The Lonely King | Ongoing [New Edition]

34 | Buried Beneath

"You got a cold, cold heart,

You build a house of cards.

I know all your secrets,

I know all your lies,

I know where you keep 'em,

Buried deep inside."

❁❁❁

ASHER'S EYES ROLLED to the back of his head and Robin and I watched in horror as he collapsed right in front of us.

I jumped at the loud thud that followed when his body hit the ground, and I was frozen to my spot as I stared, stunned and scared speechless. He let out a small groan before his head lolled to a still. His eyelids fluttered, but didn't open again.

"Asher!" Robin was immediately by his side, hitting Asher's cheeks in an attempt to get him to regain consciousness. When Asher didn't move an inch, Robin cursed under his breath and wrapped his arm under his body, lifting him up with some difficulty.

I rushed to his side to help move Asher to the bed, but almost fainted when I caught sight of Asher's back. Scars that looked like long brown vines climbed up and wrapped around the broad of his back, protruding out slightly in a ghastly manner. As if that wasn't frightening enough, a couple of strokes looked fresh, gaping open and shining bloody red. It looked as if he has been whipped.

"What the hell happened to him?" I gasped, running my hands over his scars and shivering involuntarily. I felt the bile rise in my throat, and I looked away to catch my breath.

"Let's get him on the bed first," Robin sighed, looking resigned. He didn't look one bit surprised at the sight of Asher's horrific injuries. As we settled his limp body onto the bed, I couldn't help but take a closer look at his scars. I watched as Robin prodded Asher's ribs expertly, as if checking if he had any broken bones. The, he moved on to checking the rest of his body for any more injuries. It seemed that along with the bruises scattered on his torso and lesions on his back, the skin on Asher's knuckles were split, as if he had punched something repeatedly.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, my question coming out with a squeak. I wasn't used to seeing blood or gruesome injuries, and just the thought of it made me feel queasy. Robin nodded solemnly, before he disappeared from the room and reappeared with a small pail and a cloth in one hand, and a first aid kit in the other.

Silently, I watched as Robin dipped the cloth into the pail, wringing it out and wiping Asher's wounds. The sinking feeling in my stomach returned when Robin continued to bandage up his wounds expertly without a single emotion on his face. He looked as if he wasn't bothered that his friend was bleeding or unconscious. He looked as if it was just another day in the life of Asher Dane.

Was it?

Vaguely, I remembered when Robin helped to soothe my injuries after that nasty incident with Jake. Those words he said before he left, something about his friend going through the same thing. Refusing to open up.

My eyes drifted back to Asher's unconscious face. With his eyes closed and muscles relaxed, he looked almost handsome. Finally at peace. His usual anger and hatred for the world dissipitated completely.