Luna Felix

62 | It doesn't exist anymore

REI'S POV

I threw up in the nearest bush. Again. 

Am I pregnant? 

NO Orief you are a biological male, you can't be pregnant.

One of the investigators handed me a bottle of water that I chugged it down after a quick rinse.

I steel myself to look at the scene of blood on the snow again. It has turned black by now. But the time it was red kept flashing in my head. I wanna turn around, and let the others do this. Sadly that is not an option anymore.

The Dwarf Chief we rescued told us that the labyrinth was built by his direct descendant. And the key to sealing it is to have the one who finished it offer a present and request the permission of the ancestors to bury it. Only then would it be safely buried.

And if I had heard of a condition like this a year ago, I would have never paid any attention. But the fear in my heart is so well seated that I do not wish to leave any stone unturned. To make sure that nothing, absolutely nothing goes wrong.

"You all please do not mind me. Move forward with setting up the presents." I instruct keeping my voice even.

I look as they prepare a red mat and a wooden platform. Every object wasbalanced onr the platform as the other dwarves accompanying the Dwarf Chief sprinkle something white around the perimeters.

I turn my back so I only see the objects being kept and not the dried blood.

"It's all done, Your Majesty." I hear the guard tell me. I nod in approval before stepping forward along with the Dwarf Chief.

"Shall I start the prayer, Your Majesty?" Comes the deep voice of the Dwarf Chief.

"You can, Sir," I replied. As I look down to my right.

The Dwarf Chief closes his eyes and bows, his hands crossed over his shoulders as he murmurs some words. I don't see any difference but I do as I was told.

I pick up each present at the Chief's indication. I hold it in the air towards the sky and then towards the earth. Then I promise to give it to a child and keep it in a bag. I repeat this patiently for every object. As ridiculous as this sfeels, I try to do it with my utmost heart. Once done, I step back and wait for the Chief's words.

"Your Majesty, the ceremony is complete. You can go ahead with the demolition." I nod and motion to the priests to start the honorary first hit. The rest would be done by the soldiers and guards.

nAn old priest approaches me with a big hammer in hand. "Your Majesty, we think it should be your privilege to do the honours as the winner of the ritual."

I contemplated his words. A part of me wishes to actually do so, but the other part is a little skeptical, unwilling to attract any more bad luck. In the end, I accepted the hammer and approached the outer wall that sealed after we exited.

I try to keep my memories at bay as I raise the hammer and swing. When the hammerhead slams down on the wall, it crumbles. It crumbles like it was made of sand and I hear the exclamation of wonder around me. Because we all knew how tough these walls were.

It feels bittersweet seeing the crumbs littered in the snow. Nobody knows how hard Felix and I had fought to exit these walls. And they came down, just like that.

On the other hand,, it feels exhilarating that the monument that we suffered in will no longer exist. And no longer will anyone have to perform any such rituals. Not that I would let it be a legal possibility anymore, but the sentiment counts.

,Excited, the team gets to demolish. It takes them a whole day to finish. All the while, I discuss and survey the new route to the goddess temple, which bypasses this forest completely.

After three days and tons of texts about Felix's condition, I finally ordered to pack up and ready to leave. Only leaving the finishers and a supervisor behind to complete the last of the tasks.

So far from what I have understood from these texts was that. She isn't acting out of the ordinary. Yet. She would take medicine, shower, eat and sleep. She got emotional when her dad visited but the nitty-gritty of the meeting was kept private between the Wests. After that meeting, she hasn't had a strong reaction to anything. Huxx, Acimer and even my parents and her father say she seems no different.

I know the texts were very detailed regarding her activity after waking up, recovery, and and reaction, but I want to be there. Somehow, I think I can look past what others aren't catching on and that despite everything, I will have a better grasp on her.

Whether it is a delusion or not, I won't know until I get there.

And as I had a way of banging my own leg at the axe, I had started planning her coronation too. Given it is just in the beginning stage and no vital details are set. But I have started laying the groundwork for the event. If it was up to me I won't have even waited. But it's not and I need to be patient.

It was close to midnight when I finally reached the castle. I met the doctors, my parents, Huxx, and Acimer. And all said the same thing I have read in those reports. I was told she was sleeping so I trudged to our chambers.

And there she was, bundled up and asleep, her hair spread like a flame on her pillow, her nose tinged with a little red. I wanted to reach out and cover her up more with the blanket. But I paused.

I have been to that forest, I am not touching her with that energy. I backpedalled from our room and bee-lined to Huxx's room. Once showered and changed I came back.

It felt weird to sit next to her on the bed, so I grabbed her favourite armchair and slowly placed it next to her side of the bed. I was anxious for her to get up. Somehow in all this chaos I had forgotten that her waking up is not recovery but a pandora's box full of sadness, guilt, pain and regret.

But I knew what I had selfishly bound us two with when I chose that cruel way to save her. And I will live with that choice no matter what. I will love and cherish her through any tantrum, blame, self-sabotage, or distress.

I reached for her hand again, as if it would seal the vow between us. Instead,, as soon as our hands touched, she stirred, and I froze.

"Rei?", she called me. She called me.

In that little moment, it felt that the weeks of guilt and grief just bubbled up. I was so choked up that I couldn't even utter a word. My grip on her hand tightened as I closed my eyes trying to calm myself.

I heard rustling and then her warm hand enveloping my face, slowly wiping the tears with her thumb, "Hey" she whispered. And I slowly open my eyes, and look at her in front of me, alive and breathing and talking to me.

"That scared?" She teased.

I nodded my head in agreement as I saw her small smile loosing.

"Come here" she pulled me to her softly and soon I was engulfed in her arms, my tears trickling down my face, warm and stinging against my cold face.

It took a few minutes but my breath finally evened to normal, "Never again. Please. I will do anything you want, absolutely anything. But never again."

"It's not like I have the ability to do that again." Felix jokes.

"Felix!" I warned.

"Too early?"

I shake my head at her unserious handling. But I knew this was how she was protecting herself. That she doesn't want to think about anything, doesn't want to know what our future will be. So she is making fun of her predicament.

And as we fell asleep and she still pats my back in comfort, I had an inkling that soon the roles would be reversed.

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