I sped up, a sudden cloudburst, thunder in the distance and soon rain began to shroud the entirety of the battlefield, ash and blood everywhere, sometimes I registered fallen soldiers, but the frown over my face deepened the faster I ran.
The atmosphere grew colder and eerier—this feeling of helplessness that clawed up my spine, it gripped at my heart like a vice and I felt my legs run faster with the foreboding thoughts emerging in my mind.
I continued to tap over my watch, biting my lips in frustration, trying to contact either Shun or Percy, we had somehow cleared the Lim Chu Kang rural zone in Singapore from the demons, but, during the attack I was separated from my team and had to join the main unit, while Shun and Percy were left to fend off for themselves with the other units left behind to fight the demons surrounding the area.
The trees pressed in close, their roots clawing through cracked asphalt, while the fields lay abandoned. Each breath was like a hot brand to my lungs, I couldn’t run any faster, but I forced myself. There was no contact with them and I was getting a bad feeling.
My lips were pressed into a tight line, the rain washing over me like it was trying to drown the heat from my skin, a silent prayer kept repeating itself in my mind.
It wasn’t soon that I reached an open field, only a few trees were in the surrounding, I saw countless bodies littered in the field, but a majority of hunters were still their, standing and alive, but just as I saw them my eyes skimmed through the field and soon two particular individuals came to my vision.
It was getting dark, but my face froze, my eyes widened, like thunder had tore through me, my breathing was ragged, but I somehow carried myself to the two.
I looked at the two, all the energy in my body vanished like I was nothing but a husk, but I couldn’t even come to fathom what Shun was feeling.
He was here...to witness it all...
Shun knelt there, drenched in rain, his hands gripping the cold, lifeless body of our teammate. The weight of it must’ve been unbearable, but he didn’t seem to feel it. His face was blank, unreadable, like a mask carved out of stone. Even the rain couldn’t hide the emptiness in his eyes, though it did a decent job of hiding the silent tears I knew were falling. The blood and the mud mingled around him, and still, he didn’t move, didn’t flinch. Just stared down at the corpse in his arms like if he held on long enough, things might change.
I stood there for a moment in a daze, my breathing slowly evened, but the pain in my chest, it just grew until it was unbearable.
I took a step closer, my boots sinking into the mud with a soft squelch. I wanted to say something, anything to cut through the thick, oppressive silence that hung between us. But what could I say? What could anyone say to a man like Shun in this moment?
That I should have come sooner. I shouldn’t have separated from you two. These felt like excuses.
Percy lay in Shun’s arms, his head bend down, looking at the boy who had once laughed with us, cried, fought...he was...
“Shun…” I started, my voice softer than I intended, nearly drowned out by the rain. “You couldn’t have known this would happen. None of us did.”
That’s all I could say for my friend. I had seen what Shun had gone through in one year. Just how much he had changed in just one year after his Master’s passing.
The once cheerful friend of mine had become so distant, so detached that I couldn’t even see a resemblance of what he was now to an year ago.
He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at me. His grip tightened on Percy’s shoulders; his knuckles white under his gloves. I could barely make out his face through the rain, but the rigidness of his posture said it all. He was locking himself away again, sealing himself off behind that cold, unfeeling mask of his. I’d seen him do it before—too many times, really. But this time, there was something deeper, something darker, gnawing at him from the inside.
I hesitated before taking another step forward, the weight of it settling heavy in my chest. Kneeling down beside him, I tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn’t look at me. I could feel the grief radiating off him, even if it wasn’t visible on his face. He was too still, too calm. The tears that were falling weren’t the kind that brought relief—they were silent, broken, like everything inside him had already shattered.
“Shun…” I whispered again, but the words felt hollow, useless. What was I even trying to say? What could I possibly do that would make a difference right now?
He didn’t move. Didn’t even blink. The rain pounded down, drenching us both, but it was like he wasn’t even there anymore, lost in some far-off place I couldn’t reach.
“I—” Shun’s voice cracked; a sound so faint I barely heard it. “I promised…”
I swallowed hard, glancing at the body in his arms. It didn’t take a genius to understand. Shun had promised to protect him. He’d promised to protect us all. It was the one thing he held onto, the thing that kept him going. And now, that promise was as dead as the man in his arms.
“You did everything you could,” I tried, though even as the words left my mouth, I knew they wouldn’t help. “This isn’t on you. You don’t have to blame yourself.”
He finally moved, but only just. His lips twitched, like he was trying to form words that wouldn’t come. The rain kept falling, sliding down his face in steady streams, mixing with the tears he refused to acknowledge. I wondered if he even knew he was crying. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe it didn’t matter.
“I promised…” he whispered again, his voice barely more than a breath, and it felt like he wasn’t even talking to me. He was speaking to the dead, to the promise he couldn’t keep.
I looked away, a dull ache building in my chest. There was nothing I could say to fix this. Nothing I could do to pull him out of whatever abyss he was sinking into. All I could do was sit here, kneeling in the mud beside him, watching as the rain fell over us, heavy and unrelenting.
“Shun…we can’t stay here,” I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. “We’ll take care of him. But we have to go. We just cleared the area, but the risk still remains.”
His eyes flickered, just for a second, and I thought maybe—maybe—he’d respond. But then they went dead again, distant, like I was speaking to a man who wasn’t really there anymore.
“I promised,” he murmured, his voice broken, his body stiff and cold.
And all I could do was watch, as the rain washed away the blood, and Shun, with silent, shattered tears, left a piece of himself behind in that battlefield forever.
***
Shun
My arms were clasped behind my back, my back straight, but everything around me looked dull, lifeless. Even with the environment of the office being warm and cosy, it still felt cold and detached to me.
I looked forward, at the commander in charge of the mission in Singapore. Damian Pereira
The commander from the upper brigade stood taller than most. His attire was uninteresting, clean shaken, hazel eyes, and a scalp full of hair combed backward.
He just wore a simple white shirt, his coat set aside on a chair as he approached me.
He brought a hand forward, I gave it no thought, but after a moment, I shook his hand and pulled back with my hands clasped again.
“Come join me, Shun.” He said, his posture softer and less overbearing now. He took a seat at his desk and I took the seat opposite him.
“I invited you today to thank you.” He said, my face remained expressionless.
If he had called me here for something this minimalistic, I tried my best to hid my anger—not over this but something else.
“I wanted to thank you on behalf of the units under me who reported that you saved them while fighting your own battles against fierce opponents. Your contributions are something that have even reached my ears since before the Incheon tragedy in South Korean an year ago.” His eyes looked filled with curiosity but held at the surface. “Thank you for holding the line against the demons, for keeping more of my men alive than I’d dared to hope.”
I felt a sigh build up, but before I could release it I held back. An year ago? I thought. That tragedy in Incheon had changed everything.
But what do these contributions amount to when I couldn’t even save one friend? I clenched my hand tightly over my lap, away from his eyes, feeling a storm of helplessness, guilt and sorrow rage inside my heart.
I just gave a small nod. “It was something anyone would’ve done,” I said, my voice flat, almost automatic.
“But still, thank you, Shun. And, I apologize for calling you here all of a sudden when you are still in mourning.” He straightened in his seat and I felt my eyes loosen up a little, my body felt shaken by that sentence, but I composed myself, not letting myself show any weakness.
I just locked away these emotions for the time being, I needed to focus on the battles ahead, I didn’t have time for such things. If I stopped to mourn, it meant I’d already failed the people I swore to protect. I had to keep moving—more for their sake than my own.
Soon, I stood up, Commander bid me farewell, but his gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, and I walked out of his office.
I carried myself with steady steps, my face cold and eyes detached, the corridors were cold, everything felt cold. I strode through them to reach the room assigned to my team.
But, I felt warmth surge through my hand, I looked down and saw blood was smeared all over my palm, but I didn’t feel a thing.
The anger within me raged like a relentless storm, but my face remained a mask of cold, hollow stoicism. I didn’t even know how to feel anymore—let alone what expression I should wear. Shame? Grief? Regret? I had let Percy down. My failures on the battlefield had cost us another comrade. Another friend.
The memory of my meeting with the commander still burned fresh in my mind as I stepped into the dimly lit quarters where my team was gathered. Their figures loomed like shadows in the room, silent but heavy with an unbearable weight. The absence of Percy was a void that screamed louder than any words could.
My eyes moved across them—Han’s clenched jaw, Ela’s trembling form, Drake’s dark, haunted stare. They avoided my gaze, but their pain was palpable, a reflection of the storm inside me. And then, from the side, Klen surged forward.
His fist came at me with all the force of his grief and rage. I could have dodged it—I should have—but I didn’t. I was so tired. So...empty. His knuckles connected with my jaw, sending me crashing to the ground. Before I could even draw a breath, he was on top of me, his fists raining down in a flurry of uncontrollable strikes.
Each blow landed with the raw, unfiltered anguish of a man who had lost too much—and perhaps, I was merely avoiding my emotions while he embraced them head-on. I didn’t fight back. I didn’t even try to stop him. I just lay there, letting him hit me. I deserved it.
But even then, I didn’t feel a thing. Just this hollow sensation, like a burrow at the bottom of my stomach. The pain was tolerable, but I just couldn’t let go of the guilt.
“Klen! Stop!” Han’s voice cut through the room as he yanked Klen back, dragging him off me. But Klen fought against him, his voice breaking with every word.
“DAMN IT!” Klen shouted, his breath ragged and his voice trembling. “Why? Why did you let Percy die?”
He turned to Han, his face twisted in raw emotions that I couldn’t seem to replicate. “You too, why didn’t you do a fucking think? Huh?!!” He shouted, then turned to me once again.
I stayed on the ground, staring at the cracked floor beneath me, unable to respond. Klen’s words pierced deeper than any blow he could deliver. And Han lowered his gaze.
But, it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. All mine. I had failed to protect Percy. I should have protected him, even if I had been the one to die.
“Do you know what he said to us before he went out there with you?” Klen’s voice cracked, the anger giving way to something far more fragile. “He said he trusted you. He said, no matter what, you’d have his back. He believed in you!”
Ela let out a choked sob, burying her face in her hands, while Drake’s fists tightened at his sides. The air in the room felt suffocating, crushing under the weight of grief.
Klen’s voice broke again, quieter this time, but sharper than any scream. “You let him down, you coward. Just like you let your Master die that day.”
My chest tightened as his words tore through me, stripping away the fragile fa?ade I had been clinging to. My face twisted in anguish, a grimace I could no longer hold back.
I felt a chocked sob rush through my throat, but before it reached my mouth, I buried it deep within me.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
“You’re nothing but a failure—a blind fool clinging to the pathetic idea you can save everyone. You couldn’t save Percy, and you couldn’t save your damn Master!”
“KLEN!” Han’s voice boomed, his fist colliding with Klen’s jaw and sending him stumbling backward.
“Enough,” Drake said from the corner, his voice trembling as tears welled in his eyes. “That’s enough.”
The room fell into an unbearable silence, broken only by the sound of Klen punching the floor in frustration, his knuckles bleeding as he cursed under his breath. Slowly, he stood, his body trembling with rage and sorrow, and stormed out of the room without another word.
As the door slammed shut behind Klen, the sound echoed through the room, a final punctuation to his words. No one moved to fill the silence. Han stood by the wall, his fists still clenched, his back turned to me, shoulders rigid with suppressed emotions. Ela’s quiet sobs filled the space like a haunting melody, a stark reminder of the hole Percy had left in all of us. Drake sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands, his body trembling as he fought back tears.
Even after Klen was gone, his words lingered, echoing in my mind like a curse. He was right. Every word. I had failed Percy. I had failed my master. I wasn’t strong enough to save them.
I stayed on the floor, staring at the faint bloodstains Klen had left behind. My mind replayed his words over and over, each one carving deeper into my chest.
It was all my fault.
He trusted you.
That was the part that hurt the most. Percy’s voice came to me like a ghost from the past, cheerful and unwavering. “I’ve got your back, and I know you’ve got mine,” he had said before we charged into battle. His grin had been so confident, so full of life. But I had failed him. I had let his faith in me shatter.
My hands trembled as I clutched the ground, nails scraping against the cold, unyielding surface. My breathing came in ragged gasps as the weight of my failures pressed down on me, suffocating me. Percy’s smile. My master’s final words. Their faces blurred together in my mind, twisting into a tapestry of guilt and loss.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched at the unexpected touch. It was Han, his grip firm but not unkind. I looked up into his weary eyes, filled with something I couldn’t quite name—disappointment, understanding, or maybe just shared pain.
“We all lost him,” Han said quietly, his voice breaking through the crushing silence. “Not just you. Please, stop carrying it all alone.”
I wanted to tell him he was wrong. That it was my burden to carry. That it was my fault. But the words wouldn’t come. I just lowered my head again, ashamed to meet his gaze.
“He wouldn’t want this,” Han continued, his voice soft but resolute. “Percy wouldn’t want us tearing each other apart like this. He believed in you, Shun. Even at the end. And you owe it to him to keep going.”
My throat tightened, and I closed my eyes, willing back the tears that threatened to fall. I didn’t deserve forgiveness. I didn’t deserve to move forward. But deep down, I knew Han was right.
Even so, the weight of Percy’s trust, of my master’s sacrifice, was a burden I wasn’t sure I could bear. All I could do was sit there in the wreckage of my failures, hoping—praying—that one day I could make it right.
***
Later that evening, I found myself standing outside General Morris’s office. My fists were clenched at my sides, the faint bruises from Klen’s punches still stinging. The shame of facing my comrades lingered, but it was nothing compared to the self-loathing festering in my chest. I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Enter,” came the gruff voice from inside.
I stepped in, the heavy door creaking shut behind me. General Morris sat behind his desk, a mountain of reports and dossiers stacked haphazardly around him. His weathered face, marked by years of battle and leadership, softened slightly when he saw me.
But whenever I had too much on my plate, I always seem to find my way back to his presence.
“Shun,” he said, gesturing for me to sit, but he clearly registered the fresh wounds and swelling on my face, his face looked concerned for a moment longer, but knowing to read the room he didn’t question.
I remained standing, my posture stiff. He didn’t push. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his piercing eyes scanning me as if he could see the turmoil raging beneath my stoic facade.
But, he was the kindest person I knew since I had joined his brigade.
“Did you and Klen fight?” His word weren’t sharp, rather they held all the concern and care I could try to find and deny.
I remained silent, our eyes locked for a moment or two longer, but he sighed, leaning into his seat, massaging his temples.
He placed the document in his hand on the table, I followed the contents and found the mark of importance over it.
“I understand that you all are mourning the loss of Percy, even I’m devastated that I lost a kid as good as him, but tearing each other part isn’t the answer.” He said sternly, but the care in his eyes didn’t once disappear. “Shun, when you came to me six months ago, wanting to lead your team with your previous members, I was understanding, but, I also told you that these positions come with burdens and responsibilities that you have to silently carry sometimes.”
I gave him a nonchalant look. “That is what I’ve been trying to do.”
He smacked his desk, the force just slightly held back that it didn’t damage the wood. His eyes looked sharper now, brows knitted. “I did,” he bellowed. “But, I also told you that if things get unbearable—suffocating—you can turn to people who are closest to you. Don’t let your burdens be the chain that drags you down.”
I just looked at him blankly. With a simple nod, I acknowledged, knowing that this guilt, this pain, it would never go away even if I shared them with anyone.
General Morris seemed more mad, but he composed himself, an almost frustrated sigh left him, as he took the document in his hand from in front of him.
I followed the file, and General Morris seemed look at me with raised brows of condemnation.
I asked with my curiosity blatantly on display. “I believe that is a task worthy of your notice?” I pointed with my eyes and Morris seemed to sigh again, like: what will I do with this kid?
“An assignment just came in,” he said after a pause, his tone steady but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “From England.” He slid a folder across the desk toward me. I didn’t reach for it. “An
“And?” I questioned, a brow risen.
He paused, not sure if he wanted to continue or just keep quiet, but after a second of thought he continued, knowing I would pester him if there was a solo mission in between.
I needed to grow stronger and if I could get as much exposure, I would possibly do that.
“The royal family has the government under their fingertips so they sent me a request to send my best team along for this assignment to assist them.”
He paused again, waiting for a reaction that didn’t come. I kept my gaze locked on the folder, my mind already made up.
“I’ll go,” I said, my voice devoid of hesitation.
General Morris raised an eyebrow, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Your team’s in no shape to take on something like this right now,” he said carefully. “Especially after...what happened. I cannot have you risk your lives. Rest for the time being and recuperate.”
“I’ll go alone,” I replied, cutting him off. “There is no need to involve the team. I am the only
The room fell silent, the weight of my words hanging heavily between us. Morris leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his hands clasped together. His gaze sharpened, scrutinizing me with the precision of a man who’d seen countless soldiers break under the weight of guilt and grief.
“You’ve barely recovered from the last mission,” he said, his tone softening. “No one’s blaming you for what happened out there, Shun. But pushing yourself like this...It’s not going to bring him back. I need you to in my brigade and to lead the people who rely on you.”
His words hit harder than Klen’s fists ever could, but I didn’t flinch.
“I’m fine,” I said simply, the lie slipping from my lips with practiced ease. “I’ll take care of it. And, it’s not like we have a say in it. I have a duty to perform as an
Morris sighed, leaning back in his chair again. “You’re one of the best soldiers I’ve got, Shun. But you’re not invincible. You need to know when to take a step back. You need to—”
“I can handle it,” I interrupted, my voice firmer this time.
He studied me for a long moment, the tension in the air thick and unyielding. Finally, he nodded, though the worry in his eyes didn’t fade. “Alright. But don’t make this about proving something. Get in, complete the mission, and get out. Understood?”
He had agreed knowing that I wouldn’t let him go until he said yes.
“Understood,” I said, though we both knew I was lying.
“Take it easy,” Morris said, his tone softening into something almost paternal. “You’re not as alone as you think. Keep in touch, and if anything happens, contact me right away.”
I didn’t respond. I only nodded, picked up the folder, and turned to leave. As I stepped out of the office and into the dimly lit corridor, I felt the weight of my new mission settling on my shoulders.
An
Perhaps it was fitting. If I couldn’t protect those I cared about, then I had no right to rely on anyone else.
This time, it would just be me. And if I didn’t make it back...maybe that was the punishment I deserved.
***
Before leaving for my mission in England, I visited the one place that always made the guilt inside me pierce my heart.
Whenever I had too much over my mind, I came here.
But, I silently stood there, staring at the gravestone, the rain falling in slow, relentless drops that seemed to match the weight in my chest. The world around me blurred at the edges, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that name carved into the stone. Simple, unadorned—it felt wrong, somehow, that a man like him should be reduced to something so…ordinary.
My mentor. My master. The one person who believed in me when no one else did.
My father...
And I had failed him. The one man who was my entire world. Perhaps, this is how it felt when your entire world is taken from you in the blink of an eye.
The rain soaked through my clothes, but I couldn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel anything except the numbness creeping up my spine, the cold, empty ache that settled deep inside me, a reminder of how powerless I truly was. I had promised him. I’d sworn to be strong enough, to be better than I was. To protect him, just like he had protected me all those years.
But now, he was gone. Because I wasn’t enough.
If not for him, all of us would have died at the hands of that crimson eyed demon, and lost the battle. He took it upon himself that day to protect me and kill that demon.
My hands trembled; fists clenched at my sides. I could still see his face—that quiet, knowing smile he always had, even in the worst moments. That look in his eyes when he’d watch me train, like he knew I was capable of more, even when I didn’t believe it myself. He always saw something in me that I couldn’t. And now…now he was lying beneath the earth, and I couldn’t even give him the peace of knowing I had lived up to his expectations.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely louder than the rain. The words felt hollow, pathetic, but they were all I had left. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”
The wind picked up, swirling the rain around me, but I stood there, frozen. My chest felt tight, like something was crushing me from the inside, but I didn’t let the tears come. I didn’t deserve them. I didn’t deserve to mourn him, not after I’d let him down.
“You believed in me,” I choked out, my throat burning. “You trusted me to be strong. And when it mattered…I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t stop them.”
My voice cracked, and I hated myself for it. I hated the weakness that crawled up my spine, the helplessness that I couldn’t shake. I was supposed to be better. He’d trained me to be better.
I took a step closer to the grave, my knees threatening to give out beneath me. I could feel the anger simmering just beneath the surface, a low, steady burn that mixed with the grief. Anger at myself, at the world, at whatever gods might exist for taking him away when I wasn’t ready. When I still needed him.
“You should be here,” I muttered, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. “Not me. You were supposed to teach me more, supposed to help me be the person you thought I could be. And now…”
I trailed off, my voice catching in my throat. There was no answer. Just the sound of rain hitting the stone, soft and endless. He was gone. The one person who believed in me was gone, and there was nothing I could do to change it.
“I wasn’t strong enough,” I said, barely able to force the words out. “I thought I could protect you. I thought I could save you. But I wasn’t enough. I’m never enough.”
My vision blurred, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if it was the rain or something else. I swallowed hard, trying to push down the flood of emotion, but it wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t stop the tide of guilt, of shame that I had carried with me since the moment I watched him die.
But then, I forced a weak smile, my eyes giving way to tears, but I held them at bay for a moment. “You remember...” I said with trembling lips. “You told me that if I reached the
“I did my best to reach the
“I don’t know what to do now,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite myself. “You were the only one who believed in me—I don’t know if I can go on much longer, I afraid I will loss myself. What am I supposed to do now that you’re gone? Please...?”
I looked at the name engraved on the tombstone. Amaniya Akito. “Please, tell me...” I whispered, my voice covered by the heavy rain.
There was no answer. Of course there wasn’t. I was talking to a grave, to a memory. But the pain didn’t care. It clawed at me, relentless, as if trying to remind me of every single failure, every moment I’d fallen short.
The rain poured down harder, and I finally let myself fall to my knees, my hands sinking into the wet earth. The cold, slick mud squelched between my fingers, grounding me, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to stop the spiral of blame and regret that was tearing me apart from the inside.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, my voice barely a whisper now. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the person you wanted me to be. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough.”
The rain kept falling, washing away everything except the hollow ache inside me. I stayed there, kneeling in front of his grave, with nothing left to offer but my broken promises and the crushing weight of my own failure.
And even then, it didn’t feel like enough. It never would.
I kept my gaze on the grave, infusing a silver of mana into my dimensional artifact and withdrawing a bottle of sake. Master’s favourite.
I popped off the cap and poured it over the tombstone, chugging it down myself as I felt a mild burn rush through my body, warming my insides.
I sat there for a moment, silent, touching the tombstone, like it would give me something...but there was nothing.
“Master, I won’t be back for a while.” I said, my voice cutting through the silence. “I have been assigned a mission in England and it might take me a while to get back. But, I promise, I’ll be back no matter what.” I forced an almost fragile smile, as I rose to my feet.
My clothes were drenched, the rain was still ongoing without any hints of stopping, I gave one last look to the grave, my eyes fixed for a moment longer, then I took a step forward toward the gates of the graveyard.
Just as my eyes recognised the gates, they widened in surprise. I felt my body freeze up, my throat dried up as I saw Fujimoto entering the graveyard.
He held an umbrella in one hand and fresh wisteria flowers in the others.
He looked at me, his eyes widened in shock—but, there was concern, yet something hidden well enough that I couldn’t tell what—, as he rushed in my direction.
No...don’t come near me. Please, don’t...
I clenched my hands, my lips pressed into a thin line. “Stop!” My voice came out rushed and unkind—full of self-loathing. “Don’t come any further. Please, Fujimoto.”
My breathing was heavy, my heart breaking all over, I felt a strange numbness rise from inside me despite the cold rain.
I looked at Fujimoto, his form seemed stiff, his eyes had dark circles under them, his face had thinned significantly, I felt guilt claw away at me.
I was the reason for it all...I was the reason Master had died, I had not visited home ever since he had passed away. I couldn’t...I just couldn’t bring myself to meet Fujimoto after what I had done.
He was my big brother...he had taken care of me since I was a little kid. Every time I went home, I couldn’t bring myself to walk through those same doors. I just spied on him.
No, that was an excuse...I knew—I knew I wouldn’t be able to face him—Fujimoto after Master’s dead. I was afraid, what if he had started hating me?
“Shun,” a brisk, almost melancholic voice cut through the heavy rain. “Shun...I...”
He tried to say something, I pulled my gaze away from his dark eyes, I took a step back, I didn’t have the courage to face him, not anymore.
If Fujimoto hated him, so be it. But, I didn’t want to hear it in person. I wasn’t strong enough to face it.
Please hate me...hate me all you want. Loath me, don’t forgive me, but don’t say it to my face.
I was a crowd.
I took a few steps back, turning and then running to the other exit, I heard heavy and rushed steps behind me, I didn’t look back, I couldn’t bring myself to.
“Shun, please...stop.” He shouted with a heavy breath. “Please, Shun...listen to me...”
Then, a thud. I turned around and saw Fujimoto lying on the ground, the umbrella and flowers crashed on the ground just like him.
I moved a step closer, my arms moved instantly to help him, but, I stopped myself.
I bit my lips...I was the reason he had become this weak. He looked so fragile now. His hair was longer, his appearance unkempt to the point that even I noticed.
Rain rushed in, drowning his body, his clothes drenched instantly.
I didn’t deserve any of it. I didn’t deserve any love, any care, nothing.
Whatever concern Fujimoto had left for me...I didn’t deserve it.
Master’s death tore too many things in our lives. He was the thread holding us both together.
I tasted blood as I but my lips harder, I turned and felt my body take flight as I cut through the rain and rushed out of the graveyard, but before I flew too far, I heard his voice one last time.
“Shun, come back. I will be waiting. Please...Shun, Please.”