AfterDeath

Chapter 38: Cornered

AN: Ink's taller now, roll with it.

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Chapter 38: Cornered

Third POV

Darkness looms over his head and chilled air surrounds him. A wide vast of nothingness with no signs of life for miles and miles in every direction.

Geno found himself, once again, standing in the familiar empty dark space echoing with haunting silence. The suffocating loneliness gripping his poor soul in its tight, merciless grasp and squeezing it hard enough to make each breath hurt like knives in his ribs.

He gasps for air, answering his lungs' plea for relief but it was caught in his throat and never reached its destination. His soul beating wildly in his chest and pulse pounding loud in his ears.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't hear.

Panic began settling in.

His breath came in fast and heavy, desperate to ease the burning in his chest yet no matter how much air he inhales, it was never enough to reach his 'lungs'. His eye darting back and forth, searching for something, anything other than the eternal darkness surrounding him.

A light, perhaps? A glint of hope? An exit?

He found nothing. He couldn't see anything. There's nobody here. He's all alone.

His blood running cold as his fingertips went numb. Terror seeped into his mind, rapidly spreading throughout his body and weighing him down until his knees gave out underneath him.

He's trapped, came his mind's deafening scream, taking over every rational thought and throwing him straight into a spiraling fit of panic. There's no way out!

He wants to leave. He has to leave! He needs to get out of this place. He needs to find a way out!

The burning in his chest grew worse, setting his lungs on fire and his soul beating too fast that it felt as if it might explode at any moment. Stop! Stop! Stop!

Let me out!

The hollow silence only made it more obvious that there's nobody else there.

Don't leave me alone! He pleaded.

"Geno!"

A deafening voice penetrated through the darkness and a blinding light filled Geno's vision before his eyes snapped open. He found himself back at Reaper's house, sitting on the cold floor and staring right into Reaper's wide, worry-filled eyes.

"Deep breath. Just take a deep breath." Reaper said. His palms pressed against Geno's wet cheeks, cupping his face and cradling it gently in his hands. Brushing his thumbs over the smaller one's eyes, wiping away warm liquid seeping from them. Both of his eyes, Geno noticed.

Geno gasped, alarmed, as his hands flew to his supposedly hidden eye.

"No no nonono!" Reaper intercepted the hands midway, holding them into one of his own before reaching out with the other to caress the bleeding eye with his fingers. Sealing the eye with a glitch once more. Then, he gently let go of the smaller's hand, allowing the latter to examine his own face and was mildly relieved to find the glitches were indeed there.