The Great War

IV

"I remember Theo convincing me to sleep after pleading with me. And when I woke up, there was that thing in the room with me. I was cornered with it like prey." I looked away from Cora and down at my lap, "I remember thinking it was Theo before actually thinking it was something else. I looked away for a second and it was in front of me when I looked back."

Mani kneels down at my side and grabs my hand reassuring me I could stop whenever I got overwhelmed.

"I remember being choked, and then dropped. I think I hit my head. I know Theo walked in and saw me. I remember him kissing me and then I passed out."

Cora nodded and patted my knee, "Maybe more will come later."

I nod along with her simple yet reassuring words as I sigh. "Hopefully."

She stands up, her slender build making her seem much taller than she was. "Would you like to try and figure out how to get back?"

I look down at Mani as he places his other hand on my arm, squeezing my hand with the one that had held mine. "We can try."

He nods and stands up pulling me up, "Cora," she nods, and we all leave the room. Ceres follows us unsurely from behind.

𖤐

"Try and focus on getting back to a certain person, that boy, Theo, perhaps?" Cora says as she sits me down in the middle of the empty ballroom. "Just clear your head of anything else and focus on that person."

I nod and close my eyes, taking a deep breath as she backs away. I picture myself back in my apartment with Theo, watching a movie like before this all spiraled.

I think of his smile, and how his face lit up. I think of how his eyes scrunched up at the sides whenever he gave a real smile. I release a sigh and reopen my eyes, "It didn't work."

Mani gives me an encouraging smile as he walks towards me, "Practice makes perfect, let's take a break. Give your body a rest. You've been through quite a lot, darling." He takes my hands in his and pulls me up, "Come along."

He gently pulls me out of the ballroom back towards the office from earlier, "There's a sofa in here, you can rest on there."

I nod and yawn quietly, he chuckles his eyes full of love as he watches me sit down. "I'll be here if you need me." I stretched my arms above my head and nod once more as I lay down.

𖤐

I gasp and jolt upright, sweat making my shirt stick to my skin, "Daphne, you alright?"

I rub my eyes and look around me. my eyes tearing up as I realize none of that was some sick coma dream. I really was stuck somewhere unknown without the knowledge of getting back. What if that was the last time I saw Theo? Lilium?

I never actually got to tell Theo how much I loved him. I never actually got to hug Lilium again. I never even got to experience a kiss with him. I release a small cry as I cover my face, curling my legs up to my chest.

"Darling, what's wrong? Why're you crying?" I felt Mani sit in front of me gently taking a hold of my wrists softly pulling them down and away from my face. He cups my face and uses his thumb to swipe away my tears. "All is okay, I promise." I nod and sniffle, but I didn't believe him.

"What's going on in that gorgeous mind of yours, love."

I smile at him, the similarities between him and Theo painfully there, "Just thoughts of home."

He nods and holds my face in his hands as he gives me a soft smile, "You'll go back, I assure you."

I nod, not sure if I really believed him. All I wanted was Theo. His comforting hugs. His smile, his eyes, his laugh. Everything.

"You'll see this Theodore again," it looked like it almost pained Mani to say that.

"Maybe."

He gives me a grief-ridden smile and runs his fingers through my hair comfortingly. "You will." He sounds sure yet looks unsure of everything he was saying. He pulls me up from the couch and into a tight hug. "I'll get you back no matter what it takes. The last thing I wanna see is you sad."

He looks behind him as Cora knocks and peeks in, "Would you like to try again?" I give her a soft smile and nod. I take Mani's hand and walk out of the room with Cora leading us back upstairs.

𖤐

"Why isn't it working?" I ask, getting frustrated. I sigh loudly and fall back on the floor sprawling out.

"You have to just keep trying. Your body's exerted a lot of energy mentally and physically. You just need to work to get it back." Cora explains pulling me upright again, "Try again."

I sigh and stubbornly get back into the proper position and close my eyes. "Now, think of where you wanna go, what you wanna see, what you smell, what you feel."

I nod before opening my eyes, "Why not try this laying down?"

She thinks about it before nodding, "Wouldn't hurt to try."

I inhale deeply and lay back down clearing my mind like she said to. I think of my apartment, my bed and how soft my blanket is. I think about Theo sleeping next to me, and how he always usually smells like his work and his cologne. It was always a weird combination, but it was him. And that smell always made me feel at home.

I exhale quietly and think of the feeling when Theo kissed the side of my mouth before I passed out. How he pleaded with me to stay with him. How he held me close to him as I fought the drowsiness. How warm he was so close.

I gasp and cough roughly as I look around me, the smell of bleach reaching my nose as I rub my eyes, light blinding me. A loud beeping hurt my head. "Theo?" I whisper unsurely as I come to my senses.

"Daphne?" I feel arms wrap around my waist as I was hugged tightly to someone. "I thought you wouldn't wake up."

I wrap my arms around his torso and let out a relieved sob as I inhale deeply. Hoping, wishing this wasn't a dream. Hoping I wasn't hallucinating. He pulled back, his eyes puffy and red clearly from crying.

I let out a cry as I cup his face, his eyes, the sweet soft ones I love. He gives me a smile, the same smile I missed so much. I pull him closer and desperately press my lips to his in a sloppy, but much needed real kiss.

"I love you so much." I practically whimper out once I pull away. He stares at me wide eyed for a minute before bringing me back in and kissing me much softer and more passionately.