A Lover Like Him (The Perfect Lover book #2) (Espresso CRK)

Chapter 30

Espresso's Pov

I walked through the darkness with no control of my body when I spotted a red light. My body moved towards it and before I knew it, I was on a scorching battlefield. 

A tingling sensation spread from my head and throughout my body. The feeling of control. I flexed my hand and I let out a sigh. Thank gosh I can move to my will now.

"Fuck fuck fuck," I heard my voice say.

Did I lose some control?" I thought, my hands instinctively grabbing my throat. Except it wasn't me who was speaking. It was someone who sounded like me. Past me.

I followed the source of the voice. It was the only sound other than the cackle of the few flames still burning. The voice lured me to it. I named duplicate me, X.

"I'm sorry Chocolate Machi," X said, the voice filled with sorrow.

Machia.

Chocolate Machiatto.

The blood drained from my face.

This was my last battle.

My feet planted themselves onto the stone tiles before stepping back just a few paces. I can't see her or my past self. I can't see what my mistakes led to.

I practiced burying this memory under all my other problems. Over and over until I can't hear it or think of it. Why, why is my mistake coming back and resurfacing to be my nightmare?

Yet...

Ĩ̵̝s̵̨̭̐͐n̵̫͗̈́'̵̮̎͜ṫ̷̥ ̸̡̨̍ì̵̬̗ṫ̴̲̀ ̸̢̠̈́͠ų̵̅̀n̵͍̭̎͝f̴͔͝a̵̰͋̿i̸̫̊r̵̞͂ ̸͖̫͗͋t̸̘͑ȟ̷̖͓a̵̱͑̊t̸̹͓͝ ̶̘̮̆y̸̞̒ǫ̷̦́͝ũ̵̺͕'̵͖͒͘r̶̠̞̃e̴̘͎͛ ̸̫̔r̵̻̆ŭ̴͎͘n̸͇̩̽n̵̯͖̉͘ī̷̮͚n̸̤̊̕ǧ̵̞̭ ̶̫̀̀a̶̘̚w̴͚̝̔a̴̪̾͂y̸͓̎̀ ̷̨͔͗w̸̜̉h̵̥̍̊i̷͉̍͐͜l̷̢͙͌e̵̫̾ ̶̙̀s̸̩͐̽h̷̢̬̾ĕ̵͔ ̶̺̲̋̉ș̵͉̈́u̸̢͊͠ḟ̴̨̞̉f̸̠̆͛ẻ̶͍̝̃r̸͎͊̆s̸̮͌͒?̶͚̦̈́

I know I'm going to collapse if I see her, but I should still send my regards again. I want to apologize again.

I took a small step forward, then another broke out into a run.

Meeting 'X' will result in confusion, but I can still heal Machi a little if she's still alive. I buried myself in books of healing after leaving the damned Cookies of Darkness.

I turned sharply at a tree where more bodies and ashes scattered. The rotting odour of blood and flesh filled the air, but as I neared my pathetic younger self, the scent of fresh death grew gradually. 

I tried to snap my past self into focus by grabbing his shoulder, but my hand passed right through his body. I quickly pulled my hand away and dropped to my knees.

I can't touch her either I assume.

I reached to make the gesture of holding Chocolate Machiatto's hand. To my wonder, my hand didn't pass through. Her hand didn't seem as lifeless as she looked 

ḧ̷̖̽m̸̛̳̽m̴̬͚͊͝

By now, Machiatto would be dead. Unhealable. I can only interact with her because I don't exist in the current time of my dream.

I caressed the young girl's face wistfully. Machi didn't deserve the ending she received. Her life is more unfair than mine. 

A few days prior to my last battle, I arrived at a small coffee and chocolate cookie town. It was one of the few coffee towns that still existed and it was the only one with both chocolate and coffee cookies coexisting. Except, that became a problem. The town was highly discriminative and no other cookie race was welcomed.