Zaterran's Lotus

Lost Days Two: Reminiscing

Months of torture, torment, and experiments led to Syzoth being a shell of the man he was once.

But Zurath kept him sane, at least. He had a friend, he had good company.

"Zurath, are my family still alive?"

Syzoth asked quietly, as he hadn't been allowed to see them at all.

"I can guarantee you, they're still alive."

Zurath lied, he didn't know whether or not they were even still alive anymore.

"I haven't heard my son cry at all, Zurath. Are you sure they're fine? My son cries a lot, this is odd!"

Syzoth was panicking, he was practically desperate to see his family.

"I guarantee you, they're fine. Your son is just well-fed."

Zurath said with a reassuring tone. He didn't want his friend to freak out.

"A-are you... sure?"

Syzoth calmed down, his heart rate going back to normal.

"Yes, Syzoth. I'm sure."

Zurath smiled, scratching his head.

"I promise you, your wife and son are both well-fed. They'll be released once your tasks here are done..."

Will there ever be an end to Syzoth's tasks? Who knows.

"That's... reassuring."

Syzoth sighed, resting on a nearby bench.

"You look more stressed than usual."

Zurath said, sitting next to him.

"That's because I am, Zurath. Your father has made me commit... unspeakable acts today, I'm in shock."

Syzoth buried his face in his hands, clearly shaken up.

"You don't have to tell me."

Zurath smiled. He looked like Leixia in this moment...

"Zurath, be honest. Are you her son?"

Syzoth asked with a concerned look.

"Who's son?"

Zurath asked, clearly taken by surprise.

"The woman I loved."

Why won't Syzoth say her name....

"If I'm being honest, Syzoth. I don't know if I have a mother. I was an experiment of my father. You see, he used souls from the living forest to create my essence, before mixing his DNA with Vaeturnian blood."

Zurath was... an experiment? Huh, that explains why he looked practically flawless.

"I'm sorry for assuming, Zurath."

Syzoth sighed, leaning his head back.

"I miss her."

He said, closing his eyes and reminiscing on the past.

"If you saw her right now, what would you tell her?"

Zurath asked, trying to lighten the mood.

This led Syzoth to let out a little pity laugh.

"Did you think that'd make me feel better?"

He sighed, before giving in.

"Firstly, I'd ask her to marry me. Then, I'd tell her how much I missed her. How much I missed her smile, her face, her voice, her scent, her touch... everything."

It was clear that Syzoth was distraught. He was desperate to see his family, he was being tortured and experimented on, used to do dirty work, and he still thought about Leixia.

That just showed that he truly did love her.

"I'm surprised that you still think about her all these years later."

Zurath chuckled, admiring Syzoth's loyalty... despite him being married to another woman.

"I really loved her, Zurath. I still do, if I'm honest. We were perfect together, it was just the wrong time."

Syzoth sighed, letting out a long exhale.

"I have a wife and a son now, yes, but they wouldn't be here if she hadn't left."

He felt guilty for still loving Leixia, but was he really at fault? He needed someone to fill the gap that Leixia had left, but that was... unsuccessful.

"I would cross the galaxy and back for her, Zurath. I don't care it I die trying, just as long as my spirit sees her one last time."

He sighed, letting out a few tears.

"You remind me of this woman I met when I once crossed the Lotus temple in Sun Do!"

Zurath chuckled, remembering his little friend.

"She also has this "one who got away", she still expresses her love for him! You remind me of her sentimentality."

He smiled.

"...what if that is her, Zurath?"

Syzoth was hopeful...

"No, it isn't. You said I looked like the woman you loved, yet we had no resemblance to eachother."

Zurath said sadly, he didn't wanna break Syzoth's heart even more.

Syzoth sighed, losing even more hope.

"What if I never see her again?'

He asked, looking somberly at Zurath.

"Don't lose hope, Syzoth. You never know, maybe you'll see her when you least expect it."

Zurath reassured him, patting him on the back.

"You never know. People from the present could be connected to the past, and vice versa."

He chuckled, giving Syzoth a friendly smile.

"And people in your future could also be connected to your present, and past."

He said, shrugging it off.

"I'm just saying, don't give up hope. Anything can happen, and I'm betting on the option of you two getting back together."

He smiled, poking Syzoth's cheeks up into a smile. Just like what Leixia used to do...

"I'd rather be alone right now, Zurath."

Syzoth sighed, standing up and walking off.

He decided to take some time off, take his mind off of everything.

He needed peace of mind, time to himself. That's what he got.

The Flesh Pits were... not the best. The rotting flesh, the smell, and overall the sight was putrid.

Zurath was left there scratching his head.

"...does he not wanna talk to me?"

He asked himself quietly, letting Syzoth do his thing.

He got up and prepared to feed Syzoth's family, and that was that.

Though, he still felt for the Zaterran. He wouldn't want to see his friend in pain.