Of Love and Death.

The Present Chapter Seven: Ghost of the Past Pt. 3

6 Years Ago

    Shu placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it open. He was greeted by a gray room with a green stripe across the middle of the walls. There were two beds, one on either side, both identical with a white pillow, white sheets, and gray blankets. Each was pressed up against the wall, and there was a night table with a few drawers next to it. Those were painted white. The one the left was where Shu saw the only sign of life in the room, with a lamp, a journal, and a picture on the bedrest.

     Shu was about to cross over to the right bed and place down the few things he had when something came over him. He groaned a bit, and placed his hand on his head. His mind felt, well, off was the best way to explain. It was hard to describe, like a haze or a fog had come across him. Like all of the sudden there was another force inside of him, asking him to sleep. It wasn't a sensation he was unaccustomed to, often feeling it right before and during a battle. So it was probably a symptom of stress. It'd been happening more frequently as of late, though.

    Shu blinked, surprised. While he'd been thinking, his legs had carried him over to the left bed. When he looked down at his hands, he was surprised to find the picture in his grasp. It showed two boys, one with spiky cyan hair and azure eyes. The other was Zac? Shu wondered, very confused as to why his fellow Supreme Four member was with some unknown boy. Moresoe, why were he holding hands with some random guy in the Snake Pit?

    "Hey, put that d- FILAMI, EVAREL SECOM YUILES!" Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

    Shu whirled around, suddenly livid. Standing in the room's doorway was a boy, maybe a little older than him, in a long teal fur coat with a black and azure colored mask. They seemed shocked, Shu assumed their eyes were wide behind that mask. "What did you just say?" He growled, his voice low and dangerous. In part of Shu's head, he realized he'd had a strange, stressful day and was taking it out on this guy. That part was asking him to calm down. To question why he was so insulted by a bunch of made up words. However, there was another part of him. A part that was making his blood pump fast and urging for a fight.

    Without warning, the boy standing in the doorway strode forward and grabbed Shu's wrist with his gloved hand. "Hey!" Shu exclaimed, indignant and confused by everything.

    "What are you doing here?" The boy growled at Shu. Shu narrowed his eyes behind his new mask. What jurisdiction did this total stranger have to ask his business? Deep in the back of his mind, something that Shu was too enraged to realize in the moment, was that this guy felt vaguely familiar. "You cannot be here!"

    The haziness that had been imposing itself on Shu suddenly got worse as he stood there in conflict. He felt like there were claws around his heart, that were digging in. Claws that were sharper than knives, serrated so that they would pearce his flesh, but not come out. This should be painful, Shu found himself thinking. It was kind of peaceful, there was something in the back of his head reinforcing this. Peaceful to just let this fight go to it.

    Let me help you, the voice hissed in a deep voice. The sound was familiar, and friendly. Shu could tell that it actually wanted to help him. Truly did. Huh? Why did it sound like Spryzen? I am- The voice was cut off by Shu's new roommate speaking to him.

    "I have this, okay!" The guy exclaimed. "Don't be here! The whole point of all this is you can just be with him, not have to deal with us! If you stay, she'll, she'll - what in the Universe is happening to your soul?" He cut off, their voice filled with a curious horror. After a moment of silence, the guy's mouth formed an "o" shape as he understood something. What it was, Shu didn't know.

    Much to Shu's relief, the guy took a step back and released the Snake Pit's newest blader's wrist. "I get it," he whispered. He turned around and, as Shu looked on, closed the door. The two were now speaking without anyone possibly looking in or hearing. Shu'd seen all of the "soundproof" labels on the doors. "You're not wholly yourself," Shu's roommate continued, turning to face Shu again.