What We Left Behind

Chapter Nine: Eric Meets His Soul-(Nemesis)

"And this is the kingdom of Orabelle," Ludivine announced, spreading her arms and gesturing grandly towards the castle that stood off in the distance, glowing golden against the setting sun. It was a sight, surely, Eric couldn't deny that. It was huge, and it glittered in the dying sunlight. Exactly like fairyland. 

But Eric dug his hands into his pockets, more conscious of the cold wind ruffling through his layers of clothes than the castle that was in front of their eyes. 

"This wasn't always this ruined and doomed," she said. This was ruined and doomed? "Once the people here lived glorious lives and the royalty was supported by all." 

Eric looked around, then back at the plains from where they had here to this edge of the cliff. "Can we get down from the cliffside?" He asked. "I'm feeling col—"

"This is your kingdom, Eric," Ludivine interrupted, watching as expression closely as he froze for a second and then slowly turned to look at her. His eyes held an incredulous look, the look that said that he didn't believe. 

"My kingdom?" He repeated, unconvinced. "This is my kingdom? How?"

"King Drystan ruled here until he died," Ludivine said. "And because King Drystan is back now, through you, it is you who—"

"Wait, wait a sec," he cut her off, holding his hands up in irritation. "What is all this about King Drystan being back in my form? Like, I don't know, like souls interchanged? Hello, magical realism trigger warning? Don't change the genre in between." 

She stared at him like she was unable to figure out what he was truly talking about. She shrugged at last. "Something like that, whatever you think," she said. "When King Drystan was dying, he announced to his republic that they didn't need to worry—not that anyone was worrying, in the first place—but he said nonetheless that after him there'll be another ruler. A kid ruler, surely, but an eternal ruler." 

It was hard to catch what she was saying when she was just mumbling it all in a low voice, like a rant she'd prepared, like something she didn't want others to listen to, so Eric held up a hand in between. "I think—I…I'm not the person. I think you've got it wrong." He nodded his head vigorously like convincing himself that he was right. "I don't even know anything about it. All I know is that I committed suicide, was sure that the next time I woke up would be in—wait!" A look of horror passed over his face, his eyes growing wide like saucers and his mouth falling open to form the shape of a circle. "Is this afterlife?" 

"What?" Ludivine scoffed. "Whatever gave you that idea? No, of course not." 

He blinked. "Then, if I died, how come I'm here?" 

"You're not dead, Erix," Ludivine protested with a frustrated look on her face. "I already explained. You're very much alive and breathing. Want me to nick up your arm to show you the blood that'll flow out?" 

"Not needed at all," he muttered, cradling his arm. He couldn't hold the weight of an injured leg and an injured arm. 

"How do you know I am the king, though? I mean, I've not been here ever before. Is this my previous birth or something?" He directed his questioning gaze towards her, and began speaking up another query, but stopped when he noticed her expression. 

Ludivine still looked really annoyed with him, and he did not want her to be annoyed with him because then he'd be left alone here if she decided to leave him. He already knew no one in this world. So he decided to have a peace treaty. 

"Okay, because you look so unsettled and crazy, I'm going to listen to you just this once explaining everything that is happening." 

"Thank you," she gritted out.