uoıʇıɹɐdsıᗡ

ᴠᴇɴᴛɪɴᴏᴠᴇ - ᴘᴀꜱᴛ

Valentinia:

Past (3 years ago).

"Valentinia." I heard someone call out my name, distantly.

"Valentinia." I attempted to open my eyes, to discover who it was calling out my name. But, my head was throbbing, and I felt paralysed.

It must be the aftershock of whatever he had injected into me. I thought, drowsily.

"VALENTINIA!" I heard someone whisper- yell, pleadingly. I heard whimpers of pain and a distant shuffling in the distance. However, it was still vague. Whatever he had inserted into my bloodstream was severely affecting my sense of awareness.

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite distinguish it as of right now. It encouraged me to attempt to open my eyes, the ongoing whimpers made dread flood into my being.

"Valentinia, please wake up. He's going to come back soon. You need to get out." The voice once again pleaded, in- turn capturing my full attention and determination. I strained my eyes, pushing my eyelids open, the bright light stung my eyes. I immediately snapped my eyes shut in an attempt to dull the burning sensation, and slowly reopened them.

My eyes were captured by the familiar blue eyes of Acer. His appearance was heart- shattering. The bright, contagious grin was no longer situated upon his handsome face. It was smothered in dark bruises that shadowed his handsome face, adorned with cuts and scratches. One of his eyes were forced shut by the severity of the swell which I assumed he had been aggressively punched or hit with something powerful.

But, even by looking into one of his eyes, I knew that they no longer held the spark. They now hold a dull, sullen and defeated look. My eyes filled with tears, his body was completely littered with bruises and deep incisions. Also, it appeared that his fingernails were absent. In- turn, giving me the impression that he had so mercilessly ripped them off or one of his men.

Blood was smeared across his face, almost making him unrecognisable. He was unrecognisable from the Acer I had met just a few days before. He looked broken. But, the thing that pained me the most was that I knew that this was all of my faults. I had ruined this man.

When I had met him he had that cheeky, mischievous and caring demeanour. Always bringing light into the darkest of places. He managed to make me laugh, without much effort. And now all of that was gone. All because of me. Because I didn't listen to his orders. He had warned me what would happen, but I was too selfish and naive that I didn't take any notice of his underlying threats and take into consideration the consequences of the people that I involved would suffer.

"Acer?" I muttered, still becoming aware of my current situation and surroundings.

"Yeah, it's me." He muttered, pain-stricken. You could tell that he was in pain, his face contorted into one of anguish. You could see the trails of tears flowing down his face, mixing in with the crimson liquid. My heart twisted painfully in regret, guilt and sympathy.

I did this to him. A young, innocent and carefree man. I signed his death warrant. I robbed him of his precious life. I confirmed with my thoughts, solemnly. Tears began to flood my tear ducts.

"I'm- I'm so sorry." I stuttered out, trying to compose the sob that so desperately wanted to be released.

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault, Nia." He forced out, whilst holding the left-hand side of his abdomen. My eyes caught what he was trying so hard to apply pressure to. His side was spitting out a worrying amount of blood from a hole carved into his flesh.