The Demons of Shadow Moon

Part 46 - Protector

"I-I trusted you. I loved you for so long! I thought we were family! How could you take everything away from me like that?!" Luna cried out.

Tears continued streaming down Luna's face, blurring her vision as her fists clenched tighter, her emotions overpowering her. Her anguished cries echoed through the room, each sob tearing through the silence with a raw intensity.

The room seemed to shrink, suffocating under the weight of Luna's despair. Akira's heart ached as he looked upon the one he cared for most, shattered by his actions. He struggled to string his words together.

"... I...(!) never meant to! I didn't want things to come to that! I didn't want to hurt you... but...! I was so young! So weak...! It wasn't my fault that those stupid demons found you! The second I saw you with those tears in your eyes... I knew from then that I could no longer pretend not to be the king I was. I couldn't run...! I couldn't escape!!!" Akira's voice cracked with a mixture of desperation and self-condemnation as he animatedly tried to explain himself.

His gaze trailed off to the distance as he spoke as if being consumed by memories as he spoke. It almost appeared that he was rambling to himself rather than to Luna.

"For so long, I had been avoiding it. For so long, I rebelled against my position! B-but...! I could never escape from it! It caged me! I couldn't do anything!! I just couldn't!! Luna, you have to believe me! I didn't want this! To hurt you! To hurt anyone!!" he snapped, words tripping over each other.

As he spoke, Luna forced her trembling body up slightly and created an uneven branch with the last bit of magic she could muster. She used the branch to push herself to her feet. Her body instantly wobbled as she used the branch as the only support holding up her weakened body.

"I didn't want to do it! I had a plan to save you! B-But I was too late. The demons had already found you and- ...! And I just- couldn't- ...(!) save you...! I couldn't think straight! Everyone kept chanting to light the flame...! In the end, the weakness in my heart let my magic outburst, blurring my vision and mind...! Before I could even think, I saw that it was all too late...! I saw the burning tears in your eyes... you looked at me with such fear. I hated it, yet I couldn't look away!! I wanted to cry out to you and hold you, but my body wouldn't move, and my voice fell silent!" he went on, desperation escalating as his body shook while he spoke.

"Then your mom gave her precious life, casting that teleportation spell. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you at the very place Echo was waiting. She saved your life... but the life she left you with was a grave one. The memories you held were torturous. I couldn't bear for you to look at me with such fear...! I'd truly hurt you... I betrayed my promise to you... that'd I'd always be there for you... that I'd protect you!" his teeth clenched together as he rambled on his desperate emotions.

"But...(!) can't you see that I wanted to save you, Luna?! The Akira you knew all those years ago is still here! I only did what I did because that love for you was too much to risk you getting hurt!" Akira yelled, desperately grabbing her hand.

Luna's body recoiled back in alert to get away. She stumbled into the door in her reaction, body unsteady and weak. She felt the hard wood against her back, the coldness of it becoming almost a comfort against the overwhelming heat of her body.

Akira froze, not making any other sudden movements, soon realising there was no way he could comfort her.

Luna's lips trembled as she struggled to form words amidst her uncontrollable sobs.

"Was there no other way you could have protected me than to shed blood?!" She whimpered, her body leaning against the door.

The pain in her voice was palpable. Akira's face was tightening up as drops of water splashed onto the ground in his deep sorrow and frustration.