Chapter 11: Life Will never be the Same

I'm in so much pain. I hold my head and sit up-right. I feel like I was going to pass out "So you are finally awake." It was the familiar voice. Sensei? Jack! I turned to the voice and now he was in a wheelchair rolling himself in. I tried to turn myself as much as I could.

"Sensei? What happened? Where is Katy? Why am I not dead? What happened to you?" I started to panic.

"Shut it." Jack takes a deep breath in, "I'm sorry to tell you but the battle didn't end well. We lost majorly and the school is now destroyed."

"What… w-well what about Katy? where is she?"

"She's dead."

I shook my head from side to side. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and I didn't want that to be the truth, "No you are lying to me. She can't be dead." I started to cry. "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" I'm panicking.

"I'm sorry."

"HOW? She was strong enough to beat every demon out there. How are you telling me she died? I'm sure she is safe somewhere. This can't be real."

Then Jack started to explain, "She didn't survive because of you."

There was a pause.

"I-I-I don't understand."

"Katy used a forbidden spell to keep you alive, but she knew the cost and that was her own."

"What?"

"It's a spell called the Forbidden Rescue. It allows the receiver to be revived and healthy but for the giver... it would be their death. They will meet their end. How it usually works is let's say my friend loses an arm so I would use the spell to give him an arm that would be made out of dragon gold. But in return, I lose my arm."

"So if I remember correctly from what happened during the battle. A big guy stabbed right into my chest. At my heart. And you are telling me that... Katy... gave up her heart to me."

"Precisely."

I started to cry. Face full of tears. I didn't know what to say. I placed my hand on my chest to only feel it beating as a normal heart would. This was Katy's heart and I am over here on the bed, curled up, knees to my chest, in a sit-up position. Crying over the fact that I have her heart and it was because of me. Her heart is now in my body but I didn't want this. I did not want this to happen. I even remember my dog Haruto who was at the university. I thought he would be safe there. I don't know if the dog met his doom or was somehow able to escape in time. I lost the two most important things in my life. All I have is a beating heart. I wish I could just take it out of me and hug it but all I can do is grasp my chest.

Jack suddenly said, "Now it's been a year and we are unable to do anything at this point."

"A YEAR!?! I checked my hair and I seem to have grown this ponytail down to the bottom of my chest. My bangs seem to cover my eyes more. And I have a full-grown beard.

I requested Jack, "I need… some time alone… please."

"You sure?"

I shook my head gently and Jack proceeded to roll himself out of the room and closed the door. All I was doing was crying. I couldn't eat, drink, or do anything. No matter the dishes they gave me, I couldn't bring myself to drink a sip of water. I felt horrible. I even tried to get up and go to the bathroom. I tried to walk but I seem to forget how to walk. My legs weren't able to hold my body anymore. I was holding onto the wall and my head felt so dizzy. My eyes would grow dark tunnel vision for the entire time I stood up. When I finally got to the bathroom, I placed my hand on the sink and looked at the mirror. I had dark circle eyes and a scrunchie beard. My hair was a mess and my face was a mess. I turned the knob and put my hands together to form a cup and started to wash my face. I wanted to leave and never bother this family ever again for what I did. I began to walk to the door but I bumped into a similar-looking beautiful girl.

"K-KATY!!!" I hugged her tight to my surprise. I began to cry again with her still in my arms, "Oh my God they told me you were dead and your dad told me this and-" I pulled back out of the hug to see her face but something looked a bit different. There are no dimples on her face and she has shorter hair than usual.

She pushed me and started to scream, "YOU MONSTER! My sister died because of you and you dare look into my eyes?"

I could barely stand up and all of a sudden she was attacking me and crying. I fell on the floor and she was still screaming. All I could do was pull up my arms to defend myself as much as I could. Jack came in.

"Let go of him. Can't you see he's more dead than alive?"

The girl responded, "I wish he was actually dead. He took my sister away from me. She was the most precious thing to me and this man took her away from me. HE KILLED HER! SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF HIM!"

She's right. How can I deny it? I am starting to remember what happened after I passed out into that coma. It was all my fault no matter how you look at it. I only wanted to fight by her side and make sure she lived. But in the end, I took her life. Just hearing this hurts me. I felt guilty and it felt like my own daggers were stabbing me deeper and deeper. I couldn't feel my heart anymore. My heart was going so fast it wasn't beating in a rhythm anymore. I passed out again. Only to find myself on the bed again with Jack next to me and the same girl crying. Tears all over her cheeks like Katy during the battlefield but full of hate.

Jack held up a finger to his mouth toward his other daughter.

He asked me, "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head and Nina got more frustrated to the point that she walked out.

Jack sighed, "Please excuse her-"

I interrupted, "No, no… I get it. She's not wrong, she has all the right to be mad."

Jack continued, "That's Nina and she is Katy's twin sister. Katy's death had really taken a major effect on her stability."

"Oh her name is Nina."

Jack then offered, "Rest for the night and we'll talk tomorrow."

I nodded my head. Even after being in a coma for a year, walking that distance felt like I was carrying a building. My body grew sore. I saw Jack leave the room and I just looked around. Thinking. I didn't know Katy had a twin sister. Right next to me was a window and the moon was out. There were a few clouds that tried to block the moon. Though it seemed the moon's light was able to go through the cloud's attempt to cover the moon. It only made it more mesmerizing. I just stared at the dark, obsidian, night sky. I didn't have anything else to look at and I didn't want to think of anything. I didn't want to start crying again. I just wanted some peace and quiet. Though it didn't seem to last long as my head started to go through the events of what happened during the fight. I took the bedsheet and covered myself. I closed my eyes and then I started to hear screaming. The screaming was only getting louder and louder so I popped out of the bedsheet to look around my surroundings. I don't know what is going on in my head but these screams are just not normal. I tried to sleep again, only this time, I thought of Katy watching over me. I suddenly didn't feel lonely but that feeling of loneliness was just mixed into me. I hugged the pillow as a way to remember myself hugging Katy during our night and it helped me go to sleep.

I woke up and the room was lit up from the sunshine only. I smelled some chicken from downstairs and that's when my stomach hit. I got out of bed like normal. I walked a few steps and remembered that I wasn't able to walk like this yesterday. I slowly went down the stairs as my knees were sort of weak. I got downstairs and went to the living room dining table. I stayed silent and shy. Walking has become a new tough challenge for me.

Katy's mom called out, "Oh Shadow, good morning."

"Good morning... Mrs. Rose." I was hesitant.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Uncertain, I said, "Y-yes… please."

She brought me some chicken, eggs, and bacon. I ate it all in a minute and I wanted more, so much more. She also gave me a big salad bowl and I started to eat it.

"Take it easy, young man. I know you haven't eaten in a while. I was getting worried but this isn't healthy for you either if you eat too quickly."

I slowed down for her.

"My name is Linda. I'm Katy's mother."

"Nice to meet you, Linda." She was very sweet. I couldn't hold it back so I said it out loud, "You are very sweet." Some tears started to fall out.

Linda put everything down. She stopped her cooking and cleaning, went up to me to pull up a chair to sit next to me. I stopped eating and I put the fork down but I did not realize she was coming to me. I was embraced with a warm hug and a warm light. I felt so soft at the moment. I went completely limp and hugged Katy's mother. I just felt right. Linda let go and held my shoulder, having a smile on her face. She had the perfect blond hair and blue eyes look but I couldn't look at it. The guilt for being able to see that face is too much. How can I see that face when I am responsible for the loss of her child. And that child can't see her mother's face anymore. Nor can she see her child again. The thoughts kept coming and the guilt kept on adding up. But she was doing her best to calm me down. I ate what was left on my plate.

Linda didn't even say anything or ask any questions. She replaced my plate with another one except with more food and I took it upon myself to eat it all. I couldn't stop eating. I was vacuuming the entire plate. I said thank you and gave my plate to her. I went upstairs again to the bedroom I was sleeping in initially. As I was walking, I found a room that looked like Katy's bedroom. I knew because the door was slightly open and had a sign inside that said Katy Rose. I opened the door more and examined the room as I walked inside. The aroma in the room smelled like her. I checked a corner and found her katana standing there alone. Not being held anymore. I took the sword and found her bed to sit down on. As soon as I sat down on the bed I remembered the first day we met. How she approached me. The way she moved. The nights we had together. The movies we watched, the studying sessions, and the tournament. Especially our late-night talks and all-day hugging. How we synced so well during that initial fight of the final. Then we celebrated our victory together lifting up that trophy. We thought our names would forever be on that board but now it is all destroyed. Even the life I swore to protect is now destroyed. I laid down on the bed and curled into a ball. I held onto the katana and started to hug it tight. I couldn't take this anymore. I broke into pieces. Her death is my worst nightmare. Now! This worst nightmare is reality and I feel like I am walking through hell. I don't even feel alive. My entire aspirations, inspirations, and motivation has left my soul. And I am only sinking deeper into an endless bottomless hole.

The agony I was going through. The harsh torment and torture just to see this. I couldn't think. I couldn't relax. Broken into a million pieces. My body started to heat up drastically but it wasn't a sickness. Instead of feeling weight, I felt like I was being lifted. The energy inside me grew but it wasn't innocent energy. The aura around me was like no other. Darkish black and purple aura. Flowing everywhere in my body. I went to check a mirror and all I see is a crying face with so much anger. I had this energy all around me flowing through my arms and legs. My eyes were even starting to turn from blazing gold to bright purple. I was in this stage of rage. Any second and I will destroy everything in my path until I run out of energy. I started to grip onto the sword tight and a bright burning light appeared. It blasted its energy which threw me off balance and I hit the wall hard. A loud bang was heard around the entire house and Nina came running in to check on it.

Nina shouted, "What are you doing in her room!"

I was barely conscious of saying anything. I tried to look at her. She was shocked when she looked into my eyes. I ignored her and pushed her out of the way to get out of Katy's room.

Then Nina yelled, "I knew it." She grabbed her bow and pulled out an arrow. "I'm going to kill you, monster."

"Do it! Let me have it. Make my death quick."

Nina was in full rage and started to pull on the bow, ready to fire. Once she took aim, ready to fire, she screamed, "DIE!!!"

She fired the arrow and I raised my hands to the side to let it go straight for me. Without any fear of death or anything. Just want to see the end and not live this life. But the arrows were disintegrating with a golden barrier appearing in front of me. I felt my heart using its own energy to protect me from incoming attacks. Nina started screaming throughout the whole house "I HATE YOU!" I looked up and didn't know what was going on. The arrows seem to disappear once they get too close in front of me. I was seeing more arrows being shot and the barrier still protecting me. Long enough for Nina's mother, Linda, to show up and see what was going on.

"Leave… Him… Alone!!!" She snapped her fingers. At that point, all the magic was gone. The barrier was down but so was Nina's ammo to fire more arrows. It even helped me calm down and I was not in any rage. Linda was hugging Nina from behind and holding her back.