The Master of Souls (Ahri x OC)

Chapter 14: Another Decision

I looked sideways and saw Ahri lying on the ground while covering her face with both of her hands. And she was . . . crying? She had her back to me, but I knew instantly that she was crying.

"Ahri . . ." I called out sleepily, "what's the matter?"

Ahri sniffled uncontrollably and turned her head toward me.

Her face was wet with tears and her golden eyes were full of sorrow. She had an expression of a person who was in deep grief.

"Jeffric . . ." Ahri whimpered and started to cry again, "I'm sorry . . ."

"Ahri what's the matter?" I asked and tried to stand up from my bed and go to her, but she raised her hand in warning.

"D-don't come near me, Jeffric," she warned through her sniffles, "I-I'm too dangerous for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked in a confused voice.

What was happening? Did I do something wrong?

"I-I made a mistake," she whispered while not meeting my eyes, "I shouldn't have made you stay with me . . ."

I felt my world crumbling around me when I heard her say those words.

What had I done to make Ahri think that it was a mistake to make me stay with her? What had I done . . . ?

"W-why, Ahri . . . ?" I asked in a shocked voice while my eyes started to tear up, "did I do something . . . wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Ahri answered quickly, "it's just . . . I'm only a harm to your life, Jeffric. If I keep on living with you, you'll d-d-die!"

"Why would I die?" I asked. I was so confused. Why would I die if I keep on living with her?

"J-Jeffric," Ahri said hesitantly while brushing the tears off her cheeks, "I have to tell you something . . ."

She breathed in and out deeply for a moment. Then she spilled the truth out.

"I—" she gulped and said again, "I have an ability to suck and devour the life essence of humans." Then she gulped again and continued. "And devouring them fills me with . . . pleasure and lust that I can't resist . . . it's so blissful that I can't help it . . . sometimes the lust for more overwhelms me. I-I've killed countless humans because of it . . . without giving a second thought."

She covered her face with her hands and started to weep again. "Just a m-moment before, I almost killed you . . ." She said in grief, "I-I almost killed you, Jeffric . . . I've almost killed you as if you're just a helpless prey . . ."

I didn't answer. Before I met her, I feared her because the folktales about her was terrifying. But after I met her, I decided that they were just lies. There was no way possible that a person like Ahri could do such a thing.

But now, she confessed that she'd killed many people . . . and she said that she was about to kill . . . me.

I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to do.

Everything was just . . . going too fast!

"I'm a danger to you . . ." Ahri whispered sadly, "I shouldn't be around you . . ."

I just started at her through tears, not knowing what to do or what to say.

"I-I must leave you . . ." Ahri said in a trembling voice and she started to sob uncontrollably. "I-I don't want to hurt you . . . I'm so sorry."

Ahri stood up and started to trudge toward the entrance of the cave while crying out more tears.

N-no . . . I thought in panic, No!

I bolted upright and ran, and I found myself standing in front of Ahri, blocking her path to the exit.

"A-Ahri!" I pleaded, "please don't go . . . Please."

"I need to, Iminha," she said while looking at me with her beautiful golden eyes filled with tears, "I'm a monster. I might kill you if I stay."

"I don't care if you're a monster," I said hurriedly while trying to wipe my tears out of my eyes, "and I don't care if you killed multiple people before."

"My dead lover said that to me before," Ahri whimpered, "and . . . I killed . . . him."

I processed what I'd heard quickly and decided what to say.

"If you want to leave me behind," I said and after I took a deep breath, I finally spoke. "Then . . . you have to kill me first."

Ahri froze and stared at me with disbelief.

Before Ahri could say anything, I spoke first.

"Ahri," I said, "you're the first person who . . . who cared about me. Y-you showed me that there's kindness in this world and you made me feel warmth that I'd never felt before in my life!" Then I stared straight into Ahri's eyes. "But if you leave me . . . I don't know if I could keep on living."

"B-but," Ahri stuttered.

Ahri didn't know what to do. She needed to leave or she might kill him. But he was blocking her from going away.

If you want to leave me behind . . . Then . . . you have to kill me first.

Her mind was a chaotic mess, and her emotions were in turmoil.

What was she going to do?

She fell onto her knees while staring at the ground. Right then, she just wanted to curl into a ball and forget that the world exists.

She just wanted to disappear.

What am I going to do? What am I going to do . . .

Then, Ahri realized that Jeffric had knelt in front of her and he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Ahri . . ." Jeffric said softly, "I know that there're some chances of you killing me. But, if you leave me behind, I will definitely die."

Ahri looked up and stared into his eyes, which were wet with tears and it showed his heartbroken soul.

"Please, Ahri," the boy pleaded, "don't abandon me like the people of my village did . . ."

What was she going to do? On the one hand, she could get overwhelmed by her desire and kill the boy by sucking his life essence out of his body. But on the other hand, the boy wanted her to stay with him. And she understood why he wanted that.

From his memories, Ahri saw Jeffric being abused by the kids of his village and his own parents. He was always alone in his life, and he always cried alone, with no one to comfort him.

No one to give him warmth that humans need.

So, she decided what to do.

"Jeffric, a-are you sure about this . . . ?" Ahri asked in a pleading voice.

The boy nodded.

"Then," Ahri gulped and continued, "I'll . . . stay with you."

When Jeffric heard those words, he immediately hugged her while starting to sob happily.

"Thank you," Jeffric whispered, "thank you . . ."

Then, she felt his body go limp, and when she looked down, she saw that the boy had fallen asleep in her lap.

Ahri looked at the boy's face which was smiling blissfully, and she place her hand on the boy's head and started stroke him, her fingers brushing the boy's brown hair.

Then, she glanced up at the ceiling of the cave.

If there's a god or gods up there, she prayed, please . . . don't let me kill this boy.

She looked down at the sleeping boy again and wrapped her arms around him protectively.

I beg of you . . .