Spirit

'And that's about it.." Khai sat down on the floor, releasing a pent up sigh.

Today was the day he moved in the Xiala's dormitory.

For a person as weak as him, his grandfather offered help, but Khai rejected him prefusely, saying that he wanted to go solo.

He scanned his surroundings and was quite satisfied- everything was in place.

Looking at the desk from side of his bed, a photo sat there quietly.

A family picture; it was the first time he had one ever since the bun joined their family.

It consisted of three people, two wearing proper attires- in line with a groom and a bride. It was a picture they took a couple of weeks ago.

The marriage went well, not a lot of people showed up but that's because both the bride and the groom wanted only peace and hapiness to be in their midst, only inviting their closest friends and relatives.

"What should i do now.." Khai thought blankly.

Perhaps the decision of entering a university was an impulsive one.

He did have reservations that incited him to take back what he said to his grandfather, but he didn't have the heart to tell him after seeing his response.

After all, he has become too heavy of a burden; cooping up for years, not even taking the time to socialize.

To put it frankly, he created a world of his own and refused to let anyone in, neither did he ever go out.

Albeit comfortable, it was selfish of him to continue that way. He was not the only one to suffer due to the incident that almost tore apart their relationship as a 'family' apart.

He was, however, the only one to be stuck in its aftermath. A vicious cycle of violence.

"What am I even doing?" Khai heaved a heavy sigh once again.

However, since what was done has already happened, he had no choice but to roll with it.

"Ugh.."

Suddenly, streaks of pain assaulted his head, making him feel light-headed.

"Fuck, did I move too much?"

He started to wobble towards his bed, crashing on it and immediately fainting.

…

"I'm here again.."

A place where he can do nothing but be with his own conscience.

Every night, he'd have nightmares that he wouldn't remember when he wakes up. All he is aware of is that he dreams of something; something vicious that scared him to the core.

In unique cases, he would have the ability remember his dream but only a little.

The last time that happened was when a voice sounded out, asking him what he was seeking.

And almost all the other instances, he just felt a mix of negative emotions. It was as if he was suffering from a great cluster of bottled up resentment.

Except this time; something felt different that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

'What even is this place,,'

This was the first time that he had the chance to ask that to himself.

Contrary to what he was used to, everthing felt calm.

"Over here!"

'Huh?'

Khai immediately looked at where he heard the voice came from and was shocked.

"It's been so long! Where have you been?"

'This..'

The person talking had a face Khai couldn't make out. For some reason, his face was blurry. Fortunately, everything else was clear as day; he could clearly see that the person was a male.

The person's clothes particularly stood out to Khai as they were medieval, the ones where his generation could only see in movies or museums: He dawned a long, yellow mantle that slightly covered his white undershirt.

He didn't have time to think over his thoughts as the person started to wave at him.

'Me?' Khai was doubtful.

"Are we acting like we're strangers now?"

The man chuckled, seemingly noticing his doubts.

"Hehe,"

As Khai was wondering how he should respond, he got another shock, another voice sounded out!

It was very close behind him!

However, no matter how hard he tried to look behind, some invisible force was restricting his movements.

"You got me!"

Fwum!

'What the!'

For some weird reason, a person went through him and jumped towards the male at the distance.

"Haha!" The man welcomed the newcomer with a hearty smile, opening his arms to catch them.

Through the person's long, wavy hair and feminine voice, Khai discerned the newcomer as a female.

The moment they embraced each other, he felt a strange feeling warming up his insides.

It was surreal! So pure, so soothing, so beautiful.

It was almost as if he was connected with the feelings of the people standing in front of him.

"I missed you!" The woman buried her head on the man's chest.

"I missed you too, honey."

He felt it then as well, the yearning they had for each other.

The the feeling of satiating that said yearning. It was,, pure pleasure.

A pleasure that didn't last long.

Creak..

Bang!

All of the sudden, the space around them started to show signs of collapsing.

The once pitch black space had white cracks everywhere.

"Run!"

The man pushed the woman away, causing her to drop to the ground.

When he turned around, there was an army of soldiers carrying a myriad of weapons.

A spear, a sword, a shield, a saber; every medieval weapon there was!

Unlike the woman and man duo, their faces weren't blurred, instead, their skin were pitched black, darker than even the space around them.

They had no facial features whatsoever.

The ones who stood out the most were the ones on the backline. Carrying some sort of staff, each of them radiated a holy grail.

"Die!"

Without any needless thoughts, the man jumped towards the army, brandishing a sword god-knows-where he got from.

The army did not hesitate as well and gladly clashed with him.

'Hey!' Khai wanted to move, so desperately he wanted to do something.

'Something bad is about to happen!' He knew. Yet being aware of that fact led him to also find out that he couldn't do anything.

"Honey!" The woman tried to get up but something was holding her down, dragging her to the ground.

Helplessness. Powerlessness. Despair.

As if feeling the emotions that were running through the woman, Khai felt so weak, every fiber of his being was afraid.

"RUN!" Seeing the woman stationary, the man shouted, desperate.

"Argh!" However, that momentary distraction did not escape the army's attention. A soldier siezed the opportunity and stabbed him on the stomach.

'Kah!'

'Blood?!'

Khai felt something pierce his internal organs.

'Don't tell me that I'm getting hit as well?'

"HONEY!" The woman finally stood up and rushed towards the battlefield, intending to help her partner.

It was then..

Sskk!

"Ah!"

Never in her mind did she expect that an assasin would appear out of nowhere, brandishing a dagger in swift succession.

"NOO!"

The man snapped; his rage consumed him and not much needed to be said.

The outcome was already obvious.

Crrkk! Crrkk!

The cracks around them suddenly developed into craters, widening and spreading.

Shhht.

Nothing.

With just a blink, everything disappeared. Only a white space could be seen.

'You gotta be kidding me..'

Khai felt lightheaded. Pain, both emotional and physical were assaulting him.

In situations such as these, death.. was mercy.

Thankfully, his will power was stronger than the average man.

Sob* Sob* Sob*

'What is it now?'

He was in no state to handle anything else.

'Give me a break..'

"We were never given that. What makes you think you deserve one?!"

'Huh? Are the heavens really intent on making me suffer?'

Khai was exasperated. Was he about to expereince a weird phenomenon again?

"Suffer?! Suffer?! Ridiculous! Everything you've been through is but a droplet of water compared to the ocean of pain that came at us like tidal waves!"

'What?' It was then that he realized.. The voice was talking to him!

Wait! This was the voice that talked to him last time!

"Do you realize now?! Your sin?!" The voice was filled with malice.

'Sin? You got the wrong person, you ass.'

Khai was starting to lose his patience.

'I've lived for most of my life stranded in a bed, don't accuse me of something I can't do.'

"You dare?! This! Everything! It's all your doing!"

'Ha? Are you pulling my leg?!'

"DIE!"

"ARGHH!"

"FUCK OFF!"

Springing up from the bed, Khai breathed heavily.

Hah, Hah, Hah,

His exhales were heavy and his inhales were as strong.

Exhaustion and anxiety intertwined.

"Are you playing with me?"

After calming down, Khai started to process everthing that happened.

"Why can't I leave you?"

It's the voice! It's always the voice that comes to fuck everything up!

He didn't know what it was nor where it came from! It just suddenly started to invade his mind 5 years ago.

"WHY DO YOU KEEP FOLLOWING ME?"

He thought that it was trauma from his experiences with his father.

But recently, it kept acting up, becoming more active.

And this day was the first time he ever saw anything like what he had seen.

Could a trauma from the past intensify so suddenly?

In the first place, was it really trauma? Or was he just being followed around by a spirit?

"I-" Khai was at a lost for words.

If it was going to keep intensifying, his efforts of starting anew would be nullified.

"Why?" Turbulent emotions started to rise from his chest, so much so that he couldn't stop the droplets of tears that flowed out from his eyes.

"Am I to live in constant fear?"