Chương 17: Vol. 1 - Bittersweet Reunion

I opened my eyes to see the familiar dark sky. Eh? This is not right. Why am I in this alleyway again? I touched my body. It seems that I am back to Alistair, my old body, but why? Someone was sitting beside me on the floor, the scent of her familiar perfume drifting air. I tried to push myself up from the cold floor, but the moment my arms strained, fire lanced through my chest. My breath hitched, shallow and ragged. It felt like my ribs had splintered, every attempt to move grinding the shards deeper into me.

I clenched my teeth, willing my body to obey, but my back screamed, my shoulders buckled, and I collapsed again with a choked gasp. Even shifting a finger made pain radiate like broken glass scraping under my skin. I couldn't sit up. It was as if my own bones had betrayed me, shattered and useless, leaving me trapped, sprawled, and helpless against the ground." Hey, hey, Alistair, slow down" Her sweet, charming voice entered my ears. I turned my head to face her as she slowly put me back in my lying position.

Her long, blond hair lay on my body, slowly swaying to the wind's beat. Her light blue eyes shimmered with sadness as she watched me lie in her lap, clearly agitated. My time in this world is almost up. I should treasure every moment I have with her.

"Reine," I gave her a bittersweet smile and dug out three dried lavender leaves from my pocket with my intact hand. I opened her tightly clenched hand, slid them in, and closed her hand softly." You still like lavenders, don't you? I was going to give these to you, but…" Tears were welling up in her eyes by now, ready to spill out anytime. I gave her the best smile I could muster up from my frail body. I didn't want her to worry about the immense pain I was feeling.

"Yeah, love," Reine returned a bittersweet smile. Then it happened. She leaned down as if gravity itself had decided to favor her. Close enough that I could see the tiny tremor at the corner of her mouth, the way her breath fogged the air between us. For a heartbeat my body registered nothing but the perfume that always lingered on her — lavender, warm and bitter — and the steady thrum of her pulse under my cheek.

"Alistair," she whispered, not asking. Her voice cracked but steady. Her hand — the one that held the lavender — stroked the side of my face with the gentlest pressure, thumb feathering over my temple. The world narrowed to the heat of her palm, the ragged in-and-out of her breaths, and the soft scrape of her hair against my lips. She closed the distance. Her mouth met mine and it was everything I had never known I wanted and everything I had been terrified to ask for.

It wasn't cinematic or practiced; it was small and urgent, like someone trying to keep a candle lit in a wind that wanted to blow it out. Her lips were warm and tasted faintly of lavender and something metallic — the tang of blood from where I'd bitten my tongue trying to stop a cry. I didn't know what to do. My first instinct was the animal one: pull away, curl into the pain and hide. But her other hand was at my shoulder, anchoring me, saying without words that I could be there, that she would not let go.

The shock of it made my chest seize — not just from pain but from surprise. My heart stuttered, then surged. Every broken thing inside me sang at once: grief, relief, affection, the ridiculous, aching joy of being noticed. Her kiss deepened for a breath, then softened. She tasted of lavender and salt and a life I'd almost lost.

"Shh," she breathed against my mouth when she broke away just enough to murmur it. Her forehead rested on mine, her breath combing my hair. Tears glittered at the rims of her eyes, and one slipped free, warm and wet on my cheek. It left a trail that seared through the haze of pain more surely than any drug. I tried to speak and only a wet laugh escaped me.

My first kiss — I realized with a lurching, ridiculous clarity — happened in an alley, on a floor that bit cold through my clothes, with ribs that felt like they'd been rearranged and a girl who had been accused of killing me. The absurdity sharpened everything. I smiled, and it hurt in a way that felt holy.

"You're ridiculous," I managed, voice raw.

"Why now?" She pressed her lips to my temple.

"Because you were stupid enough to scare me to death," she replied, and there was humor tangled with pain.

"Because I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving too." She kissed me again, softer this time, an apology and a promise threaded through that single, trembling motion. This one I answered. It was clumsy and uncertain — my hands remembered how to hold a sword better than how to cup a face — but I slid them up, fingers finding the curve of her neck, palms against the warm skin at the base of her skull. Her perfume wrapped around us like a small, defiant world.

For a few breaths the ache in my ribs dimmed, dulled by the brightness of being held and kissed and known. Pain was still there — a constant, ugly drum — but it receded into the background, made tolerable by the closeness. Time thinned and stretched; every second tasted like lavender and the rough cadence of her heartbeat. When we finally broke apart, neither of us moved. We just lay there, forehead to forehead, breaths syncing slowly.

"You still like lavenders, don't you?" I whispered again, because tenderness demanded repetition. She smiled, and it was small and fierce.

"Always," she said.

"Always you." Her warmth lingered on my lips, but already I could feel the world slipping from me, as if the alleyway itself was dissolving into shadow. My chest felt heavier with each shallow breath, the pain not receding this time, but swallowing me whole. I wanted to hold on to that kiss, to her trembling hands, to the lavender clutched between her fingers. But the truth pressed down on me harder than the pain: my time here was ending. I forced a smile, though I knew it looked broken.

"Reine… I'm sorry." My voice cracked, thin and fading, as though even sound was abandoning me. She shook her head quickly, tears spilling unchecked.

"No. Don't. Don't you dare say it—don't you dare leave me again." Her grip tightened on my hand, as if her strength alone could anchor me to this crumbling body. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to stay. But my lungs burned with every word, and the cold crept further into my limbs. My fingers, once clutching her hair, slipped weakly down until they rested in her lap.

"Listen…" I whispered, barely more than breath, "my time… It's up. But… I'm glad… glad it was with you." Her sobs broke into the night, shaking her shoulders. She bent down, pressing her lips to mine again, desperate, pleading, as though she could breathe life back into me. I kissed her back—or at least, I thought I did—but the strength was gone, stolen by the weight of the dark sky above us. The last thing I saw was her face, streaked with tears, framed in gold hair that swayed like sunlight I'd never feel again."

I'll find your killer, I'll take revenge for you, just, just don't leave me…" She cried. I shook my head, giving want last bitter smile.

"I love you, Alistair," she whispered, her words quivering.

"Always." My lips tried to form her name, but only silence came. The world went dim, the pain fading into nothing, and I let myself sink into her warmth one final time. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. And then, there was only lavender. ~~~~~~~~~~~ I was trapped… … In a space where time did not exist. What have I been living for all these years? I was a Prince who had a tragic downfall, born solely to be a demon.

I've spent my whole life until now solely for the sake of being the strongest. Solely to protect my newfound family. And for what... Revenge? Money? Approval? I had all of that, but even if I had a choice, I would always choose my humble life in Starhaven then my complicated life back on Earth with various terrible mistakes made. I miss Liora. I miss Renar. I miss Lexi. And I even miss Elara already.... Mother...... Father… … Sensei…

"COUGH!! COUGH!" I opened my eyes again, with towering trees and dangling vines filling my vision as I lay on my back. However, this time, the excruciating pain that I was welcomed by told me I wasn't dreaming. Where was I? How was I alive? I tried to get up, but my body doesn't listen. The only thing I was able to manage was turn my head, and even that involved a series of throbbing pains in my neck.

"Status," I called weakly." Execute Soul Mend skill" Instantly, a wave of nourishment and refreshment flushed over me. I studied my body. It was as good as new. This time, though, I was awake for real. I was no longer in that dream of the past. I licked my lips. Lavender I could still taste it. Something tells me that that… was not a dream. But more importantly, where am I? How am I alive?

"Grrr" My stomach rumbled. Looks like I need a snack." Status,"I commanded." Open Item Box!" Still lying on the soft grass weakly, I managed to dig out a sandwich from my item box. Luckily, I had planned for a picnic with Elara, so I had brought a mountain of food, or else, I would have died of hunger a long time ago. Once I had eaten my fill and regained my will to sit up, I put on the gauntlets Lexi gave me, studying each stone. I wasn't in any dire situations now, so it's best not to use them yet.

I couldn't help but think about what happened to me when I was unconscious. Why I was asleep wasn't the problem. The problem was, why exactly am I still in one piece? This is a five-hundred-foot fall from a cliff, you know? How do I not have any severe injuries like breaking my ribs?" Oh, you're finally awake. Great question, honey. I see you have higher intelligence than most kids your age. But deary me, you don't need those gauntlets, you have me… The voice paused." … at least for now."

This sounds really suspicious. I quickly stood up and observed my surroundings. Where is he? From the way he uses those "honey" and "deary"... he must be gay. I didn't know we had gays in this world. I thought we only had gays in my other messed-up world… * Chuckle" Forgive me for interrupting your thoughts, but they are getting very disturbing. It's rude to call a lady 'he', you know?" She spoke again with the utmost elegance I could never mimic."

It is getting quite late now, you'd better come find me before they do." Who are they? A million questions were going through my head, but not a single one could be answered." All will be answered shortly."

"Then show me the way and I will follow." It took me all the courage I had to mutter up this sentence to that awfully superior being. A soft glow flickered in the darkness, two golden-silver eyes opening within the abyss. They fixed on me—not with hostility, but with a strange, commanding calm. My chest tightened as a warmth, gentle yet irresistible, stirred in the back of my mind. The world around me seemed to blur, shadows bending to her gaze.

Before I realized it, my feet were moving, guided not by will but by instinct, each step tracing the silent command hidden in her eyes. They shimmered faintly, like starlight reflected on still water, beckoning me deeper into the cavern—toward her den, where the air pulsed with ancient power. Along the way, my curiosity got the better of me. Who are you, really? Did you save me?" To your second question, yes, indeed, I did. Why? I don't know either. I only know that you are special. And who am I?

All will be revealed with time."

"Hurry on, little one, I'm the only one that can send you home." Her words jerked some sense back into me. That's right. Elara, the fall, Liora, Renar, everything came rushing back to me like a river. So it seems, I'm back in Aetherion, a world better than Earth. Then, something flowing slowly and gently caught the edge of my eye. A River!!!! I immediately took off my top and ran in. The shimmering blue water washed my body clean as I danced in it's fresh water.

It felt like it had been days since I had last bathed." chuckle How cute." The voice chuckled. I could almost feel that the voice was staring intently at my very human movements. What's fucking wrong with this pervert?

"Aww… don't swear. I'll apologise for my thoughtless comment." I swear, I could feel the voice winking at me. Grumbling, I chose to ignore the voice and put on my top. The perverted voice seemed to go silent after being unable to admire my abs. Not minding her silence, I rummaged through my item box to pull out one of my last sandwiches that tasted just like the tuna sandwich back on earth. I also took this chance to refill my water sack with clean water. I was running out of food too soon, too fast.

I hope The Voice will provide me with food, or I might as well be dead." Fear not, child, for I have food enough to quench your desires!" The Voice interrupted my thoughts. The way The Voice said it so confidently sounded so perverted that I could only roll my eyes and continue munching on my food and gulping gallons of water to prevent me from puking. Studying my position, I dropped off the cliff towards the North, so I can safely say that I'm trapped in the Briarwoods now.

Judging from the rising fog, I can tell that I'm correct. The Voice was right, it's getting late, and who knows what will attack me now?" What?! You were doubting me all along? How could you!" The Voice gasped as she was shot with the arrow of betrayal by me. With her snooping around my thoughts all the time, I feel quite insecure. Do I even have any privacy here? I need to hurry.

Aside from the rough terrain, the journey had been surprisingly calm, with only minor obstacles and patches of uneven ground to navigate. As I approached the source of the voice, the air shimmered with a dense, almost tangible flow of astralis. I resisted the urge to pause and absorb it; training could wait. Right now, I needed answers. My thoughts drifted to my parents. They probably assumed I was lost or worse, dead.

I worried less about their physical safety and more about the weight of guilt that might crush them. But for the small spark of hope that I might be alive, they have to stay strong. I arrived at the location The Voice had guided me to, yet all I saw were a few jagged boulders surrounded by twisted trees.

"I'm glad you made it here safely," The Voice said, calm and knowing, as if it had never doubted me.

"Uh… hello? Miss Voice? Lady Rocks?"

"I am neither a rock nor a pile of them. There is a narrow opening between the largest stones. That is where you'll find me," the Voice replied, a soft chuckle threading through the words. I scanned the area and finally spotted a slit just wide enough for a person to squeeze through. A faint, cool breeze brushed against my face—it confirmed I'd found the right place. Without the Voice's guidance, I would never have noticed the fissure at all.

"Child… enter the gap, but fortify yourself with your astralis first to…" I could almost taste the reunion with my parents. Without waiting for her to finish, I channeled a surge of astralis into my body and slipped into the crevice. I had expected a gentle platform to land on… but instead, the ground vanished beneath me, and I plummeted into darkness." cushion your fall." The voice finished. Ah… so that's why the Voice mentioned using astralis, I realized, screaming into the void as I fell.

When I finally hit the bottom, my back and legs ached, and I groaned, clutching myself and rubbing the pain away.

"We finally met, child," the Voice said. My stomach sank. Blood drained from my face, and my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the cold ground, staring wide-eyed at the figure who had been guiding me all this time.