Air Touched - A Dragon Tribe Origin

Chapter Fifty-One - Jae

The whole walk home, Jae felt as if he were in some kind of a dream. No, a nightmare. None of it was real. He'd wake up in a moment in his own bed feeling confused, a little disoriented, but everything would be the same. Only he didn't wake up. He got back to the palace, dazed and disoriented for sure, but not because of stumbling out of a slumber. There was just so much to process and he had no idea where to begin.

Only one person could help him clear his mind, and that was his mother.

He made his way upstairs, and burst through the doors without bothering to check if anyone else might happen to be with her too. Doctor Uli was at her bedside checking her heartbeat. The most amazing part of all was that his mother was awake and sitting upright.

Jae pinched himself, not quite giving up on the dream theory. Or maybe he was in an alternate universe of some kind. That was possible also, right? Pain pricked his arm, confirming it was all too real.

"M-mom?" Jae took a step closer.

Doctor Uli held up a hand. When he was finished listening to her breathing, he stood. "I wasn't expecting you to be back for another hour or so. Your father said you had a date."

"The plan was to surprise you," his mother said in a voice just above a whisper. She still sounded weak, but she was talking! And using more than one or two words when she did. Jae couldn't believe it.

"I...I did...have a date," Jae said. "It didn't go as planned." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What happened? What changed?"

Doctor Uli sighed. "We're still trying to understand it." He moved closer and leaned in to Jae, lowering his voice. "She's still a bit lucid, and drops in and out of sleep frequently. This might not last for long, and if she says anything that sounds incoherent, you'll understand why."

"I'll take it," Jae whispered.

The doctor nodded. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Jae waited for him to leave before sitting at her side. He almost grabbed her hand, hugged her, but then remembered what he'd been told about him stealing her spirit. Touch would amplify the process. Instead, his hands opened and closed at his sides. "When did you wake up? How are you feeling? Am I asking too many questions? Should I let you rest?"

"An hour after you got back," she said. "Stay. I wanted you sooner. He said to wait."

"Who? Dad?"

She nodded. "Wants you to succeed with your fiancée."

Scoffing, Jae shook his head. "Probably isn't going to happen."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about me," he mumbled.

"Yes, you do. You came because..." She took in a slow breath. "You needed me."

Of course she was right, but he hated how it sounded. Like he only wanted her for his own comfort. "I don't want to be self-centered."

"What...do I...have to share?" She smirked. "Tired of talking anyway."

Another good point. What did she have to say about her own life at the moment? Jae lowered his gaze. "Ijn's sister is an identical twin. I'm...I'm still not quite sure what happened. We were on our date, and then there were two of her, and the girl sitting across from me wasn't actually Ijn but...but her twin, pretending to be her?" He shook his head, hoping he could possibly shake some sense into his mind and maybe think more clearly. "The real Ijn is crying and she says something along the lines of asking her twin to be her on our first date because she was having a panic attack."

He paused, wanting to give his mother a time to respond if she wanted to. She gave one slow nod which he hoped meant he was supposed to continue.

"There are two things that bother me about the whole scenario. First, why lie to me in the beginning? She could have said her sister was coming late, or sent a message to the venue, or a whole lot of other options that didn't result in a lie." He laughed a little, amazed he was about to admit the next bit of information. "And secondly, while it makes sense of all her bizarre personality shifts, I can't wrap my head around the fact that anyone is capable of such a cruel mind game. Especially because I liked the moments I spent with her sister more."

"You love her more," his mother replied.

Jae snorted. "I dunno about love. She had a different way of processing the world. I'm sure some of it was an act, but there were a few things that stood out. Now that I know, I can look back and see them as two separate people. Ijn is great and all, but when we're together I don't feel the same kind of sparks. We're stuck at a lower level of fire. Does that make sense? We'll be happy, and she's beautiful, and it'll work. I'm confident it'll work. It's just...not gonna be..."

His mother reached across the gap to hold his hand. She took in another slow, deep breath. "Do what's right."

What was right? Dumping Ijn for her mysterious sister because his heart beat a little bit faster when he was with her? Marrying Ijn because he'd entered into an agreement with her? Saying goodbye to both of them and trying his hand at finding love on his own—again? In each situation, he lost. Where would he lose less?

"I don't have to decide today," he said.

"No."

"I'll let you rest now. Thanks for listening to me babble, like always." He felt his cheeks warm as he wondered just how much of their talks she paid attention to.

She gave him a weak smile, her eyelids drooping closed. "Love you."

"I love you too."

Reluctantly, Jae got up to leave more confused than ever. Do the right thing. The best and most vague advice he could get on the situation. He wanted more, but his mom did need to rest. While she might have known the answer, it was his place to find it on his own. That's what being an adult meant.