Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 45: The Chosen King

Destiny is a fickle thing, it changes constantly yet follows a narrow path. No matter what we do to avoid it, or to even fight against it, the events that are fated will always happen...

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Hopefully..."

It was becoming increasingly difficult to even hold a conversation with Erica these days. She was either too drunk to comprehend what I was asking, or far too hungover to process it without feeling a migraine.

Ren's scarlet eyes softened as she watched her plop right before him. Her eyelids were dark and hung low from fatigue.

He wasn't entirely sure if this was from the alcohol, exhaustion, or simply crying herself to sleep every night.

Her hair was messy, and was growing unevenly causing her bangs to look disproportionate along her face. Her skin was light, and nearly varied in shades of green as if she were ill, however despite all this she continued to instruct him anyways.

"Miss Erica."

It took her a few seconds to respond, almost as if her reaction time had slowed considerably.

But eventually she turned and faced him with large pupiless brown eyes. They looked vacant, like vast holes that led absolutely nowhere.

"What is it?"

Ren lowered his head finding it difficult to look at her when he thought about his question. It seemed like something that water heavily on his mind, and one that would probably spur a reaction if asked.

As he sulked to himself for a few moments he felt a rough tension grip onto his chin and force his head upwards. As his entire head shifted, changing its line of sight towards Erica, he simply stared at her.

He was taken aback for a moment, she did seem to have some semblance of life still remaining in her eyes. But they held a look unlike any other, much more fierce than before, similar to the way she looked when Sayuri brought up her late husband.

"What is it?" She asked once more, this time her voice and overall tone deepened, like a calm storm.

"What drives you to be a hero?"

"I know it sounds stupid, but based on everything you've told me and even the rumors that people have said about you..."

"It's because of your relation to Heroes that all of these things happened to begin with."

Erica's silence only caused the awkwardness of the situation to only strengthen. She simply stared at him for awhile, her expression never changing and remaining in its scowl state.

But after about a minute or so she let go of him, slowly lowering her hand only to bring it to her lap.

"What drives me to become a hero..."

Her voice changed once more becoming then and even a bit weak.

"Every Hero in the association as their own motives to be heroes."

"Regardless of how personal it may be..."

"Or how selfless it may be, every single hero has a reason for choosing the path of heroism."

"Michael did it because the world needed him."

"Sayuri did it to preserve the pride of her clan."

"And your mother did it for political reasons."

"All of their motivations in the end are valid, but none of them are similar to my own." She folded her lips before looking down, allowing her eyes to rest within her own lap.