The library. They were been in the library. His sixteen-year-old self stabbed him. His body, those lips still wearing that self-satisfied smirk, sunk to the floor. Blood created a small puddle beneath him.
But it didn't stop there. It covered the walls, the floor; it covered Maka, sitting frozen in the corner under the window, obscuring her from sight. It covered the window, blocking out any light from the moon. The blood covered Soul, filling in every crevice. The irony smell of blood overwhelmed his senses. He could see nothing but dark red.
A voice whispered in his ears. It was the voice that had haunted him for years. The one that still sent shivers down his back, even though it was no longer in this world.
"This is what you really wanted, right?"
Soul awoke, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He felt Maka stir next to him.
"Soul?" she said, sleepily. "What's the matter?"
"N-nothing," he said, obviously lying.
Usually Maka would've have nosily asked questions until she found out what had disturbed him so much. But in her half-asleep state, she flopped over and pulled the comforter tighter around her shoulders. Her breathing went into the steady in and out of sleep.
Soul sat up, catching his breath. He rested his head in his palms, feeling the sweat across his forehead.
It had been a dream. A dream of that night fifteen years ago.
The fifteen years had been good to Soul. He finally felt happy and at peace. He was happy with his job as a composer. He was happy being married to the most beautiful girl, who he loved more than anything, and the baby she carried. He was happy with their cute colonial house in a quiet suburb and the new chapter of their life they were about to start. Everything was perfect.
Except for that damned dream. Every so often, just when he felt like his life was perfect, it came back to remind him of that night. What he had done…
He shook his head, as if it would clear his mind of the hazy dream and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
It had been self-defense. He was cleared of all charges. The whole thing had been Ashura's fault. Soul was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
…right?
V