Rebirth: Beasts Bound

"What?" he asked.

"Tell me about it now. You aren’t ready for me to see them. I’m invading your memory," I said again, and he just stared. I saw something flash in his eyes before I could hold onto it...

The door opened, and he pulled me by the wrist.

"Wait! You have to tell me first!" I said, but then I froze as he rested his head against my forehead.

"I trust you, Raven. I don’t need to tell you them... you can see them," he said, and I felt my tummy swirl with butterflies. I couldn’t hide the small smile that curved on my lips.

"I wouldn’t get hurt," I said, and he gently placed a kiss on my forehead before going to sit on the chair across from mine. I sat down too, and then I was asked to prick my finger against a needle.

"Is that clean or sterilized?" I asked in worry, and Ryker raised a brow.

"Sterilized?" he asked, and I sighed.

"What if it’s not clean? I could get sick!" I said, and watched as he laughed subtly.

"Things like that are pretty much clean here. Masters won’t get sick from them," he said, and my lips parted to protest, but he gave me one silent look and I dared not say a word. But I was just afraid of the needle. Staring at it made me remember something...

I remember running around the courtyard when Rosy walked up to me.

"Let’s play a game," she said, and I stood there.

"What game?" I asked, and she smiled.

"Sleeping Beauty." Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

"You be Aurora, and I will be Maleficent." Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but tremble. We were basically thirteen then.

"I can’t," I said, ready to leave, but she held my wrist.

"Are you scared of some needle?" she said, and my lips parted, but the others rushed toward me.

"Of course she is," the voice of some blonde girl shot out, and I laughed nervously.

"Of course not," I said, and immediately rushed to dress as Aurora. As if I was enchanted, I slowly walked to the flower, reaching out my index finger... but I paused.

The way the needle tip shimmered... I felt my tummy churn.

"Rosy, I can’t do it," I said, but then she walked up.

"Scaredy-cat. What is wrong with putting your hand on there?" She didn’t let me say a word and grabbed my index finger.

"Hey, Rosy, stop," I begged, but she dragged me to the needle.

"Stop whining," she rolled her eyes, and just when I was finally going to slip away, her friend pushed me forward... just like that, my index finger went straight into the needle, sharp and fast.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

I could still feel the pain rush straight to my head. I froze, but then Ryker snapping his fingers brought me back to reality.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and I stared blankly for a while before opening my mouth.

"Yes," I lied, but he must have noticed from the way cold sweat ran down my face. I was traumatized then... the needle went into my finger and came out from the other end of my nail. Feeling a sour taste in my throat, I shivered, but then Ryker was crouching right before me.

"It’s okay, I’m here," he said gently, cupping my cheeks and gazing at me directly in the eyes. I was trembling.

"Are you scared of needles?" he asked, but I dared not say a word. It felt like I was going through memory lane...

Even when my parents found out, they scolded me.

"Why play with Rosy?"

"Your twin didn’t mean to hurt you!"

"It’s your fault. Bring that finger."

They treated it after I cried for three hours straight... and because Rosy said they should. I felt bitterness spread in my mouth.

"I’m also your daughter... why treat me like trash?" I mumbled softly, and Ryker snapped his fingers right in front of my face. I was pulled out of my thoughts.

"Can you do it... we can choose a different trial or forfeit," he said, and I forced a better smile.

"It’s all about facing each other’s fears, Ryker. I can do it!" He saw the determined look on my face and gently caressed my hair before going back. As soon as he sat down, I gently placed my index finger on the needle, closing my eyes shut...

"You are doing good, Raven. I’m here," I heard Ryker’s voice, and everything toned out. I listened only to his voice. He smiled faintly. I exhaled softly and pressed my finger in.

The sharp pain shot across my finger to my body, and I trembled, but it subsided. I felt my blood ooze out and gently slide down the needle to the ground like-clay, but I didn’t expect the base to swallow the blood. Ryker did the same as me, but he had a blank expression.

"How was he feeling nothing?" I thought. I really wanted to be strong like him... in fact, I envied it. Still thinking about the pain, I licked my bottom lip.

Just then, finally, everything went still. I saw Ryker shut his eyes and his head slump to his shoulders. A faint orange mist shimmered on his forehead and just like that...

"Ryke—"

My words didn’t land as the pain shot through me. I trembled. It felt like an electric shock. My head rang with throbbing pain.

And just like that, I found myself somewhere dark. It was cold... freezing.

"Ryker," I called out, but heard nothing. I walked closer and heard a drip sound. I shifted my gaze to the floor, and it suddenly filled with water.

"Master..." I heard Ryker’s voice and raised my head.

There was a pale-looking girl there. Her hair was black and shimmered softly. She was inside a tub, and water slowly poured out, filling the ground. Ryker was gently washing her hair, and she smiled at him.

"You don’t need to work. Just be my house husband, take care of the dishes," she said, and Ryker laughed.

"Let me go to war with you. Together we will be unstoppable," he said, and she laughed.

She had such a pretty smile... and to be honest, she was much prettier.

Was I jealous of a dead woman now? I wasn’t. I just wanted to see the reason for his guilt. I wanted to heal him... and just like he heard my thoughts, he snapped his head towards me, and I froze.

He was staring straight at me...

Could he see me? Or perhaps feel me? After all... I’m inside his memory...

I moved backwards softly, but then his smile stretched wide.

I froze. "Ryker?" I asked, and his lips parted.

"Raven..."

How...? Did he actually... I felt my breath hitch.

But then that memory faded. It swirled and I landed hard onto a bed. I groaned, stared down at my hands and....I was dressed in a blue gown, and Ryker moved closer to me.

"Master, I prepared something!" he said and dropped it on the table. I froze. I wasn’t his master... I wanted to say something, but when I stared at the mirror by the side...

I had her face.

"What?"

Did I perhaps look like her now... so I could feel her pain and everything, not just by watching, but by experiencing the bond? That must be the reason.

I licked my lips, and the body reached for the drink, taking it.

"Thank you," I said and smiled. Something was controlling my body. I wanted to speak, but suddenly everything bounced, and I was thrown into the air...

I landed straight on the ground and staggered.

It was a losing battlefield. The ground was smeared with blood... and my dress too. It smelled like metal, raw iron... and magic lingered in the air.

"Ryker, leave right now," I said. The body was acting the scene.

"I can’t. If we die, we die together," he said, and I clicked my tongue. I just smirked, and a contract appeared. Just before he could say a word, Ryker was stabbed from behind and he collapsed to his knees.

"Ryker!" I yelled, running toward him, but that second, Ryker grabbed the soldier’s hand that had stabbed him and stabbed him back, laughing.

"Killing me isn’t that easy," he said, and his eyes shimmered orange. The mist swirled around him and my eyes widened.

"Stop, you will lose control, Ryker!" I yelled out, but he didn’t budge.

"You are going to explode!" I yelled, but he was already glowing too brightly...

Orange mist swirled around him sharper, and my legs moved as I was about to grab his shirt...

BOOM!

The mist surrounding Ryker exploded, and just like that, fire swallowed me. I trembled in pain. A scream escaped from my lips. The burning of skin... everything felt so vivid... the melting... and my eyes went blank.

It was then Ryker came back to his senses. He dropped the dead soldier to the ground, his body turning to ash.

He rushed toward me and held my body. He was holding onto his master’s body, but I was seeing it from her perspective.

The body burned...

"Master..." Ryker said with shaky breath, gently shaking her head.

"Wake up," he said, but nothing escaped from her lips.

"Don’t die," he said, laying his hands over her, trying to heal her. "Please wake up..." he trembled, grabbing her shoulders tightly...

But one thing....you can’t bring back the dead.

Her parts turned to ash until it finally vanished, only a skull remained.

"Master..." he cried, tears dripping hard as they fell on her body.

"I’m sorry..." he said, hugging her tightly.

Their enemies moved closer, and just then, orange mist swirled around him again, bigger, stronger...

"Ghh..." escaped from my lips, yet I dared not make a sound. My body in the present jerked in pain... the earth-tightening feeling came, I gasped trying to breathe... I stared at my hands.

I was now Ryker.

The pain came sharper, piercing, and I collapsed to the ground. Ryker’s body coughed out blood, and burn marks shimmered on his right arm... but they didn’t hurt as much as losing her.

Her smiling face shimmered in his head, and he burst into tears. The drops fell heavily to the ground.

"Ryker..." her soft voice echoed, and I grabbed onto the piece of clothing I had left of her, crying so hard...

I was in Ryker’s body... seeing everything from his perspective.

"It hurts..." I groaned out, and Ryker’s body fell to the ground.