A shimmer on the horizon (Sancest multiship) [Discontinued]

Chapter 9 - Old stories and Questions

Cross PoV:

We sat on a bench in the local park and I was staring into nothingness. Nightmare sat left of me and was leaning back, looking at sky with a bored expression on his face.

I tried to handle what happened just a few hours ago.

So at first, we saw Lea dead on the floor and above her was an insane Vincent. After that, everything froze and Nightmare didn't seem to be surprised by that. Then he just stabbed Vincent with a tentacle and left without a second look on him. Then the time just went back and Vincent's blood disappeared of my clothes.

But the weirdest thing today was this 'welcome in yesterday' thing. What the hell just happened?

"We're in a time loop. The time just went backwards and now yesterday will happen again and when the clock bells midnight will this day start from the beginning."

Without realizing, I asked the last question loud. I glared at Nightmare from the corner of my eye sockets. He kept starring at the cloudless sky and I had the feeling he avoided my look.

"And why does it happen? Who caused all of this?"

"It's the skill of someone I knew long ago. He activated it cuz I asked him to."

"That still doesn't actually answer my questions Nightmare."

"Actually it does, it's just not enough for you" He felt my annoyed glare and he sighed.

"Look Cross, the last night we saw each other, something bad happened that teared the whole crew apart. Every one of us landed on a different island than the other and we couldn't communicate with each other. The Marine force would had spotted our location and killed us immediately, if we used phones or something like that. Neither of us knew, if the others were alive or if they were the only survivor. I landed on a lonely island, without any possibility to escape. I spent there nearly two years, until a ship that sailed near the island noticed me. They saved my life, and I was finally free. After that, I went on the search for the other mates, but it was clueless. I couldn't find anyone and after months, I came to a solution. If I kept searching that way, I would never find them. So I went to a friend of mine, whose skill is to control time and asked for a favor. He hadn't anything to loose, so he agreed with the plan. He created a time loop that affects the whole world, but because of the tattoo, it doesn't affect us."

Nightmare's explanation sounded monoton, as if he didn't care about the past or what the others had to go threw. But I noticed how his body stiffed and his gaze leaved the beautiful sky. He just starred at the trees around us and it seemed like he was avoiding my glare. That was the moment realization hit me.

It wasn't like he didn't care, but that he gave himself the fault. Like his tattoo said, he was the captain, so it was his responsibility what happened to the crew. He've made a mistake and now we were the ones that had to bear the consequences. He thought it was all his fault!

I felt bad for him, he wanted to retrieval what happened and just made it worse, by trapping all of us in a time loop, that non of us could escape. I wanted to say something to comfort him, and as he felt my feelings, his glance lied again at me and seemed to say 'don't want your pity', so I just shuted my mouth.

But still, I was confused and asked:

"But if the tattoo protects you from the effects of the time loop, why haven't I known about it? I have it too but until I met you, I haven't noticed that time goes back every night."

Nightmare looked at me from the corner of his eyesocket. After a few seconds, he stood up and came right in front of me. I looked up to him and took the opportunity to take a closer look.

He looked at me frowning and his one blue eye was glaring at me. His gaze wasn't focused and it seemed he was thinking about something. As I looked at him, I saw that he was actually pretty handsome. And he searched for me, for who knows how long, in the whole world.

Who else would have done something like that for me?

I felt like my face started to heat up and I quickly looked somewhere else. What was happening to me? Why had he such an affect at me?

And it didn't help as he tried to pull up my white hoodie.

I immediately blushed more and I slapped him.

"H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Oh please", he said rolling his eye.
"I know you since 12 years, as if I haven't seen you naked in that time. Besides, I just wanted check your tattoo."

"Then why haven't you just asked?", I asked, my face a purple mess.

He didn't answer that question, but I noticed the blue shimmer on his cheeks.

He just pulled my hoodie up and looked at my tattoo. After a few seconds, he let go and sat down again next to me.

"Just as I thought."

"What?"

"Because your amnesia, you didn't know the true meaning of the symbol. Only when you're aware that you're a member of the crew, does his power work. That's why the eye of your blaster isn't glowing."

"Ok? And why would a tattoo know, if the one who has it know something or not?"

"Listen, I .....uh... it was made by the skill of one of the other mates, I don't know how it actually works."

"Yeah, of course... How many members has the crew?", I answered skeptical.

"We're ten now, including you, but we're used to be.....uhm..... twenty. Most of them died and a few...let's not talk about this."

We sat in silence. There were so many other things I wanted to know, but I felt that it was difficult for Nightmare to talk about it. These memories were obviously very painful for him.

My phone rang and I immediately froze. It reminded me of the events of yesterday (or today?).

Lea's dead body on the floor and Vincent's insane gaze at me. Helena's begging voice throw the phone.

My hand was trembling as I took the phone out of my pocket and picked up.

"H-Hello?", I asked, afraid if that could be Helena, who called me to say that Lea was gone missing.
But to my relief, it was just Paul, who asked if I could come to deal with these bastards at the bar.

I sighed and said that I'll be there in half an hour. I hang up and sighed again, looking at the sky.

The fear couldn't disappear that easily. The time just went backwards and Vincent would still kill Lea at night. But this time, I knew what was going on and could prevent it, this time I could save her.

I was filled with determination.
__________________________

So another chapter!

Nightmare finally explained a bit of the backstory!

Hope you enjoyed:)

~Roxine