Chapter 71

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕽𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝕷𝖊𝖋𝖙 𝕸𝖊 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

As the tip of my nose scented the iciness of the place, I knew that the season of the snow would come again, a season where my chest would feel heavy as it was the most terrifying experience of my life, where I have to offer my neck at the edges of a blade.

But then, the whispers of the shivering breezes caressed my hair like it was enough to comb it, enough to make it a new sensation, but not enough to melt the frozen part of my body.

As my gaze descended on the person right in front of me, leaves from the huge tree beside us continued to dance within the air, as they fell to the softest cushion from the green grasses, as if they were pieces of the puzzles.

Then the softest grayish silhouette of a man I've never thought to come with me here, made his soul look into mine, but he was the shiniest that I've ever seen, a light that could almost blind me, and yet there's some eerie of mysteriousness around them.

When the leaves weren't enough to dance, even the water made our images turn to vagueness, the ripples continued and the sounds of something going in on it made the softest and yet concluding refreshes like a spring in the middle of the coming cotton dampness.

"I know I shouldn't be able to tell you this, but I guess I have no choice..." his voice sounded serene like calm water continued to feel like one with the whispers as if it became dust carried by the golden linings above.

"Why don't you have any choice----" Like before, the words that the wind had cut, were enough to be replaced by a surprised warmth that engulfed my sight in the abyss of my past, and yet, it was only for a second.

What followed was an orange hue before the softness of that light was carried over to a different place, but then all I could see was his shining brown eyes, very ordinary eyes that made their name on my mind.

And yet, even if I don't want to admit it, something is going on in that gentle smile of him.

"It's because sooner or later you would be able to know these things even if I wasn't the one who will tell you, so I'd rather be the one to say these words before it's too late"

"Too late for what?"

"Well, I've made a promise to you, didn't I?"

"Yes and...?"

"Well, as long as it would take, I don't plan to tell you anything about me, either, but until the time I came to deeply understand the circumstances I would indeed tell you who I am."

"I'm not the kind of person to rush people, and I guess I prefer to know you little by little because you know, I also like the chase."

"You mean the game we are continuing to play, right?" then soft laughter escaped from his mouth as the golden rays hit our figures. His hands went on either of his stomachs as the other began to hit his knees.

As the gentleness of the breezes caressed our figures, it was enough to know how each little thing mattered, even the smiling children from near the park, the people who were walking while talking and smiling at their friends.

The vendors who were continuing to smile at the customers and some young men and ladies started dancing to the music and little play from the entrance of the market.

Everything, the sounds of gentle spring, the actions of people that were passed down with caresses of kindness, and the gestures that never failed to amaze my eyes.

All seemed distant, and yet, those were still the little things that continued to matter, they were the small things that people tend to forget, and yet, without those an empire wouldn't even get to be started.

As if my eyes were captured in the dazzling gazes of the sun, my vision of the young man I had been talking to disappeared from within and was replaced by this penetrating nostalgia of the things I wasn't exposed to in my previous life.

"I have never had enough fun like that in my household, and I guess it's all because of you. Lady Festin, I'm glad to ever met you," it was as if the leaves stopped flowing, the breezes halted their work of coming to our figures, and the people were frozen as if they were some form of statues.

Right now, all that mattered were us and our tiny little movement in that small world of us.

He gently claimed my hands with both of his. His knees went to bow as they continued to caress the grasses, and his eyes showing the shine of a million jewels from the cloaked sky at night, were closed and his thin red lips made their way to the back of my hands.

"And I never regretted meeting you because you became already my guiding light, Lady Festin," from speaking the false name that I'd created, still my chest felt heavy, and my breathing seemed to halt.

My eyes were only focused on him and yet, his actions were enough to bring my old self that I'd nearly forgotten that I've nearly caged in that abyss of darkness that I nearly never knew existed in the first place.

In that moment, he became the light that was already captivating and to make matters worse, I should have claimed my hands from his but they touched both of his cheeks as he closed his eyes once more.

Then for a second, my eyes widened as my lips parted and yet I couldn't even do anything when I felt the dampness that caressed the back of my hands were now caressing my opened palms.

"I always longed for a warmth like this, but whenever I went to my household, I would never feel the same, each time I wanted to see you, I couldn't as if I was afraid that I would ruin the only thing that's keeping me warm..."

I gulped but when I tried to open my mouth no words were coming out. But then, the look on his face was enough to put my lips together and envelop my arms to him because I knew what it felt like to feel the cold as my blanket, and darkness as my guide.

I knew how it felt to eat a piece of loaf bread from the floor, and I knew how it felt to continue breathing even when the things I appeared to see were my hands covered in scars, my nails that were broken, grayish tiles within the rusted metal bars, and small creatures moving and in and out of my chamber, a prisoner of my past.

The softness of his brown hair could feel like I was caressing the softest fabric, and when I closed my eyes everything felt normal.

I could eventually sense the penetrating heat of the sun, the coldness of the breezes, the leaves swaying in front of us, and the people around, and yet, the warmth from feeling this young man was enough to bring all those as if they weren't lost but were just paused.

I waited till he would come again to my soul and speak of the words that I knew would become a stepping stone to knowing this young man better, better than we first met at that auction night.

"You asked me earlier, why I wanted to claim the Vesron as a truth serum on my alchemy than using magic on that person, right?" His voice was now flattened, and I think I couldn't be more focused right now to him.

I nodded as he stood and the warmth became a blanket of soft cold breezes, but my eyes stayed focused on him, as my hands were still on his.

"If you only knew magic then I could explain----" This time it was my turn to interrupt his words

"I knew about it, Crane, that's why I'm learning more, besides what I said from Gludius earlier was an excuse"

"So, you knew?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be calm if saw you used yours to the shadows of that old man?"

"Well, they were called Fethers"

"I know that Crane," as if almost shaking my head only to touch his chest but then he was the first one to chuckle.

"Well, if you have those excuses then I guess you are indeed working hard, Lady Festin. For the words you may hear, I suggest you brace yourself because this wouldn't be an ordinary word to speak even in this public"

"Why?" as if my voice was like the breeze's whispers.

"Because those pawns of the person I wanted to use the Serum weren't affected by magic..." then I gasped.

Are there people or creatures that magic couldn't descend from? I wanted to ask him, but it seemed that he immediately read my mind and he again opened his mouth to speak.

"Have you ever heard of the words Null and Void?"

"Null and Void?"

"Yes, and I guess from your tone of words, you still haven't learned from it. But if you do happen to stumble on your teacher, I suggest you should know these things from him as I've already shared my fair share..." The last words he said felt like whispers when I heard him snap his hands.

Then as if white misty caresses of clouds from above, his figure started to fade.

"Until we meet again, Lady Festin. The next time I hope I can meet your friends..."

***

"Oratio, do you happen to know what is Null and Void?"

"Who taught you those words, young lady?"

"Why?"