Lustre of Echo

2.0 - Dark Apparition?

2.0 - Dark Apparition?

About ten hours of walking passed. During this whole time, we didn't exchange a single word. I noticed that he was very withdrawn. I was afraid to ask anything because I felt like I was just getting in the way. 

During our journey, we were attacked by mutated wolves, the so-called forest beasts. I didn't even move from my place and these beasts were already lying dead on the ground. 

The strength of this boy worries me but also intrigues me.I would like to wield a sword as well as he does.

This is already the 10th day of this quiet and boring journey.I sat down on a tree log and rested my chin on my hand.

"I'll be right there." he said and left.

After 10 days spent together, I have already noticed a few things. We always take a break twice a day, these are the only words we exchange. I don't ask him anything and he doesn't ask me. I think this solution suits us both. 

The thing that the most interest me is the place he always goes to during the break. 

Maybe he needs those 15 minutes during the day to be alone because he's had enough of me?

 We don't really talk to each other, and he's never forbidden me from seeing what he's doing there.

Well, I only live once.

I slowly got up from the log and secretly walked the same way he had just gone. 

After a while, I noticed him.He's there!I kept a distance of about 10 meters and hid behind one of the trees. I stuck my head out slightly to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Hey, who is he talking to even though he's alone here?

I saw that he was holding his head very tightly.Oh, this is the first time I've seen emotions on his face.

"Leave me alone! Go!" he shouted, holding his head tightly and looking at the ground.

"This is not my past! This is my own life!" he exclaimed.

Do I see and hear correctly? Tears were falling from his eyes, but they weren't from sadness. I don't understand, and who is he even talking to?

I quietly approached a little closer. I leaned out from behind another tree and saw that some black ghost was holding his head by the beard. The boy was staring at this apparition with tears in his eyes

.Oh my, what am I seeing now.

I opened my eyes wide with fear. This apparition was all black, the only thing you could see was a white, devilish smile on the entire arc of its face.

It looks terrible.I started to look closely at the ghost's face, but I couldn't see anything because it was all dark.The ghost turned towards me suddenly. 

I think I had a heart attack, but luckily I didn't make any strange sounds, like screaming.

I'm scared! It's looking me straight in the eye!

The apparition was still holding the boy's beard with its hand, but its eyes were on me.

" ~~~~~~~~~~~~ " The apparition whispered to the boy.I couldn't hear a single word.

The boy turned to me and now both of them were staring at me.

Help what's going on here. Total shame, I shouldn't have gone here, but on the other hand something was finally happening on this boring hike.

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have followed you." I whispered, then turned back to where I was sitting on the log earlier.

What had I just witnessed? 

Help.I sat down on the same log as then. I started to think about what had just happened. 

He probably walked to the side every day so that I wouldn't have anything to do with it.15 minutes passed, I noticed that the boy was back. 

It will be awkward to walk with him now, after what I saw.It looks like he's terribly tired. Maybe that ghost did something to him?

"You know, I don't intend to tell anyone what I saw, so this can stay between us." I said, quite uncertainly. It is not like I do have anyone to tell.

The boy stands there and thinks.

"Thanks." He replied.

"We both have topics we don't want to talk about."

"Hmph? What do you mean?" I was surprised when he told me that.

Actually, I don't have any secrets, at least I don't remember them yet.

"It's not normal to find someone in the middle of a forest of beasts, tied up in chains."

"No ordinary person would notice this spirit, it's invisible to humans." He added.

Wow, so you mean I'm special?

 That's nice to know. When I think about it, I totally forgot about those chains. 

Why was I tied up in some chains anyway?

" Did you hear what that "apparition" told me back then?"

I nodded cautiously that I did.The boy bit his lip hard.

" Do you know who I am? "

" I have no idea, so I don't know if I'm doing the right thing traveling with you. I'm not sure if I should trust you. "The boy's face shows that he was surprised and relieved by my answer.

" This is the first time we've talked more specifically. " I said to myself, quietly.

The boy smiled slightly. He pulled down his hood.Apart from the first day when it was dark and I couldn't see anything, this is also the first time I've seen his face.

The boy had short black hair parted in the middle. His eyes were orange-red. He doesn't look like an ordinary city dweller. Everything about him is suspicious.

" Maybe it's a bit awkward that I'm saying it after more than a week, but my name is Nave. "

 " I'm Lytia. " I said with a slight smile.

Nave can't hear this name for some reason. He only understood the first letter. He hears a voice in his head laughing at him and saying that he did it on purpose. It says that he has to change his mind or he will slowly erase all his memories, not just this one.

The boy suddenly grabbed his head tightly with his hands.Nave sat down next to me, holding his head tightly.

" Is everything okay?" I asked.

What happened to him all of a sudden?

I can see that he's feeling dizzy. 

What should I do? 

I don't know how to help.A large bird suddenly flew out in front of us. It was one of the forest beasts. I was petrified when I saw the beast. Nave immediately grabbed his sword, it was obvious that he wasn't feeling comfortable fighting at the moment. 

The beast attacked us from above. Nave stood in front of me and repelled the attack. Then we were hit from behind.

 I fell to the ground with a wound on my neck, made by the bird.

 Why didn't Nave use his magic? When we were traveling, he defeated more terrible and dangerous beasts. Why something like this have to happen now?

Nave felt that the beast's third attack was coming. He swung his sword, which hit the beast and killed it.

After getting rid of the bird, he turned to me. He noticed that I was lying unconscious on the ground. 

He thought that I might not have survived the attack.