Annia
I tried to get up and put my foot down as quickly as I could. The aftershocks were getting so close that I didn't have time to gauge the pain coursing through me.
I ran for the road, but with each step, a whiplash stung my right foot.
I tried to turn around to see how close they were coming behind me, but it wasn't necessary. A hand wrapped around my torso, pulling me with it.
"Shhh, calm down," he whispered near my ear.
I was crawling toward the trees that lined the road when something inside me woke up, something wasn't right. The serenity of that voice was nothing like Black's.
He never whispers tenderly. Even in his most restrained moments, his tone was harsh, cold... inexplicably dominant. This was different. Alien.
With the faith that I wasn't mistaken, the impulse sprouted, and I threw my head back forcefully, impacting with the forehead of the one holding me.
His annoyance was immediate.
A guttural growl emerged from his throat. As I turned around, his features began to distort. He was back to what he truly was: a shadow covered in dark, throbbing veins, with an elongated, triangular head reminiscent of a demonic cattle beast. His yellow eyes flashed with hatred.
My feet stumbled backward as Black emerged from the trees, ramming his sword through the creature's torso. It writhed, letting out a spectral shriek as greenish smoke billowed from its body, leaving only ash.
Black looked up at me. He approached silently and took my face in his hands, pressing my chin firmly against my chest, as if to force me to remain conscious.
"Are you okay?"
His high-pitched voice and the way my body recognized him surprised me; my heart was about to leap out of my chest.
I nodded gently, unable to utter a word. My body was shaking. I felt my muscles vibrate, my breathing slow, as if I were trapped between two worlds: panic and clarity.
A sharp pain shot through my side, as if someone were pressing against my ribs until they wanted to break. Black caught me just as I was about to collapse.
"No, don't fall asleep. Hang in there," he said, tapping my cheeks. His voice wasn't pleading, it was commanding.
He gently placed me on the ground and ran toward one of the creatures. It tried to attack, but it was more adept at attacking me and evaded the attack with unnatural skill.
They were so angry that with every attack I attempted, the creatures attacked with renewed violence.
Black's body was cut several times, bleeding, and staggering, but he didn't give up until his sword pierced the farthest creature. As soon as it vanished, my body seemed to release a lump, and I could breathe more easily.
The remaining creature roared mightily, reaching out with one of its arms to grab Black by his neck, lifting him into the air. His sword fell heavily to the ground as he writhed, losing color with each passing second. His face twisted in pain, completely exposed and heartbreaking.
I couldn't stay there; I couldn't let him die.
I propelled myself with what little balance I had, staggering to the sword. My fingers brushed the hilt, and as I grasped it, an electric shock shot through my arms as if the metal was feeding something inside me. Small blue lightning bolts emerged from the sword, sparking violently.
My breathing became erratic.
The monster turned its head toward me, surprised. I gave an instinctive cry and ran, swinging the sword with both hands until it sank into the creature's torso just where I'd seen Black do it.
There was no smoke, no faintness. It was a brief burst of blue energy, as if the beast had been destroyed from within.
My chest heaved violently. My hands were still vibrating with electricity. I fell to my knees. Black reached over to steady me.
"Since when can you do that?" he asked, his voice hoarse and choked.
I shook my head gently. I didn't know. I didn't even know how I'd managed to lift the sword.
Black scooped me up without waiting for an answer, starting to walk through the trees as if I weighed no more than a feather.
"We should stop for a moment," he commented when I couldn't hide my gasp of pain.
He gently set me down on the ground. He knelt before me and carefully removed my shoe to examine my right foot.
His face made strange faces as he felt around my ankle.
"It's dislocated."
He took a breath. "This is going to hurt. Just a second."
Without giving me time to process it, he applied firm pressure with both hands and the bone popped back into place. I screamed, gritting my teeth, but the relief came almost immediately.
"Hold on a bit of weight."
I tried. My foot held. It was painful, but no longer unstable.
"Better," I whispered. "I think we should keep going. We still have a ways to go."
I took a few steps forward.
I stopped when I felt his arm grab my legs and lift me up again.
"It's better to be safe than sorry. You shouldn't strain your ankle," he added, and resumed walking.
The walk was silent. He looked straight ahead, but occasionally his eyes strayed toward me.
We reached the edge of the main road. Lucia's house wasn't far away. I could see the lights on in the distance.
Black slowly let go of me, helping me stand. I wanted to thank him, but the words didn't come.
He stopped. He looked at me seriously, as if he still needed to confirm something in me.
I didn't think about it.
I just moved closer. I placed my hand on his chest, right where the heat still vibrated from the walk.
I leaned on the balls of my feet until my lips met his. A gentle pressure at first. But he didn't move away. Instead, his arms reached for my waist, not to separate me, but to bring me closer.
It was all it took to give my lips movement, allowing his tongue to brush against mine.
The sensation I experienced the moment our tongues touched was definitely out of this world. No one can feel that way from a kiss.
I brought my arms to his neck, wrapping them possessively around him, my hands running down his neck until I tugged at his white locks.
We broke apart, our breathing ragged.
His lips were swollen and red.
Our hands still held us together.
He squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that I saw the moment he regretted answering me.
"This isn't right." "I shouldn't. Not with you."
I raised an eyebrow, almost annoyed by his tone. I pulled away slightly, turning away so I wouldn't meet his gaze.
"It was just an impulse," I said nonchalantly, though I wasn't sure how much truth there was to that. "I guess adrenaline plays tricks on us."
And then I wondered why I did it. Because I put us in this situation.
He didn't answer. I glanced at him with a faint smile, more tired than amused.
"Forget it, Black. It doesn't have to mean anything."
He nodded faintly, but that shadow that crossed his face told me that, to both of us, it meant everything. Even if neither of us knew why yet.