'Your own magic will destroy you.'
I couldn't budge. I was staring at a vast derelict land where the sun was high up. It seemed that I was sitting on the ground, back against a large tree and was staring into nothing. My body was aching all over and the coolness of the zephyr nipped at my numb and cold feet and fingers.
I tried to move but the body wasn't mine to control. Is this a memory? Or a dream?
'Constantly striving with no goal, are you fine living like that?'
The same voice continued. I wanted to search around for the source of the voice but my vision suddenly went blurry. I blinked and tried to focus but it was in vain. It looked like I was losing consciousness.
'The Emperor would dispose of you the moment you become useless anyway. So it's only right for––'
'...!'
My eyes sprang open as if somebody had splashed cold water to my face. I wouldn't exactly call it a nightmare but I was sweating like it was one. After a few attempts to calm myself down, I began breathing normally and rubbed my face.
Hmm?
I stared at the light bluish grey canopy above my head. I was lying down on a soft mattress, body covered with a blanket.
Wasn't I sleeping in the tea house?
As if on cue, the door opened and Helena entered. I sat up and she saw me.
'Miss Luna!' she beamed. 'Good morning!'
I smiled. 'Good morning Helena.'
'You must've been tired,' she said and grabbed my arm to help me down the bed. I was confused at this gesture because I am a grown, healthy woman, capable of walking by myself but I guess it's a this-world thing. 'I've prepared a bath for you!'
'I don't remember coming back here,' I said.
'Oh, of course,' she replied then giggled, 'Mavis brought you back. You were sleeping like a log.'
I stopped walking. Mavis?
Helena tilted her head. 'Miss Luna?'
M-Mavis, the black cobra? It brought me to my room? At once, I began to imagine the cold scale brushing against my skin as it wrapped its coil around my body, slithering into the night to my manor and into my room. The repeated patterns on its… body…
I felt a lump in my throat and my mind went blank. My legs lost all their energy and I dropped on the floor like a melted pudding.
'Miss Luna!!'
***
'Do you need anything? Books?' Helena asked for the second time as she was about to leave my room with the food tray that I ate on.
When I woke up after hearing that Mavis was the one who brought me to my room, I was naked and soaked in the bath with Helena rubbing my arms with soap. She spoke of how thin I've become and I agreed with her.
She helped me choose an outfit but there were only black robes, cloaks, shirts, pants and plain dresses. I almost hit my head on the wall for the fact that I expected there would be a t-shirt and a pair of track pants.
Helena also said that it was the first time I allowed her to do such things for me: preparing a bath, bathing me, helping me choose an outfit and so on. Usually, she had said, Luna would discourage maids from going into her room. She basically could do everything with magic, but taking note of how determined Helena was to do her work, she sometimes would ask her to bring her food or clean robes to wear.
But that was all. Helena never did anything extreme or tiring and complained she was getting fat. I could only laugh at that. She then ran out to bring food and waited for me to eat.
I smiled at her. 'Sure, books,' I said, thinking maybe I could find out about Sirius through books.
Helena's eyes gleamed when I responded. 'What kind of books would you like?'
I hummed, 'May I have books about Sirius or anything relating to magicians?'
She looked surprised and probably remembered I lost my memories then nodded. 'Okay, I'll be right back!' she exclaimed and ran out. I could hear her squeal a bit outside and the sound of plates clashing then rushing footsteps.
I chuckled at her cute antics.
***
I was getting bored reading historical stuff about Sirius. The most powerful forces ever held, land full of products and possessions, et cetera; I mean, of course the villain had to be powerful and get all the advantages he needed.
Basically, Sirius: a country on the West side of Alshain, the Center. It consists of several regions but all are under the Emperor's orders and laws. From as long as history can remember, magicians have been loyal by the side of emperors of Sirius. But that was only it.
Sprawled tummy-first on the soft bed, I closed the thick book and reached for another, which supposedly would tell me what I need to know about magicians. I began reading.
Every time I came across meaningful information, I felt like highlighting it but I was reminded that I'm not living in my world so I called Helena for a pen, in which she frowned.
'I mean, ink!' I quickly corrected myself.
'And a quill?' she added.
'Uhh, yes, and some papers too, please?'
She nodded and ran out.
***
[ Elias ]
His boots tapped against the marble floor tile and the sound resonated throughout the main hall of Ophiuchus. There weren't many maids or butlers in the manor since Luna naturally does everything using her magic. Luna doesn't get many visitors as well because she didn't have many friends or companies that necessarily needed to enter her manor.
'Sir Elias?' a voice called out.
Elias halted and turned his head to Helena, who stood behind him in wonder. 'Helena,' he greeted. 'I told you to drop that "Sir" off my name.'
She shook her head. 'It doesn't feel right to call someone of a higher status just by the name,' she said.
'I'm not of a higher status than anyone, we're all the same.'
'You say that but you know it's true we all have different statuses.'
He sighed, 'Fine. Then, call me Elias when we're alone.'
Helena frowned a bit. 'That sounds very suggestive.'
Elias crossed his arms and tilted his head.
She laughed. 'It was a joke,' she said. 'If you're looking for Miss Luna, she's in her room, reading.'
'Thanks,' he nodded, then strode off.
Helena stared at his back while he walked to Luna's chamber. If one looked hard enough, they would notice the glint of longing in her pitch black eyes.
***
Elias knocked on the door thrice but there was no answer. He waited a little bit more and when Luna still did not respond, he entered carefully.
'Oh.'
He unknowingly whispered when he saw the magician––now a Healer, sitting crossed legs on the bed but her body was bent in a way her forehead rested on the open book in front of her. Her left hand was tucked under her abdomen while her ink-tainted right hand was lifelessly holding a quill.
He chuckled and approached the girl.
Elias intended to pull her body up and down on the bed properly but when he pulled, she groaned and rolled on her back against the books spread on the bed. The ink that was carelessly placed on the unstable mattress tumbled and spilled all over the papers and blanket.
Wordlessly, he picked it back up and touched the paper, allowing his magic to clean the ink. He was about to clean the one on the blanket when he unintentionally read the writings on the paper.
Elias - unmentioned, true identity? Purpose?
Luna - lost her magic, died, reinc
He frowned. It seemed that she had fallen asleep before she got to write the rest. Elias examined other papers that she had written on. She was researching and taking notes about Sirius and magicians.
Did she lose that many memories? Elias thought to himself.
'True identity?' he couldn't help but blurt it out. 'You really forgot about me as well, Luna?'
As if she heard what he was saying, she stretched and exhaled sharply then went still. Elias looked at his hand.
'I'm not doing very well, either, so you need to get a hold of yourself,' he said.