Sounds of chirping bugs and splashes of water were set as the background natural music for those who were listening to them, even making some people realize that they were not alone in the vastness of the world.
The moon was hanging in the night. The stars accompanied the moon to make the sky in the dark look beautiful and mesmerizing. But now, they were covered by cloudy weather.
The night looked grimmer than before. Perhaps because there was rain that had been pouring the surrounding place wet for a while now. It seemed that the night was not only going to be cold, but also brought a melancholy nuance.
A man was lying on the bed with two women beside him. The man had the appearance of a man who was in his quarter of his lifetime, while the two women looked older than him. His posture was tall but not really that tall with about 180 cm in height, while the two women were about 170 cm and a bit more than 160 cm respectively. The women accompanied the man to make the room in the dark look jolly and merry.
At least that was what one would consider when he or she saw this scene in front of her in a single glance. The two women were lying down on the bed beside the man, who was lying with a very cold body that sometimes let out groans through his mouth. The woman looked like they were trying to warm his body by cuddling next to him.
The two women's mouths sometimes twitched, but they were not open. The mouths were sullen, as if their mouths were trying hard not to let a single sound come out from their mouth. It looked like the two were trying not to disturb the man who should be supposedly resting on the bed. But no matter what they did, muffled sounds still came out from their mouths. Sniffles were echoing in the room.
The women were on each side of the man. They were snuggling close to the man intimately. Their eyes closed, not in a sleep. As if the two were closing their eyes very hard, some anxious frowns were formed on their faces. And more than that, their cheeks were wet with the trails sourced from the eyes.
The trails that should be dried out from who knows how long they were in this state were glistered by the cries that kept on coming continuously or periodically. Their eyes sometimes opened, and if one could see their eyes, redness was clearly seen from those organs.
The man suddenly raised his left arm and pressed it on his forehead. Seeing this, the two women got more worried, especially after seeing his pained expression while he pressed his head. They could only hope for it not to be a bad omen for them while getting closer to the body of the man even though they probably had already closed their distance as close as they possibly can.
Minutes had passed, but the man's condition did not get any better. One of the women was about to ask the man about his condition when suddenly his body contracted and tensed. The body looked like it had become a statue, not moving even a good moment had passed.
His eyes were still as if they were frozen. They were looking at the ceiling with the slit of his eyes getting thinner if one could look at them closely.
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But the most shocking part to them was when the man suddenly stopped breathing. His chest and stomach were not moving up and down like a normal human being when they breathe in and out the air. No more grunts and mumblings could be heard from the man's mouth, no more hot airs were breathed out from the man's respiratory.
It was as if a dam that could not stand against the water current anymore. They cried. The women cried hard. No more voices that were detained in their throats. The neck that had been hurting them so much that they feel the burning pain inside of their throats finally got free from the oppressor. But alas, it was not the happy occasion for it to be celebrated.
The eyes that had been dried out were letting out even more salty water, to exsiccate them even more even if there was nothing left for them. They buried their faces on the man's arms, hugging them tightly as if they were afraid of losing the person.
Many thoughts crossed inside of their minds for who knows how many times they had been replayed.
Just what is happening?
Why did this happen?
Did I accidentally cook poisoned food?
Was it from the Gril family?
Training thoughts were not stopping ever since the symptoms of the sickness appeared. Anxiousness, anger, even guilt aroused inside their hearts. They truly did not understand just what was the source of this disease. And more than that, they did not know what they should do.
It was not even a long time since this disease appeared, so why did he succumb to the sickness now? Why did he breathe his last air when we have been together for just a while?
Their hearts felt like they were being crushed. It was as if their hearts were being squeezed by an external force. The pain that they felt was so real, losing someone so dear was not an experience that one could normalize after all. The death of someone meant that they could not see that person any longer in this world.
They will not be able to spend their time together again, they could not see each other's smiles again, they could not console each other again, they could not feel the warmth and joy of being together again. They absolutely could not.
The realization hit them hard. Their cries were getting louder and shriller. They did not even care if anybody heard their mourning. The voices kept echoing inside the room, while being muted by the rain outside of the house.
The cold body that had been stone cold since the sickness worsened had become a reminder of the cold reality. The man's usual warm temperature that had been very comfortable for them to touch and hug had become a sign for what's to come in the future.
The mouth that always made them happy either from his flattery, flirting, or just simple chattering, had not let out a single breath again for as long as they realized since he stopped breathing. The same mouth that they kissed for who knows how many times was not letting out any groans, groans from the pain that they even wished for him to be feeling that pain again so that there was still a chance for them to be together again in this life.
The hands that usually caressed their faces and hairs now had become so tense. The hands that never even for once hurt their bodies now felt like freezing, as if it was going to become colder than ever. The same hands that they always held dearly with affection and love, the hands that protected them from harmful things, the hands that worked hard for their livelihood.
Is this going to be their last moments together? Is there no other choice for us except to be separated? Does losing someone we love feel like this? Is losing someone we love this painful?
Grief and sorrow were in the atmosphere inside of the room. A minute felt like an hour had passed, the time felt like it was passing in the fastest way possible.
The rain that had been raining for a while now felt like they too were mourning together with them. But if the rain was a symbol for mourning, then it was a mistake to assume that it was mourning for the lying man. It will be mourning for those who were going to be seen as the evildoer by this man. Because today was the starting line of the second coming for the most feared man in that realm.