Life.
An existence that is bright, peaceful, filled with joy and hope.
From childhood, I focused more on the best parts of life. I found fulfillment in finishing an important task, satisfaction in sharing tea with friends, I discovered beauty in the melody from the strings of a violin, and cherished the wonderful feeling of riding a horse in spring.
Back then, all these were the little things that mattered, and I was taught to believe, that things which made me happy were meant to be my only concern.
It was better this way. Even moreso if I could not see those who suffered daily, people who were less fortunate, less privileged than I was.
The starving orphans on the streets, the poor who were continuously oppressed... It was easier to ignore them, after all, we all had our own destinies.
I was born among the great, born to lead. While others beneath me, were meant only to exist, to serve a purpose and eventually die.
That was the reality I lived.
Untill...
The beautiful existence, one I maintained with so much difficulty, the one I tried so hard to protect, shattered right before my eyes.
And then, there was no one left to lead.
* * *
"Celeste...are you alright?" The familiar voice of my uncle rang out. Everything felt surreal all of a sudden, my hazy vision blurred over, revealing looming shawdows.
'Guess am dead already,' I thought. Obericks broken voice still echoed in my head, his sorrow as vivid as my injuries, and the wetness of his tears were fresh on my cheeks.
'But that voice, I could have sworn it was uncles.'
"Celeste my dear..."
This time I definitely heard it right.
I watched the dreary shawdows, frightened, but certain that aunt's voice just called out to me from them.
"Hey dummy what's wrong with you." My cousin asked in his usual playful manner. I froze in shock, my blurry vision, slowly clearing.
"Anderton don't be rude to your cousin."
Aunt scolded, followed by a playful complaint from her talkative son. At this point I was scared beyond my mind, and the sound of their voices made it worse. I clutched my head painfully, a throbbing pain taking the place of the dizziness, and heaviness fading from my eyes.
'What is this?'
I moved, the sound of scraping and a heavy thud that came after, made me shrienk like a frightened cat, and in that fright I escaped from the midst of the shadows, and the looming silhouettes which carried the voices of my deceased family.
"Celeste wait! Stop!" Something strong and hard wrapped around me, pinning me in place. I struggled, frantically trying to release myself from the unknown grip, my tears pouring out on end.
"What! Why...why are you crying?" The voice asked, one that painfully resembled my cousins.
"Get the physician here! Quickly!" Uncle said, his usually mild voice raised in a shout. His booming instruction was accompanied by a series of different sounds, so many I could not make any sense of.
"Celeste are you alright?"
"Are you hurt?"
"Was she poisoned!"
STOP!
"Goodness she won't stop crying!"
"Are you in pain, did you hurt yourself?"
"Am scared! What's wrong with mi'lady!"
PLEASE STOP!
"Open your eyes darling, I beg you."
"Celeste what is wrong?"
"The lady is sick!"
I CAN'T BEAR IT ANYMORE!!
"Everyone get back, she needs air."
"Open your eyes goddammit."
"Shut your mouth and hold her up."
I CAN'T CONTINUE TO LISTEN!!!
"NOOOOO!!!" I screamed, my piercing cries cut through the air like a sharp knife, almost as sharp as the one cutting through what little sanity I had left.
After that the voices slowly subsided, their sounds fading in incoherent tunes, despite being happy my torment was nearing it's end, I continued to listen, to hold unto the familiar wisps of words, quietly... slowly, till they disappeared.
Thudum...Thudum...Thudum...
A heartbeat, strong and racing. A real heartbeat.
In the midst of the palpable darkness, a it resounded... somewhere.
I couldn't tell exactly where it was, but I felt more relieved not to hear my family anymore.
The thumping slowly became louder, sounding more firm and real, to an extent that I wanted to find it.
So in the darkness I listened, focusing my senses completely on it, and then followed, trusting in nothing more than the deep, resounding thump.
I followed untill...
"Anderton,?
"Are you...how do you feel." He asked calmly.
Right in front of me was the boy I grew up with, my brother, my best friend.
And the same man that died in my arms two years ago, bloodied and beaten, his body torn apart by monsters.
"Celly, how do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?"
He asked again, cautiously, tightening his hold on my shaking body. His voice was real and his touch felt warm, so warm that for a moment I wanted to believe, I wanted to accept that this was not a dream, not another terrible dream.
"Anderton,"
It hurt, the reality of this nightmare hurt so much. Everything looked life-like, and felt even more so, his heartbeat, his hands, my hands!
'My cousin is dead, I watched him, this is not real, its not possible."
I knew I had died. I remembered it in vivid accuracy, our failed quest, the demons, Oberick, I remembered everything...yet somehow, I winded up in my cousin's arms again, alive and so was he...
My vision cleared and everything else came into view. There were people surrounding us...no servants, some looked surprised, while others seemed clearly frightened. Someone was giving clear instructions, while two people knelt closer to us.
It was aunt Kathlyn! and my maid Alara! While the person giving out instructions was Uncle Stanard! They all spoke, saying different things at the same time, their faces creased in worry, but I could only make sense of Andertons words, his expression hadn't changed.
"Hey, it's alright am here with you, you're alright."
"Anderton...?" I had to be sure, I have to know if he truly is real, warm tears pooled down my cheeks as I stared at him then finally got the courage to ask.
"Is this hell?"
Anderton choked on his next words, his expression morphing into one of confusion and then fear.
"Father she is saying nonsense, where the hell is Fadin!"
"The physician is on his way young master." a servant answered, bowing slightly.
"He should hurry, if anything happens!"
"That's enough!" Uncle's hard voice boomed, and I recoiled in my cousins arms.
"Have Celeste returned to her chambers immediately,"
"Yes father."
"Be careful with her," Aunt's tender voice added.
"I will be with you in a moment." Uncle said. Being out of my line of sight it was impossible for me to see him, but his usual harsh tone sounded just as worried as everyone else's.
Am I...is it possible that I am not dead?
Carefully my shaking body was lifted off the ground, and pressed against my cousins chest, where I could clearly hear the sound of his beating heart, feel the warmth of his body, and his smell his mild perfumed scent.
"Don't...let me go, please don't let go, please."
There were paintings and draperies, but it all had started to blur over.
"Please don't... don't leave me,"
There were stairs and corridors, and people, so many people.
"I don't want to be alone again..."
"Celeste," came my cousins voice, softened from worry, however his next words would make me cry harder than an infant child.
"You will never be alone."
god's if this is a dream...NO...if it's an illusion, a nightmare or hell!
Please...I don't want to wake up.