Flaming
"There they are" Ashley observed in anticipation as she uses her power to present Shusei in a gravely injured manner. "It's to provoke your partner". She forces Shusei to sleep, completely ignoring his protest.
Ashley turned around in time to see the mansion's magnificent door burst open, revealing a highly anxious and incensed zweilt guardian.
Within seconds, they are locked in a fierce combat. The intense desire for revenge and burning rage channeled through Ashley's veins to the very tip of her perfectly sharp claws that was trying to make a certain zweilt guardian bleed. As she was flinging the zweilt guardian across the hall, she noticed that he was already injured beforehand.
"To save him," Ashley pointed to the slumped image of Shusei, "you intend to sacrifice yourself? Stop this foolishness. He betrayed you and chooses to die alone."
"Don't speak nonsense, there's no way Shusei wanted this"
Ashley's eyes darkened as she saw how Hotsuma was filled with hope and determination for his partner. After causing her intense sorrow and leaving her without a single kin, how dare he appear in front of her with such faith and resolve? How dare him.
"It's pointless. That zweilt will never wake up. I'll just add him as another one of my collection."
"LIVE!" Hotsuma cried out at Shusei.
Ashley had to smile as she saw Hotsuma's desperate pleas. Finally she is causing him real pain. Though this is nothing compared to hers.
"Give up, he's dead."
Ashley turned around just in time to see a sword flashed passed her, striking at the pillars where her hand was a second ago. She whirled around to see Shusei freeing himself and walking towards Hotsuma.
"What's going on?" Ashley gasped.
"Hotsuma are you okay?" Shusei questioned in concerned as he stretches out his hands towards Hotsuma. "Your voice woke me."
Ashley felt strong denial as her mind was unable to take in the scene. Why must she be the one to suffer for his mistake? Why does he have everything she could never have? He is a murderer and she is the victim after all. Why is he still surrounded by loving friends and hope while she have nothing but despair?
"Stay exactly where you are right now." Ashley screeched as Shusei approached her calmly.
" Stop dwelling in the past and move on, revenge is only for sake of the living, not the dead. Your capability of all this arrangement only amplifies your love for your dead brother. Since you are still capable of loving someone, you're not truly an opast yet. To fall into darkness is not because of circumstances, but rather it's your decision."
Ashley is no longer aware of her surroundings. She was feeling numb and lost. It was easier said than done. Looking at the empty spot where her brother should have been, she felt that familiar pang in her heart. He should be around Hotsuma's age by now yet he is not there. It is indeed painful to yearn for something you can never have, except in the case for Ashley, it is more painful than unrequited love. She has still not fully mastered the level of an opast, hence she is incapable of reviving her younger brother. She is incapable of moving on and she knows that better than anyone else in that mansion at the moment. Feeling as though the earth is spinning on a single axis, she let out one final cry, she vanished into thin air as the mansion crumpled into dust.
