SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 12 To Be Without

"Who am I without you?"
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~JAPETH'S POV~

Japeth watched Aric be dragged away, thrashing in the guards' grips as Japeth himself flailed about in his own guard's grasp.

But no amount of thrashing would help Japeth break free, and no amount of praying would help bring Aric back to him. Aric was gone now, and it was all Rhian's fault.

"Classes are canceled for the rest of the day," Dean Burnhilde announced, expression grim as she turned her attention to Rhian leaning against a tree. "Let's get you back inside, Rhian," Burnhilde said softly. "Come now, all of you."

Japeth finally felt the guard restraining him loosen his grip before pulling away. Japeth was finally free, but his urge to chase after Aric being taken away was snuffed out, leaving only a bone numbing tiredness in its place as Japeth sank to the grass, face red with tears.

He could no longer see Aric being whisked away and suspected that Aric was probably past the FoxWood border by now. Japeth felt the coarse green grass pricking between his fingers as he rested on his hands and knees, staring sullenly at the last spot Aric had once been. His gaze lingered over the lawn to the splatter of blood still staining the grass from Rhian's injury, and he twisted his eyes close to keep the tears at bay.

"Come, RJ," Burnhilde ordered as she watched the students file back into school. Japeth raised his hollow gaze to her's to find no sympathy in Burnhilde's expression as if she didn't care his best friend had just been banished.

But Japeth was too physically drained of energy to argue with her as he staggered to his feet and practically dragged himself across the lawn to join the other students inside the school. He found Kei and Hemwa had helped take Rhian back to the infirmary where the nurse insisted Rhian stay to recover from his injuries over the next week or so.

This meant that Japeth had him and Rhian's room to himself, which was quite fine with him. Nobody would see Japeth's grief behind a closed door, and so he locked himself away and curled up in bed.

Japeth was alone in the company of his thoughts and the memories plagued him relentlessly nonstop. He recalled last night on the roof where him and Aric had been caught by Rhian which led to Rhian calling Aric mean things and Aric causing Rhian's awful injury.

Japeth tried to think of something else, but Aric's face was screwed in his mind as tight as a vice. He didn't come out of his room for Burnhilde's dessert she'd made to get the students' minds off the day's traumatic events. In fact, Japeth stayed in bed for a long time, staring blankly into the darkness as if he believed Aric would suddenly materialize out of the shadows.

Japeth's scims shared his despair, for they'd suddenly become restless, every single one of them tearing off his skin to fly about in midair, darting this way and that like uncontrollable pets. Japeth could only find the strength to lay in bed and watch them, naked and shivering. Their high pitched squeals tore through his eardrums like the pain tearing through his heart.

Eventually, Japeth's scims' sadness reverted to anger as they went to work stabbing holes in Rhian's bed and ripping his clothes to shreds.

Japeth lost track of time, encompassed in the soft sheets, but it brought him no comfort. The silence didn't help to burn away his unwanted thoughts either. He'd rather feel Aric's close presence close to him rather than these constricting bedsheets.