Keep That Smile Up, ok? Part 2 (The Stringless Puppet of The Void)

Brightest Star In The Night Sky

Erwin felt someone tap his shoulder.

-Erwin, where is Haru? the shadow creature asked

-She ran away, I wasn't... Good enough... He said and fell on his knees

-Please follow me, I need to tell you something. she looked away

They sat down on some rocks they found, the building was broken, abandoned and it looked lifeless. 

-There's something that's been disturbing me all this time, after this tragedy happened and maybe you won't react as violent as the others when I tell you this, well maybe you will, but please listen till the end so you can understand the whole situation. I showed Haru those memories, Kent wasn't even there, but he told me to do it, if not he would've evaporated me in thin air and in that moment all I felt was fear and did the inevitable, in that moment I didn't think about the consequences, I just did it, but I regretted it after I saw what I did, so the only way I could excuse myself, would've been by helping you get her back somehow, so I went and took tools from NED that will assist us in this. You see, now I don't even care about myself as I did before, I just want to repair what I did in any way I can, even by sacrificing my own life. I feel like I don't deserve to live after what I've done to your soulworker. And I'm afraid I'll anyways die, because I keep using powers, they drain my HP and energy that keep me alive, I'm made of desire energy and whenever I use a skill for example, I drain it which affects my physical body...

-So that's that, huh... I can't blame me you for this though, it hurts me like a bullet that struck my heart, you made me lose her for who knows how much time, it could take years to bring her back... And I'm sure you disappointed Haru as well, she trusted you, she cared for you and you teleport her so you can do bad things to her... Maybe if you would've told us about Kent before, we could've found another way, but I understand your fear of this crazy man... It's just that you made me despise you, but not hate you. I actually appreciate that even if you brought Haru in this form, you didn't ran away and left us with this problem in our hands, you came and helped us with it, which is why I won't kill you, otherwise I would've ended you right here, right now. I'm mostly don't act this way towards ladies, but you really angered me now.

"Shadow" sighed in relief, it made her stutter a bit, but hey at least she's alive... At least for now.

-Luckily you have a smartass in front of you and I can find a way out of this, without sacrificing anything, we won't let Kent kill you...   Erwin patted her head, she looked like Haru... At least like her old self, different hairstyle, different clothes... It made him feel like he had Haru in front of him, but also not.

-T-thanks, but I'm still not sure of this plan you have... 

-Don't worry too much, for now, return home and take care of Stella for me, she had trouble sleeping because she fears we'll lose Haru forever. I need someone to "console" her a little. Erwin grinned a bit

-Sure then, I won't use teleport this time tho. "Shadow" ran back home

Erwin's smile faded after she left, he didn't know what to do anymore, what if Kent already did something bad with his Haru? What if she's nowhere to be found for real?

He went for a walk, looked everywhere, nothing. He kept seeing himself walking with her, even though, Haru wasn't there, maybe Desire Haru was right, he really lost his mind and sense of reality, maybe he needed to recover...? But Erwin couldn't give up on finding Haru again and again, trying his best to get back, it was like a must for him.

He heard his phone ring, it was Iris.

-What's up? He asked

-Erwin come this instant home, Desire Haru is here! They are devastating the city!! Iris yelled