Chapter: The Final Request
The rain fell relentlessly, drenching the ground in a continuous stream of cold droplets. The sky seemed as dark as Ehito's thoughts. Around him, everything was still, almost surreal. The pain he felt was deep, more than just physical pain. It was an emptiness, an abyss where he no longer knew what to cling to.
He stared at Lia, lying on the ground, her body rigid and cold. The blood had already stopped flowing, and the pouring rain seemed to want to wash the scene of this tragedy away. She was no longer breathing. She was no longer alive.
Ehito stood there, motionless, his gaze fixed on her. A heavy weight pressed against his chest. He knew he had failed. He hadn't been fast enough, not precise enough. Lia was dead. And he felt responsible for her loss. He hadn't been able to protect her, as he had sworn to do.
Tilan was by his side, looking devastated, but he said nothing. He knew. He knew what Ehito was feeling. Yet, he too was lost, just like him. There was nothing to be done, nothing that could undo what had just happened.
But Ehito couldn't accept this reality. Not after everything he had gone through, not after everything he had sacrificed. He had no purpose left. Nothing kept him here.
He slowly turned his gaze toward Tilan, his eyes cold with despair. "Tilan… kill me." Ehito's voice was calm, as if he were speaking of a simple formality. "If you want to save me, do it. I have no reason to live anymore."
Tilan turned toward him, shocked, but he understood that the pain Ehito was feeling was unbearable. "Don't say that…" he whispered.
But Ehito slowly shook his head. "It's over, Tilan. I… I have nothing left."
A heavy silence fell between them. Tilan knew that nothing could stop Ehito from slipping into this deep darkness. And despite his love for his friend, he knew that what Ehito was asking was inevitable. He had seen the resignation in his eyes. There was no way back. And Tilan, too, wasn't willing to make him suffer more.
The words stuck in his throat, but Ehito, in his despair, lunged onto Tilan's blade, letting it pierce his body without resistance. The pain, initially unbearable, passed like a flash. Then, everything became dark. The warmth of his body faded slowly, and the world around him dissolved into an absolute nothingness.
Slowly, his vision darkened, and he let himself slip into the void. Ehito's thoughts were empty, as if everything he had lived through had been a bad dream. But he knew. He already knew what would happen. He remembered the things he had learned, the abilities he had developed. Life, death… it was just a cycle. A cycle he could break.
His body was cold, and the air around him seemed frozen. But Ehito knew this wouldn't last. He rose slowly, effortlessly. He felt life returning to him, like a fresh breath of air. The pain from the blade, the cold from the rain, all faded away. Life was within him, once again.
He opened his eyes. The sky was still gray, the rain still fell, but he was there. Alive. He sat up slowly, shaking his head as if to clear the fog lingering in his mind. Everything seemed as normal as before, but at the same time, everything had changed. He turned slowly toward Tilan, who seemed frozen, his eyes wide.
Tilan approached slowly, hesitant to believe what he was seeing. "Ehito…?" Tilan's voice trembled slightly. He couldn't understand. How was this possible? He had seen his friend die before his eyes.
Ehito fixed his friend for a moment, a faint, bitter smile forming on his lips. "I already knew this would happen, Tilan." He slowly got up, shaking his head as if to chase away the fog still in his mind. "This is the only way for me to continue."
He turned toward Lia, his gaze colder than ever. "But that won't change anything."
Tilan bit his lip, his face marked with confusion and pain. He didn't dare ask questions. He didn't dare inquire. But he knew. Ehito was no longer the same. He was no longer just the person he had known. He had become something else. Something darker. A being apart, beyond the laws of life and death.
And as the wind blew through the night and the rain continued to fall, Ehito slowly walked away, alone in the rain. He knew where he was going. He knew what he had to do. And this time, he wouldn't make any more concessions.
The sun filtering through the bedroom curtains was still weak, its rays gently falling on the furniture in the room. Ehito got up as usual, without a sound, his gaze fixed outside, immersed in his thoughts. That morning, however, something felt different. The atmosphere seemed heavier, almost oppressive, but he couldn't pinpoint why.
Ehito dressed, had breakfast in silence, his mind occupied by the recent events. He already knew what awaited him today: the school routine, the challenges ahead, but also the new shadows that loomed over him since yesterday.
He was waiting for Lia, but she didn't come. Not immediately.
He checked the time, then went into the hallway. The house was quiet. Too quiet.
After a few minutes, he headed toward the front door, thinking she had already left, but that wasn't the case. He furrowed his brows and stepped outside. His gaze instinctively went to the street.
And there, at the end of the path, he saw her.
Lia, all joyful, walking quickly toward him, her hair shining, her smile beaming under the first rays of the sun. She didn't seem disturbed. She walked as if nothing had happened, as if the world around her hadn't changed. As if she hadn't crossed over to death.
Ehito watched her approach, intrigued. A chill ran down his neck, but he remained as calm as ever. Lia reached him quickly, her smile brightening everything around her.
"Ehito! You weren't waiting for me?" she exclaimed, her face radiating joy.
He stared at her for a moment, slightly unsettled. He knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't be sure what was happening. Just moments ago, Lia was no longer there, and now she was, perfectly alive, without any trace of what had happened. He forced himself to smile and responded in a calm but somewhat distant tone:
"No, I wasn't waiting for you. But it's good that you're here." He paused, then added in a light tone: "You seem fine."
Lia smiled at him, an innocent gleam in her eyes. "Of course, I'm always fine! You know nothing stops me." She moved closer to him, brushing his arm, as if nothing had happened. "So, ready for school?"
Ehito nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at him internally. His instincts told him that none of this was normal. But he said nothing, and they started walking together, heading for school in silence.
They walked down the street, making their way toward the school when suddenly, Ehito felt a strange unease. His gaze shifted once again to the horizon, where he spotted two familiar figures. The man. The woman. Still there, apparently waiting, as if fate had positioned them there at this very moment.
They had positioned themselves, as usual, in the shadow of a building, but this time, their presence was even more striking. They didn't seem surprised to see Ehito and Lia approaching. Their gazes were sharp, and their bodies had stiffened into a threatening posture.
Lia, however, noticed nothing. She kept smiling, walking happily beside Ehito. She didn't understand the tension surrounding them.
Ehito clenched his fists, his mind on high alert. He knew the confrontation was inevitable. But Lia had no idea. She didn't see the threat. She was just… her. The innocence that shone through her contrasted sharply with the cold and merciless reality of their world. She turned to look at Ehito and stopped for a moment, meeting his gaze.
"You're so quiet today, Ehito… is everything okay?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
Ehito looked at her for a moment, then turned slightly toward the two assailants. The man and the woman were now less than ten meters away from them. "Everything's fine," he replied, though his eyes didn't leave the figures. He was still calm, but part of him was already preparing for the inevitable battle.
The man took a step forward, his cold, piercing eyes fixed on Ehito and Lia. "You won't escape us this time," he said in a low voice, a smirk curling on his lips. The woman stood behind him, silent, but her gaze revealed all the contempt she felt at that moment.
"Ehito, who are they?" asked Lia, a hint of unease in her voice. But she still didn't understand. She didn't know what they were, or how dangerous they were.
"Nothing more than nuisances," Ehito said curtly, though his mind was already preparing for the fight. "I'll deal with them."
The two assailants advanced further, their intentions clear. Ehito knew there was no turning back. He had to protect Lia at all costs. The moment was suspended. The tension was palpable. But Lia still had no idea of the danger that loomed over them.
Then, suddenly, Tilan appeared, walking with a steady step. "I'm here," he said simply, his cold gaze falling on the two threatening figures. "This time, you have no chance."
The two assailants stopped. The man grimaced before casting one last look at Lia, then at Ehito.
"Not today," he said, before slowly turning away, taking the woman with him.
Ehito stood there, his gaze fixed on them, one last question lingering in his mind. But before he could voice it, Lia turned toward him, her face still glowing with joy.
"Well, what a relief! I knew you knew what to do," she said with a beaming smile.
She had no idea what had just happened, nor the severity of the situation. For her, it seemed just like another step in their day, and soon, they would be back in class.
But for Ehito, the shadows of the past would never disappear. They would remain, clinging to him like ghosts.