Lee ~A year ago~

As Lee had finished settling into a quieter place in the castle, he heard a panicked Ken come barging in. How does he always find me? He would think to himself.

Ken: Lee please!! I…I need help.

Usually Lee would banter with Ken but this was different. Ken wasn’t his usual self, he was fidgety, clammy…his eyes kept darting all around till it met Lee’s. Seemingly not being able to focus on anything else. The ruffles in his hairdo nor even the bruises in his face seemed to bother him, yet these were tall tale signs that he had been in a fight. But with whom?

Lee: What…happened?

Ken: I… I have no time to explain. Please, I need help. The village of Falu is being attacked. No one’s helping me. Please I. I…

Lee readily got up, taking his sword and keys with him.

Lee: Tell me where to go.

Ken: We can’t take your motorbike, we have to go on horses.

He winced, but obliged, following Ken out the door.

As they made their way towards the mainland’s of the Nakai tribe, Lee had noticed a few more odd quirks about Ken like his way to navigate through the castle without being told where to go and how he was able to find a corridor that was never previously seen before and this lead them to the side of the lands that Ken’s house was place oh so coincidentally near. The fairies of the castle spread news to the rest in hopes they would join them soon. Though he wouldn’t question it for the time to come, not even then and there, the oddities that surrounded Kenneth Nakai continued to grow. While they were heading towards the stables, located near his house, Ken explained the entire situation.

Ken: There was a lot of activity going on around the cities of Zenchitlan and Tetchil. I was supposed to lead a troop out to Falu, but no one wanted to follow me. No one wanted to trust me. I told them something was off, that the village that is home to many gnomes and leprechauns, is located in between those two cities and is getting hit the hardest. But everyone was dismissive of me. Raiders, harpies, wyverns, all of them are going after the villagers of Falu and no one’s fucking caring.

As Ken led him to the stables, a trio of wolves were found, blocking his way. They sneered and smiled, as if taunting Ken. Snarls and glares came from their direction and Lee could sense that they were not normal wolves.

Ken: Bali, Sion, Tec, now is not the time.

Bali: Oh, but isn’t it?

Sion: Chief says to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.

Tec: But you will, won’t you? Make this entertaining for us.

Ken: An entire village of lives are going to be lost and all you care for is what that idiot decides what is of priority and what isn’t?

Bali: We do not make the rules.

Sion: Besides, no one wants to follow a failed warrior.

Tec: No one wants to follow a coward.

As the trio barred its fangs at Ken and Lee, Lee snapped, whacking the three of them all at once in the back of the heads.

Lee: I give no fucking shits for anyone’s bullshit orders.

Sion: You do not know our ways, demon.

Tec: We will not trust the words of a coward.

Lee: I don’t fucking care what you’ll trust. If you’re seriously going to bar him from saving lives, then I hope you’re prepared to meet your fucking death god.

Immense pressure anchored onto the trio of wolves as Lee instilled fear.

Lee: And while you meet your fucking death god, I hope you’ll explain why innocent lives were lost.

Lee’s eyes turned to pure vantablack, so soulless that sent shivers down the observers’ spine. The trio whimpered, they had few things they feared, and they wished to not invoke the demon’s wrath. Lee motioned for Ken, who was at this point awestricken, to get a move on. Ken allowed for Lee to ride on Vallah while he rode on Lala, to which although Lee had never ridden a horse before Vallah was too scared to piss him off and remained in complete obedience. Ken led the way and the trio of wolves looked at one another and decided to follow them into the battle. The trio of wolves swiftly followed behind.

As they galloped towards the village of Valu, the trio of wolves grew larger. They went from being three feet tall to being almost seven feet tall. They heard the screams echoing from burning buildings and Lee saw how much guilt built up within. How could they not take Ken’s word for this? He was told to be blessed by the gods of old, he was the one prophesized to lead the Nakai Tribe back to its former greatness. Yet, how could they so easily doubt him, the human who can listen to the trees and learn the way of the stars. The human who led where the winds would blow to and followed the forests and stars home.

Fire engulfed the entire area as distant screams of harpies and wyverns filled the area. Humanoid figures with torches ran to and from huts made of timber wood and straws, setting fire to each and every one of them. The trio of werewolves began to act as one, distracting the attackers to allow the two of them to focus on saving the villagers. Echoing cries of villagers found themselves in the ears of both Lee and Ken who tried their best to save who they could, but they were shit out of luck. The fires had grown to an alarming rate, engulfing entire areas. Raiders were losing their lives to the trio of wolves, but they were no match to fight everything around them. Harpies and wyverns took advantage of the situation, and mayhem surrounded the entire area. Screeches were mixed and Ken had looked defeated. Please, someone help us. Lee furiously thought. He felt a mixture of seething rage and seething hopelessness was all it took to surface the demon but not let it out. Ken rushed into buildings, saving who he could while taking immense damage from every enemy whom he shielded the victims against. Lee followed in pursuit, but there were too many victims, too many beings he was trying so desperately to save.

The closer one got to desperation, the likelihood chance that a miracle would arise, and it arose in an assortment of characters. A portal would pry itself open, cracking the air in the area. Terra had appeared out, with Alexis, Ben, and Danny swiftly following behind. Karin had trotted in last, ensuring everyone was healed, especially Ken who was so close to knocking on Death’s Doorstep.

Nimbi.

Rain clouds surrounded the area, putting out the fires.

Verben

Gusts of wind blew away all of the flying enemies away from Ken and Lee, causing the foes to eventually lose balance in the environment they were masters in.

Eninesta

Green magical circles with intricate designs appeared Ken and the villagers he saved.

Karin: Please, don’t give up.

Lee: Fairy news?

Karin nodded as she tried her best to distribute healing circles for everyone who was in need. Light and dark rays filled the sky as Danny and Ben did their best to rid of any of the pests that came their way. For the briefest of moments, Lee just stood there, stunned by the things his housemates could do. His concentration would soon run dry as he saw Ken bolt towards the frat as soon as he was all patched up.

Lee: Idiot.

Lee rapidly followed behind, his anger was seeping and all he could possibly see was red. The sensation of losing control was rapidly approaching. Anger swelled, but what at? A proud noble tribe not willing to save the lives of the innocents based on just the fact that Ken didn’t follow what they wanted him to do? To what end will their spite find a bound? Concentration was slipping away, all he could remember was seeing Ken barreling out of a hut with two gnomes in his arms. And everything went blank. When he woke up moments later, Karin was seen kneeling down in tears while the strong scent of iron was surrounding him.

Karin: Y-you’re okay!!!

She swiftly hugged Lee

Lee: What…happened?

Ken: You saved everyone. Don’t think about the rest.

Lee: Wh-what?

He slowly rose up and saw the piles of dead bodies. They were raiders, the raiders that set fire to the village of Valu. The raiders that Alexis, Ken, Danny, Ben, Lee, and Karin were trying to spare. Feathers and guts of harpies laid on top of the raiders. Alexis was seen drenched in blood unphased and unmoved from the events that occurred. Danny had his mouth covered while Ben looked as if death came at him.

Lee: D-did I–

Ken had just slumped on him, covering his eyes from the scene.

Ken: Y...you did good. You did good. You saved them.

But how could he know what happened that day. The day that would daunt him, the voices that he couldn’t stop hearing. For even Faustus could not explain to him what happened. And his friends had refused to talk about it, for even though he really did not mean any harm to them, the amount of gratuitous violence that they had witnessed. The only thing that had brought him any sense of security was seeing the lives he saved that day, and the lives he saved that day would always be grateful for what he had done.

They had spent the next few months with the trio of wolves, who Lee found surprisingly to be shape shifters, rebuilding their home in Nakai territory. The village of Falu had moved closer in exchange for safety.

Lee ~Present~

Shouts and screams would come from an unknown area and the group would find their way towards the source and the scene was set. Terra with yet another blade to her throat had fear written all over her face. There was once a time in her life where she would have been willing to walk right into it, but perhaps the way everything around her had changed made her think differently. Monique had tried her best to get to her but Ken, astoundingly, beat her to it.

Terra: Please let me go, I-I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to fight you, Julie, I just want to go home.

Julie: You will duel me or you will die here.

Ken: Enough! I’ll fight you.

Julie, with anger in her eyes, turned to see her only little brother defy her.

Julie: Are you aware of the stakes?

Ken: I really don’t fucking care.

Terra: P-Please it’s not worth it.

Ken: Yes it is. The opponent needs to be willing; you can’t just threaten people for whatever you want.

Julie: She’s an Evergreen.

Ken: I am beginning to think you’re the stupid one in the family. Or are you deaf? Juniper said her family name has been revoked and she has a new one now. It’s Celestine.Julie: Deep down she’s still some cultist bitch and she dies today. Not to be sacrificed for some sick demon, not for anything else but to prevent it.

Ken, bitterly: And how do you know that’s what she’s going to do? How do you know that’s what she wants!? You’re just sowing more hatred into these lands and I am not going to stand for it.

Julie: My fight isn’t with you, it's with her.

Ken had looked at both Lee and Monique and Monique had understood. She didn’t know if he knew she could do it, but she would do it anyways if it meant it was to protect her friend. She conjured a short sword from thin air, grabbed it by the blade and had effortlessly tossed it where Ken would catch it by the hilt.

Julie: You know what issuing this means.

Ken: I am leaving the tribe anyways, might as well do it in style.

He twirled the blade in his hand then lunged forward, Julie barely had any time to react. She was far too focused on trying to get to Terra which inevitably would be her downfall. Ken was relentless, he swung and thrusts his sword to no end, leaving Julie with no breathing room. Victory was within reach and he knew it. Despite his lackadaisical demeanor, there was a reason beyond him simply being the chief’s son why he was in the running to become the tribe’s leader. A position he would rather relinquish. Victory was so close but would soon be dashed as the erupting sounds of harpies and chimeras blared all throughout the area. Julie had used this distraction to try and attack Terra but was immediately blocked by Monique who had quickly teleported in front of Terra with Lee. Julie’s spear broke into pieces. All the while small screams from the makeshift gnome village that was

Ken: Shit! Gomez! Fernando!!

Lee: How the fuck did those things get here.

Ben: I thought I got rid of those fucking nests.

Ben had offered to take Terra back to the castle but she refused. She wanted to save them too. Ben nodded in agreement, revealed his fairy wings that were in the shade of the midnight sky and hopped into Ken and Lee’s shadow with Terra in tow. Half of their bodies were sinking back in to the shadows.

Julie: oh no you do –

Monique had blocked her from going any further.

Monique: Your fight is with me.

Lee: You got this?

Monique nodded in response. Of course she has this. Who am I to doubt her? He thought to himself.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Lee: I trust you then.

Ben: We’ll do the search and rescue for you three, and evacuate who you can and get to the village.

Ken had rapidly picked up the short sword Monique threw at him and rushed towards the village while Lee followed along.

Monique

As Lee and Ken left the scene, Julie tried chasing after them only to be stopped by Monique’s relentless force.

Julie: This is not your battle.

Monique: You made it mine when you decided to attack her.

Monique conjured another weapon, this time a rapier and held it up to Julie’s neck.

Julie: You wouldn’t dare kill me.

Monique: I have killed far more for less reasons.

Julie: Are you saying you would defy the gods?

Monique: Haven’t you done that enough?

Before she could make any strikes, Chief Kyluhi had shot an arrow at her, causing her to catch it in one hand while the rapier was still in the other.

Chief Kyluhi: Step away from my daughter.

Monique: Tell your daughter to stop chasing after Terra Celestine.

Chief Kyluhi: And what can a vixen like you do to me? You are of no threat.

As soon as he uttered the last word, Julie made her way up pulling out a dagger and taking a chance to strike. Yet, she had missed the entire event that had taken place in Nell’s Magic Academy and thus sorely miscalculated as Monique caused the ground Julie stood in to sink but also trap her. Chief Kyluhi had sensed this was coming from Monique and had now not only kept his eyes on her but quivered as he pulled out he spear. As he tried striking Monique, this time at a distance she grasped at it’s shaft, breaking the weapon apart. Splinters falling from the palms of her hands.

Monique: I suggest you stand down.

Chief Kyluhi: Wh-what are you?

Monique: Stand. Down. Kyluhi. Nakai.

Sharpened words would cause the stoic chief to almost kneel down. Almost. Soon, an explosion would break lose with the bellowing screams that came from the same distance as Lee, Ben, Ken and Terra. Monique made her move as quick as she could, teleporting away from the scene and leaving Chief Kyluhi to tremble as Julie still remained stuck in her position.

Lee

Emptiness, complete dark emptiness…how did this all happen? He remembered saving the gnomes and then saving the two specifically named Fernando and Gomez. When did it all go wrong? When he tried saving Ken from the burning building? Or when the screeching of the harpies and wyverns pierced his ears? When was it that the bottles just broke? All the ones that filled his rage spilled everywhere. And the the rage seeped so far through, his skin darkened. Consuming him whole. All he could hear were the screams of the beasts as well as his friends yelling to clear the area. He couldn’t see anything once again. Falling deeper and deeper into madness.

A voice called out to him. Familiarity rose. He found himself in the exact same position he was a year ago. The familiar scent of iron, the worried looks of everyone around him. All except for Monique, who had looked concerned for him, and only him. Her hands were on his face, forehead touching his…why was she crying?

Monique

As she entered the area, Terra was holding a barrier as a passed-out Ken was filled with bloodied marks, scratches, and ashes. Ben, on the other hand, had been bringing up the villagers through the shadows. From her peripheral vision, she had seen Him, the demon, Faustus, on a rampage.

Monique: Wh-what happened?

: It was our fault!!

She heard voices that came below. She looked downwards and saw two tiny creatures she hadn’t seen before. They had tawny skin tones, thick moustaches that curved at the ends, and dark brown eyes. Both had stood 3’2” and had many similar features.

Ben: Fernando, Gomez, it was neither of your faults.

Fernando: Bu-but if I had just done my guard duty –

Gomez: You called out sick because we were out playing in the cold….

Ben: Neither of you are at fault. Lee just…can’t…can’t handle this well.

Monique: What…what happened?

Ben: He frenzied. He frenzied but somehow managed to stop himself from hurting others…I thought he was handling the treatments well. I thought he was getting better.

Terra: We all did. He must have been skipping out because of some weird level of improvement convinced him that he didn’t need it anymore.

Monique: When was the last time this happened?

Ben: A year ago.

Monique’s thoughts persisted, no matter how much she tried to remove them, no matter how much she was trying to avoid them, they kept coming after her.

Terra, almost in tears: I have no idea why this dunderhead decided to try and play hero without his stupid fucking armor. We don’t have our dedicated healer here.

Ben: We don’t know when Karin comes home.

Karin’s…on Earth…my Earth…

She needed to help me with everything.

She needed to help me with leaving.

If….if I had just….

If I had just stayed…or found my own way out…

Your selfishness has caused others to suffer.

You shouldn’t be here.

You shouldn’t be anywhere here.

Her thoughts kept getting twisted, her mind was downward spiraling. Her face spelt it all out but the people who surrounded her were a bit more occupied with other things that triumphed over her existential crisis. And the roaring, thunderous, screams of Faustus would find itself to her ears. She turned to the noise and saw the blood bath. Harpies being ripped to shreds by their wings, wyverns being tossed by their tails, and as he was about to cause more damage, she ran right in front of him. His claw almost reached her throat and stopped there, hesitating. She looked at him with concern.

Monique: Lee? Lee, come back please. Please come back. You’re not scaring me like this, but you are going to blame yourself.

She held his claws, like holding his hand. The demon figure was ghastly in nature and differed from the last time she had seen it. The one she saw from his memories was more feral, destructive. This one was tamed, as if maintaining his human self enough to not completely rage out.

While he had claws that extended five inches from his hands, his body was pitch black with red lines as his veins. His eyes are as red as blood, his horns scaly and curves. His silvery white hair still remains the same. And yet…..He looked at her so sorrowfully, just like he did in the memories. His arm slumped down, slipping away from her grasp. She walked up and put her hands on his face, standing up on her tippy toes and brought it closer to her so her forehead could touch his.

Monique: Please come back.

Tears welded in her eyes as she felt Ben trying to rid the last of the village of the rest of the monsters that remained.

Monique: Please come back, I-I’m sorry. It’s my fault, isn’t it? Your entire life, your progress, got all derailed because of me. And…And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have needed rescuing. I should have just done everything by myself. I shouldn’t have needed to involve you or anyone else. Please come back…

Her voice was alluring and calming, as if bringing his subconscious back from the depths. A beacon to come back home. To her. And all at once, he collapsed onto her. She held him in place till he could regain consciousness. Ben had flown over by the two of them, his wings were reminiscent of a starry midnight sky, had there not been any need for urgency, Monique would have asked millions of questions, but that was neither here nor now.

Ben: Can you take him home? I need to take Ken to a hospital.

Monique rapidly nodded. She held Lee and teleported home. Oh, how useless she felt. A portal opened up inside Lee’s room and she carried him off to his bed. As it closed, she tried to leave only to be caught by his hand.

Lee: Wh-what happened?

Monique: You…you…uh…you...

Lee: I frenzied again, didn’t I?

Monique nodded.

Lee: Did…did I hurt anyone?

She shook her head.

Monique: You did your best to save everyone.

Lee: Then why do I feel like shit?

She hadn’t the slightest of clue as to why, and she was afraid to ask. She just stood there silently, his hand still grabbing onto her wrist. The amount of thoughts racing through her head had yet to halt itself. She trembled at each one, as if they were finding ways to escape but kept hitting everything else but her vocal chords.

Monique: I-I should give you s-s-s-space.

Before she could make her leave, Lee just pulled her into himself and held her closer to his chest. So close she could hear his heart beat.

Lee: Please don’t leave I’m sorry.

She tried maneuvering herself to face him, but he just kept holding her where she was, her nose on his shoulder and his head slumped onto the crevice of her neck.

Monique: You have nothing to be sorry about.

Lee: But I lost control. I made everyone scared of me.

Monique: They were concerned for you. Even those little gnomes whom I thought would have had passed out from the sight of you were crying because you were hurt and injured.

And its my fault Karin isn’t here to heal you or Ken….

Lee: Shit is Ken, okay?

Monique: Terra…took him to a hospital.

Lee: Shit, I was trying to pull him out of a burning building…that’s when I blacked out. I was getting attacked at from behind.

Monique: I-I’m sorry.

Lee: Why do you need to apologize you’ve done nothing wrong.

Haven’t I?

You lost your progress.

Your healer is off on my world finding gods knows what about me.

I’ve done everything wrong.

Everything.

Thoughts kept trickling in. The more thoughts populated the worse it was becoming and all together, the thoughts caused her to go mute. If thoughts could vibrate, these shook her to her very core.

Lee

In his arms she was trembling. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. The fear of letting go, of releasing her and never seeing her again kept creeping up to his thoughts. Knowing he was never going to get an answer, he just started talking in a calm mannerism.

Lee: You have nothing to apologize for. I …am the one who didn’t keep anything under control. I thought I didn’t need the treatments or the therapy any longer and I shouldn’t have shied away from it all. Please don’t blame yourself.

She loosened his hold on her. She’s leaving isn’t she? He thought to himself. But he suddenly felt her warm embrace wrapping around him. This time his head was on her chest. And he would wrap his arms around her.

Lee: I…I thought…I thought you would leave.

She just shook her head, holding him tighter than ever.

Monique: I thought I lost you.

Lee: You were the beacon that guided me back.

Monique: Welcome back home.

Those three words were the only ones he would keep locked tight in his heart. He never wanted to let go. He wanted to be hers, only hers. Not anything else, not anyone else. Those thoughts and feelings are what carried him to sleep along with the scents of strawberries and roses. Eventually her lips would find his, not wanting nor daring to let go. His breath was hers. Soon, he would lay rest with her. Clothes still intact and both buried under sheets and in each other’s arms. Whatever tomorrow was going to bring was going to be handled. Everything is going to be okay. Because he had her. That’s it.

Falling deeper and deeper into a dream like state he found himself in His memories. He overlooked a lake that was nowhere near the house. He looked into the reflection. Neither Faustus nor himself. Who then? This man was quite frankly much like Lee but all scared up and in dark steel armor. His face had seen the horrors of war and around his neck was a pendant, a familiar one he had once found in the drawers that were inside his wardrobe in the castle.

: Rohan…

He turned to see her. But she wasn’t Monique. Nor was she anything that resembled the Lady of the Castle. Who….who was she? This was a valid question to ask but for some reason he heard himself or rather this Rohan person give out a name.

Rohan: Cersei..

This Cersei person would smile and it felt as if everything drowned away, there was nothing else this Rohan person needed. Just her smile was enough.

Cersei: You are… leaving today…

Rohan: I am. My knights and I will be out of your hair. I deeply apologize for any inconveniences we have caused you.

Cersei: Nonsense, you have all granted me some form of independence from that bastard king.

Rohan: But I have mistakenly pointed a blade at you and almost had you sent to your god.

Cersei: You are a knight hardened from war, a job must be done yes?

Rohan: You are far too understanding and kind. May the man you are meant to be with keep that smile of yours where it belongs.

Why did it sting so much to say that? He should just tell her how he feels, tell her he loves her. But the path a knight takes is not one for a lady her stature, she should not have to bare the things they have to go through. He looked at her expressions that diminished.

Cersei: The man I am meant to be with is leaving me today.

Rohan: I…am sorry…a Knight’s duty is…\

Cersei: I am well aware. And I am also well aware that I am not your people. You and your friends belong to the enemy. Yet, here you all are protecting me from them. I ..wish things were different.

Rohan: As do I. If there is anything I can do for you and this man to be together…I-

And before he could finish, she had already placed her hands on his face.

Cersei: You are as daft as ever, aren’t you?

Rohan: N-No…I…I…

He gave up on wanting to say what he meant to say. He instead gave a very soft, defeated, smile. He knew his heart belonged to her and he gained hers in return. He simply kissed her lips and regretted parting ways with her. Not knowing what the future would bring them.

Lee: What the?

He heard himself saying as he looked at a frame of that moment. He felt himself turn away while the scene still played. As if giving them privacy yet he would find himself in that hallway again.

Faustus: I see you are here again.

Lee: Wh…who was that?

He pointed at the frame.

Faustus: Sir Rohan de Viviano La’Tuwa. He was you. In a past life.

Lee: What??

Faustus: Yes, he was you. Isn’t that quite interesting?

Lee: I….don’t understand. I am not a native to Eiridelium why….why do I have this man’s memories?

Faustus: An alternative version of you perhaps? Even though you are not native to this world in this lifetime.

Lee: What…what does that even mean?

Faustus: I have wondered that all the same…you see you have something that is shared between the two of you.

Lee: Which is?

Faustus: Me.

Monique

It’s your fault.

You shouldn’t be here.

You should have stayed where you were.

Suffered the consequences of running away.

Because now you’ve dragged everyone else with you,

Ken is in the hospital.

Lee lost all control.

Terra is still in trouble.

Had you stayed, none of it would have happened.

As her eyes fluttered awake, the dead of night still haunted her as much as those voices were. She couldn’t quite tell if they were Ezekiel’s or hers. It just never ended. And worse, she was considering they were right. Quivering lips, destructive thoughts and silent rooms were just a recipe for disaster. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling out, or the soft whimpers that followed. Suffocating and stifling them were useless. All useless.

Monique: I should have stayed…on Earth.

Uttering those words caused an irreversible flow of tears that didn’t seem to have an end. Arms wrapped itself around her, his arms.

Lee: Don’t… say… that…

He sounded so groggy and tired, but she always felt like he woke up immediately when he knew something was wrong with her.

Lee: You …did nothing wrong.

Monique: But everything bad happened because of me.

He wrapped his arms around her once more in attempts to comfort her.

Lee: If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have recovered. I would have been in a longer frenzy.

Monique: Wouldn’t Karin be able to help you?

Lee: She’s able to subside it but it takes longer than you’d think. You just called out to me and I followed your voice, leading me to you.

Monique blinked: I was…helpful?

Lee: More than you think. So don’t ever think you shouldn’t be here.

Monique: I….I just thought….I just thought I was at fault for making you feel the way you do.

Lee, jokingly: Yes, it’s a thousand percent your fault for making me fall so hard for you that I need you in my life.

Monique sniffled: I-I’m being serious!

Lee: As am I. I seriously need you in my life.

She was content with the fact that her face was hidden in the dark night otherwise she was sure Lee would brutally tease her for how red her face got. She clung onto every one of his words. Never once in her entire life had she ever felt needed, and this right here made her heart flutter ever so much. Her face would bury itself into his chest as she mumbled something to him.

Lee: Hmmm? What was that? I can’t hear little cute mumbles.

Monique: I…I need you too…

Lee: Is that right?

Monique: Yes. I need you too, Lee.

More than you'll ever know. She would think this to herself as she found the drift back to sleep. Eyes grew heavier, the lifting of the voices that weighed her down gave her room to just be and just breathe. His lips would grace her forehead while his fingers were softly combing through her hair. She tried fighting it off, she finally found a reality worth being sleep deprived in.

Lee: It’s okay to sleep now, you don’t have to fight it

Monique: But what if I wake up and find out this was all a dream?

Lee: I will find you in the land of the awake and tell you how much I have fallen for you and how much I need you in my life then. And even if you run away from me, I’ll find you and remind you all over again.

Monique: Promise?

Lee: Promise.