[COMPLETE] R E V E R S E #NaNoWriMo2k17

Chapter 5

Once when he was younger, he had been playing with a ball when he accidentally kicked it through a neighbour's window, shattering it. He remembered his shock and crushing fear, like every breath had been knocked out of his body.

He felt the same now. Like a brick wall had been dropped on his head. The glass shattering like his heart. His bare resolve.

"Reijal." For the first time ever, there was no venom lacing his teacher's voice. Instead, what could be considered an inkling concern echoed back at him. "Are you alright?"

"I..." He swayed dangerously, and something quickly caught him. He looked up blearily, seeing the blurry face of Tas. He couldn't see his expression.

"Class dismissed," she said quickly, and the dragons immediately dispersed, muttering amongst themselves, most of them shooting glaces in his direction. He couldn't blame them.

"Okul, take him home. I'm going to have a talk with the officers." She spun around and was gone within a second.

"I'll leave too," the Nocturne interjected quickly. He cast once last glace at him before disappearing back the way he came from.

"Ajax." Stella's tearful voice echoed strangely back to him. "Oh my Warden. Ajax."

"Do you was to lie down? You're really, really pale." The Wildclaw said worriedly.

He struggled to stand up, but fell down again.

That was when some invisible barrier shattered inside of him, and he couldn't breathe, he was dreaming, there was no way this was real, he was dreaming he had to be -

He stumbled forwards, but he couldn't orient himself - which way was up? - he collapsed face forward, someone was yelling his name, over and over...

The pain, the agony, the pure shock of the news, there was no way, it couldn't be real, no fucking way...

Why did this keep happening to him? What did he do to deserve this?

He slammed his eyes shut, trying to block it all out, all of it. Spots danced under his eyelids. Someone was grabbing him roughly. An unknown voice called for a doctor.

One last thought drifted across his mind before he lost consciousness.

Was this how Tas felt when he lost his sister?

Then he fell into welcome oblivion.​

***

Knock knock.

"Come in," he answered hoarsely. The door opened a crack​ and a pair of ice blue eyes peered in. Moonlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating their worry.

"Look, I just came to say... you have have the room yourself."

"No, stop." He wiped his eyes. "I'm being a baby. I need to stop acting like this."

"Are you kidding me? It's perfectly normal to feel that way. What on earth did your parents teach -" Her eyes widened and she sucked in her breath.

He didn't really care. He felt mostly numb to everything. He fell back onto his bed again, staring at the ceiling. Why hadn't he forced himself to do with them? Maybe he could've warned them. And then what? Would they have bee able to fend the attackers off?

After a minute of this, he heard Stella sigh. "I'm going to sleep outside. You need a night alone, and don't deny it." The door started to close, before she paused as if gathering up her courage.

"...just, stay safe, ok, Ajax? Don't try anything crazy." She looked down. "I wish I had the right words. Just know that I care."

The light was shut out with a click, and he was left in the unending darkness again.