Memories of Old

Chapter 44: Betrayal and Conviction

Chapter 44: Betrayal and Conviction

I woke up the next morning feeling sick. I'd suffered dreadful nightmares of the Mansion all night, and hardly got any rest. When I woke, I panicked, unable to hear the breathing of my group. My panic only grew when I realized that I couldn't move. I couldn't even open my eyes. My limbs felt like they were dead, and I wondered if I might've been killed this loop, and somehow not fully died yet.

I heard someone shift next to me, but I didn't recognize the rhythm of their heartbeat. I felt an odd tugging sensation from my mind, and a small thump was heard.

"Oi!" Yang's voice called out, and the three people around me startled awake.

I could feel someone's gaze on me. "Come on, Ying!" I felt him touch my arm, and I clung to the sensation.

"What's going on?" Flavio sounded worried as I felt hands lift me up. I realized suddenly it was Luciano.

"Here we go, come on." He said, and I finally was able to crack open my eyes. "He sometimes gets bouts of sleep paralysis. Usually after a really bad nightmare."

"Great." I muttered, my voice sounded thick and heavy with sleep. "...'m bl'nked out..."

Someone held something up to my lips. "Drink." Luciano instructed, and I greedily drank half the bottle of water, the cold liquid helped wake me up. I took in a deep breath and stretched.

"Grazie, Yang. Luciano." I smiled at them, even though I couldn't see them.

"How long has this been going on for?" Romano asked me, concerned.

"Ever since the Mansion, fratello." I sighed, looking over in the direction of Yang. "Since I'm Blinked Out, can I...?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." A moment later, I felt Yang back in my mind, and my vision returned.

"Grazie." I smiled, and Yang re-materialized non-corporeally next to me.

"Wait, why are you...?" Romano tilted his head, waving a hand through Yang, making him glare.

"So this idiot can see. I'm letting him use my eyes, which is why they're a little more blue than gold." Yang pointed to my eyes, which were now swirled icy blue instead of flecked.

"He can't physically appear completely while he's doing this." I explained. "He has to stay in my head in some major capacity to keep my vision going like this."

"You're really stressed out by whatever this next memory is going to show." Flavio noted, tones of worry prominent in his voice.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." Luciano muttered to his twin, a dark expression on his face.

"And when you do, please don't murder your 1P." He added, keeping Romano out of the conversation.

"Wh-what?! Murder my 1P?! Why would I do that?!"

"Just... just don't. He'll need you."

"Luciano's right." I chimed in. "You'll need to support him. He won't do well if he's left alone, and... unfortunately, if it shows what I think it'll show, then he won't want to talk to me." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

I was scared. I was terrified. Once was bad enough... twice was unnecessarily cruel. But a third time? I wasn't sure if I could keep what little sanity I had left.

Just remember. I'm here for you, Ying. Don't worry. I gotcha. Yang grinned.

Yeah. And you're the catalyst of this entire mess. I reminded him, making his grin falter.