Rebirth

Chapter 2: Sorrow

I somehow survived the blast. I hit the dirt, a crater of where the school used to be. Smoldering rock and dark clouds surrounded me as I picked up my head. My vision focused, and I had instant regret in even waking up. Before me, and all around, the bodies of my classmate and peers. My friends, those I could my second family, lay piled up. Before I knew it, I screamed, freaking out, fear filling the blood coursing through my veins. Scrambling back, my hand touched something. Hesitantly, I turned staring down at Zhaniah's lifeless corpse. Aside from a couple dust and scratches, she didn't look like she took any serious injuries. Next her, Cynthia lay on her stomach, the back of her head facing me. My screaming had stopped, fear replaced with an odd hollow feeling. I touched Zhaniah's face, hoping for some sort of life. Of course, I found none, in Cynthia either, and just turned away. I couldn't bare to look at them, not like this.

"So you DID survive." My eyes shot open and I rose, looking around. "Who.. Who said that!?"

My eyes locked on the burning flames a couple feet away. Looking closer, I could see someone standing in the center. The features were difficult to make out. The best thing I could tell was that it was a male, from his voice, and that he was holding something, no, someone in his arms. "I expected to kill you with everyone else. Guess not."

"You.. Who are.. Why did..." I stopped taking a deep breath. "No, nothing I ask now even matters. You took the lives of people I care for, I'm practically standing now on my last legs." As I said that, I actually noticed that my body was rocked in pain. My legs felt like jelly, and my arms were ready to drop stiff. Somehow, I found the strength to at least stand, so I guess it counts for something. Self confidence in how much punishment I can take maybe?

"You're not gonna question who I am? Why I targetted you?" The voice spoke.

I turned away, eyes half closed. "Obviously not. What's the point? This all happened in the blink of an eye, and it's obviously not of human nature. What good would it do me to know about something if I'm gonna die anyway?"

"At least you're smarter than I remember." He paused. "Tell me, do you remember someone by the name of.. Luna, by any chance?'

The crackling sounds of the surrounding flames ceased. The heat and pain left my body. Slowly, I just stared at it, the area the voice was coming from, until he stepped through the flames. His hair was neatly done, and he held a cold glare in his eyes. A smirk touched his lips, his teeth exposed to show fangs sitting where his canine teeth should be. His skin was slightly brighter than mine, but he looked that much better when it came to looks. In his hold, was definitely a person, but there was a tarp over the body so I couldn't make out much. I couldn't put an exact name to the face, but when he mentioned Luna, I began remembering things I thought I long forgot. Everything, until it came down to one person, one name. "You're.. Leonardo...:"

"FINALLY!" He said, dropping the body. "As for why I'm here, since you figured who I was.." He paused, closing his eyes. "A lot of things happen in this world that no one can control. As random as all of this may seem, and even feel, know one thing." He pointed towards me. "This is all your fault.. For breaking her heart. She cursed your name, night after night, shedding endless tears day by day."

"And I feel bad, I do, but for you take so many lives just because of that...." I shook my head. All of this, over that. All this time, everything that happened back then I had doubts over, though I went along with it anyway. Then when Luna dumped me and just left me hanging dry, I found it difficult to move on for a year. In truth, that's when my depression started. Probably because I thought I lost someone important to me, that I lost what my future was supposed to be. What's worse, is that it wasn't even by MY choice. It was his. I hated shifted blame, but when the evidence is presented, it's hard not to. Leonardo was the sole reason for that year of hell I went through, even if I couldn't bring myself to fully understand why.