Chapter 4. Too much to breathe. Part VI

Yevgeny landed on the floor abruptly, Alex ran to his side trying to help him get up from the floor.

-"Yev, man...im so glad you are alright..." Alex said as he helped Yevgeny sit on a nearby chair.

-"Nessa is...not safe" Yevgeny said sitting down. Joe hurriedly brought a medicine kit to help his wounds.

-"Don't worry about that now, she is gonna be ok..."Alex said while helping Joe to treat the wounds.


The man parried his sword with Nessa's dagger, she blocked each and everyone of his attacks, the man became very frustrated at this, he yelled and cursed at her, she just blocked him in reply.

-"Why don't you attack me? why!?!?!?!" the man said thrusting his sword against her, she blocked it effortlesly.

Nessa pushed the man away from her, she then casted a spell that kept him in place.

-"Where is Demian?" She asked the man.

-"Demian? what are you talking about girly?" He said struggling on the ground because of her spell.

-"How do you know I'm Darkana of Shilen?...answer me!"

-"Girly...we all know..." the man then casted a spell of his own and threw Nessa onto a nearby tree, her body layed limp on the ground after hitting it. She moaned in pain as her previous wounds resurfaced. The man walked toward her, sword in hand.

-"We all know...we all know what happened...it is not happening again..." -the man grabbed her and pulled her up to the tree, her back on it, he pressed her body against it, she moaned in pain, and tried to cast a spell but he grabbed her chin roughly - "no more fooling around girly..."- she then hit him with her knee on his stomach, he curled in pain while she fell on the floor, and crawled away from him on the grass. He casted a spell that made her moan in pain falling on the grass, she tried to get up as quickly as she could, but the man threw himself over her, he put his knee on her stomach to try to stop her from moving, she yelled in pain. The man then proceeded to take out a knife, he stabbed her leg in anger, Nessa yelled in pain, closing her eyes, she whispered something the man couldn't hear- "What was that girly?" - he said as he hurt her other leg, making her moan in pain, she then whispered again, a small knife appeared on her hand, unnoticed by her attacker, as he proceeded to stab another part of her body, she gathered all her strengh and thrusted her knife on his arm. The man yelled in pain as she tried to push the man away from her, but he tightened his grip on her and pushed her onto the ground once more. - "Die Darkana of Shilen!" - she then heard the sound of a sword cutting through flesh, she, with eyes closed waited for the pain to come for her, but felt nothing except the few dropplets of blood on her, she gasped as tears fell from her eyes as she saw him.


Witold cut the man's head in a swift movement, then pushed the man away from Nessa, and kneeled beside her.

-"Nessa, it's over milosc..." -he said as he saw her in tears unable to move- "Nessa..." - he then checked her wounds and started to heal them, her tears were subsiding as she felt him touch her wounds.

-"Witek..." she said moving her hand toward his slowly.

-"Nessa...it's ok now...I healed your wounds, but you need rest milosc..." -He said holding her hand, comforting her, and helped her up from the ground slowly

-"I should have listened to you...they know who I am...they know..." she said, her voice breaking.

-"They won't do anything to you...I won't allow it Nessa" -He held her face with his hands, he looked at her eyes, reassuring her, wiping away her tears - "I'll protect you...I always will, I won't leave you...not again" he whispered closing his eyes, Nessa held him close to her, not caring about how her wounds hurt.

-"Ja kochak Ty..." -he whispered to her as he caressed her hair, he looked at her face once more, and caressed her cheek softly- "Ja kochak ty, always..." -he kissed her forehead and pressed his on hers closing his eyes, holding her close- "Forever..."



End of Chapter

Chapter 4. Too close to breathe. Part V.

Nessa got up from the grass and bowed in front of Charles' grave, she turned around and walked away. She turned her head once or twice having a feeling that somebody was watching her, but shrugged as she saw and felt nothing around her.

Her mobile phone rang suddenly, she cursed as she tried to get it as fast as possible.

Yevgeny whispered a spell trying to slow down his enemy to give him a chance to recover slightly. He looked around for his weapon but didn't see it around him, he was bleeding from his side and breathing heavily.

The man walked toward Yevgeny slowly, weapon in hand.

-"You can give up you know? you have got nothing against me..." The man said chuckling.

Yevgeny closed his eyes and casted a spell to hide from the man, quietly hoping he would gather enough energy to keep fighting.


Nessa ran through the streets calling Yevgeny on her mind, receiving no replies. Suddenly a hand grabbed her by the arm, as it did she turned around getting out her dagger and put it at her grabber's neck, making no harm, but in form of a threat.

-"Careful with that..." Witold said softly not even flinching at the dagger pressed on his throat.

-"Witek...(she said putting down the dagger) you should know better than to ambush me like that" she said making her dagger disappearing.

-"What do you think you are doing Nessa?"

-"I was called to help Yev..."

-"You are in no condition to help him at the moment, you know that..."

-"If i was called, it is because I am...so let me go..."

-"Nessa I don't think you should go...I..."

-"Witek there is no time for this...let me go!" She said casting a spell and disappearing from his side. Witold stodd looking dumbfounded at the place where she stood. He cursed and ran away.


The sound of sword clashing could be heard, Yevgeny yelled as he fought, his wound was getting worse by the second, loosing a lot of blood, but he fought with all his might. The man hurt badly as well, but kept fighting Yevgeny.

On the distance, Yevgeny could feel a distinct energy, and heard a spell being casted. Suddenly the man was on the floor in pain, struggling to get up.

-"I thought I had sent a message with the other goon" Yevgeny turned toward the voice to see Nessa walking toward them.

-"You must be Darkana of Shilen..." the man coughed as he got up from the floor.

-"Yevgeny, go...this is between him and me now..." Yevgeny looked at Nessa puzzled, Nessa looked at him and smiled, she then casted a spell to make him disappear from the site.

-"So I'm guessing my target has changed?"

-"I will not let my friends get harmed..."

-"You know that you are wounded as well...you think you are match for me?"

-"Let's just say we are in equal conditions..." Nessa said getting out her dagger

Chapter 4. Too close to breathe. Part IV.

-"I have to say Yevgeny, I had imagined a scrawny looking guy...I see you do train at least..." The man said laughing a little.

-"Sorry to disappoint you...so why are we here?" Yevgeny asked not taking his eyes off the man.

-"Well I have been ordered to terminate your existance..." -The man said tilting his head to the side- "Your kind brings unbalance to my employer's peace of mind...".

-"'My kind'?"

-"Yes...Spellhowlers..." The man said starting to parry with Yevgeny's sword.

-"I bring harm to no one" Yevgeny said escaping a blow from his assailant. He put his hand on the ground as he chanted a spell making the ground below the man slippery. The man fell and tried to get up with the help of his sword. Yevgeny got off the ground quickly and pointed his sword to the man's throat.

-"I think you ought to tell me now what the hell is going on...and you better start by saying who your employer is" Yevgeny said gritting his teeth.

Clad in a black skirt, shirt and boots, Nessa walked the streets of Hikawa district, around her people were going toward recreation centers, toward train stations. Some chattered, some laughed, some read the news, Nessa looked and smiled.

The busy streets swept past her as she walked the path toward the cemetery, the sound of her boots on the ground echoing on her mind.

She stopped at the gates of the cemetery, she shook her head as if getting herself together and she walked inside.

Yevgeny fought with great strengh as he tried to push the man from above him. The man laughed as he saw Yevgeny's efforts to be somewhat in vain, he screamed as the man stabbed himin the arm with a small knife he got out of his pocket.

Nessa sat beside the tombstone, she put her hand on the ground and with a spell the wind blew some leaves from it. She smiled sadly as she dusted off the tombstone, singing softly as she did so.

-"Pardon me for earlier Charlie...I didn't mean to ignore you." She said softly while lying down on the grass.

-"It still hurts you know, your death...Witold leaving afterwards...I never got really over it all...maybe it is because I never said goodbye to either of you, even Witold, now back in Neo Tokyo, I can't get over this...why? I don't know...I wish I knew." -the wind blew softly around her, she closed her eyes and sighed- "I guess that with this abbilities one tends to think that we can be inmortal..that we can stop anything and anyone..."

Yevgeny ran away from the man, exhausted he whispered spells of protection on himself. The man laughed as he kept running toward him.

-"Give it up Yevgeny! you can't hide from me..."

-"Niet!" Yevgeny yelled as he casted a spell on his attacker.

Chapter 4. Too close to breathe. Part III.

Nessa walked out of her room toward the kitchen, she opened the cabinets and got out her teapot and some tea bags. Charles suddenly appeared beside her, he leaned against the counter, arms crossed he stared at her back and sighed.

-"Why do you wish to die?" he asked in a sad voice, looking at her as she made her tea and walked past him toward a nearby chair.

-"I know you can see me and hear me, don't ignore me..." he said a bit angry at her lack of response.

The man walked closer to Yevgeny , drawing a sword. Yevgeny gave the bag with the movies to Joe drawing his own.

-"Go get the others..." Yevgeny said to Joe.

-"Roger" Joe said casting a spell fading away.

-"Now I think it is the time for a proper introduction" Yevgeny said smiling to the man and started to walk toward him.

After the ceremony Nessa walked away toward the nearby park, Alex tried to go after her but Richard grabbed his arm and motioned him to stay, shaking his head as in saying 'no'. As she walked she chanted a spell and a box appeared on her hand, a box smaller to the usual jewelry boxes. As she walked tears came down on her face and she held it tightly on her hand.

She got to a place filled with flowers, of every kind and color. She kneeled on the ground putting the box in front of her. She closed her eyes and whispered what seemed it was prayers, as she prayed, the wind blew around her moving her hair, her dress, even her necklace full of crosses of different kinds.

Suddenly the wind stopped, the box and a cross from her necklace were gone, everything stood still as she collapsed on the ground.

Chapter 4. Too close to breathe. Part II.

Yevgeny and Joe walked the Miyamoto Boulevard, Yevgeny read the dvd summaries of the movies they just rented, Joe was busy sending text messages from his cellphone. His phone rang suddenly.

-"Yellop..." he answered cheerfully.

-"Joe! is Yev with you man?" Alex said concerned.

-"Yeah, we just rented some movies...is everything ok?"

-"Richard called and said they were onto Yev, the same dudes that were after Nessa"

-"On it..." He stopped walking as he ended the call.

-"What is up?" Yevgeny asked looking at Joe.

-"Alex called..."

-"What did he say?" the Russian boy gave him a concerned look.

-"To watch out for goons like the ones who attacked Nessa, looks like ti didnt end with her..." He looked ahead, he saw a man coming fromt he other street.

-"Yevgeny Trofimiuik..." the man said as he walked toward them.

-"No...looks like it didn't" Yevgeny turning around toward the man.

Chapter 4.Too close to breathe. Part I

The sakura leaves played in the air as athey crossed the big blue sky. The wind blew them onwards, making them look as if they danced.

People could be seen walking down a paved road,around them there were flowers, flowers near tombstones in the Neo Tokyo Cemetery.

The Kobayashi team gathered around a black coffin, tears and pain on their faces as the words of a priest tried to comfort them. The bells of a nearby temple could be heard as the minutes passed on the funeral of Charles Daniel Edenberg, Kobayashi Elite, gadget extraordinnaire.

Witold walked toward the head of the coffin, standing where the priest was previously, he looked toward his friends, he took a deep breath while closing his eyes for a second and began to speak in a broken voice.

-"Charles was... IS...one of my best friends, one I could call my brother , our brother in arms..."he paused looking around to see Charles' spirit sitting beside Nessa, he noticed that Nessa didnt acknowledge his presence. Witold smiled a little and continued:

-"He is football and his gadgets, he gives us hope for better days..." Charles waved at Witold, a smile played on his face.

-"Charles gave his life for a better life, and we are gonna miss him, specially the experiments on his shop, the eternal minibombs that constantly blew up on his face..." at this statement Charles murmured some words and made gestures to Witold, Witold chuckled softly in response.

-"We must learn to have a smile on our face even tho things go wrong, try to learn from our mistakes and live our fullest, with no regrets...just like Charles did, it is like ti should be for all of us..."

Nessa awoke to the sound of tapping on her window, she looked around her room to find a familiar face.

-"Charlie..." she said with a whisper.

-"Hi sweetie..." He said smiling, sitting beside her on the bed.

-"You got it..." she said signaling the cross he wore on his chest.

-"Yeah sweetie, of course I did..."

-"You came for me?" She said softly trying to grab his face...

-"No, you know it is not your time yet Nessa..." She sobbed and closed her eyes, when she opened them again he was gone.