Heart part 1

Chapter 36 - Living Overtime

5 Days Ago

***

Pulling his spear out with a sudden tug, Bagon watched as a geyser of blood sprayed out of Juzo's back. A pool started to form around his feet and stained the floor. It took but a moment, but eventually Juzo finally fell silent and hit the floor. Slashing the blood off his spear, Bagon began to move. He knew he did not have a single second to waste. Making haste, Bagon paced over to the nearby bed and tore the sheets off. Spreading them out wide, he moved back over to Juzo's body and began carefully wrapping him. Once he was fully covered, Bagon hoisted him up and carried him over toward the nearby window. Glancing out, he could see the wild grass of the ground below as well as the grapple he used to help him get inside before hooked onto the windowsill. When he was first assigned this mission, Dandy had given him explicit instructions to not let anyone see him, not even one of the Ceshilatu guards.

" Word of this cannot get out under any circumstances, do you understand? That's an order!"

Despite having ultimate pure luck, Dandy never did like leaving things up to chance. It's a way of thinking he's gained from all his years of living in Dunadrea. Even when sitting in one of the royal family's chairs, the smallest instance of "bad luck" could spell your fate. Dandy's seen it first-hand. That's why he only likes to rely on his luck when he absolutely has to.

Propping Juzo's body up and over his shoulder, Bagon grabbed ahold of the rope and hopped out the window. Unbeknownst to him, however, Juzo was still barely clinging to life. Even in his fading state, he knew that he probably only had a few more seconds of consciousness before he would be gone. It was clear in his mind, even amongst the storm raging within it, that he had to do something. Summoning strength out of thin air, he managed to part his lips ever so slightly.

"...sh...shadow...ha-hands..." He whispered under his nonexistent breath. The purple gem on his ring started to faintly glow. A shadow hand about the size of a normal one flickered into existence over his face.

Without a word, it started to slide its way down until eventually coming to a stop at the cavity in his chest. Shining the hand's purple light upon it, through his slashed open shirt he could see the gushing wound as clear as day. Swallowing his fear and taking a deep breath, he commanded the shadow hand to move inside the wound. Fazing its way in, Juzo could feel its cold presence moving around within him. It didn't take long until it found what he was looking for: his heart. As he expected, it seemed to be critically damaged. As much was expected seeing the attack he suffered at Bagon's hands.

If he did not treat an injury of that caliber right away, it would be guaranteed death. But his healing magic was no way near strong enough for such a grave wound. "...w-what do I do...?!"

Cold sweat ran down his cheeks and the rest of his body trembled. Heavy and pained breaths puffed out of his mouth. Like a movie, his short and tainted life flashed before his eyes. All of his fortunes, but mainly all of his tragics. Reliving some of those hellish moments again in an instant, he could feel fear grip his mind. His body tensed and what little life he had left swiftly fell through his fingers. At that moment, regrets raced through his mind.

"...I...I'm so sorry god...you saved this life, but it ended up being a waste...!"

" Why...? Why did you save me?! Why did you save a life that wasn't meant to last long...?! A worthless life that wasn't going to amount to anything! Why me and not anyone else?! Why me and not her...?! I've seen so many people suffer such tragic fates! War, disease, famine...and all I could do was give them the words you gave to me! Why not save any of them?! Why me?!"