Chapter 17 - I'm sorry too

The caverns air flowed like a river, conjoining at the powerful inhale of Doran’s lungs.

“MOVE!” Audrey ordered.

We split, running to the sides of the cave trying to find rocks to hide behind.

As I sprinted to a stalagmite, I noticed someone unable to move. “LARD!” I screamed getting his attention and gesturing to Layla.

He nodded, teleporting to her.

A powerful dark blaze blasted through the cave, obscuring the two from my vision. Blue lightning shot across the cavern walls, making the very earth shake as they struck.

I felt my hairs stand as a bolt nearly struck me.

The blast ended, the ground was scorched. Conrad stood on clean ground despite the path of the blaze, as if he blocked it, protecting himself and the soup warrior.

My eyes darted around terrified. I spotted them, Lard and Layla made it out unscathed. I sighed relief.

Ira wasn’t as lucky.

He wailed, thrashing in pain as Ari comforted him. A bolt struck his arm, his armor looked as though it had veined, making me only guess what was happening underneath.

“You really couldn’t wait a day to see me.” I heard that sadistic voice with excitement, echoing throughout the cave.

“I just couldn’t stay away. I’m just so fascinated by your nature.” I lied.

“Hm...” Discordia squinted, I could feel her intensity. “You hurt me somewhere I never thought I could be touched... I cannot forgive you for that.”

I felt eyes wander onto me with her statement.

“DON’T PHRASE THINGS LIKE THAT!!!” I demanded, her sadistic nature had me branded as a predator.

“You...” Doran’s voice was guttural, the air felt strong as he let his good eye peer onto Layla.

She was terrified, unable to stand to his might as Lard readied his next teleport.

“She’s with the teleporting ball of fat. Target the other ability holders.” Discordia ordered.

“Hmph.” He grunted, starting down Conrad and Audrey.

“There’s only four. I will cook their flesh with my blaze.” He stomped his mighty foot, shacking the cave and letting rocks crumble from the ceiling. “I shall grind their bones with my teeth.”

He lowered his head, smashing his tail against the cavern wall. Audrey met his gaze, holding her sword proud as she glanced over the wounded Gideon, their eyes meeting from afar.

“You overestimate yourself human.” Doran looked down in pity. His voice vibrated the air with its deep tone. His began in inhale, the condensation of the cave was drawn in, hitting those around with a slimy substance.

Audrey readied her aim, her blade absorbed the air around it, making it shine. In one strong swipe, she launched a huge ball of concentrated magic into the open mouth of Doran.

He recoiled. The concentration drove itself down his throat, bulging his body as it hit his lungs. His tail and body thrashed around as he took the blow.

“Yes.” Audrey stood proud, excitement in her voice as she felt empowered.

Wait... I’ve seen him thrash in pain before. This was not that.

“RUN!!!” I yelled. Without understanding why, Audrey just looked to me puzzled, unknowing to the fear in my expression.

Doran’s body acted like a wave, flowing from the back of his tail to his throat. Liquid in his movements. Audrey stood in terror.

“Move!” With the sudden appearance on Conrad, throwing his arm up in front of her, I witness the sudden Lard as he grabbed Audrey, and the obstruction of Doran’s breath.

“CONRAD!!!” Layla screamed, crying as she watched. Lard teleported Audrey away moments after the blaze had struck. Whatever Conrad did, saved her.

We stared in horror, waiting for this attack to finish, Doran concentrating his full power.

With the sudden exhaustion of blaze, Conrad stood, breathing heavily as the rock beneath his feet was untouched.

I could see the magic surround him, making a shield. But from Doran’s attack, I could tell it was on its brink.

“Hm, such an interesting ability.” And with Doran’s strong words, he lifted his claw, swiping faster than Lard could react.

“CONRAD!!!”

Layla let out a blood curling screech. The breaking of his shield to the powerful claws had exposed Conrad. Protecting only his vitals now, an arm and a leg were cleanly cut off.

“AHHH!!!” He wailed in pain, now experiencing the loss of multiple limbs now.

“Y- You bastard!” Layla drew her bow back in desperation, weakly shooting it.

Doran didn’t feel a thing, but his anger was now on her. A subtle shift his posture set my brain over the edge. He had a suspicion I hoped would haven’t been made.

As he readied his hand, all in a single moment, as Lard and the two women with ability's all lined up like easy pickings, my brain went into pure horror.

“LARD!!! HE KNOWS YOU CAN ONLY SAVE ONE OF THEM!!!”

Lard froze, knowing the weakness of his teleportation has been exposed. He darted his eyes, faster than the oncoming claws.

“I’m sorry.” His words brought terror to Audrey’s eyes and Lard grabbed Layla and teleported out of harm's way.

“HRRNNGGG!!!” With the blunt of her blade, she tried shielding from the hand, being thrown across the cavern.

“AARRGGGHHHHH!!!” With contact of Audrey’s blade and Doran’s hand, he thrashed in pain, a smoke emanating.

“MY CLAWS!!! MY BEAUTIFUL CLAWS!!!” He threw his whole arm around, trying to shake off the blue liquid.

“She did it!” Wilfred cheered, the warriors proud of her accomplishment.

Even I was impressed she was so quick to react. It wasn’t over yet. Audrey was hurt badly as she was launched at the rock wall.

Her armor broke, exposing a bloody, beaten blonde under that helmet.

“YOU DAMN HUMANS!!!” Doran prepared another breath.

“LAYLA! I NEED YOU TOO-” I say her terrified expression, worse than when we came down here. She couldn’t even hear me if she wanted to. “Lard! Get her out of here!”

“O- Okay!” He responded, teleporting her out of the cave.

Doran continued his inhale, the cave felt like a vacuum. His body angled at Audrey, showing his intent.

“GET AWAY FROM HER YOU DUMB BEAST!!!” Ari charged, holding a vial in her hands. Doran’s tail snapped, ready for another attack.

“Wait!” Ira called out in desperation, Ari watched as the tail targeted her.

“HRNG!!!” The tail was stopped. Gideon used his sword to take the blunt and was holding it back. “KEEP GOING!!!”

Ari nodded, charging the dragon and throwing the vial.

Hitting his spine, the glass shattered.

“ARRGHHH!!!” He wailed once more. His body recoiled backwards in withering pain, but the air kept getting tighter. His body was shifting off target.

“RUN!!!” I charged, posturing my arm to throw the next vial.

Gideon stood and the tail moved away, Ari stared up as Doran’s mighty body turned around, his attack ready. I was ready to throw.

“No, you don’t.”

With a small slice, unexpected in the moment, I fell to my knees. I could only watch as Doran’s mouth fueled that dark sinister blaze.

I was paralyzed. And I could feel the sadistic hands grab my shoulders.

“Now for the fun part.” Discordia held me down embracing the path of the blaze. “Don’t lose your mind back there.”

And with a look into her eyes, I could tell. Her warning was only the tip of the iceberg.

The blaze engulfed us.

I could see multiple body parts, falling. The sensation of an endless void below me was familiar.

I couldn’t see the glow as I fell, not the same as before, it was more as if there was a golden thread stitching me together. My eyes could see each other, detached from my body as I feel in boundless time and space.

I was experiencing the same sensations from when me and the Goddess first came to this world, except...

I couldn’t muster a laugh.

My vision went white.

Slowly the room around me came into view. I felt dread as I could make out my surroundings.

I’m... Home... Back at my apartment.

The room space wasn’t different, but trash was gathered. Where pleasant meals would be eaten was instead plates of dried rotten food. Uncleaned for neglection.

“What happened here...” I questioned.

“Who are you! Get out!” A familiar voice called from behind me. A woman cowered, her voice quivering as she bawled in the corner.

“Nirasha...?” My voice was weak uttering the name of my Ex.

She looked up, her eyes dull in color, her face red from endless crying.

“T- Toshiro...?” She wept with my presence. “I- I- I... I am so sorry Toshiro...”

Her teared flowed, her crying loud and full or despair. “I’m sorry! So, so Sorry!”

I watched as she tried to hide herself from the world, trash and clothes sprawled the floor, most of them my own.

I didn’t know how to react.

I looked to the other side of the room, one where her eyes kept darting back to in shame.

A baby’s crib sat alone in the corner. No trash or clothes tainting its area. I wander over, afraid of what I would find.

Baby clothes and a box of diaper sat clean on the mattress, untouched and pristine. I looked back to Nirasha, she had no sign of pregnancy.

“What... What happened to your child?” I asked, she couldn’t stop crying in sorrow.

“I lost out child Toshiro... I am so sorry...”

“Our... Child...?” I felt a tinge of anger to her statement. One I didn’t understand. “You cheated on me... You had conceived a child with Onizuka.”

She nodded, her cries turned silent with the blunt of my cold words.

“I know... But your child was conceived too...”

“What...” I froze, unsure of what I had heard. “What are you talking about?”

“We had twins!” She let out one big wail, her body thrashed as she told me. “Both of you impregnated me! And the twins-” She covered her mouth, wishing to gag, unable to finish her sentence. “I’m so sorry, Mallory...”

I just watched.

I have never seen someone in such a state. The mounds of trash and spoiled food. Her tears and screeching all cumulated into one emotion.

Pure despair.

My heart hurt to the scene before me, I never had actual love for her but seeing her in this way. I truly wished her better tomorrow.

“It’s all my fault...” She cried into our once shared bed. “I never should have cheated... I just enjoyed his body...”

She let out a small yelp as she crossed her arms over her knees.

“It’s my fault you died... You did nothing but love and care for me and this is what I gave you in return... It’s my fault you died that day! All mine!”

My mind went blank.

The world moved on after my death as it does for so many others. A relationship I only had to fit the norms of society was a lie. And the woman I had used was stuck in the past.

I didn’t know she had these feelings for me, I could only see the signs of her distance, both physically and emotionally. When I think back now, even after she had cheated, her meals never changed from that amazing flavor.

I bit my lip in frustration.

“STOP BLAMING YOURSELF!!!” I shouted, Nirasha shuttered in fear.

“I- I- I-”

“I don’t care!” I shut down her counter, scaring her more. “I never loved you! I only used you to get to Onizuka! Why the hell would you ever pity me, when you can’t even pity yourself!”

I could feel my face go red, emotions and thoughts whirlwind in my mind as I talked down.

“But it was my fault! I couldn’t decide!” She cried back in argument, reminding me of the day she accused me of cheating.

“Then decide here! Do you want to spiral in your emotions!? To be stuck on things you cannot change?!” My breathing became rough, Nirasha squirmed. "Choose now... Live in the present... Or live in the past...”

Her eyes widened, her teeth clenched. Her eyes darted to the crib, unable to let it out of her sight.

“I... I... I want to try again... I want to love...”

I nodded with a smile to her words, even with her tears she smiled back.

“I love you, Toshiro... I’m sorry I never took the chance to feel yours...”

I shook my head, feeling a tear roll down my cheek.

“Don’t worry about it. I never had love for you in the first place.” I lied.

The boundless fall took me away. The room faded into oblivion, only my body remained in this space.

I couldn’t see my own eyes no longer, rather, my whole body was one. Holding my dismembered parts down was the golden thread, making feel like I found who I am.

I’m sorry too Nirasha... I wish for your story to have a happy ending...

And with the fall into the void, I embraced. Not knowing what was to come, I was content.