My Light in the Darkness (F!BylethxDimitri)

Chapter 2: Azure Moon- Shadows.

Byleth could only hope that at least some of her students would keep their word and return to the monastery. It was her best bet if she was to regroup. She could hardly believe it had been 5 years.

Nothing really could have prepared her for the state of the monastery. It had felt like she left just yesterday, and now the grounds were filled with rubble and the mangled,rotting bodies of the imperial soldiers. She did not wish to face whatever force had done them in so cruelly. Anxiety clutched at her belly as she looked over the dead, hoping not to find a familiar face among them.

Though, something was wrong. Although the bodies were in various states of decomposition, certainly none could have been 5 years old. She supposed Garrag Maach had become something of a contested location, though it bothered her that there appeared to be no bodies other than those of the imperial army.

She followed the stream of bloodied soldiers along the fields that she had come to love. Byleth was certain there must have been something where the masses of bodies grew thicker. Perhaps some sort of beast or monster that had taken residence. The trail led her up the Goddess Tower. Was it not only weeks ago that Dimitri and she had gone up together? How horribly ironic and naive had it been that just the day before her father's death they wished to never lose anyone unnecessarily again.

Crumbling and stained stone stairs spiraled upward toward the main chamber of the tower. The air was stale and thick with the scent of death. The men had clearly been killed in a gruesome manner, bones broken and large gaping wounds. Although, they did not seem consistent with the injuries caused by any sort of monster she had encountered before. Byleth grew disturbed, but something tugged at her heart, encouraging her to proceed.

Her heart could only ache as she beheld the source of destruction. Perhaps some would have been right in calling him a monster, but she could never place the two together. A large man with long blond hair and an eyepatch came into view. He sat slumped on the filthy ground, surrounded by the bodies of the deceased and shrouded in shadow. His silver lance remained in his grip, despite appearing only barely conscious. It was as if laying eyes upon a hunted lion. Tired, but keenly aware of any who might approach and ready to lash out. The pain in her heart was more than she could bear, she knew who he was, yet hoped it was not so. The years had not been kind to Dimitri.

He stirred. His head lifted slightly, blue eye catching hers. Byleth reached her hand. He beheld her coldly, and turned away.

"I should have known... that one day, you would be haunting me as well."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"What must I do to be rid of you? I will kill that woman, I swear it. Do not look upon me with scorn in your eyes!"

"Dimitri, it's going to be ok." She whispered as she lowered herself to see him more clearly. The blood splattered across his face was likely not his own, but she could see no monster. Only her faithful, doting student that only sought to do what is best for his classmates and kingdom. Yet, Byleth could not deny the destruction he caused and how far he had fallen.

He rose from the ground, shock and disbelief evident in his eyes.

"You... it can't be! You're alive?" He gasped. His somewhat hopeful look grew distant and his grip on the silver lance tightened as he rose from the ground.

"Hmph, if that is the case... That can only mean you are another Imperial spy. Did you come here to kill me? Answer the question"

"No! Of course not," Byleth responded, turning away to hide the hurt from such an accusation. She could never. Not to any of her students. His eye narrowed, Dimitri sighed and pushed past her.