Alone

Alone. What a scary thing it is.

What is alone? What does that mean? How does that feel?

Alone means the lack of friends, companions or even acquaintances by your side.

Alone means doing everything by yourself, you have no one to depend on.

All by yourself, in challenges, in hardships or maybe even in death.

Alone means, you only have yourself left in this world.

Alone.

How scary it is.

In a dim eerie forest, ominous dark clouds gathered overhead. A teen around seventeen with unruly black hair was running as fast as his legs could carry, his breath growing heavy and hard while his white flag shirt which was drenched in sweat clung to him like a second skin.

He had been running for a long time.

He slowed down a bit to catch his breath, deep shuddering breaths as he blinked away blurriness of tears.

He doesn't have much time.

He heard faint footsteps coming from behind. He had no choice but to keep on running. Gritting his teeth, he forced his tired limbs to move. And move. Until it was all he could do.

Why am I running like this? How long do I need to run? Why should I run? Running and running…When will all this end?

Why am I running in the first place?

"Leone, please. Listen to me, just this once, please. I will not let you die, Leone. Not while I'm still breathing. I'll protect you. So...Leone, please… you need to escape...now..." The sentence painfully finished off with a spurt of blood from the brunet's lips. As the red liquid slid down his chin he gave him one last smile.

And then there was...

"Hurry up and move already you stupid brat! Do I need to remind you? The others gave up their lives just to save you! Don't let that go to waste! So go, now!" The hot-headed raven yelled out, finishing the sentence with a flurry of mini explosives only to be stabbed with a sickening squelch.

Blood splattered everywhere. Spilling down the pavement as it splashed on the walls dyeing everything dark bloody red, even him. He could only stare as the raven stumbled down to the floor, his black hair covering his forever frozen face.

The teen closed his eyes, wishing the memories to stop.

"C'mon, Leone, run! It's fine, don't worry about me. It's not your nature to worry about others, right?" The raven-haired man gave him his signature smile before a hail of bullets crashed upon them. He could only gape in horror as the elder male got tattered and torn right in front of him as his vision started blurring because of his tears once more.

Please, I don't want to think of this! The teen shook his head in hope of getting rid of those images in his mind.

"Leone! Run away! Now! I won't let you die! So-" The female in front of him was caught off guard when her back was slashed, leaving a big and deep cut. "R-Run..." She said as a sword went through her stomach. Blood dripping down from the sword edge.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

No. No...NO!

"Leo, please get away from here..." the usually weak and shy girl said as she tightened the grip on her weapon. Wounds were everywhere on her body, yet she stood strong. She was giving it her all to protect him.

It was futile. The teen cried in lament as the female coughed out blood all of a sudden, she stumbled down to the ground in agony.

...Stop it. Stop it already.

The silver-haired man glared at the teen with his steel blue orbs. He was signaling him to start running. He was in pain, that was clear, but still, he rushed into the front lines. He was so injured he couldn't move anymore. Yet still, he fought.

...Why?

Why...? Why are all of you protecting me? I'm not worth all this! Stop protecting me!

Tears slid down the teen's cheek.

He stumbled down to the ground, his vision clouded.

Everyone died protecting him. He was the only one left. He was powerless. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, he was the most useless person.

He's just a shitty brat. A crybaby. An utterly useless person. Why did anyone bothered to protect him?

Why?!

He had no more energy to run. With the remnants of strength, he crawled near a tree, trying to hide amongst the foliage.

He looked up, trying to see the blue sky. All he could see were black clouds. It started raining, he could feel the hopelessness seeping into the very marrow of his bones.

Despair. Guilt. Fear.

He smiled bitter and broken.

Alone. I'm alone...

He decided not to run anymore. He closed his eyes, recalling all those beautiful memories with his friends as he looked at the ring on his finger. The ring that brought the meaning of him being the one of them. He was proud of it yet at the same time, guilty for bearing this ring. If only he didn't meet them, he wouldn't have burdened them.

He didn't even bother moving even when he felt something cold and metal-like pressed on his forehead.

Why did you protect me...? He asked bitterly for the one last time.

'Because Leone, you're our precious younger brother.'

The teen felt like he could hear the soft and comforting voice of his brother-figure. He missed that voice. He really really did.

A shot echoed throughout the woods followed by a dull thump.

Alone is indeed a very scary thing. Don't you think so?