From Dusk...To Dawn - Sequel to 'Into the Sweet Darkness'

Chapter 9 - Hollow inside

Sana pov:

I walked at a slow dragging pace next to Haschwalth san. I was in a daze.....I was exhausted. I was staring blankly at the space in front of me. I felt nothing, I saw nothing, I heard nothing.....the only thing I knew was I was holding Haschwalth san's hand in a fiercely tight grip.

Everything was black around me. Black clothes, black umbrellas, a gray path and the never ending crying of the skies.

The group of twelve people including the priest stopped in front of two grave stones. The names engraved on them, Takamura Hamada and Takamura Matsuki.

Reading them, my grip on Haschwath san's hand tightened and my arm trembled. Tears fell from my eyes again. My chest felt tight again making it hard to breathe. I closed my eyes as the priest began his ceremonial rituals. Whimpers escaped from my lips, followed by sobs and violent sniffles. I covered my face with my free hand and felt my uncle wrap his arm around my shoulder.

I let go of Haschwalth san as I fell to my knees in front of the grave. The umbrella that was held above me prevented me from getting wet but my tears landed on my fisted palms and on the stone below. They just wouldn't stop and my aunt leaned down pulling me into her chest. I tucked my face in my elbows shutting my eyes tightly as I continued to cry.

"Sana dear, please calm down.....I know it hurts but please, calm down." I bit my lip hard drawing blood as I tried to stop crying.

Once the ritual was over, people left one by one, but I stayed. The rain had stopped but I couldn't move. I stayed there like stone, my vision going hazy every now and then. I slowly got up, stumbling. Haschwalth san caught me, but I pushed him away. Everything felt numb now.....I couldn't feel anything besides the throbbing in my chest.

I walked slowly through the dark streets, flinching every time a lonely car sped by beside me.

Without even realizing, I had made it to the scene where the accident had taken place. There were a few cops here and there, but thankfully no reporters. The truck and the car that had collided were yet to be taken away and seeing the blood on the road made my stomach churn.

I looked at the truck, big claw like dents on the roof of it. The front of the truck was crushed. The car was mangled to an extent that you couldn't even recognize the model. Just imagining how gore the crash would have been, my head spun.

But that's not the only thing I could notice. I could sense a reiatsu.....a Hollow's reisatsu to be more precise. The dents on the roof of the truck were caused by a Hollow probably landing on it. The driver must have lost control on the wheel ending up in a crash. After all, the news said that the two people in the truck too had died.

"Sana." Haschwalth san called me but I gave no reaction. "It was a Hollow.....wasn't it?" My voice was barely above a whisper. He said something, but I couldn't understand it. I was so tired, my gaze got blurry and my whole body seemed drained. My eyes rolled back and I fell sideways into unconsciousness.

I woke up to a pounding headache and a cool cloth on my forehead. My head hurt as the light in the room was too bright for my eyes. But after a few moments of blinking, I finally adjusted to the light in the room. I winced as I sat up taking off the cloth on my forehead and keeping it aside. I looked around realizing I was in my room at home. One of the Sternritter's, Cang Du if I remember correctly was here instead of Haschwalth san. His power was having an indestructible iron shield. He looked as stern as always and he watched at me as I sat up.

"Finally awake? Captain Haschwalth asked me to bring you back to Hueco Mundo as soon as you were awake." Ignoring him, I stood up. My body was still weak and my legs gave way. I winced as my knees made painful contact with the floor. I shut my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before standing up with the support of the wall. I walked out of my room slowly and down the stairs.