Adventures with Von

[21]

LIGHT AFTER THE TUNNEL
(Part II)

"Just kill me and everything will be over", the woman dressed in red robe whispered to his ears. Esperanza immediately jumped away from the woman.

The woman stared at him in pain and was disappointed. "----, nothing good will come if you let me live!" The girl called him by his real name.

Esperanza shook his head then look down at the knife that he waw holding. "Please... Don't let me do this..." He begged while crying.

The woman smiled wryly, "But, you have to. It's either you die or you kill me"

Esperanza got stunned. He look down at his knife again. His hands was shaking as he raised it.

"Yes, that's it. Now point that knife in me then stab me. It's that simple" The woman said as she guided him.

The woman realizes that the young man was still reluctant and she figured it out that their time was running out. She sighed as she draw her gun. She pointed it at him. She unhesitatingly shooted at Esperanza at his chest.

Esperanza looked at her in disbelief as he coughed some blood. He knew, he's gonna die that time.

"This is your choice, boy. I told you to kill me. Now, it's time to look for---" before the Woman finished of her sentence, Esperanza throwed the knife at her.

The tears continued to flow at his cheeks as he saw her fell on her knees. She was smiling at him as if she was proud at his kid for doing a good job in an assignment. He finally decided to listened to her advice!

"Live well, boy" she said in a low voice that couldn't almost be heard. After her final words, she took out the knife that perfectly stabbed at her chest, then stab herself deeper in order to fasten her death.

Esperanza wanted to come near her but she was too far away. He doesn't have any strength to go near her anymore. He wants to hug her and ask for her forgiveness. He wants to return in time when he doesn't figured out who she is.

But he was still in deep pain brought by the bullet on his chest and the mental breakdown he experienced. It seems like he's about to faint and die but some mana was resisting him to. It seems like it was also because of the bullet that the woman shot.

The bullet could make him feel pain and makes him think that it's better off to be dead, while keeping him awake and slowly killing him.

He groaned and cried in pain.

"Hey---!" he heard someone's voice from somewhere, but he can't seem to be bothered by it because of the pain that was killing him.

"Esperanza!"

"Argh!" he moaned in pain.

"Keep ignoring my voice and I'll make sure you won't hear anything from me anymore!" He once again heard the same voice and it seems like it was complaining in anger.

He finally looked up and he saw a bright light. It was too brilliant that he can't see anything else but that light.

It was actually not a bad thing, rather it was refreshing and all of his suffering was gone.

"Are you awake now?" Von asked at Esperanza when she saw that his eyes are already open and he already stopped screaming in pain.

She released a breath of relief when she learned that he's fine now.

"Mistress Von, Thank you for waking my master! Almost every night, same thing always happen to him. I can't even wake him up! It seems like he doesn't hear anything. Good thing you are here now!" Tak cried in gratitude.

"M-mistress?" Von was surprised and feel shy at how Tak called her.

Tak nods. "I can't call you by your name only, it seems disrespectful. I can't also call you by your real title and real name. I think mistress is alright? W-was I wrong?"

Von shook her head. "No. It's fine. Anyway, what happens if you can't wake him up?"

"He wakes up by himself but he always holds his chest. Whenever that happens, it seems like he still has a wound on his chest. His mana also drastically falls. That is also why most of the time, he doesn't sleep and just use mana to keep him away from being tired" Tak explains.

Esperanza looked at Von and Tak who was staring at him. He smiled to tell them that he's fine.

"Did I make you worry again?" Esperanza asked Tak.

Tak nods while crying. Esperanza smiled wryly as he turn his gaze at Von. "Sorry for the disturbance" he apologized.

"Don't apologize for this, Esperanza" Von said before she went back to sleep.

Von badly wants to ask him about the nightmare he had but she knew where to draw the line. It's inappropriate to ask him something too personal.

"Thank you for waking me up, Von" Esperanza whispered before he stood up and walk outside.

After that night, there was still some rare occasions where Von encountered Esperanza having a bad dream. Every time that happens, she will wake him up.

Before, Esperanza was hesitant to go to sleep, but he was now feel secured to go to bed, since he knows that Von will wake him up.

Von also seems doesn't mind and it makes Esperanza feels touched. Esperanza also appreciated that she doesn't asked him why he keeps having a bad dream.

It is something he still can't talk about to someone else. Even if that person was Von.