One Last Chance (A Kamisama Kiss Fanfic)

Chapter 24

Atomu yelped loudly as a root caught his foot, making him stumble and fall onto his injured side and sending a shockwave of pain throughout his body. Clenching his teeth, he pressed one hand against the wound to try and reduce the bleeding and used the other to try and push himself up, but another sharp sting from the wound returned him to his knees, heavy pants escaping his lips and sweat dripping from his brow as his body trembled. Raising his free hand, he tried to focus his fuzzy mind and summon forth a stone large and sturdy enough to lift him to his feet, but after a few minutes of no success, he gave up and slumped against the base of a nearby tree. Fixing his eyes above on what little sky he could see through the trees, he allowed his thoughts to drift aimlessly while his heartbeat thundered ominously in his ears. One after another, the faces of Nanami, Sakura, Kurama, his father, and his others friends all flashed across his mind before vanishing back into the dark depths of memory, taking with them the warm, cozy sensation they possessed and leaving him feeling even colder and more alone than before.

Sighing, Atomu rested his head against the trunk of the tree behind him and closed his eyes, knowing full well that they might not open again. Swallowing the ball of nerves in his throat, he focused on the sounds of the forest around him, the rustle of the leaves, the soft whisper of the wind, the chirping of the crickets that had somehow remained alive in the fray, all of which he found to be quite soothing for his troubled mind. If he imagined hard enough, he could almost pretend he was back in the courtyards of his father's palace in the mountains, running around barefooted in the cool embrace of the night as his father watched and Sakura sulked on the porch, annoyed that she had been dragged out into the cold against her will. The thought of such times brought the faintest of smiles to the demigod's lips, causing a fragment of peace to blossom in his chest as he laid there in the grass, not knowing whether he would live or die.

"I'm sorry, Father. It seems I could not avenge you after all. I guess it was naive of me to think I would be able to take down the one even you with all your power and wisdom could not stop. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything; I have failed you. If she survives, I wish for Sakura to not spend the rest of her life in revenge's shadow but to be happy and focus on living. I-"

"What the heck are you doing? Reciting your will?"

Atomu jumped slightly as his eyes flew open to behold Ayano towering above him, arms folded over her chest and brows scrunched together into a look of confusion. A blush rose to the demigod's cheeks as he realized that in his moment of weariness, he must have accidentally mumbled his thoughts aloud, and he bashfully looked away from Ayano in attempt to hide his embarrassment. Recognizing that she wasn't going to get an answer from him, Ayano permitted her eyes to drift back to Atomu's side, her nose crinkling up ever so slightly as the scent of blood continued to invade her nose.

"Where's Hirito?" She asked coldly.

Glancing back up at her, Atomu weakly lifted his arm and pointed in the direction from which he had come, his other hand clamped on his side. After a few seconds, the appendage limply dropped back onto the the ground as a new wave of sweat coated the demigod's brow and another shaky huff left his lips. Spinning on her heels, the chameleon, having gained the information she desired, prepared to run off, but when she tried to move, she found her feet remained firmly planted where they were. Confused, she shook herself then tried again, but she was once more held back by some invisible force she hadn't felt in a long time. Sighing loudly, she turned back around and squatted down till she was eye to eye with Atomu, her tail coiling around her feet.

"Can you walk?" she asked.

Atomu shook his head, causing Ayano to groan.

"Can you move?"

Another no. Pressing her lips together into a flat line, Ayano lowered herself even closer to the ground and turned so her back was to the demigod. Realizing her intentions, Atomu allowed his body to fall forward and sloppily draped his arms around the woman's neck while she grabbed his legs and hoisted him onto her back. After wrapping her tail around them both as an extra precaution, Ayano rose with some difficulty and ventured back the way she had come though not without casting a longing glance in the direction Atomu had pointed.