The Dragon Empress

Chapter 46: D-Dead?!

(don't read if you haven't finished the anime! SPOILERS)

After three months of Ryuga being gone, I was a worried mess, he told me his training journey would only last a few weeks, and he stopped returning my texts last week. 

I heard a knock at the door, quickly I went and answered, it was Gingka, Madoka, and the others. They all looked sad, especially Kenta. 

"Hi guys, come in." I let them in and they sat on the couch. 

"...Madeline we have some bad news." 

My face fell. "W-what's wrong?" 

"...Ryuga is dead."  

I shook my head, "y-you are joking! R-Ryuga would- he could- he can't-he-he can't be dead... no n-no" 

"This is no joke, Madeline... we were with him," Kenta told me,

I stood up and started shaking. "N-no! He-he-" 

"We are so sorry..." 

Tears filled my eyes, "You-you aren't joking? This-this isn't a trick?" 

"We would never trick you like this." 

"How-how did he d-die?" Tears fell freely from my eyes, I didn't even try to hold them back. 

"...He took on nemesis alone... he was very close to beating him... but... he-he didn't make it." 

I couldn't take anymore, I ran out of the room, I didn't go for my room, instead, I ran into Ryuga's and collapsed on the bed, sobbing. "You can't be dead! What about me? What about us?" I cried into the pillow, that still somehow smelled like him. 

Madoka and Gingka walked in the room, "Madeline?" 

"How? Tell me!" I didn't even acknowledge them, "WHY ARE YOU GONE?!" I yelled although it was muffled by the pillow. Madoka put a hand on my shoulder, I sank down, my best friend was really dead... I would never see him again. I sobbed into the pillow. 

"I'm so sorry"

I shook my head, "He-he is gone! Ryuga is-is gone!" 

"...Why don't you tell us more about your relationship with him," Madoka suggested, 

"H-he was more than just my boyfriend... he was in some ways like a brother, always there for me whenever I needed it, and-and he loved me, as a-a boyfriend would love his girlfriend... in my hard times he was always there to put his arm around me and hold me, he cared when I cried, he cared in the middle of the night when I had nightmares. He never failed to show up when I needed him most..." I cried harder, Madoka looked at me, "

Wow, you two were really close huh?" I nodded.

That night I slept in Ryuga's room by myself, and I cried myself to sleep.

After two weeks I missed Ryuga so so much. The others came daily and tried to cheer me up, 

"It's ok Madi." Yu told me, "we all miss him." I didn't cry in front of them, I didn't want them to think that their attempts aren't doing much, so I tried to look happy, I did my very best to BE happy because I know Ryuga would want me to be happy.

After a while I heard a knock at the door, nobody was there except for me. I went and answered, "Hello Madeline..." A blindfold went over my eyes, and a gag went in my mouth. Then I was dragged out to a van, thrown in violently, and I received a punch to my face.