Partners In Crime

Chapter 28

I felt my body submerge into a pitiful swamp of darkness...

I laid there- progressively sinking deeper and deeper, as my back faced an infinity of emptiness, which substituted for the sand at the bottom of an ocean. 

Although could I really speak so metaphorically when infinity does not, in fact, have a bottom? 

Though my eyes were open, the murk deceived me into believing that I had lost my vision. Unaware of my surroundings, nor having a single clue of how I ended up there, I was certain that under different circumstances, my mind would have panicked at the scant sight of nothing beneath me; however, my mind rested well, perhaps even finer than my body-- thus I decided to relax my eyelids, indulging into further darkness. 

Y҈҉҈҉/҈҉҈҉N҈҉҈҉?҈҉҈҉

In the company of gloom and a strangely comforting breeze of air resistance, easing the acceleration of my body, muffled sounds began to interrupt my tranquility. 

Y҉/҉N҉?҉

I squinted my already closed eyes, attempting to divert my subconsciousness from the sounds as they gradually enhanced louder while my body sunk deeper. 

Y/N?

Just as I felt my long-lasting submersion was coming to its end, during which I extended my hand to feel the grainy sand, composed of whatever my imagination had desired it to be, at last, I could comprehend the previously deadened words. It was my name all along.

Y/N!

I opened my eyes to a contrasting picture. No longer was I drowning in the dark, for there was a beam of light shining its way towards me. No longer did I make an effort to grasp onto the inexistent sand, instead, I reached for the light. No longer... was I sinking. 

And in a blink of an eye, William stood before me. He held onto my shoulders with a slight grip, all the while his eyes displayed a clear sign of worry, entirely contradictory to his calm body language.

"Feeling unwell?" His voice felt heavy. In some way, it drudged my frontal lobe. I nodded in response, rubbing my temples in hopes of quickly adjusting to the new atmosphere. The bygone peace and quiet have already abandoned me. 

My eyes wandered, noting each detail of the presumable wedding. I had no recollection of the ceremony coming this far...

"You seem troubled." Commenting on my state, William's gaze synchronized with mine.  

I made an effort to face him, "I-" a wet streak caressed my cheek before I could even finish my sentence. Faintly nibbling on my lower lip, I wiped my eyes physically: mentally shoving any hints of weaknesses into an untouchable jar, never to be broken by anyone else aside from myself. 

"Among many betrayals that my eyes have witnessed, many words that my ears have heard, many regrets that my mind had punished me with- thus far, this one pained me the most, William," I exhaled slowly, softening the temptation to project my true sentiment towards the entire situation. 

Lifting my chin with his hand, "Levian is mentally unstable, Y/N." he whispered.

"He was my friend-"

"Friends don't hurt each other." His jaw clenched subliminally. With closed eyes, William took a few disturbed breaths, "People change, Y/N. It's a part of human nature- the process of maturing and gaining a set of brand new opinions. New moralities. New principals... His, unfortunately, unveiled themselves to be rather malevolent, likely due to a particular dilemma he may or may not have faced at an early age."