[BL]The Hero and his Party Won't Let Me Go-Chapter 173: Ch : In Time - Part 1

’It hurts...It burns...I need it to stop...Someone, anyone...help me.’

Shuu had felt helpless a lot of times in his life.

For example, when he had first started being bullied and even when he had started to lose what little he had in his life at the hands of his bullies. They were all times that made him feel like his life no longer mattered.

But Shuu also never had the courage to end it all.

In the end, he could simply go with the flow of things and hope that it would be fine in the end. And somehow, he had made it this far.

But never in his life had he felt like he was being burned alive from the inside. The familiar agony was trying to take him over, and his mind felt blanker.

’That’s it~ Ask the goddess for help. If there is anyone who can help us out, it’s the one who governs this whole world. All you need to do is place yourself in the goddess’s hands and she will take care of you.’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The voice reminded Shuu, and he gasped before he reached the altar. His hands shook badly, but his eyes remained focused as he grasped the stone.

The burning sensation lessened, almost as if water had finally washed over it to try and subdue it. Just that feeling was enough for Shuu to let out a relieved sigh and give the statue a grateful look.

’Are you surprised? You should not be. Your body and instincts recognize where your home is. And they are trying to lead you back. All you have to do is follow these instincts and not fight it. It’s easy, right?’

It was easy. But something felt...weird at the same time. Shuu had a feeling he was forgetting something important...

’Don’t think about useless things. Just recall the memory from your past. Everyone says that the goddess is your last hope. Even if you were not blessed by her, you should still show your faith in her.’

Those words jolted a memory in the back of Shuu’s mind, and his eyes glazed over as he got lost in the past.

__________

"Everything in this world is ordained by the goddess’s will. She is the one who can change a person’s future. So if you pray to her enough, you might just get what you want."

The priest told the group of kids standing in front of him with smiles on their faces. They looked at the older priest as if he was their only lifeline.

Shuu was no different. He also kept a curious eye on the priest. But unlike normal children, he had to hide himself in the shadows and wait for the priest to finish speaking. He knew that going out among the children would only make him even more of an outcast.

So he hid and heard the priest talking about the goddess and her mercy. Finally, the lecture ended and it was time for everyone to head back. Shuu was also about to turn back when one of the kids suddenly asked a question.

"Excuse me, priest, but I wanted to ask you...if the goddess is so benevolent, then why did she not accept that cursed child living here? Why is he cursed?"

Everyone fell quiet at those words, and the head priest looked taken aback as well.

No one had ever asked this question before, and the priest did not think that anyone would ask such a question to him either.

But that startled expression quickly went back to normal when the priest had some time to gather himself, and he replied back to the kids.

"The goddess sees and takes care of everyone. Even those who are devoid of her initial favor are not hated by her. As such, I am sure she must be looking after that pitiful soul born without her blessing as well. So you better be nice to him, alright?"

The priest told the kids, and they let out an enthusiastic agreement.

Shuu heard it all in the other corridor, and hope welled inside his heart. Maybe with this, the kids and other people wouldn’t be too mean to him...?

Of course, that hope was all dashed soon because the bullying never stopped. But those words got stuck inside Shuu’s mind, and a part of him always believed them.

__________

In the present as well, the same memories and feelings from back then welled up inside him. His hand touched the altar, and Shuu’s vision blurred even more.

’I am going to lose consciousness soon. I need to-’

Shuu reached toward the altar when his body began to fall.

He blinked, and his eyes noticed a faded figure reaching toward him. He could not make out the features on that faded face, but it looked familiar and gentle.

And yet, Shuu’s heart was filled with fear, and his instincts told him to turn away and run. He had a feeling that it would be over for him if he got caught by those hands.

But where could he even run? He wanted to surrender and no longer think about anything else. He just wanted to-

"Shuu, get a hold of yourself. Tsk, this annoying pest-"

Kaiden’s voice broke through the illusion Shuu was having, and he suddenly jolted awake, finally noticing where he was and what he was doing.

Shuu finally noticed the fire that had been inches away from him, threatening to swallow him whole, and he jolted back in shock.

"W-What the...What is happening? Where am I?"

Shuu’s memories felt a little disturbed as he clutched his head. It threatened to split apart due to the sudden pain, and Shuu let out a pain-filled moan as he tried to rub the pain away. But it did not work as well as he hoped.

Strong and warm arms wrapped around Shuu and pulled him into an embrace, and Shuu let out a relief-filled sigh as he finally felt safe enough to let himself go.

Finally, he felt like he was home, and his body melted against the comfort of a familiar person holding him.