Blood.
There was blood everywhere.
Subaru was kneeling on the grass, puking his guts out. Mutilated bodies were strewn in front of him, eyes wide open filled with horror and despair.
He clutched at his head, yanking and pulling on his dark locks, biting his lip until he drew blood. Normally, if this happened, his contracted spirit would have hopped over to him and instantly healed his lip. But she couldn't. Because she was dead.
The Witch Cult had attacked Arlam Village again. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. Villagers were tossed about in a macabre display, their intestines and organs spilling out of their freshly sliced bellies.
His friends had defended to the best of their abilities, but even they weren't safe. Subaru stood up on his legs, before his knees wobbled and he collapsed back onto the ground. His eyes caught sight of two maids. One with blue hair and the other with pink. They were laying side by side, their bodies covered with cuts and slices. Blood painting the grass beneath them. Subaru let out a strangled cry. He tried to crawl towards them, only for someone to grab his leg.
"Natsuki-san…" a voice garbled. Subaru's eyes widened. He turned to face his friend Otto, crawling over to him with only his top torso intact.
Blood seeped from his mouth. The man was losing consciousness. "Why didn't…you save them?" he gasped.
His head slowly lowered on the ground, and he was forever still.
Subaru's hands went to his face, scratching and peeling at his flesh. "No," he protested. "No!"
"It's not my fault! I'm not to blame! I didn't do any of this!" he cried. He curled into a ball, weeping and sobbing. "Please…"
Suddenly, he heard grunting and growling. Lifting his head up, Subaru saw a blonde boy, Garfiel, still fighting. He tore threw the cultists in his way, ripping them to shreds and pulverizing them into a bloody pulp.
A faint glimmer of hope shined in Subaru's eyes, even though he knew deep inside it was a hopeless battle.
As that brief thought fluttered within Subaru's mind, Garfiel's body suddenly lifted. His arms and legs dangled in the air.
And then they twisted.
Subaru could only look in shock as the boy screamed while his arms and legs were broken. Bones shattering and splintering, sickening snaps sounding out in the night. Fire illuminated the demi-human's body as he writhed in agony, before his neck was twisted back, and he slumped to the ground.
Subaru rolled on the ground, wailing. It was hopeless. Everything was hopeless.
"Subaru!" a shrill cry sounded. Momentarily pulled from his insanity, Subaru looked up to see a cultist with a knife at a young girl's neck.
"P-Petra!'' he shouted, hoarse and rough. He tried to run to her, but his calves were impaled by two incoming daggers. He fell onto the ground, to look into the tearful, sobbing eyes of the girl mere inches in front of him.
"Please…Save me!"
Subaru tried to stand up again, only to be met with the cultist plungeing the knife into the girl's throat, letting her bleed out.
Her body twitched, the last essence of life slowly leaving her. Gurgling noises came from the back of her throat, and she convulsed as broken sobs escaped her, before finally making no movement at all.
"Bastard!" Subaru screamed in rage. "I'll kill you! I'll kill—"
"Ahhh…It seems you have failed in the one task that was requested of you. How slothful…"
Subaru froze. His blood ran cold, and his heartbeat wouldn't slow down. "No…No…It can't be!" he howled.
He turned his head, seeing a sickly green face smiling down at him, eyes bulging and gums cracked and rotten.
"You're dead! Dead! I killed you! I killed you!" Subaru shouted. He began to scream and convulse, spouting nonsensical words and unintelligible gibberish.
"Now what is this?" the man said curiously as he cracked his neck at a ninety degree angle. "A follower without a garb? Ahhh…I can smell the love coming off of you. Do you happen to be Pride?"
Subaru covered his ears. Yelling and screaming to block him out. "Shut up shut up shut up shut up! You're not real! None of this is real!"
"Well, Pride or not, you will be a witness firsthand for the Ordeal! Men! Bring the subject herself!"
"S-Subaru!" He looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"No. Not again…No," he whimpered. "Please…"
Inexplicably, Subaru could see four shadowy hands making their way to a beautiful girl with silver hair. She was struggling against the many cultists surrounding her, trying to shake free of their grip.
"Subaru!" she screamed. "Subaru!"
"Emilia! Wait! Please wait! Stop! Stop it!" he shouted. He begged and pleaded. Don't hurt her. Hurt me. Hurt anyone but her. But the sickly man didn't listen, instead grinning maniacally as he cackled, arms slowly growing closer towards the girl.
"STOP ITTT!"
"SUBARU!"
"Subaru! Wake up, I suppose!"
"AAAAGGGHH!"
Beatrice jolted back, taken by surprise as the boy surged upwards and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Subaru! What is wrong, I suppose?" Beatrice asked. The spirit walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He flinched, eyes frantic and scared. His teeth were chattering, and his arms and legs were fidgeting and shaking.
"B-Bea-ko?" he whispered.
"Yes. Although Betty prefers Beatrice, I suppose. What is the matter, in fact?" The spirit pulled herself up and sat on the bed next to him.
Subaru only buried his head into his knees, and sobbed. The blonde spirit didn't know what to do once the boy started bawling.
"Subaru-kun!" The door flung open. A blue-haired maid stood worried and concerned.
She wasted no time rushing towards her hero, at his side in a heartbeat. "Subaru-kun! Are you hurt?" she asked.
"Rem?" he weeped. "Rem!"
Without warning, Subaru hugged her, burying his face in her stomach.
"S-Subaru-kun!? What is this?" Beatrice only sat back, watching as the maid slowly began to stroke Subaru's hair as he cried into her.
Shortly after, more footsteps were heard. Subaru could sense a light turning on and many more figures entering his room.
"Barusu! What are you doing manhandling my sister like tha—Barusu?" Ram stood back, giving him space. A look of concern etched onto her face.
"What's th' matter with the Cap'n?" Garfiel asked in worry.
"Hang on, Garf," Ram advised.
"Subaru?" Emilia said innocently. "Are you okay?"
Subaru then pulled away from Rem, his eyes red and puffy. "I…" he began, not sure what to say. "I…I had a bad dream, that's all."
"Subaru-sama," Frederica said. "I can tell this was no mere bad dream."
"S-Subaru…?" Petra whimpered, clutching onto Frederica's dress.
Subaru made eye contact with her, but all he could see was her empty sockets.
He winced and turned to Rem, but he saw her mangled and twisted.
He turned to Otto, only to see his lower half completely separated from the rest of his body.
"Aaghh…Gaahhk!"
"Subaru-kun!" Rem shouted in alarm.
"Everyone stand back, I suppose!" Beatrice commanded. She then lifted her hands up to Subaru, and began casting healing magic onto him.
The boy's hysteria and paranoia simmered down, and he took in deep breaths to calm himself.
"Emilia-sama," Rem said, nodding to the half-elf.
She nodded back, and Rem stepped away from Subaru, giving him time with the girl he cherished so much.
"E-Emiliaa…" Subaru drawled. She sat next to him, before she began stroking his hand.
"Subaru? You had a bad dream, right? Would you like to talk about it?" she asked.
Subaru's mouth went dry. Could he tell them? It was just a dream, so not something that actually happened. So he was safe, right?
"Y-You…You…You a-all were…de-d-dead…" he stuttered, on the verge of tears merely uttering that sentence.
Nothing happened. He was safe. Everyone around him simply looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
"Tha's silly, Cap'n. Look! W-We're all 'ere! Safe n' sound!" Garfiel said, trying desperately to cheer his friend up.
Subaru but his lip, not hard enough to bleed though, as Otto joined in.
"I understand that scenario can be very scary, Natsuki-san. But don't worry. We'll all be all right," he supported with a smile.
"Subaru? What exactly did happen in your dream, I suppose?" Beatrice questioned.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "T-The cult. They attacked. An-And they hurt…everyone."
"Do not worry, Subaru-sama," Frederica smiled. "They will not hurt anyone here. I assure you."
"She is right," Ram agreed. "Please calm yourself."
"No! You don't understand! None of you understand!" he shouted. "Just all of you shut up!"
"Subaru!" Beatrice gasped.
"Just please…leave me alone. Don't hurt yourselves, by being close to me…" he shook. Everyone looked at him with sympathy.
"Subaru-kun," Rem said softly. "You must have had a truly awful nightmare, haven't you?"
Subaru wordlessly nodded. Rem took one of his hands and squeezed tightly. "You can talk to us about it, Subaru-kun. You can talk to us about anything."
Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks. "I'm sorry," he croaked. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"
"There's nothing to apologize for, Natsuki-san. You were just feeling overwhelmed. It's all right," Otto assured.
"Take deep breaths, Barusu," Ram said with an unusual sense of comfort and care.
"It's aight to be sensitive ev'ry now an' 'gain Cap'n. Let it all out!" the blonde boy smiled.
Beatrice held onto his other hand. "Relax, Subaru. We're here for you."
Subaru couldn't stop crying. Even though it hurt Petra's heart to see him in a state like this, she wanted it to continue so that Subaru could fully let it all out.
"They killed you all. They killed the villagers. They mutilated you!" Subaru cried in a wavery voice.
"We are still here. We will make sure that doesn't happen," Emilia assured. She then took Subaru's head and placed it on her lap.
Subaru's cheeks were met with Emilia's thighs, and he slowly closed his eyes.
"Is there anything else you want to tell us, Subaru-sama?" Frederica asked.
Subaru only sniffled, not sure how to respond.
"Have you had nightmares like these often?" Rem asked.
Subaru nodded his head, groaning as he cringed at the horrific memories. Emilia then soothingly ran a hand through his hair.
"Take your time, I suppose. Please," Beatrice said, worry evident on her round face.
"This has been happening…for so long. I'm sorry…I've never told you…"
"Shh…It's all right," Emilia whispered.
"I should have. I should have told you all. That I…That I…"
"It's all right, Natsuki-san. Take a deep breath," Otto reassured.
"It's just been…so hard!"
"I know. You've been working a lot. You've been through a lot," Emilia smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"I just want it to stop! I want it all to stop!" Subaru cried.
"We'll help you, Subaru-kun," Rem said with a smile. "We're here for you."
The tears continued to fall. Subaru cried as Emilia held him in her lap.
"That's it. You're a good boy. You're a good boy," Emilia comforted.
Subaru's cries died down and his head lilted and his limbs grew weak. His breathing slowed and eventually he returned back to sleep.
"Should we leave?" Petra asked, not sure what to do.
"No. Stay, I suppose," Beatrice said. Otto nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed. Ram went to join her sister by Subaru's side, and Petra and Frederica went to Beatrice on the other. Garfiel sat next to Otto, and Emilia continued stroking Subaru's hair.
"Won't your legs get tired, Emilia-sama?" Rem asked.
"Yes. But as long as Subaru's happy, it will be worth it," she smiled. She looked down at the sleeping boy, her heart hurting after seeing him in so much pain and agony.
"We'll make everything better. Don't worry," she whispered. "Everything will be okay."
She leaned down for that last part, and Subaru faintly smiled. In his mind, he was celebrating his birthday. His parents were there, so proud of him. And all of the friends he has made in this world were by his side. As the dream played out, Subaru continued to smile softly and lightly chuckle in his sleep, being surrounded by those who loved him.