The Endless Hourglass

Chapter Five

Pandora pursed her lips for a moment in concentration. "That makes my wild goose chase a little less wild I guess. I'm supposed to capture the rest of them and lock them away." Her friends all shared the same look of concern, but Pandora's face remained emotionless. These were the most feared knights in all of Liones, possibly even Britannia. Yet here she was nonchalant and fearless.

"You're joking, right?" Was all Howzer asked. Pandora looked at him, her face not hiding her confusion. "Just take it easy. You really scared us today."

"Sorry. Well I should be getting home, it's late."

"You haven't even eaten, do you want to eat first?" Pandora shook her head and carefully stood up.

"No, thank you. I just want to get a good night's sleep. I have to be up early in the morning to start my mission." She walked over to the door, ignoring the throbbing in her head. "Alright, bye everyone. See you soon." Pandora left, giving her friends a small wave goodbye.

"We should go after her." Jericho started, but Gilthunder shook his head.

"You know her. She'd get mad if all of us made sure she got home alright. My house is past hers, I'll check on her. You guys should all go home." They all nodded in agreement, knowing how stubborn their friend could be.

Pandora walked slowly down the street towards her home. She stopped in the middle of the street when the stabbing pain in her head intensified. The black spots that danced in her vision finally merged into total blackness. She fell to the ground, unconscious. Luckily for her, Gilthunder was only a few yards behind her so he quickly scooped her up and carried her back home. He grabbed the spare key from under the large flower pot on the porch and let himself into the house. He walked to her room and placed her gently on her bed, throwing a blanket over her. He started to leave the house, but his mind filled with worry. What if something happened in the middle of the night and she needed help? He sighed and laid down on the couch in the living room, deciding to stay there for the night.

Pandora ran as fast as her legs could carry her, while she weaved through the thick shrubbery of the forest. People from the village followed, not far behind her. The only illumination was from the moon and the torches the people held. The light of the fire was getting closer and closer to Pandora, making her run faster. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that they also had weapons in hand. All she did was heal an injured child. She didn't curse him like everyone thought she had, she just healed him. And now, she was going to pay the price for her good deed.

"Meliodas!" Her voice hardly carried over the sound of the rain falling against the leaves above. He said he was going to the woods to look for ingredients for dinner. She knew he had to be out there somewhere. "Meliodas! Where the hell are you?" As if it were fate, a bolt of lightning illuminated the forest for a moment, revealing her brother lying on his back.

She ran over to him, raindrops and tears mixing on her cheeks. There were seven daggers sticking out of him, one into each of his hearts. They just lost Elizabeth again a few days ago. Pandora knew her brother was hurting, but she didn't think he'd ever give up on breaking the curse. Turns out she was wrong. She knelt beside him and pulled his limp body into her arms. His body was cold in her arms, making more tears fall.

"No, Meliodas." Was all she said at first. He was the only person she had left. Her heart broke further thinking she would have to explain this to the next reincarnation of Elizabeth. Even though the Holy War was her worst nightmare, Pandora wished she could go back to it. It was a time before her best friend, Elizabeth, was forced to die in front of her eyes over and over again. A time before her brother decided he couldn't take watching the love of his life die every few decades. "Please wake up. I need you." She gently shook his shoulder, hearing the mob approaching. "I know you miss her, but we'll find a way to end her curse." She kept sobbing, holding him in her arms. Her sadness quickly turned to anger. "You weren't the only one who lost her. I was going through this too Mel. Now both of you are gone, what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to do this without you?" Pandora yelled.

Just a few weeks prior, the girl discovered she was immortal. She was fighting in a battle with arrows and she died. The only thing was she woke up a few hours later, still very much alive. Losing her brother hurt so much more when she knew she'd never see him again, not in life nor death. They were in opposite worlds, never to visit the other. He was the only person she had left, and now he too was gone.

The sounds of the mob grew closer and closer, but the blonde closed her eyes and placed her hands on her brother's chest. She focused all of her energy on healing him. He couldn't be gone forever. She couldn't lose him. The forest filled with white light, blinding the mob for a moment. Meliodas's wounds were now healed, but he was still dead. She couldn't bring back the dead.

Pandora let out a scream of pure and utter anguish as she held her brother's lifeless body close to her chest. Light surrounded her as the mob approached with their torches. In her weakened state, she was torn away from her brother with little effort.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Her pleas fell upon deaf ears. Her brother's body remained motionless, even as she was pulled farther and farther from him. She continued struggling, but it was futile. She had lost all of her strength trying to bring back her brother. Once she was back in the town center, she saw a large wooden pole that had just been put up in her honor. She wasn't scared when she saw it, just disgusted. She couldn't wrap her mind around how barbaric humans could be. She was tied tightly to the pole, standing atop of kindling. The entire town gathered to watch the fire ignite. She refused to give them the satisfaction of letting them know it hurt. Even as the fire gnawed away at her skin, reaching her face, she didn't dare make a sound. She was filled with a rage she had never felt before. Both for the people burning her alive and for the sibling who abandoned her to suffer through this alone.