The Mourning Moon

Chapter 23

"Can anyone tell me what is the rarest form of crystal found on earth?," Mrs. Sen asked. When no one answered she asked another question, "How many of you have read Ananya Chaudhary's famous fantasy-romance novel 'The Love of the Sun'?" When everyone except for Ansh raised their hands he blushed crimson. Mrs. Sen raised her eyebrows at Ansh who ducked his in embarrassment. She just shook her head and let him be as she continued the lesson.

"Can anyone mention the name of at least one of the gemstones she used in her book?," asked Mrs. Sen.

A girl named Shrishti raised her hand.

"Yes, Shrishti."

"Red beryl."

"Good, anyone else?"

Ansh raised his hand and answered, "Tanzanite and Alexandrite." He may not have read his mother's book but he knew which crystals were rare.

"Very good, Ansh. These three gemstones are the rarest including Black Opal. But today we are going to study about not just the the rarest gemstone but the rarest mineral on earth. The Painite. Discovered by Arthur C.D. Pain who misidentified it as ruby..."

Mrs. Sen kept on going about the gemstone and everyone listened carefully. Everyone except for Ansh for as soon as he heard the word painite, he blacked out.

Two people were facing each other, standing in a fighting stance. They were not exactly fighting. They were practicing sword fighting. The black haired one was yielding two wooden swords while the platinum haired one was yielding one sword formed of Cazra, a red gemstone rare than any other gemstone, his hair tied in a ponytail. The two of them continued practicing when the one yielding the wooden swords fell down, while the one yielding Cazra sat on top of him placing the sword on the fallen one's neck.

"Stay focused, my king."

The fallen one suddenly flipped their position and pinned the platinum haired person beneath him. He smirked as he said, "When it comes to you, I am always focused, master."

The master rolled his eyes at his pupil before the said pupil leaned down to place a loving and gentle kiss on his master's red lips.

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Shreshth and his friends were sitting in a hospital chair waiting with Ansh's family for the doctor, who was examing Ansh, to come out and tell them that Ansh was alright. Ansh's father was comforting his wife with the help of Ishita. Shreshth's eyes were locked on the door behind which Ansh's treatment was going on with Viaavn and Somya being his silent support . They were all worried for Ansh.

Shreshth, Vivaan, Somya and Ishita were in the cafeteria eating, as Ishita had not had breakfast and was starving and needed someone, well, Shreshth, to keep her company and Somya and Vivaan just wanted to bunk class, when they had heard the siren of an ambulance. As the classes were almost over, everyone had come out of their classes to see what was happening as it was unusual for ambulance to enter college premesis. Shreshth was about to ask someone what was happening when the ward boys brought out an unconscious body on the stretcher. The unconcious body of Ansh. Shreshth froze for a moment before he reached out with his hand and yelled 'Ansh'. No one noticed it but Ansh's hand moved a little. Shreshth, Vivaan, Somya and Ishita rushed towards the stretcher that carried their friend. They went near him but did not crowd him. Vivaan had asked the ward boys what happened. But instead of answering the question, they asked him that they were taking him to Shubhas Mission Hospital and that they were free to follow them.. So follow them is what they did. Ansh's parents arrived at the hospital few minutes later. So here they were now, waiting for the doctor to come out of the room.

Soon the doctor came out. Everyone got up and went to the him.

"Doctor, how is my son?," Devansh asked, "Why did he faint?"

"Your son is fine. He will wake up after one or two hours of sleep. As to your second question, we ourselves have no answer to that."