Act of a Demon: The Dark Bloods - Book II ✓

Chapter 30 - Therapy Part II

Important Author's Note: Again, just letting you know that this is the second part of chapter thirty and both parts were uploaded at the same time. 

Dedicated to Dragon_of_Writing for all her wonderful votes on my story. Thank you! 

30.

Therapy - Part II

Mundus leaned on the wall with his arms crossed. He had been alone for too long, and it was as irritating as it was boring. He kept hoping the surface behind him would transport him somewhere else or at least bring someone to him. However, when the walls in front of him rippled and cracked, spitting out a person, he wished to be alone again.

He watched through narrowed eyes as Ayame gave him a glare of her own. Having her this close, Mundus could see the holes and nicks on her clothes. Despite the absence of blood and actual wounds, he was familiar with the tears. They were testimonies to the injuries he had given her so long ago, and her entire wardrobe might as well been tattered rags. A pit opened in his stomach and for a moment he couldn’t breathe from the intensity of his shame.

If he had only allowed her a moment to speak that rainy night when he encountered her with Kibito. It was a haunting and disturbing though he had obsessed with since he had found out the truth about Ayame’s intentions during that night. What was the cost of a moment? Had he given her that, how differently would have the events have unfolded? Her death was the only thing that was certain, he knew. Even if they had had their happy ending, it wouldn’t have been a long one.

He watched as Ayame walked to a corner of the room, the one furthest from him, and sat down on the floor. Her long hair draped around her, concealing most of her huddled form. He remembered when Reyna’s hair was once that lustrous too. He sighed. She never should have cut it.

The wall in front of him, the same one that had brought Ayame, rippled and sputtered again and Reyna stumbled out from it. He straightened away from his lean, eyebrows up in surprise. Ayame and Reyna. Within the same room as himself.  

“Uh,” Reyna said, head darting from him to Ayame. “Hi?”

Ayame’s head snapped up. “Reyna!”

The petite woman jumped to her feet and dashed the short distance across the room to the stunned Reyna. She wrapped her arms around her.

“Ayame?” Reyna asked. Mundus could hear the confusion in her voice.

“Reyna,” Ayame gasped. She dropped to her knees, bringing Reyna down with her. Her face was buried in her chest. “My family.”

Mundus saw the pained expression that graced Reyna’s features. Her arms came around the Japanese woman and the two bowed into one another, fingers grasping their clothes tight.

“Yeah, Ayame,” Reyna said. “I guess I am.”

 Mundus looked away from them, unsure what to make of what he had seen. Disgrace, sorrow, and a touch of awkwardness gripped inside his chest.  

“Toyoko,” he heard Ayame say. “Her children survived. My sister lived on in them. Reyna, you are my sister as well.”

His hands became fists. “Enough,” he roared. He didn’t wish to be reminded of his mistakes.

The two women looked at him, Reyna a glower and Ayame a pensive stare. This was too bizarre.

“I apologize,” he said. “I merely meant—”

“No,” Ayame said as she stood. “We should probably get this over with.”

“Get this over with?” Reyna asked, also on her feet.