Fast movements were hardly seen or heard in the dim and silent forest. Ellmer sped his light leaps between the bushes and trees with a frown, sharp red eyes glowing slightly in the dark as he skimmed the surroundings at a humanely-impossible pace. He grew even more impatient as he found nothing even after a while of searching and looking for any sign of the two lost friends.
He clicked his tongue. ‘Where the heck did those two—’ he stopped abruptly in place and looked intently into a particular spot, noticing something glittering faintly on the ground between the grass and bushes. He narrowed his eyes and walked slowly to the object on the ground as he dreaded that what was to be found would be precisely what he feared the most at that moment.
He went down to sit on one knee and slowly reached for the object. He stared at the broken object, a pendant that looked to be ripped out by one of the sharp branches and snatched away from its owner in a hurry, only to fall, causing the black crystal to break in half. But he knew it wasn’t any pendant. He knew it wasn’t only broken by the fall on the ground. “Dammit…” he took the shattered object and pushed it into his pocket as he stood up with a deeper frown than before, looking quite worried as he ruffled his hair in frustration, “Dammit, Javi… f**k… ah, this is so annoying…”
“I can deal with Javi, but Elois…” He took a deep breath before moving again, slower leaps than before as if careful not to alert a certain someone of his arrival. “Survive till I find you, orange boy.”
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The Red Flower
Chapter. 28
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He remembered dreaming of the noise, turning around to face the scribbled figure with wide eyes standing behind him from a distance and staring in silence, awaiting his moment of weakness. He remembered he vaguely heard the mouthless figure asking him a question as he was forced to wake up from his slumber. “Are you going to trust him this time?”
‘Trust… who?’ he remembered how he couldn’t answer as he was pulled out from his supposed-to-be-a-dream. He felt the figure wasn’t waiting for an answer but instead telling him what was to come and asking to confirm it to itself. He remembered how he opened his bleary eyes and caught sight of a familiar silhouette. He remembered how he couldn’t see well but was confident of whose figure it was standing above his head, looking down at him in silence as usual. He remembered how he blinked several times to get a clear view but to no avail, ‘Yeolard…? That’s you again, is it not? Why can’t I see? Am I losing my sight now?’
As if the guy, or spirit, above him listened to his thoughts, Yeolard spoke to him for the first time. He remembered his unexpectedly gentle voice, warm and caring, yet sad and heart-wrenching, weak yet firm. He remembered how a voice could deliver all these mixed signals but not one bit of danger found in it.
“I’m glad you aren’t denying my soul anymore, Mr. Fixsen, but instead seeking to properly look at me.”
He remembered how he felt the pure gentleness of the said spirit hand above his forehead, slowly descending to his eyes, causing them to naturally close.
“Please do not strain yourself. I’ll appropriately show myself to you real soon.”
He remembered how he listened to the gentle order of the spirit as he already relaxed and welcomed another slumber to take over him.
“Yes, I can’t wait to finally converse with you.”
He remembered how he caught a hint of gentle laughter in the other’s tone as the faint sound of the door opening came to his ear from the other side of the room, and then came the voice which he believed belonged to Alvis, “Sorry again. I’ll--- him now. You---… Neron…?”
‘…Who is… Neron…?’
He remembered how he soon opened his eyes and found himself in a small cozy room with an open window; everything was made of wood. He noticed the messy room with heavy books and papers, yet everything was in order. The gentle breeze coming from the window made him turn to look at what was outside. He remembered how he was met with a beautiful green of what appeared to be a deserted forest.
“Please take a seat.”
He remembered how he was supposed to be startled at the sudden voice of another person when he was clearly alone in the place, yet he felt he was gently pulled to focus on the other, a gentleness he had experienced a moment ago. He was met with a gently smiling Yeolard, sitting on the chair in front of the open window with a simple white blouse and black jeans with long boots. The usual dark attire was no longer there. His crimson eyes had a bit of life in them that wasn’t there before, giving a feeling that he was undoubtedly alive.
He remembered how Yeolard chuckled at the noticeable observing eyes of his guest instead of getting offended or uncomfortable; he elegantly gestured to the other chair beside the one he was sitting on. “You’d be the first to join me and sit on this chair. If you do please sit on it as we converse comfortably, that will make me truly delighted.”
He remembered how he relaxed and found himself walking calmly to the chair at the other’s invitation. He sat and looked at the other, finding Yeolard looking with longing eyes at the beautiful greenery outside the window with a comfortable smile. After some seconds, he also turned to look at the scenery before them, both falling into a comfortable silence. The whole situation felt tranquil; a tranquility Davante had never experienced before. ‘It’s… safe here. Too peaceful…’ he looked to the tiny floating particles dancing slowly around the sun rays pushing through the window. The sound of soft rustling of the trees and grass, and he soon took notice of the sound of a river not too distant from their location. He glanced down at his hands, ‘…warm.’
He remembered how they remained silent for a long while as they basked in their comfortable bubble in that small study room.
“If I could, I would have stayed like this forever, along with you.”
He looked to the side, finding the other in the same position with the same smile from before, but his tone was sad as he said that.
“I would have kept you here, safe and sound.”
He kept on staring at the other, blinking when finally, Yeolard moved his head slowly to look at him with a warm smile yet sad and apologetic.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Away from the white walls.”
He remembered how he was confused but refrained from showing anything on his face. ‘White walls…?’ he then looked back outside as the other kept looking at him. “Is this your place…” he paused before correcting himself. “Is this where you reside… in my…”
His ears caught the sound of a soft chuckle by his side. “Correct. This is my personal space while residing in your soul.” the chuckle stopped. “I’d like to apologize, for I intruded and claimed your soul without your permission. I’m truly grateful that you accept me as of now.”
He turned to look at Yeolard, finding him looking slightly down as he genuinely apologized “…” he wanted to say it was okay, ‘…it would be weird in this situation to say it’s fine, right…?’ he opted to question the other instead, “You had your reasons, hadn’t you? And your intentions weren’t of evil, am I wrong?”
The gentle nobleman raised his head and gave the warmest smile he had ever seen before, looking genuinely happy and relieved. “Thoughtful as ever,” he nodded. “Thank you.”
“…no need,” he reluctantly added. “You’re… welcomed.”
He looked at the other, finding him chuckling softly again before looking back at the scenery outside. “It will end if all goes well.”
‘…is he… going to disappear…?’ Davante furrowed his eyebrows just the tiniest bit at the other, ‘Can a spirit die when the owner is already dead…?’ he then slightly widened his eyes before deciding to ask the other, “You are… half dead?”
Yeolard closed his eyes and lowered his head a little at that. “Yes, only the body had died. My soul was well intact in the red flower until you came that day.”
Davante pushed himself to ask the other the very first question that everyone along with him had thought of since the first day he came to the academy, “What happened to me… under the tree…?”
Yeolard’s smile weakened but was not completely gone as he opened his eyes and answered the other without hesitance. “Just as I was about to get out of the safety of the flower, another entity took the chance to grasp my soul and tried to ruin it and use it against you.” he paused to look back at the teen. “Seeing how I fought back, the entity focused on washing away all your memories instead.” Yeolard looked apologetic once again. “After that, it was a fight over your memories. I must say I am ashamed that I’ve lost a portion of your memories. Because of me, you were put in an unfortunate situation.”
Davante contemplated once again ‘…it would be even weirder if I said it’s fine in this situation, right?’ he then said instead, “I think you were put in a situation where you have nothing but to do that, am I right? No need to apologize again.” he would feel awkward if the other thanked him for being understanding again so he quickly shifted the topic, “Do I know this entity?”
The other remained silent as he looked to be hesitating whether to tell or not. “You definitely met countless times before. However, you don’t know her, not yet,” he then added almost urgently. “Slowly, please do not rush to get your memories back from her. Not now, at least.”
Davante blinked, smiling a little at the apparent concern shown on the other, “I’m in no rush, though I admit it’s annoying to question certain things over my mind from time to time. However, it’s nothing I can’t handle, so I’ll wait if that’s what you see fit.”
A look of surprise flashed on Yeolard’s features before he smiled warmly yet again. “Do you trust me?”
Davante looked to the window, unable to look at the genuine eyes any longer. It felt overwhelming for some reason. “I do, as strange as it sounds.”
He heard the now familiar chuckle of the other. Silence washed over the room once again before Yeolard said softly, as if talking to himself, “I’m glad I’m on good terms with my precious cousin this time.”
He stilled in place, he remembered how he couldn’t name what he felt at that moment, but it wasn’t anything unpleasant. However, he didn’t appreciate how he had many more questions in his head now. He slowly turned to look at the other, Finding Yeolard doing the same to look gently back at him, as if already expecting the reaction of the other, “…Cousin…?”
Yeolard’s smile grew wider and warmer as he answered; his eyes had a unique twinkle to them at that moment. “Yes, cousins. We are cousins, Mr. Fixsen.”
Davante refrained from frowning at how the other addressed him ever since the beginning. “Please, call me Davante. But more importantly…”
Yeolard nodded as he continued patiently, “Our mothers are twins.”
Davante blinked. “But you’ve died very long ago… ah…” it struck him all too suddenly; he recalled how his mother’s crimson eyes looked the same shade as the vampires in the castle. “My mother was… a vampire?”
Yeolard nodded calmly. “Correct, and so was my mother.”
Davante had never been the curious type of person, and he never bothered to ask unless he needed the knowledge. However, looking at his life so far and what was going on lately, he figured he needed to question every little detail. If not for his safety, then for the close people around him, “My father is a human though… was it the norm for a human and vampire to marry each other, or… did he not know?”
Yeolard looked almost eager to tell him everything but still maintained his calm demeanor as he answered, “Kaven Fixsen was originally a vampire as well.”
Davante went speechless, utterly shocked to ask any more. He slowly leaned back on the comfy chair and relaxed in place. He looked intently at the other as he demanded, “Will you explain everything, or is it no rush again?”
He was met with an amused chuckle by the nobleman, looking playful for a moment there. “As for your father, I believe it is wise to ask him yourself if the chance comes. But just for now, I’ll say that your mother turned him into a human at his consent, the same she did to you. Though, you did undergo a rather unfortunate experience than your father did. A mistake would be that another blood was forced into you. That is the reason for your weak heart and body,” he added in a gentler tone, “Your mother, auntie, didn’t mean to harm you in any way. Instead, it was all to save you and your father from the conditions of the game. Please, don’t hate her too much.”
Davante remained silent as he took everything in; he slowly turned to look at the green scenery again. ‘Is it the place that keeps me calm even after knowing all that, or is it Yeolard’s calm approach and way of talking…?’
The room was kept silent for a while before the quiet sound of one of them filled the space.
“I do not hate her. Oddly enough, I recall that was the only real request I’ve heard from her”
Yeolard looked silently at his cousin’s features turning nostalgic for a moment; smiling gently, he reached for the younger’s wrest and gently rested his hand atop. Gaining the attention of the icy-blue eyes, he kindly said, “All in due time, everything will be clear to you. Eventually, I promise.”
Davante smiled a little and playfully asked, “No rush, yes?”
Yeolard returned the playfulness with a smile of his own, “Yes, wise people are always patient.” he tightened his hold a bit on the other’s hand as he seriously and carefully started, “I did not want to rush you in our first meeting, so I apologize for not telling you earlier…”
Davante noticed the change in the other’s expression and grew worried silently.
“Two of your friends will be in danger soon. You can do something to help one of them, and I trust your allies to save the other friend in the meanwhile,” Yeolard said as he calmly stood up and moved to stand in front of Davante, resting his hand on the teen’s shoulder as he looked down at him; he said, “It’s about time you get to know the weapon inside you.”
And so, he remembered how the nobleman, no, his cousin, had taught him everything about his ability. He remembered how his cousin patiently explained every little detail despite the urgent situation. He remembered how he immediately gave the first order to his ‘weapon’ to save Elois.
“This is it. Please relax now. Leave the rest to everyone,” said Yeolard as the view changed and dimmed slowly.
He was supposed to take some rest, yet he was met with rushing memories, one after another.
One was when Alvis stated his current body condition, “You’re getting better at eating your food, but I’ve noticed your sleeping hours are increasing day by day. Yet I can’t find anything wrong anywhere. Just to make sure, I’ll keep you in the hospital for the time being, alright? I know it’s been months since you remained in bed…”
Another was when Ellmer stayed with him the whole day as they talked about everything and anything. He hesitantly asked, “Why can’t I meet with Elois or Javi…?” and the answer came a little sternly, “You need to rest and heal, and they are not stable enough to visit a patient as of the moment.”
‘Why am I reminded of random memories of the past weeks…?’
And all too suddenly, he was met with Elois, sitting cross-legged in front of him in a white void and laughing awkwardly. “Yeah, I’m really sorry, though… I know I’ve caused quite the headache to you.”
‘When was this…? No, this isn’t a memory…’
“And hey, I meant to correct you, but the last time we met was 4 months ago, not 2 weeks or so, haha…”
He found his voice asking calmly, ignoring how he looked to Elois at that moment, “How have you been? And how are you doing with Javi?”
Elois blinked twice at him. “You don’t know?”
‘I remember doing exactly as taught to save you…’
“Yeah, it makes sense you don’t, sorry.”
‘From A to Z, I made sure to get you out of Belvedere’s illusions, so why…?’
“I’m dead now.”
‘Why?’
Elois smiled at him again, “So, I came to apologize as I won’t be able to see you again. I’m sorry again, okay?”
‘Why am I seeing this?’
‘This doesn’t feel like a dream… so, why…?’
The noise.
The sound of the white noise resurfacing from the bottom. Like it was crawling up to his feet, seeing the chance to consume him whole once again.
And at that moment, he realized.
‘Ah, I’m not healed yet. No, I did not improve. I’ve not recovered… I’m only walking on a tightrope.’
He recalled Yeolard’s words at that moment.
“I wish I could keep you away from the white walls.”
‘Ah, I’m still trapped in the empty white hospital, along with the figures…’
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The End of CH. 28