Chased by Shadows

Gina was running.

She ran through the gardens, through the alleys, and through the streets. But no matter how much she ran, she could not escape her pursuers.

Gina did not know who her pursuers were, but she knew she could not let herself be caught.

Unfortunately, no matter how much she ran, her pursuers were always behind her.

Every time she looked back, she could see the shadows behind her, approaching little by little, meter by meter. Each second, they were a bit closer to her.

'Someone, save me!'

Gina tried to scream, but her words were caught in her throat. She tried to speak, but she could not open her mouth.

Looking around, she realized that the streets were desolate. The merchants that normally were selling their wages were not around, the adventurers and hunters going to hunt monsters had disappeared, and the people chatting with their neighbors were gone.

There was nobody there to help her.

'Sister, where are you?' Gina's eyes turned red.

In a panic, Gina could only keep running.

Gina did not know how much she ran. She only knew that her body was incredibly tired, and her legs hurt. Even taking one step more was hard for her.

It was normal, though. Gina's body had always been weak. The fact that she managed to run all this while was a mystery.

However, now that she was tired, she could not run anymore.

Gina did not want to give up. She tried to continue, but her legs gave up and she collapsed in the ground.

'No…!'

Gina's face was dyed with despair. She looked back and saw the shadows approaching and laughing mockingly to her futile attempts to escape.

"… Please…" Gina managed to blurter out, but her pleading was answered by cruel laughs and smirks.

Then, one of the shadows extended her hand.

But–

"Don't you dare to touch her!!!"

Salvation finally appeared.

"Gyaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!" With a cry of pain, the shadow grabbed its severed wrist. It cried and screamed in pain and rage while rivers of blood spurt out of its wrist.

She stood there, in front of her. Sara, her sister and protector. She confronted the shadows without fear, unafraid of the unknown enemies. Strangely, the blood of the shadows could not touch her, as though she was an ethereal existence untouched by mortal dust.

"Sister!" Gina cried happily. Sara looked back over her shoulder and smiled at her little sister, telling her that everything was going to be alright.

Then, she looked at the shadows with a look of anger.

And pounced forward.

Her daggers danced under the moonlight. Each slash of her dagger drew blood, and each stab pierced a heart. Bodies fell around her, corpses of the shadows that tried to devour Gina.

But the shadows were unending. They advanced unstoppably, like a flood trying to swept everything in its path.

Sara fought, and fought, and fought, and fought. Mountains of bodies formed around her, and rivers of blood formed below her feet, but eventually, she was injured.

"Sister!"

And injured again.

Gina's face turned pale. She wanted to stand up, to fight beside her sister, to protect her, but she could only look while the shadows killed her sister slowly, leaving wound after wound in her sister's beautiful body.

Soon, Sara's arm was severed.

"Sister!"

And her leg was crushed.

"No!"

A sword pierced her belly.

"Please!"

And a dagger stabbed her back.

"No, stop it!!!"

Gina closed her eyes. She did not want to see it, she wanted to wake up. She did not want to see any more of this nightmare.

But it was futile. Even when she closed her eyes, she could see. Even when she covered her ears, she could hear. Even when she tried to ignore everything, she could feel the pain her sister was feeling.

Finally, when Sara could not endure anymore, she collapsed in the ground.

"Sister…" Gina sobbed. Her body trembled in fear and her eyes cried blood.

She could feel the shadows extending their hands to grab her. To take her away. To bring her to the darkness.

She was the reason behind everything. Behind her sister's suffering, behind her sister's pain, behind her sister's death.

Because she was alive, her sister had to serve the people she hated the most. Because she was alive, her sister was trapped in a cage of constant suffering.

And now, because she was alive, her sister was going to die.

"Please… someone…" Gina begged. "Someone… save us…"

At that instant, she recalled someone.

Blue eyes, blue hair. It was him, the hero of her dreams.

So, Gina made a wish–

"Save me…"

–And the shadows were erased.

.

..

…

"Gah… cough…! Cough cough…! Cough cough cough…!"

"Gina?" Sara rubbed her eyes sleepily. But when she looked at her sister, her expression changed.

"Gina! What is wrong!?" Sara grabbed Gina's shoulders in panic.

"Cough cough… Cough… Sob… Sob…"

"Gina, what happened!?"

"… Thank god…"

"Gina?"

"… Thank god, sister… Thank god you are alright… Wahhhhhhh!!!"

"Shhh… Calm down, calm down… Everything is alright." Sara sighed and hugged the fragile body of her sister. "Don't worry, It was only a dream."

"Waaaaahhhhhh..."

That night, Gina hugged her sister as tightly as she could.

And she cried as bitterly as she could.