Initially, while Yumi ran away she was too afraid to look around. So many terrible things already traumatized her. She didn’t want to see them again. However, the longer she ran with Yuki the more certain she became that things were different. The camp no longer surrounded her, she was certain.

  Everything looked different from what she experienced. She never wao see it again, but at the same time wondered what happened. It was all moving so fast for her. She still tried to catch up with the st moments. Like everything else before, she didn’t uand what happened. It made as little sense as what she saw in the camp.

  All she knew was Yuki held her hand to take her away from all of the terrible things. She thought that she could fight and protect him, but in the end, she was useless. It made her a little sad to think she o keep relying on him. She wao show him the strength he gave her. But Yumi didn’t know what horrors she saw or how it happened. Her mind couldn’t fet them, even though it tried to push them off as nightmares.

  However, ohing bothered her still about the whole situation. It seemed like a small minor issue and sidering what happened, she shouldn’t pin. Yet, she felt it was strange. She needed an ao the question. The uainty kept nagging her until she releo its force.

  Yumi pulled away from Yuki, breaking their grip. She slid back a little, closing up the space she ed by ing her arms up against her chest. “What’s going on, Yuki? Why are you here?” “Huh?” He stopped and turned his head fused. Yuki started to approach her, but she stepped babsp; The fact she looked scared of something made him hold his position. “What are you talking about?”

  Her mind already experienced so many things. The moment she had a ce to feel free from all of the horror her mind started to question things. It seemed too ve for Yuki to appear to save her. She feared he might be another part of her delusion to torment her. Too many things happened already that were impossible.

  Yumi needed some answers. She wao trust Yuki, but things still felt weird to her. “You’re supposed to be with Ayumi and Saki heading to the Capital. Ayumi promised me she’d keep you oh you’re supposed to be on. You shouldn’t be here!”

  Yuki looked away, appearing a bit guilty. He crossed his arms tightly withholding his words for a while. His silence left Yumi hanging on the edge. A fact he uood, but still hesitated on responding. Tilting bai, he fixed eyes with her. “I know I shouldn’t be here. Ayumi’s still pretty mad at me for abandoning it, but when I woke up I couldn’t accept it. Yori’s one of us too. He is one of my friends and I’m not going to leave anyone behind, even if it does ruin other things. Nothing is more important than my friends to me.”

  “But I…you’re…”

  He took a couple cautious steps forward cheg to see how Yumi felt about him. She didn’t back away, giving him some fort. “I had to use my powers to stop Ayumi. Saki was easier to vinbsp; So we turned back around and came back for you. I’m sorry that I arrived so te.”

  It felt genuine, real. She wao believe it. Her heart was already jumping in without a sed thought. Only the images of what she saw before kept her from fully accepting Yuki’s words. It seemed real. Yuki was someohat put his friends before everything.

  Everything made sense. All of the horrible things never happened. Yuki would erase that all for her. She could be happy again. Taking slow steps, Yumi closed the distaween them. Her hand stretched out to his tunic holding the fabriear to his stomabsp; “I’m sorry. Does it hurt?”

  A few moments passed for Yuki to uand her question and apology. He waved his hand dismissing it. “Don’t worry. I’m tough.”

  Yumi looked up at Yuki. Her heart finally stopped pounding. It calmed for the first time sihe weirdness began. “Sorry…”

  “Hey, you don’t o keep apologizing to me.” Yuki patted Yumi on the head. He grinned down at her to reinforce his point.

  It took a bit for Yumi, but she mao return his smile. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 156 – One Sed to Breathe

  With answers settled, they rested for a minute. Things remained fairly quiet between them. It created an awkward mood for Yumi. The night still dragged on reminding Yumi of all of the events. She felt like days passed in all of the fusion. She was just gd it was all over.

  Yumi looked around trying to see through the darkened air. “Where is everyone else? Are they all safe? Where’s my brother?!” By the end of her questions, Yumi found herself leaning in towards Yuki. It made her quietly fall back, a little red in the face.

  Roughing up his hair, Yuki looked a little embarrassed, fetting about them at the moment. He quickly came for Yumi. It left them to deal with everything else. “Right! They’re all helping out the others that went with you to get out. Knowing Seiji, he’s probably having too much fun fighting strong oppos.” A weak ugh came from Yuki, knowing Seiji’s nature too well. “But hopefully Saki will be able to vince him.”

  Nodding in agreement, Yumi found herself ughing a little with him. “You’re probably right.” Sitting with him allowed her tet all of her worries.

  Cutting the light mood a little short, Yuki ged subjects a little. “I’m just gd I was able to get to you in time. I don’t know what I would have done if something happeo you.”

  His words made her hesitate a little. It took her a little bit by surprise to see him w so much about her. She knew he cared about his friends, but the look in his eyes told her his words came from a different pbsp; It started her heart beating again, but not for the same reasons as earlier. Yumi took a deep breath to calm herself. “Th-thank you, Yuki. But you don’t o worry so mubsp; I defend myself.”

  “I know, but still…”

  It was only getting worse for Yumi. She couldn’t calm her body. Her eyes darted away remembering how easily her emotions ran out of trol in front of him. An image of her brother appeared in mind, the ohat protested her i in him the most, even after her friends started to accept Yuki. It immediately ged her thoughts. “Yori! I feel awful! We’re talking and I fot all about the reason for everything I was doing. I have to rescue him still!” Yumi began to stand up.

  Yuki quickly covered the distaween them and grabbed Yumi’s wrist before she got more than a step away. “You don’t o Yumi. It’s fine.”

  She turned her head ba. Her faarrowed a bit in respoo him stopping her. “What are you talking about? He’s my brother! I ’t stand around and do nothing!”

  Shaking his head, Yuki paused to re-evaluate his choice of words. “No, I mean you don’t o do that anymore. We already freed him before we found you.”

  The words excited Yumi. She could see her real brain. It was actually over. She turned her body back to face Yuki. “Where is he? Why isn’t he with you?”

  His hand released her. She had o run away anymore. “Well, he’s still unscious from everything that he endured. I didn’t think that you should see him while he was still out. I thought it might be too hard on you.”

  Disagreeing, Yumi stepped in closer to Yuki. She fixed him with her eyes to show how much it meant to her. “It doesn’t matter if he’s asleep. I want to see him to know that everything’s fine now.”

  “Alright. I’ll take you to see him.” Yuki offered out his hand to Yumi.

  The thought of seeing Yain made her excited. She could see he was no longer alone in a strange nd. It gave her fort, but she still had to see him.

  Once more, the couple entered into silenbsp; Yumi’s ay in seeing her brother kept her still the eime. Oher hand, Yuki sehe atmosphere around Yumi a quiet. He khe importa had for her. There should be o spoil the mood.

  Far from the camp, which was almost entirely dark due to the chaos, they found Yori propped up against a loree. The still look on his face seemed like he was waiting for someoo wake him up. Torn clothes with an untainted body made him look more as if he was homeless rather than tortured. However, none of it mattered to Yumi. She ran up to him, pg a hand on him.

  “Yori…you’re alive…” She could feel the warmth of his body and the pulsing of life. It reassured her. However, wheilted her head up to look at his face, something came over her. A cold touch ran down her spihat she couldn’t escape. Images of the things that the illusions of Yori she witnessed returo her eyes. All of the horror came back strohan ever. She turned away after only a sed.

  The pounding in her heart threateo crack her ribs. She wao flee, but khem to be in her head. No escape ossible. It was only made worse when Yori lowly muttered her name in his sleep. His voice made her skin crawl. Yumi stood up and fled out of the area.

  “Yumi! Wait up!” The suddeion from Yumi fused him. It took him a few moments to fight through what happened. He ran after her, still trying to sort out what made her flee. Once she was in sight again, he called out to her. “Yumi, what’s wrong?”

  Yumi froze hearing Yuki’s voibsp; She didn’t know how far she ran. The images kept fshing through her eyes making it impossible for her to trate on anything. She bent over panting heavily even though she had not run hard. “…won’t…go…away…”

  Walking around in front of Yumi, Yuki rested his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “What won’t go away? Did something bad happen?”

  She pulled her head up to look at Yuki. No thoughts went through her mind wheed, but she knew afterward why she did it. Yumi grabbed on to Yuki because he made her fet about it all before. He was the only thing she had to erase the horrible images from her mind. Once she realized it, she felt guilty using him. However, she couldn’t let go. She just wao feel safe again.

  It took a little bit for her to calm down, but Yuki felt he could ask her again. They sat down in the grass. She still insisted on holding on to him, though not as tightly. “Everything alright now?”

  Yumi turned a little red with embarrassment for her as toward Yuki. She managed a quiod iifled silence.

  “What happened?”

  “…I-I…” Her hands tightened around the bits of Yuki’s tunic for safety. All of the images faded already, but the impression remained. She couldn’t go into details with him, but he deserved an answer. “I remembered something…terrible…”

  “While you were with Yori?”

  “…yes…” A sed ter her body started to shake and her pupils shrank. The realization hit her hard after her words. She uood what it meant. ‘I’m afraid of my own brother!’ Yumi’s mind ran quickly through the implications. She couldn’t believe it at first, but her reas with him told her otherwise. The thought of being scared of him made her body go into a cold sweat. ‘What do I do?!’

  “Yumi? What’s wrong?”

  She looked up at him trying to hold herself together. ‘I ’t say it to him… I ’t…’ Yumi shut her eyes for a moment. Her mind worked to push as much as she could away. She o show Yuki a better fabsp; ‘He’ll keep w about me… I ’t let him…’ It took her a lot of effort, but she managed a small smile and happier appearing fabsp; “It’s nothing! Just a faint memory, but it’s in the past now.”

  Yuki looked a little uain. She still shook a little in his arms. The determined eyes she gave him made him want to know more, but also felt like he should let her have spabsp; He got the feeling he shouldn’t press her. “Okay…I’m here though. For you, you knht? I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you again. I’ll protect you forever!”

  “…Yuki…” Hearing his words made her expression genuine. He kept her safe. Nothing bad would e to her with him around. She knew he would be true to his words. All she o do was stay with him. Yumi rested her head on his shoulder. Her body felt calm again. “…thank you…”

  Suddenly, Yuki pressed against her and knocked her bato the grass. His hands propped himself up keeping him from lying on top of her. A weak grin of embarrassment painted across his lips. Yumi never imagined Yuki being so bold. She felt torweeing and accepting his advances. However, the expression on Yuki’s face ged again. “Yuki?” He looked in pain and his blood dripped from his lips. His hand moved weakly over to Yumi’s face toug her.

  Yumi quickly realized something wrong had happened. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open wanting to scream, but her voice was empty. Horror painted across her face again. She didn’t uand what happeo him. It all happeoo fast, but then she felt a terrible pain iomabsp; Blood entered her throat and an all too familiar feeliuro her. ‘…no…no…NO! Not again!’ She stretched out her hand for Yuki, the st person that made her feel safe. The light of his eyes faded away and she felt her life to follow him.

  Tears dripped down the side of her fabsp; Everything was over. It was all a lie. She couldn’t be safe anywhere. All of the images flood her mind i moments. Again she wao scream, but could not. Her mind overloaded itself at the sight, stopping all movement in her body. The st pieces of her sanity slipped away. She couldn't take it anymore.

  Yumi just wanted nothing.

  Yuki’s body fell on top of her. The st thing she felt was Yuki’s blood soaking into her. The st thing she saw was her brother’s dark face standing over them. And, the st thing she heard was his words. “Now you be together forever,” Yori spoke with ced disdain.

  Yumi disappeared. She was nothing.

  Her body colpsed at the feet of the Atntean boy. He looked down at her, not surprised by any of it. It all went as he pnned. “That took a little lohan I expected, but the result is still the same. The Captain should be pleased to have another one caught.” The boy started pulling e metal cuffs with special inscriptions carved through the surfabsp; “He should grant me another visit with this reward.”

  The boy bent down to bind Yumi, but a new wind suddenly burst from her. A reddish glow tinted her skin. It made the boy take a step back cautiously. “I thought I knocked her out. She shouldn’t have any more will.”

  Yumi’s body stood up, but held still. It had fluid movements as though in trol. She didn’t appear to be reag by impulse or instinbsp; However, her eyes remained closed and her head tilted down darkening her fa shadow. The wind gathered up some of the hue ing from Yumi painting the enviro an unusual red pigment.

  The Atntean stepped forward with his Field still active. He raised his hand up to her forehead again. If she could stand, he o finish his job. However, her hand grabbed him by the wrist before he could get close enough. “What?!”

  Her head pulled back bringing light to her fabsp; A harsh and sharply carved feature covered her fabsp; Yumi was the same, but looked pletely different from before. She opened her eyes revealing them to be light blue rather than the usual medium brown. “You made a mistake puttio sleep. I’m not so kind as her…”

  A stream of blood rose into the air. The blood paihe boy’s fa shock as his eyes widened. “How is…this possible…”