Chereads / The hollow Within / Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Wake Up, Please.

Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Wake Up, Please.

At first,  Diego stood at the door entrance with a blank look on his face. "Leonia?" He walked slowly towards her, his body on auto pilot. When he eventually got to where she was, he hugged her immediately. "Leonia! Are you okay? Do you know how worried we all were about you?" Diego asked, as he freed her from her chains, then hugged her again. "B-Brother, I can't breathe." Leonia said, giving her brother hard slaps on the back. "At this rate, I will die before the bad guys kill me!" She thought. As soon as diego released her, She immediately gulped a mouthful of air. "I am fine but.." Leonia, not being able to speak, glanced at well Diane was lying. Diego grew pale. " Diane, Open your eyes." He said, immediately picking her up and cradling her, but no response. Her breathing was somewhat hitched. "If you don't open your eyes, I wouldn't talk to you." He said, as he placed his hands on her head, only to notice the dried up marks  of blood. "What.." Diego began, only to be interrupted by leonia. "The bad guys did this to her." Leonia answered he brother's unasked question. "Those bastards.." Diego said through gritted teeth. "At this rate,  Diane will." He began, but both he and Leonia's medallions glowed up this time, and began to pulsate like a heart beat, the faint glow surrounding them. "Now you know why I asked you to keep this on you at all times." Diego spoke suddenly. "But who.." Leonia began. "Natasha and Theodore." Diego interrupted. "They must be close by." After that, the room fell silent. "Leonia, come here." Leonia scuttled over to her brother's side. "Can you supply Diane with some of your magic?" He asked her sternly. "At this this rate..Diane will..." He paused suddenly. "Try supplying her with enough magic to aid her breathing. She lost, quite a lot of blood." Diego ordered. Leonia nodded, and did as she instructed. "The flow of magic here is terrible. The elements, are refusing to heed my call." Leonia said, as she struggled, only for the flow of magic to be broken time and time again. Diego also tried, but it was no use. "Damn it!" Diego cursed. "Why didn't you tell me, why did you have to play the role of a heroine?" He asked The still unconscious Diane, unaware of the tears dripping from his eyes. "I don't want someone to accuse me of being an accomplice." Was the certain flash of memory that occurred before his eyes. His body twitched. Ah, that's right. With the way he has been treating her lately and the culprit Being her brother, how could she bring herself to...  Meaning she knew who the culprit was all along. "You are so foolish, Diane." He continued, still oblivious the tears that ran down his face. A single tear drop ran down his face and dropped onto Diane's. Wait was he?  "Ha." He began. "When was the last time I cried? You always succeed in bringing out the part of me that I never knew I had. So, please open your eyes. I will make it up to you. Please? Or else, I will.." He muttered, as his face gradually inched closer to hers.

Diane had a long dream. In that dream, she was in a field of roses, wearing a white dress. "Where, am I?" She wondered. She heard someone sobbing. Behind an oak tree, a little boy no other than twelve was crying. Diane immediately got reminded of Diego. Was he okay? "Excuse me are you alright?" Diane asked tenderly, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders. The boy looked up. His eyes and blue hair struck a pang of familiarity in Diane's heart, but she couldn't quite point a finger at it. "Where, are your parents?" She asked looking around. "I don't have any." The boy replied, looking away from her gaze. Diane was surprised. Come to think of it, there was no one except for her and the boy. "Do you know where this place is?" The boy shook his head, as she sat next to him. "Why were you crying?" She asked. The boy kept quiet. She sighed, and the two gazed into the distance. "I.. don't know. All I know is that I am alone." The boy said. Diane looked at him, and saw that sad gaze of his. All of a sudden, the ground underneath her began to Crack. (Please...) "H-huh? What us happening?" She said. She looked to the boy for an explanation, but the boy did not so much spare a glance at her. Rather, he climbed up the oak tree. (Don't...) Diane noticed that the oak tree was still in tact. "You could have at least told me that, you know?!" Diane yelled at the child. As she was about to climb the oak tree, an invisible barrier blocked her way. "What is this? Why can't I enter?" Diane said, as she banged on the barrier. (Leave....) The cracks around her began to intensify. Diane scampered around, not knowing where a safe place was. Even the sky began to crack. (Me.) "Ahhh!" Diane began to fall, and the mysterious place began to fall apart. Only the oak tree was still in tact.

  Diane's eyes bolted open suddenly, only to find a warm sensation in her mouth.

Diego was first alarmed, when the tongue that was in his stirred a little, before that slender arm of hers began tapping him on the shoulder. He pulled away immediately, while Diane quickly gulped in air. "I-I am sorry, I..." Diego began, the tip of his ears turning red. "You jerk." Diane said, but her voice sounded weak and faint. "It took you long enough." She said, with a small smile. Damn it, Diane what are you doing?! She cursed herself in her head. You are supposed to be mad at him, not acting like he is your long lost lover! "Did you cry?" She asked. "What?" Diego sounded stunned. "I asked if you cried." She asked again. Diego looked away. "Why did you cry?" She went on. "I don't know." Diego nonchalantly replied. Well, it wasn't wholly a lie since he didn't even noticed when the tears began to fall. "Brother, some men are coming..." Leonia who been standing at the door and poking her small head out all this time, finally returned to her brother's side. "I think they are about five of them..." She paused in shock when she saw Diane awake. They just stared at each other, then Diane smiled. "You should rest for now. Try to get some shut eye." He said, as he swung her on his back. He may have used too much force, because her chin ended up hitting his shoulder. "Bastard..." Diane weakly cursed. "Can't you be more gentle?" She asked, her speech even more slurred. "I am sorry." He said. "But you should really try to..." Diane didn't hear the last thing he said, because her consciousness faded out again.