Leo's Nightmare
FEW MINUTES BEFORE KEN ENTERED
“Leo, help me! Save me from drowning!” A young lady's shrilling voice thundered in the quiet forest. She was covered in dirt, and the lower part of her body was drowning in a quicksand.
Dozens of werewolves were laughing at her, mocking and taunting her as she struggled for her life.
The woman looked exhausted, but she knew she must not give up, and that was why she struggled with the last drop of her blood.
Leo couldn't do anything to save her. He genuinely wanted to help, but unfortunately, he was tied to a huge tree, and it was impossible to free himself because of the Alphas surrounding him.
“Please, please, let her go. Take my life instead, I don't mind dying in her stead,” Leo had begged with a shivering voice, tears flowing freely out of his eyes. He was also hurt, and his hands had deep bruises due to the struggle he faced.
“Her life is worthless! Why do you want to save a weakling like her anyway? You can do better. Just allow the whore to die!” One of the men mocking the woman said to Leo.
His words angered Leo, and he growled at him, his teeth threatening to tear the man's limbs into shreds.
“This is indeed the dark times,” another man giggled at Leo. His words seemed to resonate with the dozens of men present, and they burst into laughter.
Leo felt weak. Suddenly it felt like his powers were useless. What is the use of immense powers if you can't use them to protect your lover? He had wondered at that venerable point of his life.
The urge to break free from the curse holding him down and rescue his dear wife was overpowering, but he could only imagine it, he wasn't stable himself.
As the woman's cries grew weaker, Leo's anger intensified. He strained against the restraints, his muscles bulging with desperation. The Alphas, amused by his struggle, tightened their grip.
"Let her go!" Leo roared, his voice echoing through the forest.
The woman's eyes locked onto Leo's, pleading for rescue. Her body sank deeper into the quicksand, the mud sucking her down.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. William, Leo's childhood friend, his face set in a determined expression, charged towards the scene.
"Release her!" William commanded, his authority palpable.
The werewolves parted, revealing William's imposing stature. His eyes blazed with a fierce inner light, and his voice sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers.
The Alphas hesitated, unsure how to react. Their leader, the one who had mocked Leo, sneered at William.
"And who are you to interfere?"
William's response was swift and deadly. With a fluid motion, he dispatched the Alpha, sending the others scattering.
Leo's restraints snapped, freed by William's subtle gesture. Together, they rushed towards the woman.
"Hold on!" Leo cried, grasping for her hand.
Their fingers intertwined, and Leo pulled with all his might. The quicksand relinquished its grip, and the woman emerged, gasping for air.
As they stumbled back, William shielded them from the retreating werewolves.
"Get her to safety," William ordered, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Leo gave William a grateful smile and nodded, cradling the woman in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Thank...you," she whispered.
Leo's heart swelled with emotion. His wife was safe, she was not going to die.
But fate had other plans.
As they reached the forest's edge, a poisoned dart came out of nowhere, headed for him, but Elara took the fall, and it struck her chest. Her eyes went wide with shock.
"Leo...I love..." Her voice faded, and her body went limp.
Leo's world shattered.
"No! Elara, come back to me! Please, I will protect you better this time!” He cried with an anguished soul. But it was too late, his vision blurred, the last time he remembered before passing out was the assassin's taunting smile and William's cry for help.
That day Leo lost the two people he considered his family. He blamed it on his incompetence. To him, if he had mastered his powers, Elara would not have gotten stuck, and William would be alive and well.
When his eyes fluttered open again, he was in the middle of the dozens of werewolves. They were all dead, and their blood was on his hand. He seemed to have gone wild, but the feeling that he couldn't save his family kept haunting him. A constant reminder that he failed his wife and best friend.
“Leo, you coward!” An ethereal and hauntingly soft voice echoed in his mind. Then it was followed by mournful howls and hum, like a forgotten heartbeat. The woman then burst into evil laughter… “You left me to die, and I will come and get you soon!”
It was the same nightmare Leo had been having for decades now, and just like before, the woman brought out a sharp sword and pierced Leo's chest, laughing as blood streamed out of the deep wound.
“Die!!!” The voice cried out.
Leo's eyes snapped open, wide with terror. "Nooo!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and shaking. His face contorted in anguish as if the horror of his nightmare still lingered.
Sweat dripped from his brow, soaking his pillow and sheets. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Leo's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms. His eyes darted around the dark room, searching for reassurance that it was just a nightmare.
But the memories lingered, haunting him. The images of Elara's lifeless body, the quicksand's deadly grip, and the assassin's menacing smile seared into his mind.
Leo threw off his covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off the lingering fear.
His heart still racing, Leo stumbled out of bed and staggered to the window. He pushed aside the curtains, letting moonlight flood the room.
The cool night air calmed his skin, but his mind remained turbulent. How could he escape the nightmares when his reality
was equally terrifying?
A knock echoed on the door, snapping him out of his imagination. He couldn't believe that he was imagining a scary experience while he was asleep.