Chapter 11. 5
In a single day, not even a day since it wasn't even past early morning, Eden's entire life was over thrown and thrust into absolute turmoil. For reasons he'll never get to know, by someone he once trusted. He reached out for Reiya to check her heart beat. Luckily, the girl was still breathing, but her injuries made it clear that she would not be long for this world.
Eden recalled Ginevra's words about how cannibals can regenerate their injuries by ingesting blood. He didn't know how nor did he care to, instead he chose to believe that what Ginevra said was true. He formed a small knife to cut himself and brought the severed tissue to Reiya's mouth.
Come on! Drink up already.
In response to Eden's internal plea, a single drop of blood flowed into Reiya's mouth. Her eyelids sprang apart revealing a golden hue in her eyes, a colour that differed from her normal shade of emerald. She sat herself upright, startling Eden all the while.
"R-reiya?"
His calls fell on deaf ears. She didn't respond to his calls, or rather she couldn't. Her mind was too occupied by the thought of whatever liquid she had just tasted. She brought her lips closer to Eden, prying her mouth open as she did. In a shocking twist she bit down on the boy's shoulder sucking the blood that curdled within him.
Reiya's body temperature continued to increase the more blood she drained from him. Eden stifled his cries of pain. He watched as Reiya continued to drain his blood. A puff of steam started emerging from Reiya's hand and chest, the destroyed cells from both areas started repairing themselves.
In a short while Reiya's injuries were healed. She peeled herself away from Eden with a bloody mouth. Her breath fogged as she breathed in and out. The golden hue in her eyes was still maintained, they sparkled brightly in the reflection off Eden's eyes.
Eden shook Reiya by her shoulders, snapping the girl out of her mindless daze. Her eyes regained focus, they darted towards Eden, more specifically his neck where a steady flow of blood ran like a river. Upon realizing what she had done she grabbed Eden by his shoulder.
"Eden, are you alright!?" she exclaimed, the boy's blood spewing from her mouth.
Eden fell on Reiya's chest as if his entire body was shutting down. He embraced Reiya as tightly as his small frame could manage.
"Eden….." Reiya murmured.
"I'm sorry!" Eden yelled with his eyes shut.
Tears began flowing from the boy's eyes. All the emotions he had pent up from the previous night had finally come full circle. "Please, forgive me."
"It's okay…."
"Not it's not!! I'm sorry! I never should've…I never should've put you through all that, I know that now! I was doing what I thought was best. I wanted to understand myself through you!"
Eden's ramblings were lost on the girl. She thought back to the previous day, about how she showed up for her date with Eden only to be stood up by him. Of course she later found out why he didn't show. Ginevra had told her everything as they were on their way to the store.
Reiya sucked in a deep breath, she embraced Eden as he unloaded on her bosom. "I know you didn't mean to. I forgive you."
"Thank you...…Scott. That means a lot to me."
Reiya's eyes, heart, body, mind, every cell in her body jolted simultaneously at the sound of that name. She recalled a conversation with Eden prior to their date agreement, a conversation where he clearly stated that he'd never been to the Tribal Territory. And even if he had been, the chances of him meeting that person were slim to none.
Yet despite that, his name escaped Eden's lips with such ease. He spoke his name so freely it was almost like he knew the man for years.
"Eden you..." she stammered. "How do you know my unc-…..!"
Her question was left hanging halfway through by a sudden burst at the door. A young black haired knight rushed in from the door with black liquid covering his body.
"Water God, where are you!" he begged.
His once strained face, relaxed at the sight of Eden and Reiya embracing each other. It quickly turned to that of a confused man when he saw Reiya's lips that were now coated in crimson.
"Miss Reiya, your mouth."
Reiya brought her hands to her lips, it finally dawned on her that her mouth was completely covered in blood. Eden's blood. Her face immediately took the shade of her lips, it reddened so much that it was barely recognisable as a human face. She jumped to her feet in less than a second.
"This isn't what it looks like!"
"Then you weren't trying to eat the Water God?"
Kai's question jabbed at Reiya's heart. "No I was just...."
"Nevermind. We need his assistance. It's become utter turmoil outside."
"Right. Eden wake up!"
Eden, who was now prostrated in frustrated anger, raised his head as Reiya called out his name. His eyes were devoid of light, but he continued to glance around the room seeing it for the complete mess that it was.
"Reiya? What happened? Wasn't there.... Where's….. Luck?"
Eden's delirious rumblings were understandable given his circumstances. Reiya readied herself and shook Eden back to his senses. "Eden pull yourself together!"
Light slowly returned to Eden's eyes. A single tear streaked from his left eye. "When did your hair get so short?"
"He's still concussed. Can you understand me?"
"…."
"Eden!?"
"Yeah." He said finally. "My head hurts so much."
"You've suffered a slight concussion. It should wear off in a little while."
Eden hugged his head. "No I think I just had a really long dream. Like I just got royally betrayed by someone I trusted."
Reiya's face darkened at Eden's words. She struggled to broach the topic, to outright tell him to his face that he was betrayed by someone they both trusted. By their employer, whom they've worked with for three years, Luck Valentine. While Reiya wrestled with the idea of broaching the topic with Eden, Kai took charge and brought it up for her.
"The capital is under attack!" he shouted. "Water God, we need your help!"
Eden's mind returned to life. It immediately focused all of the boy's attention on a single goal; finding Za- I mean Luck Valentine, and stopping him.