𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗺 ⟡ Espresso CRK [Book 2]

Chapter 48

Espresso's Pov

K̵̥͈͌̓ę̶̔̀̔ę̶̤̘̓̐͠p̴̱̔̒ ̴̦͘g̴̫͖̉̿ò̶̧̫i̶̔̕ṅ̷͖̘͠͝g̴̅͛̏

Ḯ̵̖͔̓g̷̅n̷̼͈̈͊o̸̭͎̓r̷̩͛́e̶̿ ̷̮́̊͜t̶͐h̶͈͐ͅe̵̓m̸̤͆

L̴e̷ave ̸The̸m̷

The voice pestered in my head, ringing in my ears mockingly.

It felt like I was in a hazy nightmare. Figures were blurred as people's faces meshed together, indistinguishable. The walls warped around me, and the floor tilted back and forth as if I were on a ship out in the sea.

I stepped out of the ballroom, the argument inside causing my headaches to worsen ten-fold.

A̸r̶isto̶crats acting̵ ch̶i̸ldish, t̸his̵ w̷or̶ld needs̶ gu̷ida̴n̵ce

The night sky seemed to engulf me in a blanket, covering my vision until all I could see was an endless abyss. The concert beneath my feet shifted, changing itself into glass. I could see my reflection as I peered down and continued to move further into the nothingness.

What...where am?.. I thought, looking around in a daze. I could feel the oxygen pump into my head from breathing too quickly and heavily. My body felt disassociated from reality, and my head felt light.

"Espresso, come back!" I could hear Madelein's voice echoing from somewhere behind me, but, where was he exactly?

He's looking for me. Maybe I should head him out...the tiniest part of me whispered as if begging me. My heart throbbed again, thinking of what Madeleine hid from me. A part of me thought, maybe, just maybe, he had a plausible excuse.

But just as quickly as it hurt, my heart stopped aching. An apathetic mask covered my heart like a protective armour, numbing my feelings.

T̶h̸a̸t̶ paladin? You should f̷o̴r̷g̸e̸t̶ about h̶i̵m̵

How can I forget about him? He loves me...

No, he didn't love me. He liked the idea of me...because I reminded him of Coffee Bean. The other part of me argued.

P̶a̸t̴h̷e̷t̶i̵c̷

I tipped my head back, glaring at the empty sky. "Do shut up."

H̵̲̼̉͛̑̑ä̸́̍͐͠h̶̪̥̩̆̄͐͜͝a̸͓̐̋ͅh̸̛̖̄̕a̶̱͑̓̆ả̶̬

"I mean it. You're making my head hurt more," I snap, "I don't even know what you are. You're not a part of me."

S̵m̵a̵r̶t̶~

I narrow my eyes, the silence stretching on.

E̵i̵t̶h̷e̶r̷ way, Madeleine's a n̴uance̸

T̷h̷i̸n̵k rationally.̴ ̶H̸ow will ̴l̶o̴v̵e help in the long r̵u̷n̴?̷ It'll only drag you d̷o̴w̵n̶.̵ ̷

I clenched my jaw, walking quicker down the void, my body swaying.

"Espresso!" I heard Sparkling call and tsked.

Y̷o̵u̸ don't need f̷r̸i̷e̸n̴d̴s̵. Pe̶o̶p̸l̴e are t̷o̷o̶l̸s̷, r̷e̴m̷e̵m̵b̷e̷r̴?

"..."

"I suppose feelings can become obstacles."

T̵ha̷t̵'̵s̴ righ̸t!