Gouenji Shuuya // Axel Blaze
It was always the same, the deep inky darkness that surrounded him, that consumed him, pulling at the depths of his heart. The most unsettling thing, however, was yet to come.
In a flash of light, it happened. Images flashed past from Axel's memories. They were of his mother, and in each memory she was smiling. The darkness that had previously been all that existed had melted away, and the woman's eyes that shone like sunshine was all the light that the world needed.
But suddenly, the image of her smiling face shattered into a million pieces, falling away to reveal a new image.
It was the same woman as before, but it was hard to tell. The smile that had graced her features in the other images was nowhere to be seen, her usually glossy hair was dull, and there was no sparkle in her eyes. An oxygen tube ran up through her nostrils, and tubes were attached into her arms.
Axel watched on, helpless, as his family stood solemnly at her bedside, including him at six years old. All was silent except for the low, constant beep of his mothers heart rate machine. Then, without warning, the beeping became faster, more urgent, screaming for attention. As his mother flatlined, little Axel watched in horror, with his nanny at his side, holding his baby sister. His father had dropped to his knees beside the bed, and he was holding his wife's hand, sobbing into her bedsheets. It was the only time Axel had seen his father cry.
Axel awoke with a start, bolting upright into a sitting position. He was panting, but the nightmare was nothing new. He had watched his mother die every night since his father had told him that he wanted Axel to be a doctor, and he wasn't sure why.
Axel glanced at his clock on the table to the right of his bed, and the illuminated red numbers told him that it was 5:27am. He knew there was no chance of him getting back to sleep, and so with a sigh he heaved himself out of bed to get ready for school.
As Axel walked towards the kitchen to start making breakfast, he was still thinking about the recurring nightmare. Why did he have it? And what made it start in the first place?
Suddenly, Axel heard something by the front door. He looked around the corner to see his father getting ready to leave for work. His hand was on the door handle, but he looked back one more time and noticed his son standing there.
As Axel looked into his eyes, his mother still on his mind, he finally understood. There seemed to be an unspoken conversation, and in an instant he was gone.
The blonde stood there for a while, the recent confrontation replaying it over and over in his head.
He finally understood everything. The nightmares, and why his father was so determined for his son to follow in his footsteps and become a doctor.
He couldn't save his wife, and as a professional doctor, that had crushed him. Axel now understood that his father wanted him to surpass him, to save those his father wasn't able to.
He wasn't sure what that meant for Axel's future, but one thing was for sure.
He wouldn't have to watch his mother die any longer.
