Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 175: Born To Be Wild

"Don't go in."

Ren came to a full stop. His instincts warned him to turn away, but Ren couldn't possibly fathom why.

"No, I have to." Ren told himself, ignoring the warning. "If I can't face Nyssa then how do I expect to ever face Michael?" Ren had already disregarded his responsibility once. He couldn't allow himself to ignore it again.

"It's the least I can do..." Ren's mind was still soured by Erica's untimely demise. But Ren knew Nyssa must've been handling her grief even worse than him.

Unlike Ren, Erica was Nyssa's mother and the only real family Nyssa had left in this world.

Now because of Michael, Nyssa had no one left.

"No, that's not true." Ren had to remind himself. He couldn't allow Nyssa to think she was alone. Even if she didn't have any blood relatives left in the world, she still had people she could call family in her life.

"Even if it isn't by blood I am still her big brother..."

"I'll continue to watch over her the same way I always have."

Ren gently tapped his fingers against the sliding door and sighed. He was worried. He wasn't sure how to face Nyssa after everything.

What could he say to her?

How could he comfort her?

After all, he wasn't coping with Erica's death any better than she was.

"I have to say something...I have to do something..."

Ren took a deep breath and marched forward. He pulled the sliding door and peered into the room.

"Nyssa I-" Ren instantly stopped. He stared into the darkness like a ghost trapped in purgatory.

"What the hell is this..?" Ren wasn't sure what bothered him more. The sight or the smell.

When Ren opened the door, a repulsive odor attacked his nostrils. He swiftly held his nose and gagged, trying his hardest to prevent bile from rising up his throat.

"Relax..."

"Relax..."

Ren stomached the sight but couldn't move past the smell. His body refused to adapt.

Mei made sure of that by engraving the potent scent into both his mind and body alike.

"Not now...!"

"Not now...!"

Ren could feel the memories clawing at him from within. It stole his strength and consumed his mind, just like the nightly veil that swallowed the sky.

Ren fell to his knees, splashing against the ground the same way blood splattered onto the floor.

He envisioned Mei and relived his endless cycle with her.

Each time Ren experienced death, Mei would "reward" him with life. Sacrifices would be used as offerings to revitalize Ren's hollow body. But, Mei refused to kill any of the individuals she sacrificed to Ren. Instead, finding it more entertaining watching Ren struggle choosing life or death.

Unfortunately, Ren always prioritized his life over anyone else's.

Like a wild animal, Ren ate.

He devoured their flesh...

Crunched on their bones...

And drank their blood...

At first, it was always tricky. Ren didn't possess the stomach to properly cannibalize. Despite his Fujiwara blood, Ren wasn't raised like one the same way Mei was.