SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 21 Consumed

A/N—Listen to the song above while reading this chapter. I promise it's really good and I think the lyrics really fit with Aric's character in this book. It's called "Lost" by Ollie ;)
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"I'm dying inside."

—ARIC'S POV—

Sometimes, when Aric closed his eyes, he could still imagine the blood, still smell it as if it was still real. It was warm, sticky, and smelt of rotten meat. It escaped through the cracks of Aric's fingers and trickled down the length of his arm.

Aric took in the scene of Rhian's gashed face, and he felt a cold resolve sink into his bones like a knife cutting through butter.

He relished the memory of Rhian's pained cries, but what stopped Aric's sinister smile short was Japeth. The conflicted look upon his friend's face was worrisome and made Aric falter, glancing down at his hands to see the blood staining his skin like a permanent reminder.

But in this dream of his, Aric was the snake with a venemous bite. His dagger was the venom that would suck the life from Rhian's body until there was nothing left of him. Snakes held no remorse for their prey, and Aric was the snake who'd just watched his friend be disrespected. So, in all logical reasoning, Aric attacked.

He stabbed at Rhian again, thrusting the blade of his dagger over and over again into Rhian's flesh with uncontrollable rage. And the blood grew, splattering across the dead grass and dripping down Aric's face.

Aric didn't stop stabbing until he heard Rhian's breathing halt and watched his body spasm uncontrollably once before it stilled, clothes soaked in crimson.

Aric hated this constant dream of his, for in reality, he would awaken to remember that Rhian was alive and that Japeth was probably miserable without him, in the company of his rotten brother. 

It was one day that he was dreaming once more, sprawled out at his dean's desk after his combat training class that he was awoken to the sound of the office door opening.

Aric lurched his head up to see a tall woman enter the room, her usually tight braid frazzled looking and her violet gaze downcast to focus upon the floor.

"Good afternoon, Mother," Aric sneered, teeth bared sinisterly despite the tiredness he knew was in his gaze. "Rough day? Oh, don't be sad. I'm sure a nice, delicious treat can help lift your spirits."

He eagerly procured a hunk of taffy from beneath his desk and plopped it in front of Lady Lesso in invitation. But Lady Lesso only turned her nose up at it with contempt in her eyes.

Aric had tried to kill his mother the past two weeks by using poisonous foods a few times, but Lady Lesso saw past all his sly attempts.

With a shrug, Aric tore a piece of taffy off and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly and deliberately before he flashed his mother a wicked grin. Lady Lesso looked appalled and shocked as if she'd just watched Aric sign a death wish. Little did she know that this time what Aric had tried to give her wasn't poison at all.

Taking in the stunned look upon his mother's face, Aric felt amusement bubble to the surface and he chuckled darkly, violet eyes scorching through her with equal contempt.

"What happened to you to make you like this?" Lady Lesso breathed and for the first time, Aric saw a a sliver of motherly concern in her expression.

Aric's smirk morphed into a scowl at the  sight, and he resisted the urge to clench his fists. He didn't want, nor care for Lady Lesso's pity. That was the last thing Aric wanted from the woman who'd ripped his heart out so long ago.