Ƭɦҽɾҽ WιƖƖ Ƈσɱҽ α RʋƖҽɾ, Wɦσʂҽ Ɓɾσw ιʂ lαιԃ ιղ Ƭɦσɾղ 👑 ƠƇ Ɓαƈƙʂƭσɾყ -[BOOK 1/2]

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TW// cussing, abuse (physical & mental), yelling, self harm cuts, past suicide attempt mentions, telling someone to off themselves, trying to 'help' someone off themself, blood, cutting, threatening, talk of parental death, panic attack, crying, Nyctophobia (fear of the dark)

I think that's all but PLEASE point out if I missed any. I hope I didn't because 1, that's already a lot of triggers. And 2, this is a VERY triggering chapter and I don't wanna hurt anyone

VEEEEEEERY LONG CHAPTER (exactly 2,400 words)

Ash's POV

"So...what's your name?" I asked the guard. "Knight Jedediah, but my friends just call me Jeb, so you can call me Jeb. You?" He replied. "Ash, and people call me Ash, so you can call me Ash." I replied.

The two of us lightly laughed for a moment.

My flashlight then turned off, and I stopped walking, so Jeb did too.

"Oh, fuckin' shit! Fuck! No, no, no..." I smacked my now dead phone. I didn't walk any farther, as that feeling of darkness and dread and fear washed over my body. I've had bad Nyctophobia for years ever since my father started locking me in dark closets when I don't clean the house fast enough.

I clung onto my phone tight, trying to find comfort in something, anything that I could touch. My soft hoodie, my fluffy hair, my phone, even the feeling of the rough, partially healed cuts on my arms.

I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't stop crying.

"Ash, you're ok. It's ok, Ash." Jeb said, kneeling down in front of me, pulling a black flashlight from his back pocket, flipping it on. He grabbed my free hand and held it against his chest. "Follow my breathing pattern, ok?" He took exaggerated breaths that I did my best to follow.

And, for some reason, the feeling of his heartbeat was calming to me. To me, it was like feeling the comforting and loving heartbeat of my mother that I've never got to feel.

My mom had died after giving birth to me. The doctors didn't know why, but they assumed it was because I'm somehow part animal, and that that somehow killed her. Not many people know of me being part animal. Not many people even know I exist.

My breathing regulated and I stopped crying after a little longer.

"Hey, Ash, you ok?" Jeb asked in a soft voice. I shakily nodded. "Yeah, I'm- I'm sorry, I just- I have-" "Bad Nyctophobia?" Jeb guessed. "Y-Yeah...bad Nyctophobia." I confirmed.

Jeb patted my shoulder and stood back up, handing me the flashlight.

"You can be in charge of that until we get to your home." He said. "Thank- Thank you." I replied shakily.

We walked for a few more minutes before I spotted my home.

"That's my house." I pointed to it. It was the worst house around. There weren't many homes, but mine was definitely the most trashy and poor.

"You live there?" Jeb asked. "Yeah, got a problem with that?" I replied with annoyance and offense lacing my tone. "S-Sorry..." I added, remembering that Jeb had helped me out of a panic attack less than ten minutes ago, and figuring, or, hoping that he just cared for me. "No worries, I shouldn't have worded it like that." He replied.

When we approached the house's falling down porch, considering the walls are thin, I luckily didn't hear any sus noises, so I assumed the two fuckers were sleeping.

Jeb knocked on the door loudly.

"Castle guard, I have your kid!" He yelled. I held my breath, scared of how my father was going to react to being awoke, and especially to me just being home in general. There was no answer at the door for a good thirty seconds. "M-Maybe he's sleeping. I'll just- I'll return in the-"