Devil's Prison

Chapter # 28

A week passed but Alphonse’s mind was unable to neglect what happened, his mind lingered on what happened, on his disgust he felt.

He never thought kissing her would make him feel repulsive, but it did.

He got lost in his own worrisome thoughts, lost in his mind, avoiding her at most.

He came out of the shower at night and saw her using her phone. He tried to pass by but ended up bumping into her.

She narrowed her eyes on him, unable to comprehend what was going on.

“What is with you?” She asked, putting her hand on her waist, tilting her head in confusion.

“Huh?” He blinked, looking at her with a hollow gaze.

“Why are you… dry?” She asked, checking his form from top to bottom, annoyance converting into confusion.

“Do you care?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“It’s bothering me.” She reasoned, frowning at his behavior.

“You are so.. Distant.” She trailed off, voice softening for a second.

“At least you noticed.” He muttered, folding his arms yet not meeting her gaze.

“Are you doing this to get my attention?” She asked, folding her arms as well, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

“No.” He replied instantly, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Then what is it, Alphonse?” She asked softly, taking a step toward him but he moved back, baffling her.

She never expected he would move away from her. He looked away with shame glistening in his eyes, biting her lips, breathing out her name.

“Aurelia.” He called, forcing his eyes to confront hers strongly.

“Hmm?” She hummed, waiting for his response patiently.

“I want to say something.” He whispered, mustering his courage to speak his next words.

“Speak up.” She shrugged, nonchalant about it but frightened he might know about her and Elliot.

His eyes narrowed in compassion when he took a deep breath and whispered.

“I am sorry.”

She blinked, further perplexed at his mere words.

“Sorry for what?” She asked, gaining a confounded glance from him.

“The list is long, you should be sorry for many things.” She replied calmly, not bothering to pay heed for his useless apology.

“For everything, for ruining your life but most importantly…” He inhaled, curling his hands in a fist, whispering sincerely.

“For kissing you that day.” His mind was impotent to fixate on anything else unless he apologizes for his ego-centric deeds.

“Which day?- Oh, that.” She made an ‘o’ face and was astounded that she doesn’t even remember about the incident which consumed his cognition.

“Don’t think about it, I have obliterated that disgusting memory from my mind the second it passed.” She replied coldly.

Shrugging her shoulder, throwing her phone on the bed. Knowing her words clasped his heart in pain.

But, She didn’t pay attention to his words. They couldn't fix anything, so ignoring them, she brushed her hair, getting ready to sleep.

He turned to her slowly and continued in a dejected tone, “But, I can’t and it did nothing to induce guilt in my heart.”

And this very sentence halted her mind, her emotions.

“I feel ashamed of my deed.” He breathed out, unable to meet her gaze.

Anguish slowly collected in her hollow eyes, clenching her heart in his chest to indicate the prayer they called never reached the sky.

“Interesting.” She smiled dryly, putting the brush down as her lips began to tremble.

He forced himself to stare into her heartbreaking aura, dispersing throughout the room when she slowly turned and walked to him.

“Where was this guilt when you forced me to marry you?” She asked, drowning him in lamentation.

“Where was this guilt when you touched me without my consent?” Her voice croaked, coming closer and holding his shirt, devastation forming clouds over her mien.

“Where was this guilty when you decided to become a criminal?!” She shouted, hitting his chest, pushing him back when tears collected near her eyelids.

“Where were you when I cried for you!?” She yelled, enhancing his perturbed state by her agonizing words.

“Where were you when I fell for Elliot!?” She continued to yell, hitting his chest until his back hit the wall and he couldn’t react to physical pain.

But her emotional pain induced grief in his heart, resenting himself for hurting her beyond repair.

“Where were you!?” After countless struggles, an unwanted sob escaped her lips along with a tear.

Her shaky hand, pulling his shirt roughly, glaring at him with tears gleaming in her eyes.

“Where were you, Alphonse? For how many things you intend to apologize for?” She sobbed inaudibly, endeavoring to swallow the tear that reached her cheeks.

Her state crushed him, he couldn’t fathom the misery he provided her. He urged to become her medication; how did he become her disease?

“I lost my path, I strayed.” He whispered breathlessly, pressing himself against the wall for support, closing his eyes, defeated to look into hers, his heart cannot bear it anymore.

“Where!?” She shouted, wiping her tears to keep the wrath gathering in her chest.

“To a path of no return. You were right from the start.” He continued but his voice couldn’t go further than a whisper. She managed to pierce his stone-cold by her words. He never thought such emotions exist in his heartless existence but she managed to draw them out by only her words.

“The Alphonse you fell in love with died long ago, the Alphonse you knew, your friend no longer exists.” He confessed, opening his eyes slowly to collide with her disappointed one.

“If he died then why are we at this point? How come we are together when our paths parted long ago?” She whispered.

Desperation laced in her tone, wanting to know where they went wrong to face this abhorrence.

“Because I am impotent to eradicate you from my mind, Aurelia.” He confessed, bringing his hand hesitantly over hers.

“I am selfish about you, I want to keep you with me no matter what.” He continued, powerless before his uncontrollable desires, manipulating his mind and body.

“I am a f*****g ruthless beast who is crazy about you.”