Short Stories and Oneshots

Oblivion

here's a,, quick little Luktra oneshot for a contest on DeviantArt

the weekly Core contest was literally to write a short story based on a game, so I'm like hell yeah, that's all I write anyways lmao

I actually started something similar to this over two years ago, that I never finished or posted, and I decided to revamp it since it's been literally SOO long since I've written any Luktra ffffff

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She sits alone, in the corner of the cave.

Her reddish eyes are unfocused and worried, darting anxiously around the dim cavern as though she doesn't know where, or even who, she is.

Because she doesn't.

Amnesia.

The thought of it makes me feel cold. Why her, of all people?

She's been so strong, so brave, ever since we first met. Even as a new spawn, she was so completely willing to take on any challenge life decided to throw at her.

And now she can't even remember her own name.

This isn't the Petra I know, not anymore. She's weak and even paler than normal, and somehow looks smaller. Her red hair is dull, and her deep brown eyes have taken on an eerie magenta tone. I try to match this broken girl to the tall, sassy, beautiful warrior that I know, but I'm not able to.

She glances up and looks at me from across the cave. I pray for some recognition, some flicker of understanding as our eyes meet, but there is none.

She doesn't know me.

There's something bitterly ironic in how hard this hits me. I've already been through several different kinds of hell in the past few days- quite literally, keeping our stint through the Nether in mind. The very world is being destroyed as we watch, and here I am being absolutely heartbroken over the fallen state of my best friend.

But it doesn't feel right to reduce her to just 'my friend'. She's so much more.

Unsure if I can bear seeing her like this any longer, I look over at Jesse. They're in the middle of a heated discussion with Soren and Ellegaard, with Axel and Olivia standing awkwardly by. Soren is blaming them for the plan failing, but they're not taking the fall without a fight.

Somehow, Jesse is still going so strong. I don't understand how their faith in both themself and the rest of us hasn't been shaken yet, but they're still barreling on with a seemingly endless supply of confidence.

If only self-assurance was all it would take to save our world.

My gaze drifts back to Petra again. She's watching the argument as well, her eyes full of concern and her body motionless as stone. In the past, she never would've sat still while there was conflict going on. She'd be right in the middle of it, adding her own opinions and threatening anyone who didn't agree. I'll admit, there've been many times over that I was the one she'd be arguing with.

This thought is what finally stirs me into motion. Ignored by the others, I leave the shadows of the wall I was leaning against and move slowly towards her. She doesn't notice, doesn't even look at me again until I sit hesitantly beside her.

She looks me up and down as I adjust my position on the hard stone floor, her expression blank, sad, and a little scared. I suppress the instinct to hug her, to hold her close until the fear fades.

"What's...going on? What's going to happen?" she asks quietly. Even her voice is so different than what I'm used to.

I try to swallow the lump of emotion in my throat before speaking. "I'm not totally sure yet." I say in response to her second question. "It sounds like the others are just...dealing with the failure of the plan, and then they'll figure out what to do next. Jesse's good at that; don't worry."

"If you say so. I'm just...so confused. I swear I know nearly everyone in this room, but if I try to think about how I know them...all I can remember is darkness." She studies me intently again. "Do...do I know you? You seem familiar, but I don't..."

My heart practically shatters. "Yes," I whisper. "You know me. I'm Lukas. We've been best friends ever since we were new spawns; we've gone on a ton of adventures together. You...well, you're kind of everything to me."

She looks down at the floor. "Oh. I'm sorry, I don't...I can't remember anything. It hurts my head to try."

"That's okay." I say softly, trying to sound more positive than I feel. "Don't push yourself. Just...trust me when I say that you're the best friend I could ever ask for. Even if you're not totally you right now, I'll still be here for you."

I gently rest my hand on top of hers. "I'm here for you." I murmur, putting all the sincerity into my words as I can.

She looks over at me and smiles. It's a weak, watery shadow of her usual bold grin, but it's better than the terrified and confused face she wore earlier. "Funny. You'd think I'd be able to remember someone like you."

Petra leans gently against me, and I let myself relax slightly.

Our world is being torn to shreds. The heroes have failed. Our plans have been trampled in the dust, and the path forward isn't yet clear.

But at the very least, I still have her.

----

sometimes you just need a little bit of fluffy angst to remind you what your OTP is amirite

I finished this at literally 3 am are you proud of me