Chapter 4:
Breathless
It was a pink and orange pastel
paradise. The sun seemed to kiss the earth as it slowly rose into the sky. The
ground lit up in sparkling colors of various hues and tones. It was a world of
only brightness.
He rose his
clawed hand to his face, shielding his eyes from the light. He let out a small
laugh, “I had no idea the world was this intensely light…”
He turned
back to the cave. It was a place of only shadows and darkness. The stale air
had been overused. Maybe that was the reason they were dying, because no one
could feasibly live in that world. But was it only the darkness that was
suffocating them?
He sat down
and turned back toward the rising sun. So bright… Had the world always been
this way? He had never seen this much light or felt this much warmth… It seemed
incredibly bleak and cold. It seemed like a place where no one was allowed to
survive. He hugged his knees lightly. Wasn’t the entire world shrouded in
darkness like that?
He lifted
his wrist again and stared at its emptiness in the light. Pandora…
“Do you
want to be free?”
Does being
free mean you can go wherever you want? Even… Even so much as to leave this
cave? Could he finally see the world beyond the small and dark universe he
currently lived in? Was that what being free meant? That anyone could stand on
their own two feet? Or was freedom something greater than that?
He rested
his hand back on his knees and lowered his head to his knees as well. Why was
she trying so hard? Was it really possible to rescue him from this stagnant
place? Even when he had been there for so long… And more than that… why did she
want to do it so badly? What good did it do her if he could run away from this
place? He gave his knees a squeeze.
I… don’t
hate her… No… I could never hate her… Even though…
He rose his
head slowly as he opened his mouth, a very small, but clear tone emanated from
his lips. Tears began falling from his eyes as the tone escaped his lips. He
closed his mouth quickly and he rose one hand to his face. He lowered his head
as he wiped away his tears.
So sad that
it makes even me cry… What was it that was taken from me? Was it something
different from my freedom? Is it… really what I’ve always wanted most? He rose
his head and leaned back on his hands. I wanted… to always be near the light of
God… Yes, that was what I always wanted… Something loving… and warm… A light
that would always hold me close and never let go… A light that gave me the
strength to stand and fight… His lips formed a quiet smile. A light that can
create miracles…
That was
all that I ever really wanted… That’s not an impossible wish, is it?
He lowered
his head. Can anything grant that wish? A light that creates miracles… That
must be impossible… But… Maybe…
Maybe the
box can create that sort of miracle?
The box was
created by God with his holy sealing powers… And a priestess must retrieve it…
If that is the case, then maybe the box can create a miracle… Created by holy
power and obtained by holy powers… It must have that power… But…. Can I get
that power for my wish?
He held his
knees tightly once more. I didn’t… I didn’t actually want to go with her to try
and see if the others are alive… But… No… There isn’t a place in this intensely
light world for someone like me… I really… I really do belong to the darkness…
Someone like me… someone who is weak and small… Someone like that deserves to
be in the darkness… Only in the darkness…
But… if
she’s going to get the box… Then… then maybe I can borrow some of that miracle
creating holy power and get my wish…
He lowered
his head to his knees. If that’s the case, then maybe I have to go with her…
His lips curved into a smile. And I’m sure… I’m sure if she was willing to
break my chains… He rose his wrist to his eyes. I’m sure that she will
definitely give me some of that power to create my own miracle…
~*~
Minako
stood facing the outside of the cage. She wrapped her fingers around the bars
lightly. What lies beyond this chained hell…? I have no idea, but… my heart
longs for the outside… Even if the world is only filled with stale darkness…
Even if death is waiting for me in the darkness… Whatever difficult and ominous
future lies before me… It’s better than the present… So, I… So I have to get
out of here…
The cold
metal of the bars pierced her hands as shivers pricked her skin. Her heart
shuddered and hid against her spine. Even if the bars were small slivers, the
room closed in on her and all the inhabitants there. She gasped for breath as
she tightened the grip of her fingers around the bars. She clung for them, as
if holding them would pull her out of this nightmare.
Somewhere,
far beyond the darkness, Renee is waiting for me…. In my heart, I have no
doubts about that… Renee must have searched every inch of the studio and every
corner of Times Square to find me… She lowered her head. Would anyone guess
where I am?
This world…
The horned boy with wings… Did they exist in reality? Or was it a dream? The
withered souls in the cage claimed that my reality was a dream… And this
ominous dream was a reality… Her fingers shook as they gripped the bars. How?
How could it be that everything that was normal, happy, and bright was a lie?
Did reality only exist in the darkness? What kind of a reality is that? Minako
held the bars tighter and lowered her head as tears began falling from her
eyes.
Without
Renee… I feel so lost….
The
darkness clouded her sight. Everywhere she turned, there was no pocket of light
in the shadow. The darkness filled her throat and choked her. Tears welled in
her eyes as the hands of darkness closed tightly around her throat. The stale
air would claim her, and then what would become of everyone? I’m supposed to
rescue them, right? She let out a small laugh. I can’t do that if I die… She
put her hand to her head, how stupid am I?
There was a
clicking sound.
That noise…
The sound
grew closer.
She took in
a gasp. I recognize that sound now… Footsteps…
Even though
the inhabitants of the caged room had spent the night with him when he was the
curled child nestling in the warmth of the priestess, they still feared him. As
Minako struggled to breathe, the other girls backed into the corners of
darkness.
She turned
to face them. So… they recognize those footsteps too…
In those
corners, they could conceal themselves entirely from the demon.
She shut
her eyes briefly. Why are they such cowards? He has a gentle kindness that can
overcome the darkness…
Minako
crumpled to her knees as the darkness finally overtook her. Her jaw shook as
she sniffed back her tears. Why…. Why am I so weak…? Why…? She took in a forced
breath.
The
clicking sound stopped. “Priestess…” His voice sounded almost cold.
She managed
to lift her head, if only briefly, to look into the eyes of Nick.
His eyes
narrowed as he turned his head slightly. His face reflected the coldness in his
voice. His lips seemed to curl into a smirk, “Well, Priestess… The darkness has
grown stale since you appeared, Pandora...”
Minako struggled to breathe, “Why…”
Nick’s eyes shifted to the opposite direction. “Only God and the
Devil know.” He turned back to her slightly, “Death… is approaching.”
Minako gripped the bars tighter; they were her safety, the only
thing in this desolate hell that gave her life. Her breath shortened as she
struggled to speak, “Why…”
Nick turned and looked at her fully for a moment. The smirk seemed
to fade from his lips as his eyes became kind once more. Her body shook in the
darkness as it was engulfed by the stale air. Whatever breathable air existed
escaped her lips and hid in the shadows amongst the other girls. Her hair clung
to her face, equally frightened of the darkness. Her body fell under the weight
of the stagnant air. Was this the powerful priestess? She didn’t seem like one…
He had heard the story of the Priestess from Rubiihoppou. Her strength
overpowered the demons there and her heart crushed their hopes… Their wishes…
Her strength was selfish… But this priestess… Even as her body and soul
crumpled, she stood up to him. She faced him. Was her strength from her heart?
He knelt to her level. If he could reach out to her, then maybe
she would regain her strength. They were trapped together in this prison of
darkness, the priestess, the demon, and all the others… If he could reach out
to her, then she could push the darkness away from them all by lighting the
torch of hope…
The bars, though solid metal, looked as though they would shatter
under the weight of her hands. Her fingers were one thousand times stronger and
the bars were merely dust.
“Not… enough… power… left to….”
Nick put his hand on the bars, “Priestess…”
She stared straight into his eyes, “Why… Why do… you… torture us?…
We’re… so weak…”
“Torture?” Nick grabbed her hands, even as they gripped the bars
tightly. Could he transfer his newfound strength to her? He prayed that
somewhere in his heart, whatever little light still existed, he could give it to
her, and he could complete her. Maybe she needed some light to ignite the
torch… Maybe it was impossible to do alone…
“This hell… it’s killing us… Right now… You… are the… strongest…
creature… alive…” She cupped her hands around his. “End this… Let… me… out…
and… every…one… else… too…”
Nick pulled her hands closer to him. Her arms reached through the
bars and he cradled her hands close to his heart. “The Priestess would descend
upon this earth as the shining light within the darkness. In her heart, she
held the secret of the box, the box that God hid, but the Devil protects. She
will find it, because in her heart, she knows the name of demons… the demons
that desire the box. She will lead us to it, and we will prosper.” He looked
into her eyes, “That is Pandora’s true duty…”
“Why… is…” Minako began to cough. Her voice was strained as she
struggled to breathe… To live… “box… so… im…portant…”
Nick’s face hardened as her gripped her hands tightly. Her small
fingers were crushed beneath his grip. “I want it back.”
Minako shut her eyes for a moment and pulled away, but Nick had an
immense power over her. Her arms grew limp as her struggle ceased beneath his
grip.
“I want it back, more than anything,” his voice grew raspy as he
let out a growl from his throat, “No one else can have it! It belongs to me!”
“What?… What… did… they… take?… What… is it… that’s… missing?...”
“It’s been so long, that even I don’t remember its true form or
shape, but my power… my life… is sealed inside that box.”
“Your… life inside… a box?…”
Nick turned away for a moment, his anger subsiding, “You may think
you are the weakest ones in this world, but even now I am dying… How long I’ve
lived without it, I don’t know, but… If it is not returned, then I know I will
die. It is… a part of my body…”
“How… long…?”
“A year… Maybe a decade… Nothing in life is certain…”
“Nothing?...”
“But… Even if I only live a short time… No, whether or not I live
for only a short time, it is still mine. God… God had no right to take it!”
Nick released Minako’s hands and stood up. He clenched his fist, and it shook
as a growl rose in his throat, “GOD HAD NO RIGHT!” His tail stood in upright
position and even his calm wings began to flare out. Nick grabbed the lock on
the bars, and held it between his fingers. His fist shook as he closed it
around the lock. He seemed to glow with a pale blue light, and then the lock
shattered.
Minako’s hands shook, “Pale… blue… light…? And… it… shattered…?”
The lock that shattered like glass no longer sealed the cage. Nick
stood before the cage his face hardened. His body lost the ease it possessed
earlier and it regained its rigid quality. The soft heart within the demon had
become consumed with his rage, and his eyes narrowed.
He wanted revenge; his heart was full of hate and bloodlust for
God, the man who trapped him in the stagnant darkness and stole what was most
precious from him.
“If you’re weak in that cage, you should get out, Pandora… You
will find the other demons, you will find the box, and then you will return
what was stolen from me. That is your purpose in this world.”
Minako held on to the bars as she stood on her trembling legs. Her
knees shook beneath her. The bars rattled beneath her hands and her whole body
trembled from her weakness. She began backing into the darkness, still gripping
the bars for support.
“You refuse me?”
“Everyone… Everyone… else… You… will… let… them… go… too… I…
won’t… go… without… them… Got it…?”
“They were kept incase they were the priestess, but I have finally
found you, Pandora. They are free to leave as they wish. You are the only one I
want…”
Minako released the bars and put her hands to her heart. Her legs
shook violently. The only one… you want… Her hands shook. Then… that embrace…
“Priestess… Come to me…”
Minako stepped back as she searched the darkness for the glowing
yellow eyes. Some of the pale-skinned, life-drained girls emerged from within
the darkness. Minako stumbled back toward Nick; her body was becoming too weak
to support her own weight. “Come… out… He’s… letting… you… go…” Though she
could see some of the girls through the stagnant darkness, their yellow eyes
would not respond to her pleading. “Come… out… Hurry… Please…”
“We’re… not leaving,” A single voice called out from the darkness.
The yellow eyes seemed to nod in agreement with the voice, but all of them
stayed in the shadow of the stagnant darkness.
Minako’s knees shook as they pulled her back to the ground. She
shut her eyes and clung to the bars with all her remaining strength. “You…
can’t… stay… here… You… have… have… to… come…”
“No,” the single voice responded firmly, “We’re staying here. This
world is not like the dream we awakened from. We don’t like it. It is too dark…
too frightening. And it is filled with rotten people. We do not want to see it,
so we won’t leave.”
“IF YOU STAY HERE YOU’LL DIE!!!!!!!!!”
“That is… okay…”
“But… you’ll….” Minako’s last ounce of strength had failed her.
She toppled to the ground. Even if she couldn’t save herself, she thought, she
prayed, that for one moment she could save all of them. But the darkness
consumed her… the darkness in which death was hiding. How could the others
think it protected them? It was the silent murderer among them.
Lying limp on the ground, Minako resembled a small doll. Her hair
and arms lay limp on the ground.
Nick leaned down and put his hand to her face. She’s so peaceful
looking… even if she released all her power… He wrapped his arms around her
body and stood. “Priestess…”
The yellowed eyes stared up at Nick as they shook almost
pleadingly.
Though there were hundreds of them, Nick towered over them in the
darkness. He lowered his eyes and looked into the yellow spotlights they created,
“Your lives are your own. Live them out where you choose. Pandora wanted your
freedom, so I decided to grant it. There is no more lock... No more cage. Come
and go as you please… Even if you won’t leave… You are your own caretakers
now…” Nick held Minako’s limp body in his arms, close to his chest and the
warmth of his heart, “I got the only thing that I ever wanted.”
“Make sure she lives…” a sole voice called to Nick from the
darkness.
“Whichever eye lit lamps call out to me now, you can find peace in
knowing that I will not let Pandora die. The Priestess who lifts up the
hell-creatures should never be allowed to close her eyes. She will give me the
light that creates miracles, so I will protect her life with my own hands. That
is… the only promise I can keep…”
“Find peace,” a chorus of yellowed eyes called out to him. He was
center stage within the spotlight of their prayers.
Nick tightened his grip on Minako and exited the darkness. His
claws made the familiar clicking sound of his footsteps.
It’s because she was kind… If she hadn’t broken my chains, I would
never have seen that world of light outside this world of only darkness… And I
wouldn’t be able to leave now… I feel a little bad taking advantage of all the
kindness you’ve already shown me, but… That’s all you exist for, right? To
retrieve the box…. And if that’s all you exist for, then I don’t mind borrowing
that holy power to create my own miracle… Some day… when I already have my
strength back… I promise I’ll thank you… Until then… I’ll protect your holy
power. Is that okay… Priestess?...
He would escape the stagnant dead air with his life, and so would
Minako. They would regain their strength in time. In his arms, Nick carried the
goddess of hope. In her heart she carried everyone’s dreams and one day she
would be strong enough to light the torch called hope and rescue them all from
darkness. Nick’s grip grew stronger each moment; he knew better than anyone
else that a very special kind of strength was necessary, because hope was the most
fragile glass.
***