Soul Bonded [Claude De Alger Obelia x reader ]

97. Unchained

The child was shivering uncontrollably, clutching his dying love close. Silent tears dripped down his cheeks, his chin trembling in an effort to keep down the sobs.

A pitiful child.

The image was quite familiar.

Silently, she looked at the weeping child and saw a reflection of herself. Wasn't she once in his position as she cried for her love not to leave her as he took his last breath in her arms?

Celestria looked away from the sorrowed scene and lifted her head to look at the glittering sky.

The World Tree was pulsing. It was silently filling the voids she had ripped for her own greed. Fate strings were coming out of its roots, wordlessly wrapping around those in its debt.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and let darkness take her away.

Ah, I did my best. I'm quite tired now...

Not being able to become a human. Not being able to become happy and refusing to be understood. And withdrawing from the world that feared her.

Maybe it was time she freed herself from the shackles of the curse that bound her to suffer for eternity to come.

~~~

As if stapled on the ground with a nail, Claude sat still holding your cold body for a long time.

Even though he wanted to do something, his body refused to leave the ground and his blank mind did not know where he was supposed to go.

Passing through his mind were many things.

Reconciliation. Repentance. And maybe a new start where you, him, and Athanasia could live together.

A life with you where he could grow old together.

Not that it mattered now.

Nothing matters now.

He stared at your crumpling body.

A hideous thought popped up in his head as he was watching you crumple with each passing second. That thought stemmed from the doubt, 'Will life have any meaning after he'd lose you?’

"If you can’t come back to me, how about I follow after you?"

Claude wondered out loud in an anguished whisper.

He made up his mind.

He saw no purpose for him to continue living.

The burden in his heart was too immense for him to bear alone.

Like a coward, he might be turning his back on everything you wanted him to protect but he couldn't go on.

Claude was tired.

Getting angry changed nothing.

Crying changed nothing.

There was no bringing you back.

Even if he was a coward to make such a decision, he couldn't care less.

His heart had no more desire or hope.

It was tired just like him.

"I'm sorry..." Claude closed his eyes and a few droplets of tears escaped down his cheeks. "I failed you. You fell in love with a useless coward who only burdened you with his sins."

Claude clutched his sword. His grip was firm and unhesitating.

Before he could follow you, he had do to one thing.

One thing to honor your death.

The source of your suffering. The one who was equally responsible for your suffering as much as he was, he couldn't let that thing live.