Breathless Fear
Leila could only hear her heart beating. It echoed in her mind, rendering the other sounds she heard insignificant. A voice was inside her head. His voice. Leila swallowed the scream that was emerging from her throat from what he warned her. "I know you let the modern demons escape. But if those demons you let go destroy the moonstone, you'll turn back into stone. Just like this…" Leila hauntingly remembered when her body had started to turn into stone. Breathless fear had crept into her, and the only thing she was aware of was the gray stone she never wanted to feel again covering her body. She had screamed an inhuman scream, too afraid for tears. Anything but that, Leila thought. Her breathing increased as she remembered all those dark and lonely centuries without her body. Even though I betrayed my own kind, there is nothing that will make me go back. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Leila knew that what the modern demons were doing was right. But nothing would convince her to go back to that place. It was something the demon child never wanted to face again. But I…
Another voice, sweeter, calmer, and trusting, rendered Leila breathless as he spoke. "Leila!" His voice snapped her back into reality. "Please, overcome Zophise's suggestion…and the scars…in your heart!" The human partner known as Kiyomaro stood in front of her. It was as if he was prepared to sacrifice his life to make Leila unafraid. As the others shouted in confusion, Leila stood silently, tears shed anew streaking down his face. It wasn't of sadness, but of admiration. Kiyomaro knew full well he was facing an enemy, but treated her as an ally, a friend, instead. He believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself. She saw with shock that Kiyomaro was crying. He's crying for me… It was as if he was experiencing the same agony she had endured for a thousand years. When he told her that Zophise had lied to her, Leila felt a spark of hope. Was it true? Leila looked at the determination and empathy in Kiyomaro's eyes, and felt her fear disappear for an instant. Kiyomaro…
She felt the coldness spreading across her body. She felt despair and naked fear overcome her. She was wailing inside as her body turned to stone, and her heart was breaking into tiny pieces. But the person who had saved her wasn't Kiyomaro. It was Albert. Tears were streaking down her cheeks too. "Albert…" Leila had wanted her new partner to feel, to be connected to her. And now it was finally happening. All because of you, Kiyomaro. Albert was feeling. Kiyomaro had saved her, and had saved Albert's heart as well as hers. Kiyomaro…
I know what to do now, Leila thought as she led the others to where the Moonstone was. I know what I must do. And…thank you…Kiyomaro…
