Denise's Love (1/2)

Beatrix POV:

I held the wine glass in my hand and took a sip from it. I got up from my seat and moved towards the window where the moonlight shone through vibrantly. It was a full moon again.

I turned away when the sound of thunderclouds rolling across the sky entered my ears. It was rare for the weather to change so suddenly.

"!"

The glass slipped through my fingers, crashing against the floor. I looked down at the shattered fragments and narrowed my eyes.

"Heok!"

A sharp pain pierced through my chest, forcing me to stumble forward as I struggled to keep my balance. It gnawed at my brain in packs, sending out crippling waves of discomfort and agony. The blood drained away from my face, and I flopped to the floor helplessly.

"M-Milady!"

Nana rushed in after hearing the commotion. My fingers began to spasm, each one trying to go in its own direction. I tried to get to my feet, but that task proved to be monumental alone. Nana bent down in order to assist me when she suddenly gasped.

"Christina!!"

Nana roared, and Christina dashed into the room a few seconds later. Her face went pale when she saw the state I was in.

"Get Maia now!"

Christina nodded her head while wiping the tears away from her eyes. She darted out of the room when I felt a warm liquid roll down the right side of my face.

"Keuk..."

A pained moan escaped my mouth as cold beads of sweat formed on my brow. My throat became parched, while the paleness of my skin almost resembled that of the moonlight.

"Milady... W-What is going on?..."

I looked at Nana's blurry face as blood continued to splash against the floor from my right eye.

"...Resonation."

Nana's eyebrows furrowed at my response. I understood her confusion because we were no longer staying at the Kassmeyer Mansion in Losa; we had moved back to the Kassmeyer Estate in Cosurere, which was located many cities away from Losa.

"H-How?..."

"...He is in pain."

I clenched my teeth as tears streamed out of my left eye. I wished I could support him in person, but... It wasn't my place to do so.

"Nana, you can leave."

"Milady..."

I glanced at Nana, who bowed her head reluctantly. She left the room just as Christina arrived with Maia. She explained the situation to the two of them while they looked at me with pained eyes.

The door closed, and I struggled to one knee. I panted heavily as I sat alone in the darkness. While the link between us was active at this distance, I would take on as much of his pain as possible; that was all I could do for him right now.

***

Denise POV:

I opened my eyes after what felt like a very long sleep. Unfamiliar people cried tears of joy while embracing me, but I didn't know them—I didn't know anyone in this room.

"Denise, are you experiencing any pain anywhere?"

A young woman wearing a long white coat held a clipboard in her hand while questioning me.

"No..."

The muscles around my lips felt heavy and sluggish. A tingly sensation ran across my cheeks as I felt the nerves wriggling about inside. It was uncomfortable.

"Denise, it's me. Triste. Do you remember me?"

A teenage girl with her hair tied in a bun held my hand delicately. From the way she looked at me, it seemed like we were very close friends. I examined her face when a throbbing pain pounded against my head.

"Ngh..."

I winced while shifting my gaze to the other people in the room. I could see the affection in their eyes as they watched me closely.

The pain intensified.

"She needs to rest. All of you should leave for today."

The girl called Triste reluctantly let go of my hand as the small group approached the exit. They looked back at me one last time before closing the door behind them.

"Take it easy. It's important that you rest, and don't try to strain yourself."

I listened to her advice and placed my head back against the pillow. I closed my eyes and returned to the darkness.

***

A few days passed, and my memories gradually returned. The small group of people who were there when my eyes first opened sat around the elevated bed.

"...Triste... Gunnar... Ven..."

My stiff lips spread into a somewhat wide smile as I recalled their names. I looked at their faces one at a time, just like I had been doing every day. The blockade slowly crumbled while memories flooded back into me.

"Ngh..."

I winced in pain as my trembling hand rested against my head. I saw flashes of them being beaten badly in a foggy area. I remembered someone coming to save us; they put their life on the line so that we could live on.

"...I remember."

The pain subsided slightly while the stiffness around my lips vanished. My eyelids felt heavy, and I struggled to stay awake.

"Alright. That's enough for today."

I heard Margaret's voice as I closed my eyes.

"Will she be alright?"

"Denise..."

"Her reaction to seeing the three of you was a lot better than I expected. Initially, I was against the idea, but it seems like she won't be experiencing any relapses from you. She will be in pain for a while, so continue to support her as you have been doing so far."

I fell into a deep slumber.

***

After that day, I returned to a somewhat ordinary lifestyle. I did regular check-ups with Margaret and Holder, whose ability began to return bit by bit.

So many people came up to me, crying and celebrating the fact that I was healthy again. It moved me deeply seeing how far the Organization and District 4 had come.

I made my way to the fifth floor and walked down the hallway. I arrived in front of an empty office as the evening sun peeked through the overcast sky, illuminating the room with a strong orange glow.

"!"

My eyes widened as I saw a shadow of a person sitting down. It was only for a moment, but I saw them crying before fading away. I placed my trembling hand against my throbbing chest.

"..."

I don't know why I came here, but I was glad I did. There was someone important to me, someone so precious that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with them. Blood rushed to my cheeks while I stood on the right side of the open doorway. Tears fell from my chin, splashing against the floor below.

I stayed there for hours, unable to peel my eyes away from the familiar scene. The sound of footsteps approaching entered my ears, and I turned around in a hurry. I had butterflies in my stomach while I waited for whoever it was to reveal themselves.

"Ha... Denise, you shouldn't be here..."

Triste scratched the back of her head as I clicked my tongue inwardly. The butterflies vanished immediately, and I walked towards her.

"...This place is special to me... I can feel it, Triste..."

I saw her eyes shake lightly while she clenched her teeth.

"Maybe... You're mistaken, right? You must of just had a dream. Remember you were in a coma for weeks. Let's stay away from this place, okay?..."

Triste looked at me desperately. I shifted my gaze back to the light shining into the hallway from the office room.

"...I don't think I can do that."

"Yeah... I thought as much..."

Triste let out a helpless sigh and took me to get another check-up later that night, but the results came back fine. She advised me to be careful before leaving me alone in the room.

Time passed by, and I visited the office every day. Each day I went there, the longing feeling in my chest grew intensely. I knew I had repeated this action for a long time, watching over someone, unable to get closer than the doorway that separated the two of us.

But...

I smiled brightly. I smiled because I knew they were special. I knew that things would change soon and that uncrossable bridge between us would disappear.

I lost track of how many days it had been. When I wasn't performing some light duties as a Senior Vice, I was waiting by that doorway.

Tonight was no different. The moonlight shone through the window, splashing against the hallway in various directions. It illuminated my face as I stood there silently.

I turned my head when I noticed someone approaching me with a strange mask on. My lips spread into a thin smile as I beamed at them.

"...Excuse me, is this your office?"

"Yes."

My heartbeat quickened when I heard the sound of his voice. I tried my best to maintain my composure as I looked at him with sad eyes before facing the office again.

"It's strange. I feel like someone very important to me used to sit behind that desk. I would stand here and watch over them from afar, unable to get close to them..."

"..."

We stood there in silence as my eyes refused to leave the office. A few minutes passed by, and I finally felt ready for what was to come.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you..."

I bowed my head and walked past him slowly. My heart throbbed as the distance between us opened up once more. I hurried down the hallway, stopping only once I had reached the stairs connecting the two floors together.

"It's him...!"

I hid my face with my hands while I flushed deeply. Memories poured into my head as the image of him sitting at the desk became crystal clear. The image of him fighting to keep us safe. The sound of him screaming out my name... in pain...

A splitting headache made me recoil as I grabbed the sides of my head. My knees buckled while I struggled to stay upright.

'I'm not... Going to wait... This time...!'

I fought back the pain, forcing it to subside. My breathing soon returned to normal, and I darted down the hallway. I saw his masked face still standing in the middle of the hallway as I walked forward, only stopping once a few meters separated the two of us.

"This is embarrassing... But I forgot to ask for your name..."

My face flushed red as I clasped my hands tightly behind my back. I was so nervous that my eyes darted around, failing to stay in one place for too long.

"...So cute."

"Wha...?"

Blood rushed to my face as I felt steam rise from it. I brought my hands up to try and hide my embarrassed expression.

'That's not fair... Brunaulf...'

I smiled inwardly while I saw how cute his reaction was.

"Sorry..."

"N-no..."

I looked at him shyly while my long eyelashes fluttered. I repressed the urge to bury my head in his chest, to listen to his beating heart.

"Wolf. Call me, Wolf."

My lips spread into a wide smile while I chuckled inwardly. I bowed my head again as I continued my act.

"I-It's nice to meet you, and sorry...!"

I blushed and dashed away quickly. Step one was complete.

***

I met Brunaulf outside of his office for the next few days. Each time we spoke, I could feel his confidence growing. I wanted to remove his mask, but I knew I couldn't.

I would always cut the conversation short, having no choice but to run away in order to not let him see the pain I was battling through. Sometimes I could forcibly ignore it, allowing me to spend more time with him; other times, it was impossible for me to return.

'It's painful.'

I stood by the doorway while clasping my hands behind my back. I dipped my head slightly once I saw Brunaulf stop a few meters in front of me.

"How are you feeling?"

I smiled, as he never failed to ask me this question every night. He was concerned about my condition, and I hoped he hadn't noticed anything yet.

'You're so sweet.'

"I'm fine, and you?"

My face flushed while I avoided making eye contact with him. I wanted us to be closer, but somewhere deep inside myself, I knew that maybe this was as close as we could be—I rejected it. I just needed to be patient, to take it slow.

"I'm good. It's always nice seeing your face after a long day of hard work."

My pupils dilated as my hands instantly rose to cover my flushing face. I couldn't look at him, my eyes darting around while I occasionally glanced at him.

'You're amazing.'

The butterflies in my stomach danced around. I felt the distance between us closing. Our hearts were calling out to each other.

"...You don't need to be so nice to me."

I shifted my gaze to the empty office. I saw Brunaulf with his head in his hands as he cried. Dozens of letters were stacked up high on either side of the desk.

"...You're crying."

"..Huh? Oh... I am?... How strange..."

I wiped my eyes in a hurry, unable to look away from his sobbing shoulders. It hurt seeing him like that, but that was in the past. I wanted to walk by his side and support him properly this time.

"...Was that person really that important to you?"

I turned my attention towards him. I bit my lip while nodding my head. I raised my clasped hands above my chest.

'Of course, you are...'

"They were. I think... I know I loved them deeply..."

I tilted my head down slightly while looking up at him with large eyes. I fantasized about all the things we would do together as a couple, as lovers.

'Can't you feel it? Can't you feel how much I love you?'

"You should forget about them. It will only hurt you more to hold on like this."

My eyebrows curved inwards as I glared at him. I understood what he was trying to do, but I didn't like it—I didn't like it at all. My hands balled into fists that shook with rage. I took a step forward, standing in the middle of the doorway.

"...H-How could you say such a thing?!... Forget them? Then what about these feelings in my heart?! This is the proof that they existed and that I love him!"

'Don't say that! Don't you know how much I want to be with you?!'

Agony laced my raised voice with an indescribable feeling of sorrow. Tears pooled in the corners of my large eyes as the air grew increasingly tense between us.

"You don't need him."

'Stop it!'

My mouth fell open, and my heart began to fragment. I looked at him... I looked at who he wanted me to see.

'You don't need to do this...! I won't let you!'

I gritted my teeth as my eyebrows quivered intensely.

"...You're cruel. I didn't think you were this kind of person."

'Please wake up, Brunaulf...'

I dashed past him, unable to stop the tears from gushing out of my eyes. The gap between us opened up once more as I sprinted down the hallway.

'!'

A sudden pain shot through my head like a bolt of lightning. I collapsed to the ground, crashing down the stairs till my head hit the bottom floor. I stared at my quaking hands as a red filter fell over the right side of my vision.

'!!'

The sound of footsteps heading toward my direction forced me to move quickly. I wiped the blood away as best as I could while trying to calm myself down.

"Denise...? You don't look too good."

I lifted my head up and saw a teenage girl with tanned skin and curly black hair. It was Sonia.

She looked down at me with concerned eyes and helped me to my feet, seemingly understanding what the cause of my current condition was.

"...I'll take you to Holder, okay?"

"Thank...You..."

I could tell I was running out of time.