Blue.
That was the color of the flames that devoured everything around me.
I was once again in that horrible place… the ocean of blue fire. I had no idea how I got there, but I had somehow ended up all alone in that burning field of blue. It seemed like the whole world was going to be swallowed by these powerful flames. It wasn't because of the abnormal color that I thought this, but the strange power I sensed from the flames.
It was scary. I was so afraid for reasons I could not understand, but felt fear for nonetheless.
I was calling out to Oka-sama again as in every other dream cycle… I couldn't make out what I was screaming… every noise was dulled by the roar of the fire engulfing the room… but I have seen this scene often enough to know by heart what words were being said…
Everything hurt… it hurt so much…
I was crying. The flames weren't devouring me like they had my surroundings, but they still burned and stung me.
I felt so sad and alone… Now more than ever… Part of me just wanted to die here, swallowed by flames…
"...a-sama…"
My voice was much clearer than it had been a moment before.
"...ka-sa…" I kept calling out for her
That was when I noticed it. The lone shape I could make out on the ground before me.
I resisted the urge to throw up when I saw it.
The charred corpse before me…I somehow knew who it was… Her once beautiful face was marred by these unholy flames around us… Her entire form was slowly being devoured by fire…
"Oka-sama! OKA-SAMA, wake up, PLEASE!" I cried. "Please wake up!"
Why…? Why am I seeing this…? Why does this keep happening to me…? For what reason must I be forced to endure this repeated torture…?
… Oka-sama… Please… please don't leave me… please…
"Somebody, please! Oka-sama!"
Why am I so helpless…? Why…?
… Just let it end… please… it hurts… please… somebody help her… at least let me go with her…
JUST LET IT END! LETITENDLETITEND! PLEASEJUSTLETITEND!
"Oka-samaaaaaaa!"
Then something changed.
"Why…?"
My eyes widened at the sudden, unexpected voice. This has never happened before in the previous cycles.
Huh?! O-Oka-sama…?
"... Why… why…?" Despite being completely swallowed by blue flames, her blazing body stood completely upright, wobbling slightly like some sort of blazing, blue metronome. With incredible slowness, she turned around to face me.
"Oka-sama… what are you…?"
The burning figure stumbled toward me. "Why did you kill me…?"
W-What?!
Faster than I ever would have expected, the hands of the burning figure reached out and grabbed me by the arms. I hissed in pain as her fiery hands burned the flesh on my arms. This-This didn't happen before! I don't know what's going on! "Why did you kill me, Ruto!? WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!"
I don't—
I gasped only to inhale a huge mouthful of the supernatural smoke that burned my insides as badly as the fire burned my outsides. The fire from her body was beginning to spread up my arms and onto my body! I let out a voiceless scream from the intense pain as more and more of my flesh began to be burned by the supernatural flames!
"WHY!? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYwHyWHywhYWhywHYWhy!?" As my whole body began to alight in blue flames, the burning figure before me leaned in and I had no choice but to look at the horrible sight in front of me. I looked at the face… No… Her skull no longer had any flesh left to be called a face. It had all burnt off. All that was left was the skeletal head with the burning gaze, merciless as it refused to release me as my whole body was completely engulfed in flames.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
I didn't even remember when I woke up because I was still screaming.
Everything was so hazy and I could swear I still felt the grip of the horrifying skeleton's hands around my wrists. I started lashing out and kicking, striking out for any chance to escape. I punched and screamed and I refused to relent.
"LEMME GO! LEMME GO! LET ME GOOOOO!" I screamed and screamed, desperate to escape the grasp of what I thought was certain, painful death. I broke one hand free and slapped at something, I didn't care what it was.
"OW!" A voice yelped. "Isabela! I told you to get his arms! We can't have him hurting himself OR us!"
"Right! Sorry!" I fought even more desperately, but a strong grip grabbed my hand and once again pinned it to the ground.
"Ruto-san, please snap out of it!"
What?!
My heart was still beating like crazy, but I remained still enough that I was still able to properly survey my surroundings even with my heart pounding against my ribcage almost hard enough to break bones.
"Oh! He's waking up!" Another voice said with relief.
"... A…sia…?" My throat felt so dry that my voice came out as a croak. I sat up, the restraints on my arms being released.
There was Asia… and Ravel… and Isabela… they all looked really worried…
Then I emptied my stomach contents onto the ground, the nausea I felt being far too powerful to hold down. I still felt like gagging by the time I finished.
Ravel and Asia watched in horror, no doubt because of the pathetic state I was in… but I didn't care. I didn't care if they saw me as pathetic. I didn't care if they were disgusted by what I did.
I lunged forward wrapped my arms around them and…
Then I cried. I cried and cried.
They didn't fight me. They just stared at me with those sad eyes…
I didn't want to be alone… if I was left alone, I would die…
Ravel and Asia didn't push me away.
There was a soft purring. Kuro brushed up against my leg.
And so I cried. I cried and cried, afraid of what I may see next time I shut my eyes…