The Girl With The Crimson Eyes

39: Ice

~TRIGGER WARNING~

Remnya

Remnya squinted at a blurred figure standing next to her. Two long ears and eyes as green as the beautiful gardens of the mansion. An unknown yet familiar presence, calming the turmoil in her body and soul.

Warm hands caressed her face, gently cleaning the blood from her skin. She recognized his touch, and her tired eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Zeo," Remnya whispered, dizziness causing the gloomy room to spin around her.

Zeo leaned his hand on her cheek and returned a tender smile. "Hi, Rem," he said, "I'm glad you're back."

That's all she wanted to hear. Not taking her pupils away from him, Remnya allowed her thoughts to fit the pieces of her mind together. Why was Zeo with her?

Silence.

Slowly, isolated memories from the past returned to haunt her like the waves in a dense ocean. Her chest felt heavy, as if a massive rock had dropped on her weakened body, and the air became thinner with every breath. Cold sweat prickled on her skin as her heart kicked against her ribs.

A sudden burst of anguish exploded inside her. She remembered.

"Skado!" Remnya screamed, yanking the blanket over her, "Please, no!"

Remnya tried to jump off the bed, but Zeo wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest.

"Nothing happened, you're safe now," Zeo whispered in her ear. Tears flowed mercilessly as a tempest unfolded in Remnya's brain, yet she heard his soothing voice in the void of her mind. "Skado is dead. Gone forever."

Remnya gasped for air as she fought the ghosts from her past. She gripped Zeo's body with all her strength. No one else in the world could make her feel safe but him.

The battle lasted for what seemed an eternity.

Zeo never left her side. He held her against his chest, his heartbeats calming her mind. Remnya squeezed his back, feeling his warm skin covered by scars, blood, and dust. She took a deep breath, smelling his aroma. So strange yet so familiar.

Her last memory flashed before her eyes. She remembered: When Skado loomed over her, Zeo broke into that room, and then everything turned into darkness.

"You saved me," Remnya murmured.

"I did what I had to do," he replied, his voice soft but sharp.

"How?" Remnya asked, releasing his body to look into his eyes. She noticed the cuts across his face and shirtless torso. Dried blood stained his nose and mouth. "Why do you keep risking your life like this, Zeo?"

"You already know why." He shrugged as a timid smile pulled at his lips.

"You're crazy and stupid!" Remnya scowled, clenching her fists. "But you're amazing! I'm sorry I was too blind to see how strong you really are."

"Nonsense. If you hadn't believed in me from the beginning," Zeo cradled her hand, "I wouldn't be here now."

Remnya lowered her face, embarrassed and out of words. Then, from the corner of her eyes, she noticed the horrible burnt scar crossing his chest. Remnya gasped, and without thinking, she touched his skin.

"Who did this to you?" she asked as her trembling fingers trailed the dead skin across his torso.

"Don't worry about it now." Zeo smiled.

"Uh . . . What happened to Skado?"

"Dead," he replied coldly.

Remnya ran out of breath for a moment. "Who killed him? Ronner?"