Chapter 16, Ethan

My memories... a week has passed since we went to meet Monica. I've been left with more questions than answers. The dreams related to Ethan have also stopped appearing in my head but... they've been burned into my memories, I'll never be able to forget them.

"Arata, you awake yet?" Zhen said as he opened the door to my room.

"Ah, I'm taking a bath." I answered.

"Okay then." He said.

When I come out of the bathroom with just a towel, he is sitting on my bed.

"I'll wait outside." He said.

"Thanks." I answered and got dressed.

After I'm dressed, I join him and the others outside for breakfast. Just as we were finish breakfast the alarm went off so we all went to the battlefield. When we arrive at the cite, the place is covered in molten rock. A horde of scorpios have emerged. This is going to be a very difficult.

"Let's go!" Hiro exclaimed.

"The ground seems unstable." I said. "I'll head back and join the medic team."

"Okay then." William said.

I join the medics where Lina is currently helping. I'm surprised that the battle ended faster but I guess that is thanks to the fact that the others have gotten stronger.

When we all regroup to talk, we all gather in a circle. As we were handing out drinks and food, I felt a chill down my spine and just then I sense something approaching. What is this?

"Something wrong?" Diana asked.

"Something's coming." I said and jumped high into the air.

"Oh? What's that?" Liam said as he joined me in the air.

"This is bad!" I immediately landed. "An Aries, approaching from the south!"

"All members, prepare for combat!" Hiro announced.

"I'll go request help from the school." Lina said.

The Aries approaches and eventually the battle begins. They're some of the most bothersome since they're capable of creating barriers around their bodies. While I watched from the distance I see something strabge about the Aries. They're usually black with golden fleece but these ones all have a strange symbol on their forehead. It's... the Aries sign?

As I stare at the sign I suddenly get dizzy. Then something pops into my head. I run for the others as I have to tell tehm about the Aries.

"William! Aim for the mark of its forehead!" I shouted to him.

"The mark on its forehead is it?" He asked and I nodded.

"On it!" He answered abd fired a shot straight to the head of the Aries.

The battle goes quicker after that. We're able to exterminate many of the Chimera's. By the time the sun is setting we've almost finished. But, when we thought that we were in the clear, a lone large Aries charges straight at me. I barely have time to react. Ethan throws himself at me and protects me from the attack.

Before he falls om his knees he smiles and coughs up a bit of blood. He lands a few feet away from me as the Aries raises it hooved feet to attack again.

"Nooo!!" A screma exited my mouth and reverberated throughout the whole battlefield

For some reason, all I can think of is killing the Aries. I'm not sure how but I pull out a sword from the ground and charge straight at the Aries.

It manages to block my attacks but I destroy it in one go by slashing it in half. Before I lose consciousness, I'm vaguely aware of me going on a rampage.

When I wake up I'm in a hospital room. By my side William.

"Arata?!" William immediately took my face in the palm of his hand. "Thank goodness!"

Everyone enters the room except for Ethan. I don't see him and I have a bad feeling about it.

"Ethan, where is he?" I asked and everyone looked down.

"Arata, before we tell you anything, you have to brace yourself." William said and I nodded.

He told everything that had happened before and after I passed out. I immediately get up and check the room next to me much to everyone's disagreement. There I find Ethan, unconscious and weak.

I sit beside his bed and caress his face and notice the paleness of his skin. I notice the bandages all over his body and recall what William said.

'Arata, after you destroyed the Aires, you went beserk attacking everyone in sight.' He said. 'We barely managed to contain you. It took Ethan all he had just to stop you.'

He was hurt because of me and my strange power. I lie by his bed side and soon everyone else joins me.

"Ethan is too reckless." I said as I brushed the strand of his hair to the side. "He doesn't think about what will happen afterwards."

"Ethan doesn't think of his own well being." Alistar answered. "He lacks self value."

"His kind... but he doesn't seem to care what will happen to him." William said.

"Ethan doesn't value his life. Even though there are people who'd miss him if he died." I said as I held his hand.

Days pass and Ethan still isn't awake. I'm growing more and more anxious, so much that I barely eat or sleep. All I do is sit by Ethan's bed side. Then, one day as I was starting to lose hope he called my name.

"Arata...?" Ethan's voice called out my name so I immediately took his hand. "W-where am I? What happened?"

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Arata!" He hugged me tightly. "I'm fine. I'm glad you are too. Dying for your sake would've neen nice to"

"Idiot!" I slapped his face hard. "You dummy!! Why would you say that?! Value yourself more!!"

"A-Arata..." He touched his right cheek which was turning red.

"I-if anything... happens to you... because of me... I wouldn't be... able to forgive... myself!" I cried. "You're... someone... very... important to... me."

"Arata..." His hands find my face. "Promise me... if I value myself more... will you be willing... to stay by my side?"

"I promise." I answered and he hugged me and planted a kiss on my neck. "Ethan?"

"Arata, take responsibility. From now on, I'm yours." He said and planted a kiss on my hand before the two of us were engulfed in a golden light.

Eight kites, the ring has been filled with eight kites, all equidistant from each other. As I gaze at the mark on Ethan's hand he smiles and hugs me.

"Alright then. Since you're mine now, your banned from doing reckless things." I said and kissed his hand. "Ethan, don't worry me from now on."

"I won't." He said and hugged me.

The reason Ethan never valued himself, was because he thought nobody cared if he disappeared or not. From now on, I'll stay by his side and make him realize there's someone by his side. I grip the hand that holds mine and smile.