There was four heroes summoned to save the World of Magic (the name only because the land contained more magic aura than another land). First was Rio, the sword. Second was the healer, Amira. Third was the archer and sorcerer, Lin. And the last was… well, he didn't give out his name and because he was a dark magic user, most were tend to fear him.
"Vel!" A young man with a fine look turned his back as hearing someone called.
A girl about his age smiled toward him, "Yohoo, Melissa is here!" The girl made peace sign with her fingers and posed with her left eye closed. She sounded like a cheerful person.
The young man turned his eyes as if it was something boring or useless to pay attention on. "How come you here again, Mel?" asked him while looking at a weird always-frozen tree. It was already a night time, around 7 PM, or so. They were in the side palace's garden at the moment, with a lot of weird plants, but strangely, enveloped in a calming aura.
The girl seemed excited, "Eh? Now you call my nickname? How rare~" The girl smiled mischievously, "Could it be… Vel has fallen in love with me?"
The young man called 'Vel' flinched as he gave a cold stare, "Don't spout nonsense, Melissa."
Melissa was the youngest daughter of the palace's great general. It said that her father, the general, was very attached to his youngest daughter due to her intelligence and health issues. Melissa has a very nice look, with an ebony long black hair and a clear as lake blue eyes, also a pale skin with a beautiful model-like face and figure. Although black hair considered as misfortune in this world, the general's family didn't have the slightest thought to abandon their daughter. They only thought was that the hair color was a keepsake from the late grandmother from the mother's side of Melissa who came from a far country and was black haired.
Melissa was smart and very adaptive to her surroundings, she was the first person greeted the heroes after the celebration of heroes summoning. First person as to not bluff out nonsense to get benefits from heroes, but purely greeted as a welcome words to foreigners. Melissa was the only one who could get the 'nameless' hero's name and the only one who could get friendly to the 'nameless' hero. She was sort of a connector of the 'nameless' hero and the other summoned heroes. She was a born-talented magic user, but due to her health issues, she was held to not use her magic often.
Melissa, the girl, puffed her cheeks a little for awhile. As she saw Vel picking a leaf from the always-frozen tree, she smiled slowly. "Vel, I'm going now."
Vel nodded and said, "Just go, you're disturbing me."
Melissa hasn't left yet, just stood still behind Vel's back. She smiled a little after awhile, "Hey, Vel. I would not come back by now, so, could you grant this wish of mine?"
Vel furrowed his right eyebrow, then sighed. "Well, whatever, as long as you don't disturb me." Vel turned to face Melissa. "What's your wish?"
Melissa grinned cheerfully, "Please bend your knees and bow down a bit."
Vel did exactly as Melissa said. "What will you do?" Vel flinched as a hand stroked his hair, then he lifted his head to questioned Melissa's weird doing.
"Wah… it was really fun… spending all my time with you, Vel…" A smile appeared on Melissa's face. It was not the usual mischievous smile. Here and now, Vel saw a smile of someone who felt like would be gone immediately after this moment.
"Melissa, you…"
"It was fun, really… as time goes by, I feel like I know more of you, more than others would. I was… a bit… nah, you would not feel the same way…" Melissa closed up her face, then left a kiss on Vel's forehead.
Vel stared blankly, speechless. Melissa smiled a bit as she distanced herself and held her hands behind her back. "Well, Vel, have a good night and farewell. I wish you a good luck on your expedition ciao~" Melissa gave a wink with a mischievous smile following, then walk away from the garden.
As if it was a joke, Vel stood steadily. "It must be another joke of hers." Vel shaked his head as to not swayed by any 'unrealistic' emotion.
"Yeah… it must be a joke…" Vel sighed as he looked up to the dark sky, full of shattered piece of light, or said tobe stars.
…
"General hasn't came to the training ground, what's up?" asked Lin, the arcer and the sorcerer type hero. Lin pulled her bow and a magic light shaped like an arrow appeared, then she released it. The arrow striked through the target that put about fifty meters away and additionally stucked deep into a big tree about fifteen meters away behind the target.
Amira, the healer, shaked her head a little. "Have not you heard about Miss Melissa's recent condition?" Amira whispered as she casted healing magic for the tree damaged by the arrow.
Lin shaked her head, "Na-ah, I've just heard that she gone to have treatment and Mr. General accompanied her for a short period, then will come back. But, he hasn't come back after a whole two weeks."
"I heard this while I was passing through the side palace's kitchen. The maids were talking about 'the late Lady Melissa'…" Lin gasped as she heard the words from Amira's mouth.
"Amira, you sure you heard it right?" Lin asked to confirm the validation of the news.
Amira nodded, "I have asked the palace doctor and even the king and the princes. The reason of General Carmil's absence was the death of his youngest daughter." Amira added, "It was said that Miss Melissa's condition got worser a week ago and just passed away this morning. I heard that they will send her go tomorrow in the dawn. You know? Through the cremation tradition."
Lin could not help but frowned, "It was a pity, that kind Miss Melissa…"
"Wish her to rest in peace, got the blessings of God, and live happily later with no pain anymore." Amira added as she held Lin's hand to pray and wish together.
"Was the news… real?" A voice coming from behind them made them starled a bit. It was Vel.
"Vel? I think so, I have confirmed it, but… are you okay, Vel?" Amira looked sympathetic toward Vel that has a darkened face, was it pity or feeling of lost…
Vel was the closest to Melissa, the most intimate. Although it seemed like Melissa was one-sidedly befriended Vel, that guy must be feeling quite happy inside. Amira realized long ago that Melissa was the one who connected them with Vel until Vel could be a little bit friendly toward them.
Lin approached Vel, then held his right shoulder. "Now you know it, aren't you going to bid farewell? She might not be living, but she surely will be happy to have you sending her go."
Vel nodded silently, Lin smiled a little then used her magic, commanding the fairy to prepare the things for Vel to go. "Be sure to give her the best 'goodbye', Sir Vel." Lin tapped Vel's shoulder a few times, then walked away.
Amira approached Vel, "You don't need to hold it in, cry for the lost of loved one is normal. There are no such term where a guy must not cry…"
Amira held Vel's arms as to give him strength. "I'm not saying I understand you, but my words are real. Just cry when you feel like, then in the future you would feel less suffer…" Amira walked away as she said goodbye and following Lin's track.
Vel fell on his knees right after Amira disappeared from the hall. Tears welled up and dropped to the ground helplessly. His body shacked as his tears flowed, he cried, a man was crying here. Not because of his selfish self, but because of the lost of his loved one.
Melissa was the only factor he didn't mind being here, in another world. But, was it too late to say 'thank you'? Was it too late to 'apologize' for not treating her better? Vel was drowned in sorrow.
In the afternoon, Vel set to General's mansion. The General has a mournful face, but still smiled gently and hugged Vel. He allowed Vel to see Melissa in the other room.
The room was spacious with a lot of white rose. A coffin was put in the middle of the room. It looked made of fine materials, with a fine thin layer covered the upper side of the coffin as to not let the body in it got stained. A young girl laid on the bed in it, dressed in a simple long white dress, looked like as if she was asleep. She was beautiful, that was an honest praise.
"You looked less suffer, Mel." Vel said. He opened the veil a bit and held out Melissa's hand. Her hands was covered with a pair of silk gloves.
"I'm really grateful to meet you, I apologize to make you wait all this time." Vel handed out a piece of blue crystal bracelet and put it around Melissa's wrist. "I apologize for the waits, Mel. I would properly say goodbye, My Lady, My Princess."
Vel kissed Melissa's hand, tears flowed down to his cheeks. "Please watch me from there and wait for me, Princess."
Vel put back Melissa's hand to the earlier posture and covered up the veil. He left the room after smiled gently and said, "Goodbye, Melissa."