The Golden Dragon [Akatsuki no Yona]

Chapter 24: Secret

(A/N): just a heads up, the beginning is a fragment of Ash's past. It is not a continuation of what happened at the end of the previous chapter.

Many many years ago...

I woke up to a throbbing headache and a burning sensation around me. My vision a blur of red and it was hard to breathe. I clutched my chest, gasping for air, but only smoke filled my lungs. My clothes were tattered and torn, my body sore and weary. I got up slowly and painfully and glanced around the red blur that was flickering and hot.

It hurts... Someone save me...

Dragging my feet, I staggered through the burning monster. My feet stinging in pain. I realized that what I was stepping on felt rather weird. I looked down and saw the bodies of many who had fallen. It was not really fire that stung the soles of my feet, it was the sharp remains of bodies. They were all nothing but bone and some lucky ones still had skin. I felt numbed by the sight of corpses and blood. I have seen many before. I stood there, staring at the unfamiliar corpses.

Who are these people? Why did they die?

Slowly enough, I finally saw something beyond the waves of red. A beautiful couple, one of yellow and the other of brown. They were trying to help save anyone who was caught in this mess.

"Zeno! There's someone over there!"

Zeno? Is that you? Zeno... I walked a little quicker towards them, but then I recalled something that stopped me in my tracks.

"Stop pinning the blame on me! I did nothing!" I shouted and glanced over to Zeno. "You believe me right?"

"... I'm sorry Ash..." he said as he hung his head low.

... Why? Zeno...

He doesn't trust me... I...

Tears ran down my cheek as I coughed. I crossed my arms and fell on my knees. Bending forward and crying a little harder. I took no notice of the corpses I stood on and screamed.

I loved him so much. I trusted him. What did I do?

"You killed King Hiryuu." His voice rang through my head.

"I didn't!" I screamed.

"Ash? Is that you...?" I looked up and saw Zeno looking down at me. He held a shocked expression for mere seconds before glaring down. I gripped on my arms tighter and tried to find the words to say. It has been decades since I last saw him, yet he still looked the same, as I thought, he was immortal. "Did you do this? Did you kill these people?"

He's suspecting me again...

"I didn't! Why wouldn't anyone believe me?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Because you are the only one who is capable of this," he replied coldly. He sighed and stretched his arm towards me. I widened my eyes in shock at his gesture. Shaking my hands, I placed my palm on his and he pulled me up. He then dragged me out of the hellfire and towards the light.

Back to the present...

What have I been doing?

I opened my eyes again to see. Nothing seemed to have happened this time. No one was dead. Over the years I find myself waking up like this, but I will never be able to recall why. I never questioned it but I had my suspicions. That Kinryuu had been using my body to kill humans after all she's the opposite of Hiryuu, she hates humans. She despised them for taking away Hiryuu. Was that why she asked for my help?