Abnormal Little Me (Completed)

Chapter 100: Breaking Free For a Moment

Hey guys! A 100 chapters, can you believe it?? I had said on the 50th chapter that I hoped I wouldn't go this far. The story just went on so many unexpected turns that it was impossible to have less chapters than this (especially considering the number of words I have per chapters). If you think there is too many, we are approaching the end. I'm planing 10 more chapters, top (hopefully) (but they might be bigger than 1000 words). Anyway, have fun reading this chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment :) Love you all <3

    I trained relentlessly. Theria and the others from the therapy group helped me become mentally stronger. It took some time but I was finally able to hear their voices and see their faces without fainting or going into shock.
    Rilos helped me with the physical aspect. The hardest thing was fire. I could control it no problem but being attacked by it was another story. I wasn't scared if Rilos was behind me. Rather, it tricked me into believing that I was protecting him and I would do anything to protect him. Sivir came as well to polish his fire-manipulating skills. I soon became able to be consumed by flames without wanting to run away when I consciously realized that fire couldn't hurt me. This was a huge help since Sadist's only power was fire and barriers weren't an offensive power. I could control barriers too so it wasn't an issue.
    An other noticeable achievement was that I now trained with others instead of just it being Rilos and I. Beating Vriany was especially fun mostly because he would treat me to ice cream afterwards. The deal was that the loser paid the ice cream but since he had yet to win, it always was his treat.
    The Judge had come to see me the previous day and I confirmed to him that I was ready to go through the trials. He had given Rilos and I a week to prepare everything since a lot of people would want to come here and see the trials. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. The fighting wasn't what I was worried about. It was the memories. I knew I would have to revisit them and I was scared. I still had nightmares about it.
    I waited for us to be alone and calm before telling him about my plan. The occasion came while he did some paperwork in his office and I had given back the children who had adopted me to their parents. I taught them about the basics of self-defence.
    "Rilos?"
    "Yeah, sweetheart?" he answered without looking up from the papers.
    "Could you look at me?"
    "Is something wrong?" he worried, waking from behind his desk and taking me into his arms. I returned his hug. It had become a second nature.
    "I want you to come with me to the Northern castle."
    "Is it to talk to Sivir? I can ask him to come here, you know?"
    "No, that's not why. I want to go to the cell you found me in and I need you to be with me."
    "Lyra, this is a very bad idea."
    "Rilos, would you prefer that I break down during the trials while everyone, including Mikyan, is watching or when it's just the two of us and you can smother me as much as you like?"
    "If you put it that way. Are you absolutely sure about this?"
    "We have less than a week. My options are limited at this point, but if you're there, I'll be strong enough."
    "You are strong enough on your own, Lyra. Never forget that."
    "I'm more worried about you. Our link has been working very well these past days and you might see things you hadn't seen before. What happened in there was horrible, more than you could ever imagine. I won't go if you don't promise that you'll still look at me the way I am now. I am not the broken girl I was in there. Bad memories can still get the best of me, but, overall, I am strong. I healed. I'm okay."
    "I know. I won't change. I haven't changed the way I look at you and I saw everything they did to you."
    "What? How? Why didn't you tell me?"
    My eyes were closed before but with his last remark, they darted up and drowned into his.
    "We share thoughts, sweetheart. You have nightmares so I have nightmares."
    "The mornings you were destroying punching bags in the gym. That was the reason, right?" He nodded and buried his face in my hair. "That explains a lot. I still want to go. I have to face the memories head first. You coming?"
    "As if you could prevent me."
    "I had figured as much. You are really over-protective, did you know that?"
    "And you aren't?" he laughed, taking us to the Northern jails.
     His laughing stopped as soon as we appeared. My breath caught into my throat at the sight of the long hallway leading to the place I was the most terrified of in the whole world. Rilos took my hand and squeezed it, giving me his strength and support.
    "We can go as slow as you want, sweetheart. No rushing. Just you, me and those memories. And no bottling up. Say what you want to say, react how you want to react and explode if you have to. Doing those things does not make you weak. Crying, passing out, changing, going back does not make you weak. If you get lost again, don't worry, just remember that you have me and that I love you. You'll find a way back."
    I could tease him all I want about it but over-protective Rilos made me feel safe. I inhaled deeply, exhaled and pulled him along. Every step and every breath reverberated against the walls. The walk was laborious. Why was the door so far away? It was as if it kept moving backwards every time I moved forward. I reached it after what seemed to be hours. The handle was so cold. I hate cold. Pull. Everything was the same as last time I was here, minus the blood. Someone must have cleaned it.
    Feeling my hesitation to get inside, Rilos let go of my hand and drew me closer by the waist, caressing my side. His lips brushed my temple and I knew I was ready. I untangled myself from him and took the step I had left. A pair of shackles were still hanging from the ceiling and another one was tied to the wall. Captive.
    "You are free, Lyra," murmured Rilos with a soft voice.
    "Not yet. Soon, but not yet."
    I went further and noticed the instruments. If something in here was susceptible to make me scream, it was those. Rilos was next to me in a second, his fingers touching my forearm, keeping me grounded. I focused and saw them for what they were. Objects. Objects which couldn't hurt me on their own.
    "This was Mikyan's favourite," I said, pointing at the nine-tail cat. "He liked to heat up the metal ends until they turned white before beating me with it. He used those knives for target practice. He threw them at me. He kept scores. Some parts of my body were worth more. My eyes for example. If I moved away to avoid the knives, I was either beaten or raped for an hour, depending on his mood. Once, he left the knives in my body and heated the blades from the inside. My skin... it melted around them. Then he pulled them out one by one. I passed out so many times that day. He would wait for me to regain consciousness or throw water on me if I was taking too long before continuing. I never thought I would be back here of my own will. I had promised myself to fight with all I had, if I ever escaped, to never be brought back. But it feels like I had to. I needed this closure."
    "You are the strongest werewolf I have ever met," he whispered, hugging me from behind.
    "Don't lie, Elun."
    "I am not. I might be biased because I love you but I am telling you: You are brave. Never let anyone tell you different. Not in real life, not in your nightmares. Believe me."
    "I believe you. You could tell me that the sun is blue and I would believe you." Rilos was shaking. "Are you alright, Rilos?"
    "This place makes me sick. I hate it. I hate what happened to you and I despise the ones who did this."
    "Let's go back. I'm done. I'll be okay for the trials." Our room materialized before my eyes. "Are you the one who will kill the other four men?"
    "Vriany wants one and Talia gets one too. The two others go to Felia and Sanaelle."
    "Kylanne didn't want one?"
    "She did, trust me, but it's a Neutral affair. Let's just be glad that there weren't more of them."
    "Agreed. So those four first, then me, then you?"
    "No. I'll go before you."
    "Why?"
    "Considering how it went last time you killed someone, if we exclude the self-defence ones, I want to be able to stay with you after."
    "Rilos..."
    "Sorry, Lyra. Your well-being is my priority."
    "I know, no need to apologize."
    "I'll tell you what. Why don't we go outside, in the forest, to run? Just you and me, in our wolf form. Let's forget everything for a few hours and simply feel and be with each other."
    "Are you sure no one is going to run after us?"
    "Not if they don't realize that we're gone," he smiled. He pointed at our balcony where images of ourselves were sleeping next to each other. "I've used that trick on a couple of occasions before. It should give us some time."
    I grabbed his hand, giggling, and we were gone. Being with him, in that forest, with my whole mind only focused on him was the best thing that ever happened to me in a while. The worries about the impending trials, my past, the future, everything was put aside. Nothing else mattered but him and it was liberating. The dream I had in the hidden room had finally came true.