3 Thousand Years Good Night

chapter 16: a must to know thyself

Axel rested his feet at the coffee table in his livingroom, grinning a childish smile on his face. Arlene looked at him and raised her left brow and asked,

"What's with that smile, Axel?"

"Theon, is weird, isn't he?" Axel bit his lower lip and looked at Arlene's unsurprised reaction. "I mean, immortally weird."

"Axel, there's something you need to know about Theon." Arlene's eyebrows furrowed in the seriousness of the matter. Axel raised both brows, waiting for Arlene's explanation.

"You're right, he is immortal. He has never died, for so many years. I, myself, is unsure how long he has lived."

"Obviously." Axel shrugged and smiled cockily.

"He was cursed like this... by a witch named umm, vienna" Arlene stuttered at the name. "The same witch who cursed his mother to death." Arlene shook her head in sympathy.

"Hm, horrible." Axel said unardently.

"Axel! He lost his mother." Arlene stared at Axel's brown eyes, looking for any emotion fitting the situation.

"I know! The thing is, we hardly know Theon or any of his century long extended family. Plus, this probably happened before our ancestors were born." Axel rolled his eyes.

"For Theon, his pain is fresh and raw." Arlene frowned. "For him, the effects of what happened a long time ago haunts him in the present day."

Axel sighed, defeated. "I guess your right. But what can we do?"

"First, we have to know what year he was born in." Stated Arlene.

"And how do we do that? He, himself doesn't know the months or even the years of the calendar." Axel asked.

"I have an idea." Arlene smiled. "Which is why, my history grades are a lot higher than yours, Axel."

Axel rolled his eyes with hidden insecurities. "Whatever" he utterred under his breath.

Arlene's smile widened in pride.
"We just have to wait for him to finish his shower."

Theon's strawberry white body cooled with the warm liquid from the shower head. The dirt flowing down from his body. He was still puzzled with the water-secreting 'machine' that was soaking him with liquid, but at this moment, he concentrated with the serenity of the situation, of course, the thoughts about the life he lived a long time ago, the sleep he endured with the nightmares that come with it, and the events of his awakening were also subjects of his thoughts.
Amalgation of emotions fill his ancient heart; emotions of longing for his kingdom and his people, self loathing for being an abomination of nature who is not meant to be in the modern world, confusion with the advancement of technologies, amazement for the same reason of his confusion, anger for the same witch who cursed him with eternal life and his mother with a long endured death, and solitude for his lonely existence. What was there to live for? If everything he knew perished away as he slept? Why did the witch allowed him to awaken and live? What was her agenda? And why this long?

he turned the switch counterclockwise like how Axel instructed and the stream of water from the shower head ceased. At first, Theon thought he had broken it, but he had followed Axel's instructions precisely, which gave him hope that he did not.

He grabbed the towel that Axel handed him and wiped his flawless body dry. He slowly combed his hair with his fingers, putting it in a push-up position, his hair's length reached the base of his neck and completely concealing his ears.
His hair regained it's straightness and glowed like the golden morning sun light. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and he noticed the dirt that was clinging to his skin was gone, giving his complexion a white glow. His thin lips, once were dry, emanates a shining reddish color. His beautiful youthful features were heightened by the cleanliness of his body. His oval shaped face became as endearing as it was three thousand years ago. He looked like the royalty that he is.

He buttoned up the polo shirt, Axel 'lent' him, zipped his pants and wore his sandals with slight difficulty, like a chid wearing his clothes for a second time.

He opened the partially closed door slowly and presented himself to Arlene and Axel.

Arlene's eyes widened at the excess brilliance of the man standing before her, he had a pretty face before, but now, his radiance glowed like the moon of the night.

Axel was bored. There's no other word for it. He would not acknowledge that Theon was far more dashing than he was.

Theon gave them an angelic smile and approached them with the grace of a prince that he was trained to have. He sat down next to Arlene who did not utter a word. Eventually, Axel broke the silence.

"Theon, Arlene would like to ask a few questions regarding your past." Axel stared at Arlene, whose admiration for Theon was evident, with both brows raised in anticipation.

Finally, Arlene regained her compusure and wet her lips, blushing a pinkness in her pale cheeks.

"Yes," Arlene smiled. "We want to know what year you were born on."

"Year?" Theon's brows furrowed. "What i recall, my birth was after the seventh storm from the east, and the moon was full. That's what my father said."

"This is gonna be harder than we thought" Axel concluded.

"Axel, i told you," Arlene smiled thoughtfully. "I have my ways."