[ToG] Muse: Book 1 [Song of the Beginning]

Chapter 42 Trouvaille

Trouvaille: a valuable discovery, or a lucky find; something lovely discovered by chance; a windfall

In which Bam has a nightmare he's always feared, but Eve is always there to comfort him. And it came as a striking realization that he's fallen far too deep for her.

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸

The peaceful sleep didn’t last long for Bam. He was frowning in his sleep, hands clutching at his chest painfully as the nightmare kept going on in his dream. All he could see was the pitch black surrounding as he ran endlessly with panic clear in his eyes. The floor was laced with blood all around, dead bodies of his friends strewn on the ground with lifeless eyes.

His body was moving on its own accord no matter how hard he tried to take control, as if he was only a puppet led on by a string without knowing where he was going. He couldn’t scream as various shades of colors passed his sight. The yellow of Wangnan's hair, the red of Rak's shirt, the blue of Khun's eyes, and all his other friends. No trace of his favorite shade of purple among them.

He couldn’t stop to try and shake the others awake– to see if they were even alive at this point. The sound of his heart pounding was clear as day in his ears, expressing how terrified he was at the moment. All that he’s spent protecting for seven gruelling years, gone just like that without knowing the reason why.

His breaths were coming in short huffs, legs burning from the pain as he desperately wanted to stop. And stop he did, right in front of his worst nightmare. Bam stilled at the scene before him, a freezing chill washing upon him as his gaze was trained on the scene before him. The one person he feared losing the most during his time in FUG.

“...Bam?” The blue-violet that he loved was covered with her bangs, her voice raspy as she called out his name. Reflejo was suspending Evolet up in the air, holding her by her throat. Blood was still dripping steadily to the floor from the various wounds she had. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Was it unfathomable rage, unbearable grief and guilt, unmeasurable terror, or perhaps something else? He didn’t know, but something in him was screaming out desperately.

Evolet struggled to lift her head slightly, looking at Bam with difficulties. There was pain in her usual gentle gaze, mixed with the apologetic tint in her smile. He was rooted to his spot, even as his mind was screaming at him to move. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to protect them all, that was why he got stronger. But then why– why were they all dead? Why was she at Reflejo's mercy? And why–

Why was she smiling? She was about to die. She shouldn’t be smiling like that–

“I’m sorry Bam, it looks like… I won’t be able to keep my promise with you.”

No. NoNONONONONONONONONO–

Reflejo's hold around her throat tightened. There was a sickening crack as Evolet went limp, dangling lifelessly before crumpling to the floor in a pool of blood. The red of blood staining her light lavender hair. For a moment, the world went still as he stared mindlessly at her dead figure and a reminiscent of her gentle smile flashing in his mind as if taunting him for his inability to protect her. His hands were trembling, hands reaching out to nothingness as his breathing sped up and he nearly choked from the cold realization.

Evolet Euterpe was dead. And the 25th Bam only stood motionlessly as he watched her get killed.

Something in Bam inevitably snapped as he broke whatever was holding him back. A scream tore its way out of his throat, only to come out as a silent gasp when his eyes shot open. He felt disoriented with tears brimming at the edge of his eyes, reaching out a hand in desperation. Hoping that someone– anyone would hold his hand. And so she did.