I woke up to a jolt, it was like being struck by lightning. I gasped for air and after calming my poinding heart down, I looked around. White walls, the smell of medicine and an uncomfortable bed. It was a sick room, but it was weird. Everything was so modern, that such a thing shouldn't exist in this world. Am I in a dream?
The next moment the door opened and a familiar figure walked in. It was my Eiran, but at the same time he wasn't. His eyes were full of the same kindness and affection as he looked at me but his body was different, as was the color of his hair and eyes.
I wanted to sit up, but to my surprise my body wouldn't cooperate with me. Seeing this, he was by my side within a second.
„Carefully." His voice was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Just what the heck is going on? „Don't try to get up. You've been lying on this bed for a long time, so you need to be gentle with your body."
„Where am I? What happened?" I looked at him in utter confusion. We fell in the pond and then what happened? How much time has passed? He looked troubled by my question.
„How much do you remember?" He sat down next to my bed, his movements slow and careful. „Are you okay?"
„Yes, I'm fine." He tried to reassure me with a smile. „I regained my consciousness a few days ago and I'm still not completely used to my old body, but... What is your last memory?"
„We... we fell into the pond in our garden during the celebration after my father's curse was lifted." I slowly recalled everything. Just why do we keep falling into the water? „I'm sorry for dragging you along." I heard a sigh of relief as he took my hand in his.
„No, I'm happy about it. Honestly, I was very surprised and confused when I woke up. Then the doctors told me I was in a coma for months and that you still didn't open your eyes... I was terrified... Terrified that you were left behind.„ I had no idea what was going on, but I wanted to calm him down so I squeezed his hand.
„Are we... back on Earth? Just what happened?" This whole situation was a completely nonsensical mess.
„Yes, we're back." He confirmed it. „At first I wasn't sure if it was real or a long dream. But you also remembered, so either we dreamed the same dream or we crossed worlds." For a long moment, neither of us said anything. It was a lot to take in.
„I'm sorry for keeping you waiting again," I whispered guiltily, looking down. He turned my head towards him and kissed my forehead lovingly.
„No.„ He shook his head. „Thank you for waking up. I'm incredibly glad that you're here with me. And your family will be overjoyed too. They usually come in the afternoon and...Oh, I should let the doctors know you're awake." He lightly smacked his head in realization, then tried to stand up.
„No... Not yet." I grabbed his arm to stop him. „My family..."
Who's my family now? The people I left behind? The people I returned to? My kind-hearted mother or my passionate, fierce mother? My reliable, strong father or my clumsy but creative father? My adorable sibling or my cheeky one? They were all precious to me, but...Who is I?
„Darling." It was a great shock to my system. He was always embarrassed about using pet names, so he only did it when I teased him into it. „Look at me." He cupped my face in his hands so I had no choice but to look into his eyes. „What you look like, what your name is...They don't matter. What important is who you are underneath it all, without all these labels and facades. You're you, my other half, no matter what world we are in."
„I love you." He said the same thing, only in more elegant words. „And I always will, no matter how I define myself, but... How should I deal with this? I lost my family again." He stroked my hair gently. „What about yours? Did you meet them again?" He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
„In fact, they paid me a quick visit asking how I was and then disappeared saying they would come back as soon as their schedule cleared." I felt my pulse start to quicken, but he just smiled mockingly. „It was more than I expected from them. So don't get mad, I really don't care." I knew it was the truth, but reaching this point was truly hard for him and I will always resent them for it. They weren't bad people, but they were terrible parents who didn't even deserve their child's respect. „My siblings were here yesterday, in tears. „I'm not surprised. They adore him. „It was very tiring." So he says but there was a smile at the corner of his mouth. Hah, his dishonest side has come out again. We haven't really had time for each other because of everything that's been going on, so I was happy to witness this side of him privy only to me.
„I'm sorry that you lost your family, too." He didn't show it, but I am sure it wasn't easy for him to come to terms with what happened. He was torn from his easygoing life, free of responsibilities and difficulties, to to return to a world where he had to take care of so many things that he lost sleep over it. I laid my hand on his. „But I'm here for you, and we'll get through everything together." I nodded in determination.
„I'm glad to hear it, but I don't think of it as 'losing my family'.
„Then?" I looked at him in wonder.
„I made a discovery." He reached for something on my bedside table and then showed it to me. „Do you know this book?"
„Oh!" I bought it before and wanted to read it on the ship, but in the end, I didn't have the chance. It's a spinoff of Hands Off My Knight, that's why I purchased it, but I didn't even read the blurb. „Where did you get this?" I reached out and took it in front of me. The man on the cover looked familiar.
„Your parents left it for you, in case you wake up without them and feel bored." He shook his head in disbelief but smiled. Seriously, what kind of person do they think I am? I like to read, but it wouldn't be the first thing I would do when I wake up from my coma. „I skimmed it through while I was sitting here and it's interesting, to say the least. Have you read it before?" His eyes shone with a curious type of interest.
„I didn't have time. Why?"
„Just read the introduction." He answered.
„Rihian... What? Rihian?" I probably looked ridiculous but I couldn't care. „This makes no sense at all!"
„I don't want to spoil it for you so I won't go into details, but your little brother became the main lead in this story and you're only mentioned lightly."
„How... preposterous." I said with an amused smile on my lips. „What about Lirietta?"
"They gloss over the fact that your father was cursed, although it is written that he was ill and it is mentioned that you set out to find a cure. And it was during this time that you met your future husband, whose name is not being revealed, and you were the one who connected Rihian to his female lead."
„So I am an insignificant character with the most important role. I'm not dead, am I?" I gave him a side-eye. You can't trust romance novels in some regard.
„Nope, you're happily married. With me, hopefully." I let out a loud breath.
„How could we dream ourselves into a story so well without knowing it?" I was absolutely flabbergasted. Just what happened to us? Was it a dream? Or a hallucination? Or did we really go to another world and then come back?
„I..Um...So..." What could be so hard to say? He only hesitated to speak when he was afraid it would affect me negatively.
„You can tell me anything. I am too surprised to feel anything else." I tried to reassure him.
„We... died." Okay? „We lost consciousness in the water and by the time they rescued us, we weren't breathing. They managed to bring us back, but we didn't wake up. That is why the doctors feared that we suffered some brain damage and might never wake up."
„I see." I didn't know what to think. It just didn't seem real at all. We were dead...We were dead. Then we were reborn somewhere else. But then we were resurrected... without a soul? I looked up at him with a sudden realization. „Do you think some higher power assumed we were dead for good and sent us to our next life? But then they discovered their mistakes and sent us back here? But then what about Lirietta and...?"
„I think we came back to finish this life before continuing our next. So I don't think I've lost my family, we will just be apart for a few decades"
„You think?" I wanted to believe that too. I didn't want to lose any of my family.
„Oh, I knew you would be here." A nurse poked her head in. „Oh my! You woke up!" She sounded excited and happy at this discovery. „You should have notified someone, no matter how glad you were to talk to her again." She scolded him. „A doctor needs to see her."
„I'm sorry. I stopped him because I needed some time to collect myself." I apologized sincerely and she sighed.
„I understand. Go back to your room, it's time for your check-up." She told him and after waving at me he obeyed. „And you stay here, I will call your doctor." She hurried away and I plopped down, still holding the book. I exhaled.
So you became the male lead. I hope you found happiness, Rihian. And I hope we can meet again. With Father and Mother too. I'm glad everything was resolved before I got back, otherwise I would be too anxious to live my life. I'm so relieved.
But from now on it will be different when I read a book. Because what happens after I put that book down? What if happily ever after is only a limited time and bad things will happen in their future? No matter how much I wish for their eternal happiness, the main characters will experience sadness and loss, and eventually die because that's part of life. Nothing lasts forever. Fiction and real life... The lines between them became so blurred sometimes.
But whatever happens, I will keep to believe in you, that you can overcome adversaries and find happiness with your important people. Even if I can no longer see you, even if we both perish and start all over again... Main characters – just like me in my own life as a leading role – die and are then are reborn again as part of the cycle of life. And that's fine as long as we can all continue to pursue our individual happiness.