in my arms again. I needed to apologize. "STOP!" I managed to scream. My body halted its march. "My child you must stop this. There are more important things at hand." The voice boomed once more. "I DONT CARE! I NEED HER! PLEASE!" I pleaded to the ghostly voice. "I can't lose her..." I wheezed out. My body remained as still as a mountain. "I need her..." I repeated. "I am sorry child." The voice said once more. My body began to move on its own once more. But this time I felt tears fall from my face. I screamed and screamed for what seemed like days. But my body refused to listen. It kept up its march, but I still felt tears pouring from my face, I turned the corner into the house where I saw him.

I saw a man in the corner bound with ropes. He and I locked eyes. He was... He was crying. His eyes were like rivers just as mine were. As I saw him I fell to the floor and my body went limp. "Asta" I had heard. But only it was not from me. It was from this stranger. My mind went blank. My body lost its will to move. And I fell hard to the floor. I hated myself. I hated what I had done to Asta. I wanted to die. But... How did he know her name? Asta. Please. Forgive me, my love.