===== Chapter 18 [ Part 5 ] =====

8:30 P.M.

"Didn't I make a promise to you, (Y/N),
that I will never ever let you go?"

"I'll come back for you, (Y/N).
                                   I promise..."

"I to you too, (Y/N)...
                                  I will never ever leave you alone."

You squeeze your pillow harder as you hear countless of voices faintly murmuring to your mind. You try to shove their voices back, but the gesture only ends up in futility. Whispers from the past continue to torment you, making you sweat in your sleep; and when you cannot take those nightmares anymore, you snap your (E/C) eyes open and find no one...

No Ashes..

No Kielle..

No one at all...

[ Flashback ]

5: 04 P.M.

His words cause you to stop struggling from his hold. You are now flinching in fear. You don't know what happened. You have no idea why he is acting like this right now, but maybe what Hash Brown told you is true. "Kielle. Kielle, snap out of it," you whisper, trying to coax him out from whatever he is in; but Kielle only smiles while he presses his face in your hair. Oh how your scent drives him to the edge of insanity.

You turn to Hash for help, but Hash himself doesn't even know what to do. Should he try and pull you away?! The man tries to take a single step closer, but Kielle's glaring golden orbs threaten him to stay away from them. "I will look for help!!" Hash Brown stutters to you then quickly runs off. But Alessio—oh, Alessio who happens to stand from the sidelines observing your movements right from the start won't leave you.

He reveals himself and pulls out a gun. Silver orbs glint with unconcealed anger. His sudden appearance and his current demeanor scare you, but you're scared more for Kielle's life even though he is making you uneasy right now by his rather strange behavior. Clear fear is shown over your face; his silver eyes soften for a second, but it hardens upon seeing the arms around your body. Anger seizes him again.

"Let go of her, Ponce."

Ponce

Ponce

Ponce

The name Ponce brings him back to his past.

"Ponce, you're such a trash!" Uncle beats him and kicks him. So heartlessly. So mercilessly. "I do not see why my daughter loves you so much when you are nothing but a fucking rat!!" The poor boy is already spitting out some blood, but his uncle does not fucking care. This garbage deserves the beating!

Stealing his daughter and this guy also dared to make his daughter turn against her father! Why in the world did he even consider to adopt this son of a whore?!

Kielle Ponce pleads his uncle to stop. Tears are flowing down his golden eyes. That rare shade of color's truly a gorgeous color, but it only makes his uncle more angry. Kicking him hard in the stomach again, the uncle gives some laugh out upon seeing his pathetic state.

Bruises. Blood. Tears It all painted his face. Uncle Sam finally left him alone, but Kielle knows that it won't be long before he returns again. He'll only stay away if he decides to leave his cousin alone. But his cousin always make sure to accompany him, wanting him to feel very comforted and happy with her presence.. Kielle is very grateful for her, but he could never tell her the horrible truth of the abuse Uncle gave him.

Peach loves her dear father very much.. The news will break her. And also his heartless uncle will be angry if Kielle dares to tell on him.

He only wanted to be happy...

When Kielle became an orphan at eight, he did not let despair and sorrow control his life.

Kielle tried to be happy. He tried to be happy for his dear cousin Peachie, who was always there for him. When he would cry, she would cry too. When he would laugh, she would laugh too.

They were just too close... almost inseparable when they were young. But it's unfortunate that Peach's father—his uncle—didn't like their close bonds. The uncle was very protective of his daughter and did not like the thought of  Kielle 'stealing' his daughter from him. His uncle would hurt him and insult him whenever Peach was away; then his uncle would put on a kind facade when she was there.

Stay away from my daughter. You are such a trash. Very disgusting.  If it were not for my daughter, I would have thrown you away already..— Those words were always being uttered to him, daily.

Due to his uncle, he couldn't allow himself to have fun around her, fearing that the man would really prove his words and abandon him.

Kielle only wanted to be happy, but life was cruel. Sure, Peach was there with him; but he also felt like that he is trapped in a cage...

He stopped.

For a small amount of happiness, he cannot do this any longer. He distanced himself away from her cousin. He decided to forget happiness; it's fine as long as he isn't anymore abandoned.

But why...

Now Kielle thought that he can feel this feeling of bliss again, everything is against him once more.. Tears flow down from his golden eyes as he remembers all those... pain, all those abuse from his ʄʊƈƙɨռɢ uncle.

"Don't call me that," he angrily snaps at Alessio, "Don't fucking call me that!" Alessio's silver eyes narrow upon seeing (Y/N) in the arms of the unstable man. Your face shows fear and uncertainty as you struggle.

His queen...

Alessio's gun is still pointed at Kielle, specifically at his face. Ignoring the sudden screams of the tormented guy, Alessio only cares about you.

"You dare—"

"You dare to make her uncomfortable."

Kielle's golden eyes widen in horror upon the realization, and he hugs you, his light, with whimper. He completely disregards Alessio as his attention is entirely on you.

"(Y/N), I didn't intend to. I didn't intend to. Please don't abandon me. Please..Please don't abandon me," he softly whispers in anguish and hugs you even tighter. Now you are more inclined to believe what Hash has said... maybe Kielle isn't still fully cured.

Your heart swells in pity.

"I won't."

You pat him as you stop pulling yourself from Kielle's grasp for a second. "I won't."

"But you have to let me go for now."

You sigh. "The way how you are acting right now is not making things any better, Kielle. So please let me go...," you plead. Your tone is very soft and gentle, hoping that this will finally coax him out.

Kielle tears up for a second.

He doesn't want to let you go, but you're right. With his actions, he's just pushing you away. So for this moment, Kielle lets go. Once he finally releases you, you quickly head to Alessio as you quickly make him lower his aim, away from Kielle.

"Hey, I'm fine. Don't scare him any lon—"

You find yourself caught off guard.

The black haired man suddenly grabs you by the arms as Alessio scans you with narrowed silverish irises. Though there are no injuries or marks left by Kielle, he still dared touching you. he'll kill him

You let out an awkward smile as you find yourself in an uncomfortable position. "Kielle didn't hurt me. It's fine, Alessi—"

"He actually dares to cross the line.." Your breath hitches when his silver eyes stare right at yours. The emotions in those irises make you pause as you are mesmerised once moe by the exotic beauty.

"I'll make him learn his lesson," he darkly mutters as he returns his gaze on the golden-eyed man.

Kielle Ponce is just quietly observing you guys with a dead expression. The sight of you guys makes almost drown in insanity; no—Kielle has already drowned in insanity.

Once you turn to look, Kielle automatically begins self- harming himself. He slams his hand into his head. Dead sounding murmurs constantly being uttered, "I'm trash.. Uncle's right. He's right. Right. I'm nothing.. Worthless. Trash. Now, my (Y/N) hates me..." Tears gradually fall while the golden eyes eerily looks at you as he does the eerie gesture.

"Now, she hates me..."

"she hates me."

"shé hæteś me."

Again and again; Kielle does that to himself. In each hit, it's as if it gets harder in every hit in the head. You try to stop him or snap him out. But it's almost unending. The light in his golden eyes aren't there anymore—

it's as if...

Kielle is not there anymore.