The Pact
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…I'm not worth it at all…
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Unknown Person's POV
What's this? You're going to die so easily?
The darkness felt so cold but inviting. There was nothing more than I could wish for that to die. Leaving Auldrant seemed the best option that I have settled for myself.
There was no more reason to live, no more ties to keep. No more friends to look forward to, no more family to keep you from the harsh reality of the world.
It was better to just let go.
And you were the one who always brought a smile in the family…
Family. The word was so foreign. Hardly touched in my mind. It spelled of sorrow and the brethren that had fallen in Akzeriuth. Those people. Father had been there, even big brother Tayle helped out in the mining despite the heavy cloud of miasma that had settled in there.
So many had perished when the land fell down.
We were waiting for them to come back and have dinner with us, remember?
Of course I remember, we had even hunted a bit for dinner. Father would've been proud with how much we had gathered. It was enough to last us a week. We even bought some vegetables from the market so that you could cook some soup.
Yeah, I remember how you always kept nagging me to let you cook the soup.
The voice was so comforting, the warmth in this bleak darkness. I don't know why but I felt a wet trail upon my cheeks, I wanted to wipe it away but my arms were reluctant. They were as heavy as lead, as if they had gone through a strict and thorough exercise that zapped the energy out of me.
It was only now that I felt the heavy toll of exhaustion upon my body.
Sleepy already? It isn't even your bedtime.
I wanted to chuckle at the voice but I felt the stream of hot tears hasten at the joshing tone of the unseen person. I wanted to see the owner of the voice and for what reason, I did not know why.
It's not time for you to sleep yet.
I struggled through the darkness; no source of light was upon them. Not even a shadow to comfort me within this abyss. Then again, what was there to struggle for? My family is gone, they've died both from the fall of Akzeriuth and because of the hands of a certain god-general.
My teeth clenched together and I felt the tears rush down my cheeks. How come they were hot? Was it just my body that was becoming cold? Am I that close to death?
As I've said, it's not your time yet.
I sighed, if that was possible in this vortex and glared at the darkness. I opened my mouth, not a sound came out and then I tried once again. "Ah…" The sound was horse, as if my vocal chords had not been put to use for quite a long time.
So she speaks.
I licked my dry lips and I tried my voice again, "Are you my conscience?"
I'm afraid not.
A chuckle followed the voice and I turned my head to the side, darkness, and then to the other side, more darkness. Was this abyss truly an unending depth of darkness? I tried to move my arm but it was reluctant to my commands. After a few more persuasions, I manage to move my arm. There was something sticky splattered upon my palm and my fingers toyed with it for a while.
I blinked a bit, letting my amethyst eyes try to find something in the pitch black darkness. There really was no escape from the blanket of the night. I pushed myself up, my arms aching at the movement.
Why did my body feel so tired? Where had I expended all my energy? Why was it dark? Am I in hell?
You ask so many questions.
I noticed the voice grew louder and looked around; there was no evidence of any living life form asides from me and if I would still be considered living and if this isn't the world of the dead…yet.
You think of death too fondly.
"Who are you?" I finally had a good sifting through my thoughts. And looked around, the darkness was still intact, nothing was shaken from the question that I casted unto the darkness. Yet as I looked around, a strange source of light came upon my gaze.
I'm what you have lost before.
It was small. Reminiscent of a firefly's flickering light, a soft color of gold as it floated through the darkness. I wanted to run to it and bask my hands in the soft glow that it gave off and yet, as if by my silent invitation it neared towards me.
Slowly if fluttered towards me, not one but now two and then it became three. The firefly that I had thought was on its own was actually a group of small golden butterflies.
Oddly enough, their wings were luminescent, giving off the golden light that I had seen from afar. They fluttered as a cluster towards me, breaking apart when my fingers brushed upon their lead.
They fluttered around me, shedding their light to ward the darkness that the encroaching abyss was setting on me.
It was only their light that made me see my wounds, my grave and fatal wounds. Blood seeped from them, as if they were freshly done. The pooled down me, unto the black soil in thick rivulets.
Panic rose within my being and I turned to the comforting light of the butterflies.
"I'm going to die." I spoke, a fearful tone coming out from my mouth. Trembling overcame my body and I tried to cage a butterfly within my hands but as soon as my fingers closed its freedom, the little creature broke unto shimmering dust.
You're not going to die. It's not your time yet.
"But all this blood!"
If you were to die, you would have already done so a few minutes ago.
He was right. I've been sitting in this abyss for God knows how long and I haven't even been freed by this darkness. I turned to the creatures flying around me, their soft light casting shadows upon my being.
My once pristine white clothes stained in my own blood and the mud that had formed from the rainy weather. My lead heavy hands tried to smoothen out the creases of my clothing but they were of no avail.
My mind then snapped to what he said, what I have lost before? Surely I didn't lose any possession that would then become into an inanimate object. I lifted a heavy and tired hand, hopping that at least one of the fluttering creatures would settle there.
And one did.
If you stay here too long, you might not be able to go back.
A sigh escaped my lips. Why do I have to go back? There were no bonds that would hold me down to that plane. "There's nobody waiting for me there. Everyone I've waited for are gone." I told the mysterious voice.
But everyone that you have waited for wants you to go back.
I stared incredulously at the darkness, everyone?
Now that I think about it, the voice did seem quite familiar and something like, a fragment of my being broke into pieces at the realization of who it was. A lone tear slid down my cheek, brushing the dired path away.
You're crying again.
"It's your fault."
You always tell me it's my fault.
"Well, it is your fault." The butterfly that had settled upon my finger fluttered away and the others did as well. They began to cluster beside me and their bodies seemed to disperse, giving way to a soft golden radiance.
That same radiance took a form.
A body of a boy who was probably around my age with that soft hay blonde hair and amethyst eyes.
And that face.
That same face that mirrored mine.
"Kiel." I spoke in a hoarse voice and tears poured from my sorrowful eyes. He smiled that smile at me and wiped the tears away with his ghostly hands.
"Nothing awaits you on this side, little sis. You still have a long way to go." He spoke, the warmth of his voice making memories of our childhood flood into my mind.
"Kiel~! I caught a fish! Look!" A younger girl of gray hair spoke and beamed at a younger looking Kiel.
"That's only a guppy! Wait until you see this!" He brought out a lake smelt.
"Unfair! You're older so you can fish better!"
How long have those memories been buried deep within me? How long have I shut them out from my thoughts? How long have they haunted me in my dreams?
For a year.
"It's all because of that Asch, all of you died because of him. He shouldn't deserve to live at all!" I cried, my anger making my reasoning quite childish. And Kiel could only chuckle at my antics, "You didn't change at all." His ghostly hand patted my head, a soft weight unto my exhausted body.
Live, little sister. That's all we want for you. You need to live.
I looked at his fading existence, the light that had been from the golden butterflies was dispersing and panic shot through, "No! Don't go yet!"
You hung to the past far too long. It's time to let go. You have to let go.
"But I can't!"
You have to… or else you can never go back.
"But I don't want to go back!"
Live. For as you live, a part of us will continue to live with you. It's the only thing that you can do for us. We live because you remember, we are alive because of the memories you had with us.
"Kiel…"
His smile never faltered even if the darkness slowly ate him.
Promise me, little sister. You need to
"-live." And his fading fingers shut my eyes, releasing me from the depths of the abyss.
End of Unknown Person's POV
"We've tried our very best to save them."
"They've lost so much blood. The only thing we can do to save them is create a pact."
An old wizened pair of gray eyes turned to one of his companions, "A Pact. It's quite risky."
An old lady with graying hair nodded, she fixed her spectacles over the bridge of her nose, "A pact is only allowed if both beings complement each other. One must fill out what the other lacks."
"In their state, they've lost half of their lives."
"Such a misfortunate couple." The old spoke and wiped the lone tear upon her eye.
"But we cannot do a pact without their consent." The old man spoke to the old woman and her shoulders sagged at the fact.
If left like this, despite the numerous medications and the aid that the seventh fonists have done, these two would die in two days time. The only way for them to be saved was to form a pact between them. The older man raked his hands through his hair, feeling the growing stress taking over him.
It was not well, especially for his age to even do a pact. It was truly a risky act since even a slight miscalculation could result to the death of the four of them but then again he needed the consent of both parties to affirm the ritual of a pact.
His gaze settled upon the young pale girl with short gray locks lying upon his late daughter's bed. He would do anything, at any cost to save her. Her skin was so pale that it seemed too analogous with the color of the white bed sheets. His gaze went to the flame haired male who twisted and turned with sweat pouring from his body.
His old aged wife could only wipe the sweat from the young man's wounded body. He never did awake even when they had stitched his wounds shut. His wife's wise blue eyes came into his gaze and he shook his head.
The youth these days would rather throw their lives away at war than start a home to prosper a family. He massaged his temples, his mind creating such taxing thoughts.
"Live…" The young girl whispered and his eyes widened at the single word that came out from her pale lips. He turned to his wife, a spark of joy within his hazel brown eyes. In fact, the miracle of the day was not stopping just yet.
The young flame haired male seemed to awake from his reprieve and gazed at the old couple with confusion and annoyance. "Where am I?"He demanded and the old lady could only smile at him, hopeful and apologetic, "You are in our home. We found you severely wounded and dying."
"We found you with that girl." The old man spoke and the long haired male turned to the bed beside him. There was the girl that assaulted him, she was deathly pale and seemed to be having a hard time clinging to life. He gritted his teeth at the state of the girl.
If she were to die, another blood would paint his hands. Another life lost upon his sword. He grasped his head between his hands, knowing that her life was short-lived and any medication nor healing arte casted could not save her in that state.
Guilt rode through his thoughts. This was the very person that Kiel and Alkyne were trying to save. And he had to be the one responsible of her passing.
"There is one way to save her." The old man's voice cut through his thoughts and the younger male gave the wizened man his full attention.
"You must form a pact." The god-general seemed genuinely surprised at the suggestion but his eyes turned to the young girl and his mind was then bombarded with guilt-ridden thoughts.
"If it is the only means in saving her…then I consent." The young man spoke. There was inexpressible joy upon the old man's eyes and he nodded quite exuberantly.
The still wounded general laid back down, anticipating the start of the ritual for the pact. He may regret this in the future but what was most important was to save the girl. He would not wish another person; let alone a girl be killed by his own hands.
He had vowed and he was not about to let his vow be broken because of her own persistence. His tired emerald green eyes shut as an odd sensation overcame him.
It felt like a part of his soul was ripped out of him and replaced by someone else's.
Before he knew what was truly happening, the unbidden call of sleep came upon his tired body and drove the incessant thoughts of guilt and the tearing of his soul out of his mind.
A/N: So here's another chapter~ 83 Reviews are most appreciated~
Crim: I hope it wasn't too bad. .
Asch: You were supposed to be doing your chores.
Crim: It's two in the morning. And besides there's still tomorow!
Asch: And you vowed to be studying programming for the whole duration of May?
Crim: Err... I will study...soon!
Asch: *sigh*Procrastinating again.
Crim: That's what I do best. 8D
Okay, will shut up now. :x Hope you liked it~