Chapter 643: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 2
Flashes of Red.
Curdling, eerie red. Blood red. Blood all over his body.
And then black.
Thick, like curdling ink. Blood, looking like ink. All over his hands.
Splash
Agni raised his head, staring at the reflection in the hazy mirror. He let the water run for two seconds, just to pretend he could afford the luxury, before turning it off with regret. If he could, he would let the water gather and dunk his head in to cool off, but...
The reflection showed him the reality. His once dark but blazing eyes were nothing but an abyss, sunken. His skin was dry from the harsh air riddled with miasma, and a hint of wrinkles was visible on the face, which was once said to be the epitome of youthful.
What youth? Agni chuckled bitterly. He spent his youth in the military, and the moment he hit thirty, he was thrown to this place. The grey gate of hell. Where letting the water run for two seconds was a sin.
Just five years...and the light in his eyes was gone. But even while his outer appearance made him seem to aging fast, he felt even older inside, as if he had died and come back to life over and over again.
Perhaps he did.
If it came down to it, this aging thing worsened in the past year. Ever since he had to step up to fill his friend’s position when he hadn’t even finished his grieving.