Gate Guardian - Tale of the Blazing Heart

Erylle's Log: Baptismal of Hearts

Erylle's Log: Baptismal of Hearts

[Fontaine Residence – Heightsburg City

[3 Years Ago]

I'm sitting on the sofa, warming myself up in the fireplace. White smoke comes out of my mouth whenever I exhale. Every time I sniff, tears come out of my eyes.

This is my first Christmas alone.

Two months after my little brother Eliseo died, here I am. In the fireplace. Warming myself. There is no one to give me hugs or any warm greetings. All I have in this dark room are couple of letters, telephone bills and gift boxes I received from the mailbox. I don't know who gave those things. I don't even know why I erected that Christmas tree, since I can't sense what they call the Christmas spirit.

Riiiiiing!!!

The phone kept ringing. But I will never answer that call. I programmed myself to be ignorant on my surroundings. Who cares about that phone call anyway?

Beep! The caller finally stopped. But whoever it was, she gave a voice message.

"Hi Erylle, it's Heffy...Ummm... I know that you've been through and I know that it's hard. It's like destiny is against you. But I just want to tell you...Merry Christmas! If you ever feel lonely, you are welcome to visit my house. I'm inviting you to have a dinner with my whole family! And oh! I now know your secret admirer!"

Beep! The room is back to being deadly silent.

Heffy is cheerful as always. She's the one who revives the little hope I got in my heart. Even though I lost everything, including the purpose of living, I decided to keep moving forward. Just a little.

It's better to be with her family than spending Christmas eve alone, I thought.

<>

I went to her house before midnight. The mistletoes inside her house are pretty amazing. All of them are decorated with glitters and lights. Her Christmas tree is about two feet tall which are full of Christmas presents on its feet.

Heffy introduced me to her parents, including her little brother and sister. They are so cute and bubbly just like Heffy. But it didn't feel good to me knowing her family. The more I see those happily giving gifts and talking on the dinner table, the more I miss my family.

I'm so pitiful, I thought of myself.

I just focused on giving Heffy's family a fake smile. I don't want them to see how uncomfortable I am to see them happy. Maybe I just have a bad personality, not wanting my friend and her family to be so joyful.

There were lots of foods in this table. Mac and cheese, sweet ham, spaghetti and fried chicken. All of them are delicious but I can't find myself enjoying that meal. I even haven't touched all those food in my plate yet.

I'm so uncomfortable right now. Something is telling me to go home and stay in my room and continue crying, just what I always did for the rest of my life.

"Eryle." Heffy got my attention. "Is the food alright?"

"Mmm~" I nodded with a fake smile. "It's just...I'm really on a diet so I can't eat really much."

<>

It was already three in the morning. I really can't sleep. Preventing myself to cry the whole night is really a tough job. I don't want Heffy to see me crying on her wake especially on this Christmas day. But I can't keep this up any longer. I have to go away. I have to go home.

I sneakily left their house. It's really dark in the streets but the streetlamps are on, giving me vision on my way home. I ran away weeping and wiping my tears. Silently. I have to go away without any of them noticing.

But then on my way home, there is an unusual thing lying on the ground.

A gun. Or more appropriately, a revolver.

But for my eyes, all I can see is the solution to my problems.

I miss my family. If I had a chance to trade everything just to see them for a second, I would do it.

My hands are shaking, but my resolve is final that I already picked up the revolver.

There is a voice in my mind. "Do it! End your miserable life! You wanted to see your family again right!?"

I slowly pointed it in my forehead. But then...

There was a blinding flash. I realized that I'm not in the street anymore. The dark surroundings are now illuminated by a red moon. I was in the desert, an endless field of orange sand. I'm in the nothingness. Where am I? I don't remember myself going into this place!

"STOOOOP!!!" A voice from behind me.

When I looked around, a blinding gust passed through me. Then I realized that the revolver is not on my hands anymore.

"What the heck are you doing!?" A man yelled in front of me.

This man is wearing black jacket, with a black scarf tied on his neck. He has this attractively cute face with brown eyes and golden cross sigil on his eyes. But what's notable of him is he has this white hair.

I stood dumbstruck, unable to say any word. Just how did he move so fast?

"Erylle, you idiot! Don't you dare kill yourself!"

"U-Umm...W-Who are you?" I'm finally able to ask him a question.

"Not now." He pointed something behind me.

Behind me...Is a humongous green plant with vines jerking all around. It was a giant venus flytrap, about four metes tall. It has thee eyeless heads, but it has razor-sharp fangs that looks like teeth of a crocodile. The three mouths opened and gave a trembling roar.

Immediately, a giant vine chased me and wrapped me like a sushi. It constricted my whole body that I can't breathe. I was covered by my own fear. What will I do against this giant monster!?

"Erylle!" The white haired man shouted.

The venus flytrap monster pointed some cannon-shaped vines on the white haired man and shot an endless barrage of golf ball-sized seeds. But the white-haired man evaded everything while moving forward, coming for my rescue.

There was a glowing cylinder on his left hand, and it immediately transformed into a glowing plasma drill just like on those sci-fi movies I've seen. Then he immediately made a blinding dash again, ready to thrust the vine monster with his drill.

"<Helix Strike>!!!"