DARK RED [ITADORI Y.]

―XLV. STOLEN SOUL

CHAPTER XLV. YOU LIVE WITH A STOLEN SOUL.

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"Open your eyes, love."

I felt myself stirring awake. My body felt heavy, and the surface under me didn't feel like my bed. I pushed my eyes open, staring at the dark ceiling. Though, it never seemed like there was an end.

I jolted up, the bones under me clattering and skittering away. I scrambled to my feet, brushed my hands over my shirt, and checked for any wounds. I lifted my head, looking down where the black water met the beach of bones. I felt my eyebrows furrow together.

"Come now," A voice purred behind me. "You've been here before. Don't act so surprised."

I turned, my gaze falling on the woman. She was slumped in her throne of bones, legs extended out, pale legs exposed under her silky red dress. One of her arms lay against the armrest, the other being used to prop her head up.

"What do you want, Eris?"

She chuckled. "Is that really the way you must speak to me? I think you forget who saved you."

"Saved me?" I echoed, cringing at the graininess in my voice. "It's only caused me more problems."

"Kazuhiro Ito would have raped and killed you and no remorse for what he would have done to you," Eris sat forward, her arms draping over her legs. "Do you believe I would have just sat back and watched that happen to you?"

"It doesn't matter now," I closed my eyes. "I'm doomed to die anyway."

"Everyone dies, little one," She hummed.

I jumped when I felt her fingers brush along my jaw. I opened my eyes, meeting her gaze. Her carmine eyes had seemed to soften a bit, and she cupped my face in her hand tenderly. She wiped her thumb under my eye as if she were comforting me.

"It's no mere coincidence that I chose you as my vessel, Y/n," She said gently. "Your soul and I...we have...history."

"History?" I felt my eyebrows furrow together. "I don't understand."

"Your soul," Her hand moved from my face, and she placed it on my bosom, over my heart. "Once belonged to a young girl. She even shared the same name as you. She was kind, sweet, and a little bundle of sunshine to be around. I saved her from the village that was trying to murder her. I raised her as my own daughter. I loved her."

I noticed a heaviness fall over Eris' eyes. Her hand slipped from my chest, falling back to her side. She brought her hands together in front of her, turning away from me slightly.

"I did my best to protect her. I was raising her as my underling. My love and I made sure nothing would happen to her. We both cared for her. But..." I saw her frown. "The two of us were naive. We thought we could trust the village that we protected."