𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 || Edmund Pevensie

VII

"If we don't know life, how can we know death?"
- Confucius

Aslan's country, ???

The surface was far, too far.

Olivia tried to scream, but her head was underwater. The only thing that got out was bubbles, running away from her and to the surface. She tried to swim, but it was like something held her back, all so she could stay right there.

It felt like a nightmare. Except, it wasn't. Because Olivia could feel the cold pinch of the salt and the air escaping her lungs slowly, her legs wildly flapping in vain. Invisible chains attached to her wrists, bringing her to the darkest depths of the ocean. She felt her body going down and down instead of up. The bubbles stopped coming out of her mouth, the lack of oxygen hurting more than any pain she had ever felt.

She had never been so close to the stars. So far, yet so close. Olivia would soon be amongst her protected, Ramandu and Lilliandil and Ivy and Partemy, her friends from a long time. The girl could almost see it: perfect skin and hair, covered in a blue aura as she stayed on the island of the stars, laughing with the trees forever.

Olivia would almost laugh at the irony; she imagined she would die with a spear in hand and blood in her clothes, on top of a pile of cruel monsters and people with corrupted souls, in the middle of the battlefield. Now, she was dying, pathetic, drowning and debating, silently begging for death, for the reaper to show his grand scythe and reap her life away.

Suddenly, everything went away. For seconds, Olivia couldn't feel a single thing: her lungs, her feet, her head, her mouth. She was numb, completely and utterly numb. This was what she had always thought death was like: empty.

Everything returned slowly. A soft glow covered her body, gentle and golden as its little wisps covered her and blinded her sight. The pain was replaced by the sweet caress of water and magic, and she felt like an entirely new person.

She felt the water go away, substituted by the sensation of warmth. A blinding sun entered the corner of her vision, making her open her eyes slowly to adjust to the glow.

"I thought you liked to stare directly at Narnia's sun." A deep familiar voice called from behind her.

She turned around with a smile from cheek to cheek. "Aslan!" She called happily, rushing to his side and jumping over him. The lion let out a small laugh as he fell on the grass with the girl hugging him ever so tightly.

"I missed you." She said in a murmur, feeling the brush of his soft fur against her cheeks. "And I missed this place too."

Olivia hurried to the edge of the cliff they stood on, looking out at the view.

Narnia looked the same. She loved that place with a burning passion, and it always got her breathless anyways. The green was the greenest ever– the plants, the trees, the leaves, the dryads. The blue was so charming– the sky, the water, the nymphs. Everything was bustling with life, with joy and happiness. It was a land of dreams—a place of hope, of peace ( at least, sometimes ). Aslan had really done himself when creating Narnia.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Never seen anything quite like Narnia." She answered. "Tell me, what have I missed?"

"Well," Aslan began. "As you might've heard from Eustace, he came here a second time, together with Miss Jill Pole. Caspian was old, really old, and they were tasked with finding his missing son, Rillian. They found him and left Narnia, and life continued as it was. Generations later, the current King is Tirian I, grandson of Rillian. Narnia is at peace."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows. "Other than Susan being faithless, what else is wrong then?"

"This peace will not remain for long. I need you to be there for Tirian when the time comes to prepare your people and train them. I need you to be Queen Olivia the Warrior, dear one."

She smiled from ear to ear. "I'll gladly serve my country again, Aslan." Olivia bowed.

Aslan returned the gesture. "I expected no less from you than honour and courage. I have faith, my friend."

"But may I ask something of you?"

"Go ahead."

Olivia signed. "Talk to Susan. Please. Make her see the truth; make her believe."

The lion didn't seem exactly pleased with her request. "Susan has already had her chance. I've tried to open her eyes, but she prefers to keep it shut. There is only so much I can do."

"Please, Aslan. It's dividing the family. Her mind works differently; she's logical, fact-based. Just– try, at least. Appear to her in a dream. I am begging you, Aslan."

He looked at the horizon. She always knew how to read Aslan, but this was different– he was stoic, expressionless, completely neutral. He was a being outside of her comprehension, divine and out of dimension. His emotions were something she couldn't understand– his mind worked differently. Something that her mind simply couldn't grasp; it was too weak.

"Very well," He said. "I'll try. One more time."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Aslan!" She giggled, wrapping her arms around his mane. That seemed to lighten his mood, as he chuckled softly.

"Our time is up, little one," Aslan said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Will I see you soon?"

"I'm always watching you, Olivia. I'm with you, right here." He used his paw to point at her heart. "Just like you are in his."

Edmund. Her eyes went wide. God, how stupid! She arrived there and still hadn't thought about him. What a great wife. And she was dead; how would he react?

Olivia pondered about how Edmund would be. She wondered if he was okay if he could get out of bed, if he could move on. She hoped so. She hoped he was happy, no matter what. But, deep down, she knew that wasn't it.

"Do not think about it too much," Aslan said. "The more you think about Edmund, the more you will be missing him. I've chosen you for a reason, and it wasn't to separate you both."

"But that doesn't stop the fact we're literally in two different worlds. Unreachable."

The lion sat on the grass. "You, humans, tend to think love is about what's physical. The touch, the laugh, the conversation. But love is what you want it to be. Do you want your love to be you two hugging? Then so be it. But, if you want your love to go over magic, to be stronger than the small concept of different worlds. Love lives in your mind, no matter what."

She smiled. "Thank you for your wisdom."

"Always." He returned. "Remember: I'm with you. Just like Edmund."

"Will I see you soon?"

"Sooner than you expected."

Olivia kissed the top of his head, and Aslan smiled. He took two steps back, letting out a mighty roar. The leaves trembled, the flowers flew, the trees shook.

And before she realised it, Olivia was back in the water, feeling dead all over again.

Imma do a double update rq so I can get u guys to the actual suffering lmao

I'll pay for the therapy, don't worry— y'all want it in group or individual?