Familiar Stranger: CH 10

Chapter 10: Relief

 

Wonder how many days have it been since then, felt like it was long ago. He'd been searching for ways to go back home, but found nothing.

The only thing he has with him as a reminder is his blade and Zaruba. At least, there's someone(ring?) else who knows what he had gone through. It feels a little less lonely when he thinks that way.

He got used to being here, being with them. He doesn't feel out of place despite being relatively new to them.

 

He was.. scared at first. Seeing him again. Scared that he might not be able to control himself. He couldn't believe it -

"..Ryuga, he's human."

He couldn't believe Zaruba's words then. It was a hard to grasp concept for him. He denied it, strongly. After all of that. After everything he had done.

 

He is a human. He was a human.

 

That's why.

 

It took him a long time to finally be able to look straight into the other man's eyes. Afraid that he'd see the same deep dark void threatening to drown him in insanity. Afraid that he'd be pulled in.

He looks into them, and found something else. Still those similar dark pools, but more like a clear deep lake in a misty forest. Maybe a little sad, a little worn out. It shocked him. But he felt relieved, like a great burden had been lifted off.

 

"Ryuga? Is there anything..?"

"..No, it's nothing."

 

(He doesn't mind drowning in them.)