I knew Damien since we were in High School. The first year, a week after I moved schools, Damien proclaimed his love for me in front of everyone. It was embarrassing to reject him but he became a close friend afterwards. I told him at that time that he didn't even know what love was. His best friend, Akane, knew exactly what it was. She loved Damien, I could see it in her eyes. Eventually I realized that I loved him too. Three years ago I realized I loved Damien but I didn't have the heart to tell him.
Two years ago when the Slates were acting up Damien and Akane and I were crossing the street at night. Akane saw a car coming but only pushed Damien from its path. Him and I were walking side-by-side and next thing I knew I was tumbling over it.
I woke up in increments. When I first opened my eyes my head was in pain. It rang loudly. Damien was standing over me, his face in my face, and he was shouting something at me. Akane was looking at us, barely alive. She smiled at me and nodded. She understood Damien never loved her the same way and…she was okay with it.
When I woke again Damien was kissing me. Probably for good luck. I didn't feel the glass in my back and I didn't feel his kiss. I was dying. When he pulled away I formed my mouth to say the words I couldn't say before. If I said them, then I don't remember.
I woke one more time to see that my heart was giving out before surgery. I heard the monotonous screech and my soul left its body. It was warm, wherever I was headed to. I didn't go very far before I ran into an old friend, Daikokou, the former Gold King. His spirit, he explained, left him only days before then, but he wasn't ready to watch the Immortal King from a place he couldn't reach him.
When my body called back my soul, Daikokou reached out and took my arm and we were sucked into the same being. I was able to draw a line of where he was allowed to enter and so far, he's stayed there.
It shouldn't be possible, but it is. Two souls should never occupy the same house, but it is.
While I was awakening as the Gold King, though, something ominous was happening to Damien. In my coma after surgery Damien discovered he was the Grey King even after the Slates power was quelled. I still don't know what happened to make him go over the edge.
When I woke from my coma I saw the result of the Dresden Slates and swore I would never let chaos reign like that in me or my city. I found out from Damien that Akane died. Neither of us could speak very much after that. We couldn't even look at other people. We only had each other.
A few months after that, we were walking home from work. It had rained that day so we were racing through the streets to see if we could make it home before it rained again but he stopped us when we were alone. Nobody was around to see or hear his silly notion. "We need to use this power while we have it," he proclaimed. "Don't you see, with this power we could bring peace to the world!"
"How could we do that, Damien? We're barely adults." At first what he was saying was interesting.
Damien put his hands on my shoulders. "We could make the world leaders do whatever we want with this power."
"That's borderline ruling the world," I laughed at him. I thought he was joking.
"Then that's what all the Kings should do. We could all rule the world." His grip was tightening and becoming painful. I realized then that he wasn't joking.
"We can't do that. With this power, Damien, we have to use it very sparingly. Only to protect our loved ones." His grip only tightened but his hands shook. Did he think I would have understood? "You're hurting me," my voice was oddly quiet then. The look in his bright green eyes was something darker. Something I didn't want to see. Something evil.
"You just don't see it, yet. The power that has been bestowed on us."
"Do you not remember the chaos that reigned when everybody had this power, Damien? That was chaos and now you wish to bring it back! I don't want that! Forget you're a King. Forget you have a Clan. Don't be apart of the war!"
He shoved me into the mud. It started to rain again that day. "So then you're against me. So be it but I'll make you see. I'll make you join, Golden King. I'll make you rule like a King. You cannot escape the war." The man I once loved is gone, I know that now. I've been running from him since that day. At first it started out as creepy phone calls, which turned into stalking, which as you know has turned into attempted kidnapping.
Yuki stopped her story and watched everyone. She expected to see judgment but never got any of that. Everyone was quiet and their eyes wouldn't meet hers. Yuki was afraid of saying anything herself. They sat in a long and awkward silence.