Reflection In The Mirror 21 Pride

   She begged, praying before the statue of Apollo. The statue was a small one compared to the bigger ones like that of the Big Three. 

  She did not want the powers or the knowledge of the main G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses. What she needed in this time of sickness was the ability to heal her people. Sure, she could beg Athena for that knowledge. But in her eyes, Apollo was the best person to ask for help from. He was the G.o.d of healing after all. 

    With one final prayer, she stood up. This time more confident and sure of herself. 

   She will not waste this opportunity. She promises her life as princess. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

    Why?.... 

Why were they doing this?.. 

  Why!? Why!? Why!?

She healed them didn't she!? So why were they torturing her so!? Not just her people, even the G.o.ds had abandoned her… 

  It had been 3 days since they tied her to this post and started burning her. Powers granted by Apollo had healed her over and over again. 

  So they burned her again and again, non stop. 

After 3 days, the powers were finally failing. The pain was almost non-existent now, her lower body had burnt to charcoal while ago. 

   Now, She could finally feel her death close by. The sweet embrace of death that should have taken her two days before. Dear Thanatos, if you are still with me…. Please…. 

Grant me another chance.

  To…. 

Turn everything into dust. 

. 

. 

. 

.

He shot off of the bed panting.

'What the heck was that!?..' 

   Wiping the sweat off of his forehead. Hide layed back down on the soft mattress under him.  Running a hand through his hair, he turned to the mirror placed against the wall opposite of the bed. 

His silver hair glistened in the moonlight from the sweat. Amethyst like purple eyes stared back at him from the mirror. Why was he back to his original appearance?

  Cursing slightly, Hide stood up shakily then walked up to the mirror to examine himself more closely. Only to trip as his legs gave out and fall into the ground with a thud. 

He winced, his legs felt numb. He couldn't move a muscle, much less stand up like this. Panting for breath, he called out. 

 "Elona"

Nothing happened. Maybe she was angry at him for getting hurt so much? What even happened anyway? 

 "Elona!" 

 Nothing happened again.

  No sign of shadows moving, no smiling healer appeared. Hide panicked a bit, taking deep breaths then releasing them to calm himself down. That nothing bad happened, he was just panicking over nothing and Elona was probably angry at him that's why she isn't responding-

"Elona! Elona! Elona!!!" 

Still nothing. This time Hide was really getting scared. His longest companion just can't disappear like this overnight! Curling into his unresponsive legs, he trembled. For the first time in 8 years instead of the comfort it usually bought, the darkness of the night scared him. 

Hide closed his eyes, he didn't cry. His tears had mourned enough but he still earned for the feeling of having his companion with him. 

    As if to answer his silent plea, hand patted his head comfortingly, running her fingers through his hair. Elona sat by his side, keeping him company silently. 

  The 24 years old man raised his head to look up at the ghost of a woman long past dead. What he saw saddened and angered him greatly.

Instead of the blue gown, white clock wearing woman with a carefree smile, sat a black shadow cowered in hood and cloak. Something he hadn't seen since he accessed his full power at 16.

   Even the bright welcoming light that always radiated from her was a mere flecker of flame to the sun it had been before.  Hide growled as the memories of the ritual came rus.h.i.+ng into his mind. 

  Those fools! To try and unlock already freed power they regressed it back to almost nothing! If it hadn't been for the Demon that grabbed it before it could be lost fully. He would have regressed to a regular human and maybe even lose his life!

On top of that, he had returned back to his original appearance! 

  Too angry, he only noticed it the fleckers of embers that ran through his veins after the feel on slowly started returning to his legs. Looking up Hide saw the hooded ghos's hands glowing warm gold as Elona healed his legs as best as she could with her measly leftover powers. 

  Grasping her cool hand to stop her, He gave her a smile. 

  "It's alright Elona. Don't force yourself, or you'll disappear" 

  He mumbled, sitting up to properly look at his first friend who had spent 20 years together with him. She was looking down guiltily and it broke his non existent heart to see her this way. 

It only fueled the anger inside him. But he can take revenge on those foolish old men later. And Camelia, that sweet tasting poison, she will pay him back too. For now, he needs to  cultivate his power, to bring himself back to his full power. 

 Fortunately even this late at life, he can still train and unlock his full power again. Looking at Elona, he slowly let go of her hand then willed her to return back to his shadow. 

  Standing back up on his freshly healed legs, he headed towards the bathroom. Grabbing a hoodie and other garments from the drawer on the way. He growled darkly. 

  He needed some time alone and he just knew where to go. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

   "It's all your fault!" 

Roy held his forehead, his mind going back to a few days prior. To the words that girl screamed at him to be exact.  He had been thinking for the past few days and no matter what, he could not see how he was at fault. But he felt like there was something he had to know but did not. 

Sighing, he downed a shot of whiskey then turned to the TV. After the news of rescuing the slaves from human traffickers, there was no news of where those people went. He had waited for days but there was still no news.  So he was about to do something he probably shouldn't. 

  Roy Moons.h.i.+ne was gonna come back. He was gonna hack into the police files. He got into the 3rd top university for a reason and it wasn't just his heroic deeds. 

     Turning back to the screen of the disposable laptop, he cracked his fingers and got to work. He is so gonna regret this later. 

But, here goes nothing. 

He pressed enter…