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Czech sat in his place, in the meeting room. They were having a meeting. About what, Czech couldn’t really care. He didn’t want to be there. So he stood up and left. No one stopped him, hell, he bet no one could. No one dared to stop him, not after what happened. They stared at him as he left. Some were curious, some stared in pity, and the others he didn’t bother looking. His hair was disheveled, most likely unwashed; his coat decorated in burns and muddy spots but Czech didn’t care. He just wanted to go back home and wallow in self-pity.
If he can still call it his home.
What’s home without her?
Czech winced, both at the painful question in his mind and the numerous bottles littered all over his house. He fully frowned at the stench of alcohol, having to pinch his nostrils as his brain begged him for proper oxygen. But he didn’t listen to his body. Instead, he took a new bottle from the cellar he made a few months ago, popped off the cork, and took 3 big gulps. He couldn’t bear his thoughts and emotions right now. Couldn’t bear to feel about anything or think about anything. So kept drinking for hours, wasting away day and night in his messy house, trying to forget.
One day, as he was roaming about his base, checking if anyone had broken in, he heard a small sound in the kitchen. He unsheathed his sword clumsily, almost stabbing himself in the process, and slowly trudged to the doorway.
“who’s there?! Get the hell out!” He screamed, hoping to take the trespasser by surprise, but in scanning the room, he found no trespasser. But the kitchen was messed up (more messed up than when he last left it mind you), and in the cupboards, he found the continuous ruffling of a sack. He lifted the sack with his sword, not knowing what could jump out, and threw it to the floor. An animal-like yelp erupted from it, then slowly, a snout came out of the bag, then two ears, two paws, and suddenly Czech came to a realization that a cat had broken into his home. The man, making a noise to call the cat over, and it somehow obeyed after sniffing at him. It sniffed once more at his fingers (checking for food of course) then proceeded to rub against his hand, purring.
Czech’s breath hitched at the sound, but steeled himself once more, shutting out the ugly thought that brushed his mind. He didn’t really know how to shoo off the cat, and since it had opened a few sacks of potatoes, he decided to join the small creature in their food quest. He grabbed a potato, took a bite, then proceeded to take a few more chugs of the wine bottle he had brought with him. The potato was raw, but it was honestly better than all the alcohol he was drinking in the past week.
As he continued eating the potato and drinking away once more, he heard the purring ensue by his side, with it, a soft vibration. Before he could look at the feline, his mind went dark.
-----
“Why are we even out here?” a pink-haired girl asked, trudging through the bushes and trees. “we just need to scout this area and we’ll be back home. It’ll be quick, trust me.” Czech replied, cutting down the branches that could possibly hurt both of them. “It’ll be quick he said” Kayu mocked, her voice going higher, “Just go with me, he said.” Czech sighed, an amused smile making its way up her face. “You know, maybe it’ll get us home faster if we split up, yes? You take the south, I’ll take this side and we’ll meet back up by the old birch tree when we’re done.” Kayu looks at Czech, thinking. “mmmm fine.” She whines, “I just wanted to cuddle with my significant other, is that so hard to ask??” she mumbles to herself while going in the other direction. Czech shakes her head, “We can get as many cuddles as you want when we return!” He promises, keeping the promise close to his heart.
He moves on, dodging and weaving through the mess of shrubbery and trees, scouting carefully to make sure there are no nearby mobs. She walked for hours, then went a couple miles further, just for good measure, then made her way back to the old oak tree where they were supposed to meet. It took her another hour or so, but she could begin to see the old tree by then. When she looked closer, she could easily see a pink-haired person standing by it, but fear clenched her heart as she saw the figure on their knees and tightly clutching their chest.
Czech found himself running as fast as he could to Kayu, worry thrumming in his veins. “Kayu! Are you alright?” he shouted at her as he neared, placing a firm but careful hand on her shoulder, he could hear her uneven breaths escape her mouth, muttering a “something’s wrong”.
“what’s wrong? Tell me what’s happening!” But before the feline could respond, something behind her sparked, then from the spark came a bright white light. Czech covered her eyes, but when she looked again, Kayu was being grabbed away, like she was caught in space goo and it clung to her, forcing her into the black void that sucked all light into it. “Kayu!” immediately, Czech took hold of Kayu’s outstretched hand, grabbing on for dear life as she screamed. The goo was stronger, seeming to have otherworldly strength (HAHA), it continued to pull her in mercilessly.
Desperate, Kayu struggled her arm free with all the strength she could muster and reached out for Czech. “Czech!” She paused, god of all times she had to pause now. But her expression was worried, and her eyes never looked clearer. What was she gonna say? Goodbye? We’ll meet again?
“I love you!”
-----
Czech awoke, visibly shaking. He could feel the tears already running down his cheeks. He couldn’t bear it anymore. The feelings and thoughts he had fought so hard to push back came flooding in, and all he could do was cry and scream at the immense pain that he was feeling.
The thought had finally dawned on him, finally sunk into his alcohol-drenched brain as he sobbed in pain and anguish:
She’s gone.
She’s gone and she’s never coming back. The one person he had met after a thousand years of being alone with no one to pull him out of the pitiful pit he was in. He was back to square one and it gave him a wave of nostalgia that only brought him more pain than comfort. Was this the real punishment the gods had bestowed upon him? He thought he had finally found happiness and comfort, he found love in a person he never thought he could fall in love with. She had thought him to love again, she gave him hope and so, so much love. She was there to bring him back after a night of drinking and loneliness. She showed him a world where he wasn’t alone and now she’s gone.
The tears were flowing in continuous streams now, as he felt himself drowning in not only alcohol, but pain and the realization of where he had washed up after she disappeared.
“KAAAYUUUUUUUUU!” he screamed. He abused his voice until he couldn’t even utter a word. He had no right to. In all the years that he spent wallowing away, he had never felt so alone.