RUSTLE RUSTLE
Darkness wrapped around the bedroom in thick layers, with only a sliver of moonlight managing to slip through the gap in the curtains. The faint glow barely touched the edges of the furniture, leaving most of the room drowning in shadows that seemed to breathe with the night.
Sasha rolled across the bed for what felt like the hundredth time, her body twisting uncomfortably against the sheets that had somehow become her enemy tonight. Sleep refused to come. Every time her eyes drifted shut, they snapped open again within seconds, scanning the surrounding darkness with an urgency she couldn't explain or maybe don't want to explain. Her mind raced through a maze of dreadful thoughts, each one darker than the last, while one of her hands remained pressed firmly against her crotch beneath the blanket. The pressure brought a strange sense of security, though she felt something was lacking.
TSK!
Even though exhaustion weighed down every muscle in her body, sleep remained a distant dream mocking her from somewhere she couldn't reach. Sasha grumbled into the silence of her room, frustration bubbling up from deep in her chest.
"IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT! HUMPH!"
Her voice came out loud in the night silence, filled with an annoyance that battled against the worry gnawing at her insides. She sat up abruptly, pushing herself off the mattress with both hands.
"Always getting injured... I have to continuously heal them again and again! GRR!!"
The memory of their wounds flashed through her mind. The desperate energy she'd poured into mending what battle had broken. Her hands still tingled from the residual power that had flowed through them for hours upon hours without rest.
But then another thought crept in, softer and laced with concern that cut through her irritation.
"But... are they fine now?"
Her voice dropped lower as she spoke to the empty room. The anger drained away, replaced by the familiar ache of worry that had become her constant companion whenever those she cared about put themselves in danger.
"Maybe I should check on them again?"
Sasha swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor. The chill shot up through her body, momentarily shocking her senses awake. She stood up, determined to check on them despite the late hour.
But her knees buckled immediately.
The world tilted sideways as her exhausted body betrayed her resolve, sending her tumbling back onto the bed with an ungraceful thump. She lay there for a moment, breathing hard, feeling the weakness in her limbs that spoke of days spent pushing herself far beyond her limits.
"Let's not disturb them now..."
She muttered the words to herself, trying to sound reasonable even as guilt twisted in her stomach. They needed rest. She needed rest. Morning would come soon enough.
"I'll check on them in the morning... Sleep, Sasha, sleep!"
With trembling arms, she pulled the blanket up over her body, drawing it higher and higher until it covered her completely. The fabric formed a cocoon around her, blocking out even that thin slice of moonlight. In the darkness beneath the blanket, wrapped in her own warmth, Sasha's racing thoughts finally began to slow. Her breathing deepened. The tension in her muscles gradually released its grip.
Slowly, impossibly, sleep began to creep in through the cracks of her consciousness, pulling her down into its depths.
But then...
HUH?
Sasha's eyes shot open.
Something was wrong.
Her body refused to move. No matter how hard she commanded her fingers to flex, her legs to shift, her arms to push... nothing responded. It was as if her entire being had been frozen in place, trapped in a prison of her own flesh. Panic exploded in her chest when she realized the blanket was no longer covering her body. The fabric had vanished, leaving her exposed to the cold air that now seemed to crawl across her skin.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHY CAN'T I MOVE!!
The scream built up inside her mind, terrified for this strange sensation, she wanted to scream but her throat remained locked. Her voice was a prisoner alongside the rest of her. She tried again, straining with every ounce of willpower she possessed, trying to force even a single finger to twitch....But... Nothing!!! Her body had become a tomb, and she was buried alive inside it.
Kekekekek!!! I LIKE HER!
A laughter slithered into her ears like poison. It was a laughter filled with dreadful evilness. The sound held no human warmth, no natural rhythm. It scraped against her consciousness-like nails on stone, each syllable dripping with a hunger that made her soul recoil.
HUH?
Through eyes that were the only part of her still under her control, Sasha looked up.
A figure loomed above her.
The shape was completely black, as if someone had cut a person out of reality itself and left only a void in the form of a man. No features. No texture. Just darkness pressed into a human silhouette. But the eyes... those eyes burned with an otherworldly blue fire that seemed to pierce straight through her skin and into the terrified core of her being. They didn't blink. They didn't waver. They simply stared down at her with an intensity that spoke of intentions too horrifying to name.
NOOO!!! MOVE, MOVE!!! HELP ME!!!
Sasha screamed with everything she had, pouring every fragment of her terror into the cry. The words roared through her mind with such force she was certain they would shatter windows, wake the entire building, bring someone... anyone... running to save her.
But no sound emerged.
Her lips didn't move. Her throat didn't vibrate. The scream existed only in the prison of her own head, bouncing off the walls of her skull with nowhere to escape. Hot fearful tears began forming in the corners of her eyes.
The black figure shifted, its movements unnaturally smooth. It moved and sat down directly on top of her, the weight pressing against her abdomen. She couldn't feel it the way she should. There was no warmth, no true pressure. Just a wrongness that made her skin crawl with revulsion.
Then, in a single horrifying instant, she felt her clothes vanish.
They didn't tear. They didn't slide off. They simply ceased to exist, leaving her completely naked and vulnerable beneath this thing that wore the shape of a person but held nothing human inside it.
Kekekekke!
The figure glanced back over its shoulder, and though it had no visible mouth, she could see the gesture of it licking its fingers. The movement was slow, savoring something she for sure didn't want to understand. Those ghostly blue eyes flickered with a delight that turned her blood to ice.
NOOO!!! ZACK!! HELP ME!!! NO!!
SLLLPPPPPP SCHULLPPHH SSCCCHHUULLPPPCCHHH SCHULPCHHH SCHULPCCHHHHH
The wet obscene sounds invaded her awareness. She felt something cold touching her pussy, moving against her skin in ways that made her want to claw her way out of her own body. Her mind recoiled, trying to escape to somewhere, anywhere else, but there was nowhere to go. She was trapped. Paralyzed. Helpless.
Kekekekke!
NOOO!! DON'T TOUCH ME!!!! WAAAHHHHHH!!! GO AWAYYY!!!!
She tried to move her legs. Tried with every scrap of willpower, every desperate prayer, every fragment of strength left in her being. Her mind pushed against the invisible chains holding her body prisoner, straining until she thought something inside her might break from the effort.
Nothing moved except for the sensation of that cold hand sliding deeper inside her body, violating her in ways that made her soul scream.
GO AWAAYY!! NOO!!!!
AAAHHHH!!
HUFFF HUFFF HUFFF!
Sasha jerked upright, her body finally obeying her commands with such sudden force that she nearly fell off the bed. Her leg kicked out violently, striking nothing but empty air. She gasped for breath, her lungs burning as if she'd been drowning and had just broken the surface. Sweat drenched every inch of her skin, making her pajamas cling to her body like a second layer of cold, clammy flesh.
Her eyes darted around the room wildly, searching every shadow for that black figure with the burning blue eyes.
Empty…..
The room was completely empty.
Just her. Just the darkness. Just the pounding of her heart that felt like it might burst through her ribs.
AGHH!!
A sob tore from her throat. Her face crumpled as the tears she'd been unable to shed during the nightmare came flooding out all at once.
SNIIFF SNIFFF SOOBBBB!!
She pulled her legs up close to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in an attempt to make herself small, to protect herself from threats that were no longer there but still felt horrifyingly real. Her head dropped down onto her knees as her entire body shook with the force of her crying. The blanket was still there after all, and she yanked it around herself with trembling hands, cocooning herself in its warmth even though it did nothing to chase away the cold terror that had seeped into her bones.
She cried softly, trying to keep the sound contained, not wanting anyone to hear how completely the nightmare had shattered her composure.
TAAK TAAAK!
The knock on her door made her freeze instantly, her breath catching in her throat.
"Big Sister Nat, are you awake?"
Zack's gentle concerned voice filtered through the door. After hearing the voice her head came up automatically, and despite everything... despite the tears still streaming down her face, despite the terror still thrumming through her veins... a bright smile bloomed across her features. The expression came without conscious thought, a subconscious response to hearing the voice of someone who made her feel safe.
She wiped frantically at her tears, trying to clean her face, trying to compose herself before opening the door. Her feet carried her across the room in a rush, and when she pulled the door open, there he stood...
Zack looked at her with those warm eyes that always seemed to see right through her walls, straight to the truth underneath.
ZACCK!!! MY BABY!!
All pretense of composure shattered.
Sasha threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his body with strength as she buried her face against his shoulder. The tears came again, harder this time, her earlier cleaning rendered completely useless. She clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world that had turned liquid and uncertain.
WWAHHHH, ZACKKK, I WAS REALLY SCARED!! I HAD A SCARY DREAM AND I COULDN'T MOVE MY BODY!! WAAAHHHHHH, ZACKKK! I'M SO TIRED!! MMMMMNNNN
SNIFFF SNIFFF
The words tumbled out between sobs, barely coherent, muffled against the fabric of his shirt. She kept crying, pouring out all the fear and exhaustion that had been building up inside her. Her fingers gripped his shirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white, as if letting go might mean falling back into that nightmare prison.
Zack didn't say anything. He simply held her, his arms strong and steady around her trembling form. His warmth seeped into her cold skin, chasing away the lingering chill of the nightmare. Slowly, gently, he guided her back into the room, managing to close the door behind them with her weight against him. He led her to the bed, his careful movements were making sure she didn't find any discomfort, he eased her down onto the mattress.
Sasha lay there quietly, still clutching his hand with both of hers as if it were a lifeline. The tears continued to fall, though slower now, the storm beginning to pass. Her breathing gradually evened out as his presence worked its familiar magic, making the terror feel more distant with each passing moment.
Time moved differently in the safety of his company. Minutes could have been hours. Sasha didn't know and didn't care.
After a while, when the worst of her crying had subsided into occasional hiccups and sniffles, Zack smiled down at her. He reached out with his free hand and touched her sweat-drenched forehead, his fingers cool and gentle against her overheated skin.
"I am kid, or are you a kid?"
His teasing tone held nothing but affection, wrapping around her like another layer of comfort.
"Shut up! Humph!"
Sasha's response came out with a hint of her usual spirit returning, though her voice was still thick with tears. She pouted at him, her lower lip pushing out in an exaggerated expression of indignation.
"It's all your fault, making me work so hard! I was busy with my research and suddenly everyone got hurt! I didn't have proper rest in days!!"
She grumbled the words cutely, some of her normal personality seeping back in now that she felt safe. The presence of Zack beside her worked better than any medicine, slowly easing the tension that had coiled itself around her heart.
"Yes, yes, it's our fault."
Zack's agreement came easily, his tone full of understanding. He shifted his position on the bed, getting more comfortable.
"Why not let this handsome brother of yours massage your body to take away all the tiredness?"
Without waiting for an answer, he gently wiped the remaining sweat from her face with careful tender touches. Then his hands moved to her legs, beginning to massage the tense muscles with practiced skill. His fingers worked their way along her calves, then up to her thighs, kneading away the knots of stress that had built up from days of overwork. He moved to her arms next, then to her back and shoulders, finding every spot where exhaustion had carved itself into her body and coaxing it to release.
Sasha melted under his ministrations, her entire being relaxing in ways she hadn't been able to achieve for what felt like forever. The nightmare began to fade into the background of her mind, becoming less real with each passing moment. Her muscles gradually surrendered their tension, turning soft and pliant beneath his hands. She felt herself getting fully calmed down, the chaos inside her head finally quieting to a manageable whisper.
Then, as the peace settled more firmly, embarrassment crept in.
The realization of how she'd just acted crashed over her like a wave. She'd cried like a child in front of her little brother. She'd sobbed and clung and fallen apart completely. Heat rushed to her cheeks, turning them pink, and making her seem more beautiful.
"Ahmm..."
She cleared her throat, trying to regain some semblance of her usual composure. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she decided the best defense was a good offense.
"Why are you here, leaving behind your beautiful ladies on the first night?"
Her tone turned playful, teasing, as she poked his sides with her fingers. The gesture was light and mischievous, so completely different from the terrified woman who had been sobbing moments ago that it might have seemed like two different people.
Zack trembled slightly at the poking sensation, the ticklish feeling making him squirm even as he continued massaging her arms. His expression shifted, becoming a mixture of amusement and slight embarrassment.
"Ha ha ha, don't worry, I already told them I would be taking care of my beautiful big sister since she's been working so hard today."
The smile he gave her was sweet, genuine, full of the kind of care that made her heart squeeze in a way that had nothing to do with fear.
"Ara, such a good boy."
Sasha's giggle bubbled up, fully bright and happy now. The sound filled the room with a lightness that pushed away the last shadows of her nightmare.
"And here I thought you ran away from their combined attacks."
Zack looked away for just a moment, his embarrassment becoming more visible. A faint blush colored his cheeks, and Sasha caught it immediately, her grin widening.
"Ahmm..."
He cleared his throat, his voice dropping slightly.
"They're also very tired, so they're sleeping like logs."
"What about you? Are you not tired?"
"I'm fine."
"Heeehhhhhhhh, always acting so strong."
Sasha's tone mixed exasperation with fondness, the combination creating something uniquely hers.
"If you're fine, then massage my head. It's hurting like hell!"
"Hehhe, sure, sure."
Zack's agreement came with easy laughter as he shifted his position again. His hands moved to her head, fingers threading through her hair to find her scalp. He began massaging with gentle circular motions, applying just the right amount of pressure to ease the pounding ache that had taken up residence behind her temples.
"Aaah, nice, nice..."
Sasha's voice came out in a satisfied sigh, her eyes drifting closed as pleasure replaced the lingering traces of pain. For several long moments, there was only the quiet comfort of his hands working their magic, the peaceful silence of the night wrapping around them both.
Then Zack spoke again, his voice softer now, carrying a weight that made it clear he was about to say something important.
"Hmmm... Big Sister?"
"What?"
"Thank you for everything."
The words settled between them, simple but heavy with meaning. Sasha opened her eyes, looking up at him with an expression that shifted from surprised to tender in the span of a heartbeat.
"Just live a good and healthy life, then this mother of yours will be satisfied."
"Yes, I will."
"Hmm, good..."
Another pause stretched out, this one feeling different somehow. Sasha's mind turned to things she'd been wondering about, questions she'd been wanting to ask.
"Did you accept those two girls on a whim?"
"No, I do truly love them...But I don't know if I match up to them with regards to their love for me."
"It's okay, you don't have to...You're partners, not competitors."
"I guess so..."
"What about Nat? Did you speak your feelings this time?"
"Yes, I did!"
"Hehe, good job."
"What good job? I'm feeling very bad to make her cry so much."
"You're way too kind-hearted."
"And who made me like this?"
"Of course, this beautiful mother of yours!"
"Then it's your fault!"
"GAH! Fine, fine! I'll take the credit!"
"Big Sister?"
"Hmmm?"
"I'm getting a little overwhelmed by all the changes happening to me."
Sasha looked at him properly then, and saw the slight awkward smile trying to mask the confusion and uncertainty underneath. Her heart clenched with protective affection. Without a word, she stopped him from massaging and pulled him down to lie beside her on the bed. She positioned him carefully, placing his face on top of her large breast swell.
Since she wasn't wearing any bra inside her soft pajama top, Zack could fully feel the softness of her flesh beneath the thin fabric. The sensation was comforting in a primal way, taking him back to memories of safety and unconditional care. He slowly relaxed against her, breathing in her usual calming scent. The familiar smell wrapped around his senses like a lullaby made physical. Her warm hug enveloped him completely, creating a cocoon of safety that pushed away the overwhelming feelings that had been building inside him.
"Everything is going to be okay."
Sasha's voice was soft but certain, carrying a confidence that seemed to seep into him through the places where their bodies touched. She snuggled him deeper into her embrace, her arms tightening around him protectively.
"Hmmm, everything is going to be okay."
Zack nodded against her chest, his agreement muffled but sincere. His hand moved almost unconsciously, coming to rest on top of her crotch area over the pajama shorts she was wearing beneath the blanket.
"Zack?"
"hmmm"
"Are you really okay"
Sigghhhh…..
"Not really"
Zack snuggled more to Sasha embrace and spoke slowly
"Truthfully I barely stop myself today… If not…. then I don't even know what I have done with Jane and Nat…My body…..My body don't feel like mine anymore…..I thought that I was getting better in controlling my emotions but it seep through the cracks without me realizing and …"
Siighhhh...
"And then you act weirdly, get violent and want to have sex or want to beat the shit out of someone?"
COUGH COUGH
"Yes…" Zack got red in embarrassment and removed his hand from Sasha crotch and just hugged her by her waist, feeling a bit awkward.
"No need to feel weird, it's just coping mechanism even a normal person has….Does your head still hurts?" Sasha smiled sweetly and kept patting his back to ease his emotions
"Yes it hurts occasionally"
"You suddenly got very powerful during that state….can you consciously gather that power"
"I don't think so…but I feel like I have gotten stronger"
"hmmm…don't hesistate to tell me if you feel pain okay?"
"Yes Big sister"
"Good boy… I will talk to those girls… Nat already knows so I will explain properly to the other two….don't worry we all are with you"
"Thank you"
"No need just make sure to not absorb those weird energies"
"HA HA HA …. I will try my best"
Geezzzz hehe
They both talked slowly for a while then their eyes started to get heavy, and almost instantly, sleep began creeping in with surprising speed when they close their eyes.
The exhaustion they'd both been fighting suddenly felt manageable now that they had each other's warmth. Their words started coming slower and slower, the sentences stretching out as consciousness began slipping away.
"Zack?"
"Hmm?"
"Want me to get naked?"
"... No, this is fine."
"Tsk! Softie.....Where did my little kid go who asked his sister to get naked?"
"He's already healed, so no need."
"So, you used my body..."
"That's not a good way to say it."
"Hehe, but no woman in your life can compare to me!"
"Hmm, yes, Big Sister is the best!"
"Yep, I am!"
...
"Big Sister?"
"Hmm?"
"You're the best big sister and mother in the whole world!! I love you!"
"Hehe, I love you too, little one!"
Sasha's response was equally heartfelt, her smile evident even in her voice.
They both smiled sweetly in the darkness, their expressions peaceful as they drifted together into deep sleep. The night grew deeper around them, but inside this room, wrapped in each other's warmth, there were no nightmares. No restlessness. No fear. Only pure peace of mind settled in both Sasha and Zack's consciousness. The terror that had gripped Sasha earlier dissolved completely, replaced by the simple comfort of being held by someone who would always protect her, just as she would always protect him.
Their breathing synchronized, as they surrendered to the rest, they both desperately needed.
.
.
.
Across the city, in a different bedroom, a very different scene was unfolding.
Aghh... Huff, huff, huff...
The laboured breathing filled the small room, each gasp sounding like it required tremendous effort. A frail woman lay in the bed, her chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm that spoke of lungs struggling to do their basic job.
"Daughter, are you sure you want to go with them?"
A mother's voice cracked with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she stood beside the bed. Her hands twisted together anxiously, wringing themselves with worry. She looked down at her daughter with eyes that held nothing but desperate fear.
COUGH, COUGH
The frail woman's body convulsed with the force of her coughing, her entire frame shaking before she managed to regain some control. She forced her best smile onto her pale lips, trying to ease the worry she saw consuming her mother's face.
"Yes, Mother... AGH! It's fine."
The words came out strained, each syllable requiring conscious effort to produce.
"But! There were many who didn't come back!"
A father stepped forward from where he'd been standing in the shadows, his arm wrapping around his wife's shoulders for support. His face was lined with stress, his eyes red from tears he'd been trying not to shed. He looked down at his daughter with an expression that mixed love with bone-deep terror.
"What if you...!"
He couldn't finish the sentence, couldn't give voice to the fear that had been eating him alive for days now.
"It's okay! Huff, huff!"
The frail woman's voice strengthened just slightly, determination pushing through the weakness that tried to pull her under. She looked at both her parents, trying to project a confidence she wasn't entirely sure she felt.
"There are a few who came back healthy, right? Hehe, don't worry, I'll be fine."
COUGGH, COUGGHHH!
Her assurance dissolved into another coughing fit, her body betraying her attempt at optimism. Blood flecked her lips, tiny drops that she quickly tried to wipe away before her parents could see.
"Why don't you listen to your boyfriend's advice to talk to that Zack guy?"
The mother's voice took on a pleading quality as she looked toward the other side of the bed. A young man sat there quietly, so still he almost seemed like part of the furniture. His face showed no tears, no outward display of emotion, but the rigid set of his shoulders spoke volumes about the turmoil churning inside him.
"Mother, please!"
The frail woman's voice cracked with a mixture of embarrassment and pain. She looked at her mother with an expression that begged her to drop this subject.
"Uncle, Aunty, please rest. It's already midnight."
The boyfriend finally spoke, his voice carefully controlled, each word measured. He hadn't shed a single tear throughout this entire conversation, maintaining an iron grip on his composure.
"I'll take care of her."
The parents exchanged glances, the weight of exhaustion and worry making their movements slow. After a long moment, they nodded reluctantly and made their way out of the room, leaving the young couple alone in the dim light cast by a single lamp on the bedside table.
The door clicked shut.
Silence descended, broken only by the frail woman's labored breathing.
She smiled despite everything, the expression fragile but genuine....She reached out with trembling fingers to grab his hand. Her grip was weak, barely any pressure at all, but she squeezed with what remained of her strength.
"Are you angry?"
"What do you think?"
"I told you..."
COUGH
"He probably doesn't remember us. It's been years since our class changed. And truthfully, I don't want to beg for money from Zack."
"You don't want to beg???.... You think he won't remember us?"
The boyfriend's voice rose slightly, the careful control beginning to crack. He turned to look at her finally, his eyes blazing with emotions he'd been holding back.
"NO!! YOUR EGO WILL GET HURT IF YOU MEET YOUR CRUSH! HE REJECTED YOU WITHOUT BATTING AN EYE AND YOU PROUDLY PROMISED YOURSELF TO LIVE A HAPPIER LIFE THAN HIM, BUT HERE YOU ARE!....."
His voice broke on the last words, the anger dissolving into something far more painful.
"With an incompetent man who can't even save you!"
Tears filled his eyes finally, the dam breaking as he cursed himself. The words were directed at her, but the true target was obvious. He hated himself for being weak, for being poor, for being powerless to help the woman he loved when she needed him most.
"Hey, why are you talking about things that don't matter anymore?"
The frail woman's voice held gentle reproach rather than anger. She tried to sit up slightly, wanting to meet his eyes properly.
"And don't you dare curse my dashing boyfriend."
Despite her condition, despite the pain wracking her body, she smiled at him with affection. To her, his worth had nothing to do with money or power.
"If it doesn't matter anymore, then let me go to him and ask for his help!"
The boyfriend stood abruptly, the anger in his mind made his movements sharp. His chair scraped against the floor with a harsh sound.
"He and Princess are very close. I'm sure he could help us!"
He moved toward the door, determination in every line of his body. But before he could take more than a step, a weak hand grabbed his sleeve.
"NO, I TOLD YOU I DON'T NEED HIS HELP!!!!!"
The frail woman spoke with as much force as she could muster, her voice rising despite the strain it put on her damaged lungs. She pulled at his sleeve with surprising strength, trying to stop him from leaving.
"YOU AND YOUR EGO WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE!!"
The boyfriend's shout filled the small room, bouncing off the walls.
"Aren't I going with them? I'll be fine."
"You want to go with them? With those filthy people?"
His voice dripped with disgust and terror combined.
"Who in this rock, is not aware of them killing people in name of saving! And those who got to live don't even remember what the fuck happened to them!! I can't let you go!"
The fear in his words painted a picture of the true horror they were facing. Whatever this treatment was, it came with a terrible cost.
"There's still a chance to live, right? So it will be fine."
She tried to sound optimistic, but even she could hear how hollow the words rang.
"SHUT UP!! IF YOU WANT A CHANCE, THEN TAKE A CHANCE WITH ZACK!!"
"I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIS FACE!!"
Her shout erupted from deep inside, fuelled by pride, pain and stubbornness.
"WHY?? BECAUSE YOU STILL LOVE HIM, RIGHT?"
"TSK! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU I DON'T LOVE HIM ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!"
"THEN JUST LET ME ASK HIM!"
"I DON'T WANNTTT MYYY BOYFRIENDD TOO BEGGGG IN FRONTTT OF HIMMM!!!"
Her voice cracked completely.
"CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!! I SHOUTED SO PROUDLY THAT I WOULD FIND A BETTER MAN THAN HIM FOR MYSELF, AND I FOUND YOU!! IF YOU BEG, THEN, THEN..."
She couldn't finish, the words dissolving into chaos.
"JUST DON'T GO!!"
COUGGH, COUGGHHH, AGGHHHHH!! AAA!!
The coughing fit that seized her was violent, her entire body convulsing with such force that it looked like something was trying to tear her apart from the inside. Each cough shook her frame, sending waves of agony through every nerve. The boyfriend immediately dropped to his knees beside the bed, his anger forgotten in the face of her obvious suffering.
"Easy, easy..."
His hands moved to support her, helping her sit up slightly so the coughing wouldn't choke her. He held her gently, all the fight draining out of him as he focused solely on calming her down, on helping her breathe.
HUFF, HUFF
The coughing finally subsided, leaving her gasping like someone who'd nearly drowned. Her face had gone even paler, and sweat beaded on her forehead despite the coolness of the room.
"I'm sorry for being useless!"
The boyfriend's voice broke completely as tears began streaming down his face. The words came out choked, barely comprehensible through his sobbing.
The frail woman raised her weak hand with tremendous effort, each movement costing her energy she didn't have to spare. She placed her palm gently against his cheek, her touch feather-light but infinitely tender. Her fingers moved slowly, wiping away the tears that continued to fall.
"No, I'm sorry for being so stubborn."
Her voice was barely reaching his ears, all her strength depleted.
"But you are my life, and I can't see you bowing to someone else. Especially to a man who didn't give me a single look. I'm sorry."
Her own eyes filled with tears that spilled over, tracking down her hollow cheeks. The sorrow in her expression went deeper than just her illness. It spoke of old wounds, of pride that had become a cage of love that tangled with regret in ways too complicated to unravel.
The boyfriend leaned down and kissed her dry, cracked lips with infinite gentleness. The kiss was soft and brief, a promise rather than a passion. When he pulled back, he carefully helped her lie down again, arranging the pillows to support her fragile body. He sat back down in his chair beside the bed, watching her tired face as her eyes slowly closed.
For a long while, he simply sat there in silence, his gaze never leaving her pale features. His mind churned through a thousand thoughts, weighing options, calculating risks, fighting with himself over what was right and what was necessary.
Finally, in the deep quiet of the night, he muttered softly to himself. The words were meant for his ears alone, a vow spoken into the darkness.
"STUPID GIRL... I WILL SAVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!.... EVEN IF YOU HATE ME OR LEAVE ME, I DON'T CARE. I WILL SAVE YOU FOR SURE, EVEN IF I HAVE TO BEG IN FRONT OF HIM!!!"
His jaw set with determination, the decision made. His pride meant nothing compared to her life. Her ego would have to survive the blow. Tomorrow, he would find Zack. Tomorrow, he would beg if that's what it took. Tomorrow, he would do whatever necessary to free her from the pain of Overdose Energy.
But tonight, he would sit here and watch over her sleep, memorizing every detail of her face just in case his plan failed and these quiet moments were all they had left.....
The boyfriend kept looking at her for hours, slowly the night deepens, and the more he looked the more he started frowning hard…
TSK!
He stood up slowly, then he came and stood beside the bed and bend down to kiss her forehead and slowly grazed her soft frail face. He didn't do anything just kept looking at her for a long time up close, appreciating her beauty, he even didn't look away even if his eyes hurts.....
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
"I am the best, I am the best, I am the best"
"I like myself, I like myself, I like myself"
"I have won, I have won, I have won"
...Keep saying this in your mind....Overwrite your thoughts......
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