hollow with a heart (re-write)

part 13: who will end it?

After Issei got a hair cut, he felt good. The twin tails in the back of his neck were gone, his hair was shorter now but very stylish. He bought some new clothes and became eye candy for some girls but he paid no attention to them. He went back to train for the match, once he got home he put his stuff away and went to the training field.

Issei: you ready Ddraig?

Ddraig: yes...

Issei: you okay?

Ddraig: just thinking about what that thing was before it turned into that woman and how it merged with you.

Issei: I blame myself. If I didn't put on the mask then...

Ddraig: why did you do that and why didn't it latch on to Azazel?

Issei: not sure why it only latched on to me but that night...I felt it calling out to me. It wasn't a malicious or anything but it felt..... lonely. I felt her presence but I still want to know why. Why do I feel so connected to her?

Ddraig: and I want to know how I couldn't feel her presence even when she was right in front of us. She's no astral projection or spirit that's for sure.

Issei: I saw a bit of her past when I was unconscious. There was a dead man lying next to her on the grass, I saw what I think was his life force and it swirling around her. I saw her crying as if it was something she has experienced before and it hurts her more each time.

Ddraig: Issei...

Issei: then I saw a figure wearing black armour, his head was a skull and it had green flames surrounding it.

Ddraig: ISSEI!

Issei: what?

Ddraig: I didn't see any of that or anything else in your dream scape ever since she came along. I could always see into that since you awakened me but this time I couldn't see her and you wouldn't respond.

Issei: wait what?

Ddraig: partner I fear that so called connection may be a curse or spell of sorts.

Issei: explain.

Ddraig: she's not from our universe, she is clearly a powerful being and a shape shifter, what if it's like a succubus? You get charmed and they suck away your life force but her method is different?

Issei: then what about the visions of her? The connection?

Ddraig: she might be using that to make you look for her, a moth to a flame metaphor comes to mind.

Issei: Ddraig....I don't want to believe that....I can't believe that....

Ddraig: I'm just saying that it's a theory. She didn't want to leave your side knowing that you and everyone else could have ended her life, she healed your shoulder as much as she could.

Issei: what if that's all part of her plan? What if she's using me just like her? Making me think and feel that she's someone I love.....What if...*sniff*..

Ddraig: I'm sorry, I should have kept my mouth shut.

Issei: no, I'm glad you shared that with me. It's my curse that I end up being used one way or another by women...me and my stupid attraction towards them gets me in trouble or killed and now I have less than a decade......

Ddraig:.......

Issei: she's out there....doing who knows what? How much blood is on my hands because I let her go?

Ddraig: don't blame yourself, there was no way could have known, I didn't know either.

Issei: I have to find her and stop her if your theory is true.