Hero of Darkness

Chapter 2: The End

3 days later, he finally received a call from Katherine at night.

"Hey, it's me."

"Where are you? What happened? Why didn't you pick up any of my calls ?" Elric asked.

"I'm sorry. It's been hectic recently. I just didn't have time to explain." Katherine replied.

"Now tell me exactly what happened? I at least deserve to know that, right ?" Elric said.

"Well.. It's my Dad. He... He.." Katherine suddenly started sobbing & her words stopped coming out of her mouth.

"You can tell me, I'm always here for you." Elric said out of genuine worry.

"My dad has been diagnosed with stage 3 Cancer. We just found out. He didn't tell me & my mom because he didn't want to worry us. And we don't have enough money for the treatment either. That's why he hid his illness." Katherine said and started crying loudly this time.

"I don't know what to do Elric. My Dad is dying and I really can't do anything to help him. I have no money, no insurance.. Nothing." Katherine's sobs didn't stop. Elric was listening to this on the other side of his phone felt as if his father was dying at this moment. Due to his attachment towards Katherine, he felt her pain as his own. He quickly replied.

"How much do you need ?" Elric asked

"What do you mean ?" Katherine replied

"I meant how much money do you need for your Father's treatment? I can arrange for it. I'm an accountant, remember ?" He said with worry & care in his voice.

"Around 30 Thousand Dollars."

"Don't worry. I have some savings. I can help." Elric said with a resolute voice.

"No, I really can't ask you to help me. We haven't known each other for that long. Even our relatives won't give us that much money even if we begged them. And I have no way to pay you back even in the next couple of years." Katherine said hurriedly.

"It's okay. The truth is I really like you, Kate.. I know this is coming out of the blue and at the wrong time but hear me.. It's okay. I trust you enough to know that you won't cheat me. And I won't be able to sleep knowing what you're going through and I could've helped. So please don't refuse." Elric said in a soft and gentle voice.

of silence, Katherine

out of this. I knew you felt about me this way. The truth is that I really like you as well. But I

when you're in a better position. Now send

spend much on anything. So in the past two years, he

and given the fact that she was the only person he actually felt a connection to in such a long time, he didn't think much of it

as a Hero who helped her family would also leave a deep impression on her parents if there came a day to meet

in her name & Elric

to disturb her in such time.

So nobody knew his other number. But the same response came. He didn't know exactly which Hospital Katherine was at so he could only go to her apartment he once visited. But after talking with the landlord and her roommates, he found out that Katherine came to her apartment the very next day after he sent her the money. Paid her 3 month overdue rent, packed all of her stuff

around him.. He chose not to

HE HAD BEEN DUPED!!

her roommates weren't her friends from college, rather they met through an app used to search for renting apartments. There was really no other way to look for Katherine any longer. He quickly took a cab and went to the coffee shop he always went in. The owner was already familiar with

the hell did she go ?!" Elric shouted. He found it unbelievable that he was conned. It was one thing if she ran off out of fear of not being able to pay him back. But everything he came to know about

more of a professional than someone who did such a thing for the

to his apartment. He was drained both physically and mentally. He was hungry but didn't have the willpower to eat something. He was still in shock. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt connected to someone. He'd

even talk about the emotional trauma that incident left on him. He called in sick leave for the next few days and contacted the Police and filed a case. But

when Elric returned to his job, everyone was sneaking glances at him. One

such a fool Johnson. If you wanted to fuck a woman that badly, could've just hired a hooker. Hahaha!" With a smug smile on the face, his colleague made the last part

do you mean ?"

Elric asked the owner about Katherine. And later news spread about how she was a con. Which surprised many people including the coffee shop staff.

of shame & mockery on his head. This was their chance to berate Elric with an excuse. Because Elric had always been a guy who got the job done at right time & never actually refused a major task. He did win the hearts of upper management based on his track

dog-eating-dog world, even a simple rumor is enough to drag down your name in the

it till the working hours ended. Every breath he took felt like an eternity. After the shift ended, he didn't immediately leave; he went to the uppermost rooftop of their building which was around 32 floors tall, to get a fresh breath and

pride was tested up to this extent. Tears dripped down across his cheeks like a river.. He had finally broken down. He could no longer tolerate how messed up, lonely and pitiful his life had become. He knew very well that his own actions played a very big part in it as well. He wasn't a hypocrite to blame it all

was simply clueless. He was lost, helpless, alone, desperate, yearning for someone to put a hand on his

any form of bond with him since childhood? His fictional characters & idols he looked up to in his teenage days? Friends.. What are those mythical

to a multinational company's CEO had their own self respect