Chapter 11- Maggots
###'s POV:
A deep darkness surrounds me. The darkness is so thick that I can't understand what's happening. Even if I can move, I don't feel like I'm moving. The more I walk, the more lost I feel. A terrible anxiety grips my mind as I try to find something to point me in.
- Is anyone here?
Despite my calling, the echo is the only thing that gives me an answer.
- IS ANYONE HERE?
The echo echoes back to me. The coldness of the ground and the lack of wind make my skin crawl. A deep tightness in my chest fills me as I finally fall to the ground. I squeeze my chest as I try to compose myself. A powerful urge to cry burrows into my chest. I curl up into myself, trying to ease the pressure on my heart.
"I must... stay strong."
I quickly get back up, wiping away the few tears I can't hold back. I quickly look ahead while trying to stay positive. I ignore the loneliness and focus on moving forward. I continue walking in this space for what seems like days, minutes, and seconds, listening for any sound that might appear. I strain my eyes, ears, and nose to receive any sign that I'm not alone in this space, but I detect nothing. After an indefinite amount of time that could be years, months, or just days, the fear and loneliness are finally unbearable.
- IS ANYONE HERE? PLEASE! Whoever it is... I don't want to be alone.
I manage to spit out those words as I collapse back onto the ground. Even though I'm not hungry or tired, I feel like I'm unable to take another step. The thought of this space returning to me makes the feeling of loneliness grow stronger. I sit on the ground while hugging my knees.
"Little one."
A small voice suddenly makes me jerk my head up. The voice in my head is so familiar that I practically jump out of my seat to face the familiar light.
- Vulk!
To my surprise, what I find in front of me isn't a small, crimson light, but a beautiful, red-haired woman. Despite appearing young, her gentle, motherly gaze gives her a small hint of authority. Her hair, which seems to be on fire, stands out with her aura, making it even more resplendent. I freeze in place as the woman's gaze falls on me and she smiles.
"I suppose the little one should be around this height?... Never mind."
Shaking her head as if shaking off a nagging doubt, the woman smiles again and looks slightly over my head.
"Little ####, I am Vulk, your favorite elder spirit and best friend."
She proudly places a hand on her chest, highlighting her curves, which are wrapped in something resembling a sheet.
- Vulk? Why do you look-
Before I could continue, Vulk extends her hand forward, which she lightly passes over my head.
"Listen, little one, I know you have too many questions right now, and I would love to answer them all, but I can't. What you're looking at is just a projection I'm making from my seal in the heavens."
- Seal?
I didn't understand what Vulk was talking about, but despite my doubts, she continued.
"Ummmm… To put it simply, you're talking to a Vulk from the past right now. The Vulk from the past is doing a monologue so you can understand the situation and… do me a favor."
- Monologue…?
The words I didn't understand simply increased the more she spoke, but she ignored it all and continued.
"Listen to me, little one. I need you to help me protect little Erick for me."
Her sad look only helped to accentuate the sadness in her words. Surprise leaves me speechless as she looks over my head with some sadness.
"Right now, due to certain circumstances, I have had to leave the adventure we were on. So, from now on, you will continue your journey with a different spirit, one that will not be me."
Her words strike me with profound shock. Confusion only makes me look at Vulk in disbelief. Ignoring my surprise, Vulk continues.
"…I know this may seem sudden to you… The truth is, not even I have been able to fully process it. But I don't regret my decision. If this helps me defend little Erick, then I will gladly accept my punishment. So, little one, I have a request to make of you."
Vulk suddenly kneels, his face inches from mine. His affectionate gaze bathes me as he looks at me.
"Please comfort little Erick.... That boy is too kind and naive for his own good. He's blaming himself for what happened in the carriage, and he might blame himself for my disappearance, too."
Vulk gently places his hand a foot above my head and makes a patting motion.
"I would like to ask you not to leave him alone. Make sure he never regrets starting our journey. After all, he has done many things for the good of this world, and I am sure he will be a key person for what is to come."
Casting a tender, warm gaze with a hint of sadness, Vulk stands up and looks back over my head with some regret.
"And also… I have to apologize to you, little one. You may not feel it now, but when I rescued you both from the collapse, half of your body was severely burned."
At her words, I quickly look back at my limbs, but they are completely intact. I sigh in relief as Vulk continues speaking.
"Thanks to your sacrifice, little Erick is alive. Even if it's not much, I am truly grateful to you. Even if this is weak, my blessing should allow you to use a bit of my power. I hope you can put it to some use."
She bows elegantly as she looks at me, filled with regret.
"I really do hope this isn't our last meeting… No, I'm sure we'll see each other again, little one, so please take care of little Erick until we meet again. I have complete confidence that you'll make it and give me excellent news the next time we meet."
As she finishes that sentence, the world around us resonates in response. Sounds of something enormous cracking spread throughout the room. Startled, I look in all directions only to see huge fissures appear.
"I wish we could talk a little longer, but my power is quite limited. This is the most I can tell you."
The cracks shatter, revealing a dazzling light from the openings as the darkness surrounding me slowly fades.
"See you, my little ###, see you later… Oh, that's right. Please also excuse me for the late message. I don't know how long you were drifting in this space, so I hope it wasn't too long."
With tears in her eyes, Vulk herself begins to crack, just like the space we were standing in. When I reach out my hand to Vulk, I fall into the glittering void before my consciousness fades.
.....
"Something wet…"
A sudden tapping on my forehead brings my consciousness back to reality. When I open my eyes, another small drop of water falls into my eye, forcing me to sit up. The strange sensation of water in my eye causes it to start watering. When I try to wipe the tear away with my hand, an intense burning sensation stops me. The burning is so powerful that I can barely suppress the urge to scream in pain. Upon closer inspection, a makeshift bandage can be seen wrapped around my entire body, from which painful-looking blisters and wounds can be seen. Simply attempting to move my head only makes the burning pain in my neck worse.
- I can't see anything on my right side…
My right eye didn't seem to function at all. Furthermore, the burning pain in my hand and leg made it impossible to use them without pain. Despite the pain, I carefully looked around only to find Erick lying next to me. Before I could even think about it, my body moved to his side.
- Erick! Are you okay?
- …
He didn't answer my call. Panicking, I began checking his body for signs of safety. After a quick check, I noticed his forehead had some bruises along with a few scratches.
- This doesn't seem too serious.
I continued searching for any irregularities on his body when I came across a heartbreakingly bad one.
- His arm!
His right arm was in tatters. I quickly removed the armor that went on his forearm to see what condition it was in. His joints were completely inverted, while there were huge bruises on his fist and elbow.
- Just… what the hell did you do?
Realizing I need some stable twigs to reposition his arm, I struggle to my feet and head toward the nearby trees. Fortunately, I find a branch of adequate thickness among the bushes not far away. As I start to make my way back, my right leg gives out and I fall face first into the ground. The burning sensation has been unbearable for a moment, but I ignore the pain and run back to Erick.
- Good thing I didn't lose my bag.
Although the strap holding it was completely useless, my bag of medicines was still intact where I stood up. I quickly grab some heavy-duty bandages and place them under his injured arm.
- I just need to reposition this...
I take his arm in my hands and with all the strength I can muster, I try to twist it to the right side. Despite my efforts, the arm wouldn't fit. The harder I tried, the more pain surged through my torso and leg. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I only strengthened my resolve.
- You have to be strong... You promised Vulk!
With a jerk, applying my weight to it, I manage to straighten his arm with a loud crack. Due to the force I used, I roll a little on the ground after falling. The burning and pain become more intense. I almost lose consciousness from the pain, but the raindrops prevented me from fainting. With unsteady steps, I walk back to Erick to secure his arm with the bandage and properly brace it with the stick. After managing to reposition his arm, I take some ointment from my bag and carefully apply it to his forehead and arm. Finally, I lean back against the tree, proud of my work. I slowly crawl back to my original spot, where I lean against the tree, making sure my right side is free.
- I can't take it anymore...
I look down at the bandages on me to find they are in very poor condition. Most of them are starting to rot over my wounds.
- I have to change the bandages... if I don't... maggots will grow...
Despite my wishes, my body no longer listened to me. My limbs simply refused to move.
- I guess I will... when I wake up...
Before I could finish, my consciousness faded back into darkness.