Guilts and Blessings

Chris is sitting in a dark room with no light and no end.

He can't see anything around him, but he's pretty sure it's just a black void. He looks down at his hands, which are slightly trembling, and his breath comes out in short pants, as if someone is holding him up.

He abruptly stops breathing after hearing the sound of someone walking through a door. He slowly turns his head towards what sounded like footsteps, and when he sees a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him from behind him, he knows it's a monster because his eyes were red. The monster approaches Chris, but he says nothing and simply closes his eyes, waiting for death. Then there was a bright white light, and before he could process what had happened, he found himself lying on a bed, staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down his face, not knowing what had happened or where he'd been.

Chris blinked slowly and rubbed his eyes as he sat up in his bed. It was still dark, and he couldn't see anything out of the corner of his eye, so he quietly rose from his bed to turn on the light, and his hand landed on something warm. He gasped and backed away quickly as he looked down at his hand. His left hand was covered in blood, dripping from his fingers onto the floor; he stared at it and felt dizzy.

The sound of someone running can be heard from the hallway. Approaching Chris's room.

The noise grew louder and louder until one person burst into the room.

"Chris!? What's wrong!?" David asked as he grabbed Chris' arm and began carefully inspecting him.

"I... I don't know". Chris muttered quietly, too scared to look at David, too afraid he'd tell him it was all a lie like always.

David let go of Chris' wrist and crouched down in front of him, putting a hand under his chin and turning his head this way and that, he put a finger against Chris' lips and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, you're okay".

Chris nodded weakly before David picked up the strewn blanket from beside his bed and assisted him in getting underneath it and back to sleep. As Chris curled into a ball, David knelt next to him and gently rubbed circles on his shoulders to try to calm him. Chris took deep, shaky breaths, attempting to remain calm. David stood up and drew Chris over to him, hugging him tightly and running his hand through Chris' hair, rocking him back and forth as Chris began to feel better and eventually calmed down. David spoke after a few minutes of calming Chris down.

"Can you tell me what it was about?" he asked softly. David inquires while having a soothing voice

"You know you're hugging me right? This looks like gay, bro" Chris replies while chuckling a little.

"It's just that you needed a hug." David replies.

Chris then turns to face David in order to properly converse with him. The surroundings are terrifying and dark as he moves his head to turn around. Right after the changes he manages to look David face covered in Blood and soil like he had been buried. The surroundings then collapsed, and all walls vanished, transforming into a forest.

It's pitch black with no visible stars or moon, but that's okay because the moon shines above them, casting shadows from trees everywhere. Chris attempts to run, but his legs become stuck in a sticky glue-like substance, rendering him immobile.

"Get Down!" A low, scratchy voice instructs.

Chris looks to his side and sees a man who resembles David except for an eerie glow surrounding him, as if he were a ghost. Chris is grabbed by the throat and squeezed until he chokes, his feet slip free from the sticky glue, and he falls to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. The man then takes a step forward to loom over Chris, but David appears and pushes the monster away, throws him to the ground, and kicks him away, sending the monster away.

"What happen?" David remarks as he approaches Chris and casts a worried glance his way.

Chris's words are interrupted by yet another grating cough.

"I had a terrifying nightmare." He quietly admits.

Chris is helped back up as David puts his arms around his shoulders, rubs circles into his back, and nods.

David's face is the exact one Chris sees when he stands up and turns to face him again; it is filled with blood and horror as he approaches.

The scene then shifts to their old school, a familiar location.

He then leans over the sound coming from a nearby room and recognizes himself as the bully that he has always been toward young David.

The scene abruptly altered, and he saw himself brutally murdering elderly David.

Old David's visage is radically different when he looks at it. The man is not as afraid as he usually is; instead, he is grinning broadly and laughing joyously, as if he has never felt any pain in his life. Chris, who is getting older, looks in disbelief at the smirking David and wonders why he is wearing such a serious expression.

Chris fights to maintain his position but eventually drops to his knees as he continues to watch David as everything starts to fade away and he loses consciousness.

Then he awoke in a room he is familiar with because it was his when he was a high school student. It's his residence, and he recognized the voice.

"Chris, you're going to be late to school. Come down here."

David rushed downstairs to see a lady who was hidden by the light from the windows, and he saw his little self sitting in the kitchen eating.

Everything came to a halt when something exploded and turned everything into fire, and he saw himself fleeing outside to watch his dying mother suffer and die.

(Present) Chris, who is sober and in pain as he reflects on this day.

A corpse of his dying mother turns to face him and says, "This?, This is because of you! You can help me! But you run!" While standing and destroying the debris all around her.

Chris took a step back as he noticed that his younger self was also glancing at her.

His younger self turned around and smiled like a lunatic, "Why didn't you aid her?, You could have done it."

Chris threw up, and as the scene becomes more clear, his stomach hurts.

Nobody responds to his question and continues to ignore him.

The memory continues, and Chris hurries to the room he knows to be their bedroom as everyone laughs at him while he begs and sobs

His younger self lifts him up while grinning like an angel. He takes out a knife, slices Chris's arm open, and then watches as blood pours out. When he releases Chris, who collapsed to the ground screaming, while his imitated laughs at him.

Then the scene switches to him sitting at the table and hearing the instructor.

looks for David, who is missing, and realizes that he is in the hospital because someone attacked him and pushed him over the steps, causing various injuries.

The instructor questioned as a dark presence then filled the room.

A sudden terrifying smile appeared on the teacher's face, which made him even more terrified. "Do you think he really forgives you? After what you did to him?"

Scene shift.

He is back in his bedroom when he opens his eyes for the second time. He sits up straight, runs a hand through his curls, and makes an effort to block out the incident. Chris sees his reflection in the mirror a little while later and nearly yells in shock. He approaches and removes the bandage. He notices that the newly applied bandage is the exact same shade as the one that was previously present.

He says to himself, "I guess, you'll just have to wait for now," gets out of bed, goes back downstairs, gets dressed in a hoodie, and leaves his house, strolling past the park while on the road.

He arrives at what appears to be an actual hospital.

He approaches the help desk and nods in response to their question about whether they are currently holding somebody with the name David.

Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but do you happen to have anyone else confined here wjth the name David? He inquired about a person who had recently been admitted to the facility.

He responds, "Oh, yes, we do. They were in Room 444."

Chris entered the room and said, "Knock knock."

David looked up at him and smiled slightly.

Chris smiles back and joins David on the bed, saying, "Hello, is there anything I can do for you?" David responds.

Then Chris shakes his head and says, "No, no, thanks." But thank you, he adds while sadly grinning one more.

After that, Chris extends his hand to touch David's shoulder but stops himself as he thinks back to the last time he did that. He instead takes his hand in his.

"Hey". "How are you doing," he adds as he turns to face David.

I'm good, how about you?" David asks.

"Great". Chris lies, and the untruth causes his heart to tighten.

Then why are you here?" Laying David asked politely.

Chris murmurs, "Uh, sorry for what I've done."

Don't worry about that. As soon as David finished speaking, he stood up and grabbed Chris' arm, hanging him, saying, "Sorry? Is that all? I mean, come on!. What if I push you down to the stairs as well? And all I say is sorry." Young black David yells something.

" I don't want to be pushed, so please stop". Chris gave a collected response.

"Good," he says, "now get the **** out of my way," as young black David releases Chris' arm.

Before Chris could respond or speak again, a hand covered his mouth; it was once more the young, black David who was keeping his mouth shut. Chris attempted to speak but was unsuccessful. He also attempted to move his leg but was obstructed by something on it. Black young David continued to scream, and when he looked down at his lap, he noticed that black hands were holding his leg. His voice reverberated throughout the entire hospital room.

Chris then feels something pressing firmly against his neck, and as a result of all the yelling and speaking while trying to do so, he slowly starts to feel numb and exhausted. Chris soon passes out and awakens in the ambulance on the way back to his house.

Then, a typical house appears in the scene. There is music playing, the TV in the TV room is blaring, and the lights in every room are so bright that they burn his eyes.

Chris walks through the hallway to his room and goes inside. Once inside he shuts the door and lays down and sighs.

He closes his eyes and drifts to sleep, thinking about all these recent events.

As he has fallen asleep he feels someone grabbing his foot, and it was David, his full color and looks like terrifying monster. He pulled Chris towards him and held him tight by the neck, making it difficult for Chris to breathe. He then started choking him as he was crying and begging to be let go.

He found himself back in the dark chamber when he opened his eyes, shivering and heavily perspiring. He attempted to slow down his rapid breathing, but it was ineffective. It seemed that the thoughts, memories, and negative emotions were too much for him to handle on his own, so he went and sat down.

Once more, he was overcome by remorse and felt pain all of a sudden. Tears streamed down his face as he opened his eyes.

He rubbed his forehead while sighing, got up, and looked around.

David exclaimed, sounding relieved, "You're finally awake!" "Do you feel better now?"

He replied, "Yeah," and gave David a small smile. "How long was I asleep?"

Nearly 8 hours

Chris stumbled, "Oh."

Hey, don't worry about it; everything will be fine. David gives him comfort.

"Thanks".

General Raven caught this fish for us, "Want to eat?"

"Um, sure. Thanks." Chris answers

. He was unable to look away from his food as he reflected on past occasions, and his guilt got worse with each passing second. He wasn't aware that David had said anything until he heard it himself.

"What are you contemplating?"

He asks abruptly, startling him, and he hastily replies, "N-Nothing, I'm OK!"

Chris, who is lying on the ground and staring at the food David has given him, is still disoriented and doesn't notice David standing next to him, who is watching him with concern.

"Are you okay? You're zoning out once more." David, who feels anxious, queries

Chris responds with a faint smile on his lips that was a touch feeble, "Hmm.. No. it's nothing."

"Is it about yesterday?" David inquired, placing an arm around Chris' shoulders.

"Well, sort of, but not really; it's just about my nightmare." Chris responds

"I knew it, you accidentally woke me up by kicking me, and when I look at you, you're crying." David responds while chewing his food.

Chris averts his gaze to hide his tears.

"No, it wasn't like that!" Chris says this while looking at David, then back down at his feet.

Sighs David "It's fine if you want to tell me later; just know that whatever your nightmares are about doesn't make me less of a friend.

So, if you need someone to talk to and share your feelings with, don't be afraid to reach out ". Before standing up from where they were sitting, David finishes by patting Chris on the shoulder.

"David, was I too harsh before?" Chris spoke quietly to David.

He looks at Chris with questioning eyes and tilts his head slightly to the side, indicating that he wants Chris to continue.

"Because, have you already forgiven me for what I've done to you in the past?" Chris inquires.

David gives Chris his famous 'I'm thinking' look before softly smiling.

"Of course I did!, You're always under peer pressure that time!" exclaimed David happily.

"Thank you, David," Chris said softly as he returned his smile.

"Anytime". David replied with a wink before departing, leaving Chris smiling.

Chris sighed softly and continued to eat. He can't help but think how fortunate he is to have such a kind and sweet person as a friend.

David then recalls what Chris was referring to: the time he was hospitalized after falling down the stairs. He then looks up at the starry sky.

He smiled as he remembered his happy days with Chris and realized that Chris was still asking for forgiveness he had already received.

"What exactly is it, David?"

"Ah, nothing! I was just wondering if there was any star here," David replied, casting a glance at Chris, who has a puzzled expression on his face.

A shadow can be seen in the distance that appears to be General Raven.

David turns to face him.

"Oh, there he is!" exclaimed David cheerfully, "I'll be right back!"

He runs towards General Raven after saying his goodbyes to Chris.

"What appears to be bothering you, David? Don't worry, I won't bite," General Raven said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm just grateful for your assistance," David replied, brightly smiling.

"Of course," General Raven responds, "we must be cautious now because we cannot afford to be attacked by those monsters."

"Rest and eat for the time being; we'll be erecting a camp by morning," General Raven requested.

"Yes, sir," David responds.

He then returned to Chris, who had been watching them talk.

Chris inquired, "What did General Raven say?"

"We should rest and eat, and then we can build a new camp tomorrow," David replied.

"But I just awoke," Chris responds.

"I know, right? Ha Ha ha," David replied, laughing.

"Good evening, David." Chris smiles as he responds.

Chris walks around the forest after eating to get tired and then to falls asleep later. Then he felt something pull on his leg. It felt like I was being dragged by an invisible force, only worse. He tried moving his legs, which helped, but he soon became nauseous, as if whatever it was was sucking him away.

It transports him to a location where a single light shines through the trees. When he entered the forest, he felt a tremor. But there's something odd about this place; it feels like he's being watched. It's as if someone is watching and judging him. Chris tries shaking whatever he's feeling off, but it doesn't work.

A black wolf appeared on the side, resembling a guiding dog, with the wolf's nose pointing towards Chris. The wolf's eyes glow red, its body becomes shadowy, and it walks towards Chris. It snarls at him.

"I think you belong here," said the wolf, who spoke in a deep voice.

"What exactly are you?" Asked Chris, fearful of what the wolf might do next.

The wolf comes to a halt in front of Chris, growls, and then transforms back into a man. The man is taller, with dark hair and greenish skin, and he is dressed in armor that covers his entire body except for his face.

He gives Chris a friendly smile.

"How would you react if I told you I was your god?"

" The man inquired.

"That is illogical. Who exactly are you? And how could this even be possible? "You have all the signs correct," Chris replied.

Chris' response appears to have amused the man. "All right, then, allow me to enlighten you on the existence of gods."

He got down on his knees and looked Chris in the eyes. "My name is Eredus." The name translates to 'darkness' or 'dusk.' My father, who was also named Eredus, bestowed the title Eredus on me. Eredus is the god of the underworld. Eredus, as you are aware, rules over all shadows. "The king of shadows," the man said, looking Chris in the eyes.

"So tell me, Chris, what is your true desire?".

"What is my desire?" " Chris was perplexed.

"Yes, Your wish."

Chris refused to respond. He wanted to flee from this man, but something inside him tells him not to. Chris was perplexed by his own emotions.

"What is important is not my wish; what is important is what is." My ambition is to grow stronger and stronger than everyone else so that I can save everyone."

"And why would you want to be stronger than people you've never met?" Why would someone like you want to grow in strength? or maybe you just want to get away from your sins? "Eredus inquired.

"I am not guilty! I feel no guilt!" insisted Chris.

"Then what is your motivation for wanting to become stronger? If it's selfish, you won't last long."

"No.. I'm just....I have this urge...as if I need to make things right.""

"Do you think you'll ever be able to do that?"

"Perhaps not now, but someday."

"Well, then, why don't you try your hardest while you still can?" Even if your efforts fall short, they will provide you with direction. That's what matters," Eredus said before resuming his form and walking towards Chris. "Besides, I know you're not completely alone."

"What do you mean?"

" inquired Chris.

"Do not question me. Just listen to me."

Chris has no idea what the other means, but then another black wolf appears.

"Wait, what's going on?" " Exclaimed Chris.

"Your new companion. His name is Thror, and he is a wolf of darkness. Call him whenever there is darkness, and he will be there for you."

"Hey, nice to meet you, Thror!" Chris said, smiling.

"Hello Chris, nice to meet you as well," Thror said.

"He...He...Speaks?"Chris inquired, perplexed.

"Yes, Thror is extremely intelligent; don't ask me how, but he's always available when you need him the most. He comprehends everything. "Don't worry, Chris, you're not going to die without him knowing your secret,"Eredus said.

"Secret!?" Chris yells.

Eredus then lets out a loud laugh as he summons a staff weapon from the shadows.

It's a dark-colored staff. The weapon's top half glows purple magic. He then raises his hand and motions with the staff to Chris. The entire world around Chris suddenly changes color. Chris noticed a blue sky and found himself floating above a white landscape. When Chris looks down, he notices the same black staff weapon pointing up to the sky.

"You've crossed the line of my power; here, I'll grant you something you should own and make your own," Eredus says.

Chris begins to hear Eredus' chanting.

"Every God in this realm seeks a herald of their power, and I choose you, so take this orb. Use it to protect the world. Protect those you care about. Protect those who don't matter. Protect those who are lost. And protect yourself."

Chris begins to fall from the sky and lands next to Thror.

"Now go and use what you know; be free."

Chris takes Eredus' staff.

"How do you know I'll succeed, Eredus? I might never be able to do it!"

"That's why we need to help you, help each other, and become great and powerful," Eredus explained.

Chris nods his head. Eredus vanishes into the shadows as he takes a few steps back.

Chris examines the orb before slipping the staff into his pocket. He then spins around and takes a look around. He appeared to be in the middle of a forest. He can hear birds chirping and it appears to be getting darker.

Chris begins to walk forward with Thror, returning to the camp where David and General Raven are.

"Chris, remember Eredus bestowed the power of Shadow and Darkness upon you. You're not a god and always have limitations, so use it wisely," Thror says.

"I guess, but what happens when the power runs out? Will my powers vanish as well?"

"That depends. Some beings can live with the power for decades, while others can only live with it for a short time, as long as their life span is longer, and even then, their powers will weaken until they die," Thror responds.

When they arrive at the camp, they see General Raven and David asleep. Suddenly, a light appears in front of David.

"So Thror, Eredus selected this guy?" was uttered as the lights took on the appearance of a lion.

Thror questioned, "Is it you, The Godly Beast of this realm?

strangely.

The beast answers, "Yep, that's me.

How did you get here, exactly?

The beast replied, "I'm the protector of David. I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

Thror murmurs, "Guardian?, it means that human is the..."

Chris, who is unsure of what they are discussing, questioned.

You are aware of the lion?

Thror responds, "Of course. He was the keeper of all Dities and the protector of our world. He fought off numerous bad things and rescued many lives.

The noise startled David and General Raven, who then turned to face the creatures and Chris.

David retreats as General Raven defends him as he turns to face the animals in front of him.

David said, "What is that monster, and why is he here?!"

Although General Raven was about to act, Thror speaks first.

Are you actually the one described in prophecy, David?

His query

David's expression of astonishment when he looks at Thror is palpable.

David exclaims, "What are you talking about? I'm just a kid."

The Heavenly Beast blocks Thror as he strikes David, saying, "Then there's only way to tell if its you!"

The Heavenly Beast questioned, "What does this mean Thror?

"I don't believe in that youngster, but I trust in you," Thror Exchange

Then Thror combined with Chris to form the shield.

Chris exclaims, "Thror, What is this?"

Thor responds, "Prove Eredus you're worthy," and Chris nods in response "Very well".

David, who was initially perplexed by what was going on, backed away but then realized that it might be the best way for him to test his power. He then asks General Raven if he can back out.

Chris looks at David and says, "I apologize for this, but I need to demonstrate my abilities.

David asks, "What is he planning?"

Chris replies, "I'm trying to earn your trust by demonstrating to you that you shouldn't be afraid of me because I'm not going to hurt you. I won't let anything happen to you. I need to protect you. I need to find the forgiveness I'm still looking for."

David responds, "SIGH...Okay, okay. I'm listening".

David turns to stare at Chris, who begins to glow magically, making David step back even further.

Then David begins to shine and calls forth the celestial beast.

David shouts out, "Thy dities who guided us and gave us your blessing, I ask for your gifts and created me a weapon."

A sword coated in sparkling light descends from the heavens as a light appears in front of them.

I call upon the Dreambur, the blade of Akim, which dities have placed upon me, to assist me in winning. David yelled while aiming the blade at Chris. The Sword of Dreambur shone brilliantly, resembling the close-up brilliance of a star.

Thror said, "You summoned a god's sword, that proves that you must genuinely be worthy.

Then David summons the Heavenly beast and changes him into his armor, which glows with divine strength and knowledge.

David heard a voice suddenly say, "David, wield my sword skillfully."

As he raises his sword to cut down Chris, David's expression becomes grave.

"Chris, let's resolve this". David yells and beams.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***