Soldier

Chapter 52: Kairi

Alex... Alex! Why... why did you have to die! Idiot!! Idiot, idiot, idiot!!! You promised me... you promised you would make it back. But I was a fool. That's right, I am the reason Alex died! If I wasn't there... if I didn't listen to that man... he would still be here...

Kal and I are in some outdoor room of the castle. Pinned down behind a trench. Hardly big enough to match my height to the waist. I stayed in a corner, curled up...

I feel like an empty, withered shell. Nothing matters anymore. It was my fault. I couldn't leave Alex's body... Kal had to drag me away from him. But it doesn't matter anymore... nothing does....

Right now, Kal is busy shooting at more machines. He is using a lever action rifle, which isn't working very well. At this rate, both of us are going to be overwhelmed. But what purpose do I have to fight for now... why did I have to live... when the person I loved died. What reason does she have to live anymore...?

I felt a temptation to just stand up and be shot, smashed, cut, sliced, whatever the machines could do to me. It wouldn't hurt as much as this. No... It would be over soon.

I felt my heart beat a little faster. That's funny... Inside my chest, my heart is broken.

I squeezed myself around my stomach instinctively as a burning pain shot into my shoulder. I looked to the side to see a bullet had skimmed me. My shoulder looks okay... but I felt a sense of worry and reacted- She protected- that's right. I still have to live! Alex... wouldn't have wanted me to die-not after he saved me. He loved us, and his memory will always be deep inside my heart. I can't allow myself to forget that. I still have the seed Alex planted in me. I am carrying his child! I have to live!

I ducked as debris flew over me. A sword hit the wall and bounced off onto the floor. It looks exactly like Alex's... in fact I think it is. I have been pretty much useless this entire time... I couldn't save anyone, I never fought anyone, I was always a burden. But now...

I gripped the sword and mustered all my courage. I have learned a lot. I learned who my parents were, what Alex is, how much my emotion matters, how deeply I feel about Alex, that I have the blood of angels in me. I know I am not going to run anymore. It's time I start doing something!

I gripped the sword and hopped over the wall of the trench and landed on soft grass. My heart rate skyrocketed as I jumped to the side while a few bullets wizzed past me.

Kal started to yell at her, but I didn't listen. I let out my anger and ran up to a robot that looks like a tin-can with machine guns for hands, and sliced it right down the middle. I quickly blocked another robots blade. It looks like a puppet. Except this one is metal, not wood, and has a sword in its hand.

I blocked another swing and pushed off the blade and quickly slashed through the machines body, as sparks flew out of it. I turned to face another of the puppet like machines and sliced off its head as the metal body collapsed onto the floor.

A large robot that's just a bigger puppet like shape, only with a giant ball and chain at the end of its hands, tried to crush me with its two weapons. I quickly jumped out of the way and, using the sword, cut the chains off of the giant steel balls. I ran the sword into the center of the robots body as it sparked and fell backwards.

There doesn't look like there are any other machines. Thank god... I came out unscathed... it felt good... to let out all of that anger... but I feel tired...

Kal jumped over the trench and ran over to me. He yelled at her me soon as he got close enough that I could hear.

"That was reckless! What do you think you're doing?! Don't just rush out there! You could have died! Understand that? Died!"

I feel like I am being scolded for something, like back at the orphanage...

Reality fell back hard onto me. Kal is probably right... It was reckless. I could have died... and then what? Another death to add onto the casualties... it's horrible.

It suddenly dawned on me, what the man had said to me meant. 'Only when you lose a loved one, you will understand why.' He found a way to slither his way into my heart and play with my emotions, even after he died. He told me that life was important, and that love was all that mattered. So when Alex died, I would take the blame and have my mind shattered. I was the one reason Alex died. That man wanted me to feel how that felt... because he lost someone he loved because of himself... he just decided it would be a great lesson... to teach his niece. Why did he do this... I still don't understand...

A cold feeling fell over me as if I was chilled to the bone. Kal, backed off with his scolding and tried to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry. I was harsh... I didn't mean-!"

He stopped as the ground started to shake. Kal held onto his arm, as green light burned on his arm, through his uniform and tried not to scream. My left arm started to burn, and a faint blue light came from it. A marked my arm and the burning stopped...

For some reason, I feel as if Alex is alive... No he is alive. I just know it. He's alive... Alex is alive! In my heart, I know he is! Why I feel this way... I don't know... but I just know... He's alive! Alex...!