Darling Soul

Chapter Eleven

And if you got me I got you.

She opened her eyes to a world of agony and pain, but she closed them again, the pain was unbearable. She sobbed again and grabbed onto a hand next to her, she opened her eyes once more to see her twin's hand. He was weeping on her side, looking at her with sorrow.

"I shouldn't have been weak. I should have taken you with me every time I left. I'm sorry", he kept saying.

The moonlight entered from his dark blue curtains, illuminating the dark and cold room. The world looked dark. She felt dark, hollow and broken, devastated and hurt. She wanted to be gone.

"I'm so sorry.", he apologised over and over again. She managed to get up and sit, she grabbed onto her brother and pulled him into her, he kept his arms away from her.

"I can't do shit, I can't do anything to make you feel better. I am not the healer. I am useless."

"It's okay.", she whispered.

"It's not okay, Astra! Can't you see? Nothing about this is okay!"

"I'll be fine in two days."

"You should have never had to know how many days your body needs to heal from... that."

"It's fine, Atlas."

"You can't heal yourself?", he asked, but in reality he was pleading for her, not necessarily her but someone, to do something, to take her out of that misery.

"It doesn't work like that..."

He grabbed onto his own hair and pulled and she tried to reach for him but he jumped from the bed.

"What good am I with these powers if I can't even heal you? If I can't do anything? If I can't protect you?"

"You know very well that you couldn't do anything or the kingdom would suffer a civil war."

"I am so useless.", she tried to get up but the pain was too much.

"You are not. I just need rest. While I can't heal myself, my body heals faster than the rest."

"Right...", he said. He grabbed a blanket and covered her as she laid down again. "I will call for Eiran and -"

"Don't you dare. He won't know about this."

"He is your fiancée. He needs to know.", he tucked her in.

"He won't because you won't tell him."

"And why not?"

"I know you are friends, and I'm aware he is my soon-to-be husband but he is still a stranger. I won't have a stranger know my weaknesses.", she simply stated and he nodded. His sister was right and he knew it.

"What will you tell him? When he sees the..." Scars. He couldn't finish the phrase but the message was as clear as day.

"That will be something to worry about when the time comes. Stay with me?" She patted to the other side of the bed. "I promise I won't kick you out of the bed this time."

Atlas chuckled and got into bed, it's been years since the twins had a quiet night, but for once Astra wasn't assaulted with nightmares and Atlas wasn't greeted by insomnia. They held each other just like when they were kids, and Atlas kissed the top of Astra's head right before falling asleep with the Moon and the Stars watching over the twins. A strange duo, yet so complete.

[Author's note]
I had no clue that this book was being enjoyed by anyone other than myself so I chose to stop writing and only visit these characters in my dreams.
However, this story will see its end, I'll keep writing, because Astra deserves to be heard, the real Atlas deserves to be honoured, Eiran deserves to be celebrated and so many others deserve to be seen.
Will you stay with me, darling reader?