Only A WishWritten by: Udon T.E. And Abigail K.T.

Chapter 40: KOLONIA

Chapter Forty

[]KOLONIA[]

Zayden's glossy onyx-coloured eyes shone impossibly bright as he looked down at me.

My entire body was wracked with sobs. Drowning in my own sorrow, I caved.

Looked up at him.

Gods, even locked eyes with him.

Drank in his broad features.

The same features that Solaris and he had shared. How could I look at her without remembering him? How'd I trick myself into forgetting this. Into forgetting Zayden? I breathed in, taking the hands that weren't mine and setting them over his. Exhaling, I turned away from him to cast a glance in the mirror. My mouth hung open at the sight. The same person I'd been when I heard the news. The same person I'd been so many years ago.

Shorter, tanner, but undeniably still me. Or, the person I had been before Zayden disappeared. Shattered into a million pieces.

No.

How?

Why'd he leave me so soon? It was so close to the pain of losing him for the first time. Reliving one of the worst times of my life. All the agony, brought back in minutes

How could this be? How could I let myself fall to the new wave of hallucinations?

A scream of undeniably pure agony tore from my aching throat as the hallucination faded out. Tears poured down my splotchy face, my breathing uneven as I choked on unsaid words. "Zayden." I said, my voice sounding like I was trying to swallow a still-beating heart.

"Oh." Solaris whispered, her eyes as wet and silver rimmed as mine. "Are you... Okay?" Genuine concern flashed in her eyes onyx eyes that were twin to Zayden's. "I used to see him as well." She paused, bit her trembling lower lip. "But he's gone." She smiled as fat tears that probably mirrored mine rolled down her dark, tanned cheeks.

I nodded, still choking and quietly burbling.

"I know." I ground out, turning my red face away from hers. "I know." Repeating it, making sure I believed it this time.

I fought the neverending urge to yank my hands from hers, to yell at her. To take out my pain, our pain, out on Solaris. She'd probably let me. Sit there, let me scream at her. We were both much too tired for this.

But to my surprise, different words came out of my mouth. Completely different.

"Sleep here. Please." I croaked, bringing my orangey-brown eyes back to her gleaming obsidian ones and practically begging the taller girl.

A moment of such high-tension silence for a second I thought she'd decline.

"Are you sure?" She gave me a forced smile.

I nodded, stood up, and headed to my small bathroom to brush my teeth, dragging the brush along my teeth, wrists locked. Fortunately, Solaris had already gotten ready at her dorm and changed out of her standard black and gold uniform and into her casual clothes.

I calmed my breathing as I spread out some of my extra sheets onto the top bunk no one occupied. I pointed upwards, offering Solaris the bed.

"You okay?" Her mouth was a thin, tight line.

I shook my head. "No." I answered, my first truth in a while. "No, I'm not."

Solaris offered a weak smile, eyelids drooping. "Fair."

I let a drowsy smile slip onto my face before climbing into my tear-stained bed.

"Lyla?" Solaris called down.

"Mmm?" I mumbled, barely hanging on to my consciousness.

"I'm sorry for beating you on the mat." Her voice was brimming with watered-out sarcasm.

I let a burst of a broken laugh out, smiling at the bunk above me.

By some god's mercy, no nightmares flooded in to greet me when I fell asleep.

I was far too tired to dream.

-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\

Word count: 617 words

Thanks for reading!

-Abigail & Udon

(UPDATED XX)