A Wish
Worth Protecting

Risette woke up with the worst headache. It was all darkagain. This time she was certain that it was the light setting since she couldfeel her eyes blink with ease. She tried to look around in hopes of replaceing alight source or perhaps another person. She wearily tried to call out,“Blind..?”

She felt someone shift their body.

“Are you there..?”

She suddenly felt her chest twinge in the worst waypossible. She curled into a fetal position as the pain intensified. The metalarmor protecting her chest was critically thin and she can feel how eacharteries and vein constrict at the feeling of insecurity.

She started crying by then.

She knew that she was pitiful. She also knew that she wasmore than helpless. She was also aware that she was being a burden. She curledeven more to hug herself.

She kept sobbing and sobbing, declaring that she was a lostcause.

“H...Hey..?”

Risette faked a smile, knowing that the other person wasblind, “Yes..?”

“You’re sobbing... are you alright?”

Risette forced out a chuckle, “Who said I’m sobbing? I’mallergic to dust that’s why I have a runny nose and teary eyes..!” She managed.She sat up and wiped her tears, “I’m not sobbing..!” She said as tearscontinued to spill.

Blind felt the ground to know the proper direction. After hemanaged to know where to ‘look’ he tilted his head, “You’re voice qualitydoesn’t say so...”

Risette gave a forced cheeky smile, “Was it that obvious?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I see...”

Blind shifted his body in order to stand up, “I was awakeduring the time we were dragged in here.” He walked to the side so that thewall would be his support, “The exit should be here somewhere...”

Risette followed in queue with Blind’s action, “What if hecatches us again..?” She worryingly asked.

“I heard him say that he will go out to get the ingredientsfor preserving us.” He dumbly said as continued to move forward. A part of himfelt that Risette suddenly grew scared, “It’s better that we fight and strugglefor an exit rather than staying there to be roasted alive...” He turned aroundas though he had figured out Risette’s location then gave a reassuring smile,“Which do you think is better?”

“Fight...” She weakly replied.

A large snake appeared before them, “BLIND!” She shouted asshe grabbed the guy out of harm’s way. Both of them fell down and tumbled downa pit.

“OW!” Blind yelped as he felt his whole body collide withthe hard ground. It was a lot heavier when he felt Risette follow down.

“I am so sorry, Blind!” Risette immediately apologized asshe got up back on her feet. She helped Blind stand up.

“I’m good... I think I just broke my right wrist...” Hereplied as he grabbed on to Risette’s shoulder.

Risette apologized again as she started to move forward. Theplace was a lot darker and she knew that they had just entered a dark zonewithin the cave. There was a weird heavy pressure that surrounded that space.She was so sure but she couldn’t pinpoint whatever it was. If anything, it wasfamiliar but she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

She suddenly felt Blind’s weight disappear on her.

She turned around to replace herself in a new place.

The underground waterfalls.

She ran to the middle of the water body. Then she turned tothe waterfalls.

There was someone behind the waters. She tried to call outonly to replace out that she couldn’t. Instead, she went to the waterfall thenglance behind. Much to her surprise, it was a chubby old man who had white hairand calm ocean blue eyes. He seemed to be fixated on doing something.

Risette went nearer in hopes of seeing what the old man wasdoing.

Said old man glance up and greeted the little miss, “Heythere, what may the little miss be doing in such a place like this?” He said.

He was very gentle and homey, Risette noticed. She slightlytilted her head to the side, “I—” No voice came out. Instead she pointed at thething whatever he was doing.

“Oh, this!” He exclaimed as he revealed a stained cravat—acravat much too familiar to Risette’s eyes. He gave a toothy grin, “I’m givingthis to my son!”

A question mark popped up on Risette’s head.

The old man chuckled, “His name is Stein...” His chucklefaded into a dark smile, “... I actually feel guilty for doing this...” Hecommented as he finished removing the stain on the cravat. The old man glancedto his right.

Just as Risette was about to look at the direction where theold man was looking, her vision was clouded with darkness then it turned intoStein’s messy house.

She saw the old man lying lifeless on his bed. Then she sawStein walking in to the room. His eyes glanced over at Risette then went backto walking to the old man as though nothing had happened. She saw that therewas a very thin line of red connecting Stein and the old man. She focused hereyes more and found that the strings were connected to where the heart rests.

Her memory flashed about Stein saying that the heart diedalong with the master.

She concluded that the old man was Stein’s father figure.She continued to watch in wonder as the series of events unravel before her.She turned curious the moment Stein was just standing there doing nothing.Stein didn’t even held the face of sadness.

No nothing.

She tried to move forward only to feel paralyzed as of themoment.

The door banged open then appeared a young Lisa. She dashedto the old man then deeply gasped as she saw the old man’s poor state. Shecried on the spot as she clung on the old man’s chest, shouting, “Grim!!!” Shecried for the rest of the time.

The scene turned night.

There was barely any light but she was certain that it wasStein who she saw walking to the old man. He knelt and held Grim’s hands. Heheld them tightly as though begging him not to go. There were no signs offacial emotions whatsoever. He just held Grim’s hands for the rest of thenight.

The very next day a guy most likely to be the commandershouted, “We need a heart to have our supervisor live!!” He started.

Risette was with the crowd as she saw the statement made bythe commander. Most of the people around her whispered to each other andexchanged ideas. One of the people shouted, “WE COULD GET AN IMMORTAL’S HEART!”

The commander pointed at the person who suggested, “All infavour raise your hand!”

Risette looked in disbelief at the hands that went up.

She was suddenly engulfed in a gust of wind. Then she foundherself in the body of her younger self. Her memories tell her that her mom wassmiling brightly but in this version, her mom was forcing a smile while bloodtrickled down her forehead. Her mom looked back, “Listen, Risette..! Thesepeople don’t know what they’re doing... but if you ever see them, do not hate!”She sternly said.

But Risette’s memory says that her mom was supposed to bejoking since she heard her younger self laugh.

Her mom placed her back to her crib then vines covered her.

Then it was black.

She found herself back inside the dark cave. It was rockyand bumpy. Her finger somehow slipped into a hole. Risette hesitantly lookeddown only to see tons of bones and dead bodies piled below her.

She tried to hold back but, “AAAAHHHH!!!!” She shrieked infear and her voice resonated within the chambers of the cave. She started tocry in total helplessness and fear. She screamed once more as though asking—begging for someone to come to her aid.She couldn’t move as she was paralyzed—immobile. She went black as all hersenses went dull. She stood up and glanced at nothingness.

The light in her eyes disappeared as she continued to juststand. She had gave up on all hope.

Besides, no one was going to rescue her.

That how it would always be.

A few seconds later, she came back to her senses. Her eyeswidened in disbelief then proceeded to cover her face and drown in her own grief.This was all coming from a single mistake that she shouldn’t have taken.

Her skin started to change color—more of adapting to thecolor of the bones. Her chest armor was slowly being chipped away. Vines grewbelow her and formed a safe shed. The bones and dead bodies underneath slowlydecayed for the nutrients of the vines that became thicker and stronger.Risette’s hair slowly changed to dirty white—also made to match the color ofthe bones.

Risette paused and looked at her hands.

She laughed at her own pathetic transformation. She shookher head then jokingly punched the vine-covered ground, “Why me..?”

“RISETTE!!!” Someone shouted.

Risette had forgotten that there was someone else in thiscave other than her. She mentally thanked the other person’s disability. Sheran to the direction of the voice and saw Blind walking using his sense oftouch, “Where were you..?” She carefully asked.

“I don’t know. One moment I had support the next, I was leftto feel the walls for support.” He answered.

Risette got Blind’s hand to help him walk a little faster.

“?” Blind suddenly got intrigued, “Your hand...” he started.

Risette looked at her own hands since her eyes had alreadyadjusted to the light settings of the dark cave. There were signs of scaling.She needed to calm down. She swallowed a lump before thinking of a good excuse,“M-My hand got stuck in the mud and it went dry...” She said.

Buying, Blind just nodded.

Risette proceeded to guiding Blind into the shelter herconsciousness built, “Did anything happen to you while I was away..?”

Blind just shook his head, “Nothing much... I kept hearingvoiced that weren’t mine. It became brutal so this is the first time that I wasthankful for being blind...” He said. He looked up to Risette (even though hewas blind), “I also heard a deafening shriek. Did something happen to you..?”

The girl just gently shook her head, “Nothing much.”

“I see...”

The earth grumbled violently. Both of them managed to get agood foothold as the shaking continued. The ground suddenly had disgustingbumps going up and down from Risette’s vine-made ground.

A hand managed to rip out of the vines then used it as amilestone to progress itself out of the ground. It was a woman covered withdecayed skin. It had multiple holes—probably ones that rotted first. Centipedesand worms crawled in and out of its skin. Her eyes no long had an iris—just acomplete sclera.

Soon enough, more of them managed to break free from thevine made ground.

It wasn’t even a few minutes that they got themselvessurrounded. Risette tugged Blind inside the shelter then locked themselves in.

“What’s happening?!” Blind exclaimed, panicking because ofthe sudden turn of events.

Risette feverishly shook her head, “I have no idea!” Sheshouted as she took a peek from one of the holes.

The ghouls were mindlessly moving around as though theycannot sense anything.

Risette started to panic again and it consequently made herscaling process go faster. She gave a horrendous look at her own hands as theyslowly shifted to tough scaly fibbers. She crutched down then hugged herself,mentally forcing herself to calm down.

Blind noticed the rapid breathing done by the little miss,“Hey... What’s happening to you?” He carefully said, minding that the girl isnot in a good state for answering.

Risette feverishly shook her head again, “This is nothing,really!” She exclaimed. She breathed in and out in hopes of having her paniclevel go down and make the scaling go away. She tucked herself away as thoughto shut herself from the world.

She closed her eyes and reminded herself of the things thatshould be remembered for the sake of calming down. She inhaled and exhaled. Shejust kept continuing the process until she finally felt her shaking stop.

Her muscles finally removed from tension and her mindfinally at ease, Risette chose to stay like that for a little while.

...

...

“Look it’s a baby girl!!” A familiar figure shouted.She had the most soothing and gentlest smile any person could see. She hadraven hair and purple eyes—such color that reminded her of her own. She cooedat Risette while wiggling a finger in front of her. She suddenly lookedinfront, “Hey baby girl! Do you wanna see daddy?” She gingerly asked.

As though a ‘yes’ response, a hand was extended infront.

Not a moment too soon, another familiar figure came intoview. He had the purple hair and unusually colored blue eyes. He gave a toothygrin then pressed his nose to the baby’s nose, “You’re so beautiful!” Hesweetly complimented followed by a kiss on the baby’s forehead, “We shouldgive her a wonderful name!” He merrily shouted.

The mother just giggled at the father’s enthusiasm, “I think,it should be unique.” She gentlysaid.

Her father nodded as though he was head banging. He got thechild away from mom and into his arms, “She’s our star and our very start!”He started. He did another nose to nose kiss as he continued, “If we everforget, she’ll be our reset!”

Her mother suddenly shone, “That’s it!” She exclaimed, “Risette! Risette is a goodname!”

Her father shone accordingly, “You’re right!” Helooked back at the baby girl, “Welcome to the family, Risette!”

...

...

Risette woke up with the gentlest nudge, “Miss..!” Risettelooked up to see that Blind was worried for her since she was all quiet andsuch.

Risette looked at her hands and found out that she was backto her normal status. She got a few strands of her hair and was relieved to seethat it was back to normal color. She then directed her eyes to Blind who wasstill worried since.

“Sorry to make you worry..!” She said. She got up and gave agentle pat at Blind’s hand.

For some reason the little miss had undergone a significantchange in atmosphere—and it was just a minute or two!

Risette giggled as she touched the walls of her vineshelter, “You know what?” She started. “I was so fixated on dying that I forgotthe ones worth protecting!” She said, earning a questionable look from Blind.The vines slowly collapsed by Risette’s will, “I am supposed to live like I’mdying.”

With that Risette got out of the shelter then re-establishedit, locking in Blind in the process. She ignored Blind’s shouts and plea forher to stop but they were all in vain.

The moment the shelter was finished, her gaze changed fromsweet to deadly.

~o0o0o~

“Stein... can you still go?” Lisa slowly asked.

Stein just weakly nodded as they continued to walk in a slowpace...