The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 76: Nightmares

Calista tossed and turned her head, mind unconscious as she replayed memories of her past.

They were lined up against the wall. The terrified children couldn't have been more than six or sevens years old. She tried to move, but couldn't. Her hands were shackled above her head, and her feet weren't touching the ground.

If she looked a little farther to the left, she would have seen Zeno in the same position.

The chains holding her back from helping them rattled as she shook them desperately. Distinctly, she heard screaming as the first one was struck down, then she realized that sound was coming from her.

"No!! Don't hurt them, please!!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the hefty men continued to beat the innocent kids until they bled and didn't rise again.

"Stop!!!"

"NO!!!!!"

Their hands reached for her and she jolted at their disgusting touch and matching sneers.

"Gag her."

Her eyes flew open as she jerked awake and she flailed her arms in an attempt to maintain her balance, but to no avail. She crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, groaning softly as she rolled onto her back, staring vacantly up at the sky.

They're dead. They're all dead.

The ground shook beneath her as rapid footfalls ran towards her and a second later, two strong arms slid underneath her and picked her up. Clinging weakly to the fur-lined coat, she was barely aware of her friends' concerned murmurs as Shin-ah carried her into the tent.

She couldn't even protest that he shouldn't strain himself, her heart still gripped with the same fear she felt all those years ago.

She was still trembling from the horror of her vivid nightmare when he put her down on his bedroll, her normally bright silver eyes were a cloudy grey. He let go of her temporarily in order to pull the covers up over her when a small touch on his foot stopped him from going any further.

She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know why she was so terrified of being alone right now.

He paused and she froze, afraid she had made a mistake.

Did she ask for too much? Did she read the situation wrong? He didn't want anything to do with her, did he? No one was there for her. She was alone.

As if he could sense her rampant thoughts intruding and trampling on everything she had worked so hard on, he enveloped her in a warm hug. Her body seized up at the sudden contact. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that it was him.

That she was safe with him. And that she wasn't alone.

It's Shin-ah... I'm safe with him...

A small tug on her hand made her follow his lead subconsciously. He maneuvered the two of them so that she was in his arms, head tucked under his chin.

"Shin-ah..." Calista mumbled, mind still muddy from the panic she felt from her nightmare. "I don't want to hurt you."

He ignored her, scooting closer until she was right up against him. Pressing a sweet kiss to her forehead, he involuntarily shivered when he felt her lips unintentionally brush against the base of his neck.

Through the panic-induced haze, she knew he was still injured. But she felt trapped in her own thoughts. She couldn't portray how much she was worried about him and she couldn't confess how much she needed him right now. A thousand different thoughts raced through her mind, but in the end all she could do was whimper pathetically.