"Welcome my children" the king chirped. We made our way towards the king and sat on the adjacent seats in right side row. I was sitting near the king, Lilith on my left side and lopez on left of Lilith.
We ate the meal silently. It was an awkward situation to spell a single word. How would one feel to have a dinner with the king himself? What are we even supposed to say!!
"Lilith and Lopez, do you know about realm orb?" The king asked while slurping his soup.
"No sire" they both replied in monotonous manner.
" Lucas, do you have any idea?" The king asked without giving a glance.
" No sire, I am afraid I don't." I replied with my full attention on the king.
" Hmm." He finished his meal and we also hurried with ours. We got completed a few seconds after him. Then a servent came with a towel and bowl full of water. We were also provided with the same service. They washed our hands and dried it with the towel. When we were done, the king dismisses all maidens and servants to provide privacy to our conversation.
"The orb, which is the reason we all are still in existence, needs to be kept hidden from everyone. It is not just any jewel or ornament. It is a key. A key to a place where entrance is forbidden. It is made by the great almighty himself. The almighty who had created orcas and underworld." The king narrated as we listened carefully.
"It is the duty of nobel to protect it at any cost. It doesn't matter even if your life is snatched, this orb should never reach wrong hands. It is duty of a warrior to keep it safe and secure." He placed his hands on his beard again as he swiftly fiddled his finger downward and reached his robes. He rummaged is his robes to find something and his eyes gleamed when he found that particular string. He fished out the silver chain wrapped around a red orb. It was glowing from within as it shined brightly.
"Wow!! Sire is this the orb you're talking about?" I asked in awe.
"Yes my son. This is it." He had a proud smile on his face as the orb shined brightly in his palms. He took that chain out and knotted it around my neck. I was speechless. I looked at the orb as I touched it. My fingers glided through its hexagon shape as it's sharp ends erect on my skin.
"Beautiful" I whispered.
"Indeed." The king said.
"Sire, I have a question if you allow." Lilith asked, his eyes still stuck on the jewel around my neck.
"Proceed." The king asked composing his serene self.
"You said it's a key? I didn't understand. To where does this key belong!?" He asked a relevant question as this part confused me as well.
"This is the key to a section in a different end of universe. This is key to Morana. No one has visited it in years. Nobody needed to. And hopefully no one needs to in future as well. But just in case, it must be protected." The king replied.
" What is Morana sire?" I asked.
"That even I don't know. When I was passed this orb, I was told to protect it and hand on to next ruler. The information I had, I shared. When in need, someone destined to tell you would come and tell everything you need to know. For now, serve your duty."
I nodded. He smiled as he took the orb in his palm one more time before hiding it in my folds of silver robes, I was wearing.
"Sire, it's time for patrol. Me and Lilith now need to depart so we could check on the realm crimes. Allow us sire." The king nodded as they both stood from the chair, bowed and left in perfect synchrony.
The king stood up from his chair and I imitated his action. He smiled as he motioned me to follow him.
" Do you know the best part about selected as next king ??" He asked.
" No sire." I replied as a matter of fact.
" You get your one wish fulfilled." It hit me like a lightning. I can have my one wish fulfilled. It means I can ask for whatever I want. I can go back to her too. Now I know what Lilith and Lopez meant by "you'll know'".
"Sire, can I ask you a personal question?" I asked. He nodded as I saw his head bobbing in an agreeing motion from where I was following him. I was two steps behind him.
"Sire...did you fell in love when you were alive on earth?" I asked. I was not sure of the question I asked was right thing to do or would it pave the way I wanted to create.
The king stopped in his tracks as he eyed me suspiciously. He let out a sigh and then changed his direction. I trailed at his tail. He guided me through a known track. He formed a beeline to a very familiar biome.
The silver pond.
He acquired the edge where I was sitting before presenting myself to the court. Did he knew about my lovestory? Am I doomed?? I was lost in my thoughts when he clicked his tongue as he patted the space beside him. I occupied the vacancy.
"Do you see that woman there?" He pointed his finger down the silver mirror from where I could see an old woman, around age sixty. She was sitting in an armchair in her garden. Her white locks waving freely in wind and her face gave an idea of how beautiful she would have been in her younger days.
"She is pretty sire." I agreed.
"She was my first love. We were returning from our marriage when that car accident happened. She got paralysed and I went in coma. Her lower body was heavily damaged and I lost my life during brain surgery. I cried a lot that day. The king before me recruited me from the earth. He was really kind."
I saw tears as shiny as diamond well up in his eyes. But a smile was persistent on his face. He was railing through his memories while I felt really bad after witnessing his broken state.
" But I am happy. I can watch her from here. I was so nervous when the doctors refused to operate her because of economical crisis in the family. My family wasn't able to pay the fees and doctor refused to treat her. I silently cried every night watching her from here."
" Then what did you do sire?" I asked in a low tone.
" Then the former king announced me as the next king and told me about wish system. I wished for richness. I wished for my family on earth to become enough wealthy to never face any problem. I can't do anything, but I am happy at least I managed to save her life."
I smiled. That was purest love I have ever witnessed. He sacrificed his wish for the woman he loved. Would I ever be able to love anyone that deep? It makes me question if my love for her is real? It makes me doubt even if my feelings for her is really love or just a crush. I don't know, but I'll figure it out.
"Sire..I know what I want to wish for." The king looked at me as I was still looking in the silver waves, finding a particular face. But she wasn't here. Might be sleeping.
"What is it son?!" He asked softly.
"I want to return to earth. I want to live again. I need to figure out many things. And complete the stories I left years ago. I have work undone which I want to fulfill first." I tried to frame my reason but it came out as broken sentences.
" I can't give you life Lucas. No one once died can live again. Ask for something else." He replied.
" Sire, I am not asking for you to make me alive again. I am asking for just a little time. Back on earth. Even as a soul. I agree to your every terms. Just send me back to earth."
" But why are you so desperate to go. Is there anything you're hiding from me?" He spoke many thing after that which went through my deaf ears as I was focusing on that particular door in human world. The gates opened revealing her. She came in her night dress which was a baby pink shirt matched with baby pink shorts. Her hair was untied and a single bracelet dangled in her right wrist. She looked super cute. I got excited just my her plain sight.
I didn't even notice that king was following my gaze as a smile claimed his once sad face. He chuckled murmuring something which sounded like 'kids these days'. I realised where I was and I turned to face the king with horrified expression.
"I am sorry sire, I didn't meant to ignore you..it's just-" before I continued, he laughed as I was left in a perplexed emotion.
"I know, I know. Girls and teenage. I understand my boy. Don't forgot I was once a teenager as well. Anyways, will three months do?"
"Three months!? For what sire?"
"Three months, in human world. For your love story. Because you need to learn king tactics as well since I have got a notice from underworld and I'll have to bestow in next four months."
" Ohh! That's why the ceremony was today. I got it . And thankyou sire for granting my wish" I was so happy that it became so hard to remain calm. I wanted to dance and sing and jump with happiness but that would be childish. Not to forget the king himself is present here.
" When can I go sire? I need to inform my friends as well" I tried to hide my excitement but I clearly failed. The king chuckled as he ruffled my light blonde hair and remained silent for a moment.
" The sooner you'll go, the sooner you return. Tomorrow when it's day in earth, you'll wake at the place you died. But don't forget to protect the orb. It's a great responsibility on your shoulders. Future of orcas depends on you." The king said. But I was busy celebrating in my own world of thoughts. I can't believe it's happening. I was speechless. It's really happening. I'll meet her.
" You know you could have asked something for your parents." The king suggested.
" Sorry to deny sire, but my parents are already in underworld. They died an year after my death." I replied.
" Oh..sorry to hear." He apologized genuinely.
" It's alright sire. We were anyways dying being apart from each other. If we look at positive note, I died an year ago which was troubling my parents, now they don't have to live with the guilt. If I were alive then I would have to live as an orphan for rest of my years. So I think, everything happened was reasonable."
" You are too smart and mature for your age Lucas. It sometimes surprises me." The king patted my shoulders as I felt my nostrils flair with pride.
" Thankyou sire." I stood from my place as I bowed him.
" Wish you a great night sire, now I need to find my friends before i disappear from here." I announced as I ran from there.
" Good night to you too my boy." I heard his chuckling voice from a distance.
I made a run through galaxies as I finally found them near a Nova star. They were resting there and talking. I quickly pulled them in a hug as they were surprised for a second but then hugged back.
" So our Lucas is going back to earth huh?" Lopez asked, still in hug.
" Yeah..how do you know?" I didn't break the hug either.
" We figured it out. It was obvious what you will wish for." Lilith spoke this time.
" Thankyou guys. I am truly grateful." I was on the edge of tears. I got the bestest friends in this universe.
" For how much time?" Lopez mumbled in my shoulders.
" Three months. I am leaving in few hours. Wave me from the sky every night. I promise to wave back." I cried.
" Sure thing king." They replied.
The rest of the night we spent together on the nova, chatting and discussing all the irrelevant things in the universe. I still don't appreciate that lopez told the beard incident to Lilith to which he laughed his ass out.
I looked at them with warm eyes as I took their laughing image in my memory and stored it forever. Who knows when will I see them again? I saw the rays of sun splashing a side of earth, awakening the darken slept parts. I knew it was my time.
"Guys...it's time." I announced.
"Take care buddy. Don't forget us." Lilith was first to respond as we hugged again.
"Yeah and remember your promise to watch us every night. Adn sont be nervous, I know you'll do well." Lopez joined too.
" Okay mom!" I replied playfully as she hitted my shoulder a few times. We hugged for few more minutes before I parted ways with them. I turned to watch them waving as I waved back happily.
I stood at some distance as my figure started vanishing. First my hands vanished, then my legs, then face and then chest. I felt dizzy in the process as I felt my energy being sucked out. My head started spinning and I finally gave up my conciousness to the blackness around. The next thing I knew was, I was lying on a cemented rock hard material.
Where am I?