TAIX - The Adventures of Ink and X

Chapter 34 - X

I see walk back from the kitchen as Shadow is still asleep in my hand. Ink has a glass of water and drinks it. He looks a bit shaken up from something, but I can't tell what. "Morning, how'd you sleep?" Ink asks me, his voice sounds a bit shaky but not that much. "Good, is everything okay?" I ask him. "We've known each other for around 10 years. I can tell something is wrong." I think to myself. Ink replies with "Y-Yeah, everything's okay" before I sigh and say "Ink. We've known each other over the past 10 years. We've learned each others habits, personalities, secrets, etc. I can tell something is wrong. Please. Why are you hiding it from me." Ink looks a bit fearful and says "W-Well..." before he sighs and says "I saw him again...he was in the reflection...although wasn't there when I turned around..." I immediately hug him. "He's been through so much, so much abuse from parents. His uncle was even worse, why did he have to go through all this..." I think to myself as I keep hugging him. He seems to want to cry but can't bring himself to cry. He starts to tremble in my arms as he stays in the hug. "He's just the vulnerable little child he always has been, he deserves me, my protection. Not having his uncle always after us, I'm glad I killed his uncle" I think to myself, as his tears flowing from his eyes slowly stain my t-shirt I'm currently wearing, although I don't mind. I want him to express his emotions, not keep it all bottled up. After about 15 minutes he stops crying, eventually calming down. "Feeling better?" I ask him before he replies with a nod. I sit back down on the couch and sits next to me and leans on me. I wrap a blanket around him as he lays against me. I wrap my arms around him as he leans against me. Eventually he falls asleep, although this time there's no sign of fear on his face. Shadow climbs on him and starts to knead on him to help comfort, as if he could understand everything that has been happening these past weeks. Nova then enters the scene seeming to be tired. "Mmm....what...? I heard some commotion..." Nova says, sounding tired and hoarse as if he had cried. "Everything is fine, Ink just was a bit stressed" I tell Nova. "Ink said he saw his uncle. Even though I killed him, even my calling card was there. Is...is my tall tale really true? I don't know whether to believe it or not..." I contemplate over this for a short moment before deciding to ask Nova. "Hey Nova, has anything weird happened to you?" He replies with "Weird...? How so...?" I find a way to word it and say, "Related to the tale I told you and Ink about." Before they tell me about their dream and Wither. "I see..." I say after they finish.