The Villain saving the Hero

Sarien can only sigh in exasperation when he received the new location of their rendezvous through a message instead of a call. The fool even made a lengthy non-sense before indicating the name of the building in the end. He fathoms that this is the buffoon's petty way of getting back at him. Now he can only wait once more for the signal to let the pedestrians cross.

[ That jerk should be thankful it is his birthday today.] He scolded.

If it were any other day, he'll make sure to give him a proper beating. But just for today, he'll let it slide. He doesn't mind the abrupt change either since it's near the previously agreed place. The establishment is just a block away, thus he decided to walk instead.

" Excuse me."

A pleasant voice immediately hooked Sarien's gaze away from the stoplight. He bowed slightly to glance at the person who approached him.

A pair of pristine blue eyes captivated his. The young lady is smiling sweetly as she spoke of something that he couldn't quite grasp. Then she took another step forward bringing about the sharp contrast between their heights. Such proximity enabled him to appreciate her vibrant orbs and her impeccable face. For a moment, he thought he's in the presence of a fairy.

" Hello? "

" I was asking what time it is?"

She tilted her head still waiting for his response.

( Yo Halfsie, this person seems to be broken.)

( Am I speaking the language of God's so he can't understand me?)

Eve gossiped with the furball all the while maintaining the innocent look plastered on her face. She has already asked twice yet this leading man still won't answer. Such a lack of response made her reflect if they have communication barriers.

( Host, I'm certain he knows this language.)

Halfsie, on the other hand, was guessing if the poor guy suffered from heatstroke after waiting under the sun. It blamed the host a little for taking too long to decide.

While waiting for the young man to reply, Eve asked the furball once again.

( How long until the car crashes here?)

( Ten more seconds, host.)

Halfsie is also getting anxious. The accident is about to happen but the host did not show any signs of taking the hero away for safety.

[ Dude, you better cooperate. I'm running out of screen time here.]

Eve admonished the hero in her mind. Originally, she planned to introduce her name and so on but the hero was stuck watching her face. She felt annoyed. A one-man show is not her thing either hence, she decided to stand still and wait for the highlight of today's show.

Her scrunching brows immediately woke Sarien from his reverie. He felt bewitched by this person. Such an experience has not happened to him before.

Recalling her request, he then raised his wrist to check for the time. When he returned his gaze to answer, her horrified expression greeted him instead. Before he could turn his head to check what frightened the other, he was shoved so hard that it sent him a few meters away. What followed was a loud screeching noise, people screaming and the very distinct sound of bodies hitting against a metallic form.

In that instant, Sarien's senses seemed to have stopped. The cries for help and people shouting for an ambulance cannot even reach him. He cannot even feel the pain of his scarped limbs nor his swollen elbows. All he can think of was the person who has pushed him to safety.

He almost ran towards the car that rammed up the wall of the coffee shop. Subconsciously, he started searching for her on the other side of the vehicle. His eyes quickly scanned the handful of people lying on the ground. Some were unconscious and some were groaning in pain. Amidst the hysteria, concerned individuals have started approaching the victims.

When he finally saw her, he halted as if afraid of confronting a certain possibility.

[ Is she dead?]

That heart-wrenching thought cannot help but pop in his head.

Sarien peeled his eyes open at her body lying still on the concrete floor, hoping for a movement that can prove him otherwise. He started walking in small steps that turned into huge strides followed immediately by a dash. Seeing her badly injured body up close, he trembled. He kneeled before her and cautiously moved the hair covering her face. Her bleeding forehead made him hurriedly took out his handkerchief and applied pressure on it. He also mustered the courage to feel the pulse on her neck with his other hand.

When he felt a faint pounding sensation against his fingertips, he immediately released a sigh of relief.

[ She's alive.]

That's the only thing he's capable of thinking at that moment.

Sarien has never felt so grateful as he is now. He wanted to further check on her injuries but was afraid it could aggravate them even more. Hence, he decided to stay as he is while waiting and hoping for the ambulance to arrive as soon as possible.

He can not help but linger on her face as he adjusted his hand weighing down against the lesion. Her azure eyes are now out of sight. Her flawless face is now grazed and her forehead stained and still oozing with blood.

The alluring girl that asked him just a few seconds ago now lies unconscious in front of him. She appears extremely fragile as if she'll break and vanish at any moment. The possibility of her death continuously shrouds him that he cannot stop shivering.

This young girl is the stranger that chose to save him instead of running for her safety. Now she is dying in his stead and he can only watch her struggle for her life. He cannot help but blame himself. He even wished to turn back the time just to reverse their roles. For the first time in his sixteen years of life, Sarien prayed for a miracle, a miracle to save her life.

Just a few steps away, someone has been watching the show with an apathetic mood. Her chin is supported by her palm while her legs are parallel crossed as she sat on the café's outdoor chair. Her aureate eyes have not left the distraught young man who has been tending to the heavily injured person. However, her eyes are dull and empty. It cannot be determined if she is looking at them or through them.

[ How ironic.] She mused.

In the last life, she died due to a vehicular accident. Now, she even calculated the right angle to welcome the out-of-control car. She can't help but commend that life truly works in mysterious ways.

Such an experience is truly absurd that it makes her want to laugh.

( That was intense! )

A childish voice broke the silence and kept spouting its comments. Eve, on the other hand, remained silent as she scrutinizes the spectacle up ahead.

( Host, check it out! The hero is crying.)

Hearing the furball's remark, Eve then focused on Sarien.

In reality, the teenager was not crying but his eyes are indeed dewy. Eve wonders if witnessing such an accident was too much for him and could be traumatized. He is still young and a pampered master to boot after all. Where can he be exposed to such a situation? Still, recalling that he is the hero of this world, she concluded that he should be okay. Heroes undergo brutal life experiences anyway just to toughen them up.

As for her, she only feels a little irritated especially when watching the motionless girl on the ground. This stunt, she had planned herself yet the scene is starting to remind her of her past. Eve is vexed by the situation but is most annoyed by her reaction. Nevertheless, she reminded herself that it's all in the past. She is now free from that unending nightmare. With that thought, Eve tried to compose herself.

[ I'm not dead yet Mr. Hero so don't weep for me.]

Her gaze became complicated.

Eve is truly conflicted by this kind of drama. Even so, she wanted to push through to get over such a "hurdle" that may restrict her in the future. She's very well aware of the more messed up means she'll have to perform to survive this perilous journey. That's why she is resolved to face such a similar circumstance and rid herself of such a knot.

Eve continued to watch frigidly while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. She just wanted to get over this episode and continue her modus operandi.

Sarien, on the contrary, can't control his welling emotions and started to shed tears. His shaking fingers gently stroked the young girl's face who's breathing became weaker by the minute.

" Please, don't die."

He whispered ever so softly yet was still heard by someone who stiffened in her seat.

The distraught appearance, the tears, and the desperate plea triggered something within Eve. Her thoughts became disarrayed as different images continuously flashed in her mind. The past and the present seem to overlap as she glared at the young woman dying in front of her. Images of her being soaked in blood lying alone on the ground, being watched by her annoyed brother, and being mocked by gossipmongers. Even her deaths in other previous lives kept showing up. They obviously perished in different ways yet all of them share a single similarity- they have all died helpless and alone.

No one helped them. No one mourned for them. No one asked them to stay.

They were all forsaken to die a lonesome death.

No, she was destined to be deserted and isolated, driven to a pathetic death.

She suddenly stood up and asked.

[ Is that me? ]

[Am I dying all over again?]

The increasing confusion made her question if the person in front of her was in truth another her.

Halfsie was horrified when it noticed Eve who seemed lost in her thoughts was in actuality gazing intently at the injured host body. The glow of her eyes is particularly intense and her suffocating aura started to leak. It continuously called her name but to no avail.

The petrified system guide could only watch Eve move step by step towards her vessel.

At the same time in Eve's mind, the unwanted thoughts that kept brewing relentlessly was overcome by a voice whispering;

" No need for other's help, I will do it myself."

" No need for someone to mourn, I won't need that kind of sympathy."

" No need for someone to stay, I've been used to being solitary ."

" No need to die alone because I'll make damn sure to take you all with me."

Such madness started to consume her every bit of self-restraint. The evil thoughts that have taken root in her heart unraveled, extricating her shackled distorted self.

( It feels so liberating.)

She mumbled as she glanced at "herself" on the ground. She narrowed her eyes and preached,

[ You can't die.]

[ We haven't destroyed all of them yet.]

When her hand was about to reach the dying girl, a voice rang in her ears.

" Please don't die. I'm begging you."

Sarien beseeched the woman in his arms. Her breathing was already weak and now blood started to drip from her mouth. He feels hopeless and very powerless. He can't do anything but watch her ebb away. The extreme frustration made him howl in anguish.

A miserable cry awoke Eve.

When she opened her eyes again, it returned to the young man almost hugging her body, imploring her to hold on.

[ What am I doing?]

Eve retracted her hand and reflected on the fact that she had almost lost control.

( Host! Host! Are you back?)

( What happened to you?)

( You scared me.)

Halfsie's voice continued to reverberate in her mind.

Eve went back to her seat as if nothing happened. In her mind, however, she continuously mulled over the slip of consciousness that has occurred. The satisfaction earlier felt so damn good that it tempted her to never look back. She scowled. She was extremely annoyed about losing her sense of control.

Halfsie immediately zipped it's imaginary mouth when it saw the host's expression. This is the first time the furry ball saw a frown on her face.

( When will the ambulance arrive?)

( You said the host body will not perish while I'm here, but it's clearly about to expire.)

Her sentences were filled with a freezing chill that Halfsie was left flabbergasted on how to answer.

How could it tell the host that her soul was fluctuating terribly, it thought the connection between her and the host body will be severed?

Nonetheless, it concentrated on the first question and decided to minimize its presence.

( Any moment now, host.)

Halfsie softly replied.

As if supporting the furball's answer, the sound of an emergency siren filled the air.

( Let's go.)

Eve said and went towards the vehicle. She didn't even spare a glance towards the hero and her vessel.