...

...

I literally have nothing left to protect, to love, to embrace and to care about.

They all had disappeared in just a snap of a finger. What was worse, I felt that I had been stripped off my normality a teenager usually had, and my mind wasn't anything but merely shreds.

My family and friends were no longer around, nor did they consider me as a part of them anymore. It was me and just me only, completely stranded and forced to wander through the roads, facing every daily problems alone. In the middle of every mindless walking I did, something crossed my mind. I actually begged for this to happen, so I should have seen this coming, but... I didn't expect it to go this worse, so this was what I got.

Why should I care, anyway...? When I cared, I ended up suffering and thrown into continuous amount of pain. When I cared, someone ended up getting heartbroken like Rena, or even killed like Lynn. When I cared, everyone would get into some pointless drama that shouldn't happen. I make mistakes after mistakes... and end up being a mistake myself.

I had no more sanity left, but I still got a few time left before I rot away into the darkness. Everyone would forget about me and the fact that I had existed among them. They would pretend to be busy while I slowly perish, and thought nothing of it. This was all just perfect, and it was all going according to my plan, even when I failed to drive Raphael... into killing and using me.

Wandering for the rest of the day made me feel my legs weren't there anymore. The skies had lost its cerulean color and slowly faded to black, birds had gone back to their respective homes. The sun had gone back to sleep, so the lights inside every buildings and streetlights had been switched on to illuminate the town.

So... hungry...

My stomach had been growling loudly, like that of a wild dog. I could feel the acid that it produced starting to consume its walls, and thus, the pain became sharp and acute. I doubled over, but I tried not to make it so obvious. Lots of people had passed by me with food on their hands, and I intensely stared at them like a predator. I wanted to snatch it and shove it into my salivating mouth, but I held the urge back. Besides, I brought no money, nor did I bring my wallet with me. I had left everything but my phone at the house where I used to live.

Speaking of my phone, I had been bombarded with calls and texts from Lu, Mother, and some even came from Father himself. Obviously, I left all of them unread and unanswered, but after some time, they annoyed me. I decided it to turn it off. Why should they care? Why the fuck would Father call me if he's the one threatening me to throw me out of the house...?

I found myself breathing so heavily, stopping in the middle of the path. I can't go on anymore... I just can't...

Before I knew it, my rubber knees abruptly dropped to the ground while my body fell to the side and hit against the wall. There should have been a great affliction upon the collision, but I couldn't feel anything at all, as though the receptors that should have given me pain were not working. I tried to stand back on my feet, but I couldn't move my legs freely anymore.

Please... just a little bit more... I promise I will find a better shelter than here... Please... I begged desperately, but they refused to listen. I didn't know where I was right now, and despite the lights, everything was still too dark to see. I tried to look around, trying to find out whether it was a known district. There were no buildings I was familiar with, all of them seemed foreign to me. I must have wandered too senselessly, far from what I knew.

I have to move on, but I couldn't. There were no shelters in here, just buildings, and I collapsed next to one with red bricks. The street itself was sparse of cars and people, so it was almost silent, but I could still hear some distant noises. I decided to give up on going further, and slowly lie on the cold ground, with my legs folded. Now, I'm on my own, and no one won't annoy the shit out of me... I should be grateful, but...

My eye itched, and upon discovering that the accumulating tears were responsible for it, I immediately wiped them away. Regardless, they kept coming out for no reason, and what was worse, some had flowed down my face and spilled into my dirty hands. Unable to control them anymore, I buried my head on between my knees and... broke into a rack of sobs.

I didn't bother stopping myself from another meltdown, and besides, I didn't know why the heck I was crying. Considering the fact that I had a lot of breakdowns today, I must be one hell of a crybaby, but there was no one to judge me anyway. I couldn't stabilize my emotions the same way I did before, nor could I bottle them up, so I guessed this was the only way.

There's no going back.

I had countlessly told myself that there was such thing as resetting the time... but... moments like these made me wish that I could. I wished I wasn't so impulsive or easily turned myself in to my instincts. Raphael should have revealed his true nature sooner and ended my life, otherwise my family won't have to experience useless shit.

The eerie whispers of the chilly wind gently brushed through my hair, muttering incorrigible words to my ears. I also picked up a whizzing noise of a car as it zoomed through the road, producing a sudden blast of air that hit mercilessly against my body. The sound quickly faded away, before silence took over.

I wish I could just disintegrate now...

Something damp and cold suddenly dripped right onto my head, soaking my skin. It seemed like that of a droplet, but... I was not so sure. This quietened my sobs, although tears were still getting away fast. I had seen, heard and sensed a lot of non-existent things, so my first impression was that it was imaginary. The next second, there was the same feeling again, but this time, it was on the other side of the head. A further minute in, and my hoodie began to grow murky as it was... drenched with water.

...Is it... raining...?

I glanced up to the skies, where my prediction was exactly right. It wasn't hallucination of some sort, it was reality. The rain gradually picked up its pace, its rumbling noises grew louder and louder. It mercilessly poured right upon me, completely dousing the rest of my clothes and my hair. The insanely frosty water cascaded down my face, eventually mixing up with my tears. In reflex, my quavering body curled up in a fetal position, while I tried hiding my arms between my legs and my chest.

I couldn't entirely shield myself from the rain, but this was the least I could do. My legs still refused to take heed of my commands, they were fatigued to even move. A whimper escaped through my lips as I closed my stinging eye, shutting off the outside world. How fortunate I was to be stuck in some godforsaken place that I had no idea of, with no protection from the weather... and no food.

...but... this was a good thing for me. The more misfortunes, the greater the chance that I will... go away. The rain and the starvation was enough to incapacitate and make me ill, and if there was no treatment, it will eventually lead to... fatal consequences.

I was ready for that.

I was prepared to embrace death into my arms and leave for good. I'm sure when I'm gone, Rena and the others will be able to move on easily, and they no longer have to throw a fuss about me. I'm sure they will be happy... for once, and they will appreciate the moment...

"Excuse me, Sir...?"

Amidst the battering noises of raindrops as it collided against the ground, my ears caught a voice that demanded for attention. It somewhat snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me back to reality, since my eye quickly flew open. I didn't acknowledge it though, it was probably just my hallucination. Besides, who will pay attention and care for homeless people on the road?

"Uh... Sir?"

The voice, this time, was crystal clear, as if it originated right beside me. Immediately, I realized that this person wasn't addressing someone else around them, but to me. Soon after, I detected their presence and the soft, gentle taps of their fingers upon my shoulder, proving that they wanted my attention. However, this slightly burned my nerves. Who the hell is it... what the fuck do they want...?

I hesitantly glanced up, not to forget to wipe my tears off beforehand. There, I noticed a dark figure towering me, directly facing to my direction. At first, I couldn't clearly analyze most of the details due to the lack of light, but the way it stood and its large build told me that it was a man. Certainly, he was holding an umbrella, protecting him from the rain. However... what he said next glued me on the spot... well not that I can move, but it made me hold my breath.

"E... Ed?! What the hell are you doing here?!" The man exclaimed, and that was when his distinct voice rang a bell inside of me. It was like I have heard him somewhere else, but I still found it hard to figure who was it. He promptly crouched down, probably wanting to take a good look of me. Most of his features finally became visible, where the most distinct one was his bright orange hair, and his golden cross earrings that glinted in the midst of the darkness.

Shit, it's him.

I will have to... explain a hell lot of things.

He moved the umbrella on top of me, thus blocking me from the rain, leaving me in a puddle of mess and dripping with excess water. The sudden chills made my teeth chattering as my shivering got worse.

"S... Sleeping." The reply came out gruff, subsequently, there was a slight searing pain on throat, due to all the crying I had done, or the fact that I haven't consumed any water. I was about to bury my head, but before I could do that, he interrupted me.

"Dude, not on the streets in the middle of the night, especially when it's raining! Are you out of your mind?!" Asher blurted out, shaking his head in mere disapproval, his brown eyes were opened wide in shock. "You're gonna get real sick!"

That's what I'm trying to do. I wanted to say it, but decided not to. Just from the way he acted like he cared, annoyed the shit out of me. It was as if he was mentally pitying me. I badly wished he could just walk away and pretended I wasn't there at all. I reverted my gaze away from him, staring at the endless darkness behind Asher.

"... ... ... Well, how much shots did you take? You're really wasted, I shit you not." After a brief moment of silence, Asher pulled a remark, before letting a sigh of defeat. Of course, I didn't care to answer his stupid question and kept myself from seeing him.

Funny that he instantly assumed I was drunk.

Not surprising, though, since only homeless, drunk or... mentally deranged people wandered and slept on the streets during a rainy night.

"If you're not strong enough to go, I'm gonna give you a ride home." He then attempted to pull me up from my place.

"No." I protested and tried my best not to get dragged away.

"You're not staying here, Ed."

"I am."

"Dude, it's late in the evening and they said the roads here are dangerous." It was as if he was so desperate to convince me.

"... I'm better here."

"Fat chance. You're gonna get one hell of a hangover."

"I'm good."

"Jesus Christ, dude, you're making this difficult. Well, I'm still gonna get you in my car." He didn't seem to give up despite my efforts of opposition. In fact, the force he exerted began to grow more powerful, knowing that he was stronger than me. His muscles and overall physique were more developed than mine... since he was from the basket team. Besides, I was too tired to resist any longer, so I allowed myself to get pulled off.

My plans... failed again...

"Ugh... you're pretty heavy..." Asher groaned as he wrapped one of my arms around him, quickly staining his back. He supported me with his body while I heavily staggered to stand up, almost falling down. As he started to walk slowly, he made sure the umbrella shielded the both of us. The murmurs of the rain remained as we both... silently walked through the pavement.

...Why does he care about me so much...? He used to be the one who loved looking down upon me, but now... he had completely changed. There were no signs of hatred left on him... just... worried and concerned.

Why...?

I'm not even close to him.

There has to be... something or someone... who influenced or forced him.

Minutes felt like hours, and at long last, his car was on sight, parked on the side of the road. He then fumbled through his pockets to find the keys, and unlocked it. With one hand, he opened the passenger seat and ushered me into it, before slamming it shut.

The water from my pants and skin came flooding onto the seat, and in a few seconds, I could feel the pool forming underneath me. I didn't even understand how Asher would let someone, completely wet, into his car and contaminating everything. He didn't even seem to mind, as I watched him hurriedly getting into the driver's seat, closing the umbrella and immediately turned the car on.

My hands then felt the bulge of my phone in my hoodie pocket, but it wasn't probably working due to all the rain and shit. Moreover, I was actually surprised that it didn't fall off my grasp.

"So... I have questions." Asher began, turning his head at me while raising an eyebrow. He passed me his tissue box, and I took a handful of them and started wiping my face. "... how the hell did you manage to end up in there? And how did you manage to sleep in the middle of the rain?"

Now, I have interrogations to confront with like a witness to the police.

"... I was just walking around the town and... yeah, kinda slept there since I got really tired." I replied faintly, peering at the quiet and peaceful nightlife outside. While so, I disposed the soggy tissues into a plastic bag he had lent me. "I didn't know that it will rain, anyway, so..."

I must not, in any circumstances, tell him  the fact I kicked myself out of my house...

"Oh, aren't you-"

"No, I didn't drink anything. I'm not wasted." I cut him off, knowing that he will question me that. "I'm just... deprived of sleep."

"... but of all places, you decided to pick the streets?" Asher eyed me unbelievingly. "Jesus, Ed, you seriously had me worried there."

"I'm really exhausted, alright?" I replied, rolling my eye. "If I had enough strength, then I would go back home."

I couldn't just straight up tell him that I had no home. Finding a new one is highly unlikely or even impossible...

"Why didn't you call like... Seb or at least someone you know to bring you home?" He asked further as he slowly stepped onto the gas pedal, propelling the car right into the streets.

"My phone's dead." I should really be crowned for the biggest, most pathetic liar that had ever walked on earth. From the beginning till now, all I did was covering up the truth with more bullshit that I didn't really had time thinking of. Even if my phone was on, Seb wouldn't have cared, anyway. He was too overwhelmed by his... unconditional love for Rena.

"...Alright then, I'm gonna drive you back to your house." From his uneasy tone, I could tell that Asher still couldn't believe what I had told him, but decided to go with the flow. He ran his hand through his hair, while I listened to the tiny rattles of his earrings. "Mind giving me the directions?"

"No, I'm not going home." I blundered without second thoughts, impulsively clenching my hands. I bowed my head, looking down at my filthy shoes. My nose scrunched at the sight while a repulsive feeling came over me, but I didn't attempt to turn away.

"Huh, why?" Surely he would question that, and I had anticipated since my previous reply. As usual, I blotted out the real reason behind me, replacing it with a false one. Not really false though, I simply manipulated the truth and made it sound like it was real.

"... I don't want to go back while I'm in this kind of condition." I mumbled, gazing at my foul apparel. I carefully embraced my arms around my chest as sharp chills raced down my nerves. "My parents are going to fucking kill me."

"They're just going to throw you off again, aren't they?" The voice drawled, correcting me. "You're not considered a part of the house anymore."

No matter how annoying it could get, it did nothing but stating facts. It was for the best to stay away not just from there, but from my district as well. If the neighbors saw me like this, they will eventually find out what happen, and things... might get really ugly.

"...Honestly, you're right... you're more than just a mess." He turned shortly back at the roads, and halted into a stop at a four-way intersection, where the traffic lights were flashing red. "Well, how about stopping at my house? You gotta dry those clothes up, and I'll let you borrow mine for a while. How's that sound?"

What...?

His unusual hospitality... quickly threw me off the course, and I felt my eye widening. I seriously didn't know whether I should cringe or... somewhat be blessed, but obviously I was not going for the latter. Regardless of some odd feeling that crawled through my back, I didn't reject nor accept his offer.

From there, he didn't ask any more questions.

I slowly leaned against the seat, adjusting myself to the cold, but, a blast of pain erupted from my stomach. I let out a grunt as I was forced to slightly bend over, but fortunately for me, Asher didn't hear it.

Right, I haven't eaten anything...

Ugh... fuck...

"...You know what Ed, if you're really tired, why don't you go to sleep?" Asher suggested, his eyes still fixated on the road. "My house's quite far, so there's a lot time for you to rest."

I said nothing, but I did obey him... to some extent. When the pain became tolerable, my surroundings gradually began to fade to black. I leaned to the side of the seat, feeling the vibration of the car as it went through a speed bump and some random potholes.

As the world swayed away from me, I endlessly prayed... that I would finally be gone for good...

What's the point of being saved when I'm far beyond saving...?

***

A/N: Asher finally made an appearance and decided to help Ed out, even though he's still oblivious to his personal problems.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please don't forget to vote and leave comments :D

That's it for this chapter, and I will see you next week :)

- Tara