I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 156: His nightmare came true

The other line was quiet for a while and a voice that was only present in his nightmare sounded in Asher’s ears, "My little thrall, you have had a long vacation. It is high time you come back home, don’t you think?"

It was Kadia.

Asher’s body trembled at the sound of her voice. The fear that filled him was like an enormous lead block heavily pressing down on his heart, making it almost hard to breathe.

He gasped out loud, his voice harsh in his ears.

He suddenly felt ice cold from his head to his toe, the joy that had been in his heart vanishing in a split second, and a feeling of pure terror enshrouded his senses. The coldness burst from his tailbone, scurrying upwards and encircling his heart.

They were like a pair of manacles around his heart bringing a memory back to the forefront of his mind.

***

Hunters, he had heard the children on the street talk about them in hushed tones but Asher had not been concerned about it.

He was in cat form and the form allowed him to do a lot of food. Choosing a kitten meant that some of the students would open a can of food, or feed some fish.

At least once in three days, he got food. Compared to other children, he felt like he was living a good life until he met them.

The Hunters. He had chosen a more ordinary cat since someone wanted to sell him off the last toe but these hunters were different. They knew. They knew that he was a human.

And...Asher still remembered the pain, the crest was branded on his lower back, and it was so hot and painful that he felt that he might just die.

He had been moved in crates for weeks on end before he was taken to another location. Jesim.

He had been bound and taken to the stage to be sold. Number 5135, he did not even have a day, just a mere product.

"Here! We have a shapeshifter. Level 3. Has never been used before. 1 00, 000 dollars." The man’s voice sounded in the hall and Asher had huddled into the cage, watching with frightened eyes as the guest decided his fast.

"300,000 dollars. Going once. Going twice. Sold!"

He had been dragged out and given a rough wash with the hose outside before he had been delivered to the room where the guest was waiting.

The woman was the most beautiful person that Asher had ever seen. She had long raven hair that curled down to her waist and light purple eyes. He remembered thinking that someone as beautiful as her did not belong in this dirty place.

"What is your name, boy?" Her voice was soft, causing Asher to blink.

No one had spoken to him so softly before, "I..." He wanted to speak but his throat was very dry. He was not used to speaking and he did not know many words.

"Transform into the man who sold you."

Slap!

A stinging sensation descended on his cheeks, the force of the slap sending his head sideways. His world spun for a minute and a metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. The hot branding of the crest was extremely painful but at that moment, Asher felt like the slap was even more painful.

"When I give you a command, Do not think. Do not talk. Just do it. Do you understand? Now, transform."

It was Asher’s first time transforming and every failed attempt was followed with a slap.

He had met a lot of scary people, even Victor who liked venting his anger by beating him every day did not scare him as much as the Priestess did.

That soft voice was cold to his ears, penetrating into the marrows of his bones, causing Asher to uncontrollably shiver and tears run down his cheeks.

"Mistress." He called out in a small voice, hating himself as he did so.

There was a low chuckle from the other side, "Good boy. If you don’t come to the Draken Pizzeria, I will burn your guardian alive, Mr Ravi. And I will make you swallow the ashes. I will be waiting for you, thrall."

The call was cut and Asher stared at the phone, lying in the center of his ice-cold sweaty hand. The phone lit up again, to show a picture. It was of Ravi, tied up in a room. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

His heart pounded, it was all his fault. He had dragged Ravi into this and now, he was going to die.

"Asher, what is it? Asher?" Sage’s concerned voice sounded but Asher could not hear him.

Who was he fooling, something like him, how could he have a happy ending? He only felt like he was swimming in an endless sea of darkness, with a tsunami roaring towards him, the roars consolidating and screaming one sentence into his mind.

It was all his fault.

Ravi was with the Phantoms and it was all his fault. He put him in danger, he is in danger because of him.

He held his head, wanted to curl in a corner of the wall, and screamed, please let me go. Why? Why won’t they let him go? He was afraid. He was so afraid. He did not want to come back to the Phantom. He did not want to do those things again.

Sage and Lana, who had been eating, frowned. Asher had gone so pale and he was holding his head, muttering to himself.

"What is wrong with him? Asher?" Sage said, standing up and walking over. Luna’s brows furrowed, "I think...he is having a panic attack."

"What should we do?"

Someone rushed past them, pulling Asher into his arms, "Oh thank God you are alright."

The poisonous vines and dark purple shards that had sprung forth from every angle immediately retreated when they saw the head full of golden hair.

"Arlen..." Sage started, not sure why to begin the questions, how had he known he was here or what was he doing here?

"Calm down. Asher. I am here. I am here. It would be alright. Everything would be alright." He hugged the teenager, taking the phone Asher was grasping for dear life.

Arlen’s heart pounded as his suspicion came true. The last member of the Phantom, the shapeshifter in the files, was Ravi’s little ward.

"Everything is going to be okay. I would find him and bring him back to you. Everything is going to be okay, I promise." Arlen’s voice was calm as he repeated the words over and over again. Asher struggled for a few seconds, gasping heavily with the rise and fall of his chest. However, his struggles gradually slowed down.

"It is all my fault."