Joshua has no recollection of what happened. He briefly remembered seeing the faces of his younger sister and Iris. But after that he lost consciousness.
All he felt was silence…darkness…emptiness…
And there's nothing he can do but slide into it…
Far….
Getting farther….
And he's caught up in it...
But he didn't care….
No regrets…
There is no longer a bond that bothers his heart...
zBzz
a small vibration is heard...
bZ…zb…
tes…
tes…
Joshua's eyebrows started to furrow even though his eyes were still closed. It was as if he began to realize that there was a voice even though it sounded quiet.
Sobbing….
There was a soft sob...so low...until it was almost inaudible.
Sobbing….
The little cry came back. This time Joshua could not ignore it.
Joshua slowly opened his eyes…
For a moment his vision was still blurry.
Joshua got up to see more clearly but it didn't help much. Even though he could see, everything was blurry.
It seemed he was in a room that was shining dimly. More like a room in the dungeons. And it seems locked.
Joshua saw his body that appeared to be wrapped in bandages and was on the bed. Not far from there, a woman was seen sitting, crying quietly.
"You're awake! Thank goodness. How are you?" The woman immediately wiped her tears and approached Joshua with a worried look.
Joshua tried to squint his eyes to see more clearly the woman's face. But he couldn't see clearly. Everything looks blurry to him.
"Where is this?", asked Joshua while holding his head that felt spinning. But his voice didn't come out. But another voice that came out of his mouth.
"What happened?", another voice came out of Joshua's mouth.
Joshua was confused before finally realizing that he was in someone else's body.
"You passed out after that fight. Don't you remember?
"Ugh… all I remember is they beat me up and ganged up on me…after that everything was dark…"
As if realizing something, the injured man grabbed both of the women's shoulders, "Are you okay? They didn't do anything to you did they?"
The woman shook her head, "Apart from locking us in here…they didn't do anything. Instead, they provided me with the food and care needed for your recovery."
The injured man heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank, God…I can't imagine them doing something inappropriate to you. I took you away from the Sisilyra kingdom because I wanted to give you happiness, not misfortune…"
The woman smiled tearfully while holding the injured man's hands, "Everything is meaningless if you are not there..."
Click...
There was the sound of a key turning and the door opening. An elderly priest in an expensive robe entered.
The priest ordered the guard to close the door and not let anyone in.
Then he sat down on a chair near the bed.
"Finally, you're awake. You've been unconscious for three days. The efforts of the nuns to take care of you were not in vain."
"You… were you the one who saved me and my sister? I have seen you before…"
"Ah…I forgot to introduce myself. You were right. We have spoken before. Let me introduce my name is Priest Carlos. I am a priest who is one of the confidants of Archpriest Jerome. Archpriest Jerome is the supreme head of the Church of St. Varos and one of the important figures in the Edetish Kingdom. Now you are in one of the residences belonging to St. Varos church."
"Oh… I see. Thanks for saving both of us. We are deeply indebted to you, Father Carlos and of course… the church of St. Varos for your hospitality."
Priest Carlos seemed to smile as he folded his hands in front of his chin, "It's good to hear that. Therefore, for that I need your help. You still remember what you said, right?"
Priest Carlos' face suddenly became serious.
The injured man looked at the woman for a moment then said, "Yes. I still remember. And I have no intention of breaking my word. From today I will devote my life to you Priest Carlos and of course the church of St. Varos."
"Good, good. I'm pleased to hear it. Incidentally there is an urgent matter and need your sister help as soon as possible. She will learn many things here.", answered Priest Carlos as he got up from his chair.
The injured man looked at Priest Carlos in confusion.
"Wait! What do you mean? Why did my sister have to get involved? I thought I was the only one you needed?"
Father Carlos stopped walking and didn't leave the room. He turned and looked at the two of them with a serious look.
"Your sister is a dark magic user. I saw her when she accidentally used it yesterday. An ability like that was a…rare thing. It will be very helpful for the church of St. Varos."
"Bu-but… why does the church need dark- "
"Hush. Don't you know the fate of the intruders from the kingdom of Sisilyra in the kingdom of Edetish? Moreover, one of them is a practitioner of dark magic? It doesn't sound good when your identities are spread around."
"Ugh...", the injured man just silent unable to say anything.
The woman suddenly stood up, "I'll do it. I will do everything you ask...as long as you guarantee the safety of both of us."
Immediately Father Carlos smiled, "Good. I look forward to a good cooperation from both of you. Don't worry if you obey, you will not only be protected but your life will also be guaranteed."
Father Carlos left the room. There was the sound of a door being locked from outside.
The injured man was silent. His gaze was blank.
As if knowing his worry, the woman grabbed both of the injured man's hands.
"Relax, Raul. Nothing's going to happen. You don't need to worry. They need us."
"I'm sorry, Amara. If I were stronger, more powerful from the beginning, you wouldn't have to go through all of this." Raul bowed his head sadly.
Trying to convince Raul, the woman held her hands to Raul's cheeks while bringing her face closer until their foreheads touched.
Finally, Joshua could clearly see the face of the woman in front of him. A silver-haired beautiful woman.
"Morrigan that's my name now. Amara is no longer there. And Morrigan is a strong woman, not weak. Who will fight for both of us. The two of us will protect and support each other."
Then Morrigan hugged Raul.
Joshua was stunned to see everything. His breath hitched and he realized what he had witnessed. His intuition told him he knew both of them.
Joshua opened his eyes and woke up from his dream.
Joshua looked around him. He was in another different room. A modest hut. From a distance he could hear the voices of children.
Joshua blinked his eyes for a moment before getting up. He stretched his body. His body was stiff. There were several bandages on his body.
"Ugh… I guess I had a dream. What a strange dream…", muttered Joshua.
He tried to get up from his bed and walked slowly out.
The sunlight dazzled Joshua's eyes but he quickly got used to it. He was in a village it seems.
Some people seem busy doing activities. The children were seen playing happily.
"Oh, God. You're awake!", shouted a woman.
The tray containing the fruit fell over. The apples she had brought fell all over the place.
The woman immediately ran to Joshua.
"Don't force yourself first," said the woman while helping Joshua walk.
"Where is this?", Joshua asked while looking at his surroundings.
"Westray village. Have you ever heard of our village?"
Joshua shook his head slowly, "Sorry. Never heard of it."
"It doesn't matter. Naturally. Our village is remote and not many people live. My name is Beatrice, by the way. Beatrice Carson. But everyone in the village calls me Bea."
"Joshua...Joshua Folles.", Joshua answered while grimacing in pain. Looks like he still hasn't fully recovered.
"You only woke up after two weeks of being unconscious. The wounds on your body are still not completely healed. But you are already better than when my brother first found you. You'd better get some rest first.", Bea led Joshua back to her hut.
With pain Joshua slowly sat on his bed.
"So, Joshua what happened to you? How come you were so badly hurt in Groson creek?", Bea sat down beside the bed and asked curiously.
"I…I'm…", Joshua was speechless, unable to continue his words. He seemed to be in deep thought remembering what had happened to him. However, his head felt empty. There was not a single memory that he recalled before.
Joshua held his head in frustration. But no matter how hard he tried to remember; nothing came to mind.
Bea covered her mouth in shock, "Oh my gosh... have you lost your memory too?"
Joshua looked back at Bea with a pale face. Not a single word came out. With a heavy heart, Joshua nodded. Even though he wanted to deny it, he knew what Bea said was true.
Bea patted Joshua's shoulder with a look of pity, "That's it, there's no need to push yourself anymore. You can stay here until you recover. After that…maybe you can find out what happened to you…"
"Bea, are you home? I brought the order that you bought."
Suddenly someone called Bea.
A man entered carrying a crossbow and groceries in his hand. He was surprised when he saw Joshua but he tried to hide his surprise.
"Oh you... I thought you'd never wake up. You've been in bed for two weeks. What happened to you? You were badly injured and your body was covered in blood. I found you a bit late, maybe you're dead."
"Shhh.", Bea approached her brother while gesturing not to continue his conversation.
"Brother, he lost his memory. All he remembered was his name, Joshua Folles. Maybe it's better for us to just leave him here until his wounds heal.", whispered Bea as she pulled her brother away so Joshua wouldn't hear their conversation.
"Hmm… I don't mind. Besides, both of our parents are gone so there is still a room for him. It's just… do you think that's what's best for him? We live simply and in moderation. Doesn't he need better treatment?"
Bea glanced at Joshua, "I thought so too. But look at him now. He recovered quickly with makeshift medicines. Isn't it a miracle?"
"Yes. You're right. It was truly a miracle. When he's better, I'll take him for a walk to Groson Creek. Maybe it will help bring back his memory."
Bea's brother approached Joshua while holding Joshua's shoulder, "Joshua, you can stay here as long as you need. Maybe until you get better or maybe you want to stay longer with us that's fine too. We don't mind."
Joshua looked at the two of them in turn.
"Thank you for your kindness both of you. Bea and…"
Bea's brother smiled, "My name is Angus. Welcome to the Carsons."