'Heartless. That's all you are.'
This time, I was lying on solid ground, looking up at the bright sky, where the sun hid behind thick clouds. It was as if someone threw me in the middle of a bare desert and left me to dry like a dead fish.
'So consider this a gift from me. A gift of sweet revenge.'
The female voice sounded like she was crying. My eyes began to close slowly. And then I only saw blackness. Even after blinking a few times, it was still darkness that I saw.
So I just gazed at the emptiness, hoping I'd wake up. But all of a sudden, there was an intense strength of wind blowing. My eyes were opened and I was now looking at calm ocean water. My feet were at the edge of whatever I was standing on, probably a jetty but I couldn't be sure because I couldn't move.
'Are you fine living like that?'
It was the same voice in the first dream I had. And then, miraculously, my mouth moved. It wasn't me who willed it but the body I was in who had spoken.
'I'm kind of tired of existing… of everything…'
It was Luna's voice. This must be the original Luna and I'm reliving her memories or something of that sort.
'It has not happened yet, you're holding out good.'
The foreign voice replied.
'I wish for death,' Luna said quietly.
'Death will come, it's just a matter of time and until then, you're bound to suffer.'
'The sins I have committed, is there any more forgiveness left for me to ask for?'
Suddenly the voices rang in my head like a loud bang. I winced but the voices became louder and louder, as if someone turned the volume to the max. My ears hurt and so did my head.
I screamed.
***
I woke up with a start and my heart was beating so quickly I thought I was about to die. I breathed in but my trachea seemed so narrow it felt like I was choked.
'...na! Helena…!' I tried to scream. 'Helena!!'
The door burst open urgently. I didn't turn to look but it wasn't Helena that approached me. A large hand was placed on my chest and I calmed down, albeit still breathing heavily. The person laid me back on the bed. I looked.
'Elias,' I spoke.
'Did you have a nightmare?' he asked.
I nodded. My head was still hurting from the loud voices, as if it wasn't a dream at all.
'Don't worry,' he said. 'You'll only dream of good things now.'
'What?' and only then, the drowsiness hit me. Oh God, I don't want to sleep again––it'd be nightmares all over. My head felt light and I thought I was swaying, like a baby in a mother's arms being rocked and lulled to sleep.
My eyes were closing. 'No…' I moaned. 'Not again…'
***
'Is it okay to let her sleep again?'
Elias turned his head to Helena who was standing at the doorway, leaning on one side, a feather duster in her hand.
'Yeah.'
'I thought His Majesty called her over,' she replied.
'I'll explain to him,' said Elias and stood from the bed. 'Set up the scented candles.'
'I know,' Helena said and walked away. Elias took one last look at Luna and left as well.
***
[ Lucilius ]
'Your Majesty.'
Lucilius was reading a book when a knock on the door came. He was lying on his bed, right leg crossed over his left one and one hand behind his head.
'Come in,' he said without looking away.
The door opened and a knight entered.
'Archer,' Lucilius spoke, glancing at the silver-haired male. 'How did it go?'
Archer von Eins, aide of the emperor and the strongest knight in Sirius. He was just back from a special mission tasked by the emperor himself. He had silver hair, which would glisten in the sun and ocean blue eyes that would shine in the dark. His armor rustled as he knelt on one knee.
'The Truth Potion worked fine,' began Archer. 'I tracked the group of bandits but they were murdered. One of them was barely alive so I forced it on him.'
'Turns out, they were paid to kill her,' he continued. 'From a person who did not reveal his/her identity. They were given a small bottle of red liquid each and were told to let it open when approaching the magician. They did that and lured her to a secluded place before making a move.'
Lucilius frowned. 'She didn't fight back?'
Archer shook his head. 'Apparently, no. He said she looked like she was out of it or something along that line then and they began their work. They never got their payment but were instead attacked by an unknown, unseen force.'
'Typical,' Lucilius muttered then leaned against his pillow. 'Did you get the bottle?'
'I did but it was empty, barely a single drop,' Archer answered. 'Still, I have given it to the physician to be checked.'
The emperor nodded.
Archer was silent, thinking. Then, 'If I may ask, how badly was she injured?'
'A seemingly fatal stab on her heart, bruises here and there,' he replied and flipped a page of the book he was holding. 'I deemed her dead but Elias begged me to bring her back to the tower, convinced she could be saved.'
'So you brought her back?'
'Yes, and she was in a coma for a week and a half before waking up.'
Archer waited. He knew there was more to it.
Lucilius glanced at the knight and sighed, 'At one point during the time she was bedridden, Elias blurted out about her magic slipping away while I was with him.'
'Knowing you, you must have ordered an execution for the magician.'
'Right after she woke up,' said Lucilius. 'But she claimed she lost her memories and when I stabbed her, she healed herself in a matter of seconds.'
'Heal!?' Archer gasped, surprised by what he heard.
'She's the official Healer instead now, but of course it's kept a secret. Elias is handling the affairs with the citizens in her place.'
'A Healer…' Archer murmured.
'I'm thinking of asking her about the attack now, she should have at least remembered something.'
'What a blessing for our country to have gained a Healer,' said Archer.
'Truly,' said Lucilius, annoyed.
Archer smiled. 'You don't seem so happy about it, though.'
'It's nothing,' Lucilius scowled, then closed his book, putting it beside him. 'You may leave.'
'Yes, Your Majesty.'
When Archer left his chamber, Lucilius sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. As much as he told himself he didn't care about the incident whether it was an accident or not, he still ordered his aide to investigate what really happened. It didn't make any sense when the greatest magician Sirius has ever had had disappeared for days and when traced, she was found wounded and dying.
Besides, it angered him that someone would even think of injuring a prominent member of the country, as it could also indicate a declaration of war. The fact that the magician was attacked was kept a secret from almost everyone; only certain people knew of the incident.
Who could've been more powerful than Luna?
Lucilius got off his bed and put on a robe before heading out to the garden.
***
At the garden…
Lucilius, standing crossed-arms, side by side with Mavis, the two stared at the lady sleeping in the tea-house of Orion, head on the table and with a faint, occasional snoring.
'You bring her back,' Lucilius told Mavis. Mavis didn't budge. 'Are you still sulking?'
The cobra turned away from him.
'Mavis.'
But the animal didn't stop; it kept slithering and finally disappeared into the night. Lucilius frowned.
***
'Who's here in the middle of the n––Your Majesty!'
The maid of Ophiuchus whined, rubbing her eyes then quickly dropped to the ground onto her knees when she saw who walked in through the door that was linked to the emperor's palace.
'Tell her it was Mavis who brought her back,' spoke Lucilius as he headed for the Healer's room. Helena followed behind his back nervously.
'Yes, Your Majesty,' she replied timidly. All the sleepiness in her eyes were gone and it was as if she was being thrown a bucket of ice water.
The emperor placed the girl on the bed and left without saying anything further. Helena bowed deeply then rushed to tuck the Healer in.